Looking for a new MMORPG - thats not elves and orcs

bazaab

I have been looking into EVE for months. Reading reviews and posts in the forums. I have read multiple threads about it being difficult to advance quick enough to actually have fiun playing the game with the bulk of the people who have had the game for months or since release. Is this true?

Also, I am big on community. One of the biggest issues I have had with other MMORPGs is that people are rude and aloof., not willing to help or group with newbies. Social interaction is why people play online rpgs, otherwise you could buy Baulder's Gate and talk to yourself. So how is the community and social aspect of this game? Are there more 'adult-like' players or is it rampant with children who will think nothing of belittling you if you ask a question or ignore you because they are to 1337 to group with you?

Thanks for reading.

pirrg

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Originally posted by bazaab

I have been looking into EVE for months. Reading reviews and posts in the forums. I have read multiple threads about it being difficult to advance quick enough to actually have fiun playing the game with the bulk of the people who have had the game for months or since release. Is this true?
Also, I am big on community. One of the biggest issues I have had with other MMORPGs is that people are rude and aloof., not willing to help or group with newbies. Social interaction is why people play online rpgs, otherwise you could buy Baulder's Gate and talk to yourself. So how is the community and social aspect of this game? Are there more 'adult-like' players or is it rampant with children who will think nothing of belittling you if you ask a question or ignore you because they are to 1337 to group with you?
Thanks for reading.

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What can i say besides you've came to the right place. Its generally known that eve attracts an more mature audience then other games.

If you havent already, go to www.eve-online.com and read all chronicles and backstorys you find, they all have something to do with the game and are a great read. It truly enhanches the atmosphere too.

On another note, once you are ingame join a corp immidiatley. Doing things solo in eve from the start rarely works out and there are many many corps willing to take new players under their wing, offer them better ships and help them out. Also one thing that people find intimidating with eve is its steep learning curve. The tutorial probably wont do you much help because it is an very advanced game. But if you join a corporation from the start it probably wont bother you that much.

Zipeh

although it is true you wont be catching up to a char like mine, in total skill points, but eve's skill sytem allows for this disparity in numbers without creating a complete disparity in playability.  a lenghty explaination for you. 

In Eve there are 5 attributes that effect the training time  (in real time) of skills.  Skills have a primary and secoundary attribute that effects the speed.  There are diferent difficulty levels of skills, Bttleship is a higher dificulty than Frigate skill.  Skills have 5 levels to learn. L1 takes the least amount of time, a Lv1 Difficulty skill being learned to Level1 even with low attribute scores will take less than an hour.  There are 30-50 lv1 skills (maybe more) so with enough money (called ISK in game) you could learn alot of skills in a short period of time.  Most things that one uses in game require skills, but one lv1.  the subsequent 4 levels only increase how well you do it.  High end skills can take over a month to learn in real time to learn to lv5.  So you can see that to get into a ship, and use the eq you need isnt all that hard, to be max out all your skills will on the other hand take alot of time. 

So you cant catch up, but you can become very functional.  Much more of the game is learned by the player, ie how to use the eq / skills / ships etc.. and not so much that you simply can use them. An experienced player can take a 2 month account and use it much better than a 2 month char can use an experienced players account.  Within the over all game structure the disaprity means little.  If your running agent missions, your skill will be balanced with the level of agent your working for.  Your needs for eq and ships will be much lower than a veteran which balances with your ability to make the capital needed to purchase or build what you need.

Joining a corporation is a must in my opinion.  even if you dont play with them or want to chat the corps veterans will make the hard learning curve, and game's idiosyncrasies manageable.  This is to say nothing about the capital they can provide for you. If you start the game today, they can accelerate you forward with new ships, eq, and  skills at minimal cost to themselves.  

As for community it is demographicaly older than most / all other mmorpg's.  this is not to say there arnt l337 kiddies around, they are everywhere, and as usual more visible due to their loud obnoxious behaviour.  they dont stay in eve long though .. its more a thinking - strategic - economic - long term game.  those with little imagination or patience usualy only last a few months.  including beta i been at it for 28 months i still consider myself a noob who has only scratched the surface of the game.

bazaab

Thank you two for the quick responses. Looks like I will be joining the economy

Thanks again - - your information has helped immensly.

Zipeh

eve has the best economic system of any mmo i have read about.  its almost entirely player driven and as such as profitable as you can be clever with your capital.  the market is displaced by region so jumping 3-5 hops with an industrial can net you alot of cash purely because someone sitting here cant see the market you just access over there and thinks the price tag you placed on the items is just dandy.   alot of people buy not due to price but due to availability.  no one wants to jump 10 systems to find item x, they will eagerly buy your items at inflated prices to save them the hassle.  additionaly the fact that all eve players play in the same universe it means you in theory have a market in the 10;s of thousands. 

Spokrey

I've played both EvE and WoW, and they're both extremely good games.

However, there seems to be a lot of tension between the two, both battling out for new recruits.

I've liked them both, but had to choose ONE game to subscribe in.  It was a very hard decision, but I had decided to go with WoW over EvE, only because I knew people in real life who played it.

EvE has an extrodinary graphic engine, extremely new and creative gameplay, and has a really cool economic based, business atmosphere.  I liked the fact that you could mine, refine, sell, build, operate, pvp, etc.  It must be the fact that EvE has been around for so long, and the community within EvE.  I agree, it's more of an adult game because it's very slow paced, and takes up to a month to just level up one skill level, however, it's really the journey over the result in EvE, and with the description you described, I believe EvE is the right game for you.