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L2 noob advice
Hi, i'm thinking of trying out L2 again. I played it for a short while maybe 1-2 years ago, but lost interest due to the endless grinding and what felt like lack of content. I didn't get very far though. Can't really recall what level I achieved, but something around 20.
I have been playing wow since then but figure i'd take a break from it. Wow has loads of quests and dungeons that keeps you interested, though it's basicly grinding anyway. It gives you a sense of accomplishment since you recieve new skills every even level and you always have goals to get to.
Has L2 changed anything in the last 1-2 years? Is it more casual friendly and more wow-ish? I've heard about a coming patch that will make leveling easier, is this true and will it make a difference? Any tips for a starting player?
Any advice is appreciated! 
Comments
No it is now more WoWish. Yes the new update (coming in August) will help leveling, especially lower lvls. However it is the same game, the quests are not better, you still have to learn the economy and the game is about pvp. So if you are not up to playing an open pvp game where the "game" is the relationships between clans and alliances then you will not like it.
edit: oh, and you have to join a clan and you have to put in the time. This is really what is starting to piss me off about new players. You can't come to L2, grind up to lvl x solo and make a judgment on the game.
The game IS about clan or alliance. You must be a part of that or be a rogue pk'er (very hard but can be done).
Otherwise you aren't really experiencing anything of value.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Chill out a little. People come and go in MMOs. If it's "pissing" you off, you're taking a game way too seriously.
Oh, ok... I'm not much of a pvp player to be honest. Main reason is prob because i'm no good at it. I have reached the endgame in wow now and started grinding BGs for honor to buy better gear, and I'm finding it to be be rather boring actually. Open world pvp was one of the things I didn't like that much about L2 either. Getting ganked repeatedly outside the starting town was just annoying.
Oh well, I guess i'll have to do something else until the wow expansion comes out. Anyone know of a mmo that is similar to wow? I'm really not looking to replace wow, just to get a bit of a change.
What Sovrath said.
It's a social game.
There are actually a lot of things to do in the game.
Raid bosses.
Dungeons.
There's the whole Dusk and Dawn thingy, with the dungeons you do to collect things to give to someone that has an effect on people. I've tried reading the in game thing a number of times, I still don't fully understand it. I'm not that social in game.
Fishing. Much better then WoW fishing.
You could raise a pet. Most expensive in game pets I've ever had. Also some of the coolest. Wolf, dragon, baby ones that heal you.
Bet at the raise track.
Fight in the arena.
Harvest.
Seige enemy clan castles.
Kill farmers and bots.
L2 has more content then it gets credit for. You just have to want it enough to earn it
Between 2 accounts I've only managed a mid 40's BD, and a bunch of mid 30's. It's funny when people complain about leveling today. L2 increasing leveling, CoX with thier bonus weekends, WoW increasing leveling, you'd think no one wanted to level anymore. I know I don't.
Chill out a little. People come and go in MMOs. If it's "pissing" you off, you're taking a game way too seriously.
I'm usually a chill person but I've been noticing a plethora of players who come to L2 expecting WoW (which I think is a perfectly fine game) they don't do research, they grind trying to approach the game like a more casual game, never join a clan or alliance or actually take part in what the game is about and then they drop because the game "has no content".
The game as more content than most games. It's all player driven.
Though perhaps "pissed off" is a bit strong. Here... "It is a concern of mine that most players join L2 without having done their research and try to apply a gamestyle that would be better applied to casual quest based games. Because of this they get frustrated because they are not enjoying the game in a way they thought they might. They end up dropping and complaining that the game has nothing to offer yet they never participated in the main thing the game does offer."
That might be less intense
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
Exactly!
And people want to experience content? Here's content...
We were at war with one of the more powerful alliances. Our alliance (one I was in a long time ago) was also considered one of the top contenders for power on the server. We had some people killed so we gathered a large force and went hunting for them in the cemetary. Then we heard that a few of them were in the Forsaken Plains area, possibly trying to take a raid boss.
We headed over there, confident we would take them out.
When we headed over the small hills we found a huge force laid before us. The entire screen was covered with the enemy. It was too late as they saw us. We could have run but we headed straight for them. Maybe not enough saw us and we could surprise them.
However, they concentrated their attacks and our force started dropping. Suddenly the mass rez hit us and we tried to regroup but we were too scattered. All of our force was decimated with only a small portion of the enemy affected.
Our mistake, our loss and we retreated to fight another day.
