{ TenTon Hammer has a good post on the Top Ten Mistakes that Newbies make in Eve, check it out when you get a chance. Thanks to Dense Veldspar for the link. }
While that list concerns itself with Newbie mistakes in the way of playing the game, I thought I'd run down some of my own pet peeves when it comes to PvP. Not necessarily Noob mistakes, in that only young players make them, because sadly sometimes veteran players who should know better make them. These are not in any order, cause order denotes organization and organization denotes time and thought, neither of which are plentiful at the moment.
> Flying your next ship, now
This is the biggest mistake of them all in my opinion. So big that I was guilty of it myself when I first started playing. You get so anxious to be in the "good" ship that you start flying it even when you are clearly not fully skilled for it yet. I see a lot of this around Eve, in low-sec and zero space. The fully t2 fitted Hurricane with the t1 autocannons on it is just one example. Seriously, wait the week or so it takes to train the t2 guns, they are so much better it isn't even funny. Now "fully skilled" can vary and is a goal that is nearly impossible to achieve, so let's at least define it as fully t2 fitted, or at least with the better faction stuff where needed. Fly what you are skilled for. The rest will come with time, patience and training. It is worth the wait.
This can be modified even further based on individual preference, some people prefer to fly t1 Frigates and Cruisers even when they are incredibly skilled. For lols, or fun, those ships are cheap and can still pack a nice punch if fit properly, but that is a totally different ball game.
FLY WHAT YOU ARE SKILLED TO FLY.
> Stupid Fits
Good grief, sometimes I cannot believe the fits I see on killmails. With all the information available on-line, especially the huge archive of fits at places like Battleclinic, you'd think people would fit their ships better?!! (Don't get me wrong here, as a PvPer I'm glad other people are idiots, it makes it much easier to kill them.) If you are in a Corp or an Alliance ask around, someone will probably be more than happy to help you properly fit your ship, some Corps/Alliances even have standard fits available on their forums. Even if you fly alone take the time to look at the fits available on-line, at least try to understand the difference between a passive and active tank - and know why you never, ever mix the two.
And here is a free piece of advice for all of you would be killers out there, with very very few exceptions - fit to your ship bonuses. Every ship in Eve gives bonuses of one kind or another, USE THEM. While it might seem interesting to put Autocannons on a Drake - it isn't. If your ship gives bonuses to a certain type of damage then use ammo that delivers that kind of damage. (Unless you are ratting, then always load against the damage type of the rats.) Again there are some exceptions to this rule, but if you don't already know what those exceptions are, then you need to stick to the rule.
ALWAYS FIT TO BONUSES.
> Situational Awareness
Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Watch local, listen to intel (if you have any), have some modicum of understanding about what is going on in the space around you, so that you can make informed decisions. Ignorance is not an excuse. I can't tell you how many people I've seen die because they weren't paying attention to what was going on around them, it happens all the time. Even when you are in another person's fleet, it is important that you remain aware of the Situation. Every so often it'll save your life when your FC does something stupid because THEY weren't paying attention.
Don't be a lemming. Learn to think on your feet and make informed decisions that are in your best interest. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't warp to zero when the FC tells you to, but it does mean you should probably know why he told you to.
BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
> Never Fly Alone
In the entire history of Eve there have been a handful of pilots that were masters of solo fighting, and you are not one of them. One ship will virtually never defeat two ships and will never defeat three. (I know people are gonna give me examples of when that isn't true, and I know that, but I'm speaking in general here.) The facts are that you should be flying with a buddy or two, or three or more. Your odds of success increase dramatically when you are not alone. Believe me I am no fan of blobs and I'm not saying you need a fleet to be successful in Eve, but flying around solo is a sure way to get dead. No matter what ship you are flying.
There are exceptions of course, and situations that arise in which a solo ship can be successful. Knowledge of those times comes with experience and time, but for those under the category of this post - nope. Unless your idea of fun is baiting and killing Noob ships, if that is the case then enjoy.
(ALMOST) NEVER FLY ALONE.
There are others of course, but these are the big four in my opinion. Learning to fight in Eve takes time, dedication, training and intelligence. The sooner you start doing it the right way, the faster those things will come to you. There really aren't any shortcuts.
