New Player Resources

I have an old college roommate that I'm trying to get into a capsule. I have a coworker who is trying on a capsule for the two-week trial. I am finding myself having to explain a lot. I don't mind this at all, but I figured I'd post it here for future reference, and thus I have a new series.

There are lots of references and guides and toots for new capsuleers. I really shouldn't have to explain everything, as long as I can find those resources and present them here.

The most logical place to start is with CCP. They have offered Evelopedia. It has a new player section with some write-ups on basics that should be excellent for all new capusleers.

A place with a lot of ambition, but not a lot of content, yet, is Tweveit. I do hope they succeed, so my recommendation here is really as a matter of future hopes.

One more resource that I want to recommend tonight is Eve-Agents.com's Agent Finder. This recommendation leads into the first topic that I want to expand on.

I personally don't want to be a mission runner. I bore easily with PvE. I don't mind a nice 10/10 plex run as a way to make some bank, but as a rule, I have no desire to run kill missions for level 4 agents. But I have run missions to get my standings up for various reasons, and I have to admit that for new players, missions offer a comfortable way to turn a coin without having to resort to what may be boring rock cutting.

Each agent has a level and a quality rating. The higher the level, the harder the missions the agent will assign, but the more the payment. The higher the quality, the more the agent will pay. Agents range in level from 1 to 5, and in quality from -20 to +20. A combination of level and quality also affect the required standing one must have with the corporation for which the agent works before the agent will offer jobs.

Each mission completed, not only has some reward, but will also increase one's standings with that agent and with that agent's corporation. The more missions, the more one will grind out a rather high standing. To see one's standing with a particular corporation, look at Standings on the Character Sheet. There is a Liked By and Disliked By tab.

One can also see the required standings to work with any particular agent. To see the standings requirements on any particular agent, look at the info on the agent. Under the Agent Info tab, there should be a Compatibility attribute if that agent is not already available.

There are two more things that I'd like to point out to new mission runners.

I was only running missions to grind out standing. I wasn't interested in the reward. I found that courier missions were faster to complete, so I could get more of them done. The Evelopedia has a resource on the different types of missions offered by different agent types.

Every so often, one will get an offer from a storyline agent. They are great boosts to standing, so try hard to complete those missions.

The last thing to point out is that completing a mission may raise standings with the corporation offering the mission, and the faction with which the corporation is associated. It may also lower standing with factions opposed to that faction. Running missions for a Minmatar corporation in which one kills Angel pirates will lower one's standing with the Angel Cartel. Running missions for Serpentis will lower one's standing with the Gallente Navy.

Standings can be mended over time, but I think it is worth noting if one was counting on their previously acquired good standings.