Not one of the "success" fights but that is L2. You don't always win. I coudl tell of the great TOI (Tower of Isolence" incident but that was a success and best told another day.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
I really have nothing against group play or guilds. I enjoy playing with others, at least if they are sensible people (wow attracts a lot of "eggheads"). It's just pvp I don't find very interesting. Wow is perhaps not the best game to experience pvp in either though.
Full scale pvp battles in the open sounds quite exciting though, to be honest. It's something I love to try out. But with so many players in the same area, doesn't it get laggy (latency-wise, I mean)?
Depends on your computer. I have a 8800 GTS 640mb, a Q6600, 3 gb of ram, and I was involved in battles with more than 300 people in the same area with no lag, back when I had an integrated graphic card those pvps were slideshows for me.
As ephimero says, it depends on your computer. The characters don't really have a lot of polygons and most of the detail seems "painted on".
Still you can set your setting to low and should be fine.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
OP, L2 sounds like a really bad match for you based on what I've read so far.
Chill out a little. People come and go in MMOs. If it's "pissing" you off, you're taking a game way too seriously.
I'm usually a chill person but I've been noticing a plethora of players who come to L2 expecting WoW (which I think is a perfectly fine game) they don't do research, they grind trying to approach the game like a more casual game, never join a clan or alliance or actually take part in what the game is about and then they drop because the game "has no content".
The game as more content than most games. It's all player driven.
Though perhaps "pissed off" is a bit strong. Here... "It is a concern of mine that most players join L2 without having done their research and try to apply a gamestyle that would be better applied to casual quest based games. Because of this they get frustrated because they are not enjoying the game in a way they thought they might. They end up dropping and complaining that the game has nothing to offer yet they never participated in the main thing the game does offer."
That might be less intense
You're 100% correct.
I logged on L2 for the first time yesterday doing minimal research (besides reading what you gave me) and without proper knowledge, L2 really is confusing.
But, you can't really blame the players. IF you look at most other games, they hold your hands and take you through all the levels. Plenty of quests, and a simple view of the game. Players are so used to being hand-held through all the levels that they find L2 a huge challenge (and it is)....The second a player logs on L2 they can tell it is MUCH different than most games on the market.
__________________________________________________
In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten
I wouldn't say L2 is a huge challenge up front, its rather easy now. In fact the entire 1-20 experience is pretty easy. Much easier then games like Vanguard. I mean geez, you have these "helper" NPC's that pretty much explain everything to you. It's even voiced over in some parts.
The primary difference is most games are quest based. That works "ok" for some games although you will not find very many successful quest based games. However quest based usually works very poorly in PvP based games...because no one really cares about the quest.
The grind really has nothing to do with L2, its a barrier and mechanical scale of relative strength, thats it. L2 is a highly social game about clan power struggles. If you don't experience that, then simply put, you didn't get to the actual game. You didn't play L2.
People who like the WoW type games will not like L2. If a player needs Mr NPC to pat him on the head and tell him what a good job he is doing killing his 10 rats, he will not find that sort of gratification here.
So what does L2 give you?
Freedom to behave how you want. Freedom to aspire to power in game...or not. Freedom of action and choice. Freedom to be the good guy or bad.
That a LOT of freedom MMO players simply do not appressiate anymore.
In what ways can you make yor character stand out from the rest. Is there any customization? Or is it just all about teamwork and being part of a team?
WOW,eq2,Vanguard,WAR,LOTRO,AOC,Rift Aion, SWTOR, TERA.
Currently playing GW2.
I'm an old player from OB and c1, ive come back to l2 for a month or so here and there over the last couple years. I just resubbed to check out the upcoming Gracia update and I have to say that the game is really enjoyable again. In the lower levels it seems doing quests is the rite way to go. I logged on for about 45min and was already almost level 20. and i actually had to read the quests lol, which is also making the game fun.
Everyone here is rite about the community making the game. Make sure to get to know people and join a clan, go hunting and explore the world, but most of all dont be afraid to pvp. ive played a TON of mmos and L2 may not have the most up to date combat system but the battles are really intense and get your heart goin. and thats a rare find these days.
If you are talking mechanics customization, not a whole lot. You are in a ridged class based system. In the past, simply being higher level was enough as the grind was from hell and high level characters are pretty rare.
I would think the only real way to customize would be to get a sub class at 75. I'm not very familiar with that however, maybe Sovrath can explain that better.
Also you can aspire to be a Noblesse or an Olympiad Hero. Thats pretty hard core though and are very rare. They will probaly remain rare as the grind past 60 is going to remain intact from what I understand.
