DrKvothe's Guide to Your First Character

[DrKvothe]

I'm fairly new to p1999, and one of the most shocking things I've noticed is the number of new players. I started as a barbarian shaman, and I must have met a dozen new players before leaving the everfrost/blackburrow area to adventure. This is a guide to choosing your first race/class for new, untwinked players. I'm clearly still a newb, but through my in game experience, extensive browsing on the forums and wiki while at work, and the helpful feedback in this thread, I believe that this guide will be useful to many people.

I should start by saying rule number 1: If you think you'll have fun playing it, play it. If you want to be a bard, be a bard. If you want to be a shaman, be a shaman. This guide is just aimed at determining the easiest class/race combinations for starting characters. These characters typically won't be the best at lvl 50+. These are the characters that will let you hunt and travel effectively on a limited budget (what you can earn from your local newbie zones) and that play roles in groups best suited for new players (healing or dps, not tanking or pulling).

You might ask what the point is of playing a character that won't be worth much 50+. Well, 50+ is a long way away for a new player. If you do decide to reroll, this will be a character that can raise the money for a more gear intensive second character, and a character with which to explore the land and learn the various dungeons. You may fall in love with this char and take it all the way. You may not. But these are, as far as I can tell, the easiest classes to gain a foothold in this challenging but rewarding game.

Format:
class - race (reason for race) exp modifier
Reason for best/good/bad rank.

Best:
druid - halfling (exp bonus) 0.95
Ports = cash, gear independent, fast leveler, self-bind. Get one to late 30s and you can raise a few plat whenever you need.

magician- gnome (pets look huge by comparison!) 1.1
Fast leveler, very gear independent, great solo and grouped, self-bind.

necromancer- erudite (stats, no iksar disadvantages) 1.1
Fast leveler, great solo, ok group, very gear independent, self-bind.

cleric- dwarf (gear + stats) 1
Fast leveler, highly desired in group, self-bind

Ok:
ranger- Human (stats) 1.4
Dirt cheap gear, not much expected from you, track, but not great solo and slow leveler

rogue- Barbarian (slam + stats) 0.955
Fast leveler, cheapish gear, not much expected from you but you MUST group to level.

enchanter - dark elf (sneak) 1.1
Decent exp ratio, Gear independent, good/great solo, fantastic group, self-bind. Very powerful class, BUT your group lives or dies by your skill.

paladin- dwarf (highest stats) 1.4
Dirt cheap to gear, expected to tank but not expected to be great at it. Slow leveler.

Bad:
bard - half elf (stats) 1.4
Bad exp bonus, carpal tunnel, everyone thinks you should be better than you are. One of the most powerful classes if played well, but very difficult to play well.

wizard- erudite (stats) 1.1
Fast leveler, gear independent, self-bind, can port for cash, but boring and not well liked in groups. Better off playing a different caster.

shadowknight - ogre (stats + stun immune) 1.61
Horrible experience penalty, gear dependent but not too pricey, and expected to tank well.

warrior- ogre (stats + stun immune) 1.035
Fast leveler, gear dependent but not too pricey, expected to tank well.

shaman- troll (regen + JBgear) 1.2
Incredible class from 34-60, just flat awful from 1-33. One of the most powerful classes in game when twinked. Must more enjoyable with ~3k worth of twink gear, flat out OP if you can fully twink with Fungi and (46+) JBB. Best left for when you're not broke.

monk- human (no iksar disadvantages) 1.2
Incredible class, but incredible things are expected from you. You will be asked to pull and you will be asked to tank. Possibly most popular melee, thus gear isn't as cheap. If you want to carry around anything at all, you'll need some weight reduction bags. Expect to be poor. If you can afford to twink your monk (iksar, probably), you'll be very popular.

Discussion
You'll notice some clear discrepancies between the information here and the information provided in Loraen's guide, which concludes:

"So in my opinion we have the overpowered classes (Enchanter, Bard, Shaman, Monk), the solid classes (Cleric, Magician, Necromancer, Shadowknight), the raid-specialized classes (Warrior, Rogue, Wizard), and the weak classes (Ranger, Druid, Paladin)."

