Jeez, the way you guy's describe how the game works is very... enticing.
I play tons of games because it's my job. I play EVE on my personal gaming time.
kawaiku said:
Which leads me to another question, how customizable are the ships?
Very. EVE has a highly complex combat model and it takes a long time to master one style of fighting in the game (I know about 1% of what there is to know).
Each ship has a number of different kind of "slots" available for fitting. These slots can hold weapons of various sorts, repair systems, remote repair systems (for assisting the other members of your fleet), electronic warfare modules of all kinds, radar and tracking equipment, scanners, shields, extra armor, and all manner of systems to enhance ship systems and capabilities. There are nearly endless combinations of how these modules can be fitted, but certain types of ships excel at performing specific roles.
Fitting all this equipment takes skills, and skills take time to learn. Therefore, you have to take the time to get good at one thing, then move on to another skill. Really experienced characters are not necessarily more powerful, but more
flexible in the roles they can perform.
EVE is a game that rewards teamwork. Small gangs rove around all over EVE, and most of these gangs contain a variety of specialized ships so that the gang can fight and survive in a wide variety of situations--or at least have a chance to escape if necessary.
kawaiku said:
And say if you own a larger ship, can you launch smaller fighter type.... spacecraft??
Some ships can do this and others can't. It depends.
There are four races in EVE, and each of the races excels at specific tasks and their ships reflect a characteristic design philosophy well suited to the type of fighting they prefer. That said, any character can train any skill, so with proper training you can fly any ship you want and use any type of equipment. The races just give you a starting point.
Getting back to your question, some ships can launch robot-like ships which are controlled by the pilot in addition to his own ship. These small unmanned units are called 'drones,' and drone warfare, like everything else in EVE, is a style of combat that can take a while to train up. That said, beginner pilots can start utilizing small combat drones pretty quickly. Over time and as drone skills increase, pilots can control multiple drones, and eventually can utilize combat drones, combat support drones, utility drones, etc. Very experienced characters can control up to 5 heavy tech level II combat drones capable of chewing up a battleship given enough time.
The Gallante race excels at drone warfare and their ships reflect this more than those of other races.
The pinnacle of drone warfare is the carrier. The carrier is a large capital ship that takes a huge amount of skill to fly properly. It's primarily used in fleet battles as a support platform, having the capability to assist other ships as well as dish out some serious pain.
Each race has a version of a carrier, and carriers are equipped with drone bays that can hold huge numbers of all types of drones. This means the carrier pilot can attack, then switch to electronic warfare, then repair, etc. Carriers are also unique in that they are the only ship capable of fielding 'fighters.' Fighters are essentially very large and powerful drones that are equivalent to cruisers. A carrier pilot can control up to 10 drones or fighters simultaneously, which means a carrier is capable of dealing with a small gang of other ships by itself.
Which brings us to one of the best ships in EVE: the mothership. While not the largest ship in EVE, the mothership is essentially a "super carrier." Sporting extremely tough shields and armor, motherships are immune to all forms of electronic warfare and can field up to 20 fighters simultaneously (25 with special equipment). This makes the mothership a deadly vessel that can take on a number of battleships and support ships and wreck havoc. Motherships are typically seen in big fleet battles, fighting as a group or working alongside dreadnoughts. They are one of the most expensive and skill-intensive ships in the game, and it will take ~2+ years of real world time to acquire the skills to pilot one of these beasts. Even then, raising the ISK to buy it and coordinating with a shipyard willing to build it is a story unto itself.