What is EVE Online?
EVE is a massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) set in a science-fiction based, persistent world. Players take the role of spaceship pilots seeking fame, fortune, and adventure in a huge, complex, exciting, and sometimes hostile galaxy.


What is Eve about?
EVE takes place in a cluster of stars far from mankind’s original habitat, planet Earth. How far away, and whether or not that cradle of civilization still exists, is a mystery. Humans arrived through a natural wormhole and, gazing up upon an alien sky they had never seen, were completely unable to determine where this new world was located. From the New Eden solar system, where the gate of EVE once led to the old world, humans expanded in all directions at a furious pace, exploring and colonizing rapidly.

Then, unexpectedly and seemingly unprovoked, the EVE gate collapsed in an apocalyptic catastrophe of a scale never before witnessed by the human race, ruining the New Eden system in the process. Thousands of small colonies were left in complete isolation to fend for themselves, cut off from the old world. For millennia they endured, clinging to the brink of extinction, and only a handful managed to survive.

Of those that lasted, five were to rise up and become the major empires that, between them, hold the balance of power in the world of EVE. Today, they are known as the Amarr Empire, the Gallente Federation, the Caldari State, the Minmatar Republic, and the Jovian Empire. Additionally, the world is full of several small, independent factions and states.

For more than a century, the five empires have lived together in relative peace. They’ve continually strived to maintain this peace, as each faction realizes only too well the grave consequences of a massive inter-stellar war. Recent technological breakthroughs in FTL travel, and the ensuing increase in space travelers, have shaken, but not broken, the fragile peace... at least not yet.

What are the character 'classes' and races?
Amarr

The largest of the empires in the world of EVE, Amarr spans 40% of the inhabited solar systems. The Amarr Emperor is the head of a ritualistic, authoritarian imperial state, and below him are the Five Heirs, the heads of the five royal families from which a new Emperor is chosen. The Emperor's authority is unquestioned and absolute, but the archaic and bureaucratic system of government makes it difficult for him to exert his rule unless directly in person. Otherwise, the Five Heirs rule in his name, dividing the huge empire between them.

The Emperor and the Five Heirs can expect to live for at least 500 years. Extensive cyber-implants keep their frail bodies alive, even when their organs begin to fail. These cyber-enhancements date back many millennia, and have become a symbol of royal divinity in the eyes of the Amarrians.

Always a deeply religious people, religion remains of great importance to every Amarrian, a fervour which at various times has been responsible both for great good and great evil. Shortly after recovering from the closure of EVE, they began to expand their realm at the expense of neighbouring states. The nations they conquered were enslaved, a practice justified by their religion. Ever since, the Amarrians have enslaved every nation and race they have encountered, and today slavery is an essential part of Amarr society. This has, of course, tainted their relations with other races, especially the individualistic Gallenteans.

The Amarrians were the first of the races in EVE to re-discover Warp technology, notably Jump gate technology. After accomplishing this more than 2,000 years ago, they immediately began expanding to nearby solar systems, slowly building up their empire in the process. On the way, they encountered two human races, both of whom suffered the fate of being enslaved by the far more powerful Amarrians.

In recent years, however, the Amarrians have begun to run into serious opposition. First, they met the Gallente Federation. Although much smaller than the Amarr Empire, the Amarrians soon found the economic and military might of the Gallenteans a match for their own.

Soon after, the Jovians arrived on the scene and the Amarrians made a futile attempt to subjugate them, resulting in a humiliating defeat. To make matters worse, the Minmatars, enslaved for centuries by the Amarrians, used the opportunity to rebel against their slave-masters.

Since these fateful events almost two centuries ago, the Amarrians have learned restraint. They have slowed down their expansion and are less forceful in their dealings with other races, but still view themselves as the most powerful race in EVE, if only because of their sheer numbers.

Minmatar

A tough, no-nonsense race, the Minmatars are a determined and independent people. Their home planet of Matar is a natural paradise, although centuries of abuse have taken much from its beauty.

For the Minmatars, the most important thing in life is to be able to take care of yourself on your own, and although kin and family play an important role in their society, they prefer identifying themselves by the clan or tribe to which they belong. A clan can have any number of people in it, and its size is largely dictated by the main activity of its members. Most specialize in one area of activity. While those who live on a planet can focus on agricultural or industrial activity, others who travel around the world of EVE concentrate on trading, pirating, and suchlike.

