• Skills also have ranks. This is shown as a number in parentheses after the skill name in your character sheet, and is shown as an attribute in the information about a skill. A rank two skill will take twice as long to train as a rank one skill. A rank five skills will take five times as long as a rank one skill. Most of the basic skills in the game are rank one but there are higher rank skills (such as Drone Interfacing) that are rank five. If you have low attributes, a skill such as this can take several days to train from level four to level five, whereas raising the right attributes (through implants or attribute-specific skills) can knock days off this time.

• If you go to the skills tab screen of your character information sheet (on your character sheet - top left button on the left hand menu) you can see your total skills point amount is in the top upper left. You can start training a skill by right clicking a particular skill and selecting 'Start Training Train to level...' you should also see a time it will take for that skill to train to the next level. To train skills you do not already have, you need to purchase the skill's book training kits. You can buy the kits for many skills in the station at which your character started. You need to open the market station service. Initially set the "market range" to "This station only," or you will need to travel to pick up the skill. Select the Browse tab and select "Items," then "Skills," screen (make sure it is set to 'This Station Only') and then you should see a 'skills' section. You can also obtain some of the new higher rank research skills from agents.

• Some times unscrupulous players will buy the entire supply of basic skill training kits in a starting station and resell them at an unfair price. If you feel that the purchase price for a skill seems excessively high, try expanding the "market range" to 'constellation' or 'region'. You will often find better prices at nearby systems. The downside, of course, is that you must travel to that system to pick up any purchases.

• You should aim to have a skill in training at all times. If a skill is due to complete in two hours and you know you are going to be away for 14 hours then, before you go, switch to training a skill that will take longer than you will be away the training to another longer skill. (You do not lose skill points if you stop training a skill, or switch to training another skill. The next time you start training that skill again, you'll begin right where you left off. Do not cancel the training; simply start another one). Then when you log back on, switch back to finish the original skill.