The New Player Experience in EvE

  So, one of my best friends just asked me to join him in WOW.  This is unusual for many reasons, not the least of which is me starting a sentence with a conjunction.  First I am not really what you would call a "gamer" in that the only games I really play are EvE, NCAA Football, and Halo.  Second my friends are in the same category as me.  And third (another conjunction) I hate WOW for innumerable reasons.

  In the end I broke down and did play some WOW, and am actually still playing for at least a little while.  Really this is just a covert mission to get this friend into EvE but there are some problems with this task.  The major problem to me is not the steep learning curve of EvE or any of the other insane complications of a game with so much freedom.  The main problem with getting started in EvE is the complete lack of an entry level guide or guides that explain the nuances of getting your EvE career kicked off.

  While getting started in WOW there are guides on everything from basic character selection all the way up to top level (end game) raiding.  Now, EvE's greatest virtue is the openness of the environment; or the "sandbox."  The second greatest virtue is the incredible player base and the creativity that has stemmed from that.  We have player created content such as the Blog Pack, Capsuleer, EvE Bloggers Portal, and the work of the great Chribba.  Within this (and other) content there is an incredible amount of information and ingenuity to be gleaned.  However there is not much in the way of "first time user" content welcoming new people to EvE.

  I sympathize with the pride many players feel in EvE but I am extremely disheartened by the lack of player driven outreach to increasing the player base and spreading the good word about how amazing New Eden is.  To that end I had originally planned to create a website for the truly "noob" among us but given my current workload in RL i just don't think I can commit to it.  However, I would really like to see this happen so to kick start it I plan to write a series of guides; starting with racial ships and expanding into gameplay styles.  If anyone among you would like to assist (or take the lead) in creating a new player experience web portal I will offer my personal web space for hosting, ISK, writing, planning, or any other assistance I can so please hit me up @ evemeatay at yahoo.com

  I know we have an incredible amount of talent and desire, I think it's time to show that off.