MMORPG Guide 04 - Lowbie Info, Weapons, Armor, Potions, Scrolls, Buffs & Enchants
MMORPG Guide - 4 - I’m a newb! HELP! Weapons & Armor.
Welcome back to Pseudorant, and Part 4 of the MMORPG Guide. Today we will be getting into the nitty gritty details of MMORPGs and what makes these types of games so unique. I will start by taking a look at some of the different Fantasy RPG settings, and then go into detail on topics as they would come up in games.
These topics will include being a lowbie [being new to an MMORPG], different weapons and gear, scrolls and potions and much more!
Read through the following sections to get better understanding of MMORPGs and how they work.
Fantasy RPG Settings - World Areas
As I mentioned in previous guides my main focus is going to be on Fantasy MMORPGs as they are the most common in the genre.
Fantasy refers to any type of Fantasy world that you can imagine. The basis of these worlds is usually structed on existing lore or mythology. Because of this fact you will see similarities many between games.
Common fantasy MMORPG settings will consist of numerous types of areas. I am not going to list them all here because practically any setting you can imagine will show up in various games.
Fantasy worlds can span across dense swamps, arid deserts, dark woodlands, snowy maintain ranges, gigantic castle cities, and even into other realms or universes that are much harder to define.
You need to look at an MMORPG as a real world in regard to the scope and size of the game itself. While it may not be the same scale as real life, it gives you a feeling of being immersed in a huge world full of places to see and explore.
Another common trait of these games is Dungeons and other areas to explore. This can be in the form of a rundown basement or an abandoned castle. It can also include natural formations like caves and tunnels.
With so many areas to see and explore it’s no wonder people can invest so much time into these types of games. You really need to see it for yourself to understand the scope of these worlds. Only them can you truly appreciate the amount of time and energy that goes into creating these fantasy worlds for players.
Being a “Lowbie”
Ah, yes. We have all been there once or twice. (Or tons of times. Hehe) Being a “Lowbie” refers to either being a new player in an MMORPGs, or being a low level character in a game even if you are experienced with MMORPGs.
When you are a lowbie it means you are starting out at the bottom of the ladder. There will usually be numerous players that are higher level than you if you are coming into a game after it has been out for a few weeks. Even if you are coming into a new game there always seems to be that guy that never takes a break from playing, who is a higher level than everyone else.
Don’t let this weigh on your decision to play MMORPGs. There WILL always be these players that are higher level than everyone else. Whatever the reason, whether they don’t work, don’t go to school, etc. This is how the power struggle in an MMORPG works. There will always be someone faster or stronger, but that doesn’t mean you can’t someday be that person. Or at least be up there near them.
As a lowbie you will be starting out with no skills, no money, and no equipment. This means it is in your best interest to get to work and start grinding. I find that the first levels in an MMORPG always tend to be the easiest and most forgiving. It is best to use this to your advantage and level as much as possible without spending money or resources, [Resources being money, skill points or potions and scrolls you acquire.] Also save money by using gear you find while grinding.
This way once you finally hit the newbie plateau (where the game starts pushing you to actually learn how to hold your own against mobs) you should have enough money saved up to get some good gear for your level. It is usually a good idea to spend some SP [skill points] at this time if you have them since you should have a better feel for how your character plays which will help you decide where to spend your skill points.
Refer to Part 3 of this guide for additional stats, trait and class information if you are having trouble deciding how to spend your skill points.
Another good benefit you should have at this point (if you have been saving your resources) is a small collection of perishable items that will help you level including potions and scrolls. It makes more sense to use these items once the grind becomes a little more difficult as it will help you level faster than lowbies who burn these items right away at low levels and come to find they have worn off by the time the could really benifit the character.
Now that we have established a small foothold for our character lets look at some of the other considerations for preparing to enter the actual grind.
Weapons
Ok. You have followed my advice and saved as many resources as possible at lower levels. You have been grinding for awhile now and are feeling the fights becoming more difficult or pushing your health down lower each time. Not a problem. Let’s look at how to balance this out.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to combat. There are those who like to play the defensive role and those who like to gamble and play the aggressive role. Each variation has it’s pros and cons.
