Starter's Guide 2: The Early Levels

NOTE: Information accurate as of patch 1.8 (Dungeons Patch)!

This is part 2 of the Starter's Guide. Do take note that basic knowledge of the game will be assumed from henceforth. (Especially the part on Damage and Gear)

This guide aims to equip you with the knowledge of how to best armor up and fend for yourself in the cruel but rewarding realm of Alterra.


 * DISCLAIMER: This is a recommended "Get Strong, Fast" guide. If you want to chill and enjoy the server go ahead and explore at your own pace! (reading the Basics is still recommended so you don't get lost).

Previous Part(s): Starter's Guide 1: The Basics

Note: Professions will not be touched upon here.

= Chapter 2: Getting Started =

"What IS the best class???"

The typical question any seasoned or novice MMORPG players will never fail to ask. Choosing your Main class is extremely important as it would be the hardest to level, and will determine the next couple of days (or months) of your experience in Alterra.

I recommend choosing a class based on the play style you prefer, and the comprehensive Classes page is able to shed light on that matter. (but if you want my personal short answer: Mage. It is in a class of its own in terms of grinding mobs, hence the quickest to level)

The Early Game: Levels 1-9
This should be the time when you step wide-eyed into the world of Alterra, fascinated by literally everything around you. Feel free to explore, but turn particles on to spot Loot chests for a chance at gear for your character.

DISCLAIMER: Spoiler Alert (duh)

Before we start...

This is the best piece of advice I can give u no matter what path you choose to take:

"If you are going to fight a boss/any tough mob, DO NOT fight it at its spawn point. Kite it out to kill it."

Some (a gross understatement) bosses/mobs respawn almost INSTANTLY and will crush you if you stay near its spawn point.

Example: The "A Test of Strength" quest which feature a 3 stage boss fight. If you kill its first form, another boss will instantly respawn and auto-aggro you, causing you to get overwhelmed almost immediately.

Other bosses have minions which respawn instantly at their locations and are extremely tough to deal with without good AoE damage.

Example: Cave Mother: Her minions respawn instantly and with her Cocoon spell which freezes you in place, you'll be swarmed in no time. Togrund the Blighted : His minions spawn instantly too and deal high melee damage.

General Guidelines and Goals
1. Familiarize yourself with Azana 2. Complete all Quests within your own ability to do so 3. Get a movement Rune spell 4. Get a common weapon 5. Stock up on Gold 6. Watch the trade market for good deals

Gearing up and Resources
» Stock up on Gold and keep it in your hotbar in case you die. Gold is more useful in the later stages of the game.

Note: Professions leveling (except Hunter) is expensive and is not recommended until your character can afford it without losing out (around level 50-60).

» Do try and get a common Weapon as soon as possible and reforge your artifact with it. The damage boost is decent, especially for Warrior and Rogue.

(Trading gears among other nearby players is recommended to ensure you get the gear for your class)

» Do not panic if you are not well-geared by level 10, as common armor pales in comparison to what awaits you at level 10.

Details
After you've familiarized yourself with the surroundings,

» Complete Quests as much as you can (they should take you to level 8/9). Refer to this Quests page for help should you need it.

Side note: Try to get help in order to slay Minibosses: The Black Rider and Cave Mother in order to complete your quests and get valuable loot such as Spell Scrolls.

If you are able to do so, Congrats! Do ensure you have a movement Spell Scroll such as Parry or Lunge and bind it as your SECOND active spell, without removing Runic Missile (Look at the Ancient Rune section of Starter Guide 1 if you are unsure.

Do not worry if you are unable to slay the Cave Mother, as you will be able to kill it later once you get stronger.

Other tips
» Watch the Trade market intently.

Things to look out for as a new player (in order of importance): 1. Cut Opals/Diamonds 2. Uncommon gear (armor or weapons) for your class. 3. Offhands which boost Weapon Damage or Spell Damage 4. Artifacts for your class, especially the level 10 ones. 5. Enchantment Scrolls for Crit (not a priority) 6. Good damaging Spells Scrolls

» Don't be afraid to ask for help!

The Easy Game: Levels 10-24
Level 10. Easily the biggest power spike by far in the whole game.

With the correct set-up, you will be hitting 3 to 4 times harder easily. Depending on your class, this is the time to choose a build. Be prepared to take on a challenging boss for the level 10 Artifacts if you already have not gotten it. Be sure to bring a party.

General Guidelines and Goals
1. Acquire Uncommon Gear ASAP 2. Acquire the 4 of the respective Gems (Opals/Diamonds) for your build 3. Slay the Iron Soldier to complete your quest and to farm for your level 10 Artifacts 4. Complete the quests to the best of your ability 5. Grind the mob type of your choice regularly

Gearing up and Resources
As mentioned above, this will be your utmost priority.

1. Uncommon gear (armor or weapons) for your class. 2. Cut Opals/Diamonds 3. Artifacts for your class, especially the level 10 ones. 4. Enchantment Scrolls if possible

With these few items your damage will more than double already.

The Builds I would recommend are as follows:

 Weapon Damage Build: Warrior, Rogue, Archer, Cleric* 

» Maximise Weapon Damage Boosts on your pieces of Gears » Get 4 (or as many as possible) Cut Opals (the +4 Weapon Damage ones) ASAP » Get the level 10 Artifacts ASAP » The Etched Dagger Offhand for +6 Weapon Damage

 Spell Damage Build: Mage, Cleric* 

» Maximise Spell Damage Boosts on your pieces of Gears » Get 4 Cut Diamonds (the +8 Spell Damage ones) ASAP » Get the level 10 Artifacts ASAP » The Illusioner's Wand Offhand for +12 Spell Damage » Try to obtain an Ancient Rune spell (other than Runic Missile) which does Spell Damage, as Runic Missile does not benefit from the Spell Damage bonuses.

Cleric: I recommend farming 2 different sets of gear for cleric, as it benefits from Weapon Damage more in the early game. However, it becomes a good AoE Spell Damage class by the time you obtain the level 20 Artifacts.

Details
The difficulty lies in obtaining them.

Uncommon Gear can be found in loot chests (The Undead Miner Cave, Jackal Cove etc.) as well as trading with players and the Trade Market.

Gems are a tricky one. Either check the Trade Market or ask players on the server at peak periods, as maxed gems are cheap to Level 60 Jewelers.

The level 10 Artifacts are a really good boost to the DPS and utility of any class, but slaying the Iron Soldier may take a few adventurers to accomplish. Focus on gearing up and the Gems to be well equipped to take it down in 10-20 hits.

The Offhands are unlocked at level 20, giving a good boost to your damage. Obtain them the same way as Gems too.

Questing gets more difficult as you progress, and I suggest farming either Undead Miners or Jackal Pirates till level 18/21, as these mobs are really good exp.

Doing quests together is way more efficient for hard slaying quests like A test of Strength and Blight of the Barbarians. Togrund the Blighted in particular is an extremely challenging boss to take down with the current gear you will have, as the boss requires all players to be in a 3 block radius of it or take heavy damage.

However, this boss also drops the Bolt spell which is a decent Spell Damage spell upgrade for Runic Missile.

Overall, grinding mobs and battling your way through the Quests and mobs would be the main bulk of this phase, as we head towards another milder power spike at level 25.