While I am writing this blog entry from the perspective of EVE, this will apply to all MMO gamers to some degree.
When we jump into a new game what is the first thing it seems everyone wants to do? Get to the biggest, baddest ship I can ASAP. In the case of fantasy, get to the highest level I can as fast as I can. This is human nature when it comes to gaming, we want to be the best. However in our quest to rush forward we many times end up with the appearnace of knowing what we are doing and not in reality having a clue.
Let me regress to my LOTRO days for a moment to give an example. As I played up my Burglar I took my time and explored each new skill with a vengence. While others where making 2 or 3 levels a day I was lucky to see one every three days. I was not playing less, I was just staying at lower level quests and mastering solo play. After all this is what a burglar should be best at. The result was by the time I had reached level 30 I was better at using my burglar than most level 50s. In fact upon hitting level 45 I knew a lot of groups that would not want the lvel 50 but would rather I join them instead.
The same theory applies to EVE. Since my return I have taken the slow and deliberate approach. I have trained my learning skills first and added my base skills when I had time to micromanage the skills. I mean switch them literally as they come due. I have also curtailed my desire to get straight to bigger ships and have instead focused on mastering where I am.
Right now, if I truly wanted to I could be in a battlecruiser in 2 days, thats right 48 hours and I could be piloting one of the toughest ships in the game. Yet I am content right now to stay in my Slasher. SLASHER? You heard me right, Slasher.
My reasoning is simple. RIght now the Slasher is a ship that is inexpensive and easy on the skills to fly. As I skill up the effect on the Slahser is obvious. I seed speed boosts and my Nav skills come up. As Engineering skills advance I watch my shields get noticably tougher and my power grid improve. I can see the changes with even one level change and this makes me better bale to fine tune my skill advancement.
Even the frigate pilots though rush forward to get into their Rifter. I stay with the slasher because it is the ultimate of Minmatar, my race of choice, style. It is all speed, that tied into decent fire power, three guns and a missile, and I am finding that I have yet to have an issue with a level 1 mission.
Staying in the Slasher has taught me prudence in combat. I do not feel invulnerable, in fact I am usually a little scared in some of the tougher missions. This is the same Slasher that I got from my agent early in my carreer so I have an attachment and am doing my best to not lose it. This prudence will serve me well in PVP where sometimes it just makes sense to retreat.
Now I still have the normal human desire to be the best so I have shifted my goal, I am going to be th best Slasher pilot in EVE. This means I still have a lot of skills in Gunnery, Engineering, Electronics, Navigation, Mechanic and Missiles to work on before I can achieve that goal. However once that goal is achieved it means when I move to the next level of ship I will not start barely able to fly it. Those same skills will move upward as well and I will be that much more effective when I am in the bigger ships.
So fi you are new to gaming, EVE in particualr, then my advise is avoid the rush. DO not sweat getting into the biggest ship you can as fast as you can. Stay calm and putter around a bit in your frigate. Leanr to master the smaller ship, make it your own. Trust me it will pay off, be a ton of fun and when you hit the bigger ships, watch out!
Couldn't agree more. EVE is not about having the biggest ship but to do the best with whatever tools you chose to use. I find this especially valid in pvp (Where I btw think the game is at)
In fleets, I'd rather team up with a good frigate pilot who knows what he's doing than with a 1month old battleship pilot, any day.
Mon Sep 29 2008 1:45PMI'll agree with you in Eve. Personally in other level based games, I rush to the end and don't regret it, because I absolutely hate the feelings of 1) being gimped, 2) not being able to play with my friends, and 3) being gimped.
But I also recently started playing Eve, and at first I tried the rushing I normally do and I just didn't like it. While I am currently flying a battlecruiser around, I have decided to go back to my roots and concentrate on frigates for now. I'm finishing my learning skills, then training up to fly interceptors and covert ops, followed by maxing out all the rest of the skills that will help me no matter what I am flying.
So when it comes to Eve, I 100% agree with you.
Mon Sep 29 2008 4:54PMMakes perfect sense because Eve is not for the instant gratification types. There is a lot more depth to this game than most people realize.
Tue Sep 30 2008 12:51AMIn high fantasy games, being able to play with friends would most often mean you are in similar level range with them. In EVE tho, good slasher pilot is always an asset, even next to largest of behemoths.
I did personally the mistake, being a high fantasy gamer normally, and rushed my way to Megathron (Battleship) in relatively fast time, only to notice that its not really that fun to lose those 200 million credits, because you're still shooting with small turrets, have the range of a pistol and can take about the same damage as sleeping sheep.
Even tho repeat of repeat topic, good entry.
Tue Sep 30 2008 5:24AMSpot on when it comes to EVE Online and also with LOTRO. It's all about personal preference and if you want to explore slowly and thoroughly, you should.
Been playing since May in EVE and still not flying a Battleship because I wanted to master Cruisers and Battlecruisers.
Tue Sep 30 2008 12:43PMGreat write up.
I agree 100% Even in a easy leveling mmo like WoW I took my time to level my Warrior and easily became one of the best tanks on the Alliance. I also took my time in Eve and became a sick incursus frigate pilot.
Now that I'm playing Ryzom I am taking my time learning all the mechanics and skilling up slowly.
Imo you just enjoy the game more if you take the time to experience it all without rushing.
Tue Sep 30 2008 1:38PMVery nice entry. I take my time too mainly because I like very much to read the lore in games. I travel the lands and explore every little place and read about it on the forums/wiki. Then I try to befriend many of the adventurers I see and well, start crafting, selling, etc. Not that I ignore leveling, it's just not my main activity. :)
-Vladalf
Wed Oct 08 2008 2:12AMMMORPG.com writes:
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