In the distant past the clans constantly warred against each other. Since then, however, Minmatars have learned that cooperation is more important, and although the clans still try to maintain their regional and ideological identities, they act as a single unit towards other races.

The fortunes of the Minmatars have ebbed and flowed continuously. At one time they had a flourishing empire with a level of mechanical excellence never before or since seen anywhere. Later, however, they had to endure centuries of enslavement, toiling and dying for the benefit of foreign masters. Today most of them have regained their freedom, but the legacy of their enslavement has been the diaspora of the race.

The Minmatars are the most numerous of all the races in the world of EVE, but their vast numbers are divided into many factions. While the Minmatar Republic is the official state, only a quarter of all Minmatars are part of it. The largest proportion, almost a third, are enslaved within the huge Amarr Empire, while a fifth resides within the Gallente Federation, creating a powerful political bloc which keeps relations between the Gallenteans and the Amarrians in a constant state of tension. The remainder, who are not part of any formal organization, live as freemen throughout the world. Many are itinerant labourers, roaming from one system to another in search for work. A fair number make their living on the darker side of the law, acting as pirates, smugglers and peddlers in all kinds of illegal goods, and many of the larger criminal groups in the world of EVE are run by Minmatars.

Gallente

The Gallenteans. Self-righteous, meddling, pompous and tiresome, or virile liberalists and defenders of the free world. Love them or hate them, you simply can't ignore them. Everybody has an opinion on the Gallente Federation, it all depends from which side of the table you view them. For many, it is the Promised Land, where any dream can become a reality. Descendants of Tau Ceti Frenchmen, the Gallenteans remain strong believers in free will and human rights, despite numerous setbacks in their long history.

It has been said that, once you have seen the Crystal Boulevard in Caille you've seen it all. True, the view is spectacular, but if there's one thing you can never see in its entirety, that is the Gallente Federation. You may travel its length and breadth, marvel at the Sunspiral on Troux, climb the Akat Mountains on tropical Intaki or thrill to the Mendre dancers on Sovicou. Wherever you go, you will always see something new and exciting, even when you visit the same place again. Gallente society is in a constant state of flux, vigorous, vibrant and progressive.

Few societies display such stark contrasts. Many of the wealthiest people in the world are Gallenteans, creating a constant demand for luxury goods. At the same time, the ranks of the poor number millions, because while the liberal market-driven economy and individual freedom may allow everybody the chance to advance to the top, they make it just as easy to plummet to the very bottom of the social ladder.

In the world of EVE, the Gallentean are the kings of entertainment, mass-producing everything from cheap porn-flicks to elaborate stage-shows for an ever-hungry public. They boast the most elaborate luxury space yachts, and the most glittering hotel reservoirs. Anything your mind or body could ever crave, the Gallenteans have plenty of it.

The Gallenteans are not alone in their Federation, whose boundaries are home to pockets of residents, varying in size and representing all the other races of EVE, most of whom left their own empires due to political or ideological differences, or simply in search of peace and prosperity. In addition to these there are two human races, the Intakis and the Mannars, both of whom the Gallenteans found while exploring and expanding their empire. Both were at a very primitive level when the Gallenteans found them, but since coming under the protection and guidance of the Gallenteans, both races have flourished and are today a full-fledged members of the Federation.

The Caldari were initially part of the Federation but deep-seated differences and mutual animosity between them and the Gallenteans drove them out to found their own empire. For a time, the two empires warred against each other, but as neither could gain sufficient advantage to claim victory, peace was settled in the end.

Caldari

A state built on corporate capitalism, the Caldari State is run by a few mega-corporations which divide the state between them, controlling and ruling every aspect of society. Each corporation is made up of thousands of smaller companies, ranging from industrial companies to law firms. All land and real estate is owned by a company which leases it to the citizens, and government and policing are also handled by independent companies.

Although this gives the corporations dictatorial powers, they are just as bound by Caldari customs and laws as the individual, and the fierce, continual competition between the corporations ensures a healthy, consumer-based social environment, which benefits everyone.

