EVE Evolved: PvP masterclass - Introduction
by Brendan Drain 
Oct 19th 2008 at 6:00PM
Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, Guides, Professions, PvP, Tips and tricks, Grouping, Politics, EVE Evolved
One of the most perplexing things about EVE Online has to be the fact that although the game is essentially designed around PvP, a lot of players avoid it entirely. In this new series of articles, I will explain PvP from the bottom up, with a particular focus on helping anyone that has always wanted to give EVE's high quality PvP a try but wasn't sure what to do. In this first article, I examine the different types of PvP available in EVE Online and suggest ways to get involved in them even if you're just finishing the 14-day trial.
Types of PvP:
In most MMOs, PvP means organised battleground matches or one versus one player duels. For those games lucky enough to have open world PvP, the options are a lot more varied. In EVE Online, the exact right combination of factors come together to create what on a good day I can only describe as the best PvP experience I have ever had in a computer game. Rather than just being something fun to do, PvP in EVE arises as a natural consequence of normal play, used by players to push forward their own agenda in a harsh, dismal space-borne society.
Continue reading as I help you choose which type of PvP suits you the best and suggest ways to get involved in it.
PvP in EVE can be split into five main distinctive groups: Piracy, 0.0 warfare, empire war declarations, faction warfare and suicide attacks. Each of these groups offers very different styles of PvP and finding the one that appeals most to you is important if you want to have a lot of fun. This list of groups is by no means definitive, there are various other niche PvP styles such as corporate infiltration and aggressive market competition among traders is often described as "market PvP" or "economic warfare". Since I covered suicide attacks extensively in a previous article, I'll concentrate on the other four groups in this guide.Piracy:
The idea of being a space pirate, sailing the space-seas and holding ships to ransom is appealing to a lot of people. At its heart, piracy is attacking unsuspecting ships and either destroying them for the loot or asking for a ransom fee. As attacking players unprovoked in high security space will cause the police to destroy your ship, piracy is largely restricted to low security space and 0.0. In low security space, piracy at stargates and stations is also limited somewhat by the presence of powerful sentry guns that attack agressors. Because of this, many pirates have taken to camping stargates in groups of large ships that can tank sentry guns for hours on end to kill anyone coming through.
Piracy as a profession has changed a lot over the years due to game mechanic changes like the warp-to-zero change and the hitpoint buff. Perhaps the biggest change has been the drop of profitability for mining in low security space, giving very few targets here for roaming gangs to attack. This has led to a lot of corps switching from small roaming gangs to camping gates or moving their operations to 0.0 systems. Some more experienced players have even taken to using probes to hunt down players running missions. Getting into piracy and learning the ropes can be tricky and the most established corps have high skillpoint requirements. If being an outlaw is your cup of tea, it is highly recommended that you find a pirate corp willing to train new players in PvP.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
possum said on 5:29AM 10-20-2008
I'm sorry i must have read something the wrong way, in the article you stated "high quality" pvp? Must be from a diehard live and breathe EVE fan, you state high quality? not even close.
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Nattie said on 6:58PM 10-23-2008
You mean the no-risk, no consequence pvp of WoW is high quality then possum? What a joke.
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Vince said on 8:17AM 10-24-2008
Back when I started playing WoW, I used to enjoy PvP a lot and I could feel the adrenaline rushing in the heat of the battle, but that's long ago and it quickly became just another grinder. In EVE I still get that feeling because there is actual risk to it and the PvP does have consequences. Sadly there aren't many sandboxgames around, still a long wait until Earthrise/Fallen Earth are released.
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Suraknar said on 2:19PM 10-31-2008
My game background is Ultima Online (its first 5 years), it is still my favorite experience after 11 years, that has NOT been replicated by any other game to date.
Sadly not even EVE, while EVE may provide the premise, it fails in the area of PvP mechanics.
I beta tested EVE and been on and Off of it in every major Expansion, but nothing has really changed.
Which render the experience not fun, as simple as that.
Hunting Players that are doing a Mission is the same as a 7x GM going around Killing defenseless and Skill less Miners.
A ship equipped for Mission running simply can't deal with a Ship equipped for PvP. And that is what turns me down from it in EVE.
When the opponent can nullify your ability to fight, it is no longer a fight and it is no longer a PvP experience.
Electronic Warfare maybe good and may sound exciting, yet, first it is not fighting and second the ships simply don't have enough slots to be equipped for versatility.
But the Biggest caveat of the combat is that the difference between two Frigates fighting one another and two battleships fighting one another is null.
It does not feel like a Battleship fight, it feels like a bigger slower frigate fighting another bigger slower frigate.
This is really not reminiscent of, a Fleet of Star Destroyers fighting a Fleet of Mon Calamari Cruisers (just to give a popular example) with frigates and other ships being intermingled in the fight.
The Combat does not feel epic, and it is basically the same, no matter what Ship you fly.
You can explode in a matter of Seconds, wither you are flying a frigate or a Command Cruiser and a Battleship. Which really is conductive to Blob Tactics, and Focused Fire, and when we talk about Blog Tactics it is the Numbers that matter not the quality of the ship or their pilots.
DA ZERG wins the day.
Combined with the linear evolution of skills which as time dependent, there is really no incentive to PvP before you also spend a good Year or two to Raise skills that can make your ship more effective and more to par with the people that were there before you.