Sub class ( I always thought a Dwarf Destroyer would be interesting)
http://www.lineage2.com/Knowledge/subclasses.html
Noblesse
www.lineage2.com/Knowledge/noblesse.html
Hero
www.lineage2.com/Knowledge/hero.html
The best way to stand out in L2 is to...well...stand out. If you are timid and hide in the back and hope no one picks on you, thats who you are, you will never stand out no matter what level or gear you aquire... you will never be anything more then a nameless manned bot grinding your way for nothing. If you suffer from gear envy and forget you part of a team / clan you will always be defeated. Its not the little cartoon you control that makes you stand out in L2 its the user who does.
There is tons of customization.
Almost impossible for end game characters to be the same.
They way you guys described this game, it sure sounds like a really fun one.
Are there like a RP servers in this game?
And how friendly are PK'ers and Clans, towards other players?
How have cheating struck this game? Last time I played there was tons of bots running around and ive seen websites selling adena. It must have had some impact on legit players?
There are no RP servers but check out l2rpa.org/
It is Lineage 2's Roleplaying Association. Clans are usually friendly towards other players unless they are the enemy. So if you aren't into fighting just yet, join a neutral clan. Pkers are usually looking to pk people.. so just watch out but from 1-40 (soon to be 1-61), get the Blessing of Protection from the Newbie Guide to prevent getting pked from someone 10 levels higher.
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PM me.
I wouldn't say L2 is a huge challenge up front, its rather easy now. In fact the entire 1-20 experience is pretty easy. Much easier then games like Vanguard. I mean geez, you have these "helper" NPC's that pretty much explain everything to you. It's even voiced over in some parts.
The primary difference is most games are quest based. That works "ok" for some games although you will not find very many successful quest based games. However quest based usually works very poorly in PvP based games...because no one really cares about the quest.
The grind really has nothing to do with L2, its a barrier and mechanical scale of relative strength, thats it. L2 is a highly social game about clan power struggles. If you don't experience that, then simply put, you didn't get to the actual game. You didn't play L2.
People who like the WoW type games will not like L2. If a player needs Mr NPC to pat him on the head and tell him what a good job he is doing killing his 10 rats, he will not find that sort of gratification here.
So what does L2 give you?
Freedom to behave how you want. Freedom to aspire to power in game...or not. Freedom of action and choice. Freedom to be the good guy or bad.
That a LOT of freedom MMO players simply do not appressiate anymore.
I think this is pretty true.
Though I would say that L2, even with the voiceovers and the "newbie helpers" can still be daunting to players used to more modern games because it is a bit of a veneer of "usability".
For example, you get your newbie helper helping you, you think you are going to collect quests and go along like WoW for example.
But you eventually realize that there aren't htat many quests, And many of them are quests that you do over and over.
Now granted, in the next update, the dev's have upped the XP and quest rewards for new player quests by quite a bit.
But there is still quite a lot of running around and even, as I mentioned, quests that you do over and over and over. However, again, the xp has been upped so mucn that you can shoot up in levels very fast in the beginning.
But again, there is the veneer. Quests start becoming fewer and players become confused. "What is there to do?" "Where are the quests".
As far as how to distinguish one's character, there are several ways but again, remember that this is a Korean Grinder game so you aren't going to have the customization of Aion.
You have tattoos to alter certain stats at the expense of others. usually there are the "standard" tats for a class but some classes like Destroyer or Gladiator have sever different configurations you can create.
Also, when you get your subclass and then level that subclass to lvl 65, you can then apply special abilities to your main class depending on what that subclass is.
In addtion you can enchant certain skills (with a small chance at failure) to use less mana or execute more quickly. You can even enchant some skills with elemental attributes though I know nothing of this as of yet.
If you get your subclass to lvl 75 you can become a noble and there are some neat buffs and perks for this.
As far as "looks" there are a small numbrer of faces, hair, etc. Then you usually have the most used sets of armor or robes. Some classes, depending on the tats and what you are going for, can look different from another player of the same class (like tallum armor to majestic to Nightmare). But again the differences are something like having a destroyer that does more damage or a destroyer that does less damage but is a wall of hit points.
There are many hats, some masks, some hair items or circlets that also help distinguish characters.
As far as pk'ers being friendly to player, uh, no. However there are less pk'ers now then when the game first started. But as has been mentioned, this game is about what you do, freedom to be what you want or try for it at least.
