New Player: Burnout and Specialization

  If you have read my short primer (So... You're New to EvE?!?) for the new player or one of the many others out there, then you probably have a good start on the possibilities in EvE.  At some point every new player reaches a plateau in EvE and it is here that many people burn out.  Often this point comes when you have been grinding missions for some time and have already reached a few early goals.  Perhaps you have been flying that shiny battlecruiser for a while now and the shine has worn off, yet battleships seem so far away.

  If you begin to wonder what you can do next you are not alone.  I took a break from EvE at this point because the possibilities seemed endless and I wasn't sure where I wanted to spend my energy.  Now, I wish I had stuck with it through that period but hindsight is 20/20, as they say.  If I could give some advice to a new player at this stage I would tell them to take it slowly and pick a specialty.  If you want to continue your EvE career then this is a good time to step back and regroup.

  This specialty does not need to be the one thing you do for the rest of your EvE career but it should be something you are interested in.  If you want to build ships for a while then work on the skills needed while you mine your butt off to get a nice cache of minerals to use for production.  If you feel tired of mission running and want to experience some PvP then choose a role you can fill with your current skills.  As I mentioned in Battle Hardened, or Soon to Be... one of the best roles for a newer player is fast tackler.  If you can fly a cruiser (or even better a battlecruiser) well then you will also very a valuable addtion to many fleets.

  The key here is to pick something you would like to do and focus on that for a while.  Take advantage of the time to just relax with your corp-mates; or if you are not in a quality corp then use the time to find one.  Focusing on one area will help because it is a good way to overcome that overwhelming feeling when looking at all the possibilities for your EvE persona.  Connecting with your corp mates just makes the game much more fun.  Even for those who enjoy being a "lone wolf" it's much easier to get though a boring stint when you can chat with friends. 

  While you are taking this time continue to train your skills for your next big goal and before you know it you will be there with a re-newed energy and fresh perspective.