While the Caldari State may not be nearly as big as that of the Gallenteans, let alone the Amarrians, they are still universally feared and admired. Their economy is strong, and their military might parallel to that of the larger empires. Coupled to the fact that they are more unscrupulous than the Gallenteans and more combative than the Amarrians, this makes them in many ways the most meddlesome of all the empires. As most Caldari trade is conducted by individual companies rather than the State itself, this makes it difficult for the other empires to deal with them at a political level. If a company is found guilty of unethical business dealings, it simply disappears into its parent corporation, and before long another one appears to take its place. But if a Caldari company is threatened, the whole corporation and often the whole State backs it up with full force.

Caldari society is steeped in military tradition. As a people, its members had to fight a long and bloody war to gain their independence, and even had to surrender their home planet to their hated enemies, the Gallenteans. It was at this time that the corporations established themselves as the driving force behind creating and maintaining the new Caldari State. Even if the Caldari have not engaged in war for many decades, they still strive to be at the cutting edge of military technology and their vessels, weapons and fighting methods are inferior to none but the enigmatic Jovians.

To curb their aggressive tendencies, the Caldari actively pursue and sponsor a range of sporting activities. Many of these are bloody, gladiatorial-like competitions, while others are more like races. But whatever the sport, the Caldari love betting on the outcome, making gambling a massive industry in the State.

The Caldari State offers its citizens the best and the worst in living conditions. As long as you keep in line, do your job, uphold the laws and so forth, life can be fairly pleasant and productive. But for those who are not cut out for this strict, disciplined regime life quickly becomes intolerable. They lose their respect, family, status, everything, and the only options left to them are suicide or exile. Although not xenophobic as such, the Caldari are very protective of their way of life and tolerate only those foreigners that stick to the rules.


Who is the best race?
As you would expect, all 4 races are equal in their own right, it is up to you to make the decision on what you would prefer.


Ok, so who does what?
Well, as previously stated, each race has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Amarr are Laser Turret users, as well as excellent armour tankers. But they use a lot of capacitor when repairing and firing weapons.

Minmatar are an 'all round' race good at shield tanking in some ships, armour in others. They use Projectile weapons. Not being specificaly good at any one thing has good and bad sides.

Gallente are the Drone (pet) users of Eve, they have a lot of ships that have large drones bays the ability to swarm enemies. They use Hybrid weapons and can armour tank almost as well as Amarr. Once the armour tank is broken, they dont last long.

Caldari are missile users. Using overwhelming firepower and relying soley on their shields for defence. Once you break a caldari' shield, they crumble.


What do I do once I've downloaded and signed up?
You'll be taken to a character select screen from the intro movie where you will be asked to choose from the 4 races and a bloodline, then from there to add a total of 5 points to your attributes and choose your profession.

Bloodline?
A bloodline is an origin in the Empire/Federation/Republic/State of your choice such as Deitis or Intaki and will give you a set of attributes which you can later increase by an amount.


What are the Attributes and what do they do?
The Attributes are divided into 5 groups; Memory, Intelligence, Perception, Willpower and Charisma.

These attributes affect how fast you learn new skills in the game, they start fairly low at first, but you can learn new skills that increase them with time. It is VITAL that you get these skills up to 4 as soon as possible. Once you have them, they will help immensely through your time in Eve. Eventually you will be rich enough to afford implants which artificially increase the attributes by a set amount depending on the quality.

Memory is the primary attribute for: Drones, Industry and Learning

Are an absolute must for miner and scientific types. Memory is a pretty crucial all round attribute.

Intelligence is the primary attribute for: Electronics, Engineering, Mechanic, Navigation & Science

These are an absolute must for those who want to squeeze the absolute best performance from their ships and equipment. It is also a pretty crucial all round attribute.

Willpower is the primary attribute for: 'SOME' Gunnery + Leadership & Trade

Perception is the primary attribute for: Spaceship Command & Missiles & some important Gunnery skills

Spaceship Command skills tend to be high rank (taking longer to learn) and are also must have skills for pretty much all types of characters (especially if you want the option to fly many different classes of ships). Perception is also the secondary skill for many skill groups.

