Skills do not work the same way in Eve Online as they do in games like World of Warcraft or Runescape. Players learn the necessary skills from a trainer at a starbase. They do not spend the time grinding the skill and finding the components. Instead, each skill has a learning time associated with it. You will learn a skill in the amount of time the listing says it will take.
The real time learning frees players up for playing the more enjoyable portions of the game, or at least through getting through the portion of the game referred to as “fighting rats” more quickly. (This refers to fighting the pirate ships in the beginning areas of the game.) It takes real world time to learn skills in Eve Online.
Because skills work differently in Eve Online than they do in other MMOs, it helps if a player makes plans about what he wants his character to do. The player race a pilot belongs to can help with the skill planning process. Gallente players will want drone skills, Minmatar players will want artillery skills, Amarr players will want laser skills, and Caldari players will want missile skills. Players should also decide what types of ships they want pilot as they will need the appropriate skills for each ship class.
A pilot can also buy cyberware to increase his base stats. Increasing a base stat decreases a character's learning time for skills based on that statistic. Skills and cyberware are bought at faction starbases.
Before increasing all other skills, a pilot should work on the skills that decrease the amount of time it takes him to learn.
• Instant Recall (Memory) Level 1
• Analytical Mind (Intelligence) Level 1
• Learning Level 1
• Instant Recall (Memory) Level 2
• Analytical Mind (Intelligence) Level 2
• Learning Level 2
• Instant Recall (Memory) Level 3
• Analytical Mind (Intelligence) Level 3
• Learning Level 3
• Instant Recall (Memory) Level 3
• Analytical Mind (Intelligence) Level 3
• Learning Level 3
• Instant Recall (Memory) Level 4
• Analytical Mind (Intelligence) Level 4
• Learning Level 4