Welcome to the continuing monthly EVE Blog Banters and our 61st edition! For more details about what the blog banters are visit the Blog Banter page.
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TurAmarth asks this question: "What would we encourage ALL new players to do in their first month to get them to subscribe long term, if we had to give out one set of advice for everyone (which we do if we're giving general advice)?"
I have written a metric ton of words over the years about how to become engaged in Eve, how to make the New Player Experience better, and how to get out there and explore the universe of New Eden. It has been over six years now since my first month in Eve, but it is an experience that I will never forget. And, even today, it remains an important part of my own Eve career. I often use it as a benchmark, to remember how I started, and how the choices I made then have echoed throughout the years since.
The most important thing to know is this: NOTHING you do in the first month is going to be a bad decision. So relax. No matter what happens, no matter what you do, it will simply be a step along the path that will open up in front of you. When I first started playing Eve I was strangely determined to go 100% solo. I wasn't going to join a Corp, or depend on anyone else, and go it on my own. The last thing I wanted was to be "social". Which is pretty hysterical considering how that all turned out. (I blame it on my video game background and lack of MMO experience.)
Having said that, I will make some general suggestions based on not only my experience but the experiences of the thousands of players I've interacted with over the years.
•Tutorials - Run them until you don't want to anymore. Some people will tell you to skip them and some people will tell you to run them all, both of those pieces of advice are wrong-headed. Run the Tutorials until you don't want to anymore. It is an individual decision and one that only you can make. They are helpful until they aren't helpful. Personally I ran about a day's worth when I started, after that I had things pretty well figured out.
•Corporations - Join one. It honestly doesn't even matter which one, although it'd be better for you if it was one that liked young players. But even if it doesn't it isn't a bad choice, the point is to get started. Meet people. Learn things. And then stay or move on. Eventually you will find the place that is right for you. If you really, really want to make a good choice right off the bat then I recommend Eve University or Brave Newbies. I don't recommend joining a Pirate Corporation your first month, it is a hard life that demands a certain level of understanding and experience with the game. However, we have had some young players do very well in Stay Frosty.
•Explore - My first month I flew deep into Null Security space. I played in Low Security space, I took a Condor and flew all the way to the furthest point on the Map, I visited the Eden Gate, I found the Monolith, I mined, I ratted, and I tried to cram as much as I could into my own experience. I did all of that my first month. The Universe is big, go fly around in it. Watch people play. Meet people. Let them shoot you. Shoot back. Have fun!!
Have fun. It's a game. Nothing you do will be a bad decision.
You can change Corporations. You cannot die. There are people in the game that will give you advice, help you, and even give you things. It is pretty gosh darn awesome.
So go that way. Or maybe that way over there. The point is to get going, keep moving, and learn the game. Meet people. Explore. The rest will take care of itself and before you know it you'll know Eve like the back of your hand.
I envy you your first month. It is a feeling that you will never have again. Enjoy it.