Basic points for a new player


Pathfinder Online

Dark Archive Goblin Squad Member

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As a new player, I found that the game has a steep learning curve.
I did read quite a lot of the information out there, but I feel that there is some information that new players should be aware of and in short form it can be more helpful that telling them to go dig through the documentation out there.
Please feel free to add your points too or to ask questions.

1) Do NOT spend any xp unless you are absolutely sure you need the skill/feat/profession etc.
2) Always have a distance weapon of some sort, be it a bow or magic.
3) 'R' is autorun, 'Ctrl' will make you sprint, remember running away from a fight is an option.
4) Before purchasing anything that needs xp, ask yourself if you need it and have you researched it?
5) There are no stupid questions on the General chat during Alpha, and indeed during EE, most of the players do not bite, though TEO might ask you for your soul.
6) Quite a lot of bugs can be solved by logging out and waiting a minute or two, this can even fix the teleport bug.
7) You get basic attacks when equipping a weapon, these are enough to fight with it, unless you want to specialise more.
8) Knowledge skills and gatherer skills at level 1 are cheap and indespensable, IMHO.
9) DO NOT ATTACK THE THORNGUARDS, they never forget a name.

If I think of more I will add them.

Scarab Sages Goblin Squad Member

Great list!

Here are my recommendations:

10) Until further notice, don't slot any Reactive feats. They're bugged, and they'll harm you as well as your opponent.

11) If you join a party, keep an eye on the auto-target system. It has some bugs that can cause you to target party members. Make sure you know who your target is before you launch an attack.

12) To target yourself, hit F1. To target your party members, hit F2 through F6. After you heal yourself or a party member, make sure you switch your targeting back to an enemy before you launch an attack.

Goblin Squad Member

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13) taking a spell or attack above the initial first level trained is pointless and a waste of XP until you get a better (crafted) wand/weapon/staff/focus

14) the safest weapon to use until you find or get given armor is the free shortbow (girl next to rogue trainer gives you one) with the distant shot feat trained at the skirmisher so you can shoot 35m. Note that longbows and staffs also fire 35m but are not available for free at first login.

15) equipping armor (once you find some) without also equipping a matching armor feat is pointless

16) when attacking large mobs always TAB through them and look for yellow or red ones. Either attack these first or walk quietly away if yellow monsters are too strong for you

17) same as 16 but substitute "shaman" for "yellow or red"

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13, explained) Higher Tiers and Upgrades(+1/2/3) activate more Keywords on Feats. If your item doesn't give you matching Keywords your Feat does not improve. Look at your weapons and the Keywords its Rank and Upgrade give you acess to. Usually this will be only 1 Keyword. The item must be Tier 2+ or have an Upgrade 1+ to give you more Keywords.

Goblin Squad Member

18) In addition to 1 and 4, before spending XP, double check that you really really need it and can you actually use it? Do you have the right feats/weapons/implements?

Goblin Squad Member

Swiss Mercenary wrote:

As a new player, I found that the game has a steep learning curve.

I did read quite a lot of the information out there, but I feel that there is some information that new players should be aware of and in short form it can be more helpful that telling them to go dig through the documentation out there.
Please feel free to add your points too or to ask questions.

quick comments:

Quote:


1) Do NOT spend any xp unless you are absolutely sure you need the skill/feat/profession etc.

Good advice, though spending a few hundred xp on various armor feats and all proficiencies is ok.

Quote:

2) Always have a distance weapon of some sort, be it a bow or magic.

3) 'R' is autorun, 'Ctrl' will make you sprint, remember running away from a fight is an option.
yes and yes
Quote:

4) Before purchasing anything that needs xp, ask yourself if you need it and have you researched it?

and: do you need it right now?

Quote:

5) There are no stupid questions on the General chat during Alpha, and indeed during EE, most of the players do not bite, though TEO might ask you for your soul.

we only ask so as to prove that actually you have one, we don't keep it.
Quote:

6) Quite a lot of bugs can be solved by logging out and waiting a minute or two, this can even fix the teleport bug.

yes. see Ryan's post. There are "true bugs" and there are server overload/desynch issues.
Quote:
7) You get basic attacks when equipping a weapon, these are enough to fight with it, unless you want to specialise more.
just remember to buy the basic weapon proficiencies
Quote:
8) Knowledge skills and gatherer skills at level 1 are cheap and indespensable, IMHO.

Cheap and useful, but you can also gather with lvl0 skill. Absolutely recommended though.

Quote:

9) DO NOT ATTACK THE THORNGUARDS, they never forget a name.

Do not attack anyone if there are guards nearby. Don't fight back if the wolf eats you.

Goblin Squad Member

Running away is often the best option.

Goblin Squad Member

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Caldeathe Baequiannia wrote:
Running away is often the best option.

In PvE yes.

In PvP, expect to be brutally punished for Provoking Opportunity.

Goblin Squad Member

Thank you for clarifying that often doesn't mean always.

