EQ Newbie here!

[wayne62682]

Originally Posted by unleashedd [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

level 1 is the only level when you get to kill even mobs efficiently. heed my advice; aim for lower levels to grind on

Haha thanks for that tip!

[Mackinz]

I did Najena with a group of people and it was the most enjoyment I have had in an MMO except for one time in FFXI. We wiped like 5 times but we got what we wanted in the end.

This is a game for leveling a toon of course, but its also a game for COMMUNITY. You have to interact with players and that is a very good thing. It makes the game feel alive and there's nothing cooler than a higher level toon running up to you as a low level and giving you buffs/plat. I do the same now that I'm lvl 24. Level 24 doesn't feel like halfway there. I feel like I earned this lvl 24 and its a high level. WoW was not like this.

You play EQ for the experience of traveling the world and working together with people for the greater good. The grinding is frustrating, but rewarding. I'd play this any day over modern wow with all its bells and whistles that give you "rewards" but its all participation trophies. You have to earn what you get on here.

[Dorrel]

I'm going to suggest playing a necromancer. I've played one on live, blue, and have a level 21 on green. They were all gnomes. Any race you pick you'll have to "con" NPCs from a distance at first to see if you're KOS (Kill On Sight). Once you're level 16 you'll have invisibility, invisibility against undead, and feign death. Those 3 spells will go a long way to keeping you alive in case you wonder into somewhere you're KOS. There are plenty of quests you can do to improve your faction with others, which can be fun.

Necro's are excellent solo'ers and if your play style/time. You can log in, cast a pet, and be killing right away.

Necro's can be valuable in groups as well. Pet DPS and taps help out with fast dying enemies. Rooting mobs away from others, snare and fearing off mobs (when safe), or Pet tanking adds will be welcomed.

[wayne62682]

I definitely will have to try a Necro. I'm trying a Druid right now to avoid being evil. Rough going but I expected that! I think I just hit level 4 haha.

[pivo]

Originally Posted by wayne62682 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I definitely will have to try a Necro. I'm trying a Druid right now to avoid being evil. Rough going but I expected that! I think I just hit level 4 haha.

Don't forget to buy spell 'Gate' at lvl4! Your: 'O Chit' escape spell.

What zone did you start? Or what is your race?

As a beginner (and bad, slow & clumsy player) I was suggested Hafling Druid. Druids get meditate (faster mana regen when sittting) at lvl8. Before that is a huge grind. 10 seconds attack, NPC killed, mana bar empty, then sitting few minutes to replenish mana bar. Booooooooring!~ At lvl 7 I could not get to lvl 8. I was dying enough often, that my XP bar was not moving higher. Actually I dropped several times from lvl7 back to 6. If I would duo would be OK but I was soloing.

So I started again and choose Druid in different starting zone: Greater Faydark (Keleith city) - Wood Elf. Why? Because there are quests that helps you level up. (or/also selling drop to other players, who want to level up, making good starting money)

There are 3 typically suggested beginner classes: Mage, Necro and Druid. I started Mage and Necro also as a Gnome. (Steamfont Mountains starting area). Nice thing is, these two starting areas are close, separated only by Lesser Faydark, that can be traveled from/to easy, just stay on the wall when traveling in LF.

Then there is third starting area, in front of city Kaladim. (Kaladim is, where you turn in your bone chips for fast leveling) So you can use all three by easy traveling from one to another. Where I was stuck with Hafling Druid at lvl7, this time I leveled him up very easy with the bone chips turn in quest. And later with CB belts. (turn in quest is also in Kaladim city) If you don't care to level up with CB Belts, they sell for 2pp a piece! Easy money for soloing lvl7-8 and up.

For that reason I choose Mage and Necro as Gnome, for these easy starting areas close to each other, and easy early levels money.

For now, Mage is the easiest, most fun class to play for me. Next is Necro. For now, Druid is the least fun to me of the three, since I'm sitting (meditating) a lot, waiting to be able to attack again. With Mage/Necro, pet is attacking while you are meditating, so there is less waiting. Once I hit 19 and be free to travel with Druid where I want, it may become more interesting. Plus then you get some charming animal techniques to try, it may gets more fun, attacking 2 animals at the same time, 2 x xp.

