Purpose of this Guide:
It has been said that EVE’s learning curve is more like a cliff. With this guide, I hope to flatten the steepness, if only just a little.
Why EVE?
Sandbox:
What makes EVE different from other games is its player driven nature. CCP creates what it calls the “sandbox” then let’s the players drive the game (for the most part).
The un-sharded universe:
When logging into EVE, you don’t pick which instance of the universe you want to log into. There is only one.
No Experience Points:
No grinding experience to make your character better. EVE characters learn skills over time, 24 hours a day, whether you are logged in or not.
No Class:
Not locked into a class or race like other games. You can train any skills, learn to fly any ships, perform any task with a single character. Players tend to train sets of skills that will improve your ability to participate in various activities, but there is nothing that stops you from doing some or all of the activities in any of these careers.
Meaningful Combat:
If your ship blows up, it’s gone. If that ship was equipped with all your best stuff, that you spent days, weeks, months, years acquiring… well, that stuff is gone. Maybe a friend will scoop some of the stuff from the wreck that was once your ship, and get it back to you. More often, the people that made your ship go boom get the portion of your stuff that did not get destroyed in the boom.
Player Driven Market Economy:
Players buy and sell things from each other, in a system like a real life commodities market. Buy to sell orders, sell to buy orders, or put up orders of your own and wait for other players to buy from or sell to you. The market is quite realistic, responding very quickly to changes in supply and demand. More supply than demand, prices go down. More demand than supply, prices go up. Buy low, sell high, profit.
Much of the stuff you buy and use in game was built by players, using materials harvested by players. There are still a few sources of things not created by players, but they continue to grow fewer as CCP continues to expand EVE.
Play the game the way you want to:
If you enjoy player vs player combat, there is ample opportunity for that. If you want to just be a trader, sitting in stations buying and selling goods from other players, well, you can do that too. Mine asteroids, harvest planets, manufacture goods or play the markets. Run missions vs.computer controlled ships for fun and profit. Salvage wrecks. Explore ancient sites or destroyed outposts for valuable items. Harvest gasses and use them to manufacture… um… mind expanding substances. You can do any combination of all of these.
Chapter 2: Creating an Account and Character
Chapter 1: Creating an account and a character
Chapter 4: Basic Tutorial. Pilot Certification Course.
Chapter 5: Military Tutorial Cash Flow for Capsuleers
Chapter 6: Exploration Tutorial
Chapter 7: Industrial Tutorial. Making Mountains out of Molehills
Chapter 8: Business Tutorial. Balancing the Books.
Total NewbS Guide to Eve Online 