Playing the aggressive role is what most characters choose to do. It means investing many of your resources into high damage and low survivability. The school of thought behind this play style is that you do not need much defense if you can kill anything before it can do major damage to you.
This can be very true at lower levels. Sometimes it really pays off to play your character this way as it allows you to level faster than other players around your level that took the “safe” route. At higher levels in MMORPGs this can be more of a gamble because the lower survivability can cost you resurrection time, travel time, and experience points depending on the game.
The other side of the coin is playing the defensive role where a character will invest more money into armor than weapons, and skill points that increase their survivability like more HP and more armor factor or defense.
It all comes down to personal preference and play style. In my opinion, because the grind is easier at lower levels it pays off to invest more in weapons than armor as the game is usually more forgiving at this point and this will allow you to level faster.
Once you have decided your course of action and decide to choose a new weapon you will need to figure out where to buy it. Usually there will be vendors right in the area you started in. If you have leveled up a bit and are already in a different area try checking your map, or using general chat in game to find out where the closest town is. Sometimes going to a different town than the lowbie starting area will offer a better selection of level appropriate weapons.
There will be a weapon vendor in almost all cities in MMORPGs. Once you have located the vendor take a look at the weapons offered to you. There are three main considerations to keep in mind here. The first being make sure you look for weapons that your class can use.
A lot of the time weapons that are not available to you for one reason or another will have writing or stats listed in red. Some times the item itself will be red meaning you can’t use it. Aside from the class consideration, your characters level may have an impact on this. If you are not a high enough level to use a certain weapon it may not be available to you.
Beware because most games will still let you purchase these items. There is nothing more disappointing than buying a weapon and finding out you can’t equip it for one reason or another.
The third consideration here will be the amount of in game money you have acquired by this point. If you followed my advice and saved your resources you should be able to afford most any weapon that is suitable to your level.
You may notice that you can just barely afford a really nice weapon that you can equip. If you had been squandering your money prior to this you would probably have missed out on this weapon. Having the most powerful weapon available to you at the moment provides a great advantage when it comes to grinding and leveling.
It also never hurts to check the next weapon up from the one you are purchasing to make a note of the level requirement. You might notice that the weapon would be available to you if you were one level higher. At this point I would recommend weighing how hard you will have to work for that next level with the weapon you already have.
In most cases at low level you might only need to grind for 20-30 minutes to achieve the next level so the new weapon would be available to you. Once again you will highly benefit from having the best weapon available to your level.
These are just a few of the considerations to make when purchasing your first weapon. I wanted to outline the things I try to consider when I am starting as a lowbie in a new game.
Always keep in mind that while having money is great, having a powerful weapon that allows you to level quickly will open the door to a lot more money coming into your possession. You should consider your play style and goals when choosing a weapon but a good rule of the thumb is always try and get the best available to you, and utilize it for as long as possible so you have more money saved up when you finally need to upgrade your weapon again.
Now would also be a good time to sell off any “garbage” you have collected while grinding. This will usually be in the form of items that are either labeled for some crafting purpose or stuff you cannot identify like “bat drool” or “stinky moss”. The names will vary but it will most likely be something that doesn’t sound very useful.
These items are sometimes worth saving to skill up crafting skills at some point but since we are just starting out let’s focus on short term money making that will allow us to get to a level where we can bring in a steady source of income. If you do decide to pursue a trade skill later these materials tend to be gathered much quicker by a higher level character anyway. For now we will focus on short term financial gains because as a lowbie you need gear, plus bag and bank space is usually limited.
With that being said take the extra money you have made from selling these items and invest it back into the gear you are looking at for your character.
For more information on weapon considerations for different classes and the stats that are best utilized with these weapons refer to Parts 2 and 3 of this guide for stat information and class information which outlines weapon preferences.
Gear & Armor
Now that you have yourself a shiny, new weapon you should probably look into selling off the lowbie gear you started with so you can get some decent armor for your level.