Notice none of the overpowered classes are in my best category. Notice the 'weak classes' are ranked either best or good in my guide. Here's why: I'm assuming that you're starting absolutely broke, and that you care more about learning how the game works and getting some pp to deck out future chars than you care about endgame or raiding. This is, after all, your first character. That said, here are some general explanations I feel must be made:

Money: Getting a few hundred pp early on is relatively straightforward. Loot spider ling silk and low quality pelts to make leather padding, and loot HQ bear skin. These sell for lots of platinum. In your early teens, greater lightstones dropped by willowisps each can be turned in for a 10pp item in north karana. Under-played classes can often buy extremely powerful weapons for cheap. This is a good reason to play ranger, rogue, or paladin. You can get a silver swiftblade, 16/24 ranger only 2h, for ~100pp. Suddenly rangers don't seem so crappy, huh? Also important to remember that most items will hold their value. If you spend your hard earned 1kpp decking out your ranger and end up hating the class, send him to east commonlands to get your money back.

Faction: It's much easier to play an evil race after you've learned the lay of the land and know how to travel. Traveling without dying is difficult enough without kos guards! It's simply easier for a new player to not have to worry much about faction. I never hesitate to ruin a faction on my barbarian shaman, and I still have tons of places I can bank.

Haste Melee classes get a 21% white damage boost when they can afford a 12k pp FBSS. This is on top of all the extra damage from str gear a twink might have. Caster twinks have a larger mana pool, allowing them to attempt more challenging fights, but they don't do more spell dps than their untwinked counterparts. However, due to the economics of p1999, while a melee character will be severely gimped when not twinked compared to a p1999 melee twink, the nontwink will still be significantly stronger after spending 200pp than any similar level melee 'back in the day.'

Tanking/Pulling/CC: You really don't want much expected from you in groups. Trying to hold aggro from an epic rogue twink (which are pretty darn common) with an untwinked (no haste) warrior isn't fun. Being the puller in a dungeon you don't know isn't fun. You're better off waiting until you can semi-twink before attempting these classes. If you CAN tank, you'll be expected to. I've moved paladin up a bit, simply because people don't really seem to expect anything incredible from paladins! While being able to CC is incredible for breaking tough camps, being expected to make a group work when it really shouldn't is a tough burden.

Binding: Classes that can cast bind affinity have a huge advantage. You will die in this game, and long corpse runs can discourage exploration. For your first char, your best bet is a class that can cast bind affinity.

Wizard: I probably don't know enough about this class to make much of a judgement call, but it seems particularly limited. All the caster advantages, but none of the fun. I may be way off here.

Shaman: I know what you're thinking: but you said you play a shaman! Why is this ranked 'bad'? Loraen says shaman in OP! Shaman doesn't really have much to offer in groups until 29 (when you get greater heal and haste). At 34, you get a pet and a new powerful dot, basically tripling your dps at 33 while simultaneously improving your mana efficiency. If you can afford a Poison Wind Censor (~2kpp), I hear things are way easier from 20-34.

Necromancer: Necromancers leech from their health to increase their mana regeneration rate. This is very well described on the necromancer page of the p1999 wiki. However, the downsides to playing iksar are substantial: kunark mobs have more exp, iksars suffer an additional 20% exp penalty beyond class penalty, and iksars are kos pretty much everywhere. New players are going to want relatively easy access to EC. Erudite necros, when compared to iksar necros, have lower hp regen but much larger mana pool (important before you can afford to cap int), level 20% faster, and has less faction issues.

Any comments are appreciated! Thank you for reading this!

[Ephirith]

I can understand why you're being contrary to conventionally held wisdom, and it's refreshing and all, but so much of this is just flat out wrong and ultimately just bad advice.

[DrKvothe]

There's a lot I'm unfamiliar with. If there's anything in particular that you would change, just explain your reasoning and I'll change it in the original post.

[Ephirith]

Yea, in the spirit of constructive criticism here's some points I disagree with:

necromancer- erudite (stats, no iksar disadvantages) 1.1
Fast leveler, great solo, ok group, very gear independent, self-bind.

Erudite stat superiority is in areas that aren't quite as important as you might think.. Intelligence (maximum mana) is not all that meaningful of a stat for Necromancers past a certain point, and is relatively easy to softcap, even for the non-raider. Iksar regeneration is something an erudite will never have, and it is quite helpful.

Ok:
ranger- Human (stats) 1.4
Dirt cheap gear, not much expected from you, but not great solo and slow

There is no reason to recommend a ranger over a monk. A monk is a flat out more powerful class, is less gear dependent, and people are still going to expect a ranger to pull and tank.

shaman- troll (regen + JBgear) 1.2
Incredible class from 34-60, just flat awful from 1-33. One of the most powerful classes in game when twinked. Must more enjoyable with ~3k worth of twink gear, flat out OP if you can fully twink with Fungi and (46+) JBB. Best left for when you're not broke.