Note, if you decide to try pet class, if pet does over 50% damage you only get 50% XP.
What I'm doing is, when mana bar is full, mage does most of damage, so no XP penalty.
When mana is low, pet does most damage, I take 50% xp penalty while meditating to get mana higher. (but instead of just sitting and waiting, I'm still playing!)

Someone in high teens was leveling much faster than me, by having pet do all the damage, then disband the pet (reclaim energy), kill NPC himself, get full XP, cast new (fire) pet & repeat. That way, you don't need to meditate much at all, basically constant action, and keep getting full XP. I need to try this out [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

p.s.
Just recalled - I could not level Necro with those Bone Chips turn in in Kaladim, it was KoS to the guards. For this reason, Magician Gnome is probably preferred beginner class. The really hard grinding is first 3 levels. You get pet at lvl4. After that is easy! Necro gets pet at lvl1 - probably the easiest class for levels 1-3 (once you can buy pet, since you start with 0 gold)

[wayne62682]

I went Half-Elf Druid of Tunare, so I am in GFay.

I suspect I should look for an Orc Hill group soon, but I was waiting until level 5 so I got some of the better spells that can help out. The blue con mobs near Kelethin though I'm not sure how good those are since they don't give a lot of XP but are easy kills and I haven't really found anything more worthwhile to kill without heading towards Crushbone where they are a bit too tough right now (IIRC Orc Centurions are yellow at least to me)

[Exard3k]

Originally Posted by pivo [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

There are 3 typically suggested beginner classes: Mage, Necro and Druid.

Although they are quite capable solo, I don't think pet classes are very beginner friendly on green because the box isn't there yet and you have to do macros and keybinds and shit.

If that is less complicated for beginners than asking for a group in chat, then yes. Otherwise classes like wizard, paladin, sk, cleric are more straight forward. My recommended class/race is barbarian shaman. You get a bit of everything, no pet,decent solo as well and you can fit into multiple roles in groups.

[pivo]

Originally Posted by wayne62682 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I went Half-Elf Druid of Tunare, so I am in GFay.

I suspect I should look for an Orc Hill group soon, but I was waiting until level 5 so I got some of the better spells that can help out. The blue con mobs near Kelethin though I'm not sure how good those are since they don't give a lot of XP but are easy kills and I haven't really found anything more worthwhile to kill without heading towards Crushbone where they are a bit too tough right now (IIRC Orc Centurions are yellow at least to me)

Good start! :-)

Yes orc hill at lvl5 with a group. I haven't doing any killing in GF with my Druid beside those Orcs. What I did at first few levels, I went in front of Kaladim (north part of Butcheblock Mountains - beginner zone), I got several stacks of bone chips and with them I leveled up to lvl 8.

https://wiki.project1999.com/Bone_Chips_(Kaladim)

Then, with new spells and meditate I went after the Orcs, mostly solo. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[wayne62682]

I'll have to try Kaladim, I did once try a Dwarf Paladin and that area wasn't too bad for that, but figured Paladin was not a good solo class and didn't continue.

Originally Posted by Exard3k [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Although they are quite capable solo, I don't think pet classes are very beginner friendly on green because the box isn't there yet and you have to do macros and keybinds and shit.

If that is less complicated for beginners than asking for a group in chat, then yes. Otherwise classes like wizard, paladin, sk, cleric are more straight forward. My recommended class/race is barbarian shaman. You get a bit of everything, no pet,decent solo as well and you can fit into multiple roles in groups.

Yeah I was going to do a Magician but the lack of the pet UI made me feel it would actually be harder rather than easier. I haven't tried Barb Shaman but might see how that is. I think once before I tried an Ogre but that area was... ugh.

[pivo]

Originally Posted by wayne62682 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'll have to try Kaladim, I did once try a Dwarf Paladin and that area wasn't too bad for that, but figured Paladin was not a good solo class and didn't continue.

Beginner area in front of Kaladim is full of skeletons. Bone chips turn in quest is inside Kaladim. Perfect match. I was leveling up so fast i couldn't believe. Compared with my other Druid that got stuck at lvl7.