FoH guide to EVE Online

[Celebrindal]

Originally Posted by Xequecal

I hear a lot of stuff about "advanced learning," how it takes weeks to train, but how basically everyone has to do it. Is this a seperate skill, or just a generalization for training all the individual stat skills up to a high level?

Look at the screenshot in the first page. If you look, it shows all of the learning skills worth learning. Aside from 'learning' all of the skills at level 4 are the advanced learning skills. Each one is a +4(lvl4) to perception / int / mem / will... On top of the +5 to all the regular learning skills I have. So I have +9 to all attributes, minus charisma.

[Dom Devore]

A quick note about learning skills. Getting the basic learning skills from lvl 4-5 seems like a long time, but it opens up the advanced learning skills for you, and since they're separate skills the first few ranks of them are quick times to learn.

So, while Basic perception 4-5 takes you 6 days or so for 1 additional perception point, it opens up advanced perception which can net you another 3 perception points in just a few days.

[Celebrindal]

The advanced learning skillbooks are expensive though. A couple million isk each.

[Alexzandra]

Good guide! I started with the same race/stat allocation that you suggested and it has worked out great for me. Two things I would suggest adding:

1) For the missile part of the guide, you might want to add info about guided missile precision and note that missile launcher op V is needed for it.

2) As for the gunnery vs frigate skill creation route, you might want to explain the difference between both. IE, the frigate skill will let you fly all the racial frigates right from the get go (very helpful for making cash early on), while the gunnery path will save you training time in the long run (but might not matter if you're planning on going for missiles anyway).


Let me put in my .02 isk on the whole learning skill thing:

Do them asap. Some of your first money made should go to the basic learning skills. However, if you come across a skill you need to fly your ship better, by all means train it. IE, get missile launcher opperation, standard missiles like priority one for caldari (I recommend standard missiles instead of rockets, less dps but much more range, plus you'll use them after you move up to a cruiser). However, once you get them to IV, I recommend training up needed skills for a cruiser. A cruiser will allow you to fly level 2 missions, which is a major income increase from level 1s.

Once you are in a cruiser and find you have the skills you need to fly level 2s well, save up and buy the advanced learning skills. Follow this guide for the most efficent way to train them.

Mission running:

I can't speak for the other races, but for Caldari here are my suggestions for mission running ships.

Level 1:
Basically, the debate here is between the Kestral and the Merlin. The Merlin is easier for a low sp character to fit right, but more sp dependant to fly well, if that makes any sense. The Merlin is a dual platform ship, it has 2 turrent slots and 2 missile slots. You can easily--even with crappy skills--get two rail guns and two missile launchers loaded on it, and still have room to fit an AB (a long with the shield booster and some other mid slot stuff).

The Kestral is a missile ship (a caldari specialty). It really needs a micro aux power core to fit 4 x standard missiles plus a booster and an AB properly (with room to fill the other slots). However, as a low SP character you will probably do more DPS with three missile launchers on the kestral than you will with two rails and two launchers on a merlin (espcially since the kestral has an inate damage bonus).

Your mileage may vary.

For level 2s, I recommend the Caracal over any of the other Cruisers. Some use the Moa, but I find it weak for PVE; missiles--the Caracal is a missile boat, the Moa is like a big Merlin--are generally regarded to be better for PVE than turrets. Fit assault launchers, not heavy launchers. Not only do they work off the standard missile skill you should have already trained, but the majority of ships you will face in level 2s are frigates, which standard missiles are more efficent in killing.

For level 3s, the debate is between training up battlecruiser skill--which some view as optional--or going straight for a battleship. I personally recommend going the BC route and buying a Ferox (fit it as a missile boat, however) simply due to the fact that it costs half as much to buy and fit a Ferox than it does to buy a Raven (the battleship), not to mention fitting it. This will let you run level 3s sooner than if you had to save up over 100 million running level 2s, which can get tedious. Level 3s are another significant step up in earning potential, so I don't view the time spent training BCs to be wasted, though many will disagree with me on that point. It's up to you really.

For level 4s... time for a battleship. Battleships are pretty outside the noob realm, so won't discuss them indepth here. I just stepped up to Raven the other week myself anyway, so I have limited first hand knowledge.

----

Anyway, I've been playing for about 6 months now and I love it. My character is named Guile D'Verde; I'll be on after 6 EST if anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me.

