Gather round Unistas and settle in, as tonight we have a Christmas tale like no other.

I was lucky enough to be granted an interview with EVE’s very own Santa Kingswell!

Auron Delarnu:
Santa, it’s an honour to get the chance to interview you and thank you for taking time out of your schedule, especially at what I imagine is your busiest time of year!

Q: When reading the History of Earth, It is stated that Santa lived at the North pole, wore lots of red and had a white beard. Given the new looks; are you the same Santa or a relative? And where do you operate from nowadays?

Santa Kingswell:
Oh well, those were the old days. Very old days indeed…before the jump through the Wormhole to New Eden. Before the Collapse of the Edengate. I was around back then on old Earth!

But with mankind reaching for the stars, I had to evolve my operation as well. In today’s day and age my operation – or shall I say corporation – is located in Polaris.

And in regard to my appearance – let’s just say that Mrs. Clause had a few discreet words with me, and changes were made. 

Auron Delarnu:
Q: Obviously you have a fantastic ride that must have been upgraded to reach incredible speeds, to be able to deliver all the presents in one night, to thousands of planets. If you had to trade it in for something from the ship tree what would you pick and why?

Santa Kingswell:
Well nowadays a Sleigh drawn by Reindeer just won’t do. I can not share the secret of my upgraded Sleigh – or should I say Sleighs. But If I had to pick an ordinary ship, I would probably choose a fleet of Cranes, piloted by myself and my trusty elves.

Auron Delarnu
Q: Regarding the need for speed, is that why you have reached out to the University, to help make sure everyone gets something for Christmas?

Santa Kingswell:
Oh, it was an easy choice for me. I do deliver my gifts all over the universe and I wanted to make sure to also reach Capsuleers and not just ordinary planetary citizens of all nations. And where would it be easier to reach a high number of deserving Capsuleers from my ‘nice-list’ than Eve Uni?

Auron Delarnu:
Q: Presumably manufacturing is a big part of your EVE life but when you do have some down time what do you like to do in game?

Santa Kingswell:
Yes indeed, manufacturing and research play a big role. But to round it all off I and my elves like to explore in our special cloaked ships. This allows us to make up our naughty and nice lists throughout the year!

Auron Delarnu:
Q: With you being witness to all of EVE’s history, you have seen everything from the birth of EVE Uni all the way through to its current day. What are your thoughts on how the Uni and the wider game itself have evolved?

Santa Kingswell:
Oh, I mostly keep to myself and my operation but just from my numbers I can see that Eve Uni is thriving with good and wholesome Capsuleers. With every year my ‘nice’-list gets longer and longer and my ‘naughty’-list shorter and shorter, with this year reaching peak numbers! This is a happy development for me. 

As for the entirety of New Eden? I would not dare to offer judgment on it all but there are many good Capsuleers out there that spread joy and cheer, that look out for each other and offer help where it’s needed. 

Just to name two concrete examples: 
A person stranded in a dark Wormhole might find a container left by others to Signal the way back into known space. 

Someone struggling can literally ‘Broadcast for Reps’ and find others willing to help.

It is examples like these that show me that – even in dark times – there is light in New Eden.

Auron Delarnu:
Q: Further to that, with the changing of the guard (so to speak) in a new CEO for the Uni, what do you predict for the coming year of the Uni, and are both Jilokari Kurvora and Laura Karpinski on your naughty or nice list?

Santa Kingswell:
I am unable to predict the future, but as I said my numbers are looking good. So, if the trend continues as it has the past few years, I see some bright and cheery Christmases ahead of EVE University.

As for young Laura and Jilo, well I can tell you that both of them do write to me each year and, whilst they both have a little bit of a naughty streak – especially that Laura -, so far, I have visited them every year.

Auron Delarnu:
Q: In my historical readings, it mentioned that traditional offerings were left out as last-minute bribes for you. What sort of offerings are left out for you now?

Santa Kingswell:
Oh, I do distance myself from the word ‘bribes’! I see it more as goodhearted little gifts in the spirit of Christmas! This tradition has not changed much over the years, I still get cookies and milk left out to strengthen me during my long working night and a few young ones try to write especially convincing letters.

Auron Delarnu:
If I may, I would like to do a quickfire round with you? 

Q: Let’s start easy, what’s your favourite colour?
– The bright blue of the nebulas of Polaris. 

Q: Are you magical or technologically advanced?
– A little bit of both. One has to move with the times.

Q: True or false – the Elves are really vat clones?
– False.

Q: Which is better – speed or cargo space?
– The right combination of both.

Q: True or false – you’re not delivering to the Triglavians?
– I cannot divulge this information.

Q: Are you a Graduate of the Uni?
– I have graduated from several universities back in my younger days on Old Earth.

Q: What has been your favourite event this year?
– EVE Uni’s secret Santa, but I might be a bit biased.

Q: And finally, if you could receive any gift what would it be?
– The nice letters I receive are my personal gifts.

Auron Delarnu:
Q: With this year’s Secret Santa well under way, are there any messages from our members that have particularly stood out to you and why?

Santa Kingswell:
Several. Whilst I cannot share specific insights into the event, I take my greatest joy in reading the messages people send to me and their secret Santa’s after receiving their gift.

To give you some anonymous quotes from some of these:

“(…) For Bob’s sake! Why did you make it so wonderful!?”

“(…) It is so beautiful. I don’t know who you are secret Santa…but it brought tears to my eyes.”

“(…) You succeeded in making me laugh, a lot.”

Messages like these spread that warm and wholesome wintery spirit I do so cherish.

Auron Delarnu:
Q: Any final message for all the Unistas at this festive time?

Santa Kingswell:
Wherever you are I hope you find cheer and joy in the coming days. Especially with a turbulent past year do not forget that there are people out there who you can count as your friends (even if they sometimes shoot at you :)), people who are here for you and accept you the way you are. Fly safe. 

Auron Delarnu:
Thank you, Santa, and good luck on Christmas eve (and EVE ;))

A guide on how to traverse different areas of space written by Lucas Spellmeyer

There are many fundamental skills a new pilot must master to be successful in New Eden but not all skills can be simply queued up and learned over time, some are not as clearly defined. One of the most compelling facets of EVE is the hostile environment of New Eden and honing your ability to overcome it. To not only survive but to thrive. Traversing space is dangerous no matter what, the danger simply varies depending on where exactly you decide to venture. One of the most common ways a new player loses their first ship is entering an area they are unfamiliar with. Finding that first awe-inspiring wormhole entrance, taking that shortcut through Low-Sec to Jita or rushing to that staging system a few jumps over. The ambitious player is likely to have the pleasure of learning a direct and severe lesson at the hands of more seasoned pilots. Lessons learned in blood are deeply impactful and arguably necessary, after all, immortals have little to worry when it comes to failure. Despite that, Adequate knowledge of the various areas of space and how to properly traverse them can save you time, credits and headaches. 

