EVE New Citizens Q&A

We are actively recruiting and training noobs for piracy. The way we do it is not through free ships & stuff but, as others have mentioned before, by being decent and useful guys in game and through the recruitment forum and the in-game corp finder.

Personally I don't think it makes sense to just recruit new people for the sake of recruiting them. You're much better off if you get fewer recruits that are, however, actually interested in your play style and more likely to stick around.

One thing that was particularly intriguing to me when I joined my last corp (which then became my current corp) was that they had a non-trivial application process. It wasn't just "hey, can I join you?" "sure, just apply". It was a lengthy process involving forum posts, background checks etc. As a recruit, it showed me that the corp cared about the kind of members it accepts, that I would probably find quality people there and that flying with them was a privilege.

Well, as the newest newbie around (started playing for the first time yesterday evening) I'd say that a Corp should offer, above all, friendly support to a newbie. Someone that is completely lost, drowning in windows and keys, not knowing what is the next step is more inclined to appreciate tips and guidance than tons of ISK donation or ship donation or whatever. At least that's what I think and that's how I feel.

And I've had a lot of experience with other MMOs and their Guilds and it was pretty much the same.

I think that would spoil the newbies. Giving free ships and ISK isn't the best way to help. They should know how to get their own ISK, and for that they need advice.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

I've been thinking about the "free stuff" side of things... I've always very much been a believer in the quote above with the exception of when it's something the corp can "use".

For example, a newbie wants to help out on lvl 4 missions by salvaging the wrecks behind an older member. Since it's a goal that helps out the group providing the skill books he's lacking and a hull and fittings isn't "spoiling" the newbie.


To take the metaphor a little further, it's buying the newbie a fishing rod (and some spares) and bait.

edit -- in hopes a newbie reads this and it helps dispel some of those myths...

1. Think of them as "guilds" from fantasy MMOs (though unlike those, there are PvP aspects to being in a corp here)

2. This is a bad mentality to have. A lot of corps do "force" certain things (e.g. we "force" competence in a frigate of your choice within your first month or so) ... but it's so they can have better control over things if you die. It's a lot easier for me (as a CEO) to give you another "DSGN Atron, Hero Tackle" if you explode than it is to get "Xerces' Catty, with these guns, and those other mods".

Keep in mind, that I'm talking about losses from a PVP standpoint, when it's sometimes critical that when you pop, you re-ship and get back out as quickly as possible (assuming those were the standing orders from the FC). As far as non-PvP fits, then we're a lot more relaxed about what you're flying, since people have the time to fly from "home" to "market hub" and pick up modules to help you re-fit something.

3. Also terrible mentality to have. Sure, you're not gonna be the one necessarily getting the kill shot... but you're still invaluable. There was one engagement where I hero-tackled a battleship in an Atron til my gang could show up ... I got out with 10% structure, he didn't.

4. In my first player corp, I flew with a mate out to low (hell,could have been null... I have no idea) in a shitfit T1, Meta 0 everything Exequeror ... with ReBos and Tracking Links. I nearly doubled the targeting range/speed of one of said mate ... who was in a battleship.

5. Get into a local-language corp... or if you get into an english corp, they're usually accommodating for that (I know we are)

6. There's two parts to this one:
6.1 If they're being vicious about it, that's bad. However, if it's relaxed, then it's probable that everyone is getting the ribbing too (I've been called a lemming by my FCs for stupid mistakes, and I'm the CEO )
6.2 Our crew enjoy having rookies around -- provided that you listen up when it's important. For example, if we're in a war and we tell you "don't undock yet" in a fight, and you decide to undock anyway (thus, getting killed), we'll probably pull you aside for a chat.

7. Pretty much "don't be a jerk" and you'll probably be fine.

8. not true. Though, if it is a mining op and you're available ... use that to your opportunity to get some relaxed time to chat with the corpies about stuff you're not familiar with. I can guarantee that you'll find it easier during that time than in the midst of a fight or a mission.

9. what the? I don't even...

suppose it could happen... if you're a renter or something ... but, ugh, why?

Corporations are not always money-focused. They can be -- and a player corp enables you to earn money in ways you otherwise can't -- but not always. They are closer to guilds from other games than anything. The name of "corporation" just exists for the fluff of Eve, and not much more.

As for what corporations do, that can be summed up by "depends on the corporation". Some are just loose affiliations of friends who do PvE together, others are actual money-oriented businesses (e.g. the Red Frog hauling services, or the Somer Blink lottery), while others are military entities with a chain of command, etc etc.

This stuff could be made clearer for newbies. The word "corporation" just seems hostile for no real reason.

These have been my concerns as well.

^^ Refined and high quality post J'Poll.

Spot on! Nice to see a thread so good.

Yes, I was and still am paranoid. But that doesn't mean I'm avoiding conversations. When someone convoes me, I reply if I can. It happened few times, mostly because certain group of EVE players know the corp I'm in and want to ask some questions. But, I'm cautious about what I say and refuse to give any sensitive informations, not only about my corporation, but also about me, my assets, skills, hangouts and my playstyle. Call it paranoia, but I'm a noob and I don't know all the scam and spying methods in EVE, so it's better to keep my mouth shut than say too much.


First, not all (new) players know how to fully use the Market (you'd be surprised). Many don't know you can preview the ship in it or that there's a checkbox at the bottom. You know that, great, but you are not a new player. I was talking about starter systems, where 1-5 days old players drill asteroids without a clue what they should be doing.
Second, I didn't want to impress them. Nobody cares who the hell am I or what ships I can fly. Also, I don't see any reason I should impress anybody as I will gain nothing from that. The goal was to make the ship interesting to them, so they could look at it and think "man, this ship kicks ass. I want it. Maybe this guy telling me to do something else than mining in an Iteron all days is right?". And guess what, it works. Even if you can see the ship in a 3D preview window you don't feel the scale of it. And then, you see it right there, on the belt, slaying rats with drones and artillery, making noise. You fly near to it and see it's big, much bigger than you though. That's a totally different experience than spinning a small 3D model in a boring preview window.
Third, when you are sitting in a frigate or even an industrial with max zoom (that's how new players are flying) and a battlecruiser passes nearby, it's hard to miss it. Also, when unknown ship name pops up in an Overview (and "Myrmidon" is not a common name in starter systems), people are zooming on it to see the new thing.
You say you don't care about few pixels. There are players that do. They approach to see it, even follow me when I'm circling the belt. If I sparked an interest in at least one of them, then my mission was successful. If not, then at least they had some fun and could see something besides rookieships, mining frigates, destroyers and industrials.

As for the rest of your post - I agree.