Goblin Squad Member

Caldeathe Baequiannia wrote:
Thank you for clarifying that often doesn't mean always.

I'm hopeful that new players will absorb the information that Provoking Opportunity will have very bad consequences in PvP. Thank you for presenting me with an opportunity to further disseminate that knowledge.

Goblin Squad Member

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Nihimon wrote:
In PvP, expect to be brutally punished for Provoking Opportunity.

Running away while healing or buffing yourself helps negate those 'punishments'.

If you're so outnumbered or outgunned that you can't even heal yourself and run away then fighting back is going to be futile.

Best advise if you cannot win is to strip naked (til player looting is enforced anyway).

Goblin Squad Member

<Kabal> Häagen wrote:
Nihimon wrote:
In PvP, expect to be brutally punished for Provoking Opportunity.

Running away while healing or buffing yourself helps negate those 'punishments'.

If you're so outnumbered or outgunned that you can't even heal yourself and run away then fighting back is going to be futile.

Best advise if you cannot win is to strip naked (til player looting is enforced anyway).

I have a hunch butt nakid gatherin' may become a "thing".

Goblin Squad Member

For the record, Haagen's strategy proved vastly more successful than I expected it to. I created a new Character and spent the starting 1,000 XP, then played with Haagen for an hour or so at one of the Open PvP Towers.

Minor Cure does not Provoke Opportunity, and it does not apply Stationary, so it's actually quite effective.

Thanks again, Haagen, for teaching me something new :)

Goblin Squad Member

Nihimon wrote:
I'm hopeful that new players will absorb the information that Provoking Opportunity will have very bad consequences in PvP. Thank you for presenting me with an opportunity to further disseminate that knowledge.

@Nihimon,

Its really hard sometimes to determine if your being sarcastic, insultive, instructive or complementive. :)

In any case, what do you mean by "presenting me with an opportunity to further disseminate that knowledge"? This is the first time I recall you brining the subject of "Provoking Opportunity" before. Have you discussed this previously (if so, where)? Have you mentioned it offhand before, or did you write a post/tread covering this in detail?

I did a search on PFO Wiki and nothing solid came up...

Goblin Squad Member

Giorgo wrote:
Nihimon wrote:
I'm hopeful that new players will absorb the information that Provoking Opportunity will have very bad consequences in PvP. Thank you for presenting me with an opportunity to further disseminate that knowledge.

@Nihimon,

Its really hard sometimes to determine if your being sarcastic, insultive, instructive or complementive. :)

In any case, what do you mean by "presenting me with an opportunity to further disseminate that knowledge"? This is the first time I recall you brining the subject of "Provoking Opportunity" before. Have you discussed this previously (if so, where)? Have you mentioned it offhand before, or did you write a post/tread covering this in detail?

I did a search on PFO Wiki and nothing solid came up...

I was partially being snarky in response to a snarky "thank you" from Cal.

I don't know if I've written about Provoking Opportunity before, but it's something I've talked about a lot with other players, and was quite genuine in my desire to inform new players that they need to pay attention to it.

Right now, if you're up against someone using a Longbow and you try to run - either towards them or away from them - you're likely to take lots of damage from Longbow Exploit.

Goblin Squad Member

@Nihimon,

If you can write up a post on PO I would appreciate it, its all confusing to me.

As for being hit by a longbow, do you suggest just "walking under fire" up to the archer and then hitting him/her with melee?


Haagen will be rewarded for his efforts =)

Goblin Squad Member

Giorgo wrote:

@Nihimon,

If you can write up a post on PO I would appreciate it, its all confusing to me.

As for being hit by a longbow, do you suggest just "walking under fire" up to the archer and then hitting him/her with melee?

You Provoke Opportunity whenever you move faster than a Walk while in Combat. Many Attacks also Provoke Opportunity when you use them. Some Attacks apply Opportunity to you regardless of what you do.

Some Attacks do a lot of increased damage when you have the Opportunity condition. Basic Longbow Exploit is one such Attack that is especially dangerous because of its range.

There are a number of conditions that allow your enemy's Attacks to do something special. Opportunity is the one to be most aware of because it's so easy to put it on yourself simply by moving normally.

Goblin Squad Member

<Kabal> Pexx wrote:
Haagen will be rewarded for his efforts =)

It's worth pointing out that, when Haagen and I tested his strategy of using Minor Cure while disengaging, he was not subject to any Basic <something> Exploit Attacks. If I had been using a Longbow instead of a Staff, he likely would not have fared as well.

Goblin Squad Member

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Nihimon wrote:
I was partially being snarky in response to a snarky "thank you" from Cal.

this was true, and obvious to me, and I expect I deserved it.

Goblin Squad Member

Bookmarked for inclusion in the soon to be updated EE FAQ thread, perhaps as a recommendation section; and for new people to add new EE insight to the topic on hand. :)

Also, it may find its way to one of the various players guides.

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