Ogres tend to be the more popular choice among min/maxers due to the frontal stun immunity, but trolls are good too. I find it peculiar you'd list Shamans as "best left for when you're not broke" over classes like a Ranger or Paladin simply because they have some hardships from 14-24.

The shaman spell inner fire is actually an exceptional healing spell, and when you cast it between med ticks, you're invaluable to yourself and others until 14. 14-24 are a little rough, but you're still better off than an untwinked melee, and if you put some effort into making friends with twinked melees these levels are considerably easier. At 24 you get regen, canni, and a new poison dot. BAM you're a highly functional group healer and an adequate soloist.

-There should be no meaningful difference between paladin and SK, people expect the same level of tanking from both, generally.

-Otherwise I like the guide as a source for new players. Was good thinking to incorporate the difficulty and responsibility of a class into selection.

[Tecmos Deception]

I ran into a BIG issue very early. I mean, I love the idea of a guide intended for new players (especially one written BY a new player), but the "play a character to make money so that you can make the character you really want" is almost certainly bad advice.

It takes so much time in p99 to level up, to get gear, to make money, to do ANYTHING really, that you really should be playing whatever it is that you have fun with rather than doing something that is strictly a grind to try to do something else that's fun 3 months down the line. Etc.

[Vexenu]

I think it's good advice for people who are totally new to the server and not dead set on playing a specific class. It's easy for veteran players to forget how difficult it is to start up from nothing.

[webrunner5]

I don't see much that is way off. Warrior and Enchanter cost more than he claims to equip, Chanter needs a ton of Cha gear, resist gear, and Warrior needs haste item, lots of AC gear. But you can live without them I guess. I have one or more of every class on here and a Shaman is the Most expensive to equip I think high end.

I believe he did a pretty good job myself. I think a Enchanter and even a Monk are pretty hard classes to master as a new person playing them.

[Estu]

I ran into a BIG issue very early. I mean, I love the idea of a guide intended for new players (especially one written BY a new player), but the "play a character to make money so that you can make the character you really want" is almost certainly bad advice.

It takes so much time in p99 to level up, to get gear, to make money, to do ANYTHING really, that you really should be playing whatever it is that you have fun with rather than doing something that is strictly a grind to try to do something else that's fun 3 months down the line. Etc.

Absolutely this. People see twinks running around and get all neurotic. "If I'm not geared like that, I'm useless and no one will want to group with me!" You can play ANY character starting from scratch - some with more difficulty than others, but all are doable, especially if you have a little know-how on what cheap items to look for and how to earn a little plat at low levels. It's really silly to first play a character you don't like, just so that you can later throw some gear at a character you do like.

[DrKvothe]

I'm very appreciative of all the responses so far. Ephirith, to address the claims about erudite necro, I will explain my logic in a section at the bottom of the original post. I will recognize that erudite is non-negligibly weaker than iksar but defend the choice.

As for monk vs ranger, I agree that monks are significantly more powerful than rangers in terms of raw dps, and at mid to high levels mend and FD are extremely powerful. For new players, however, I think it makes a big difference that monks need to be weight conscious in order to keep their AC up. Rangers would definitely be at the bottom of the list, but their gear is just so cheap. You can get to some really solid dps for the kind of money any newb can scrounge up. I imagine that track also helps new players a lot more than experienced ones.

The argument you've made for shaman is pretty compelling, but i find the stretch from 14-24 to be particularly important for new players. You've moved out of the newbie zone and the adjacent lowbie zone and into the real world. That's not a good time to be poor AND underpowered. I made it through by purchasing a goblin parrying spear for 100pp (6/19, compare that to the similarly priced 16/24 ranger weapon I mentioned earlier) and killing tons of green gnolls for their fangs. Seriously, I did it until 24.

Poor soloer seems a bad argument against a class, considering how easy it is to find a duo partner, and considering how much more effective duoing is, often even for competetent soloists.

Tecmos, I think many people end up abandoning their first character. This guide is really to help people start classes that will best let them gain knowledge about the game in general. It's hard enough learning how to play some classes when you've got the gear, know the leveling spots, and have friends that can assist you when you need it.

[DrKvothe]

I will clarify at the top that any class can be played through from beginning to end. I just think that a lot of new players are pointed to the most powerful mid to endgame classes instead of to the most newb-friendly classes.

[Menemas]

Its really surprising to me that I keep seeing the recommendation for people to level a solo character first, when the whole key to this game is to be social and make friends. Talk to people, make friends, join a guild, make friends, start groups, make friends. If you're not a dick, you'll do fine.