Charisma is the primary attribute for: Social

These skills are all important to dedicated agent runners but unless you intend to train them all to Level 5 it would be a waste to sacrifice Int/Mem/Perc attribute points for the time saved by having a high Charisma.

Professions and Ancestry:
Now the points have been added to your attribute points in desired areas, now for the interesting part - where you get to choose what you will be able to do at the beginning of the game...
There is a wide range of ancestral skills avaialbe to you, from Gunnery to Marketing. it depends what you would like to do, if you want to be a trader, you will need a lot of Charisma and so on...the best thing here is to tinker with the skills you would prefer.

Once you have your proffesion and ancestry sorted you can move to making your characters avatar.


Avatar Creation
The first thing you will notice is how detailed the creation process is. You can morph any aspect of the face, chin, eye width, colour, skin tone, hair style, background. Designing your character should be done with care as you would have to pay later down the line to keep your skills and change portrait. so take your time. The reason your only a head in Eve is because the game was designed purely for space interaction, but as the game has progressed players and Developers have come together and agreed that it would be so much more interesting and clever to have a 'real' person to interact with...YES the developers LISTEN to players and most feesable things that have been brought up with enough support have been taken on board. Like the 'walking in stations' idea. It was put forward and given attention - now its a real design phase that will be implemented in Revelations III.
A video of this can be seen at Ten Ton Hammer - http://www.tentonhammer.com/index.php?q=node/620
Characters will be able to walk around stations as many MMO's already allow, as well as being able to get into their ships and undock. Interaction and detail will be as high as the Avatar creation itself, where upon meeting a higher ranking officer in your coporation your character will react accordingly - Saluting etc. the same goes for a disliked player, the head will go down and scowl or eyes will meet and agression shown. No plans for PvP in stations has been announced.


Ok, I've created my Avatar and named it, what now?
Now your in Eve universe, but not unaided. A lengthy training program will educate you in the basics of Combat, Trade and all other forms of interaction in eve. So take your time, redo any bits you dont understand and if that doesnt help, ASK! The greatest ally in Eve is Information. without it you are blind. Always ask and check.


How do I ask for help?
TBH:EVE are in a channel for new members and potential recruits, this channel is called Symmetry. You can access it by pressing the Channels button in the left bar then pressing Create/Join and enter the channel name.


What about if no-one is on?
Then just ask in Newbie Help, someone will answer you.


What are Corporations?
Corporations are in-game Guilds/Clans/Social Groups that are in contact via their own channels across all of space. ''Corporations are groups of players joining together for a common goal or purpose, much like guilds or clans in other games. They are created and overseen by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO.) Characters can only be in one corporation at a time.''


What roles are available in a corporation?
There are two types of roles available: standard and grantable. A standard role is the default for all corporation members and provides them with the bare minimum accesses and abilities available, such as sharing the items in the corporate hangar and voting on issues presented by the CEO or another high-ranking corporation official. Grantable roles are assigned by the CEO and should be given only to those who have proven themselves to be trustworthy.

These are the grantable roles a CEO may assign:

* Director: A director is, for most intents and purposes, the same as a CEO in many respects. They can hire and fire members and change job descriptions (assigning both roles and grantable roles). Directors, as the next best thing to CEO’s, allow a corporation to function with members being based in different time zones around the world. It is probably wise for a large corporation to have members with this role spanning over varied time zones, allowing the corporation to be in manageable condition 24/7. This should allow corporations with international memberships to be effective in terms of management and being able to respond to situations effectively as they occur.
* Personnel Manager: A personnel manager can process applications and sign up new members.
* Station Manager: As the name implies, station managers can perform station management tasks for corporation-owned facilities. These tasks are varied and include adjusting the standing-based modifiers for allowing docking and the charges for it, as well as permission to access factories, the reprocessing plant, the repair shop, and also how modifiers should be applied for costs based upon standings for these tasks. The station manager is also able to set up station defenses.
* Factory Manager: The factory manager can eject blueprints from corporation-owned factories and research slots that belong to members. Additionally, they can see what is going on in any corporate factory and research slot. They have the ability to manufacture items for the corporation using blueprints and minerals from the corporation’s hangar floor and research blueprints in research slots.
* Accountant: Accountants can monitor and manage the financial affairs of the corporation. They can view corporation bills in the NeoCom “Bills” panel. From there, they can pay the corporation’s bills (with corporation money, of course) and see who owes an outstanding balance.
* Pilot: A pilot can take a ship that is in the corporate hangar.

