First Steps in EVE Online

Getting started in EVE Online is tough, pick-up-and-play it ain’t.

Ten years of refinement has been a mixed blessing for the New Player Experience of EVE Online. As the gameplay options increased, so too has the entry level complexity.

So when poor old Rookie McSpaceNoob first logs in, eager to participate in the grand space battles and Darwinian skullduggery seen in so many of EVE’s impressive cinematic trailers, he is often disappointed and bemused by what he finds.

Not Like Other MMOs

Initially, the character selection and creation will be familiar ground to experienced MMO players and the opening gameplay featuring a human avatar on a space station is probably comfortable. But then it all changes. Forget about your lovingly created space man (or woman). To paraphrase Doc Brown, where you’re going, you don’t need limbs.

Fair warning though: the impatient player might be tempted to skip the tutorial. Don’t.

Unless you’ve got a very knowledgeable and patient friend on hand to walk you through what you need to know, you will really need to persevere with the tutorial, at least just to grasp the basics of the controls and the interface. If you don’t, you will very likely get lost, confused and frustrated, leading to the inevitable uninstall.

This would be a shame as, for the sake of rushing, Rookie McSpaceNoob will have just denied himself the possibility of an online gaming experience that cannot be found anywhere else.

Patience is a Virtue

The art to enjoying EVE really does come down to how much time and effort you choose to invest. This is an inescapable fact and even if you planning to play fairly casually, to gain some initial traction you will have to engage the grey matter.

In EVE, knowledge and preparedness are far more valuable than a huge bank balance or the ability to fly every ship in the game.

There are a number of fundamental lessons that are worth learning early on to assist Rookie McSpaceNoob’s transformation into seasoned veteran.

This series hopes to provide a head start in learning them.

Next: Finding a Purpose

First Steps in EVE Online Series Contents

• Introduction
• Finding a Purpose
• The EVE Philosophy
• Understanding Your Environment
• A Guide to Guides
• Four Must Have EVE Online Resources for Rookie Players