EVE online

[Drew]

I've decided to give this game a shot, I know Radamanthys used to be a player, anyone else? Can you tell me anything about the game? What corporation should I join? Anyone have an account that wants me to put them as their referral?

[radamanthys]

Fun game- I never was in a good corp, so I missed out on a good part of the game.

Actually, It's impossible to really progress unless you join a Corp. There's just not enough money to be had. Your ability to kill is related to your ship and equipment. The equipment you CAN use is dictated by skills, which take time to learn. The equipment takes money to buy.

You gain money by killing pirates (one skill tree), Mining (Another Skill tree), or missions (different kinds- couriers are another sort of skill tree).

If your ship is blown up, it's gone. And to make good money, you have to go into PK zones. The hotter the zone, the more money to be had.

So, it wasn't great for a carebear like me. But it's one of the most fascinating games out there, and it's rather fun. They did a big update after I left, I hear the graphics got way better and there's some other new stuff, so go for it.


If you have the desire, you may wanna see if you can buy a character that's 'prepped' with all the learning skills and implants. Just a suggestion- you'll see what I mean.

It's a really great game, have fun with it.

[Ashlander]

It's a great game but it got to be too much like a second job for me. Radamanthys is right about joining a corp and pvping to get the good money too.

[Seran]

Honestly the whole concept of gainging alot of Isk mining is a joke, there's entirely too many folks who'll gank you on the drop of a hat to make any worthwhile mining cost effective.

If you're going to play, create a Caldari Achura for speed learning and focus on being the best little PvP'r you can. The game is all about factional warfare (read new PvP fun) and less and less about production, mining, and ratting (pirate killin).

I have a Gallante with somewhere around 17-19m skill points with a strong Industry/Mining slant and quit out of sheer boredom. Big Corps are key, but don't fool yourself into thinking the game is about anything other than PvP.

[inso]

I started up playing EVE in January. Mostly just biding time while getting my learning skills from rank 4-5 atm, so not logging in much.

I'm sure it can feel like a job if you play full time- but for me it's nice to have a game where even when I'm busy, my character is still progressing while offline.

Planning on doing a lot of missions as soon as I get some skills up to grind ISK a while and get more comfortable with the game, before delving into PVP. Lot to learn- I have as much fun reading about the drama (IE goons espionage disbanding BoB) and theorycrafting about characters as I do playing the game.

If anyone wants to hit me up in game, send me an eve-mail (Hypok).

[Seran]

The skills are fun for awhile, and I learned just how interesting they could be when I got my T2 drones in my flashy new Myrmidon but pretty soon you realize you're grinding the same series of 4-5 missions in different places.

For being an absolutely huge game with a large playerbase, it honestly put all of the time put into AG missions into perspective.

But Corps will keep ones attention for awhile, but you'll soon realize it's all about blobs. Tactics mean dick in EvE.

[inso]

Yea, not as interested in large-scale PVP as I am the little stuff/ganking in gangs eventually.

Will be fun times ganking those 1+bil tech3 ships when they come out in a couple months.

[Seran]

And they will be ganked, there is no getting around that.

Such is the love that only a fully camped gate can give.

[Drew]

So just to make sure, no one has an account or a buddy they want me to use as my referral?

[Drew]

If you have the desire, you may wanna see if you can buy a character that's 'prepped' with all the learning skills and implants. Just a suggestion- you'll see what I mean.



How much does this cost?

[inso]

How much does this cost?

http://myeve.eve-online.com/ingameboard.asp?a=channel&channelID=734105

That's the sanctioned forum for buying/selling characters. For $35, you can buy two 30-day "plex's" (in-game item to add 30 days to your account). These sell ~310-340mil each depending on the day.

You can pick up a very basic starter-shell character with 2.5-3mil skillpoints (learning) for ~500mil if you're patient, or a solid starter for your path with ~6mil for 1.5 bil or so. Just be aware that there are no name-changes, so may be worth perusing a while to make sure you don't regret the name-choice a long time later (people often use numbers and stupid stuff in names).

A cheaper way to convert cash to ISK is through non-sanctioned web sales. You get ~17mil per $1 doing the sanctioned, but you can get over 40mil per $1 buying from a site like swagvault.com. Haven't had any problems going that route myself, though it is technically illegal. You'll need an active, paid account to purchase ISK this way, as it goes through the contract system generally.

[Drew]

Cool thanks for the help. I don't think I'll buy a character just because I haven't even played the game yet, who knows if I'll like it.

