>>"but are the ships hard for the player themself to fly?"
Not really - flying ships in eve is less flight simulator, more spreadsheet. You usually choose another ship/structure from a drop-down menu and choose approach, orbit, etc. Most battles are not about individual pilot skill at all (especially very large ones like this).
Lol eve is a thinking man's mmo. Action is kind of... meh. There is no simulation. Your character for better or worse can just be replaced with an AI that listens to commands of the leader. You are basically a body in a giant battle. Your goal is to click the little red dot designated for you to click on, and click your weapons. The end.
The game is all about maneuvers. How to out-maneuver your opponent to catch them with their pants down, block reinforcements, prevent retreat, maximize damage while minimizing yours.
Imagine a battle between two countries, its not just about what is in the battle, but what led up to the battle occurring, how people behave, etc.
