I wrote this partially because lately we've had an influx of lovely new players and they often ask the same questions over and over. I'm not the be all and end all of knowledge, but hopefully this will help some.
Oh..and Thanks to Elro for previewing this for me and giving some helpful suggestions!
New Player FAQ
Q: I’m a new player and I just loaded the game. I’ve been downloading forever! How long does it take?
A: If you are patching from a CD installation, it will take you a very, long time. Depending on how long you’ve been running the patcher, you may just want to cancel it and then download a much more recent version of the game from the official site C4 Patched Download (ftp://l2clientdownload.lineage2.com/Chronicle04/L2_C4_Installer.zip) . Fileplanet also (as of the writing of this faq) has a download of the game. Download this and install it and your patching will be minimal.
Q: I used to play in Beta/Prelude/Pick a Chronicle and I’d like to know how the game has changed?
A: It’s changed lots depending on how far back you have gone. They have added new areas, help for leveling new characters, which characters are most powerful has changed, etc. Your best bet it so take a look through the past Chronicle update notes here: Chronicle Notes (http://www.lineage2.com/news/career.html)
Q: I can’t decide what to play. What kind of character shall I pick?
A: It really depends on what you want out of playing. Are you the type of person who wants to maximize everything and get the fastest leveling and most powerful character? Do you want a rare character that only few people play? Do you like fighters and despise playing archer types? Do you like healing but hate buffing? There are lots of people willing to give you advice, but when the day is done, you are the one who has to live with the character. Which character is most powerful changes from Chronicle to Chronicle, the current favorites as of this writing are powerful Nukers and Archers. Some characters are great in PvE and only so-so in PvP and Sieges. Some are sought after for PvP and Sieges but have trouble finding groups in PvE.
Spend some time thinking about what you want out of your playtime and then take a look here Skills (http://www.lineage2.com/Knowledge/race_human.html) and do some reading on the message board. Some people will tell you to make various characters to play around with, but early on you really only have two choices, and thanks to the benefits for new players the early levels will fly, it’s really the post 40 skills you are going to be living with for the longest time, unless of course you are Splatter. (Inside joke among old Board Members) So take a look at those and make a decision based on what you think fits your playstyle.
Q: Which server should I choose?
A: In each of the server forums here on the board there is a ‘server personality’ post. Take some time to read it and see which appeals to you from there. Some servers are more heavily populated than others. Some have more PvP than others. Some have one dominate alliance while others have many with no chokehold on the castles. Only one of the servers has me! Again, it’s going to depend some on what you want. Just be aware that every server has their good and bad. The only real difference in any play mechanics is Teon. It’s geared towards European players (no it’s not located in Europe and it’s still in English) but it has Siege times that are more Euro friendly.
Q: I came from (insert other MMORG name here) where I could modify the interface. How do I change it in Lineage II?
A: Other than moving things around a bit (you can drag your Quickbars to other positions and drag you chat boxes around) you can’t. Yes, I know it’s great to be able to modify the interface, but at this time it’s just not possible.
Q: I don’t like the ‘click to move’ thing. I want to use the ‘wasd’ movement. How do I do that?
A: On the Options menu under the ‘Game’ tab is a box called ‘Enter Chat’. If you check that you will be able to use the ‘wasd’ key movement. Be aware though, most people find it cumbersome and not as good as the ‘click to move’. You might just want to try sticking with the ‘click to move’ you may eventually find you actually like it.
Q: What are newbie benefits?
A: The first character to reach level 6 on your account is entitled to special buffs and given the ability to upgrade equipment for a fee. The buffs do not start until you hit level 8, however. The biggest catch is this is only for ONE character and the benefits stop once you have leveled ANY character on that account past level 24.
This web page explains the benefits Newbie Buffs (http://www.lineage2.com/guide/bonuses.html).
Note the benefits are per server, so if you have a character on Sieghardt that is level 78, you can still get newbie benefits on another server if you have no characters past level 24.
Q: How do I talk in the different channels? For instance how can I whisper back to someone or shout?
A: Here is a comprehensive list of commands for the game:
Commands (http://www.lineage2.com/guide/commands.html)
! is for shout
# is for party chat
“ and the person’s name is for a whisper
Q: What does HE mean or FToM or ganked or ‘insert favorite acronym’?
A: Check out this thread Acronyms (http://boards.lineage2.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=177696&page=0&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1#177696) for the meaning of all kinds of things.
Q: I saw someone who had a red (or blue or whatever) colored name. Why is it different color than most?
A: If you see someone with a Red or pink name, it means they are a Player Killer. They have killed someone who did not fight back. There are many reasons someone kills other players, but it may be best if you do not want to lose XP, to avoid them. If someone has a purple name, that means they have attacked someone and while their name is purple, they can be killed without penalty. Beware that if their name is flashing purple it will soon turn back to white and if you kill them while white, your name will turn red.
If someone has a blue name it means… nothing really. The game gives you the ability to ‘recommend’ another player. If they get enough of these recommendations, their name changes color. It was designed as a way to show someone was a ‘good’ player, but people pay for them or beg for them or get them for no real reason other than they can. So, it means nothing.
Q: Okay, I picked a server and made a character, but every time I step outside town some guy kills me. Why don’t the GMs stop him?
