Eve Kick-Start: Skill Training for Newbies

As I mentioned in the previous post about Creating a New Eve Character, I was once new to EVE Online as well and wanted to share the experiences I've had, and hopefully help the new players to get the most out of EVE.

Eve Kick-Start: Skill Training for Newbies

As you may already know, skill training in Eve is time based. And you can train any skill you want (taken that you have the prerequisites for the more advanced skills). Thus, you're not tied to any "class" choice or anything like that. How fast you gain skillpoints, is based on the attributes of your character. After the skill is trained, you have that skill, and attributes won't affect how good you are using that skill.

Early on you might want to train some skills towards your early career (mining, industry, trade, etc.) or train up core skills - like engineering, electronic and mechanic - which any pilot needs as they boost the abilities of any ship you choose and enable you to fit the usual modules you need. Whatever you choose, train the ten core skills listed below.

If you like more in-depth info about the skills, look for that in the EVElopedia Skill Guide, Useful Thread on EVE Forums about Skill Training, or one of the short lists about those skills: EVE Skills Roadmap.

Below is a list I've compiled from several sources, including the wonderful New Players: Very First Steps -guide.

CORE SKILLS FOR ANY PILOT:

Train all these skills to level 3, before going for 4 and 5. The numbers behind the skills is my recommended order what to train to 4 and 5 first.

Engineering (4): maximize the power grid.
Electronics (1): maximize the CPU.
Energy Systems Operation (2): max the capacitor recharge rate.
Energy Management (3): maximize the capacitor capacity.
Shield Management (5): maximize shield capacity.
Shield Operation (8): maximize the shield recharge rate.
Mechanic (6): maximize hull strength.
Hull Upgrade (7): maximize armor strength.
Navigation (9): maximize armor strength.
Spaceship Command (10): maximize armor strength.

OTHER GENERALLY USEFUL SKILLS

Energy Grid Upgrades: reduce the CPU need of power modules.
Weapon upgrades: reduce the cpu needs of weapons
Control bursts: reduce the capacitor need of weapons

Summary - early on, concentrate on the core skills, and then go for the skills you need for the things you want to do and want for new ships, equipment or career.

Recommended order to train the core skills: Engineering, Energy Systems Operation, Energy Management, Electronics, Shield Management, Mechanic, Hull Upgrades, Shield Operation, Navigation & Spaceship Command. First take all to 3, then to 4 in this order and then to 5.

As a last tip for this entry, download EVEMon - Character Monitoring and Planning tool. In short, it's a tool for keeping track of your EVE Online character progression and planning your skill training in advance (and offline even). You can easily find the skills needed to fly the ship you want or equipment you want to fit and so on. In addition to this, it helps you schedule the skill training based on your play time. Even if you don't understand all this, just get EVEMon :)

All Things Eve (The Full Series)

Into Eve Online
Risk and Reward in Eve
Eve Kick-Start: Fitting Your Ship

Eve Kick-Start: Creating a New Eve Character
Eve Kick-Start: Skill Training for Newbies
Eve Kick-Start: Tutorials and Beyond