Eve Online - Please explain to a noob

[loginuser9999]

Hi - I downloaded Eve Online and really, really, really, really, really wanted to like it

I'm a huge RTS, sim, fantasy, space, any game you name it, loyal soldier ofr the last 25 years.

But I just couldn't get Eve Online. I found myself completely confused and unable to do anything.

Is there something I'm missing? Is there a very good online guide that explains it?

Are there others like me who felt totally confused and just gave it up too?

Is there some easy way to pick it up and will I reach some kind of gaming nirvana when I do, or is it actually overhyped?

Thanks for help

 

[KaOTiK]

You can do whatever you want in it.

The best thing to do is join a new player friendly corp that is willing to help and teach you the game.

In Eve, you can do whatever you want, but everything you do has other effects. Want to gank people in high sec? Go ahead, but you will be labeled an outlaw and the Concord (police) will kill you, you can go kill pirates to get back into good standing though. Want to make lots of money trading? You'll need to learn the markets and take the risk of someone possibly destroying your ship for your goods if you aren't careful.

 

[SunnyD]

EVE Online: If you don't pledge your soul to an active corp and someone takes you under your wing, you may as well just stop playing unless you have masochistic tendencies.

 

[loginuser9999]

BUt once you do figure it out, if you ever do, is it like the best game ever?

 

[ThinClient]

 

[ThinClient]

BUt once you do figure it out, if you ever do, is it like the best game ever?

Yes.

 

[ImpulsE69]

The best and worst thing about Eve Online is exactly what everyone above said. It can be completely daunting to a new player. I actually played it a few times for a about a week or so and quit, before I went on a 4 year Eve bender.

If you are into exploring (there's not much for handholding, but more than there used to be). Just expore, eventually, someone (noob corps) will take you under their wing and you will learn the game alot faster). The learning curve is immense, but if you have the time to dedicate to it, the payoff is quite large.

The trick is to try a bunch of things that might interest you and see what you liked the most. For me, I hated mining, but loved to grind missions. I did ALOT of that for quite awhile with being a merchant trader before i ever ventured out into 0.0. Then I took to 0.0 and got a taste for real PvP, and never went back. Lived there for 3 years (and in WH's as well). A small group of us even started our own alliance at one point and had a nice spot (well...considering there was only 5 of us in the corp) in Stain.

I knew one person who his entire persona in the game was to infiltrate and sabotage corporations. People HATED him, but on the outside he was a good guy. It's just how he chose to play the game to make it interesting for him. He taught me a lot about the game, and even though we were "good friends" whenever I was in a new corp/alliance, I knew not to give him any info that would help him lol, and he knew I wouldn't.

I will say, there is nothing like the experience of being in a fleet with a Russian fleet commander who gets pissed off

The possibilities are nearly endless, but then again, to really enjoy the game, you have to have nearly endless time to commit to it. That's the reason I finally left it.

Still my favorite multiplayer game of all time if not game of all time.

 

[Dankk]

It's a sandbox MMO. As mentioned above, you can do pretty much anything. It's entirely up to you.

EVE Online: If you don't pledge your soul to an active corp and someone takes you under your wing, you may as well just stop playing unless you have masochistic tendencies.

Eh, not really.

 

[andylawcc]

EVE Online: If you don't pledge your soul to an active corp and someone takes you under your wing, you may as well just stop playing unless you have masochistic tendencies.

I agree with that. I just started a month ago, and had it not been my real life friends guiding and teaching me along, I definitely would have lost interest.


if any more detail EVE questions, you can ask here:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=244908

 

[OSULugan]

Time for a new graphic.

POTBS is a "popular" MMO?

Also, this graph implies that as time goes on, you gain the most gaming skill in EVE online quickest. I don't think it was constructed very well.

 

[loginuser9999]

I've never heard of POTBS. Is that even played anymore?

Also, give me a reality check on what playing all the time means for Eve Online. Before I was married, I had 5 enjoyable years of playing WoW like 3-6 hours a day, sometimes more, during 5 years of graduate school.

Now, I'm usually lucky if I can steal away 1-3 hours a night, maybe a bit more on weekends so I have time for the Mrs. and work.

Is that enough or would I not get enjoyment out of it?

Also, hilarious graphic aside, if one is a reasonably clever person and someone who games a lot, what is the amount of time committed before you stop saying (like every minute in the game) "WTF IS GOING ON" every 10 seconds

 

[Red Storm]

I've never heard of POTBS. Is that even played anymore?

Also, give me a reality check on what playing all the time means for Eve Online. Before I was married, I had 5 enjoyable years of playing WoW like 3-6 hours a day, sometimes more, during 5 years of graduate school.

