Three years ago CCP Games released Trinity, the first EVE Online Expansion to include support to the Intel-based Macintosh computers. 7 hours after Trinity was released (damn workday schedules) I had downloaded, installed and paid for a year of EVE. I hadn't even logged in before I put up the first year. I had visions of ruling a space empire from the office in my newly remodeled basement, but I didn't really know how I would get there. For the first 4 months I did lots of missions. I didn't read the forums, I didn't talk to other players, I didn't get the multiplayer aspect of EVE at all. Then in RL my first daughter was born. I still played EVE, usually when she slept, or when my wife was nursing, but a lot less than the first 4 months. I also started putting my two cents out in corp chat - yes, the rookie NPC corp. Looking back I wonder how corp chat could be better for the new player - that corp chat filled with bitter vets who never want to MMO, alts training up for Capitals, and neutral RR/Cyno alts.
Not having a plan, or even a real grasp of what EVE was, I didn't even know to train skills for the first month or two. Then, when I did learn about skills, I started with the learning skills, and bought every skillbook I could afford (which was a lot of unrelated crap). Today, 44 million SP later (I didn't even realize you could use implants for months), you can see the mish-mash of skills slowly focusing into a decent combat-focused character. Just recently my leadership skills passed my industry skills - and I haven't trained an industry skill in over a year.
Eventually I figured out that the EVE forums were much better than the old Diablo forums were, even with all the trolling there was the occasional gem of useful information. I found out about EVEMon, and EFit, and Battleclinic. I learned that fitting a ship for missions (PvE) was very different than fitting a ship for combat (PvP). I was that player who kept thinking "I'm not ready for PvP, I just need a little more (skill/ship/module)."
After getting into a player corp (I had created my own, but who wants to be in a one-man corp in a multiplayer game?) I started to learn how much more there was to EVE, and started to plan for the game more effectively. That was, simply, the smartest thing I've ever done - to join a corp with other players (in my timezone). I've been in losec, nullsec, small alliances, big alliances, sovereign warfare, and NPC 0.0 (still my favorite space, TBH). Three years in and I have a plan for the future...
My 2011 Resolution is to complete my sub-battleship skillset. I want to have the skills trained to effectively fly any ship from any race smaller than a battleship. I've been working on that plan for a few months now (with the occasional distraction), and I have completed most of Gallente and Minmatar ships. I can fly all T1 and T2 Frigate- and Cruiser-class ships from both races (although I'm still working on support skills for some of the specialized ships like Logistics). By the end of the year I'm hoping to have T2 and T3 for all races, through Command Ships. Of course, this plan is subject to change, but it reveals something about how I like to play EVE - I like small ships, which means (usually) smaller battles and more deliberate planning for engagements. Battlecruisers V is first up - to be followed by the suite of skills required to effectively fly a missile boat. Once I can fit all the T2 missiles and shields, I'll pick up Caldari Cruiser V. That will make 3 races of full T2 ships completed. Next up will be T3 Minmatar and Caldari. Anyway, you get the idea. January is Battlecruisers V (two weeks of it, anyway) and then lots of missile skills. I'm pretty sure those missile skills will take me into March. Look for the next skill update then...
As for the industry alt, he is moving nicely into jump freighters now, with the occasional new science skill for a different T2 module invention path. This year will be about Jump Freighters for this toon, followed (eventually) by the Rorqual or Orca.
Finally, the super-sekret alt is still moving slowly towards Carriers, and self-sufficiency. I'd love to get one account paid by plex this year, rather than actually spending money on all of them...
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