As I outlined above in the aggressive vs. defensive play styles you need to decide what suits you best, better weapons or better armor? I am fully confident that at lower levels you will always be served better by making weapon decisions first. (And I am a “defense” player by nature)
Once you have secured a good weapon to use, you will probably have enough money left over to get yourself partially equipped with good armor, if not all the way. If you have taken my advice and saved your resources as much as possible to this point, you may actually have more than enough money to get the best of everything that is currently available to you.
As with the weapon considerations, always check out the class and level requirements of the armor and the next available piece close to your level to make the most informed purchase possible. Buyer’s remorse can be a terrible thing, especially in an MMORPG where a little extra money can go a long way at low levels.
Once you have selected a piece of armor that is right for you, purchase the item, and then close out of the merchant window and equip the new gear. I always find this is a good practice if you are still becoming familiar with a game. It will keep you from accidentally reselling the piece of armor you just purchased, for a fraction of the value.
It also allows you to un-equip the armor you were previously wearing so it can be resold to the vendor when you purchase your next piece of gear. This provides you with a little extra spending money and ensures you do not un-equip all your gear and sell it off, only to realize you can only afford a pair of boots.
One last consideration when buying weapons and armor is something I touched on briefly in Part 3 of the guide which is weapon and armor bonus stats. I bring it up now because it is more commonly associated with armor than weapons. Stats on gear are bonus stats that will add to the overall attributes of your character. If you are a warrior, then looking for strength attributes on weapons and armor may be a good idea. The same can be said about agility for rogues, intelligence for magic users, etc.
Plan out how you are going to build up your character and take this into consideration when making weapon and armor purchases. You would be surprised how “gear dependant” some games out there can be. (cough*WoW*cough*) In games like this stats on gear can make or break a character and provide a huge advantage over characters who do not have the same quality gear.
Now that we are fully equipped with our new gear, lets get ready to head back out there and start killing monsters. (Again…) But first lets take a look at what is left in our bags.
Scrolls and Potions
After having sold off all the schwag we have collected, along with the old gear lets take a look at what we are left with.
You should have a great new weapon at this point and all new armor, not to mention a lot more bag space after selling all the useless junk we have collected up to this point. Hopefully some of the last things left in your inventory will be a nice supply of health and mana potions and maybe even some scrolls to provide buffs to your character as you grind.
Potions are very important in an MMORPG. I consider them an extension of my weapons and gear when I am spending money. Because of that mindset, I will not hesitate to spend a bit of my left over money to make sure I have a good supply of potions to help me continue to grind.
The reason they are so valuable is because they provide two major functions. They keep you alive, and they make it so you do not need to stop and rest. A friend of mine once commented when we were resting in Lineage2 (a game which had a very slow regeneration rate) that “this is where they make their money”. (Thanks Kip! ^_^)
This was a very keen observation because when you think about it, if you are not grinding efficiently it’s possible to spend over 50% of your time recouping resources. So for example if you play a game for 40 hours you may have spent 25 hours of that time sitting on the ground do nothing. This is not cohesive to the goal of leveling up your character quickly.
(I will outline grind efficiency in a follow-up article on “How to Grind Efficiently”.)
So getting back to the subject at hand, having potions is a great way to trade in game money for less (or no) downtime. Not having downtime is great because we can now focus all of our attention to leveling.
The other comment I made was about how having potions to keep you alive. Now this seems like common sense that I would be a good thing, but the reason is not because of the death aspect. It’s because of the travel time involved in getting back to where you were grinding.
A lot of people don’t think about how much time is also spent in traveling in games in addition to possible down time for recuperation. This travel time can get especially lengthy ay higher levels where a character must travel much further to get back to a grinding area that is suitable for their level.
With all that out of the way, let’s focus on what Potions (POTS) are and what they do.
Potions are pretty self explanatory. As most of you may have guessed the two mains types of potions are health and mana potions. These are potions that help you regain health points and magic points. In most games health bars are usually red, and magic bars are usually blue. The same color scheme applies to the potions so at a glance you can usually tell what you have.
Depending on the game, the strength of a potion (if the potions have different levels), and how much HP your character has at each level can cause potions to have varying levels of effectiveness. In most games. at low levels potions are pretty effective. So much so that one potion will usually take care of any injuries you sustain.