Few of the ideas or instructions I am going to put forth in this guide are new or groundbreaking. Rather, consider this a high-level overview, an index of compiled knowledge and reference guide. To start with, we will discuss some universal tips then take a closer look at each area of space from the safest to the most dangerous, starting with High-Sec then Low-Sec and Null-Sec and finally wormhole space.

Disclaimer: there are many ways to move through the cluster. This is a collection of the safest ways to do so as a newer player. With this in mind, all of the proposed ships and modules have relatively short training times. To keep it from becoming unwieldy the scope of this article will focus strictly on the traversal of space for the purpose of either travel or hauling. If you are looking to engage in combat or willing to risk alternate methods, your results will vary. I simply wish to provide you with the knowledge of how to move from point A to point B with confidence and competence. 

Universal

Knowing how to gather and analyse information before and during travel is key to your survival. The first tool you must learn to leverage is the in-game map. The most relevant section being the Geography and Statistics tab. This shows things to be aware of such as a system’s security level and the location of the new Metaliminal storms. More importantly, it shows up to date information for each system regarding ships and pods recently destroyed, jumps taken and pilots in space or docked. This information is invaluable for planning your route. If you think you can sneak through Rancer and the map shows 20 ships and pods destroyed in the last hour, perhaps you should reconsider. DOTLAN is an additional tool for all things map-related in New Eden and you should become very well acquainted with it. DOTLAN has been a constant in the traveller’s arsenal for many years and for good reason.

Another useful third party tool is Zkillboard. Searching for a particular star system’s killboard allows you to acquire some information about who frequents the system and what they are using to catch their prey. For example, here is the killboard for the aforementioned Rancer. Investigating a pilot’s killboard losses can give you a heads up on their levels of competence and aggression as well as what they fly and how they might be fit.

Using the handy Gate Camp Checker is highly advised. In the inevitable situation that you do jump into a gate camp, there are many options for escape. If you can insta-warp or have a cloak you may be able to escape targeted scramble attempts, if there are bubbles this may not be possible. Cloaking and slow boating out of the bubble may work if you are lucky or “crashing” the gate may be a better idea. Meaning to decloak and immediately burn towards the entrance gate at full speed to jump back through before the attackers can pop you. If you return fire you will not be able to jump back immediately. By this stage, you are at a steep disadvantage. Learn more about dealing with gate camps here. These situations are dire and often will result in a loss but with good knowledge of engagement timers and your ship’s tanking ability compared to the enemies DPS capability, you can increase your chance for survival.

You should become very familiar with the D-SCAN tool. Any pilot who ignores the benefits of it does so at their own peril. There are entire classes dedicated to the D-SCAN tool, but until you attend one of those, you can visit this link for more information. Safe spots are also useful for when you are on the move, making regular use of them can help to keep you out of the grasp of your enemy. Lastly, drag your local channel out of your main chatbox and set it up separately from your other channels, this will allow you to always see who is in the system at a glance.

High-Sec

High-Sec, the safest area of New Eden and the place all of us start our adventure. Despite this, most pilots are already aware “safe” is giving High-Sec far too much credit. CONCORD will punish anyone who engages you illegally but there are some caveats to be aware of. While CONCORD will dispatch your attackers with flawless precision they are unlikely to save your ship. And vengeance can only provide so much solace. If your alliance is at war with another, many of the rules and laws CONCORD enforce are absent during the faction-sanctioned conflict. You can read about how to best conduct yourself during wartime here. Also, note that faction warfare combatants can freely engage each other in High-Sec at all times.

The most danger is present while hauling your goods to the major trade centres. You are unlikely to be ganked flying any regular PVE or exploration ship as long as you are not spotted carrying something extremely valuable without an adequate tank to protect it. The routes to these hubs are heavily trafficked and hence draw the attention of opportunists. The most dangerous systems along these routes are the ones possessing a security status of 0.5 which means it takes the longest time for CONCORD forces to react relative to other High-Sec systems. The most notorious of these systems being Uedama on the way to Jita. High-Sec pirates will station themselves in these systems and await juicy targets. They keep tabs on what is moving through the pipeline using a wide network of picketing spies who use scanning modules to view what is in a ship’s cargo before it reaches the kill zone. At which time they pounce with high damage disposable ships, CONCORD exacts swift vengeance and a third party entity scoops up your hard-earned loot as you awaken in a new clone.

Success in EVE does not come with having the biggest and baddest ship but instead having the right tool for the job. The different tools you have at your disposal come in the form of various ship types. You will begin to see that for every dangerous encounter, there is a ship that can drastically mitigate the risks. In the case mentioned above, it is the transport ship class. Using either the blockade runner or deep space transport (DST) is the best way a new player can protect their cargo. Both are purpose-built for moving expensive goods through dangerous space. The blockade runner class consists of the Viator, Prorator, Crane and Prowler. These ships boast an advanced cloaking system and increased warp acceleration which allows it to quickly and quietly reach its destination. The blockade runner also has a unique property which makes it immune to all cargo scanners. Keeping your exact cargo a secret (but perhaps tempting the reckless). The DST class consists of the Occator, Impel, Bustard and Mastodon. These possess a sturdy defence system which allows even a novice pilot to gain an effective tank of near 100k effective hit points (EHP) as well as an increased warp core strength. If you wish to know more about these useful ships, see the university’s wiki guides for the blockade runner and hauling. Learning the ropes while using smaller and less expensive vessels is key to knowing how to properly move your capital ships (such as freighters) later on. 

For hauling smaller loads either an insta-warp fleet interceptor (which we will discuss in detail in the next section) or a Sunesis are a good choice. The Sunesis can haul the largest amount of cargo for any insta-warp capable vessel (around 1000m3). Perfect for hauling faction modules, blueprint originals and other low mass cargo. The most dangerous moments for these smaller ships are during the docking and undocking stage. I would advise setting up insta-dock and insta-undock bookmarks during a safe period at the various trade hubs around New Eden. This will help you to avoid gankers as you enter and leave these densely populated hubs with your valuables. If possible, avoid hauling during times of high activity such as weekends – again, making use of all the information at your disposal both in-game and out, is critical. 

A final hazard worth mentioning before we move onto Low-Sec is the Triglavian and EDENCOM forces that still occupy systems even after the creation of the new Pochven region. Depending on the player’s standings with these factions their roaming fleets and powerful stationary defence platforms will devastate the unprepared. It should be noted that the Triglavian forces will attack even neutral pilots but EDENCOM will only engage those with negative standings towards them.

