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thinking of starting EVE
lordporkins
Member Posts: 7
Hi, I have played MMOs before, WAR, SWTOR, and had some fun, particularly enjoy PvP. I am not the greatest player, I am not good at sequencing abilities and working out the maths to produce the highest amount of damage. As a result I am an ok combatant at PvP but I mainly play to have fun.
I am now looing for a different challenge and a more futuristic game, having loved games like Elite when i was a kid, I looked into EVE and it seems to fit the bill.
I am not a total beginner, but how easy is it to get started in this game, is it fun, and I understand there is a strong PvP element which attracts me, but will I need to be a button expert or macro ace to stand any chance of competing?
Comments
More like a time machine; skill progression is in real time.
No. there is no button mashing or cycling through a sequence on eve. You just press buttons to turn turrets and shields on and off, the combat is designed to reduce the work the servers have to do. The main thing you have to worry about in EVE in regards to combat is range and tracking speed. Group combat is a little different but corps will walk you through it so you know your role. First thing to do though is get a feel for the game and see if it is really for you. Do the tutorials, and then do the Sisters of Eve mission line (ask around). If you feel the game is for you then find a good corp that has access to Null sec and WH space with at least 80 players in it because if you don't the game will be very very dull. If you don't like the game, don't waste your time with it, i'd say that for every 20 people who try the game, 19 quit.
Hi there and to answer your questions, no you dont need macro's
It just takes time to train for ships and weapons or industry in real time.
There are many options availeble for you, but Eve online all depend on playing together.
Maybe in Hisec you can play solo and a little bit more safe.
if your looking for PVP tough then you got many options:
Hisec ganking
Low sec pvp - small or big scale
Null sec pvp - roaming gangs - Gate camping - medium fleet - big fleet - massive fleet
Wormhole pvp - small and big scale - solo
Pve is very dull in Eve online, you got a few nice missions but its all the same once you done them all from level 1 to level 4.
And it pays very little compared to null sec.
Wormhole pve might be best incomme, but you need to salvage and haul your loot wich can be a pain for a new player, altough it now only takes 1 day to train for a Iteron 5 wich took a month before
You can be industrialist and produce anything once you obtain blueprints, but again in Hisec most slots for production are all qued up for days weeks or months.
You can be anything you want in Eve tough, but it takes time to train for all the skills.
There are null sec alliance's that recruit newbro's, my own coalition has a newbro program check Goonswarm for more information.
You get free ships, lots of pvp, you even get a mentor who can teach you all you need to know
Hope it helped and Fly Dangerous !
Thanks guys thats really helpful. I only downloaded the trial last night and made a character so some of what you say is a little confusing.
Personally i am not that interested in PvE, I like the idea of a bit of piracy/trading/empire building!
Is it worth buying a playing guide? Is it one of those games that I will need to be on every night to get the most out of or does it lend itself to a more casual approach?
thanks again!
http://www.isktheguide.com/
this is The Guide and it's free.
Quite seriously I doubt there is any MMORPG out there that has more information available on the internet for free besides EVE, and believe me there are literally hundreds of resources. When I first decided to play EVE I must have downloaded, printed, and then studied at least 7 or 8 of them on every subject from PVP to Industry to Mining before even downloading the tutorial. You will never stop this process, you'll be reading EVE guides for the rest of your time there, regardless how long you play, it's that sort of game.
But that said, the good news there's now one great source for just about everything for new players, its called the ISK guide and you can access/download it for free. (or buy a hardcopy if you like I think). Check it out, will really help explain all the new terms to you and give you a great overview of what you can do in the game.
http://www.isktheguide.com/
To answer your question above, hi sec, low sec and null sec refers to the security rating of the area of space you are in and it ranges from 0.0 (null sec) to 1.0 (high-sec.). Actually the ranges are 0.1 - 0.4 (low sec) and .5 - 1.0 (high sec)
What this means is if someone attacks you in high sec, NPC Police called Concord will show up and kill them almost without question, and they will take a significant penalty to their faction/criminal status. (very complicated, part of the criminal system which you most certainly will want to read more on)
Low Sec is the realm pirates in EVE favor, and while Concord guards the gates pretty much anything goes in low sec though players still take hits to their criminal status.
Null Sec is the wild west, anything goes, there's no penalty for killing others there, and it's up to the players to determine what sort of "justice" system will be enforced. Usually it's pretty simple, if not blue, shoot it. is the rule, but on occasion some folks have tried to carve out areas of enforced safety for everyone with varying degrees of success.
