Hiya, Welcome to Perp.

Kiting works for mobs, but you can also dance with them. If your locking range is longer, and it will be for most main Island bots, the bots will stop at their 'optimum range', if you push in on them, they'll back up. If you push then pull back you'll see the red recticle around the bot disappear then reappear as it closes again. It takes most NPC's 12 seconds to lock, so push in for 4-5 seconds, then pull back for the same, and you can fight non-ewar withouot ever taking damage.

There are some great guides for starting EP allocation here too.

GL!

I just can't envision Arga with a rose clutched between his teeth.  A PIE...maybe.  Probably pumpkin or apple, but not coconut cream.

That explains all those lip burns I get when I try that.  Hmmm...

*grumbles*  You and your deviant productivity fetish! ...  FIIIIIIINE!  I suppose since I've managed to explode my fair share of bots already, regarding NPCs, avoid them!  They're packing some serious electronic warfare gear.  Give everything and anything that's red a wide berth and pick on things that don't fight back like plants or terrain tiles.

NeX...join it now!  Or join something else...check the recruitment section of the forum.  Unlike games that have been running for ages, most corps aren't elitist about their recruitment yet.

Welcome and it's good to see you!  An inexpensive light combat bot is what you're looking to start with.  Check the Prometheus with some lasers, a Yagel (mmm..bagels) packing magnetic guns, or a Castel with light launchers.  They should be able to handle starter combat missions.

Unlocking higher level missions comes from doing lower level stuff.  Run a few and get your standings with the various NPC corps to increase and you'll eventually unlock access to better stuff.  Unless those level 0 ones are tutorials...any mission-a-holics wanna chime in to help out the terminally AFK guy?

Don't get too upset if something explodes...it happens pretty often since slipping up and getting killed is pretty easy.  Anyway, I hope you stick around past the trial and play a bit with the game.

No worries!  I'm happy to help.

If you do stay after the trial period, I suggest shopping around for a corp to join.  Pending you haven't done some thinking about it already, you'll find that it's nice to be able to tap into the knowledge of a group of players that have your interests in mind.  That and Perp doesn't work as well with solo style gamers.