[Tecmos Deception]

Discussion
You'll notice some clear discrepancies between the information here and the information provided in Loraen's guide, which concludes:

"So in my opinion we have the overpowered classes (Enchanter, Bard, Shaman, Monk), the solid classes (Cleric, Magician, Necromancer, Shadowknight), the raid-specialized classes (Warrior, Rogue, Wizard), and the weak classes (Ranger, Druid, Paladin)."

Notice none of the overpowered classes are in my best category. Notice the 'weak classes' are ranked either best or good in my guide. Here's why: I'm assuming that you're starting absolutely broke, and that you care more about learning how the game works and getting some pp to deck out future chars than you care about endgame or raiding. This is, after all, your first character.

You are taking that paragraph from Loraen's guide entirely out of context. You're making it sound like him calling those 4 classes overpowered (which they are) is him suggesting everyone should play them (which he didn't). You're making it sound like he was only concerned with endgame or raiding when writing his guide, even though he specifically addresses lower levels and other types of activities.


Its really surprising to me that I keep seeing the recommendation for people to level a solo character first, when the whole key to this game is to be social and make friends. Talk to people, make friends, join a guild, make friends, start groups, make friends. If you're not a dick, you'll do fine.

The key to the game is to have fun. For some people that means being social for a lot/most/all of the time they're on... but that's not true for everyone. Also, what does soloing even have to do with being social? I talk to people on my friends list, people in my guild, people who randomly /tell me, people in the zone with me, all the time even though I'm basically always soloing.


I will clarify at the top that any class can be played through from beginning to end. I just think that a lot of new players are pointed to the most powerful mid to endgame classes instead of to the most newb-friendly classes.

There's definitely a focus on the long run among a lot of players on the server. But like I said before, basically anything in classic eq IS a long run. It's counterproductive to have a bad or an ok time playing p99 for a few days /played because your first character is one that you don't especially enjoy, but that you're trying to use to make a couple thousand play to give to your next character. Just do some research on the classes to begin with and pick the one that you think you'll like in the beginning, the middle, AND the end.

[Menemas]

In my opinion/experience. If you start a new game from scratch with a solo character, you're less likely to have people to talk to while soloing. Also, when I solo, I afk or read a book during downtime.

[Tecmos Deception]

the whole key to this game is to be social

when I solo, I afk or read a book during downtime.

Lol :)

[DrKvothe]

I feel I must clarify that I don't necessarily expect players to end up hating their chars, quitting and restarting a more powerful twink. My point with the guide is simply to point new players to characters best suited to new players. Those characters, unfortunately, tend not to be the characters that are mid or end game optimal. Iksar is a stronger race for necro and monk, and monk is a stronger class than ranger. But iksar is not a particularly easy race, and monk is not a particularly easy class.

I'm sorry for misinterpreting Loraen's guide. If you wanted to use it to find the easiest classes, you could sort by low gear, drop the bottom 3, and then remove the classes with 8 or higher skill. You get the exact same list of characters I have as great or OK, except without necromancer (which I would argue is easier to play if you choose erudite). My point for deliberately misinterpreting Loraen's guide was that most new players will interpret it the same way. If you're new to the game, you might see Loraen's scores for bard or shaman and think they're the best for a new player.

Note that I've given the most new player friendly race even for the characters I don't particularly recommend for new players.

[Menemas]

Yes, yes, its a wonderful contradiction, Tecmos.

That said, I am not a new player. I am already established in terms of coin, gear, and relationships.

Let me offer advice from a slightly different angle. For a new player choosing what race/class to play, consider the nature of this server and where people can be found. An erudite necromancer, for example, is not going to find a lot of people to interact with in their starting area. A Dark Elf or a Gnome would be much closer to popular areas.

[Halfelfbard]

Make a bard people, and ill show u the light. Word of advice, where ever u start...find someone to port you pity port whatever...to WC, get a bind in Freeport and level there. The buffs u can get in the tunnel is worth it alone.

[susvain0362]

To the OP. magicians are not gear dependent one bit. Maybe the least gear dependent class in the game. You dont need shit besides hp rings and pet focus items. And you only need the fire pet torch from levels 1-49 (i think thats the level) because that the only pet you need

[susvain0362]

The key to the game is to have fun. For some people that means being social for a lot/most/all of the time they're on... but that's not true for everyone. Also, what does soloing even have to do with being social? I talk to people on my friends list, people in my guild, people who randomly /tell me, people in the zone with me, all the time even though I'm basically always

Because its WAY easier for anyone, particularly a mew player to make friends and form strong bonds being in a guild and grouping with people.