As mentioned above, your success in EVE is usually determined by how good of a corp you join and there's several good ways to find one, including the in game recruiting channel (though a bit too spammy for me) and the EVE online forums which I love because you can see what corps are recruiting and what activities they tend to focus on the most. (0.0, PVP, PVE, Mining etc)
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
You will not need to be a button expert or macro ace (I am neither of these).
You will need (select 2 or more from)
Patience
Good social skills
Situational awareness
A willingness to take risks
Willingness to learn from mistakes
Good maths skills
A willingness to be a good team player
Any 2 of the above are sufficient for you to make your way in EVE. Just don't try and play it like a traditional level&gear-grinder MMO. Play it like a (somewhat sylised) simulation. There is a huge difference, but once you understand it you're 90% of they way there.
At any given role there will always be someone better than you, but if you put in some effort and thought, there will also always be large numbers of players who are much worse than you.
Give me liberty or give me lasers
Endorsing this.
There are also lots of how-to guides on youtube if you search for them.
Give me liberty or give me lasers
I'd say the advice above plus having ISKtheGuide at your side is a great arsenal of advice and info to have.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
That all sounds good and really interesting. Someone mentioned needing to use spreadsheets and having good maths skills. Why is this necessary?
Is this a game that requires a lot of dedication or is it something I can dip into here and there?
I will definitely look into the guide you all recommend and take things from there.
Thanks again and any new tips/tricks are welcome! See you out there.
You hear the term spreadsheets because it is not a twitch game or a game of rotations. Also, unlike in a lot of themepark mmos, you are given a lot of freedom with your ship and how you fit it. Yes, you can completely gimp yourself if you are not careful. Also, the spreadsheets stigma probably comes from programs like evemon where you can plan out your skills days even months in advance.
In EVE, you will get out what you put in. You can be ok at it and make money without a ton of research but that is really just the tip of the iceberg. The game really takes off when you get into an active corporation. This game truly is about players. 100% in fact.
I have a few day one friends and I just siphon all the info I can from them. Listen to them when we are all watching the tournament or even over a few drinks and dinner.
I may get challenged for this but in my opinion, if you want to play super casual, then EVE may not be for you. It seems to be you really need to dedicate a decent amount of time to the game and the people you play with. I play very casual and I don't experience a fraction of what the game has to offer. The most I do is duck around low roaming with a few friends looking for gank squads. Other than that, its level 4's in my trusty old navy raven in high sec.
Still, I wouldn't trade my time for the world
It really is an amazing game
Maths is just needed to make sure you trade, mine and fight efficiently. For example, if you are a trader you can give an minimal isk value to your to the cargo space based upon the means average of the profit you make per jump. It helps you work out if it is worth the time and effort buying and transporting items from one system to another and what not to buy, mine, loot, or manufacture. However, most of the maths you will use is to work out how to best fit your ship and what conditions give you the best chance of doing the most damage. It's not something that is completely necessary, in fact most people get by with just trial and error.
This game gets the maths stigma because you have to take a lot of decisions, and the world is rather complex so it's important to weight your options. You can play eve with the focus on pvp, pve, industry, mining, trading, exploring and whatever you can think of. My advise is to a) get a 21 day trial from someone and b) take it easy but don't give up when you encounter difficulties. This game can be daunting to a new player, so planning things and asking advice is very important. In fact, asking advice and socializing are so important you are very much encouraged to join a corporation as soon as you can.
Eve does not have action based combat - it's like playing an rts. Strategy and decision making are what counts, not as much for execution (think chess). If you like games where there is always something to learn, then this is for you. Don't be discouraged about others for being a new pilot PVP. The killboards are literally full of 1-2m isk ships taking over 500m+ ones... it takes only a few weeks to specialize in smaller ships and be fully effective in less SP dependent roles (like tackling). Most corps will recruit new players and teach them the game, so don't worry.
If you need a 21 day trial and some ingame guidance, hit me up by a pm.
thanks uplink, I have already started the free 14 day trial they offer. Is that the same as the 21 day but shorter? There are no game limitations I assume.
I intend to play the tutorials and then do a few missions and see how I get on. I love the idea of learning and doing new things and not just repeating a grind, so I think this appeals to me, but I also have a young family so won't be able to dedicate several hours a night to this. I do intend to play regularly if I enjoy myself and I am happy to progress more slowly, I'm in no rush.