After a player has applied to and been accepted by a corporation, either a CEO/Director or a player that has a grantable role may modify his role. This is done in the NeoCom “Corporation” panel by selecting the member from the “Members” list and then editing the member's roles.

Are wars possible between corporations?
Most definitely. One of the main purposes of corporations is to allow formal wars to be fought over resources, trade routes, strategic systems or simple pride. Players belonging to a warring corporation may attack the opposition without impunity or loss of security status.

In order to keep things interesting and retain a bit of realism, declarations of war do not require a mutual agreement, just as in the real world. The declaration of war is sent from one CEO to another and the fight begins. Corporations are limited to three declared wars at a time, though the number of wars in which a corp can be involved is limitless. For example, if Corp A has declared war on Corps B, C and D, the CEO must surrender – or force the CEO of B, C or D to surrender – before he can declare war on Corp E; however, if Corp A has declared war on Corps B, C and D, Corp E may declare war on Corp A.


War?
Yes, Wars break out all the time, some are serious, some are from boredom...some corporations are for hire and can be contracted to deal damage or just hinder a corporations progress.

TBH has been 'war-dec'd' twice to date, The first was a bored corporation that thought TBH would be easy to defeat at 3 months old. They lost an Assault Ship and a total of 20,000,000.00 ISK as a result. The BlackHand lost 0.00 ISK.

The second is from a corporation called Zombies Squad. This war is ongoing as of 14/8/07.


Im a peaceful person, I dont want to fight!
We have many Industrial pilots already in Eve, many players have alternate industrial pilot alts maintaining their PvP main characters. Unfortunately in war all players are targets, so you can either keep an eye on the local channel or hole up in a station and keep out of it completely.

Mining, Production and Trade are the most direct 3 forms of non-violent professions. You an also run Missions, but you will learn how from us or the tutorial.


What is the point of belonging to a corporation?
The biggest benefit to belonging to a corporation is mutual protection and shared resources. Corporations give characters the option to join forces and enjoy the thrill of player-vs-player interaction without losing security status. Corp members also share a sense of brotherhood and comradierie that solo players rarely experience. By pooling the resources and efforts of its members, corporations are able to build up their fleets and other holdings more quickly, putting some of the larger-scale strategic elements of the game within their grasp. Such as Player Owned Stations (POS's) and even owning Solar Systems.


What would be expected of me to help?
Well all corporations are built from humble begginings. You will be expected to donate a little per day in the form of Tax (10%) from your mission rewards, rat killing bounties etc. Nothing major, just replace what you use and donate to keep the corp running. You need things now and we supply them, so when you're no longer using them, give them back to the corp so that it can help more new players get started.


I can't afford to help yet!
That's not a problem, we will help you get going and give you all the guidance you need. Tax will be deducted from your mission earinings and from the NPC's you kill. Its not a lot but it all counts, as one day The BlackHand will run POS's


What is to stop someone from just killing me outright?
The Law. Each character in EVE has a security status. Certain predefined actions or crimes, such as attacking other players or getting caught carrying contraband in a system where it is forbidden, will affect a character’s security status. Additionally, the world of EVE is divided into zones of varying security levels. These determine which crimes affect security status and to what degree. Zones with Security Level 0 are completely lawless.

Security Status, whats that?[/b]
The effects of a low security status vary widely, ranging from access restrictions to certain zones, direct attack by an empire authority or having bounties issued on one’s head. Security status, high or low, can affect faction standings. After a certain period of time has elapsed during which the character commits no crime, status will gradually begin to rise. Characters can actively speed up this process by hunting enemies of the empire (i.e. NPC pirates.)

So how am I protected?
New characters enter the EVE world in high security areas of space, heavily guarded by police ships (CONCORD) and sentry guns. Zones with lower security levels are more lucrative in terms of being places to find the highest quality items and opportunities, giving players the incentive to venture further out as they gain skill and experience.

The most powerful characters of various professions – merchants, miners, pirates, bounty hunters, etc. – are all able to maximize their profits in the uncontrolled regions where no laws apply, provided they can hold their own against other players who might profit from their deaths.

