EVE New Citizens Q&A

So I'm trying out EVE on trail, I'm enjoying it but I want to know some thing first.

While I know that this game is mainly PvP/player interaction focused I prefere PvE solo focused gameplay. So I have to ask? How good is this game for playing this style.

Also I'm interested in exploration which seems to be a good solo focused area.

People are doing what you are going for.
Basically EVE isn't a solo PVE game however. As long as you keep away from missions and mining for the sake of mining, then you may find enjoyment rather than insanity inducing boredom =)

YMMV

It's terrible. No matter where you go or what you do other people are going to effect your outcomes. Even in missions in high sec someone can scan you down, enter and start stealing your loot/salvaging your wrecks.

Exploration in high sec is a competition with other players and if you go towards low/null sec and expect solo play you're a killmail waiting to happen.

The last part is not true.

Sure there are corps that want you to commit "x"amount of time to log on, want you to fly "x"ship etc.

But there are also plenty of corporations that just don't give a **** about if you can't log in for a couple of days, or that you just want to do stuff alone most of the time, but they do help you in the way that they can assist in certain things.

Why don't you try asking that very question in your corporation channel in-game? Also, don't believe everything you read, and only half of what you hear.

I'll answer it here, all the same. Any play style that is makes you happy and is not explicitly forbidden by CCP is a good play style. You just have to accept that others might challenge you and your playstyle. They may even be able to prevent you from playing the game your way entirely, especially if you are solo and they are in a group. Prepare yourself for that.

Your typical exploration day:

1. Jump to the [some system], you see like 2 signatures. Maybe they are data / relict sites with fat loot and nice riuns to look at.
1.a. Spent 20 minutes to find out, that both are wormholes.
2. Jump to the next system, you see like 4 signatures. Same expectations.
2.a. Spent next hour scanning, just to find out, that all 4 are wormholes again....
3. Jump, scan, after next half of an hour you find data site.
3.b. You finally got some loot, worth of 4,5 mio, as you see in description. You do not care any more how beautifull ruins are, cause you are tired of scanning and quite angry with the result after losing so much time.
3.c. You come to the station to find out, that you can not sell you 4,5 milion worth cargo for more then few thousand ISK. Or you have to jump many jumps away to sell it at least for 1 milion.
4. You scan next system. You find out combat site. After few minutes site is full of other players, who still your targets or kill you to get rid of competition.

You take how long to probe a signature?...it shouldn't take that long even with bare bones skillpoints. I take it you wanted to farm easy, high value sites in high sec rather than exploring for stuff?

The part about selling stuff is just funny...that's called a trade hub. You should visit one they have all kinds of fun local games to play like "Double your isk" or "Test your tank" and great deals like "Shiny new rigged Gniess perfect for exploration".

Try low/null sec.

It gets old and boring real fast. There's just not much to do alone. Since there is no real storyline in the game, all you can do is basically work a job - be it miner, explorer, manufacturer, whatever - or join a corp and PvP. It's more of a space sim than anything.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you it gets any better - many people just quit because of the lack of goals or in-depth story (no one reads the lore and it's not made prominent in the game). But, some people do like it, however compared to other MMOs EVE falls short on content.

So a lot has been covered already but a few points I do want to really point out.

1.) First this is not like a typical MMO where you get quests and level up all the way to some max level. This is NOT a theme park where they use bread crumbs and tell you where to go next. Yes there are agent missions but don't expect much story and don't expect them to be like a typical theme park MMO. Someone mentioned the Sisters of Eve Epic arc, true this is a good fun adventure but once it is over that is it. Then it is off to do agent missions which basically are go kill these guys. I believe there are more epic arcs in low sec but they are a higher level and more dangerous. You can repeat an epic arc every three months but you need something to do in that time frame and will it be fun repeating it?

2.) There are some corps which do require x amount of time but there is a huge majority who do not. In fact if you read most corp advertisements most say you need to be self sufficient because they won't have fleets up and ready to go every single part of the day. Then there are those corps who are around just so a group of people can chat while everyone does their own thing. So don't shy away from corps just because you worry they will require a time constraint.

3.) As other people have mentioned just because you want to play solo doesn't mean others will let you. If you are in space you are always in danger of being killed any second. However, there are plenty of things you can do to keep you safe.

Now to the positive sides

1.) Eve is a sandbox and play it however you want. If you like to solo and are having fun do not let anyone else tell you that you are wrong. You will hear its an MMO go play a single player game a lot when solo is mentioned. It is your money you are using to play so play how you want. There are people who think the carebares are playing it wrong, carebares think the pirates are playing it wrong. Don't listen do what you want. You can play by yourself, you can do what you want, some things will be easier than others. The important thing is to remember the first thing I said

2.) Exploration is a good career choice for solo and is more solo friendly than PVP. What erg cz says is partially true and it sounds like he is coming from the perspective of wanting to make money. Nothing wrong with that but personally I just enjoy exploring and the challenge of finding things. Yeah when I find a wormhole I wish it was a relic or data site but I still enjoy the challenge of having to scan it down. So if you are interested in making the most isk per hour and want consistency then maybe you don't want exploration. However, I love the mystery and never knowing if this might be the one time I find some really cool item worth a bunch of money.

I would say you are able to enjoy the PvE content solo, however surrounded by even a few people will make it all the better. Rather than decide right now you want to play solo, explore the game and meet some people then make the decision!