Need help with skills

[Kung Flu]

I'm working towards the megaphone and was wondering what skills to get, I.e support skills as I'm new and don't know what they are. Also all my dps seem to half of what people post on osmium.

[Perpetual Pilgrim]

Sorry in advance for the wall of text. And 'idgaf' in advance if you feel this was TL so you DR. No need to let me know this is long as hell, lol.

It's likely not the right way to do things, but when I started(as an alpha), but here's how I did my skills until I was at a point that I could and needed to train into specific ships and fits(beyond Destroyers/Medium Fits and Factions and higher tier).

I prioritized ship skills first, then dps(primary 'native' weapons, as Minmatar, that meant projectile), Shields, Reprocessing and Marketing(to help with generating ISK early on), Systems, Armor, Drones.

I did these in cycles. So I queued skills in the above order up to 3 hour training times. Once that 'cycle' was done, I'd again queue in the order above up to 10 hour training times. And again up to 1.5 days.

Once I reached this point, most of my basic, 'native' oriented skills were level 3 or higher. From there, I determined what I wanted to go into next. I prioritized based on ISK earning potential vs. ISK cost for entrance.

Personally, I went skimmed through Frigates and got into Destroyers as quick as I could(specifically Thrasher). From there I pushed into Cruisers for the Rupture. I stayed on the Rupture(using autocannons and passive/resistant shield tanking) and ratted while I brought up key skills in systems and my 'style' of ratting more efficient and effective(systems, shields, targeting, projectiles). I only took the skills that seemed most 'key' throughout all ship trees to 4 or above.
Once I decided on pushing into the VNI, I then focused entirely on that AFTER I determined the fit I would use and I trained that fit specifically, then worked those skills past 'minimum requirement' to make my VNI as effective as I could.
That was about 2-3 weeks ago and, in that time, I have since pushed into the minimums for a Gila drone ship(with Mining Barges and Ice mining interspersed). I am now focused heavily on my drone skills, my shield skills, and my systems skills and will then push into Interceptors before I return to increasing the skills for my Gila fit as I intend to have that be my primary hull for ratting/ISK farming.
After that, it'll be a push into interdictors and the fits required for fleet ops per my coalition.

I don't know if this helps, but, essentially, my philosophy for training is that, early on, get the most 'universal' and 'useful' combat and ship skills to 3, your market and reprocessing skills to 3(to increase your income potential by reducing the fees for using markets and facilities). Once you are 'adequate' in early game(Frigates and the primary offense and defense 'native' to your race), then you determine the next step to increase your ability to farm ISK, via combat or otherwise. Move into that, get it to a mid-point.
From that point, you will be looking at pushing into ships and fits that you will likely be using for weeks or months at a time before moving into 'better' options so you will want the skills for these fits to be mid or better.
Example, VNI/Gila drone fit, you want to work your drone and shield skills hard as hell(and missiles when you go to Gila) as well as several system and 'support' skills to give you access to better hardware and be more effective with it. As you will likley be in this hull/fit for a while as the next real step will be interceptors, interdictors, and/or t2 ships, you want to have your skills here be above average.

But that's my way of doing it. I don't know if it's the best but I didn't create the character to be a single purpose toon. I don't do alts often, if ever, in games and so, for me, if I want to experience what Eve has to offer, I have to jump from one path to another. So this month I'm focused on systems and interceptors, next month mining and interdictors, so to say. The intention being that I want to be better than a jack of all trades but no intentions of being a master of one.

I'm sure one of the vets here can better guide you based on what you want. I, personally, have no idea what a megaphone is and no idea why you are getting less dps than what you see from others, but I would guess for anyone to be able to figure out the DPS issue, they'd need to see your skills and fits.

[Harrison]

Originally posted by A³gorist:

I'm sure one of the vets here can better guide you based on what you want. I, personally, have no idea what a megaphone is and no idea why you are getting less dps than what you see from others, but I would guess for anyone to be able to figure out the DPS issue, they'd need to see your skills and fits.

I might type something up after I get some sleep.

I think he meant megathron and got autocorrected. The DPS issue is either skills, ammo, or both. It's common practice to post ship fits for public use and only list their stats at all level 5. And dps is sometimes shown with only the highest damage ammo as well.

It would also help if the OP would say what he wants to use the Mega for. A mission running mega uses different skills than an incursion Mega or a pvp Mega.

[Kung Flu]

Both really I will use it for pve at first mainly and when I have enough isk to spend take it for pvp

[Harrison]

Originally posted by Dara Ó Briain:

Both really I will use it for pve at first mainly and when I have enough isk to spend take it for pvp

In some games this might work. In EVE... This only rarely works without heavily refitting.

So lets talk about some megathron fits and the skills that go into them.

First, mission PVE. If you're out in Null sec you shouldn't be using a Megathron to rat, a VNI works much better, so I'll assume you're looking at mission fits.

