Character Planning

Then

 

I can remember when I started playing EVE Online that training was important and as a result I found and started using EVEMon so as to plan what to train. However it was at least 6 months BEFORE I found EVEMon where I was training whatever I wanted and really was not doing anything efficiently.

 

I'm not embarrassed to say the first time, it was Christmas 2010, that I tried EVEMon and I could not work out how to get it to inject my plans into EVE for my characters to follow. How I laugh at myself now but I can remember how annoyed I was as I did not have access to EVE for about two weeks.

 

Epiphany

 

 

 

After I learnt what EVEMon was, it's feature set and how to use it did I have a "oh now I get it" moment and from that point on I really understand how skills worked and how my attributes modified how fast I learnt.

 

The removal of the Learning skills confirmed this and made the learning thing much simpler and now all I had to remember was what my attributes were mapped to and then apply that as my view in EVEMon and I could plan what I wanted to do.

 

No longer did I train what I wanted instead I would train skills that were mapped to my attributes and then when I'd reached a certain point would I remap and start training something else.

 

Now

 

EVEMon's skill planning has been critical to this and each of my characters has two skill plans:

 

Working 

a working skill plan that allows me to add/try different things to see how they do/fit with other plans/ships/modules I need to train.

 

Primary Objective

the characters primary objective for all training with their current attributes at maximum

 

I'm sure other people either have more or less plans but for me the two on each character is enough. I review them regularly but I try to avoid making changes to skill plans unless I really have to. My plans include remap points as well as the addition/removal of ad hoc training with remap points indicating completed objectives.

 

For me the planning aspect and having goals works to my mindset. The Working plan allows me to mess about and see how changes or different training will integrate with what I have. It also allows me to do a quick check to see if perhaps my Primary Objective can be changed to something new.

 

Example

 

A recent exception to my Primary Objective plan for one character has been the addition of JF training. The character, who is on a intelligence/memory remap, has had to train jump related Navigation skills which are intelligence/perception. I wasn't going to remap specially for intelligence/perception, as there aren't that many skills to warrant this, whereas intelligence/memory is a very large group of skills and I want to continue on using this remap after this detour.

 

I may have wasted a few extra days training but in the long run not using one of my precious remaps was worth it.

 

The Future

 

All my characters have training set for 2014 with a Primary Objective for all of them:

 

• My main is finishing Amarr Carrier V and Amarr Dreadnaught V then all gunnery skills to V before getting the long overlooked Memory/Perception so he can get all Drone skills to V.
• My PvP alt is still on Intelligence/Memory and doing all support skills (recently completed all sub-capital armour skills to V), will continue on this for another 9 months at least.
• My Logistics Alt is on Intelligence/Memory and doing all support skills same as PvP alt.
• My Scanning Alt is on Intelligence/Memory and doing all support skills same as PvP alt but with aim to switch to Willpower/Perception to get all sub-capital ships in a years time.

 

I'm also going to be receiving a Minmatar character from a friend who will be leaving EVE Online due to not having time to play. This character, which I keep the training queue active on currently, is extremely well skilled in support skills, all sub-capital Minmatar ships, all T3 Strategic Cruisers and Projectile weapons.

 

I don't know what I'll do with him or whether he'll be a trained character for 2014, but it's a new character that will give me options.