[DrKvothe]

To the OP. magicians are not gear dependent one bit. Maybe the least gear dependent class in the game. You dont need shit besides hp rings and pet focus items. And you only need the fire pet torch from levels 1-49 (i think thats the level) because that the only pet you need

That's why I list them as one of the best and describe them as "very gear independent" =D.

[susvain0362]

??? I dont get it. Best yes.....but..what? Only needing 3 items? Two you could get with 400p for the pair??

[Tecmos Deception]

My point for deliberately misinterpreting Loraen's guide was that most new players will interpret it the same way. If you're new to the game, you might see Loraen's scores for bard or shaman and think they're the best for a new player.

Ok, that's a fair point. I'll yell at him too next time I see him in guild chat ;)

[Tecmos Deception]

Because its WAY easier for anyone, particularly a mew player to make friends and form strong bonds being in a guild and grouping with people.

As I said (twice now, I think), basically all of the strong solo classes are also great classes to have in groups. It's 90% about how the player players his character and only 10% about which class the player chooses. An enchanter can oh, so easily level from 1-60 solo. Or he can level 1-60 in a group. Or he can do any mix of things inbetween. And the same is true for necros, mages, bards, shamans, druids. Hell, even clerics can solo 1-45 quite nicely even when untwinked, so long as they do their research about leveling spots. Or they can (obviously) spend their time healing in groups.

Don't tell people to play a certain class because you think it's better for them to be forced to group. That's retarded. Tell people to pick the class they think sounds like the most fun while also considering that their playstyle can affect the networking they do ingame.

[Pint]

I like that sks and warriors are expected to tank well but paladins don't have to hehe

[Gadwen]

I ran into a BIG issue very early. I mean, I love the idea of a guide intended for new players (especially one written BY a new player), but the "play a character to make money so that you can make the character you really want" is almost certainly bad advice.

It takes so much time in p99 to level up, to get gear, to make money, to do ANYTHING really, that you really should be playing whatever it is that you have fun with rather than doing something that is strictly a grind to try to do something else that's fun 3 months down the line. Etc.

^This

I really hate seeing people tell new players not to play half the classes in the game because its going to be too "difficult" for them. Play what you want to play, enjoy the game, and you won't regret it.

Play a class you don't like or are not interested in and you'll likely get bored and quit before you ever have the chance to twink the character you really wanted to play the whole time.

[khanable]

Cucumber's guide to your first character

step 1: Roll iksar warrior
step 2: Be showered in bitches and platinum
step 3: You're done! You're awesome!

[SCB]

Gear that used to be considered awesome back in the day is so cheap on this server that you can gear any toon to adequate gear levels for your content pretty easily. Most people you'll play with will be twinked in some way, so most at-level gear drops are up for grabs for at least half the party.

Learn to live with a Bracelet of Woven Grass instead of Golden Bracers. Get an FBR instead of a Tola Robe. Totally doable.

[DrKvothe]

The intro has been updated to better reflect the goal of the guide.


I really hate seeing people tell new players not to play half the classes in the game because its going to be too "difficult" for them. Play what you want to play, enjoy the game, and you won't regret it.

Play a class you don't like or are not interested in and you'll likely get bored and quit before you ever have the chance to twink the character you really wanted to play the whole time.

This is a good point that several people have made. Players should play what looks appealing. However, based on available information, some of the easiest classes to play at lower to mid levels are extremely unappealing. On the wiki, the class descriptions are rife with caveats about class weaknesses that I believe are misleading. What % of rangers quit after they look online and find out how underpowered they are? How many people narrow their choices to soloist classes, despite the fact that small groups are easy to form and are typically more efficient.

When I get the time, I'll play an untwinked ranger, farm mad cash from the newbie zone, buy some sick dps gear from EC, and write a 1-30 guide about it.

Also, does anybody agree with me about expectations of paladins as tanks? At this point I'm guessing I was dead wrong about that.

[Hastley]

Why would you make a guide when you have no clue about most things? Terrible guide

[Tecmos Deception]

How many people narrow their choices to soloist classes, despite the fact that small groups are easy to form and are typically more efficient.

But those "soloist" classes are the foundation of everything that is right and good in the game. That's why they get recommended. Yes they are good soloers, but they are also good in groups.