Now, I'm usually lucky if I can steal away 1-3 hours a night, maybe a bit more on weekends so I have time for the Mrs. and work.

Is that enough or would I not get enjoyment out of it?

Also, hilarious graphic aside, if one is a reasonably clever person and someone who games a lot, what is the amount of time committed before you stop saying (like every minute in the game) "WTF IS GOING ON" every 10 seconds

The tutorials have come a LONG way since back in the day. The game, while still the most difficult to master, is a lot more accessible than it used to be.

 

[Anteaus]

Basically the goal is to make a ton of money that you will spend on various ships which will be eventually used to either grief other players or as part of a giant combat furball that will cause server stability issues for everyone involved. There's other stuff also but that's ultimately what it comes down to...voluntary PVP or involuntary PVP. It's all the involuntary PVP that ultimately caused me to quit.

"Give me money before I destroy your Hulk and Pod you."

A - Hand over money. Podded.

B - Didn't hand over money. Podded.

This didn't happen every time but you get this jist. The old players pretty much own everything and the new players basically have to join a gang (aka corporation) or die alone. It's like Chicago, IL on Gang Wars, but with ships and a spreadsheet.

I'm sure there is more to it and that I'm exaggerating a bit, but that was my experience in a nutshell.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Basically the goal is to make a ton of money that you will spend on various ships which will be eventually used to either grief other players or as part of a giant combat furball that will cause server stability issues for everyone involved. There's other stuff also but that's ultimately what it comes down to...voluntary PVP or involuntary PVP. It's all the involuntary PVP that ultimately caused me to quit.

"Give me money before I destroy your Hulk and Pod you."

A - Hand over money. Podded.

B - Didn't hand over money. Podded.

This didn't happen every time but you get this jist. The old players pretty much own everything and the new players basically have to join a gang (aka corporation) or die alone. It's like Chicago, IL on Gang Wars, but with ships and a spreadsheet.

I'm sure there is more to it and that I'm exaggerating a bit, but that was my experience in a nutshell.

Oh yea..I forgot to mention you need to have a degree in mathematics to actually do well at the game

to answer your question though, no...3 hours might be MINIMUM to truly enjoy it, but it again comes down to what you actually want to do. I remember gate camps and roams that were supposed to be quick that ended up taking 8+ hours....and sometimes..it is against your better judgement to just log off out in the middle of nowhere by yourself.

Missions (when you get into the higher ones) could take an hour minimum to complete on your own, while others may only take a few minutes.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Hi - I downloaded Eve Online and really, really, really, really, really wanted to like it

I'm a huge RTS, sim, fantasy, space, any game you name it, loyal soldier ofr the last 25 years.

But I just couldn't get Eve Online. I found myself completely confused and unable to do anything.

Is there something I'm missing? Is there a very good online guide that explains it?

Are there others like me who felt totally confused and just gave it up too?

Is there some easy way to pick it up and will I reach some kind of gaming nirvana when I do, or is it actually overhyped?

Thanks for help

Eve is a social game. If you do not like interacting with other players you will hate EvE.

EvE is not a single player game, it is not WoW either. If you are looking for a single player game like WoW or Diablo3 look elsewhere.

 

[SunnyD]

Eve is a social game. If you do not like interacting with other players you will hate EvE.

EvE is not a single player game, it is not WoW either. If you are looking for a single player game like WoW or Diablo3 look elsewhere.

^^^ And this is the typical sort of "social" interaction you will get whilest within EVE. Mostly elitist mentality, holier-than-thou, I'm better than you and always will be so don't you ever forget it, don't question me or I'll pop you in the lip. Curt and quite matter-of-fact.

That is until you get into a corp, spend a year or two earning your chops and prove you're better than everybody else - if you actually are better than anybody else, otherwise you'll just be a punching bag for comic relief.

 

[ImpulsE69]

You can do whatever you want in it.

The best thing to do is join a new player friendly corp that is willing to help and teach you the game.

In Eve, you can do whatever you want, but everything you do has other effects. Want to gank people in high sec? Go ahead, but you will be labeled an outlaw and the Concord (police) will kill you, you can go kill pirates to get back into good standing though. Want to make lots of money trading? You'll need to learn the markets and take the risk of someone possibly destroying your ship for your goods if you aren't careful.

You forgot to add the other aspect of that is that if you wrong someone, be prepared to possibly be hunted by their friends/corp/alliance and all out war between your corp and theirs, etc.

It's not really meant as a warning, just as an example of all the ways you can interact with the game and how it reacts to what you do.

 

[cixx79]

This game is great in its own accord. Tremendous learning curve though. Better hold someone's pocket when playing this game. Just like everyone has already mentioned, sandbox mmo where you can do whatever you want, however your choices dictate certain consequences or awards.

