Rebooting on Alb--Info thread for getting back up to speed

For anyone wanting to come back to DAOC, one of the fastest ways to get frustrated with the game is to vaguely remember things...and to forget many others that made you stand out among players. Among these were the various utilities, websites, and spreadsheets that we used.

Starting this thread to refresh memories, for WHENEVER peeps care to try out the realm; easy one-stop shopping for anyone wanting to get back in the swing of things. A few things to remember:

1) The VN Boards (where most of your googling stuffs will take you) are FUCKED UP...they reset the boards, the threads, whatever...and busted peoples' old accounts...turning them into legacy accounts. Total clusterfuck, and good luck finding anything. Seek info elsewhere.
2) You will hear people requesting help with "templates." Once upon a time, this meant gearing to have things JUST SO, in order to cap everything--skills, resists, etc. Today, I was asked to help a new player with her "template..." but what she meant was her spec. Be aware of this when you hear folks speak of it. Also, templating was best achieved via the use of a utility program in the past, called Kort's Spellcrafting Calculator. It's still out there on sourceforge, just google it.
3) The other neat utility out there is located at http://charbuilder.nixianplay.com/ ...since the only copy of the charplanner that used to be on daoc catacombs site is a save and not the actual calculator. Google daoc charplan or charplanner for the standalone if you want a program without being online. This helps you to choose and adjust your specializations without spending actual points...and respec stones...in game; that is, IF you want a downloadable non-Uthgard specific utility.
4) Uthgard is the DAOC you want: Classic/SI, NO ToA, NO Buffbots (no shit, really, they are aggressive about banning them), and NO Catacombs classes.
5) Read the boards here...despite the fact that many contain jokes...most contain info you will find yourself asking...about good duos for levelling, specs for different classes, places to hunt, etc.

Hope to see you in-game...new, or old.

Creep

Good points all around koko, but one additional note, the VN boards are only MOSTLY borked...if you go to google and open the cached version of the forum post it will populate the way you remember. Makes it harder to find but still available.

On another note, leveling a stealther here sucks...I spend the weekend playing on and off on a mercenary and in three days went from 1-25 with only my playtime slowing me down...compared to my infi that's ridiculous...so if you're just coming back I would suggest in order of leveling:

Cabby - FDS ftw
Friar - Self buffs+damage
Reaver - more defense=less down time, positionals take less endo
Sorc - get pet, let lose wake up for loot
Theurgist -always in groups and can solo a crap ton from what I've seen
Pally - don't autotrain, get group, sleep with end regen on
Cleric - first 5 levels blow, after that get group spec aug 75% mend 25%
Wizzy - spec ice and find a group, press one button to 50
Merc - two one handers, downside is finding weapons level appropriate
Armsman - heavy armor, heavy attack, little slow due to style costs
Minstrel - use pets but take a lot of work, appear worth it in endgame
Scout - big damage but no groups really, lots of sitting
Infi - poisons constantly, expensive, no groups, worth end game...

I feel leveling solo is just as fast as 4 out of 5 groups (the odd AoE bomb group is always better), if you're solo MOVE frequently, burning through yellow and blues with full camp bonus is often close or at XP cap. If you're playing normal US times especially 8PM or after move to the frontiers for the XP bonus, believe it's 15%. That's all I have for now, leveling my merc and will make a "JJ's favorite leveling path" as I progress.

JJ

Just staring at your post now and agree with it, with a few observations regarding solo leveling:

Casters: FDS pulls only wait for mana. Easy levelling. High yellows generally best xp with or without camp bonus. Stick and move, though...I roam from camp to camp to camp and just harvest the mobs on the edges for the camp bonus. Pets save your ass when mobs pull from extreme range, or when you underestimate the strength of a mob...or it has stupid tough resists. Or it BAFs. Or you lag. In order of ease of levelling: Cabbie (matter), Sorceror (mind), Theurg/Wizzie. None of these are too demanding, as caster gear does not need to be replaced but every dozen or more levels...i am still wearing some level 5 gear at level 37.