Good luck putting together a good 3- or 4-person group that doesn't involve a single enchanter, shaman, bard, necromancer, or mage.


When I get the time, I'll play an untwinked ranger, farm mad cash from the newbie zone, buy some sick dps gear from EC, and write a 1-30 guide about it.

Good luck overcoming the stigma against rangers with the "sick dps gear" that won't even include an fbss.



I'm not trying to rag on you. I really do like the idea of a guide written specifically for a new player to everquest. But your somewhat incorrect perceptions and lack of experience with the game are leading you to give some generally bad advice.

[Splorf22]

I should mention first of all that I think the most important attributes for 'success' on Project 1999 (using this word in the loosest way possible) are: understand basic game mechanics, play a lot, and be nice.

From the very first paragraph! But in the end, "play the class you like" is not a guide :p

A big part of the problem is that from 1-30 the game is super easy because even if you aren't twinked the mid-level gear is so insanely cheap after 3 years of Kunark that you'll be way overgeared. Suddenly you reach L50 and you are if anything slightly undergeared and all of the monsters get 3x the HP they had just 10 levels ago and the whole game changes and you realize that your Ranger is a worse puller, worse tank, and worse dps than a monk, or that your Druid has 0 chance of ever main healing a group in Sebilis, or that your paladin does nothing on raids except chain superior heal (I love Paladins, but it's worth nothing that Kalmy deleveled his because leveling was more fun than raiding on it). Meanwhile in the other courtyard of KC an enchanter (or an epic shaman) is killing stuff twice as fast as your whole group.

So my advice to new players is: pick a class you like, but edge towards the slightly more OP ones, and just read one of the hundreds of making money guides if you pick a melee.

[Splorf22]

When I get the time, I'll play an untwinked ranger, farm mad cash from the newbie zone, buy some sick dps gear from EC, and write a 1-30 guide about it.

At 30 your ranger is a) pulling with harmony like a god in Mistmoore or Unrest b) doing very solid damage for his level with his 16/24 100p silver swiftblade c) tanking just fine against L25 mobs that die in 20 seconds to his overgeared group.

At 55 your ranger a) can't use harmony in any major dungeon b) does way less damage than all the epic monks/rogues c) can't tank at all with low defense/hp/AC.

But those "soloist" classes are the foundation of everything that is right and good in the game. That's why they get reccomended. Yes they are good soloers, but they are also good in groups.

The only differences between a good solo class and a good small group classes are a) the kiting classes take a hit and b) the pure melee get better with a healer.

[Vexenu]

People are ragging on this guy way too hard. It's a guide for NEW PLAYERS. That is, people with no friends on the server and no plat in the bank. That applies to exactly no one critiquing this guide in this thread.

Is it really terrible advice to tell a brand new player to consider a Mage, Necro, Druid or Cleric? Would you really prefer to start out as a naked Monk or SK with no friends and no plat? I know I wouldn't.

If the new player doesn't have a strong desire to play a certain class, why not go with one of the four suggested? Can you seriously suggest that a new player would have an easier time with a brand new naked Warrior than a Mage or Druid? Does anyone in this thread actually remember what a pain it is to start a new character with zero help? And can you not understand how, on a server where every other low level melee class you see is wearing a Fungi and most of the Rogues have epics, leveling a melee from scratch is unappealing?

The people who KNOW they want to play a certain class will do so regardless. I see this guide as applying to people who are on the fence or maybe don't remember which classes are harder to start out with. And it's valid in that regard.

I wonder how many people have attempted to start out on the server with more difficult lowbie classes and quit out of frustration? I'm sure the number runs well into the triple digits. And I'm also sure a non-trivial number probably would have kept playing if they had been reintroduced to the game with a more lowbie/casual friendly class to start off with.

Basically, it's stupid to critique this guide from the powergamer/experienced, established player perspective. It's like a bunch of Wall Street tycoons telling an immigrant how to run his hot dog stand. You're speaking from a totally different perspective than the potential new player trying to decide which class to roll from scratch.

[DrKvothe]

At 30 your ranger is a) pulling with harmony like a god in Mistmoore or Unrest b) doing very solid damage for his level with his 16/24 100p silver swiftblade c) tanking just fine against L25 mobs that die in 20 seconds to his overgeared group.

At 55 your ranger a) can't use harmony in any major dungeon b) does way less damage than all the epic monks/rogues c) can't tank at all with low defense/hp/AC.



