I encounter a lot of young players just getting started in Player Versus Player combat inside of Eve Online. And the prospect of all that stands in front of them often feels extremely daunting, vast, and intimidating. So many other players have a head start, often years or decades of a head start. And it can feel like an impossible task to establish yourself and your own identity. I'm not going to tell you it is easy. But I am here today to tell you, in all honesty, it isn't the big deal it might seem to be.
First of all, let's be honest up front here - you are not competing against ten-year veterans when you are starting out. Or you shouldn't be. You should be competing against other players who are also starting out, or players that are lazy, or make mistakes. You are an opportunistic player who finds their own niche and who sticks to targets of opportunity as they arise. Your youth is your weapon. Stick to your skill plan, learn the ships you can fly and stop worrying about the ships you cannot. And always remember this important PvP fact - there is little difference between you in a T1 Frigate and me in a T1 Frigate. Other than experience. And you'll be getting plenty of that as time goes along.
You are going to die a lot. Get used to this fact. Eve is going to feel vast and incomprehensible at first. And you will constantly feel like you just can't get on top of it. You'll make mistakes. You'll ask for advice. You'll make fitting errors. And you'll pay the iron price for those errors. This is what learning looks and feels like. It is, after all, a trial by fire. Becoming a PvP focused player in Eve Online is not the easy path. There are easier ways to go. But the end justifies the means, at least in my humble opinion. Stick with it and never give up. Because here is another secret few people will tell you - the key to success in Eve is simple - just never give up.
To even further encourage you, I'm going to share something with you. In October 2012 I was in the Tuskers (almost four years of playing Eve at that point) and I had a total of 1,586 kills and 385 losses so far. I was not setting the world on fire as a young player. I had spent the first two years or so in Null Sec and had only recently transitioned into the future Pirate Lord we all know and love today. Those first years were full of transitions, mistakes, wars, and trying to find my place in the game. I also played a lot less in those days. It took me a little over four years of playing Eve before I figured out what I wanted to do in the game. Four years!
I hope you find your own spot faster than that, but know that you might not. It could take you longer. I know plenty of players who spend years doing one thing and then suddenly try something new and realize they should have been doing that the whole time. Or players that never settle into one thing and keep trying everything. Because that is who they are. That is, after all, one of the most amazing things about this game - there are so many paths to choose from.
The only true way to win Eve is to never give up. And I just want to encourage you today. Beyond PvP or piracy or industry or wormholes or whatever you are into - hang in there. Learn. Explore. Grow. And see what adventures you can find for yourself. Try new things. Fly new ships. Take chances. Who knows what might happen?