Let's start with this fit

[Megathron, Mission Fit]

Large Armor Repairer II
Shadow Serpentis Armor Kinetic Hardener
Shadow Serpentis Armor Kinetic Hardener
Shadow Serpentis Armor Thermal Hardener
Shadow Serpentis Armor Thermal Hardener
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Damage Control II

Heavy Karelin Scoped Stasis Grappler
X5 Enduring Stasis Webifier
500MN Y-T8 Compact Microwarpdrive
Heavy Capacitor Booster II, Navy Cap Booster 800

Neutron Blaster Cannon II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge L
Neutron Blaster Cannon II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge L
Neutron Blaster Cannon II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge L
Neutron Blaster Cannon II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge L
Neutron Blaster Cannon II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge L
Neutron Blaster Cannon II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge L
Neutron Blaster Cannon II, Federation Navy Antimatter Charge L

Large Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Large Auxiliary Nano Pump I
Large Auxiliary Nano Pump I


Hobgoblin II x5
Hammerhead II x5

This isn't the sort of fit I would use, when I run mission I use shield ship (tengu, Rattlesnake, Drake, etc). That aside, it's a decent enough fit. The important thing here is making it cap stable.

Since this one is running a cap booster you get a little bit of leeway but mission runners live and die by cap (unless they're in a drake, because it's a special cupcake). So the important skills to worry about with this one is anything that effects cap life.

Such as:
Controlled Bursts (Gunnery)
Capacitor Management (Engineering)
Capacitor Systems Operation (Engineering)
High Speed Maneuvering (Navigation) - Very situational, it only effects an active MWD which you shouldn't leave running anyway
Propulsion Jamming (Electronic Systems)

Notes about the Mission fit:
For missions damage is secondary, which means you can swap out for meta blasters and t1 drones with little difficulty.
Never forget to top off you cap charges - mission mantra "Cap is Life".

The next fit is the TDF Newbro Mega fit. TDF is an Armor incursion group and they have listed on the newbro page[ditanianincursions.com] of their website the recomended skills. I'll link the fit, but their website covers the skill much more comprehensively than I planned to.

[Megathron, Megathron - VG]
Damage Control II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Magnetic Field Stabilizer II
Imperial Navy Energized Adaptive Nano Membrane
Tracking Enhancer II
Tracking Enhancer II

Sensor Booster II
Sensor Booster II
Stasis Webifier II
Stasis Webifier II

Modal Mega Neutron Particle Accelerator I
Modal Mega Neutron Particle Accelerator I
Modal Mega Neutron Particle Accelerator I
Modal Mega Neutron Particle Accelerator I
Modal Mega Neutron Particle Accelerator I
Modal Mega Neutron Particle Accelerator I
Modal Mega Neutron Particle Accelerator I

Large Anti-Explosive Pump I
Large Trimark Armor Pump I
Large Hyperspatial Velocity Optimizer II


Warrior II x10
Light Hull Maintenance Bot II x5

Caldari Navy Antimatter Charge L x1000
Caldari Navy Tungsten Charge L x1000
Nanite Repair Paste x1000

I don't pvp much in battleships. So this is where I'll leave you.

My recommendation is that you get in with the incursion community if you want to pve in high sec. They make the best money and you're likely to meet people and make friends. Mission runners are usually solitary players who tend to keep to themselves.

[Perpetual Pilgrim]

Originally posted by Harrison:

In some games this might work. In EVE... This only rarely works without heavily refitting.

Based on my broad experience with other mmo's though limited in Eve, specifically, I have to agree with this. While some games may require subtle tweaks to 'abilities' and gear for some or most pvp, generally, a good pve build can work in more 'pedestrian' pvp scenarios and even in more competitive battles.

In Eve, not so much. If you want to go pvp, you are going to use a skillset noticably different from a pve skillset. An example of this is 'Electronic Warfare' skills. It seems that, in Eve pve, this would not be so necessary for the vast majority sites you would encounter 'rats'. However, it is almost required that you be able to engage in different styles of electronic warfare for pvp.

Granted, I am not overly familiar with pvp in Eve as, in general, I don't pvp. But being in null, I still have fits and train to at least be able to assist in pvp when needed.

You don't use the same ship, or at least fit, for pve and pvp. If the rigs are good for both a pve fit and pvp fit on that hull, then you could simply do fit swaps as necessary, but you will need to dock for that in most any case. You won't be able to switch from pve to pvp on the fly and most pvp fits are not going to get you far if you are suddenly engaged in pvp(there are some exceptions, especially when you get into the higher tiered ships and hardware, but they are still not ideal except against some less capable pvp ships).

Originally posted by Harrison:

I don't pvp much in battleships.

In my experience, this sentiment is fairly typical. Except in fleets(not counting roam gangs), you won't see much past destroyers. Speed and mobility can take you farther than you would think in pvp. You'll see far more frigates and destroyers(faction/special/T2 and above) being used in pvp far more often than anything larger.

Good luck with however you choose to pursue your career in Eve.