This is exactly the description I think is missing. Too often new players just get the second paragraph of that, but the first is also important. Does that sound just flat out awesome to anyone else? What a fun way to be introduced to the game! Sounds a lot more fun that root/rotting solo or buffing/offhealing on a shm. Why worry new players with content they won't get to for several months (if ever) anyways?

[NegaStoat]

You asked for comments or additions, so here we go! (2 part post)

--- Basics for Vets returning to the game from 10+ years ago.
Alt + O opens your menu options.
Alt + M opens your sub menu for socials / actions.
your Alt + M sub menu has a Socials tab. Click it backwards to 10 or whatever and click on a blank tab. Name it "Corpse" and type " /corpse " (without qoutes) on the line. Do the same for " /assist " and " /loc ". Macros are fairly important, and those 3 get used more than anything.

Want the old Velious clear UI? It's here towards the end of all this junk you should have read while installing - http://www.project1999.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2651

Want better armor textures from Velious instead of the bland stock classic textures? Go here - https://www.project1999.org/forums/showthread.php?p=645740&highlight=velious+texture#post645740

Want better world textures in towns and around dungeons?
https://www.project1999.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2482

I'll end with those for this part, so...

--- "Holy hell, I have no friends, no money, and I dunno how I'll cope!"

If you rolled a Light race in Faydwer, get your ass over to in front of Kaladim and level from 1-5 there. Accept no substitutions. Bone Chips and cloth armor / rusty weapons for days. Just do it - and save the chips. They sell for 5pp a stack in East Commons tunnel all day long, or even more for desperate people wanting Cabilis faction. It goes without saying you will want to level from 6-11 outside / inside crushbone for belts, which sell for 2-3pp a pop. more if someone rich and stupid comes by.

If you rolled a Dark race - get the hell over to Nektulos and get bound. Innothule SUCKS to level in due to water breaking LoS for spells / proximity aggro unlike how it worked in Classic. It's not worth dealing with. While you could level in Feerot, visibility kinda makes that place suck too, but you can go for it.

The naked ogre / troll run to Nektulos is a time honored tradition. And it is worth the risk as the bone chips / cloth + rusties is much, much better than your starting zone. Tons of silks too (save those spiderling silks. those sell in EC tunnel too).

If you rolled an Iksar - good job. Level from 1-5 in field of bone, SAVE your bone chips, but also do the Curscale Pelt quest for mad experience. All the Cabilis noob turn-in quests suck for experience but that one. It's as good as the Kaladim paladin chip quest. Bank pelts, save them, make the jump from 5-6 easier from doing a massive turn in instead of turning them in through the stretch of 1-5.

People wanting Cabilis faction will buy your bone chips. Just be patient. It does happen off and on. Save spiderling silks as well.

You CAN leave Kunark if you have courage, to cash in on that CB belt madness. Exit out of Cabilis into Warsliks woods, hook around the Giant Fort on the right side as you run for the Overthere exit at loc neg 300, pos 4000. Once in the Overthere, hug the wall to the ocean, run along the shore to the Evil city wall, jump in, swim, give the wall a LOT of room (there's a stupid Sarnak spawned near the wall in the water), swim over to the dock area, tread water, wait, then get on the boat by climbing up a barrel on the rear.

As you enter Timorous Deep, wait until the boat passes by the Graveyard of Ships location, let the boat travel 500 full loc past that, then jump off. Swim past the graveyard, then carefully make your way to the Firepot Room at neg 12000, pos 4400. If you jump off the boat early and try to swim in a straight line instead for the shortest route, a Fire gator might eat you. Go the longer way past the ship graveyard, cutting back in a straight line once past it for the safe way.

Once inside the Firepot chamber, Click on the brown wooden flame for Kelethin. You'll spawn in a spot outside of the PoD lift guards that might aggro you. So you'll be safe. Faeries in the zone pathing in certain areas WILL kick your ass though, so get a bind as soon as possible. I'd recommend camping the Wizard spires for a Wiz to give you a mercy bind near the Zone Wall by it.

[NegaStoat]

... And I mentioned money?

You can do the Stein of Moggok Quest with a level 4 Dark Elf Enchanter, just like it was possible on Retail. Here's how.

Make an Agnostic Dark Elf enchanter. Run straight to the docks of Freeport. Run under the docks, below the Sailor's Roost bar there and make your way to the rogue trainer. Do the Janam and Rebby note handoff quests 18 total times. This will put you a small ways into level 3, it will be boring as hell, but it also grants you a great amount of faction to buy / sell from the merchants, as well as be a key to something in a bit.

