EVE online is an mmo, a game that either draws fear, happiness, or just plain confusion from those who play it or have heard the name and what it tries to achieve with its players.
 
 A recurring thing I'm seeing as of late though is the idea that you can somehow WIN at EVE, you can ultimately dominate it and have no contest while playing it. From my last 4 years playing it I can tell you this is impossible. I say this not to be negative or downgrading to the game itself because overall to me its an amazing space simulator that you can play with your friends and allies. But the idea that you can end the game itself simply by playing it and getting the most ISK (in-game currency that EVE uses.) or by having the biggest baddest fleet on this planet is also not plausible because eventually someone will take notice and destroy your ship.
 
The game does have "little victories" as some and myself call them because you can defeat players or small fleets but EVE overall, No. You cannot define what winning in EVE is really because CCP itself has never defined it. The most anyone person can do in EVE that is even close to winning is giving themselves a goal within the game after they learn about it and then achieving it by any means necessary using the game's tools and ships. This is acceptable in EVE, there are no rules as much as other people might try to define what they should be. It's called the sandbox for this very reason.
 
 EVE has it's ambitious bunch for sure. You hear all the crazy stories of assassination and espionage and you think "Hey, I wanna do that!" So you decide to jump in. You then realize this game doesn't let you take off so easily, which in it's own way is good and bad for the game. On the bright side you can't power level a new character to fly capital ships in a week. The game won't allow it, on the other hand you might want to do something like be a mining machine hauling in big loads of ore and breaking them down for resources to sell but because of the learning curve and time it takes you probably won't reach this ideal position for weeks, because of either set backs or not having sufficient funds.  Right now if you want at least a exhumer(a mining ship that gathers rocks faster than your starting frigates) in this game its gonna cost you anywhere from 120 million ISK to 200+ depending on your region market in game. 
 
I say all this though to who it may concern in wanting to join EVE. Don't think you can conquer EVE, Don't go in thinking the people around you will be your friends to help you, some will use you and then drop you so they can gain something they feel is important, it happens because EVE allows it. In this game you have discover who will care enough and who thinks your a tool to be used. Overall, you cannot win because EVE will not let you. Enjoy EVE for what it is, a giant sandbox letting you explore space in a fictional setting. This is my creed that I follow every time I play this game and it's why I still enjoy the game. Thanks for reading.