EVE Combat

Introduction

Combat is used a lot in New Eden (EVE online Universe) even if you want to be a miner, merchant or industrialist, you will see combat even if you want to or not. Any veteran will tell you, that when using mining or industrial ships that you must have one or two combat turrets to defend your self in case of being attacked by NPC pirates or other players. This post is about combat and knowing how to make effective use of turrets (and types of turrets) and missile launcher systems.

There are two ways of surviving combat damage using maneuvers, orbiting and tanking. Orbiting is used for out maneuvering an opponent by right clicking an enemy ship and having the orbit option on the ship you attacking. You ship and the enemy ship will go into a dog fight and will it make it harder to hit your ship. The Tengu above is orbiting a frigate and ingaging in a dogfight












The other way of surviving damage is to customise your ship with custom rigs and weapon slots to make the ship resistant to alot more punishment, known as tanking.


Turrets

Turrets fire energy or projectiles at targets, every turret has an optimum range. Optimum range is when the turret is more likely to hit it's target with maximum damage. Small and

meduim turrets should be used for small and medium ships (frigates, destroyers and Crusiers) and large and extra large turrets should be used for large ships and stations (battleships, carriers)

Always look at a turrets optimal ranges, at the right range the turret has a 90% chance of hitting a target and it makes it easier to kill a target quicker. There are four types of turret:

Railguns, Blasters, Lasers and Projectile weapons all have very different ranges!

Rail Guns and Blasters are classed as hybrid weapons and can be both used on ships without having to train each individually.

Lasers come in two types, close range and long range, favoured by Amarr as their weapon of choice.












Ion Cannon (Gallente Turret)

Ion Cannons are used by the Gallente Federation as their main weapon of choice, Gallente favor close quarters battle to ranged combat as Ion Cannons are designed to have high damage but at close range. Both Gallente and Caldari can use Hybrid weapons (same training skill), Ion Cannons are classed as short ranged Hybrid Weapons.
















Missile launchers

Missile launchers work very differently to turrets, launchers still have to be locked onto a target but the missiles will always hit their targets when in minimum (10m) to maximum range (depending on missile launcher and types of missile used). Turrets will have a chance of hitting their target but only at the turret's optimum range show in the turret's information window. Missiles will be able hit their target at any range.

More pictures of EVE combat

Tengu ingaging some pirate frigates

Two player ships engaging each other in heavy combat

A Nighthawk command ship watch a Drake being hit by lazers

A Gallente ship misses a Minmatar ship while it tries to escape

Looking Back At The Ships I Have Used In The Last 2 Months Part 3

Caldari Ferox (Battle cruiser)

The Ferox battlecruiser was the next ship I choose for collecting bounties, this is the ship I have used the most in the last 6 weeks I have played EVE. The Ferox is not as popular as the Drake battle cruiser, but is good at being a gun boat and taking on frigates, destroyers and normal cruisers with ease. The ship is good for fleet action aswell, it can help support the battleships and in a rare case, a carrier. New players to EVE should aim for a Drake or Ferox as they are much easier to buy than the bigger ships, and they are the half way point between the capital ships and the small fleet ships in the game.

The ferox is the first real large ship in the Caldari state, battlecruisers are very fast for ships their size and have alot of armour and shields - good for very large formations of frigates and destroyers.

Ferox ingageing 2 pirate frigates

 My Ferox flying over New Caldari Prime, the home planet of the Caldari

Front view of my Ferox with its medium guns

Looking Back At The Ships I Have Used In The Last 2 Months Part 2

Caldari Comerant (Destroyer)

The Comerant is the only standard destroyer in Caldari State. My second ship after the Condor, the Comerant is a 'frigate killer'. Once you have one, you can take out a large group of pirate frigates easily with one of these.

Looking Back At The Ships I Have Used In The Last 2 Months Part 1

Caldari Condor (Frigate)

I started playing EVE online almost 2 months ago. In the first post I mentioned that I choose the bounty hunter route, collecting bounties (ratting) using light and medium size ships to attack groups of NPC pirates. The first true ship I used was the Condor, a very popular frigate with new players and a good pirate killer. Most new players who want to become bounty hunters or in the Caldari Navy choose this ship soon after completing the tutorials. 


With good speed and firepower the Condor helped me through the early stages of the game. The Condor is a very traditional looking ship for most games, with a small amount of training it is easy to get your hands on and a good ship to start with. The ship was designed as a figher but nothing else, it is no good for transporting or mining and should be only used for frigate or destroyer fights.

EVE Online Overview and Starting The Game

Game Introduction

EVE is a huge space universe that has developed over 10+ years (a very long time). Set in Eden 21,000 years into humanity's future, the game is a space MMORPG that is updated every week with new content added every few months. The game at the moment is set in space and in space stations, the developers are hoping to eventually have players explore some planets with the expected added content to have ships flying in planetary atmospheres sometime this year (2012). 

Empires

There are 5 main empires in eve online, Jovian, Amarr, Caldari, Gallete and Minmatar. The game's universe and history is heavily based on these empires.

Amarr

The 'true' empire in the game, the Amarr empire is the only empire actually in the game. Lead by their empress, the Amarr are also the largest faction in the game with the most population throughout the stars. The Amarr are very spiritual which shows on their ship designs. With decorations and engraved inscriptions, it is hard not to notice a Amarr ship. The Amarr also has slavery in it's society, the majority of the Minmatar were enslaved until a revolt.



Caldari

Caldari ships designs are the most human design looking ships in the game. The Caldari were once part of Gallete state before the Gallete Federation Military invaded their home world of Caldari Prime. After a long and though war, peace eventually took hold, as neither side could get an upper hand. Today both nations are in a peace treaty but a new much bigger war is coming.........

The Caldari state is made up of millions of corporations in a capitalist society, they have similar views to the Gallete but with corporations running the state.



Gallete

Gallete are very simular to western country beliefs, we have in the real world, freedom. The Gallete will fight very hard for their beliefs and freedom and closes to a democracy. Gallete ship designs are very alien looking in appearance, Gallete ships are known for being though but have week shields. Gallete like close up fights than ranged combat.





Minmatar

The Minmatar Republic is the newest playable faction (empire age) in the game. They are a very neutral in their views. A lot of Minmatar see the Gallete Federation as a good cause where others will become pirates or secretly side with the Amarr. One thing is certain with the Minmatar they are a resilient people with the battle scars of war. Minmatar ships are fragile but fast ships......




Your involvement in the story

The game has 4 playable factions or empires, which the player can choose which faction to choose from. Apart from the Jovian empire the player can choose their allegiance. You then choose your characters race and school of study (military, science and industry), characters then got through the tutorials before being released to the EVE Universe.

As the game story line is not defined, a player can choose many routes to advance they're character (I went for bounty hunting) and the possibilities are endless! Wars controlled by players, known as incursions, mainly in low security space. The game is almost entirely player control, from wars to events..............enjoy it out there!