Yes, it's the same as a 14 day trial in terms of functionality. And if you don't have a lot of time to play I recommend starting over with a 21 day one so it won't end before you can get the game basics down first. Here's a link:
https://secure.eveonline.com/trial/?invc=d230c784-13d6-4b36-92f9-a5a27b2d3929&action=buddy
There are a lot of spreadsheets for a bunch of different activities in EVE, mining, hauling, market stuff etc. There are also a lot of maths involved in fittings and such. Having said that, I've found that you really don't use any of it until you get into something so much that you want to become as efficient at it as you can. I'm not a maths guy, I tend to cut all the zeros off everything add 2+2 and hope for the best. There are 3rd party tools for a lot of it as well.
You can just do casual PvE/PvP stuff. Your actual skills take time not gameplay. but your "Skillz " take gameplay. There are a lot of lessons to be learned.
I'm a fairly new player (only about 2 months or so) , I've played a little more than "casual" but I'm not putting in 12hr days or anything. Here are some tips I've picked up:
1. No matter what you think, no matter how many times you've done something, or been somewhere. You are NEVER EVER EVER safe in EVE not even in Hi-sec. CONCORD won't save you. So never fly anything you can't afford to lose, including carrying valuable cargo. Look up "suicide ganking" immediately. It's a real thing and there are plenty of c#$ts out there doing it.
2. Everything is a scam. Well, probably not, but you better start thinking that way. If you see something cheap 4 jumps away, check if it's in low sec, someone is trying to set you up. If you see a contract with a high collateral, it's trap, someone is trying to set you up. If you see a good trade on EVE market, don't do it, someone is trying to set you up.
3. There is really old and just plain wrong info out there. Try to verify everything you read with someone who knows the game before it ends up in a costly mistake.
4. READ. EVE University's site is great, especially if you want to find out all you can about a specific subject.
5. Watch your decimal points on the market. Seriously, I almost lost half a billion ISK to a broker fee because I typed in the wrong box. Thankfully, CCP took pity on me for being an idiot. Just pay attention when your doing anything with money.
6. Just because you can sit in a ship, doesn't mean you have the skills to fly it properly. Look up "support skills".
7. Find out what you like doing and make a plan to train for it. You can get really good at specific things in a fairly short amount of time with a plan.
8. Join a good corp (advice I still need to take). You will only have fun solo for so long.
Emphasis on "good". Joining a bad corp can really ruin the game for you. Don't think you are too noobish to join a 0.0/low-sec/whatever-you-may-enjoy-corp. A lot of good corporations are noob friendly enough to take you (if you are willing to learn) so you can start doing what makes you happy in game.
"EVE is likely the best MMORPG that you've never really understood or played" - Kyleran
I would add a very important warning here, always look for dates on anything you are researching. EvE is ten years old and while it is true that every MMO changes I've found this to be particularly true of EvE. In the last year alone the majority of ships in the game have been altered. Anything written or recorded more than a year before is likely to have picked up inaccuracies, use multiple sources.
Research wisely. I spent the better part of my trial reading and haven't regretted it in the least.
EvE Online is a fun game. Especially if you're in a good corp that helps you out and lets you get involved with operations.
When you start out, it is imperative that you do all of the tutorial missions. They will make you go through the motions of all that is available in the game. After that, I would recommend that you join a corporation. EvE Univercity is a good one to apply for. They exist to train up new players and show them the ropes in all aspects of the game.
Eve may be the game for you if you like to be abused by pretty much everything in game(fleet comanders, suicide gankers spies).
Also you should consider the risk of paranoia and loosing faith in people in real life.
If all this sounds cool to you plus you want a second job then eve may be a good choice for you,
True, not all people can hack the politics, thievery, and general all around nastiness of other players in EvE Online. But if you learn to keep your eyes open and a brain cell active, you can avoid about 90% of it.
Some people prefer a game that does a little more than a hack-slash-spell casting eye candy fest. I mean this game just recently had severe slobber knocker fight with warring alliances that topped at over 4000 pilots in one system.
If encounters with the dark side of human nature in EvE cause you to lose your faith in humanity then it wasn't really strong in the first place. What EvE teaches you to do is protect yourself wisely. In order to advance in the game you MUST develop your ability to decide who to trust, when to trust them, and how much to trust them. Sure, you'll get your ass handed to you a number of times in the process of learning, but that's the way life is too.
Keep on rockin'!