And sure, one can try to become the scammer/pk'er of the server but if you make many enemies you will be constantly hunted.
As far as roleplaying, there are some but this game doesn't really draw that crowd. In addtion, if you get noticed by a more belicose clan/alliance you might be hunted just "because" you role play.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
No it is now more WoWish. Yes the new update (coming in August) will help leveling, especially lower lvls. However it is the same game, the quests are not better, you still have to learn the economy and the game is about pvp. So if you are not up to playing an open pvp game where the "game" is the relationships between clans and alliances then you will not like it.
edit: oh, and you have to join a clan and you have to put in the time. This is really what is starting to piss me off about new players. You can't come to L2, grind up to lvl x solo and make a judgment on the game.
The game IS about clan or alliance. You must be a part of that or be a rogue pk'er (very hard but can be done).
Otherwise you aren't really experiencing anything of value.
clans are not very welcoming to new players..they kick you out again after a certain level. how is a player supposed to get into the game if the clans only accept high lvl players...how can we experience the game if the vets are not welcoming to new players..i have played lineage 2 on and off since c5 and never once got a clan invite...because my level was too low.
Botters can be mostly ignored as far as killing mobs go. On devianne anyway... It happened only once where i coudn't find any mobs for me to kill because of a bot.
As for it's impact on the game there's inflation. B grade gear is still obtainable with a considerable time investment. A grade is another story. I actually crafted my own B grade duals using the blacksmith but it took everything i had and i had help too. Having nothing left after that i still got help with getting an armor set but the rare helemt recipie meant i didn't complete the set. Selling all that should get me about 60m. Not sure what A grade costs but i don't think it's enough for weapons+armor.
Most ppl turn to other methods of obtaining adena at those levels. That's what my old guild leader told me anyway.
-Would you like cheddar or swiss cheese?
-Yes.
-...
No it is now more WoWish. Yes the new update (coming in August) will help leveling, especially lower lvls. However it is the same game, the quests are not better, you still have to learn the economy and the game is about pvp. So if you are not up to playing an open pvp game where the "game" is the relationships between clans and alliances then you will not like it.
edit: oh, and you have to join a clan and you have to put in the time. This is really what is starting to piss me off about new players. You can't come to L2, grind up to lvl x solo and make a judgment on the game.
The game IS about clan or alliance. You must be a part of that or be a rogue pk'er (very hard but can be done).
Otherwise you aren't really experiencing anything of value.
clans are not very welcoming to new players..they kick you out again after a certain level. how is a player supposed to get into the game if the clans only accept high lvl players...how can we experience the game if the vets are not welcoming to new players..i have played lineage 2 on and off since c5 and never once got a clan invite...because my level was too low.
I think I made a mistake and said "now more WoWish" when I should have said "not" more WoWish. Sure it is easier but doens't come close to WoW.
As far as clans not being open to new players that's not exactly true. First off, there is now a clan academy which gives the clans beneiftis when a player reaches lvl 40. Of course, the academy automatically graduates and "drops" the player. This isn't a bad thing because it allows both sides to revisit whether or not they want to continue together.
And though more competitive clans might only want higher lvl players, there are plenty of clans that allow for lower lvl players. You just aren't seeking out the appropriate clans.
And it is not solely up to the clan to seek you out and invite you. Oh sure there are clans that do this but I see no reason why you can't do research and find a group that would fit you.
This is why L2 is different. the player needs to make things happen and by doing this you start finding larger groups that also want to make the same things happen.
In L2, if you just sit around and hope someone will notice you, no one will notice you. Except possibly a few pk'ers.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
And what else would you expect? Clans in L2 have limited space. Don't take this personal, its just the way it is. Why should a clan aspiring to power invite someone who can not help attain that goal?
Why should they outright invite you? It isn't WoW where knotheads run around spamming "wanna join my guild?" and sending blanket invites to everyone in the zone.
Worth, you need to prove it in L2.
The majority of new players are bored WoW transients looking for someing new to amuse them until they decide to return to WoW anyway, none of them will survive or amount to anything. All they do is bitch about the grind and ask for money and gear because they can't be bothered to take the time to figure out the economy.
If a clan didn't keep you after 40 (graduating the academy) hmmm....maybe they didn't see the value of keeping you on based on your performance / interaction with them. If Sovrath kicks me from his guild at 40...well thats the way it goes. I understand if he has the choice between a level 70 and a level 40, well although it may hurt my feelings a little, I undrstand...and I will level up and kill him...as many times as possible
J/K