Low-Sec & Null-Sec

The zones where CONCORD response fleet will not assist you are Low-Sec & Null-Sec. While anti-piracy platforms installed on stargates and NPC stations (gate guns) protect you to a small degree in Low-Sec, the Null-Sec area of EVE is considered law-less. Moving through Low-Sec safely relies on being fast and or hidden. Gate camps are the primary threat, smart bombs are secondary. 

In Null-Sec, whether player owned (Sov-Null) or NPC territory, the threats remain the same but are complicated by the removal of gate guns and the introduction of interdiction bubbles. Before entering the Null-Sec regions you should be confident in your abilities and tactics for navigating hostile space. 

The primary ship for safely traversing both Low-Sec and Null-Sec is the Interceptor or “travel-ceptor”. There are two types of Interceptor, one being the Fleet Interceptor and the other being the Combat Interceptor. For our purposes only the Fleet interceptor is relevant. The Ares, Malediction, Crow and Stiletto make up this subclass. They all wield the powerful ability to nullify non targeted interdiction, which means they cannot be hindered to warp by bubbles of any kind (interdictor’s bubbles or stationary bubbles). You can read all about interdiction here. Combined with its small hull size and high warp speed, this ship’s travel survivability is second to none. While this ship is fantastic for travelling in all areas of New Eden, I would argue that before planning to move permanently into Null-Sec you have this ship at your disposal. When flown and fit properly these ships are nearly impossible to catch. 

Flying and fitting your interceptor properly requires the right knowledge. Once you hop into your new ship you need to fit it for travel. The most important factor is to make use of the ship’s low slots to bring your align time under 2.00 seconds, making it insta-warp. This is possible due to how the EVE server accepts command input, something well worth knowing how to take advantage of. For further information regarding fitting also check out this link. Whether moving out to join your new alliance in their home constellation or travelling to the staging system for the upcoming war, the fleet interceptor is an invaluable tool in Null-Sec .

Having fit your ship and jumped into hostile space, you can now focus on how best to pilot it. Travelling in a properly fit interceptor makes you uncatchable but not unkillable. The best way to avoid disaster is warping to what is called a “ping spot” before warping from one gate to another. A ping spot or perch is a bookmark at least 150km off of a strategic location (such as a gate) which allows you to investigate a potentially hostile grid before warping to it directly. As you are unlikely to have bookmarks for the thousands of gates around the cluster, an alternative is to warp to a nearby celestial. The usual choice is a planet, but any celestial within D-SCAN range will do. Once you arrive you will want to use your D-SCAN to see if there are any ships on the gate and then proceed accordingly. 

As you are immune to bubbles and cannot be locked before warping, most of the time these ping spots are not necessary, except for in the case of smart bombers. While they are relatively rare you must know how to avoid smart bombing ships. Generally more common in Low-Sec than Null-Sec these ships sit on gates and activate their smart bombs which do AOE damage and instantly destroy more fragile ships as they land without any need for targeting or scrambling. This mitigates your entire advantage and you are likely to lose your pod as well. The smart bombers will position themselves so that their short-range AOE damage will hit those who warp directly from one gate to another. Coming from your ping spot or a nearby celestial means you are not in this kill zone and should avoid any damage. 

On the occasions that you are flying a ship that is susceptible to bubbles, this tactic will also avoid enemies’ stop and drag bubbles. Refer to interdiction 101 again for more information on the different types of bubbles. Unless there are no other pilots in local it is wise to always use a pre-made ping spot or nearby celestial before warping directly down to the next gate on your route. Some gates are isolated in deep space and are impossible to scout without a pre-made bookmark.

For Low-Sec, the blockade runner is best because many gate camps have logistics support which can withstand the gate guns and burn through any tank you might have. To put it simply, you are likely to face a fleet you cannot tank regardless of skills, ship type or modules, meaning your best option is to avoid conflict altogether. Another common tactic is the cloak trick, which allows more basic T1 vessels to have a better chance at surviving targeted scramble attempts.

In regards to Null-Sec , you are easily bubbled making any hauling in Null-Sec extremely dangerous. If you choose to use a non-interdiction nullified ship with a cloak, bubbles are your main threat. Many stationary bubbles have containers jettisoned to decloak ships as they land and become snared, make sure you brush up on the mechanics of cloaking before you head out. Ultimately it may be best to use either your alliance or a third party freighting service to ensure your goods make it to their destination.

Wormholes

Finally, we come to wormholes. Removed from New Eden and under no recognised sovereignty, this is the farthest you can stray from humble beginnings. Much of the information at your disposal has now been stripped away. With local chat not showing who is in the system, you can no longer tell at a glance if you are alone or not, with no map of the far-flung region you cannot plan your route and without gates, you must find your own way through the ever-changing maze of Anoikis (wormhole space). While wormholes may be most commonly delved into for loot and riches they can also be used as a useful shortcut to remote regions of the local cluster, helping you arrive quickly and without having to traverse dangerous choke points. 

The final ship class we will discuss is the bread and butter of wormhole space, the Covert-Ops frigate. Another T2 frigate, which makes it an easy cross-train from the interceptor of your choice. This ship has advanced cloaking and scanning platforms. While its sister class the Stealth Bomber is designed for combat, the Covert-Ops frigate is designed for exploration. This ship class includes the Helios, Magnate, Buzzard and Cheetah. The key factor for the success of these ships is that they can stay cloaked almost all of the time, which when combined with the absence of local chat means you can remain completely undetected when you need to. How you decide to fit this ship relies largely on what you wish to do with it, pilots with at least some experience should know how to best exploit its systems. See this link if you would like something to reference before fitting up. These ships are susceptible to bubbles but due to the unpredictable nature of wormhole space, these tactics are less common than in Null-Sec . Enemy camps are most likely when jumping from High-Sec directly into wormhole space – hunting what the locals call “day-trippers”.

Before jumping into the newly discovered wormhole, bookmark the entrance. Once inside the wormhole, you want to now also bookmark the other side (the exit) so that you can make a quick retreat if necessary. Warp off to a nearby celestial, cloak up and begin moving in a random direction to avoid any possibility of being decloaked by those who may have seen you enter. You can use the fantastic Anoik.is website to gather some valuable information such as the wormholes’ class and type as well as recent activity. 

While you continue to slow-boat along, align to another celestial and decloak, launch your scanning probes, warp and then recloak. When you land once again begin a slow burn off into space. Always bring 16 probes so that once you recloak you automatically reload your probe launcher. Once you have another wormhole scanned down, it is advised to warp to a nearby celestial from which you can scout it or warp in at a distance (50-100km) to check it is clear before jumping. If you are caught on a wormhole you may jump back through (at a larger range than gates, 5km) but be warned that unlike gates this is not possible to do in rapid succession due to polarisation.