[inso]

Yea, a lot do because if you want to minmax for longterm you'd sit in one spot training the learning skills for the first 1.5 months, before you even do anything that makes you stronger/fly better ships/do anything.

[Drew]

That sounds incredibly boring, but I also hate being worse than I could be.

[inso]

Yea, I've just been playing other games while my first char levels up learning. They're skills that do nothing but make everything else train faster- so over time, you come out way ahead in terms of skill points.

If you want more to do, might want to push into a cruiser in the first two days or so, before bogging down with the learning skills. At least with a cruiser you can do the first two tiers of missions easily, and can start earning ISK/reputation and getting a feel for fitting.

[Drew]

Can you do that while still appropriately min/maxing?

[inso]

Well, to truly min/max skill points you wouldn't. But ISK (currency) is the other huge grind in EVE, and you'd make 10-20x more isk in a cruiser than a frigate during the time you'd be training learning skills. That'd give you an excellent currency base for when you're actually training ship/weaponry/electronic/etc.

One day isn't a big deal to postpone 1.5 months of learning skills. If learning skills made you train 30% faster, that'd be about an 8 hour time-loss in the long term. But the ISK gain and ability to actually play more than make up for it. At least in my opinion.

[Drew]

Cool thanks for the advice, is there any noob guide out there that you know of since most of the in-game stuff is Spanish to me (I've been reading the eve wiki)

[inso]

http://myeve.eve-online.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=659413

Probably the best guide I saw starting out. Even has a link to where he theorycrafted the best starting race for min/maxing.

If you do follow that guide and take his advice on starting race, here's a starter guide to those ships:

http://evefiles.mysterious-mysteries.com/caldari_ships.html

You should be able to train up to cruisers in a day or so. He doesn't list them, but destroyers can be skipped completely. Not sure which wiki you're using, since there's a ton, but:

http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Main_Page

Is the best I've found. From there you can look up things like the skill requirements for Caldari Cruiser:

http://wiki.eveonline.com/wiki/Caldari_Cruiser

And get a quick overview of what you need to work on. You can basically train that skill right away with the recommended race/class path. Using the right weapons take a bit more skill training, about a day or so. I'd recommend googling "xxxx fitting", where xxxx is the name of the next ship you want to fit. You'll see a bunch of different fittings, and can look up each component in the market.

Always right click and show info on stuff in game. There's a prerequisite tab that shows you what skills you'll need to fit the item on your ship.

Going through the starter tutorials are extremely helpful. I swapped races a few times before ending up with the one recommended in the guide for the long term balance.

[Drew]

Awesome, so I'll basically be playing the dark elf sorcerer of Eve? Thanks again for your help.

[Seran]

Doesn't matter what race or bloodline you choose in Eve, pretty much everyone is going to blow up your ship first and then question your pod later if they so choose.

..chances are they'll blow up the pod too. Word of the wise; keep your clone up to date, and realize that implants are only good investments so long as someone doesn't blow up your pod.

[Carsyn]

I've been dabbling in EVE myself lately. Anyone around got a corp worth mentioning?

[Drew]

I'm signing up right now. Can't really think of a good name, but Methais is available.

[Drew]

I got lazy:


Your user name is: Jaston

[inso]

Haven't done the Corp thing yet myself. Reading the recruitment page on the official forums feels like walking down a shady street in Paris where people try to pull you into the strip clubs.

If anyone finds one worth a damn, let me know. How are you guys setting up your chars? Mine's mostly PvE mission focused for a while, but I haven't played much while working on the learning skills.

[Carsyn]

Haven't done the Corp thing yet myself. Reading the recruitment page on the official forums feels like walking down a shady street in Paris where people try to pull you into the strip clubs.

If anyone finds one worth a damn, let me know. How are you guys setting up your chars? Mine's mostly PvE mission focused for a while, but I haven't played much while working on the learning skills.

I hear ya on the player corp recruiting. Listen to the recruitment channel sometime, it's even worse. They're like those fuckers trying to enlarge your penis.

I've been a loner in GS4, didn't play WoW or AoC any length of time, so I'm not familiar AT ALL with PvP. So I tried for a PvE/flexible path. Minimatar Inventor, Special Forces.

Lollygagging through missions while I get my Learning skills done (doing Level 4 on basic, Level 3 on advanced). I love the ceritificate system. Think I'll work on Special Forces certs until I get Level 2 missions, then I'll focus on getting into a cruiser ASAP.