Hybrids: If you can cast something, you probably have an edge over those who MUST depend on the keeness of their weapons only. Without much experience but what I see among peers leveling near me: Friar (but wtf is the point endgame with the shitty heals and mediocre buffs?! Total solo/duo class imao), Reaver, Smite Cleric, Pally.

Hard: Everyone else...classes that depend more on their arms and armor than the above, with JJ's caveat regarding finding the right weapons--almost every level. Merc (for some reason, it seems 1h weapons > 2h weapon...I see a lot of mercs), Minst (with pet only...otherwise, dead last imao), Scout (range > melee all things being equal, although the leveling FOTM appears to be sword and board), Armsman (armor is great, but...zzz warrior what?), Infi.

I don't group...too random finding the right types, overcoming the language barriers, waiting for afk retards, etc...to really realize the benefits of grouping. Besides, I afk a lot to play FB games while waiting for mana to regen.

One other item--regarding DF. Good for CERTAIN LEVELS...but the whole 25% additional xp isn't really helpful when the camp bonus goes quickly and you find yourself pulling the same 8-10 mobs over and over again, ad nauseam, because everything around you is camped. Seals still make for good currency though. Then you get rolled...usually most RvR leaves grey-con alone...but I have been whacked in DF by a solo griefer and jumped by a full group.

J

to further clarify, i have started doing some testing for the GM's regarding some melee issues and they have a lot of research already done on their forums, the primary one everyone will notice is Block, parry, evade chance...as you'll recall these had special arrangements on live which follow suit on uthgard, however they seem to be missing certain aspects (which is what I'm trying to discover)...why this is important, dual weilders have their 50% increase to defense penetration hence why you see more Mercs than Armsman (reaver's are a special case due to flex being class specific line) other classes seem to have melee damage avoided far more often. Just wanted to clarify that, hence why armsmen are so far down my list.

Also as Jake explained, outside of RvR casters need NOTHING on uthgard, cept a target...no worries on gear as alb seems to have no shortness of clothie drops oh and everyone who has a salvage bot can make you armor because tailoring is and always has been the cheapest craft to skill up.

Next, why do I see all crush merc, sword and board scouts, pally's with no chants, and minstrels with no songs...auto training, remember this is a classic server, you will NOT recieve back your autotrain levels the first time you respec they will be lost forever. remember autotraining saves you 77 spec points in a line...is it worth it....that's up to you, I feel some classes it's important, on others...77 points is like 2% chance to swing off hand or 1% higher parry...not game breaking. Just be aware when making groups prior to 48 that the pally you get may have grey con end regen...

Big scheme of things to fully enjoy uthgard albion on your first go, Jake is correct; save your cash, level fast with a caster (minimal BG time though due to stealthers wanting to rape you, better be in a group ), than any hybrid, bit more expensive but better solo for those of us on US times zones when minimal activity in BG's, finally straight Melee damage...friggin expensive as hell and harder to template endgame (infi's have 5 skills you need +11 to, Most other melee have 3-4....caster's have 1 necessary with 2 optional.

And finally Crafting cost*, as a reminder:
Alchemy -25P+++ to cap, no salvage yep picked it on my expensive to equip infi...
Weapon crafter 20P ish -salvage and good money for MP's but it'll cost ya
SC'ing 20P ish -no salvage occasional big profitable orders, always needed
Armor crafting 20P ish -salvage, decent money for MP often needed
Fletching -15p ish -salvage, selling to minimal market, but necessarry and limited on uth
Tailor - Under 10p -CHEAP, salvage, always needed by players and armor crafters.
*all estimates based on random websites and good/bad luck

any questions feel free to ask, if I don't know the answer someone else will or we'll find it hehe.

JJ

I didn't read all that... too many words.

But I recall last time we were on Uthgard they have a player auction npc in Camelot. I haven't checked this time around to see if it's still there.

But I do recall getting a few nice leveling items off of it, pretty cheaply.

Or I could just be having delusions again...

Player auction thing is the market explorer, just inside of housing. Still there, leveling gear still cheap (I picked up one ring for 20g, and with my DF staff for 25 seals am capped again).

True enough, it's pretty easy to roll on Uth.

J