General things to know about EVE Online before beginning:
- EVE has no win conditions! play is quite varied and the game itself is entirely open-ended. sub-games and processes may have ends or goals, but EVE as a whole has neither
- pursue what you enjoy, avoid what you dislike, and ignore naysayers if their input isn't helpful
- EVE is unforgiving and deep! avoid it if you're easily upset by loss, can't laugh at yourself, can't seek help from other players and/or search engines, can't do basic science, etc
- EVE is PvP-centric! anything can be destroyed if it's undocked, regardless of system security level. "High Security" space is not a PvP-free zone!
- you can be nonviolent and minimize your vulnerabilities, but you cannot entirely avoid the possibility of PvP; even the market is mostly PvP
- losses in EVE are permanent, barring exploits or errors from CCPthe producers of EVE Online. you usually won't be reimbursed for ignorance of mechanics or for scams or treachery
- if something seems too good to be true, it's likely a scam. never accept contracts linked in Local chat or EVEmail. never pay a ransom or an entry/recruitment/trial fee
- scamming is a common practice in EVE and is not prohibited unless it involves out-of-game transactions or exploits
- given the risk of permaloss and the importance of trust, many groups have trial periods or otherwise gate for competence, compatibility, participation, willingness to learn, etc
- many (if not most) groups also require submission of full ESI links to corporate IT services prior to membership so players' affiliations and financial histories can be screened
- spying is a ubiquitous part of the EVE meta. many of the game's most storied events involve spycraft, treachery, retribution, etc. security is often taken quite seriously
- characters' Empires, Bloodlines and Educations are inconsequential except in this one way:
- Caldari characters all start 3 jumps from Jita, the game's main trade hub, and can always reset their homes there in future. this is more convenient than the other three Empires
Specific suggestions for play:
- do the starting tutorial. Career Agent missions may be of interest after the tutorial, but they're not vital
- cooperation improves EVE. you start in 1 of 12 NPC-controlled Corporations. joining a different player-run corp gives access to other nerds to play with & learn from
- WARNING: player-run corps may have war declared on them such that, after joining, you can be freely attacked in HS (normally, only suicide ganking is a threat there)
- so, if joining a corporation, read #3 below extra-intently, along with whatever guides/advice your new corporation/alliance may provide
- I recommend leaving High Security space and joining a corp elsewhere. HS is actually the most dangerous space and is ruthlessly exploitative of naifs and beginners
- some ways to find a good corp:
- if you're moving from an established area of operations, sell unnecessary assets and buy new gear at your new home. do not move valuables without first learning how!
- if you don't know a word or phrase used in a fleet, the best thing to do is ask with your voice. if you can't, check EVE University's EVE Lexicon page
- speech is more considerate than text because it lets others respond without diverting visual attention. if you're deaf, folks will be accommodating if they're worth playing with
- if you don't find a niche you enjoy, ask other EVE players for help! if you do find a niche, try new things every so often anyway
- if your corporation's not fun, leave it to try another
A few broad tips:
- NEVER undock with PLEX, Skill Injectors, Skill Extractors, or Skin licenses unless you want to give them away by dying. what to with them instead
- make instant-dock & undock bookmarks for stations you frequent
- if you have valuables to move, pay your corp/alliance pros or established groups like GHSOL or PushX or RedFrog and always use appropriate collateral
- you can learn to haul yourself, but moving valuable stuff is decidedly not appropriate for new players with no knowledge of the many risks involved
- trust as few guides/tools/mentors as you can and test/validate if you're uncertain. 3rd-party info/tooling, including my own, isn't necessarily correct or up-to-date
- EVE Online came out in 2003 and is updated regularly, so lots of available information is outdated. competent veterans often return and die due to ignorance of significant mechanics changes!
- seek out guides/tools/mentors and learn as much as possible from them. this contradicts the above, but the point is: other peoples' ideas/tools can be constraints as much as catalysts
- search engines are your friend! YouTube has plenty of guides if you prefer video, but check dates and take everything with a grain of salt
- don't fly what you can't easily replace. this isn't an iconclad rule, but it's generally best to keep a buffer of ISK/assets instead of pouring everything into one ship which you'll eventually lose
- think of ships as ammunition, and learn from losses instead of rueing them
- sending a (civil) message to your opponent(s) after a fight can produce fun chats, useful resources or lasting friendships
- if you're making a big purchase, hover over the total cost and note that it's spelled out, e.g. 1.28 million or 4.56 billion (good mental check for if you're being scammed)
- if you're unfamiliar with fair pricing, evaluators like Janice exist. beware: for low-volume items, evaluators are easily-gamed
- block toxic players (right-click their name in chat then select "Block"). most EVE players are chill, but some act terribly. report egregious behavior to CCP
- do not report people just for blowing you up or using rough language! "PvP everywhere" is fundamental to EVE Online, and learning to ignore shit-talking is a valuable life skill
EVE Online's essential knowledge
Moved this big guide to its own page.
Other Stuff
My own tools & resources and links to others are here. My EVE writing is mostly not newcomer-oriented.