While that list concerns itself with Newbie mistakes in the way of playing the game, I thought I'd run down some of my own pet peeves when it comes to PvP. Not necessarily Noob mistakes, in that only young players make them, because sadly sometimes veteran players who should know better make them. These are not in any order, cause order denotes organization and organization denotes time and thought, neither of which are plentiful at the moment.
> Flying your next ship, now
This is the biggest mistake of them all in my opinion. So big that I was guilty of it myself when I first started playing. You get so anxious to be in the "good" ship that you start flying it even when you are clearly not fully skilled for it yet. I see a lot of this around Eve, in low-sec and zero space. The fully t2 fitted Hurricane with the t1 autocannons on it is just one example. Seriously, wait the week or so it takes to train the t2 guns, they are so much better it isn't even funny. Now "fully skilled" can vary and is a goal that is nearly impossible to achieve, so let's at least define it as fully t2 fitted, or at least with the better faction stuff where needed. Fly what you are skilled for. The rest will come with time, patience and training. It is worth the wait.
This can be modified even further based on individual preference, some people prefer to fly t1 Frigates and Cruisers even when they are incredibly skilled. For lols, or fun, those ships are cheap and can still pack a nice punch if fit properly, but that is a totally different ball game.
FLY WHAT YOU ARE SKILLED TO FLY.
> Stupid Fits
Good grief, sometimes I cannot believe the fits I see on killmails. With all the information available on-line, especially the huge archive of fits at places like Battleclinic, you'd think people would fit their ships better?!! (Don't get me wrong here, as a PvPer I'm glad other people are idiots, it makes it much easier to kill them.) If you are in a Corp or an Alliance ask around, someone will probably be more than happy to help you properly fit your ship, some Corps/Alliances even have standard fits available on their forums. Even if you fly alone take the time to look at the fits available on-line, at least try to understand the difference between a passive and active tank - and know why you never, ever mix the two.
And here is a free piece of advice for all of you would be killers out there, with very very few exceptions - fit to your ship bonuses. Every ship in Eve gives bonuses of one kind or another, USE THEM. While it might seem interesting to put Autocannons on a Drake - it isn't. If your ship gives bonuses to a certain type of damage then use ammo that delivers that kind of damage. (Unless you are ratting, then always load against the damage type of the rats.) Again there are some exceptions to this rule, but if you don't already know what those exceptions are, then you need to stick to the rule.
ALWAYS FIT TO BONUSES.
> Situational Awareness
Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Watch local, listen to intel (if you have any), have some modicum of understanding about what is going on in the space around you, so that you can make informed decisions. Ignorance is not an excuse. I can't tell you how many people I've seen die because they weren't paying attention to what was going on around them, it happens all the time. Even when you are in another person's fleet, it is important that you remain aware of the Situation. Every so often it'll save your life when your FC does something stupid because THEY weren't paying attention.
Don't be a lemming. Learn to think on your feet and make informed decisions that are in your best interest. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't warp to zero when the FC tells you to, but it does mean you should probably know why he told you to.
BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS.
> Never Fly Alone
In the entire history of Eve there have been a handful of pilots that were masters of solo fighting, and you are not one of them. One ship will virtually never defeat two ships and will never defeat three. (I know people are gonna give me examples of when that isn't true, and I know that, but I'm speaking in general here.) The facts are that you should be flying with a buddy or two, or three or more. Your odds of success increase dramatically when you are not alone. Believe me I am no fan of blobs and I'm not saying you need a fleet to be successful in Eve, but flying around solo is a sure way to get dead. No matter what ship you are flying.
There are exceptions of course, and situations that arise in which a solo ship can be successful. Knowledge of those times comes with experience and time, but for those under the category of this post - nope. Unless your idea of fun is baiting and killing Noob ships, if that is the case then enjoy.
(ALMOST) NEVER FLY ALONE.
There are others of course, but these are the big four in my opinion. Learning to fight in Eve takes time, dedication, training and intelligence. The sooner you start doing it the right way, the faster those things will come to you. There really aren't any shortcuts.