EVE Online at Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMOG Gamers to the Next Level!

Being a competent EVE Online player requires you to learn more about the game and the universe it's set in than most high school classes, but in recent months, the curve has been smoothed out. Instead of feeling like you went all ten rounds of a championship bout with Mike Tyson in his prime, it's more like going one round with his whiny ear-biting self of today; you know he still hits like a Mack truck, but your odds of survival have now vastly improved. What better way to highlight this recent change than to give EVE another look from the perspective of a beginner?

The Act of Creation

Character creation has gone through a few cosmetic changes, and from my vantage point, they're all for the better. Rather than actually changing any part of it, the process simply provides more detailed explanations of each race, sect, and sub-sect. The development team has taken the time to make the explanations more personal and give you a feeling of actual investment in terms of your character's creation.

The act of creating the image of your avatar remains the same, but that's not a bad thing. There are many ways to customize your character portrait (including the angle and lighting), but there's no need to go completely crazy since you never leave your ship. Note: At some point in the future, you will be able to walk around stations, but this has still not been implemented.

Once you've created your character, it's time to hop into the game with every other online player as EVE still boasts a single server upon which everyone plays. There are no instances for you to hide in, so keep that in mind while you travel the space lanes. If you're a complete and total tool, you're going to eventually find yourself facing three choices:

1) Find a corporation (guild) of like-minded tools to run around with so you're not hunted down like an unwanted dog.
2) Accept the fact that you'll be despised and inevitably hunted down (most likely repeatedly) like the unwanted dog you are.
3) Create a new character and start over so you don't cry every time you're at the keyboard since everyone is so mean to you.

Things may not be that bad, but you get my point, don't you? There are no other servers to transfer to, no name changes, and no instances to spend your time in. If you make a negative name for yourself, you're stuck with it. Fortunately, the opposite of that is equally true and if you're a polite and friendly player, that will be noted as well. EVE is all about getting back only what you put into it. As the beginner lessons continue, you'll quickly discover that for yourself.

Getting Your Feet Wet

The game starts out by putting you through a crash course narrated by a computer assistant that has a disturbing resemblance to System Shock 2's SHODAN. The course is designed to give you the bare basics of movement and combat. When I say bare basics, I really mean that. At the end of it, you'll be able to fly to a point in space, lock on a target, fight, and loot cargo. That's it.

It's in the missions that follow where you really begin to learn the game and therein lies the strength of EVE's new learning process. If you choose not to, none of these missions are mandatory. In fact, nothing is really mandatory in EVE, as it is the reigning king of being a true sandbox game. The addition of these new missions has given new players not only a great way to learn how to play, but a sense of direction as well. At any point in time, players can stop doing them and pick some back up at a later time if they so choose.