Knowing I haven't played all aspects of the game yet I think it's safe to say that it's still the same things that a new player need to keep in mind when flying in New Eden.
The first thing needed is the game and a computer to run it. Most computers should be able to do that today, so I'll skip this part completely. Just download the client and create a trial account.
Creating A Character
Now you're ready to enter the game, and you're faced with the first choices in the character creator.
If you're not into the lore then there's no mistakes to be made in choosing your race or bloodline. It's mainly just the looks of your character. If you want to fly the ships made for a given race then you could read up on that before making your choice.
Depending how much you go into detail when creating your character this step can take anything from two minutes to hours. There's plenty of options to give your character the desired personal touch and look.
Understanding the UI
At first the interface can feel very overwhelming, but don't be afraid to explore it by clicking around before you start the tutorials. Personally I get a better feel for things while learn-by-doing than playing through a tutorial.
Some features in the EVE UI may feel like they're from another decade - and they are! EVE is 10 years old!
The Key to EVE
One thing is needed more than any other when you start playing EVE; patience.
There's simply no way you can rush through the tutorial and be ready for hardcore gaming after a day or two. You need patience and plenty of it. EVE is build in a way that doesn't allow you to drown in a sea of possibilities and be in over your head - but you'll surely get your feet wet and maybe even get in knee deep a few times at first.
As soon as you get to terms with the fact that patience is key, then you're ready to start learning the ways of EVE.
Don't Rush It
I know it is cool to join a big corporation (it's not called a guild in EVE) from day one. And I'm not the one to judge if you go that way. But there's time enough. Fly around, do the tutorials and maybe even a few real missions to find out what you like about the game at first and then take it from there.
While you learn EVE don't be afraid to use/follow the Help chat channel. Simply reading some answers give you a better insight to how things work.
Breathe EVE to Play EVE
This is not as hard as it sounds. The point is that you should take some time to read a bit on the forums or blogs to get the knowledge that could make it easier for you to adapt. Watch a youtube tutorial every now and then or use guides for missions if you find them too hard to handle - maybe the obvious way is not as obvious at first.
When I knew I'd start playing I started to read up on EVE and it's ways. I joined the Google+ Community, followed a few bloggers and tried to figure out where to go from there.
The Rules of EVE
Finally, there's three rules of EVE that I've come to terms with since I started playing.
1) Trust no one!
- this is the foundation of EVE. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Before you know it the cannon is pointing at you.
2) You know nothing!
- not saying that new players are dumb. The thing is even seasoned players have things to learn in this game. There's no "one way to rule them all".
3) You will lose your ship!
- it's a matter of time. Maybe you'll suffer your first loss on day one. Maybe after a month or two - but there's great certainty that you'll lose it. Trust me (yeah I know... rule 1).
There are many other rules of EVE and many other things I could write about what it takes. But this is the cornerstones according to my experience as a new player. For a little more info please visit the Newb Area subpage on my blog.
