How free is eve online?

[Svante.]

I understand nothing is completely free, but how free is Eve? Are features locked? Is it like a lvl cap?

[Shotgun]

There is a rather restrictive training cap. You aren't locked out of any content, but your ability to engage with that content will be limited due to skill limitations and inability to use advanced hulls.

[fsdsman]

It is as free as any other game but it does give you enough content to see if it is for you. Like any good game it has a subscription to progress but is not as cash grabbing as most and you can do quite a lot with the free account to work out if you will enjoy it. Same as Elite - if they survive that long then they are doing something right.

[Brandon]

Like Shotgun said, EVE is a skill based game. Meaning your characters gain skills from a skill queue. You pick and choose what you want to skill in. When you are on a free account, the skills train at 50% the rate. Also, each skill in EVE have a level from 0 to 5...

With free, many skills are locked out, you won't even be able to train them to level 1. Other skills might be capped at lvl 3 or 4... While only a few skills you can level up to 5.

Many of the advanced ships or tier 2 or tier 3 ships require skills at level 5. Therefore, the free account won't get you anything but the most basic of ships.

Take for example, a mining ship.

The ships for mining are these (in order from baby to advanced):

Mining Frigate -> The "Venture"... You can get this one.
Expedition Frigates -> Requires Mining Frigate 5. You cannot get lvl 5. Free acct maxes at lvl 4.
Mining Barge -> Requires Astrogeology 3. You cannot get level 1.
Industrial Ships -> Requires ORE Industrial 1, You cannot get level 1.
Industrial Command Ships -> Requires Mining Foreman 5. You cannot get lvl 1.
Capital Industrial Ship -> Same as the previous one.

So, if you want to mine, you can log in and use the Venture, but you cannot use anything more advanced than that. I believe Ventures mine at a rate about 600-800 per 3 minutes, and a mining barge is going to be about 2000 per 3 minutes.

Very similar with combat ships, etc.

The point of free is really just a demo or trial to see if its a game you'll like or not before subscribing. If you cannot stand playing a free account, the game won't magically get any better with a paid account.

[5n4k3d0cToR]

Originally posted by Top-Bogg Spoff:

I understand nothing is completely free, but how free is Eve? Are features locked? Is it like a lvl cap?

The so called 'free' aspect, is a generous infinite demo imo. There will be advanced/specialized vessels you will be unable to fly (should you choose to go that way of course). You will also be skill-capped (eventually) in real terms.

[[N63] chrisragnar]

The non pay version is a great way to try out the game for a few weeks or even months, but it's not the FULL experience.

[keoriv]

You can do everything without paying anything. You can buy Plex with ISK.

[Newsush]

i would say try out the game learn how fly some of the starter ships then decide what you want out of the game there alot things you do in the game in time you may be able to grind enough money to sub for month there fleet groups in high sec for running incursions some of them take on new players but you need to be able to fly battleships in order to group with them and then you get enough isk to buy your month sub if you dont want to pay real money.

[tigerxs1]

fun game should be advertised as limited demo,full game tenner a month.there should be a few more ships to test,why mine the demo with nothing much to buy,ie save for a good ship what you cannot fly intill you pay for omega,i played endless sky before i tried this,very simular just basic but free

[Mythical]

It's free enough for you to decide if you actually want to subscribe. However, if it's a game you intend to take seriously, then playing free is like playing on ultra-hard mode. Not because you're weaker, but because you simply wont have access to a lot of advanced skills, which are required for advanced fittings. With the early game content this wont matter, an Alpha clone can still easily wipe most high sec PVE content with little issue. However, if you're aiming for end-game stuff, you want to be Omega unless you just yearn to being exploded until you love it.

[Newsush]

a day without been podded is a day with out sunshine

[✠Deser✞🅵☣⚔⚔♏✠]

Originally posted by Wou.:

I understand nothing is completely free, but how free is Eve? Are features locked? Is it like a lvl cap?

This game isn't free at all, you are severely handicapped until you pay, when you pay the progression is not kept until you pay your bookie again.

Alternatively you can turn this game into a full time job, and get a free, 30 day pass. Or you can get a real life full time job and make a fractional car payment to this game, kind of like if you purchased a Fiat with an 840 credit score then pay 1 4th of the payment, that is how free Eve Online is.

[Newsush]

Originally posted by ✠Deser✞🅵☣⚔⚔♏✠:

Originally posted by Wou.:

I understand nothing is completely free, but how free is Eve? Are features locked? Is it like a lvl cap?

This game isn't free at all, you are severely handicapped until you pay, when you pay the progression is not kept until you pay your bookie again.

Alternatively you can turn this game into a full time job, and get a free, 30 day pass. Or you can get a real life full time job and make a fractional car payment to this game, kind of like if you purchased a Fiat with an 840 credit score then pay 1 4th of the payment, that is how free Eve Online is.

i rather buy the care that pay money to play this game

[Shotgun]

Originally posted by ✠Deser✞🅵☣⚔⚔♏✠:

This game isn't free at all, you are severely handicapped until you pay, when you pay the progression is not kept until you pay your bookie again.

Alternatively you can turn this game into a full time job, and get a free, 30 day pass. Or you can get a real life full time job and make a fractional car payment to this game, kind of like if you purchased a Fiat with an 840 credit score then pay 1 4th of the payment, that is how free Eve Online is.

Well, you're right, a job is indeed required in order to be able to buy the things you want.

[✠Deser✞🅵☣⚔⚔♏✠]

Originally posted by Shotgun:

Originally posted by ✠Deser✞🅵☣⚔⚔♏✠:

This game isn't free at all, you are severely handicapped until you pay, when you pay the progression is not kept until you pay your bookie again.

Alternatively you can turn this game into a full time job, and get a free, 30 day pass. Or you can get a real life full time job and make a fractional car payment to this game, kind of like if you purchased a Fiat with an 840 credit score then pay 1 4th of the payment, that is how free Eve Online is.

Well, you're right, a job is indeed required in order to be able to buy the things you want.

But you'd still have to want it.