Can I steal from other players?
Yes, to a limited extent. When a ship is destroyed, some parts of it will revert into the ship’s cargo container and will be left floating as space debris. This container can be opened and emptied by anyone.

You cannot loot the cargo container of a ship that is intact or steal from another character’s private hangar.


Can ships be stolen?
It is possible to board an abandoned ship. To do this, you will have to eject from your current vessel to board another.


What about if I get blown up?
It will happen sooner or later, so the way to lessen the blow of loosing a 100,000,000.00 ISK Battleship is to Insure it. Pay a premium depending on the size and class of the ship. You can 'gamble' by having a lower insurance class for less ISK but this risks not getting a payout upon loss.


Ok, so I want to kill someone, how do I do it?
Well firstly, TBH is to be a PvP corporation, so as long as you dont shoot a friendly player (marked BLUE) and the attack is not performed in High Security space ie; 0.5 - 1.0 space then you are free to attack any other player as and when you like. BUT!!! If you attack in sight of Sentry Guns placed around Gates and Stations you will be shot at. Players can tank these guns, but its hard to do and requires a lot of time and understanding of the game.


What happens if I blow someone up in High Sec?
Your security status will be lowered and CONCORD will warp to you and completely destroy your ship. Do NOT engage unless that player is flashing RED.


What does that mean?
A person is colour coded on your overview depending on their status. Players with bounties on their heads apear with a skull and cross bones, players with low security standings (0.4 to 0.0) will be Orange, players with lower security still will appear as flashing Red bars. These players can be engaged anywhere as they are classed as outlaws. Players with High Security do not have a colour unless you assign them it in the Overview Options. Corporation members will be Green and Alliance members will be Blue. Blue +'s also mean that that player has good standings with you or your corporation. Red +'s mean they're not on good terms with you or your corp. Gang members are shown as Purple.


Standings
To set standings, right click the player and/or select Set Standings in their profile. This is especially useful in Low Sec or Empire marking players you want to see easily in the local channels - as they appear with the plus or minus next to their picture.

I want a new Ship or Fitting
As your tutorial showed you, you can search the market to buy new items for ISK. Once you have bought it, look in your Items hangar or if it is in a different location your Assets. Then right click and Set Destination. Undock and go to that location, follow your training to fit and use it.


I found a fitting, what does it do?
Different items do different things - Such as ECM (Electronic Counter Measures) will disrupt enemy locking you. The best option you have is to read the item Description by right clicking it and pressing Info, or the [ i ] button near it on the market. OR....ASK!


Can I help? I'm just a newb!
Anything, even finding out what the enemy are flying is a MASSIVE help, if you can, scan them down, scan their ship and report back in a mail as to what theyre flying and what its fitted with. Failing that, tell us the system that person is in: Name, System (and Belt/Station/Planet) they're in.


I'd rather stay back for now
If you want to get into the game a bit before losing your new cruiser, and want to stop back from the front, you can do your part by doing missions and running ops for the Corp in the background. Keep the ISK flowing, keep us running and you will reap the rewards.


Sounds great! Where do I sign?
If you're a TBH Member already looking to get into Eve then you will know how and who to ask. If your a newbie to Eve and like the idea of joining TBH read the rules.

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RULES FOR THE BLACKHAND ORDER: EVE BRANCH

01. We are NRDS (Not Red Don't Shoot) in Low Sec areas (0.4 - 0.0)
02. If a neutral target is locking you treat as a hostile and terminate.
03: COMMUNICATE, information is crucial, situations like war or scouting, so give specifics.
04: Attend Ops whevener possible for the experience is unique and everyone can help, no matter how small.
05: Listen to Core Captains and Overseers. Their word is FINAL.
06: NO RETREAT. Unless ordered to do so.
07: Donate what you can, when you can. Fittings, ammo, ships, its all for the Empire.
08: Dont fly what you cant afford to lose.
09: If in doubt, ASK.
10: Help us help you.

*The reason this is in effect is because at this level you should have a good understanding of the game and know how to handle yourself in your chosen area. 5mil SP would guarantee to us that you will be an effective member of the corp and that you can make a valuable contribution.*
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