Checking out this update..

[Jaben]

Its been some time since I gave it a go, so here I am again giving it a go again. The game has always appealed to me, but there have been some things that have discouraged me and ended up forcing me to lose interest. I'd like to give it a go again.

Here are my questions:

1. How accurate are the "new players" and profession guides these days? I see some that are several years old. Given the new update has change quite a bit ( or at least that is what the email that got me here said ) is the game forgiving enough that if I start following outdated information to find things have changed as a result of the update I won't have to just re-roll? For some reason, I remember it being not so forgiving.

2. I could spend hours beating mobs and doing missions, but when it came to having to build implants ever "x" levels I was overwhelmed, broke and honestly didn't have the patients for it. Is going around to build implants as you level up still a tedious process? Or was it never a tedious process, I had just been doing it all wrong?

3. A result of part 2, is i felt like I could never keep up. I'd finally get implants in, and then would have to repeat the process, or find I was way behind everyone else I tried to group with. I'm really not sure what the question is here, but I'm really trying to find a way not to get burnt out on getting gear/buffs/whatever so I can cast that awesome nano that is a zillion "levels" above me. The most enjoyable part of the process is doing missions to find items. I can do that all day. Any suggestions on how to keep it fun and not have the game turn into feeling like a job that I have to rely on spreadsheets for?

4. Lastly, I'd like some advise on a non-pet class that can potentially solo to max level with minimal gear. I remember finding it difficult to find groups even after I joined a clan, so being able to get what I need on my own is important. What non-pet profession would you suggest and why?

I hope these didn't sound to much like I was complaining. I just would really like to avoid the pitfalls that have caused me to quite in the past if at all possible.

Thanks!

[Rulzie]

1)
They are generally fairly accurate, with some caveats. Weapon choices have expanded a bit for some professions, and the newcomer armor is a decent and cheap alternative to the suggestions in the guides. Everything about your character can be changed at endgame, so I wouldn't worry too much about setting a foot wrong.

2)
This depends on how updated you want to keep your equipment, and how much effort you want to put into it. The store-bought implants are decent enough until level 50-70 somwhere. Also ties into the next question.

3)
Doing missions and finding items (particularly nanos that can not be bought from the store), and selling these on GMI is an excellent way to make money, to fund your implants and equipment. It takes a bit of time to get the hang of what sells and what doesn't, but it's a good way to make money at any level.

4)
Solo with minimal gear to max level is a tall order. Let's do a run-down:
Adventurer - Good at any level, decent damage, good damage mitigation and heals.
Agent - Again, good, but quite expensive (a lot of nanos to get), and not the most proficient soloers until later levels.
Bureacrat - Good soloers (possibly the very best at endgame), and highly attractive for teams, but a pet profession.
Doctor - Can survive pretty much anything, but damage is quite low unless you keep equipment very well updated. Highly attractive for teams.
Enforcer - Great soloing at lower levels, decent damage, decent mitigation. Quite attractive for some teams.
Engineer - Good soloers, but a pet profession.
Fixer - Decent soloers, but mitigation can be a problem if your equipment isn't all it could be.
Keeper - Great soloers at lower levels, stays quite good all the way, good survivability and decent damage.
Martial Artist - Good soloers all the way, excellent damage.
Meta-physicist - Good soloers, but a pet profession.
Nano-technician - Good soloers when kiting, less so otherwise. Don't know how the recent patch has changed the leveling experience.
Shade - Excellent soloers at higher levels, suffers a bit at low levels.
Solder - Not very good soloers, except in specific circumstances.
Trader - Not sure how the patch has changed the leveling experience, but generally traders are decent soloers throughout.

Really, what you want is to find a profession that is fun to play. All of them can solo all the way from 1-220 if you find something you like. My first 220 was a keeper, but I find it dreadfully boring to play.

[McKnuckleSamwich]

nice summary rulz

[Jaben]

I agree great feedback Rulzie.

Bit of clarification on 3 -- getting the funds wasn't really the issue, it was getting burned out running around buying/finding the implants, then finding someone to help put them together, then finally finding someone to buff me so i could get them in. I felt like i was spending more time doing that than the fun part, smacking around mobs! Anyway, I just know that is what pushed me away before and would like to avoid it.

Between the MA and Adventurer -- both seem excellent to me in regards to fun, but do either have an advantage over the other in terms of finding teams? I'll clarify this as well -- I'd prefer to group, but that tends to not be the case most of the time. Although I don't want to just go with the most in demand profession, I don't want to get one that can solo, but can't get a team.

[Ophiuchus]

MA vs Advy for teaming is a bit early to call post-patch. Advies have lost some of their team usefulness, traded off for an increase in personal power. MAs can be switch into a healing stance and put out more healing over time than an advy, but less damage while they do so.

I don't think either one would be a bad choice per se. Both professions are jacks of all trades.

[Sjonkel]

You can buy premade implants up to QL125. These are usually not optimal, but good enough for leveling for sure. I used these and then went straight to QL200. These takes a little time to plan and to get all the clusters and implants, but you can use a tool like ImplantHelper to make it a lot easier.

[Jaben]

Thanks for the replies...

Using the "store bought" implants sounds like what I'm looking for actually. How did you decide when to get new implants (or other gear for that matter)?

Its difficult with some of the guides because I think they all assume you are twinking and like I said with groups, it tends to feel like I'm always undergeard compared to everyone else.. I have some creds saved of from previous goes at the game, so I think I can afford that route pretty easily.

[Jintra]

Thanks for the replies...

Using the "store bought" implants sounds like what I'm looking for actually. How did you decide when to get new implants (or other gear for that matter)?

Its difficult with some of the guides because I think they all assume you are twinking and like I said with groups, it tends to feel like I'm always undergeard compared to everyone else.. I have some creds saved of from previous goes at the game, so I think I can afford that route pretty easily.

The simple truth about starting out in AO is that, at any given Level, good equipment is too hard to get by your own.
So until you get one of your characters to TL7 and able to aquire stuff for new toons yourself, you will always feel underpowered.

This is especially true now that a big percentage of AO Players consist of old Players who have already passed that treshhold and expectations of "good" Equipment have increased quite a lot.

That said, the comunity is incredibly helpfull towards new Players from my experience.
At least i try to be. Making some implants should be the easiest thing.

If you feel like chatting about stuff ingame /tell me on Jinted or Jinteal.
GL

[Cratertina]

1.) Accurate mostly

2.) Not tedius at all, there are workarounds for every tedius bit you can imagine. I would recommend picking a profession that avoids teediusness.

3.) My suggestion is pick Shade, spirits you can farm yourself while you level, Implants are not allowed on shade at all, armor you can come by, damage comes mostly from perks that you gain free while you level.. and endgame weapons are free, just gotta pick them up.

4.) Yes Shade essentialy, but what is Minimal gear to you?

However you look at it, AO's gameplay is essentialy tedius, all those little labours of love is what makes char fun, its like tinkering on an old car, your very own hot rod, if you do not enjoy working on your character, developing it through thick and thin for very long time before its mastered... AO might not be a game for you at all.

[Jaben]

Thanks again everyone.

Jintra, I'll probably be taking you up on that offer, assuming I can play for more than 10 min this week!

Anyway, I thought I'd leave this because I totally overlooked the guide that is sticked here, but it actually has the answer to some of the issues I've had. While I'd still prefer to team, there are some good hints at when to upgrade implants and such, which was the major issue bogging me down.

http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...n-overview-***

I think in the past I've been putting way to much energy into upgrading my implants/gear. To continue with Cratertina's analogy, I was rebuilding the engine every time I needed an oil change.