 

[ThinClient]

Time for a new graphic.

POTBS is a "popular" MMO?

Also, this graph implies that as time goes on, you gain the most gaming skill in EVE online quickest. I don't think it was constructed very well.

Way to nitpick a completely pointless portion of the picture and miss the entire purpose of the image. Good job, buddy. I'm clappin for ya.

 

[ibex333]

Is there some easy way to pick it up and will I reach some kind of gaming nirvana when I do, or is it actually overhyped?

Thanks for help

NO. EVE is not "easy" by definition. Nothing in EVE is fast or easy. If you want fast and easy, take your ship, slap on some mods on it and go to your nearest 0.4 sector. When you go through the gate, casually proceed to the nearest asteroid belt. I'm sure someone will be happy to show you exactly what EVE is all about. ; )

On a serious note though, I wouldn't say joining a corp is helpful. Most corps are lame, and their members stupid idiots. How they are able to play such a complicated game with such low IQ is beyond me. Best way to learn is by doing and reading guides. There are mining guides, PvP guides, trading guides, you name it...
You can also try EVE Online forums. But be ready to filter the replies you will get. Most people who will reply are evil, angry, heartless jerks. But a few replies will always be helpful. But even those replies, you must filter them out too, because heartless jerks will send you do your death with "helpful" replies such as "if you want to learn the game quickly and effectively, go to 0.0".

EVE now has some very good in-game guides. Just go to help and follow the tutorials. You will learn a lot from them.

Be ready to get get grieved a lot. EVE is for people that can turn their anger and frustration into positive force and drive for success. If you dwell on negative emotions or events do not play EVE. It is the most unique game that essentially models real life with many of its dynamics. You can really learn a lot about just how cruel and disgusting people can be, and just how little everyone really cares about you or whether you live or die. A certain someone in EVE made someone else commit suicide in real life with his words. If that doesn't make you ponder about what sort of a game EVE is, and what sort of people play it, there must be something wrong with you.

For me, every day in EVE is a very educational experience. I learned not to despair about various things, and not to take certain events and people seriously. I learned to be self sufficient, and look for solutions to my problems instead of screaming for help when I am lost or confused. The lessons I learn drive me in real life every day.

Oh, and fuck Mittani, GoonFleet, and any goon that reads this thread.

 

[dighn]

BUt once you do figure it out, if you ever do, is it like the best game ever?

nah still depends. the game has awesome depth but requires too much commitment for my liking. personally I didn't find the learning curve dis-encouragingly high; i actually found the learning and exploration to be funner than the actual game, which is an endless grind for better gear and lost gear from fighting. and the travel time. oh my gawd the travel time.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Sociopathy IN SPACE.

Some people actually enjoy that crap.

 

[thujone]

Basically the goal is to make a ton of money that you will spend on various ships which will be eventually used to either grief other players or as part of a giant combat furball that will cause server stability issues for everyone involved. There's other stuff also but that's ultimately what it comes down to...voluntary PVP or involuntary PVP. It's all the involuntary PVP that ultimately caused me to quit.

"Give me money before I destroy your Hulk and Pod you."

A - Hand over money. Podded.

B - Didn't hand over money. Podded.

This didn't happen every time but you get this jist. The old players pretty much own everything and the new players basically have to join a gang (aka corporation) or die alone. It's like Chicago, IL on Gang Wars, but with ships and a spreadsheet.

I'm sure there is more to it and that I'm exaggerating a bit, but that was my experience in a nutshell.

nah that's pretty close actually

 

[surfsatwerk]

Spreadsheet with a fancy GUI

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Basically the goal is to make a ton of money that you will spend on various ships which will be eventually used to either grief other players or as part of a giant combat furball that will cause server stability issues for everyone involved. There's other stuff also but that's ultimately what it comes down to...voluntary PVP or involuntary PVP. It's all the involuntary PVP that ultimately caused me to quit.

"Give me money before I destroy your Hulk and Pod you."

A - Hand over money. Podded.

B - Didn't hand over money. Podded.

This didn't happen every time but you get this jist. The old players pretty much own everything and the new players basically have to join a gang (aka corporation) or die alone. It's like Chicago, IL on Gang Wars, but with ships and a spreadsheet.

I'm sure there is more to it and that I'm exaggerating a bit, but that was my experience in a nutshell.

There is a saying in Eve , HTFU.

Eve is not Wow, its not ToR, its a brutal ground where the weak die en masse and you need to learn to be good in order to be accepted into eve.

Even brand new players, if they are willing to learn, can become predators very fast. Its when people don't interact with others, and somehow think they are safe by not interacting the playerbase that they learn extremely quickly what Eve is about.