After doing this, level up to 4 the traditional way by kicking ass with a cracked staff. Save bone chips, sell them in EC tunnel, take the money for the next step.

Buy the spells of Invisibility, Illusion: Human & Half Elf, Gate, and your level 4 pet and level 4 nuke. Make sure you have about 3 plat and 5 gold on you. Now go to Ocean of Tears using the boat in freeport, stop in sister isle, jump off the boat, illusion up, go to the vendor, buy some kiola nuts, and gate out.

Now go get the Honey Jum by doing the quest steps for it. Honey Combs are best hunted in Kithicor during the day, and Illusion Half Elf works fine by itself in getting the Jum from Kizzie(no Alliance needed). give her the 30 coins first. you might get the jum without having to give her the honeycombs if it's still wonky (was bugged), or someone might have "primed" the quest for you by doing it wrong.

Run to Qeynos. Enjoy Invis and avoid undead and Gore hounds. Get to the temple of life, jump in the water and blow up a fish. Blow up 8-9 fishes (the drop rate kinda sucks sometimes). You may or may not want to use a mule for killing the fish. I didn't bother because who the hell cares about Qeynos? It's the armpit of Norrath. Remember to use Invis or your racial Hide (target & /con someone to make sure it works) so you can med for mana as needed.

Get on the boat for Erudin. Agnostic DE's are not KOS in Erudin, so jump off at the dock without a concern for that. Human Illusion up, get the Erud Tonic (no Alliance needed). Gate back home.

Finish the quest. The barkeep in Freeport will NOT need Alliance. Normally, he would, but you did all that faction work with Janam and Rebby, remember? Human illusion and your faction work will carry the day and you get the book. In Oggok, Clurg will NOT need Alliance either. Just like retail, basic Indifferent as an Agnostic DE is fine.

Yay. Free mug that is overfarmed is now yours. You might sell it for 300-350pp if you are lucky, but remember you can also hawk the thing in Gfay while getting belts or something.

Last but not least - if you're new and concerned about getting cash... Find a level 29 mage or higher and tip them well for some summoned dimensional holes or glowing backpacks (if you are lucky). Make a level 1 alt, and carefully ground twink the bags over to the alt and have the alt punch a guard in the face. Corpses STORE No Rent items for up to a week. Re use your bags, sell EVERYTHING you loot since you can carry the shit, and make more $$$. Just don't cry about their loss if the server burps and needs to be restarted.

[webrunner5]

Wow, I would hate to be a noob starting on here reading this whole thread. None of us "old timers" can't seem to agree on shit lol. :D

Being broke as hell as a Melee is no fun at all. Playing a Hybrid with the 40% or more XP penalty is no fun either. Playing a Pally or a Ranger to the end game ends up being no fun either. The reason they are the least played classes on here. :o

Just goes to show how really screwed up the original devs had this game going in Classic, Kunark.

But in the end everyone has a favorite class they like and that is what they ought to play even as a noob or a "old timer". It is all about the journey, and the groups, and the guild chats, and raids end game. So we all need to just slow down and have a good time, a lot of fun, and enjoy what we like and have on here. Its JUST a game folks. And a damn good one at that. ;)

[Lyra]

I ran into a BIG issue very early. I mean, I love the idea of a guide intended for new players (especially one written BY a new player), but the "play a character to make money so that you can make the character you really want" is almost certainly bad advice.

It takes so much time in p99 to level up, to get gear, to make money, to do ANYTHING really, that you really should be playing whatever it is that you have fun with rather than doing something that is strictly a grind to try to do something else that's fun 3 months down the line. Etc.

I leveled druid first, she's 51. Then leveled a cleric. She's 57. It was a great strategy for me. I'm still playing after 8 months, unlike so so many that have quit.

[webrunner5]

I leveled druid first, she's 51. Then leveled a cleric. She's 57. It was a great strategy for me. I'm still playing after 8 months, unlike so so many that have quit.

I must admit I NEVER have crap for plat till I leveled up my Druid. But I am sort of a alt whore!! :eek:

[Laugher]

Step 1: as a nub: make druid, get to at least 39 for full portage options, 49 for optional buffage for donations
Step 2: port/buff until rich and/or well off
Step 3: make the class you actually want to play; give away a couple buffs and ports for free because you're now 99 ingame bourgeoisie

http://jspivey.wikispaces.com/file/view/bourgeoisie.gif/42582147/bourgeoisie.gif

(Unless you want to be a druid, in which case just gear out and keep on winning.)

[runlvlzero]

Jut play a wiz0rd(355)