Part of using potions is learning to use them efficiently when you grind. “Grind Efficiency” which I referred to above is more than just being able to kill things quickly. It means managing your resources to get the most out of the time you put into a game. There are many techniques for being efficient at grinding, I will outline these in a later guide. The one I do want to mention now is how to use resources sparingly.
Knowing when to use potions and how many to use can be the key to an efficient grind. Because of this, a good rule of thumb is one resource per X number of mobs. This is something you can determine on an individual basis. I try to shoot for a grind that does not force me to burn resources unless I get attacked by multiple enemies.
Otherwise the standard pace should be killing 5 to 10 mobs and then using a health or mana potion to avoid having to rest. That means if you have 50 potions you can kill about 500 mobs before you need to restock them. Keep in mind that while some people like to tackle higher level mobs because they get more XP, the amount of time and energy involved in defeating these monsters does not usually equal an efficient grind. (Unless they are making use of an imbalance in the game which can sometimes be considered exploiting.)
I find that I can actually level faster than these players by killing mobs that are my exact level or lower because they inflict much less damage which requires that I burn very few resources, and because I can cut through swarms of these mobs like butter. While I am getting less XP per kill I am racking up so many kills with out the need to rest that I quickly surpass the player that is hunting higher levels mobs for more experience yet resting after each fight.
Keeping this in mind will also allow you become better at managing your resources.
Aside from the HP (health) and MP (mana) potions mentioned above there are usually other variations of potions found in games. Some examples of these are speed, agility, attack power, magic power, defense and numerous other potions that can provide temporary effects similar to buffs. (Buffs are stat enhancing spells that characters can cast on other players or themselves. Similar effects can be achieved through the use of potions or scrolls in most games.)
The other resource that would be nice to have at this point is scrolls. While not all games may have “Scrolls” they will usually carry some type of variation on them. This can be any item that produces a buff effect for a certain duration of time.
Scrolls are nice because they are usually associated with raising character attributes which enable the player to fight as though they were a higher level than they actually are. Scrolls are very valuable in standard grinding, dungeon parties, raids, PVP and practically any other situation where the player would like a competitive edge. Because of this, scrolls are very desirable if you are trying to level quickly. (I will assume you are, if you are reading this guide.)
As with potions, decide the best ways in which to use your scrolls and manage resources. If you plan on grinding for an extended period of time that would be the perfect time to use a scroll to buff your character. I will usually use them when I know I have a solid hour or so to play because this is the common duration for most scrolls.
If you use one, and then realize you need to take a break for dinner or an errand, a good idea is to find a clearing near the area you are grinding in and log out of the game there. This will usually stop the timer on the scroll effect. That way once you are ready to start playing again you can pickup in the same spot you left off without wasting the scroll effect. Make sure you log out in an area that is safe to log back into, so you do not get swarmed by monsters as dying will usually remove the scroll effect.
In some games you can purchase scrolls from NPC or player stores. For me, the health and mana potions always come first but if I find myself with extra money I will consider picking up scrolls if the prices are good because it all contributes to being able to level quicker.
Scrolls come in many different flavors just like potions. They can affect everything from speed and defense, to regeneration times. As with everything we are discussing it will usually be specific to the game you are playing so make sure to do your research to find out what’s available to you. This is also a good idea to make sure you are not overpaying when buying items from other players.
Buffs and Magic
Buffs are very similar to scrolls in the fact that they provide attribute bonuses to characters. The difference with “Buffs” (in the manner that they are commonly referred to) is that they are magic spells cast by players on themselves or other players.
Because of this you can instantly realize what a valuable resource being able to cast buffs or getting someone to cast them on you may be. As a lowbie it might not hurt to ask if anyone could provide you with buffs as this can sometimes provide a huge benefit if a higher level character gives them to you. If you do this, ask only once and do not whine as you will play right into the stereotypical “NooB” role. (Noobs are people who are new to a game like lowbies. Unlike lowbies a Noobs behaviour is usually childish which creates a negative implication around the label)
Keep in mind that a lot of the characters with ability to buff other players frequently get asked to do so, so much in fact that they sometimes get tired of being asked. As with anything in life be nice when you ask and say “Please”. (Throwing in a smile :) never hurts either). I have found that I am much more likely to buff someone that says please and smiles rather than someone that says please and begs.
