Ship fittings

Unlike other MMOs, it's really hard to work out your DPS and overall pwnage in-game. There are so many variables to consider.

Luckily, you can get the highly regarded QuickFit. It's crucial really. A must-have like EveMon. (Download from my Links page).

QuickFit lets you import your character's skills (which are downloaded from the My Character page of the Eve website), then choose a ship, install any equipment you want into its slots and work out the DPS you'll generate. Most importantly, though, it tells you if all those guns and upgrades will actually fit.

In Eve, a ship has a set amount of power and CPU. All items installed use some of it. Massive guns might simply require more power than your ship has. Skills like Engineering let you fit more stuff into the ship.

QuickFit takes all your fitting skills into account and tells you if the gear you'd like will actually fit within the power and CPU limits of the ship. This is how you plan what gear to buy for your ships, and what skills you'll need to use that gear.

Evemon
I actually use Evemon to search the items within Eve. It's got a fantastic item database, lets you ctrl-click items to compare them side-by-side, and shows the skills required to use the item.

Eve Fitting Tool
An alternative tool to QuickFit is EFT. It is popular because of its easier user interface, however it lacks some of the sophisticated simulations in QuickFit. Download it here.

Which ship or race?
Read this section of my blog to work it out.