A: This is an open PvP game. That means, at any time, any place (other than in town) for any reason, someone can kill you. Some people like to kill players that are relatively helpless against them and so pick on newbies. If this is happening to you, sometimes it helps to make a post in your realm’s forum and let people know you are getting ganked. You will often get a very supportive response from people there. Sometimes it’s helpful to shout “PK” or “Red” and give a location, so others can come and kill them if able. Other things you can do include going somewhere else to hunt, logging onto an alternative character for awhile, or plotting dire revenge to be dished out at a later level when you are high enough they can’t push you around.
Most of us have had the newbit hazing experience and it does get better later on in your character’s life. Just remember the names of those who abused you! Don’t let them drive you away and in the end it’s you who will have the last laugh.
Q: I just lost all my stuff to “insert common scam here”. How can I get it back?
A: Unfortunately you will just have to chalk it up to an expensive lesson learned. There is a great listing here Common Scams (http://boards.lineage2.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=533688&page=0&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=&fpart=3#Post543878#533688) of things to avoid. It’s up to you to protect yourself. Your strongest defense is going to be remembering that if something looks too good to be true…it is and never, never, ever, give anything to anyone else you are not prepared to lose forever.
Q: When I click on a mob, their name is displayed in dark blue (or light blue, green, white, yellow, light red or deep red) what does that mean?
A: Basically it’s a system to tell you how difficult the monster will be for you to kill and whether or not it’s going to drop adena and/or items if you do kill it. Dark blues are not usually worth killing, they are far below your level, only drop items rarely and the amount of XP and SP you get from them is minimal. The only reason that is usually valid for killing them is to obtain quest pieces. Light Blue mobs will drop items more often, they are still far below your level but drop more than dark blue. The difficulty goes up from there with Green still below your level but no drop penalty. White is within your level range. Yellow is above your level, but depending on the character and whether or not you are solo or in a party, killable. When you get into red you start entering the range of harder to kill mobs and once again you will encounter a drop and XP penalty. So the best mobs to kill are green, white and yellow.
Q: I see all these people with random letters for names killing themselves repeatedly by attacking guards. Why are they doing that?
A: When you die you lose XP and can even lose levels gained. (You do not, however lose SP.) Those characters are out farming materials that only drop at a certain level range, so they are dying to get back into the level range.
Q: I saw a bunch of characters that all moved in unison and didn’t look like they were being played by a real person. Why isn’t something done about them?
A: We’ve been over and over this since Open Beta. This thread Official Thread (http://boards.lineage2.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=444817&page=0&view=collap sed&sb=5&o=&fpart=11#Post541703#444817) is the place to go for information and posting. Any other threads that you post on the official board will be locked.
Q: Why don’t I see any other real people?
A: Lineage II has been out for awhile and most people have leveled past the new areas. There is a thriving community outside of the newbie areas however. Gludin and Gludio have people. Dion is more populated than those two and when you hit Giran you can’t move sometimes because of all those around. It’s most efficient to level alone when you are below level 20, so just look at it as a benefit to fast leveling! ;)
Q: I hear I need a clan, how do I get one?
A: Once out of the newbie areas you will often hear clans recruiting members. Most clans now though are looking for characters who are at least level 40. If you hear something that sounds interesting, respond. However remember that getting a clan means you are taking on the reputation and enemies of that clan. Talk to people before just joining and see if you are going to be joining something you can live with. See if the people in the clan have similar ideals to yours. Basically, this is like a romantic relationship. A little care in the beginning will save a nasty breakup in the end.
Q: Where do I level at [insert level here]?
A: In general the starter areas are laid out very well. Close to the area you first start play in, you will find appropriate level monsters. As you move out from that area towards the other towns, the mobs will gradually increase in level. It is usually a good idea to stick around your starter town until close to time for your first class change and do some of the repeatable money quests.
Q: What quests should I do?
A: That’s going to depend on where you are starting. Some quests are worth doing, some aren’t. There is a complete list of quests here:
Quests (http://www.lineage2.com/Knowledge/quest.html)
This won’t tell you the rewards or give you walk throughs on how exactly to do the quest. If you are the impatient type, you can find quest walk throughs on several of the fan sites. However, if read the quest dialog and use the quest tips box, you can do most any quest without a walk through.
Q: Why does it take so long to level?
A: This game has a steep leveling curve and it is not designed to get to the top levels right away. Some games are, this one however is designed to be more like a long slow climb up Mount Everest or maybe K2. Do your best to enjoy the journey without fixating too much on the end goal.
Q: Why is everything so freakin’ expensive?
A: It’s part of the economic design of the game. Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay. There are many ways to earn Adena. Some advocate playing the market. Buy low, sell high. Some say use the manor system. Some say to create a dwarf alt to help you get the funds. Look around and ask others what they do.
Although the game is not actually designed for you to have top grade equipment the moment you hit a grade level, that’s what many people expect. If you re-align your expectations, you will find you might be less unhappy.
Q: Why is the drop percentage so low?
A: See above. Full drops happen, but rarely enough that you cannot ever count on them.
Q: Do you have any last words for a new player?
A: Yes. Friends are better than Adena. Lineage II is an open game. You can be a good and kind person or a really rotten and frustrating individual, the game mechanics will not force you to behave. In the end, what will keep you in the game and help you through the rough times are the people you meet here. When you have been PKed and lost a level, they will help you get it back and help kill the [censored] that killed you. When five mobs spawn on you unexpectedly and you die dropping your new breastplate, they are the ones who will help you with loans of equipment and adena to get back on your feet. Friends are the beauty and richness of any multiplayer game.
I love this game and I hope you will too.