Just remember it’s not the end of the world if they don’t buff you. With the methods I have outlined above you should already have a pretty good technique for grinding efficiently without the need for extra buffs. Getting them at this point would just be an additional bonus.
Now let’s look at some of the types of buffs that exist. As with potions and scrolls you can usually find buffs that increase a characters speed, defense, strength, attack power, magic power, total health or magic, etc.
Buffs are a really great addition to a game because it provides support classes with incentives to play those characters as they have the ability to buff themselves. A lot of the benefits associated with buffs have been covered in the above section on potions and scrolls so refer to that for additional information.
Keep in mind that buffs can provide a great advantage in any game when you find them in. If a character is nice enough to buff you always say thanks and then venture out and try tackling something bigger and badder than you normally would. You might be surprised how easily you are able to defeat the monster depending on the level of the buffs. (Work your way up because as with potions and scrolls, buffs will usually diminsh or disappear after a death)
Enchants
The last major stat improvement I am going to cover in Part 4 are “Enchants“. There are usually two main types of enchants, weapon and armor.
An Enchant is a modification to a weapon or armor that increases the existing stats on a piece of gear or adds new stats entirely.
Good examples of this are weapon enchants that increase damage, and armor enchants that increase defense. Depending on how enchants and enchanting is implemented in a game there are several ways in which it can occur.
In some games other players can develop enchanting skills which allow them to enchant weapons as a service to other players. While this can be a good idea to promote an in-game economy it can also promote players scamming lowbies that may not be aware of potential cons. The rule of thumb is, always treat in-game items as you would real life items. If you have made friends with someone in a game and feel you can trust them you can use discretion and have them enchant an item for you. Most of the time people seem to be pretty honest. Another consideration is sometimes higher levels will enchant items for lowbies just to be nice and because it doesn’t cost them much at their level.
In WoW I used to enchant weapons all the time for lowbies so they could have a cool glowing sword to motivate them to grind or play more. Some players just enjoy being nice, which is the reason I used to do it.
Another way players can get enchanted items is buy buying weapons that have already been enchanted, through player shops. This is usually a great way to get a nice enchanted weapon if it is not overpriced.
Another implementation of enchanting is having an NPC that provides the service to players contingent on receiving the proper materials to perform the enchant. This brings us to the next consideration.
Most enchants in games require materials to be performed. The higher the level the enchant the more materials it will require and the more difficult the materials will become to acquire. In some games farming for the materials yourself may not be a realistic option. (farming is gathering money or items from mobs, with the focus being on gaining resources rather than experience.) In these cases players tend to buy the items they need from player shops, but watch out as players usually tend to charge top dollar for materials they know are used for enchanting purposes.
The other point you need to be aware of is that in some games enchants have a chance to fail. This means that if the enchant does not work successfully, the item you are trying to enchant may be destroyed. Depending on the implementation of this it can actually vary from you losing the materials, to the item losing some stats, to the item being destroyed. As always read ahead and make sure that you have done your research to ensure that you know all the potential details involved with enchanting.
Another common feature of enchanting items is in addition to the enchant increasing the stats on an item it can usually give the item a cool visual effect it did not have before. This will usually show up in the form of a glowing weapon or color change.
In some games they can even go so far as to change the entire look of the item. In any case it is a symbol that you have something special. It stands out and other players notice it, and it’s always cool to have a glowing blade or staff.
Overview
That wraps it up for Part 4 of the MMORPG guide. As I write each section I find myself realizing there is more than I ever remembered that needs to be outlined for each subject. Because of this I will probably end up breaking the whole guide into a 7 or 8 Part series so it’s not completely overwhelming.
Thanks again for sitting through another long rant. If you have anything that you would like to see added always feel free to email me with suggestions.
Check back for Part 5 of the MMORPG guide where I will cover Trade Skills, Making Money, Banking and Storage, Leveling, Mobs, Quests ect.
As always thanks for the support!
Comments
Leave a Reply
-
Buy a Review!
-
Sponsored Links