Repeat this process as you scan down and move from wormhole to wormhole. You will want to bookmark the “chain” as you go, this refers to bookmarking both entrances and exits as you make your way through each new system. This allows you to easily retrace your steps when you are ready to head home. You must be aware that certain wormholes may close along the chain and you will have to find an alternate route home, check as you go to see which wormholes are end of life (EOL) and will expire soon. This is not a major concern as you can always safely log off and continue on another day. The deep complexities of wormhole space are far outside of our limited scope but you now know what you need to for basic navigation.

Hauling out of wormhole space is made quite simple by High-Sec connections that will pop you out into relative safety. This is only relevant for if you can survive living within wormhole space and if that is the case, you will be perfectly capable by then. Regardless, using what we have discussed in this article you have all the necessary tools to get your blue loot safely out to High-Sec . 

Conclusion

You might think that moving from point A to point B would be simple but in EVE even the most pedestrian of tasks requires careful consideration. EVE is a complex and ever-changing game and it is difficult to truly cover anything in its entirety. There is no way to ever truly be safe in EVE, your best chance is to simply mitigate the risks. I am sure there are things that I have missed and that there will be some who disagree with the advice I have put forth. Despite that, I do hope that you have found this useful and that you can refer to this guide in the future as you continue to perfect your abilities. I believe this particular set of skills to be fundamental to your success and enjoyment within New Eden. If this information saves you a couple of ships and helps to make you a better pilot, then it will be worthwhile. Throughout your career, you are going to experience both death and glory (mostly death). I am not trying to make you a risk-averse carebear, I simply wish to help prevent you from whelping your ships while you are on your way to whelp ships. 

If you have a continued thirst for knowledge, please consider attending one of the many public lessons held by EVE University. This guide would not have been possible without all of the reference material compiled by many hard-working pilots of EVE University. If you are interested in joining the university, please make use of this final link. Thanks for reading and fly safe!

The Faces of EVE University interview series brings you insight into some of the personalities that make up our staff – a group of dedicated Unistas who tirelessly work for the advancement of learning.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: Hello Zun Lurrin, let me start by telling you that I am super excited to do this interview. You are the current Hauling Manager of EVE University and I have noticed with how much passion you speak about Hauling. Tell us a bit about your past EVE experience and how you became Hauling Manager.

Zun Lurrin:
Thank you for asking about Hauling! It is my preferred way to play EVE and I’m glad to share that experience with others.

Having started playing EVE with my son in 2007 (or 2008) this is my 3rd time back to EVE; I think I’ve even passed all the way through the bitter-vet stage now. I’ve done mission running, faction warfare, Sov Null, and mining with no real love for any of them. Other than being a logi pilot, PVP has little interest for me either.

On the other hand, Market PVP was pretty interesting for quite a while and Industry kind of holds my interest (I used to build Carriers & Supers, but mostly do T2 now). In the end, however, Hauling has always been what I’ve come back to. In particular, I like the strategy required to fly a Jump Freighter (the only T2 capital ship in EVE!). There’s planning the route, setting up cynos in hostile space, and then safely executing the plan – that is what has held my interest through all this time.

This time back to EVE, I knew what I didn’t want to do and I’ve always admired EVE University. This was a chance to help a group I’ve known about for a long time and submitted my application, clearly stating that Hauling is what I wanted to do. After some time working with Hofborn and Cheradenine Zakalve, I was invited to be an Officer and eventually Manager. We all stand on the shoulders of our fore-fathers; and those two created an outstanding foundation for the Hauling Department as it exists today!

Hippla Tsero:
Q: Talking of the Hauling Department – can you share some insights with us? How many people are regularly hauling, how do you manage the hauling needs and most importantly, how do Unistas use the services of the Department?

Zun Lurrin: 
Like many alliances in EVE, Uni Hauling is designed to make it easier for corp members to move from place-to-place without having to move their own stuff. Many of us tend to be pack-rats who accumulate so many items that we may stay in a less than desirable location just to avoid moving all that stuff. Or sell it at reduced price and feel discouraged at the whole ‘moving’ process.

Unistas are informed about the Hauling Service during their introduction & orientation, but that can be an overwhelming time. Fortunately, many Corp members help newbros out with how to get started. On average, moving Unista items represents about half of our monthly volume going strictly between Campus HQ’s and Jita. The remaining volume is done on behalf of the University. Fuel for structures, ships for fleets, buyback items, University asset movements, and loot from wars we’ve won are all shipped by University Hauling. There’s at least as much done ‘behind the scenes’ as the activity that’s more visible.

Moving these goods is done by a surprisingly small group of Haulers that varies in number during the year; roughly a dozen Freighter pilots, half as many Jump Freighter pilots, and 4 Officers that keep the spice flowing.

It all starts with a Courier Contract. Our Forum post provides details for how to do that. Contracts are accepted once a Hauler is available to take the shipment. These dedicated folks travel smart to make sure the route is “safe” and may have to dock up or just wait out a gank squad on their way to the destination. Upon delivery, the Courier Contract is completed and the shipper’s items appear in their hangar.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: If a Unista is interested in getting involved in your Department, what would be the best way to get started and what can they expect when joining?

Zun Lurrin: 
Uni Hauling depends upon volunteers who like hauling, or want to find out if they like it. Our first priority is to help those Haulers learn the skills of the trade and provide an opportunity to see how they like it. If they do like it, they get extensive training and insights to be well prepared to expand their horizons and possibly join one of the commercial hauling services such as Red Frog or PushX.

Like those services, we use Freighters and Jump Freighters for all shipments; except WHC where DST’s are used. Most of our pilots start with a non-Uni alt that is a minimally skilled Freighter pilot. While minimal skills is not acceptable for the commercial services, we are a learning organization and we can work within those limitations while pilots expand their skills and knowledge. So, Unistas with a non-Uni alt trained to fly a Freighter are welcome to apply with University Hauling.

New pilots become members of Uni Staff and a Hauling channel in Discord so we can communicate about available shipments and the status of those that are in progress

Hippla Tsero:
Q: It seems like there is a lot to learn when joining the Hauling Department. Could you tell us a bit more about the importance of Hauling in the grand scheme of EVE? What would be a natural next step for Haulers after joining the department?

Zun Lurrin: 
Colonels & Majors worry about tactics, Generals worry about strategy – and Logistics is all about strategy. Hauling is a key component to logistics. If the materials aren’t present at the right place in the right time, the battle has already been lost. Hauling is one of those things that isn’t an obvious issue until someone tries to move all their valuable stuff in a T1 industrial and watches it all get ganked just outside Jita. All of a sudden, shipping in EVE takes on a new meaning. Many folks in Hauling remember an experience just like that.

If we do our job correctly, moving stuff in EVE will look easy. There is actually quite a bit to learn and understand. Not only does one need to learn the game mechanics associated with hauling. Haulers also need to know how gankers operate in various regions of New Eden. Each type of space has its own hazards – all of which makes it quite interesting to be Hauler.