Carsyn/Kraytorh/Legion Antipas

[Drew]

I joined a corp my first time out, they only have like 40-50 members and don't control any space but they were helpful and friendly. Figured I could leave if I didn't like them.

[Seran]

If you find a corp that enjoys doing missions together, you can have some fun. I'd recommend training to use salvagers, it will really make a difference later on if you can construct your own tech2 rigs.

[Geertt2]

BoB died! BoB died!

[radamanthys]

I don't know what special forces are, nor the certificate system- I quit a while back (They had just introduced salvage).

[Seran]

I recently re-activated my account and found that 6 mil in components would market for 100 mil. Interesting bit of inflation.

[FNLN]

I've been playing EVE for years now. Got bored with my Dread pilots so I sold them off (and dropped myself down from 3 accounts to 1) and ended up moderately space rich. Being in a player corp is where most of the fun comes from in this game. I would have quit ages ago if it wasn't for being in GoonFleet.

Anyway, I spend my days camping PR- in Delve. So I won't mind helping people out, so send an evemail or convo to Venomire.


BoB died! BoB died!

This is where we were a few days ago.
http://vault.error-403.net/files/1/Public/user15986_pic3070_1236653524.gif

[Drew]

My trial ran out and but I enjoyed the game enough that I'm paying now. I joined a corp but they are mostly british guys and I really don't have that much fun with them. I've been in high-sec basically the whole time (have to cross one part of 0.4 to get to my corps POS). I have a cruiser now, a Moa but other than that I'm pretty poor I think I have like 10 mil isk which is generally what I'm getting from the pirate missions I'm running but I'm doing my learning skills and those books are really expensive. Eidectic memory set me back 4.5 million and now I have to buy Logic for another 4.5 million.

[Seran]

I've restarted my own account about three weeks ago in anticipation of the latest expansion; Apocrypha, and let me say I've recently had to eat all of my words about the hate of Eve.

The release of wormholes has recently added an entirely amazing level of exploration to the game which has had me going to work with fewer than six hours of sleep all too often. My previous corp is setting up a big launch into a wormhole with the intent of colonizing it, and I'm having the time of my life carebearing it up.

FNLN; Goonswarm by in large with it's disbanding of BoB late February was the reason I rejoined. BoB in my opinion was a bunch of traitorous twats. Kodous to your corp.

[radamanthys]

What's the wormhole thing?

[Seran]

It's essentially a hidden jumpgate into a different type of space, called W-Space or wormhole space. Everything else being K-Space or known space.

Inside these wormholes are entire solaysystems, complete with planets and moons. Inside are hidden loctions; asteroid belts, combat systems, gas clouds, hacking sites, archeology/salvaging sites that have to be tracked down with scan probes. Once located, you can travel there and bookmark it.

At some of the sites, or most depending on the danger level you will find a new class of NPC called a Sleeper. They're hella tough and fight with Tier 3 ships. The huge draw to W-Space being getting components to make/own these tier 3 ships through reverse engineering loot.

The gas clouds / asteroid belts typically have better quality yields than K-Space and are highly prized for those who want to exploit them.

[radamanthys]

so it's basically low-sec PvE space?

That's friggen awesome.

[Ashlander]

hell with this many people from here playing now I might have to reopen my account and give it another shot. I was already thinking of it with the new expansion coming anyway.

[FNLN]

so it's basically low-sec PvE space?

That's friggen awesome.

Actually W-Space is nullsec (0.0). So there's no standing loss when you blow someone up. But the wormholes don't have an aggression timer so you can shoot someone and jump through immediately if things go tits up.


My trial ran out and but I enjoyed the game enough that I'm paying now. I joined a corp but they are mostly british guys and I really don't have that much fun with them. I've been in high-sec basically the whole time (have to cross one part of 0.4 to get to my corps POS). I have a cruiser now, a Moa but other than that I'm pretty poor I think I have like 10 mil isk which is generally what I'm getting from the pirate missions I'm running but I'm doing my learning skills and those books are really expensive. Eidectic memory set me back 4.5 million and now I have to buy Logic for another 4.5 million.

I'd personally suggest finding a 0.0 corp and getting the hell out of highsec, but 0.0 is an entirely different beast and I'm not sure what your goals are in the game. If you're leaning more towards PVP and such, 0.0 and lowsec (if you PVP here, make sure you learn the aggro mechanics) would be more ideal. If it's making ISK, well, there are tons of ways of doing that.

