In EVE Online, skills are the primary way players can improve their character's abilities and capabilities. Skills are trained in real-time, meaning they continue to improve even when the player is offline. Here's how skills work in EVE Online:
1. Skill Points: Every character in EVE Online has a set number of skill points that determine their prowess in certain areas. Skill points are gained by training skills and can be allocated to improve various aspects of gameplay.
2. Skill Training: Players can train skills by purchasing skill books from NPC vendors and adding them to their training queue. Skills have different ranks (levels) that determine their effectiveness, and higher ranks require more time to train. The training time for a skill is determined by the skill's rank and the character's attributes.
3. Skill Categories: There are several categories of skills in EVE Online, such as spaceship command, industry, trade, and science. Each category contains a range of specific skills that players can train to improve their abilities in that area.
4. Skill Levels: Skills can have multiple levels, with each level providing increased benefits or unlocks new abilities. Higher skill levels often require more skill points and longer training times to achieve.
5. Attributes: Every character in EVE Online has five attributes: intelligence, perception, willpower, memory, and charisma. These attributes affect the rate at which skills are trained, so players can optimize their training by focusing on skills that align with their character's attributes.
6. Skill Queue: Players can set up a skill training queue that automatically trains skills in succession. This allows players to plan their skill training in advance and make sure they are always improving their character's abilities.
Overall, skills are a crucial aspect of EVE Online that allow players to customize their character's abilities and playstyle. By strategically training skills, players can become more proficient in combat, industry, trading, exploration, and many other aspects of the game.