And it is that variety that leads Haulers in different directions. High-sec freighters, wormhole DSTs, null & low-sec jump freighters all have different ways of engaging the Hauler. Again, if we do our teaching job properly, Haulers will move on to one of the commercial services or become part of an alliance logistics group (and there freighters are bridged with Titans! – we don’t do that in the Uni 🙂

Like so many things in EVE, Hauling is a discipline and skill within its own right. As evidenced by the small number of pilots within the group, it is a niche game style. But for those whom it fits just right, it’s the best way to win EVE!

The Faces of EVE University interview series brings you insight into some of the personalities that make up our staff – a group of dedicated Unistas who tirelessly work for the advancement of learning.

Hideo Date:
White 0rchid, thank you for taking the time to sit down with me and answer some questions. I am sure you are quite busy as the newly appointed head of EVE University’s FC Team.

Q: I want to start off by asking about your journey in EVE. You’ve been a very active alumnus and supporting EVE University for some time now. But how did you start off your EVE career and ended up in the Uni in the first place?

White 0rchid:
I began EVE a long time ago now. My current main was not always White 0rchid. I actually joined up at the start of 2008, pretty much jumped straight into sov null in Fountain, with a corp that was at the time in BRUCE (Brutally Clever Empire). The fleets back then, for me and BRUCE at least, consisted of ships like Cerbs and Ravens at absolute max range. There was no logi.

Following that I retreated to high sec and stopped playing for a while. Over the course of the 5 years that followed I was mostly on and off, exploring, running high sec missions and so on. I briefly joined Enlightened Industries (a corp in goons) in 2011, but after another break from the game, joined EVE Uni in 2013. I was not in corp for long but was active in the community for a year and a half until I rejoined for good at the start of 2015. I learned a bunch in the year and 1 day I was in uni, but as is natural, I needed somewhere to spread my wings a bit and I’ve been in Sniggwaffe (WAFFLES) since February 2016, becoming a director at some point in that journey.

Hideo Date:
Q: As you are an experienced FC obviously I want to know how you ended up becoming one. Do you remember your first time FCing? How was it starting off as a brand new FC?

White 0rchid:
I recall being very nervous running a small fleet chasing some people out of Fountain in 2008, but following that, it was then mostly in my 2015-16 stint in EVE Uni that I FC’d more. I think it’s always quite daunting to FC your first fleet because there can be a lot going on. The key is mostly to start small and work your way up with what you feel comfortable with. There’s no rush and no pressure, and frigates/destroyers/cruisers can all be really fun to fly.

Hideo Date:
Q: In your mind, what makes a good FC?

White 0rchid:
There’s many factors to being a good FC I think. From knowledge of ships and their capabilities, to the different tactics employed while using them, right to being good at controlling a situation under pressure. I think people also overlook another factor, in that you must be fun to fly under. If your fleets aren’t enjoyable then you won’t get much participation. Delegation is also key. Don’t try and do everything yourself but lean on your bros to pass you intel and micro manage other parts of the fleet (recon/scouts etc).

Hideo Date:
Q: The FC team in its current form is a relatively recent addition to the Uni. How did that come about? What is the idea behind the team and how is it structured? (As far as Operational Security (OPSEC) is allowing answers)

White 0rchid:
There have been iterations of fleet command programs in the Uni beforehand, but never one quite as involved as this one. One of my biggest bugbears of EVE Uni in the past was that it could be quite insular and at points echo-chamber like. That stemmed primarily from the churn rate of members. People, once they had achieved all they could in the Uni, would move on elsewhere, expanding their boundaries and taking in what the rest of EVE has to offer. That knowledge was never really passed back into the system though, which led to a slightly less than optimal teaching environment. The aim behind the tier system is to allow some levels of progression (that runs throughout the Uni really) and also some requirements on the members. For instance as a Junior there are really no hard requirements other than try to get involved when you can. But Seniors are expected to always step up to the mark when it’s required (either a war begins or someone picks on a structure).

Hideo Date:
Q: Until you took over, Sabre A, another accomplished alumnus, headed up the team. How was it working with him and how did you end up taking over?

White 0rchid:
Sabre is a good guy, he was instrumental in orchestrating the World War Bee (1) campaign and tactics so has a lot of experience in planning out ops. Since MC split he has been a bit more involved in the Uni again to achieve the previously mentioned goal of feeding knowledge back in. He initially asked me to come in and take over the fittings department, previously responsible for maintaining fits for almost all ships in the game on the wiki. This has over the years, proved to be incredibly difficult with the levels of tiericide that CCP put in place. So the fittings team now is in place to design and tweak internal doctrines and fits for use within the Uni. As for how I ended up taking over, Sabre has some RL commitments that meant his game time was slightly reduced. He is still around working on other projects though.

Hideo Date:
Q: What do you see as your goals for the FC team, how do you intend to shape it?

White 0rchid:
I’ve said this quite a few times to both Laura (EVE Uni CEO till 5 December 2020) and Jilo (CEO since 5 Dec 2020) that my intention is always to try and create an environment that is similar to what players would experience in any other corp. For the FC team that means the planning/running of fleets, designing doctrines, recon, scouting etc. all falls on us. We’ve been given a great deal of autonomy and are almost allowed free reign of how we run the department which has been fantastic. I would say if we continue on this path we’ll end up with some good FCs who are confident enough to take out strat level fleets (editor’s note: strategic operations).

Hideo Date:
Q: So this is specifically of interest to me personally, as I recently got accepted as a junior FC. What are you expecting from FCs in the team at the various stages? 

White 0rchid:
I think I hinted on this earlier, but there are 3 tiers to the team: Junior, FC, and Senior. Juniors have no requirement to run fleets as such, but they are encouraged to participate and take in all they can, with a view to start running fleets themselves. FCs ideally should be supporting the Seniors in the strat fleets, with a view to eventually step up to that position themselves. There is also a requirement that an FC runs one fleet a month, as in many other corps/alliances if you are in the FC team but don’t participate, there is no need for you to be in the team. Seniors take it one step further than FCs and are expected to coordinate and run the strat level operations. So far those have involved destroying war HQs when the Uni is decced, defending structures at their nullsec campus and contesting a Hard Knocks anchoring Astrahus in their wormhole campus.

Hideo Date:
Q: EVE University prides itself with its neutrality, allowing pilots to choose any corporation once they feel they have learned enough and move on from the Uni. You yourself are an active member of WAFFLES. How do those two things go hand in hand?

White 0rchid:
On the topic of moving on, I am the kind of person that will always give honest and truthful advice. I was a recruiter in EVE Uni going back almost 6 years ago now, I then took on that role after joining Waffles which eventually led to becoming a director there. With that I can usually tell whether someone is or isn’t a good fit somewhere. Regardless of my position in Waffles, I will always direct people to the most appropriate place they will fit in.

