First Steps - part 1 - Let's get started the right way.

So you think you have what it takes to become a successful EVE Online Capsuler?
Pilots are known as Capsulers in EVE Online because they spend their life in a Capsule.
 

Tyrannis is the 2010 expension of EVE Online

Now there is a fast way to start and that is to get a Buddy Invitation. You get an email from a friend and following the link to the download and new account creation you get a 21 days free trial. And since you are reading this blog, I can offer the first 3 people who ask, one of these buddy offers.
What's the Catch?
Very simple. I do get a free month subscription if you upgrade to a full paid account.
What's in it for you?
Must be some incentive if I am to see anyone ever applying. Right? Of course there is.
First I can offer you all the advice you will ever need especially for the first few days. What skill to learn, what to buy and where, the scams to avoid, etc. But then you can get all of that just from reading guides and blogs so I can offer more.
As soon as you upgrade your trial account to fully paid (and I receive my own bonus for it) I can donate to you the much needed game money (known as ISK - InterStellar Kredits, EVE's premier currency) to help you purchase your equipment much faster.
Just post a comment indicating that you are interested.

Alternatively you can start your own account just to get the feel of the game. But why is it so important to get started the right way? It's all to do with Skill Training. EVE Online doesn't have Levels like other games. Instead you purchase Skill Books (and some are very expensive) and use the books to train the skill.
Training is going on 24/7 even if you are offline as long as you have them lined up in a training queue.
There is no shortage of skills to learn. Someone calculated that it would take at least 27 years in real time to learn them all. And CCP also adds more new skills regularly. This means that you need to specialise to be successful. A Jack-of-all-trade will never be successful.

CCP is the Developer of EVE Online

The other important point for a new player is the skill learning bonus you get for your first 1,600,000 skill points. Effectively training at double speed from the start.
If you waste this bonus in learning the wrong skills you will regret it later when you may have to spend days learning something you should have started earlier.

Another problem for new players is the 72 hours delay before you can get your API.
The API key is a private code that identifies your account. Combined with your user ID, this key allows third party programs and web sites to access information about your characters and corporations. Using this data, such utilities can improve your EVE experience by providing useful functionality such as wallet exports, skill training notifications, and other tools.
Those 72 hours can be wasted in training the wrong skills. Training Plans can be devised using EVEMon a third party utility using your API.

In my next blog I will discuss the various Races of EVE Online.
If you just arrived to this Blog, start reading from there.