[fucker]

http://www.mercenarycoalition.com/ma...video.asp?v=48

is a good video to see some nice hit and run fights, and also a Blob-VS-SmallerBlob fight

like all mercenary coalition videos they are an example of self celebration, but its good nontheless

[Xequecal]

Alex: So to run higher level missions, it's better to go for a cruiser than to go for the advanced frigates? They're similar in cost, but it looks like the cruiser skills take a lot less time to train.

[Tirinal]

Originally Posted by Xequecal

Alex: So to run higher level missions, it's better to go for a cruiser than to go for the advanced frigates? They're similar in cost, but it looks like the cruiser skills take a lot less time to train.

Moving up the ladder in mission type is more about upgrading size than upgrading efficiency. So while you *can* do stuff like level 2 missions in an AF, it takes so long to break tank that it's not worth the time investment. It's easier for ships of a certain weight class to kill ships within their inclusive weight class due to signature radius and all sorts of other stuff.

Basically, even if you're a combat pilot specializing in inties, EvE forces you to upgrade eventually to a barebones Raven/whatever setup so you can rat for ISK or faction. It's just a more productive use of your PvE time.

[xilsharn]

I'm having a much more fun, less intimidated time this go 'round. This guide has had a lot to do with it. EVE Online site has a lot of info but it's so much that it's intimidating.

[Alexzandra]

Xequecal: I pretty much agree with Tirinal's take on it. The general ship per mission requirements are considered something like this:

level 1 - Frigates
level 2 - Cruisers
level 3 - Battlecruisers/Assault Frigates
level 4 - Battleships/HACs

So yes, you can run level 2/3/4s in tech 2 ships, but it is probably not the most efficient way to do so as far as isk/training time is concerned. The tech 2 ships require level V in the tech 1 version of the ship--IE, frigate V to train assault frigates--whereas you can hop into a cruiser much faster time wise. They are also cheaper to buy and fit. Another thing to consider is that insurance payout covers a better percentage of the ship on tech 1 ships than tech 2 (due to the market, I think). So if (when) you fuck up and lose a ship it won't be so costly.

Plus I would have to guess that--as Tirinal said--running 2s would be a whole hell of a lot faster in a cruiser than something with frigate weapons. The 5 assault launchers on a Caracal can really drop some firepower; something like a hawk or a harpy just doesn't have the grid to support that.

Tech 2 ships are really more for training into after you have a good SP and ISK base to work with. While fun to PVE in, they are better suited to PVP. This is based on what I've gathered, however, as I'm still training up to fly my Raven well (some level 4s are pretty rough for me still).

[xilsharn]

How do you get higher mission levels? Totalnewbquestion.jpg

Done maybe 15-25 level 1 missions

[Dom Devore]

Originally Posted by xilsharn

How do you get higher mission levels? Totalnewbquestion.jpg

Done maybe 15-25 level 1 missions

Once you gain a certain standing level with the NPC corp you're running missions for you'll gain access to their L2 agents. Quick way to see which of their agents are available to you is to locate the NPC corp in your standings window, right click on it and do show info. Go to the agents tab and look through there. It will show which are available and which are not,

I think it takes around 2.0 standing with an NPC corp to gain access to their L2 agents, or somewhere around there.

[Tirinal]

If you're going for L2 missions, be sure to spend a quick hour training to level 2 whatever the two social skills are that increase faction standing with NPCs by 5% a rank. Easy way to cut the grind.

[Dom Devore]

Originally Posted by Tirinal

If you're going for L2 missions, be sure to spend a quick hour training to level 2 whatever the two social skills are that increase faction standing with NPCs by 5% a rank. Easy way to cut the grind.

Aye, but dont skip the L1's totally, as an unexperienced pilot can get overwhelmed in some L2 missions.

[xilsharn]

haha, I just discovered a couple hours ago if you have multiple turrets you can fire on multiple targets simultaneously. GG newb

[Alexzandra]

If you're going for L2 missions, be sure to spend a quick hour training to level 2 whatever the two social skills are that increase faction standing with NPCs by 5% a rank. Easy way to cut the grind.

Indeed. I would add that anyone who intends to make most of thier isk running missions will be well served to train social, negotiation (more loot), connections (this is the better agents faster skill), and diplomacy (the guys you piss off hate you less) to IV.

Also, I would advise against taking missions where you kill other faction's navies; you lose faction with them very rapidly that way. On the otherhand, some people don't care.