While some pilots opt to go it alone in EVE, PvP can be particularly brutal and unforgiving to solo pilots. For new players, racing off into the unknown with dreams of hoisting a pirate flag is probably a big mistake. There's always a bigger fish out there, and the best way to even the score is to get into a group. The most vital step in making your way into the world of PvP is finding a good PvP-oriented corporation. Unfortunately, finding one willing to recruit new players can be difficult. Most well-established PvP corps can't spare the time and effort to train completely new players in the fine art of smashing spaceships to bits.
Since EVE's release, some key tools have arisen to help new players get into PvP. The playerbase's contribution to those tools comes in the form of player training corps and academies. Of all the corps in this field, eve isk University is possibly the longest-running and most successful. With classes ranging from ship fitting to fleet commanding, EVE University has always been a great way to learn the ropes.
In June 2008, CCP added another helping hand for new players with the Empyrean Age expansion and its faction warfare feature. This was intended to act as a stepping stone for players who want to get into PvP on a casual basis but weren't sure what to do. New players interested in PvP can now sign up to join an NPC militia corp and get stuck right into the action. Joining the militia requires a minimum of 0.5 positive standing with your chosen race, but this is easily acquired by completing the full tutorial mission series. As the tutorial series is essential anyway, it makes a lot of sense to complete it.
The most obvious and potentially rewarding way to get into faction warfare PvP is to simply throw caution to the wind and rush out into the contested regions with guns blazing. With so many pirates and gangs roaming the stars, however, this may prove to be a costly and largely one-sided training strategy. Alternatively, you could form small roaming gangs or raiding fleets with other members of the militia. Providing that members of a gang stick together and co-ordinate well, they can accomplish much more than any pilot could on his own. You'll find fleets forming throughout the day in the militia chat channel, but there's nothing stopping you and a few friends from starting your own gang, hopping on EVE voice and getting stuck right in.
In contrast to conventional wisdom, an eve isk pilot's ability in PvP isn't derrived directly from trained skills and equipment. The biggest factor in a player's competence in PvP will be his actual combat experience, which teaches everything from how to deal with emerging situations to common PvP ship setups. One key thing to keep in mind when starting out on your PvP adventure is that you're going to die repeatedly. Every player goes through this initiation period during which he's lucky to score a few hits or a kill before being blown up. Even veteran players consider their ships as good as dead when heading into dangerous territory.
By analysing each death, you'll gain valuable insights into what went wrong and hopefully avoid making the same mistakes in the future. It often pays to ask the players who just killed you what you could have done to prevent it -- you'll be surprised how many respond helpfully. As long as you can afford a few replacement ships, being blown up isn't the end of the world. Many players mine or run missions for ship funds, but this can take days and isn't really necessary on the trial. I recommend just making some friends and asking other pilots for a little ISK. Remember that what seems like a lot to a new player is very little to an older one. A fully kitted-out tier 1 tackling frigate like the Atron, Condor, Slasher or Executioner can cost under 100k in total, and some of that will be reclaimed on death by insurance.
