EVE Online

I tried Vendetta Online recently and it has peaked my interest in space MMORPGs. I have some questions for the community of Eve Online if you would be so gracious. Please forgive my ignorance in things common about the Space genre as I am wet behind the ears when it comes to SciFi.

I know the focus of Eve is PvP but is there fun PvE content to play? Do players come together in a fleet to strategically destroy a "boss" type npc? I am reluctant to play Eve or Vendetta because of the strictly PvP. I enjoy PvP somewhat but I do like to team up with players a lot at play PvE content.

The second question is in regards to the way you progress in Eve. I understand it to be time based rather than xp based? How exactly does this work, it is an interesting idea but for someone who plays more and likes to progress their character would there be any benefit to playing alot?

Thanks in advance.

There is some group pve content but it's more in the complex running. While this is pve it isn't anything like a traditional dungeon or raid type of situation. Since you like grouping there is lots of that in pvp and there is some grouping for corp  mining operations. So basically while there is pve content it is limited and does take a backseat to the pvp content.

Skills train while offline in real time. There is no advantage to playing more when it comes to your characters skills but there is a financial benefit to playing more and just plain gaining game play experience which counts for a lot more in Eve than most other MMOs. The money to replace losses and the knowledge to avoid losses are far more valuable than characters skill levels.

Hope this helps you out.

Thank you for the reply. I will consider what you have written. The only PvP experience I have ever really had was with people who chose not to work together so you could say I may have not just had a great pvp experience yet? I like complexity and depth in games so I will have to at least enjoy the trial. Thanks again.

Stay in high security space and you may never have to PvP. You are completely safe in the starter corp and high sec.

For PvE try exporation (probing complexes), mission running, killing pirates at belts.

#1 and 2 in the newcomer mustread:

* You are not safe in 1.0 security space. CONCORD is there to punish, not to protect. Get used to the idea.

* In most cases, the only way to be 100% safe from agression inside the game is to be docked in a station. Being cloaked in a secret safespot could work too.

I advise reading all of them. Even many vets forget most of those points, but they should know better.

all i have to say is tutorial! tutorial! tutorial! pay attention in the tutorial!

edit: oh yes, and when in doubt? right click.

As others have said, while the PVE isn't traditional quest based content, there's tons of PVE stuff to do.

Mining, ratting, mission-running, complexes, exploring, trading, hauling, crafting are some of the activities you can do in high sec space.  (.5-1.0) But as noted, high isn't totally safe, and there are ways to get yourself killed there.

How to avoid this, and also find people that you can group up with to take down large scale pve and pvp objectives is simple.  Join a corporation as soon as possible.  While this does have the drawback of perhaps getting you involved in PVP as a result of a War Dec(laration), you will find they can assist you immensely in your early days in EVE.

EVE University is a great place to start, they exist to welcome and train new players into the game.  Afterwards there's no hard feeling if you decide to move on to another corp more suitable to your play style later on.

I know the focus of Eve is PvP but is there fun PvE content to play?
Yes. Lots.

PvP is an integral part of EVE in the sense that there is NO safe place except inside a station. The game has consequences for blowing up players in Highsec (newbie) areas that are severe enough that the vast majority of people in the game will not do it. But technically, anyone can shoot you anywhere. And there are circumstances that will allow players to shoot at each other even in Highsec space.

But that is part of the fun of Eve...even if you do not participate in PvP stuff, the lethal environment adds an edge and excitement to the game that is completely absent in most PvE games. Going through lowsec or lawless areas of space can be very exciting even if you dont PvP, because of the inherent danger.

PvE activities include Mining, trading, hauling, manufacturing, science, and mission running. Mission running is similar to the PvE games you are probably used to.



Do players come together in a fleet to strategically destroy a "boss" type npc?
You can, but most mission running is solo. At least up to Level 3 missions or higher. With sufficient skills and equipment, I think any PvE mission is soloable.

If you know what you are dojng, you can get to Level 3 missions and beyond quickly (within a month or two). But as a new player, you probably will not get there for a year or more. There is plenty of PvE stuff to do.



I am reluctant to play Eve or Vendetta because of the strictly PvP.
It is not strictly PvP. I have been playing for years and have only PvPed a few times (I was sloppy and got podded by pirates in a low-sec system I was going through on auto-pilot). If you stay in highsec areas, you can avoid PvP indefinitely if you want to.




The second question is in regards to the way you progress in Eve. I understand it to be time based rather than xp based? How exactly does this work
It is skill based. You buy a skill book and train the skill. There are five levels to the skill (each takes exponentially longer to train that the one before it, so going to level 5 on a skill can take weeks or months). Once you buy the initial skill book, you dont need to buy anything else to train up that skill.

The speed at which you learn it is based off your attributes. This is further modified by Learning skills you can obtain, which raise your attribute scores. You can also buy implants and other devices or drugs that do the same thing.

So there are no levels per se...your value/effectivness depends on what your skills are and how much you have trained in them. Someone could have uber fighting skills but still suck at mining. Even among fighting skills you have specialists (electronic warfare, Covert Ops, ect...). Its all relative.

There are hundreds of skills in this game. I am not aware of anyone that has ever trained them all. The way the skill trees work, most people tend to specialize in one profession, and a specific race. But there is nothing stopping you from being a jack of all trades either. Tired of mining and want to be a fighter? Just start training combat skills.

So it is XP based if you consider Skill Points to be like XP (and they are similar). When you see people say "My character has 10 million skill points", that gives you a general indication of the level of the character. 10 million would be (IMO) intermediate-advanced. Under 1 million would be newbie. The skill points could be in anything, but a character with 10 million skill points either has a LOT of skills he does reasonably well or profession-specific skills he does very well.


it is an interesting idea but for someone who plays more and likes to progress their character would there be any benefit to playing alot?
Sometimes, yeah. But it depends on what you are doing. If you are mining, then you are not going to be making money unless you mine.