Hideo Date:
Q: Any closing thoughts you want to share?

White 0rchid:
I think just one main point, really. The Uni has come a very, very long way since I first joined around 7 or 8 years ago now. There was red tape after red tape back then, and that is all slowly but systematically being torn down in favour of simpler systems to both manage and live under. It can only be positive for anyone thinking of joining up. One example I can think of that was touched on earlier, was allowing members who had left to return with alts and pass on the knowledge they had learned elsewhere. Something that was prohibited for a long time.

The Faces of EVE University interview series brings you insight into some of the personalities that make up our staff – a group of dedicated Unistas who tirelessly work for the advancement of learning.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: Hello James Finnan. You returned to EVE Uni a few months back and have taken on quite an important role in the Uni – Director of Logistics. Tell us a bit about your EVE past and why you decided to come back to the Uni?

James Finnan:
I joined the Uni for the first time back when I first started the game. I was boggled by the size of the game and I found myself on the Uni wiki more often than not. So the next logical step was to just join the ingame corporation. In 2015 I left the Uni to join Sabre A with his attempt at restarting Mercenary Coalition (MC).

I struggled with the PvP side of things, as I wasn’t very good at solo or small gang, so I fell backwards into logistics and with the help of my friends CJ and Panda we created the logistics wing of the alliance.

I joined Black Frog with an Alt character to have a steady ISK income and spent my game time moving the entire Alliance across the map several times a month.
Stuff and things and World War Bee happened, I burnt out and went into retirement renting a system in the drone regions with CJ and earning ISK.

In early 2018 I finally left the alliance and game and won EVE. 

Fast forward to 2020 and the pandemic – I got a message from Panda saying that they were all hanging out and mining in Korsiki and wanted me to come along and chill. One thing led to another and we all resubbed and decided to go back to the Uni where the majority of us got our start in EVE. I came back because the Uni has given me so much understanding of this game and most importantly, friends like Panda, CJ and Jubae that have stayed with me since 2015. I wanted to give back and to help where I could.

I do distinctly remember saying “this time round I am not taking on any responsibility in this game”. Obviously I failed.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: I would not call it a failure, but yes, you are now Director of Logistics for the Uni 😉
What exactly do you and your Directorate do on a day-to-day basis?

James Finnan:
My Directorate currently consists of three Departments – Hauling, Production and Reimbursements.

Hauling does exactly what it says on the tin, they move Unistas’ assets to and from trade-hubs and campuses with great speed and also work very closely with production to deliver their goods

Production furnishes our FC team with their defence doctrines, supply ships to FCs in their chosen staging station and support the campuses with contract ships and fuel. 

Reimbursement handles the Ship Replacement Program and the +3 implants program that help all Unistas to get started and to engage in PvP without worrying about the ISK too much.

I have a fantastic team and the managers are second to none at the jobs they have. They work fantastically together and they put anything I have ever done to shame.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: What are some of the major changes you have introduced to the Directorate and why?

James Finnan:
I reorganised the Hauling Department to operate on a system that closely resembles Black Frog and the system we set up in MC. This made everything safer and faster for both pilots and the users.

Other changes would not be fair to attribute to me. I asked that SRP be expanded upon and Pink has done fantastic work there. I asked that campuses use Production more for support and Ariea and his team have knocked it out of the park.

There is something else in the works behind the scene that will be a major change on how we operate logistics. But from the average Unista’s perspective this will go pretty much unnoticed.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: That’s the beauty of Logistics, isn’t it? It is the backbone of the daily operations of the Uni but if things go smoothly, the effort is pretty much invisible. Given this fact, how do you motivate people to join one of your departments (Production, Hauling or Reimbursement)?

James Finnan:
A lot of people find what we do boring or tiresome, and if I am being completely honest, I do too sometimes. But there is a large amount of satisfaction to be had from being the behind-the-scenes support. 

When there has been a large fleet fight and everyone is praising the work done, our FCs are often the first to say that none of it would have happened if the logistics was not there to back it up. 

We may not get shiny killmails and have blingy ships. But a lot of times, we are the reason Unistas were in a place to get those killmails and we delivered that blingy ship. 

So far that and an interest in that particular facet of Eve have been enough of a recruitment tool. 

Hippla Tsero:
Q: Looking into the future – EVE is slowly entering its third decade of existence and the player basis is still going strong. What major changes to EVE would you like to see for the game to continue thriving?

James Finnan:
More regions! They’ve been teased since the prophecy trailer, an honestly amazing trailer! If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out. And I simply want more space to go die in. 

I’d also like some more PvE content similar to the sleeper caches. I saved for my first Rhea running those sites and always had a lot of fun. At least when I wasn’t losing 3 Proteuses a day right in front of the whole Null-Sec Campus.

Hippla Tsero:
Thank you so much JimJams for taking the time to do the interview with us and for all the work that you and your department do behind the scenes. It is much appreciated 🙂

• 

The Faces of EVE University interview series brings you insight into some of the personalities that make up our staff – a group of dedicated Unistas who tirelessly work for the advancement of learning.

So who better to kick-off this series than our very own Director of Teaching – YooJin Moon. We asked him a few questions about his past, the current status of teaching EVE Uni and of course about his vision for the future of EVE and the Uni.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: Hello YooJin Moon, you have recently been appointed as the Director of Teaching of EVE University. Tell us a bit about your EVE history and how you got into the Uni. 

YooJin Moon:
I checked EVE out during the early Beta but didn’t stick around at the time.  It was pretty rough but CCP was also attempting to do something never done before so I’m glad they stuck with it.  I came back to it in 2011 and never truly left after that though I’ve had months here and there where I didn’t log in.  I run multiple Omega and Alpha accounts now but rarely multi-box except to have a +1 scout for strategic movements or to double up on a Lvl4/5 mission.  I am on my second run with EVE University.  I was a member in 2012 for about a year and learned alot from a great mentor.  I then left to try my hand at creating my own corp which resulted in a few years of care-bearing and  learning the ropes on industry end-to-end.  Time well spent, but not exactly exciting.  In spring of 2019 I stumbled upon the EVE University Incursion community which was open to alumni.  I ran incursions for a few months and made some great friends and connections which resulted in my rejoining EVE University.  I always wanted to learn PvP so I moved to our LowSec Campus and got busy with solo and small gang stuff.  PvP is still what I most want to improve at and the nuances to being good are vast.  Honestly, I just have a deep passion for this game all around.  It progressed into being a hobby for me a long time ago.  All of my current in-game focus is on EVE University and the Teaching Department.   

Hippla Tsero:
Q: You have quite a complex history with the game. After so many years, you are now the Director of Teaching. Why did you decide to become part of the EVE Uni Directorate?

