To avoid premature expenditures and buying skills you haven't met the requirements for, read the skill info carefully before purchasing and make sure you can train it. Many new players have bought expensive skills to only find out that the requirements to learn it were going to be another two weeks or more.

What does "rank" and "level" mean for skills
The "rank" of a skill describes how difficult the skill is to learn (i.e. the higher the rank, the longer it will take you to train it to the next level). For instance, it's a fairly simple task, even for a novice Minmatar pilot, to operate frigate class auto cannons and artillery pieces. So, the required skill "Small Projectile Turrets" has a rank of 1. However, commanding battleship class weapons, such as an array of the awe-inspiring 1400mm Howitzer, requires much more intense and lengthy training. Hence, "Large Projectile Turrets" has a rank of 5. Rank is the time multiplier. So in short, a rank 5 skill will take 5 times as long to learn as a rank 1 skill of the same group of skills.

Skill "level", on the other hand, describes a pilot's mastery over a skill. Once a pilot accrues a certain number of skill points within a skill, they have obtained a new level and receive whatever bonuses that come along with it. For instance, the skill "Long Range Targeting" offers a 5% bonus to targeting range per level. All skills only have 5 Levels

How do my characters "attributes" affect my skills
The time needed to train a skill to the next level depends a great deal on a pilot's attributes (which include Intelligence, Willpower, Perception, Charisma, and Memory). Each skill relies on 2 attributes: a primary and a secondary. For instance, the "Electronics" skill makes demands on a pilot's Intelligence and Memory, where as "Gunnery" uses Perception and Willpower. The higher these attributes are, the faster the skill will train. There are currently two ways to improve a pilot's attributes: through a group of skills know as the "Learning" skills or through cybernetic implants. You can view any skills primary and secondary attributes buy showing info on that skill and checking the skills attributes

What do Implants do?
Implants improve a pilot's attributes. There are 5 types: one for each pilot attribute, and two quality levels: basic and standard. Basic implants add 3 points to a certain attribute while standard add 4 points to an attribute. To install an implant, train the "Science" skill to level 3 and the "Cybernetics" skill to level 1, and then right-click on the implant and choose "Plug in" to install.

What happens to implants when I remove them?
If you remove or "unplug" an implant, it is destroyed outright. Also, be aware that if you are pod-killed while sporting implants, you will lose them as clones are unable to replicate implants.

What is clone insurance for my character?
Clone insurance preserves a certain amount of a pilot's skill points in the event the pilot dies in his escape pod. The amount of skill points preserved depends on the quality of the clone. Starting out, your pilot is provided with a Basic Clone which automatically insures the pilot for 30,000 points. After that, you are responsible to update your pilot's clone to ensure it covers their current number of skill points. You can purchase a clone at any station with Medical facility. If you die and your pilot's clone does not cover all their skill points, they will lose the difference. Ad hoc testing on the Chaos server has shown that the points will be taken off the pilot's highest skill level trained to that point. If you have not got a clone and exceed 30,000 points you will loose skill - Clone insurance - get it.

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