I have NO idea what class to play :(

I played for a little while on a friends' account when the game first came out, but other than that, I have very little experience with L2.

I also have a day job, my own business, and also sell my own artwork. Not a lot of time to play, it would seem.

So, I want to play a class that will be the most fun, and will allow me to progress in a relatively quick fashion and be enjoyable throughout. I don't want to have to do the multiple characters, having one for farming, etc.. I just want to enjoy the game. The early-on quests are pretty dull, so I'm not opposed to moving quickly though those.

In most MMOs/RPGs (I've played a wide range, most favorite being Asheron's Call), I would play a caster or ranged type of character. I spend most of my time solo, since my hours aren't always steady (I only game when I've got nothing better to do), and I don't want to sit around waiting to find someone to join up with. I'm not opposed to partying up, and I'm sure I'll join a clan/guild/whatever eventually, but I just don't want to sacrifice my life for a game (again). I also enjoy the economy of most MMOs, as well as doing fun, meaningful quests (I hate fedex quests).

So.. lol. Suggestions? Right now I've got a lvl 8 Elven Mystic. I had originally planned to play a Spellsinger, but I'm not sure. Just wanted to collect some opinions before I waste too much more time.

Be a summoner if you can't make up your mind. You get to do a little of everything... nuke, buff, heal, DD, debuff, tank, AoE....

If you are a light elf you can become a wizard and then later become and Elemental Summoner.

Man, I can't find any good guides for an elemental summoner. No idea what skills to focus on, or anything.

Feh.

Man, I can't find any good guides for an elemental summoner. No idea what skills to focus on, or anything.

Feh.

Well, "fun meaningful quests" might be a stretch in this game. However, the world itself and the interaction with the players will be very meaningful.

Summoners are very good at soloing. However, you could also go dark elf wizard (to spellhowler) as they can solo very well.

There are several threads in this forum right now about summoners. Take a look at them. There is a lot of good information in those threads that will give you a good idea of the class. It is a very versital class and the Elemental Summoner (ES) has some good skills that will make leveling a little easier. You will have to get to level 40 and second class change before you start getting those skills, but they are worth waiting for. Before that level you will play mostly a nuker.

Your summons will not be very powerful at first but that doesn't last long. You will be able to solo and party effectively with this class. You will have skills that will help the entire party and later on (lvl 56) a summons that can be very usefull. For you will have a buff that will help with mana regeneration or one that will help with casting speed, for the entire party. Your level 56 summons also has a very effective party cure that will remove things like root, sleep, silence and paralysis.

Bear in mind that this class can be played many ways. Depending on how you play it, it can be one of the 3 most expensive classes to play. The other 2 are the other 2 summoners classes. It can also be played in a manor that will make a bit of adena, you just slow down the leveling a bit. AS I said earlier, read through the posts in this forum on summoners. Most of the information is not just class specific, most of it applies to all summoner classes.


Good Luck!

if you like ranged,

Mages:
Necromancer (human mystic->wizard->Necro)
Spellhowler (dark elf mystic->dark wizard->spellhowler

Archers:
Hawkeye (human fighter->rogue->hawkeye)
Phantom Ranger (Dark elf fighter->assassin->phantom ranger)


If you want a unique experience, the summoners are great, but you will be doing less nuking and more pet support.

I also will heavily support the summoners, but I am not sure they are such a great "first experience" for someone relatively new to the game. I'd say summoners take a bit more gumption to play... not saying they are massively hard, but they require a bit of determination to get the complete hang of it to get proficient with them.

Note that you don't have to worry about this for 39 levels anyway.

One note, with only perhaps ONE exception, the light elf classes are massively inferior to their human and dark elf versions. If you want to play a Warlock or Phantom summoner to start with and you decide you like nuking better you have a solid choice in either Necromancer or Spellhowler. (don't pick sorceror... just trust me...)

if you pick Elemental Summoner (arguably the ONLY good Light elf class compared to DE and human) you will only have spellsinger to choose as a nuker and they are absolutely horrid for soloing. (ES = great soloer, Sps = horrible solo)

In the end, you should pick what you are going to enjoy playing... it is perhaps possible for someone to enjoy 8 minutes of nuking and 20 of standing or sitting around (to regain mana) if that's you, then a spellsinger might work out for you... odds are you don't and you won't.

Honestly, in endgame you are gonna wonder why you didn't roll archer...

You nuke for 800!
Archer85839 shoots you you 6875 damage!
You died... return to town?

Well, "fun meaningful quests" might be a stretch in this game.

There are two basic quest types in this game;
1) Deliver goods.
2) Kill mobs, Deliver goods.

So you are spoiled for choice. :D