YooJin Moon:
“Decide” to join the Directorate isn’t exactly how it happened; however, I am quite honored and happy to have been selected. Senior roles tend to be given to pilots who have already engaged elsewhere and have demonstrated trust and responsibility to the corporation and our philosophy.  It is kind of organic in that tasks are given and completed with increasing difficulty and those who continue to pursue more are given chances like this. Being offered a Director’s role for Teaching at EVE University was honestly a bit daunting to ponder.  It doesn’t matter if you like the Uni or no. The fact remains that it is the largest educational organisation in the game, touching almost every aspect of the EVE universe.  I did not take the role without considering that and how I might be responsible for shaping education within EVE for a very large number of players.  We are an organization that offers its classes to the open player base with few exceptions and our events and class schedules can be viewed at http://eveuniversity.org/event/ and https://twitter.com/EVEUniversity respectively.  We also have Public Discord channels where most of this can be seen and conversations with current members and alumni can take place as well as our in-game chat channels.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: With EVE being such an “old” game, how do you know what to focus on when it comes to education? I see a lot of returning players come back to EVE University as well.

YooJin Moon:
It is a constant struggle to evaluate the educational needs of such a large player base so we do tend to focus more on the newer players as a general rule.  To meet their needs we have our series of CORE classes that cover the basic skills needed to play the game effectively and we are right now in transition to incorporate more video, streaming, and other digital media in an effort to make learning more approachable by a wider audience.  We are going to be delivering more practicals (live in-space learning) and joining forces with others like Specter Fleet, Signal Cartel, Ashterothi, and Ashley Traynor to help expose players to the diversity that EVE Online has to offer.  The best thing we can do is to make EVE interesting to as many players as possible and then turn them loose to have their own impact on the game.  

Our membership does mature though at times and we end up with some of the best players in the game returning to us to help teach and make EVE a better place for all.  We also have great relationships with many other corporations and players outside of EVE University as indicated and we try to leverage their knowledge and experiences by bringing them in as Guest Lecturers or sending our members to them to participate in their activities.  In the end, it is the social and community aspect of EVE that keeps people playing and if we can make some of those connections for pilots we’re doing something worthwhile.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: Having a Teaching department seems quite unusual for an MMO. Why do you think EVE players need to be taught the game?

YooJin Moon:
Indeed, although I would say that almost all MMOs have a teaching aspect to them through Guild memberships and socialization.  Most games simply don’t formalize it as we do in EVE Online.  New Eden is vast. Joining a learning organization certainly isn’t a requirement to play and CCP have improved the new player experience dramatically the past couple of years; however, joining a learning corporation in-game like EVE University can make the experience a lot more fun and entertaining.  EVE University has campuses devoted to specific aspects of the game where players can go to play with like minded pilots to have fun and learn from more experienced players.  For example, if you are brand new and don’t know what you want to do our HighSec Campus (HSC) is the best starting campus.  It is also our largest and most active campus so making connections is super easy.  If you have specific interests you can go to the appropriate campus and focus on them (i.e. LowSec Campus (LSC); NullSec Campus (NSC); Wormhole Campus (WHC); Mining Campus (AMC); or several other locations.  Regardless of which campus you choose to participate from, all of our classes are always open to all members and most to the public at large as well.  Many other corporations in the game were started by Unistas heading out into New Eden to leave their marks and that was only possible because of the experiences they had with us.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: Tell us a bit about your department. What it is exactly that teachers do and how do you organise yourself?

YooJin Moon:
Historically the Teaching Department within EVE University is the heart of the corporation.  It is why the University exists.  We provide classes, lectures, practicals, fleets, events, and other avenues to convey information about the game to those who are interested.  The content is good but the organization and administration that supports it has become an inhibitor.  The department has grown to an unwieldy size requiring effort to manage that simply doesn’t add anything to the educational experience of the wider player base…so I’m nuking it and starting over.  

The Teaching Department will adopt a structure similar to our campuses which allows us to leverage other University systems without having to create or manage unique processes from an administrative perspective.  This will make us more efficient and the task of Teaching more accessible to a wider base of knowledgeable players from every corner of New Eden.  No longer will you need to be a member of EVE University to teach here.  We want everyone with knowledge and skills who are willing to follow our policies on family friendliness to share their EVE experience through us.  I am creating a small but dedicated group of Educational Officers who will work with me to create all of the tools and processes that will make teaching with EVE University an easy and hopefully enjoyable experience.  We are testing many of these features currently and they should be announced and available very soon(™). Many of those who were previously on the Teaching staff have chosen not to become officers but remain engaged to assist us with refreshing class content and continuing to provide classes and practicals under the new model.  I can’t quite state this as fact but I am also working on a method to reward all of our go forward teachers with ribbons and medals for reaching specific milestones whether they be a Unista or not.  More to come on that one, but if anyone reading this is interested in sharing their knowledge and skills with other players of EVE Online I ask that you reach out to me directly via in-game email.  I’d love to have you working with us for a single class, a series, an event, fleet practical, story telling, or any other worthwhile subject others might benefit from!  I’ll promise a red tape free experience.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: What do you require of new teachers and how does one join the teaching department?

YooJin Moon:
Anyone teaching for EVE University must be willing to follow our corporate policies for Communications and Voice Communications but these are pretty straight forward items that simply help us to keep our environment family friendly and open to the widest possible audience.  Aside from that, all you need is passion and a demonstrated working knowledge of the subject you would like to teach and we’ll make it happen together.  We can provide voice comms on our Public Mumble; we can do audio recordings, Twitch streams, provide slide templates, create calendar invites, create public awareness, and assist during the class as needed.  Eventually I will have a process (Google Form) to sign up for teaching classes that I can use to track things and automate our ability to provide feedback and potentially rewards.  I’ll also have a video in short order that covers this process so interested parties can check that out without having to engage anyone before deciding to commit.  There will be some change over the next couple of months here so keep your eyes open and be a little flexible as we transition to this new model.  If ever in doubt, just shoot me an in-game email and we’ll go from there.

Hippla Tsero:
Q: Last but not least, is there any tip you would like to give to new EVE players?

YooJin Moon:
The most important tip is to find a group of people in the game that you like socializing with.  Nothing will enhance your EVE Online experience as much as playing it with friends and being on live comms while doing it.  EVE University is a great way to get to know a lot of people in a short period of time and our policies for fair play and treating everyone with respect makes us approachable for the widest audience.  Even if you don’t find something to stay for, I guarantee you’ll make a connection or be pointed in the right direction to find what you want.