[Drew]

I'd personally suggest finding a 0.0 corp and getting the hell out of highsec, but 0.0 is an entirely different beast and I'm not sure what your goals are in the game. If you're leaning more towards PVP and such, 0.0 and lowsec (if you PVP here, make sure you learn the aggro mechanics) would be more ideal. If it's making ISK, well, there are tons of ways of doing that.

I've been looking at that but most of the corps require you to have at least 10 mil SPs, and I have like 1.3 and my skills are almost all the learning skills (building a foundation). And I'm just in a T1 cruiser with shitty T1 weaponry and shitty skills so I'm not really sure how well I'd survive in 0.0.

[Ashlander]

I've been looking at that but most of the corps require you to have at least 10 mil SPs, and I have like 1.3 and my skills are almost all the learning skills (building a foundation). And I'm just in a T1 cruiser with shitty T1 weaponry and shitty skills so I'm not really sure how well I'd survive in 0.0.

You wouldn't. I'd wait til you can get battlecruisers or battleships before you hit 0.0.

[Drew]

Yeah my current plan is to get into a BC (a drake) and use that for ratting while I train towards an Arazu.

[FNLN]

If you're going solo roaming into 0.0, a Pilgrim (Amarr) is pretty decent for a recon. HAC wise you want to look at a Vagabond (Minmatar). But that's a lot of extra training and you're better off, when starting out, working on your learning and basic fitting and support skills (Mechanics, Engineering, Electronics, etc).

BCs and BS are too slow to solo roam in 0.0 with. Interceptors are pretty decent though (Never fly Assault Frigs, just use them as a prereq. to getting HACs).

[FNLN]

Oh, because we're spread out doing whatever, different corps and alliances, I made a channel so we can talk in game. That and I can help where I can and give out ISK.

http://vault.error-403.net/files/1/Public/ingame-channel.jpg

[Drew]

I'll join when I get home tonight.

[radamanthys]

My computer can't handle it :-(.

Neither can my schedule or bank account :-( :-(.

[FNLN]

I'll end up creating an in game mailing list too, just to ease communication a bit more.

I would sponsor you people into GoonFleet, except I don't know any of you offline (if anyone is in MD that could be rectified) and I'll get booted too if anyone I sponsors goes fuck goons.

BTW, if you're sitting in the recruitment channel and someone says they can get you into GoonFleet and/or GoonSwarm, you're being scammed. GoonFleet doesn't open recruit (open to SA members and people they know offline only). The pubbie corps in the Swarm, usually come from some other forum as well. MRCHI (Merch Industrial) is recruited from the Penny Arcade forums, ARSED (Ars ex Discordia) is from Ars Technica. LOVEU (Ultrapolite Socialites) is from F13. OEG (Order of Elite Gamers) is russian, LDLQ (Legion du Lys) is mainly French Canadian (they were one of the founder corps of one of our oldest allies TCF (Tau Ceti Federation) but joined the Swarm due to better timezone coverage. I believe DPG (Duragon Pioneer Group) is another goon corp.

IGNE (Igneus Auctorita), BTLS (Battlestars) and DS1 (DarkStar 1), unlike the rest of the GS corps, don't have the same sort of extra-community glue that holds the other corps together. Well, they might now.

[Seran]

Yeah my current plan is to get into a BC (a drake) and use that for ratting while I train towards an Arazu.

Honestly the best thing to do is to stay out of 0.0 space for any sort of ratting; too many folks are pretty skilled at tracking others down in order to gank them.

My corp mates and I recently moved into W-Space on a semi-perm basis, but prior to that we had two promising wormholes get abandoned due to 30+ member gatecamps blocking routine access through the 0.0 access points from Empire.

Case in point, 0.0 can be dangerous, and getting there moreso. As a Myrmidon (BC) pilot, I can make several million isk in the period of an hour by running level 3 missions and selling both drops, and salvaged materials. I'd recommend getting your NPC faction ratings up fast through the connection kills and run the missions you can to work your way up into a pretty decent ship.

[Seran]

I would sponsor you people into GoonFleet, except I don't know any of you offline (if anyone is in MD that could be rectified) and I'll get booted too if anyone I sponsors goes fuck goons.

This made me laugh, and I appreciate the bit of a warning about open recruitment into GF, GS being a scam. For a Corp that recently pulled off one of the biggest and most region shaking scam in Eve history down in Delve, I have to say it's ironic that you're upfront about it.

[FNLN]

We've always been honest about not open recruiting (it's in our corp description). We can't help it people are dumb.

[Drew]

Best thing I've done to make EVE awesome: turn off the in-game music, have itunes play the battlestar galactica soundtrack.