By the time you've completed the tutorials, it won't have escaped your grasp that the ship you started in is somewhat limited. At this point, you need a new combat ship and that means you'll need a little isk. Each race has six different frigates and the cheap options for a sturdy combat vessel start at around 50k. Each race's top tier combat frigate can cost between 200k and 400k but the cheaper option is good to start off.
The next step up that is easily reachable within a few hours is the Destroyer class. They have the same defensive capabilities as a frigate but vastly improved firepower, making them excellent anti-frigate ships or great for level 1 missions. The final tier of ship able to be trained on a trial account is the Cruiser class. They have much higher defensive and offensive capabilities than frigates and will make short work of level 1 and 2 missions but cost several million isk to buy. If you went with a military career path at character creation and recieve a donation of isk from a friend, you could be in a cruiser within as little as one or two days.
Your first ship - Caldari:
The Caldari frigates of choice are the Condor and the Kestrel. The condor is a cheap, fast frigate that can fit two missile or rocket launchers a small railgun. The more expensive Kestrel is a missile powerhouse that can hold four launchers. Both ships should be fitted with a shield booster to repair shield damage and will make mince-meat out of any level 1 mission.Your first ship - Gallente:
The best Gallente combat frigates for new players are the Atron and the Tristan. The Atron is fast and cheap, making it a good first choice for new players. It can fit either two long-range railguns or two short-range blasters. The Tristan is a more expensive but much more effective ship that can fit two missile launchers and two turrets. Both ships can also use one small combat drone and are best kept alive using a small armour repairer.Your first ship - Amarr:
The Amarr equivalents are the Executioner and Punisher. The Executioner sports two turret slots best used with small beam or pulse lasers and is as fast and cheap as the Condor or Atron. The slower but sturdier Punisher can use three small lasers and gets a bonus to its armour resistances. Both ships are best repaired with a small armour repairer.Your first ship - Minmatar:
Two good Minmatar ships for new players are the Slasher and the Rifter. The Slasher can fit two projectile cannons and one missile launcher. The Rifter is a versatile frigate with its choice of fitting two projectile guns and two launchers or three projectiles and one launcher. These ships tend to rely on their speed for defence, orbiting close with a good afterburner to avoid hits. A shield booster may also be handy for repairing any damage you take.What's next?:
Once you've completed the tutorials and you're in your shiny new ship, the choices of what to do next are endless. Unlike most MMOs that lead players from one quest or area to another in a linear manner, EVE Online's open-ended sandbox style means you always choose what you want to do. Your main limiting factor will be a lack of knowledge about the game and that can be improved by learning from older players and through practice.
I highly recommend finding an aspect of the game you might enjoy such as missions or PvP and then joining an organised player-run corporation with similar interests and goals. The direction and advice that a well-organised corporation gives can make the difference between being totally lost in EVE and having a lot of fun.
Brendan "Nyphur" Drain is an early veteran of EVE Online and writer of the weekly EVE Evolved column here at massively.com. The column covers anything and everything relating to EVE Online, from in-depth guides to speculative opinion pieces. If you want to message him, send him an e-mail at brendan.drain AT weblogsinc DOT com. Go on, ask him for a buddy key :D