Written by Lucas Spellmeyer

As the impact of the latest major conflict in New Eden ripples out into the wider gaming community many new players will inevitably be inspired to get involved in the great space opera that is EVE Online. The last time interstellar war reached these awesome heights was the Bloodbath of B-R5RB in early 2014. I remember it clearly; it was at that very moment that I finally made up my indecisive mind and took the plunge into an MMO I had kept on my periphery for some time. While of course I was overwhelmed by the notorious learning curve and lost in the somewhat directionless void, it was something else, something far more damaging that ended my brief career. A misconception that had at that time already existed for many years and still exists today, the idea that due to how skill points are gained in EVE Online you will never catch up to the hardy release day veterans and hence never be able to truly compete. The feeling that you have missed the ship and there is no way to make up the ground, the galaxy will forever be ruled by the elite few with the dedication and perception to ride the wave to its heights two decades later. I realise now how wrong I was, but more importantly just how truly damaging this misconception is to EVE Online’s continued player growth and retention.

Of course, there are things like cerebral implants to increase your core attributes and in turn allow your new pilot to learn vital skills more quickly, but the veterans have those too. In fact, not only do they have them, but they have the best set of implants which themselves take a full 2 weeks of training to even use, not to mention their prohibitive cost to a new player.

It is understandable many new players come to this conclusion when looking at the mechanics of the game. This problematic misconception has been talked about many times before in forums and on social media but I hope I can do my part to help resolve any confusion surrounding it. The skill point system is the closest thing EVE Online has to a typical MMO “level”. Upon finishing the tutorial, you are told to place skills in your skill queue and these will progress at a steady rate even while you are not online. 

A default Omega (subscription) character gains roughly 30 skill points per minute (1800 per hour) while an Alpha (free to play) character gains half that amount. All skills can be leveled from 1-5 and the higher the skill you train, the longer it takes.

Example: A simple skill like Navigation (influencing the velocity of your ship) requires 250 skill points to level from 0 to 1 but 210,745 skill points from level 4 to 5. 

All skills in EVE also have a training time multiplier which determines the length of time it takes for training to be completed.

Example: Skills with a training time multiplier of x1 like Navigation take roughly 4 (actual real world) days to complete while x3 skill takes 12 days and so on. These skills are fundamental to your participation and enjoyment of the game, they allow you to fly better ships, fly them faster, tank more damage and much more. Hence it does not take one long to come to the misguided conclusion that if you must train these skills at the same pace as everybody else, including the veterans of the early 2000s and you are just now starting your career then how could you ever reach their level?  

To the unfamiliar and uneducated this misconception makes perfect sense; it made enough sense to me that when combined with my utter confusion and frustration with the game itself I gave up entirely after a mere number of days. When I finally returned years later, I had preemptively decided that I did not care about the gap between the veterans and myself, I was determined to make my way in the universe regardless of the underdog status I mistakenly painted on my back.  

This is not an uncommon story when speaking with people who have tried to get into EVE several times and failed to pass the first hurdle. Having finally done so myself I want to provide the insight I have gained from sticking it out regardless of overwhelming doubt.

In short, I have referred to this idea as a misconception because that is exactly what it is, it is wholly incorrect and I want to make it clear why. That veteran player may have 50x the amount of skill points you have after a month of playing but when put on a level playing field, you are equal. To understand this one must first understand how EVE’s mechanics work. Different ships provide the standard roles of the MMO genre such as DPS and healer, among others more unique to EVE (tackler, covert-ops scout etc.). Your character is not confined to one class, you are free to use your skill queue to train into whatever ship (and therefore role) you so desire over time. Each of these roles have skills associated with them which each in turn have a level cap of 5, there are no skills that go beyond this hard cap.

Let’s take the logistics cruiser for an example. This is your classic MMO healer with a Sci-Fi spin, you provide shields and armor to other player’s ships as they take damage in an effort to keep them from exploding. As a new player if you decide this is the role you wish to fill, you can dedicate your training to this and over the course of a few months you can maximize your effectiveness with this particular class of vessel. Starting out you could even choose to fly a logistics frigate to cut your teeth before moving onto larger vessels. The general piloting skills and experience gained by flying your preferred role are even more important than the raw statistical boosts to your chosen ship. This means the first time your capsule merges with a massive Force Auxiliary capital logistics ship you will have already gained the critical experience and knowledge necessary to fly it effectively.

By training the required skills that provide bonuses to the desired ship all the way to level five you have now hit the level cap and are as effective as possible. More importantly, you are as effective as any veteran flying the same ship. It should be mentioned that there is a plethora of support skills that affect many if not all ships, but the bottom line is that when you know what you want to do and put your cybernetically enhanced mind to it, you can be just as effective in fleets or solo as the veteran player.

The only difference between you and veterans now is variety. They may be able to fly a Titan or a Dreadnought class ship but when they hop down into their logistics cruiser, you are equal. They pay the same price, they have the same statistical bonuses and they activate their modules just like the underdog. Give it time (maybe a lot of time) and you too will have access to the wide array of ships which fill common and niche roles from the advanced electronic warfare class frigates to the recently revised supercarrier class vessels. If you are interested in more detailed information on how to optimise the path to your chosen role check out EVE University’s fantastic newly released Pyramid Skill Plan (WIP).

I believe that if you are going to present a problem, you should also do your best to present a solution. I am not a game developer and can only speak from my personal experience as to what might have helped me come to these realisations earlier and helped to ease my early days in New Eden. Over the years CCP have created many fantastic tutorial style videos, this one in particular does a fantastic job of explaining exactly how a new pilot can be just as effective as a veteran. In my opinion it would be extremely beneficial for new players to have these videos and others like it such as the Flight Academy series accessible via an in-game system (ideally The Agency window) rather than having to be found independently outside of the game.

Coming to better understand this misconception has allowed me to foster a healthier outlook and attitude towards my goals and progress. I now know with confidence that in time my skill points will steadily accumulate and I am able to focus instead on what I can directly control such as my personal development and piloting skills. In time the versatility of your skill point allocation into a broad range of different ships and roles will increase and in turn mold you into an ever more valuable asset for your own or your alliance’s endeavours.

Understanding that strength does not come from owning the biggest nor most expensive ship but from knowledge and the ability to identify which ship is best for the job at hand, that is the true path to success and prosperity in New Eden. With this knowledge you can specialise and expand your skillset as you take on the elite at their own game. Gaining that knowledge on your own can be a long and draining journey, but with the right people and organisation the journey itself is fun and rewarding. Within EVE University you will find a community both willing and dedicated to learning and teaching as well as a plethora of resources and an organisational structure filled with staff devoted to make your journey as enjoyable and meaningful as possible. There are endless paths you can take and we are here to help you on your journey. I hope I have been able to provide you the information you require to start your career in EVE Online with the confidence and the understanding that just because you are a new pilot that does not inherently make you the underdog. We at EVE University will help you get the proper start you need to understand the sandbox of New Eden in all its complexity and to close the dreaded skill gap in the most efficient way possible.