No space in New Eden can truly be deemed a safe space. Even Highsec has its gankers. For fresh-faced EVE players, K-space - or known space, which includes Highsec, Lowsec, and Nullsec - is the logical and sensible starting point nonetheless. There’s a good selection of missions, there’s decent ISK to be made if you know where to look, and there are organisations that will take you under their wing.
We asked the expert Just About EVE community which activities they recommend for newbros in K-space. The 14 best responses ranged from handy ISK hacks to fleetup invitations. Enjoy!
1. Do career agent missions
Whenever Brother Grimoire encounters a new player, he gives them a few suggestions. At the top of that list is always completing career agent missions.
“They do a very good job of detailing potential activities to undertake while also providing essential experience for navigating the game. In addition, it gives players a headstart on their AIR Career Program objectives, which will grant them more Skill Points and ISK.”
If they’re lacking direction after completing those missions, Grimoire suggests that they then move onto the AIR Career Program itself.
2. Sell civilian shuttles
For those undertaking agent missions, Salartarium has a cheeky earner. Civilian shuttles are neither marketable nor remarkable, but there are collectors willing to buy them directly. During the mission Making Mountains of Molehills (8 of 10), players can build the shuttle and then intentionally fail the mission so that they can keep it. All that’s left is to find a buyer.
3. Join a public fleet
Given how huge and complex EVE is, friends are more valuable than ISK. FUN INC recommends signing up for public fleets, such as his own Not Purple Shoot It (NPSI) PvP - a supportive setting where you can learn the ropes of PvP, perhaps EVE’s most intimidating pastime. If you’re brave enough to tackle EVE PvP, then these tips might save you a clone or two.
4. Join a starter incursion
Funinc’s second recommendation is to join EVE Rookies, specifically their starter incursion groups. EVE Rookies comes complete with pre-flight checklists, helpful companions, tutorial videos, and a friendly Discord server.
5. Explore
Funinc, Grimoire, and Rushlock agree that there’s no substitute for good old exploration. It’s an activity that not only allows you to ‘learn by doing’ but pays well. Here’s Grimoire:
“Exploration is my favourite activity. And it gets more lucrative the more a player becomes invested in it, from simple relic hacking to running combat and sleeper sites.”
As a trusted voice and a true veteran, Rushlock is often asked on Twitch about the best newbro activities. He notes that ‘best’ normally means ‘best paying’, but answers “Hands down in terms of accessibility and profit: exploration.”
6. Enjoy the buffet
What if you don’t enjoy exploration? Rushlock advises against doing it - or anything in EVE - just to chase ISK, stating that that attitude is a fast track to burnout. Instead, they recommend staying as an Alpha at first and simply trying out the various activities on offer.
“When you find your niche, when you find your fun per hour, then we can better help you develop methods that will make ISK-generation a byproduct rather than a focus.”
7. Find caches
They say that only two things are certain in life: death and taxes. In EVE, the only two certainties are chasing ISK and well, yes fine, it’s dying again.
In spite of Rushlock’s advice, many new players will be hoping to get rich, and Grimoire’s next few pieces of advice are all about trying to make your first fortune without already being rich in Skill Points. Cache chasing is one of the more straightforward pastimes, but there are lots of related activities that will keep players engaged while making them some serious dosh.
8. Huff gas
Gas huffing currently has one of the most generous risk-reward ratios in EVE. That’s the reason we asked the community to put together this gas huffing guide for beginners. Here’s Brother Grimoire again:
“One cargo load of gas is enough for a new pilot to live in luxury for about five minutes, before they discover the hypernet or Jita local chat.”
9. Take part in Homefront Operations
Grimoire playfully calls Homefront Operations “poor man’s incursions”. Homefront Operations provide each member of a fleet with a payout for completing sites located in Highsec, which “makes it perfect for new players because they can make ISK quickly with the guidance of veteran players like Rushlock.”
When we asked the community for opinions on Homefront Operations, most people agreed that they were great for new players, praising them for their accessibility and educational components.
10. Engage in Faction Warfare
Faction Warfare (FW) has been around a long time, but thanks to recent, critical changes from CCP, it’s experiencing a resurgence that will likely lead into a full-on renaissance now that Havoc is released.
Grimoire recommends that new players enlist to help them learn the basics of ship combat: “Yeeting 100 ships at the warzone will help a player to improve as long as they learn from the mistakes they make each time.”
EVEIL, who is often asked how to get into PvP, also recommends Faction Warfare, claiming that it should be one of the first things a player does once they have EVE’s basics down.
It’s worth noting that the PvP in Faction Warfare is entirely optional, and that just by hanging out in FW space, players will learn valuable skills that can be applied to nearly every other aspect of EVE. EVEIL provides some examples:
Players will learn to use the d-scan for intelligence and staying safe.
Players will encounter both friendly and hostile players. By using the corp chat, they’ll be able to participate in intelligence gathering on hostile movements.
Players will learn how to travel safely around hostile space and the best practices for staying alive.
Players will be able to join friendly fleets and learn the basics of fleet etiquette.
Players will be able to hop easily into a PvP scenario when they choose it.
Players will conversely have PvP scenarios thrust upon them, accustoming them to the inevitable losses experienced as an EVE player.
Players will be able to participate meaningfully while only risking a cheap frigate or destroyer.
11. Conduct circle missions
Like their civilian shuttle advice, Salatarium’s following tips are all “off the beaten path” recommendations that you might not find in your average guide. They recommend completing circle missions - level-one distribution missions that will refer you to another agent at your end destination. Alongside providing players with a steady stream of missions, the first loop will also provide a one-time benefit to faction standing bonuses.
12. Dive into data centres
Data centres act as an effective way to pay to increase your standings. Salartarium points out that there still exist data centre mission chains from long-forgotten tutorials. “These chains are simple. They introduce you to new areas of space and give you training implants and faction standings.”
13. Farm COSMOS blueprints
COSMOS is “archaic content and not suitable for any sane player” and yet Salartarium recommends it anyway. “It’s fairly simple for a new player to do the repeatable COSMOS agents and farm the static sites for storyline blueprints.”
It’s a great option for Alpha players as some of the acquirable items, such as the Yan Jung mining modules, are best in slot for Alpha players. They’re expensive if bought on the market due to their low supply, but they don’t require much effort to obtain via COSMOS.
14. Consult this
Alongside their more specific pieces of advice, funinc shared this handy infographic which really puts the scale of EVE into perspective. Aspirational players getting started in K-space may wish to consult it for their five-year plan.
15. Watch this
We’ll finish with a video submitted by JAKEL33T whose new player survival tips video contains plenty of tips that will keep you safe while completing the activities above.
Some answers have been amended for brevity. You can find the original submissions at the bounty post.
Image credit: Razorien on Flickr
Created at . Page last updated at .