A 2 year old Character in a frigate vs a 1 month old character in a frigate will win, 99.9% of the time, it is as simple as that, and this does not change wither they fly frigates cruisers Battlecruisers of battleships.
The Bigger the Ship actually the better the advantage to the older character.
Mining in Low Sec? We tried it few months ago just to test the waters, We went with a Gank of 5, Composed of a Battleship equiped for mining, 2 Cruisers as Escorts and 2 Industrial ships.
Guess what, the Pirate Players came with 3 Battleships and 4 Cruisers.
Our Mining battleship was blown out of the sky as well as one of the escorting Cruisers, in the time it took for our Industrials to warp out to their aligned destinations.
That is simply too fast, too easy for the hunter.
But itis k, we were not upset by what happened at all, we went in fully knowing what may happen, it was for test purposes.
And the results of the Test recommend that we cancel our accounts and play a game in which fun is actually mutual between the two parties.
It is sad, but it is not a mystery, why some many people who like this game, resort to mission running and avoid PvP, the battles in PVE can be more challenging. Yet, PVE gets boring after a certain time, the purpose of an MMO has to be playing with other people, not only amongst other people.
And EVE fails in that regard, in spite of the 0.0 and the Big battles for territorial control, status quo and prestige. That really appeals to few thousands instead of millions.
So I am sorry but these blogs are but seen as a way to conformism, your not telling us anything new, or anything interesting. Your rehashing the same info that has been on the agenda of many people already in the Forums of EVE for years.
Address your PvP mechanics & experience and maybe it will be worth another try, till then there is many other games that may not offer full loot or Political intrigue, but they offer fun and lasting combat that is more enjoyable and more intense than the few seconds survivability following a warp to destination along to face the opposing blob in EVE.
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Lusulpher said on 5:40AM 11-11-2008
"Sadly not even EVE, while EVE may provide the premise, it fails in the area of PvP mechanics."
Alot has changed in EVE, just ask the pvpers who whine about every change to stop their ability to kill quickly...
PVE players are supposed to be meat if a PVP scenario occurs, they can dual fit or bring escorts/partners, but that would be immersion-breaking to have an "I-win fit".
"A fair fight is a military blunder"-Art of War???
Electronic Warfare maybe good and may sound exciting, yet, first it is not fighting...because it is support role only...
It does not feel like a Battleship fight, it feels like a bigger slower frigate fighting another bigger slower frigate.---setups viable on one, are not on the other. I have never fit ANY Battleship like a frig even to scale and try a frig to cruiser fight for the thrill...Inter-shipclass fights are supposed to be shows of talent and close management...
This is really not reminiscent of, a Fleet of Star Destroyers fighting a Fleet of Mon Calamari Cruisers (just to give a popular example) with frigates and other ships being intermingled in the fight.---We have not pushed MMO scifi tech to that limit, which game has, please? I would like to have a trial run of that PVP experience.
The Combat does not feel epic, and it is basically the same, no matter what Ship you fly.-No. Solo/Skirmish/Fleet Warfare use different systems entirely.
It is the Numbers that matter not the quality of the ship or their pilots.--Specialization defeats blobs, even if you have low skills, use something that they are not bringing, or bring more of what hurts them. Or tactically retreat and bore them off.
DA ZERG wins the day.--Tell that to to GoonSwarm, and then check BOB killboards. Lag+Tactics, the Great Equalizer.
...no incentive to PvP before you also spend a good Year or two to Raise skills that can make your ship more effective and more to par with the people that were there before you.--Lvl4 and lvl5 is a 5% bonus, and a time loss of near 500%. Don't try to catch up, they are not that uber, they have just specialized for a fitting/playstyle.
A 2 year old Character in a frigate vs a 1 month old character in a frigate will---be embarrassed/amazed if he fell for a good trap...Winning means one of them knows what to fly and how, better. True talent.
The Bigger the Ship actually the better the advantage to the older character.---See "nano setups". And most older characters specialize in a SHIPCLASS, not always biggest ship.
Mining in Low Sec?
Our Mining battleship was blown out of the sky as well as one of the escorting Cruisers, in the time it took for our Industrials to warp out to their aligned destinations.---7 people entering lowsec system and you not leaving in time means you screwed up. Those pirates may have also had a cloaked guy on you too...
it's a cat and mouse game, usually Mice run to hiding places so the cat HAS to sniff them out, NOT sit next to the cat bowl.
PVP is not mutual. Ever. Or else there would be no wars in the real world. People would just reject the invitation to "Declare War".
Admittedly the PVE is weak, it is merely for distributing items and money so you can set up your own empire. Roleplay will be filled into it at some point also.
And EVE fails in that regard, in spite of the 0.0 and the Big battles for territorial control, status quo and prestige. That really appeals to few thousands instead of millions.---Those few thousands employ thousands more, and they don't have to be involved in the fighting to reap the rewards. Once we kill Lag, they might even give it a gun-toting try themselves.
Your rehashing the same info that has been on the agenda of many people already in the Forums of EVE for years.---Keyword: Years.
There are many tips and tricks to avoiding or misleading blobs btw, ask a more experienced playergroup or read the forums.
EVE PVP might simply not be for you. Come back when we have in-station content(Ambulation ~2009) live. I might drop by to say hello in a friendlier manner. o7
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