===============================
= Anarchy Online Newbie Guide =
= Version 0.16 =
= by Hahnsoo =
= Last Updated: 6/30/07 =
===============================
This guide is a work-in-progress, and may take some time to complete.
I felt that it was sufficiently complete to post on GameFAQs for now.
If you have any questions, corrections, or concerns, e-mail me at:
hahnsoo(at)gmail(dot)com
=====================
= Table of Contents =
=====================
1) Introduction......................[aong01]
2) Character Creation................[aong02]
3) IP/Leveling Guide.................[aong03]
4) Levels 1-10.......................[aong04]
5) Levels 10-25......................[aong05]
6) Levels 25-60......................[aong06]
7) Levels 60-100.....................[aong07]
8) Beyond 100+.......................[aong08]
9) General Suggestions and Tips......[aong09]
10) Class Specific Tips..............[aong10]
11) Weapons and Armor Guide..........[aong11]
12) Helpful Resources................[aong12]
13) FAQ..............................[aong13]
14) Glossary.........................[aong14]
15) My Two Cents.....................[aong15]
16) End Notes........................[aong16]
=========================
= Introduction (aong01) =
=========================
What is this guide?
===================
This guide is intended for new players just starting out in Anarchy Online,
with little or no previous experience in playing MMORPGs. It's been over a year
since I've started playing Anarchy Online, and I have gleaned a lot of helpful
information from websites and forums to help myself in playing this complex,
but rewarding, game.
This guide will assume a few things: First, you are a new player who has very
little familiarity with MMORPGs in general and Anarchy Online in particular.
Second, you are playing on a free account, AKA a fr00b, and you do not have
any of the expansions. Third, that you've already downloaded and installed
the Anarchy Online client. Finally, that you are are relatively familiar with
the controls, or at least have downloaded/printed the keyboard map here:
^ http://www.anarchy-online.com/content/guides/keyboardmap/keyboardmap.pdf
Also, for the purpose of this guide, it is suggested that you should join Omni
as your faction when it comes to that point early on in the game, as it is
slightly easier on the new player in this writer's opinion than Clan, and it is
definitely much easier than being neutral. You can still use this guide for
Clan or neutral affiliation, and I will note some of the differences in each
appropriate section if I can. All of three of the affiliations are viable, but
we will work from the standpoint of an Omni citizen.
Throughout the guide, you will find boxes like these:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * This is a "take-home message" box. Cool! |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
They will have the short and sweet version of that section, condensed to the
most essential points, to save you from some reading.
What this guide is NOT
======================
This guide will NOT be a comprehensive walkthrough. Instead, I will present a
short synopsis of "Things to do", along with some brief notes to get you
started. Also, a webpage reference usually will be provided if you need more
comprehensive information.
By no means is this guide an expert account of the most effective way to play
Anarchy Online. It is merely a collection of resources and advice that I have
found useful in my current play. Feel free to disagree with my opinions and
discover your own playstyle.
Useful References
=================
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * All webpage references will start with a ^ carrot in this guide. |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
For more in-depth information on the basic aspects of the game, you can check
out the official Beginner's Guide:
^ http://www.anarchy-online.com/content/guides/beginnersguide/
Or the Official Newcomer's Guide to Rubi-Ka:
^ http://anarchy-online.com/content/downloads/media/pdf/guides/gameguide.pdf
The Official Manual is available as part of the installation and can also be
downloaded from FunCom here:
^ ftp://ftp.funcom.com/cd/manuals_pdf/english_manual.pdf
Anarchy Online in a nutshell
============================
Anarchy Online, or AO for short, is a massively multiplayer online RPG. While
the traditional MMORPGs tend to be based on a fantasy theme, Anarchy Online
takes place in a unique universe thousands of years in the future. Space
travel is common, computer use is ubiquitous, and nanotechnology and applied
genetics have drastically altered the face of humanity. However, Anarchy
Online has certain aspects reminiscent of the fantasy-themed MMORPGs. Mutants
and genetically-altered animals replace magical beasts and monsters, while
"nanoprograms" substitute for magic spells. While guns and lasers and other
technological weaponry are common, there is a large variety of hand-to-hand
weapons available as well, along with primitive projectile weapons like bows.
As a game, Anarchy Online has a steep learning curve, even compared to most
MMORPGs. The complexity is high and some of the mechanics are difficult to
explain and understand. This can be daunting for the new player, especially
those who are not familiar with MMORPGs in general. While there were many
online resources available shortly after its release, many of these sites
dwindled and disappeared as people lost interest or moved on to other things.
There are still several "core" sites that are useful for the new player,
but these resources can be hard to find, even using standard search engines
or fansite link directories. This guide will attempt to consolidate the
most important information while providing links to more detailed websites
about each topic.
Regardless of your prior experience, Anarchy Online is a great game to play
and enjoy, especially for the price (totally free!). However, your Anarchy
Online experience can be made even more enjoyable with the right tools and
the right information. This guide will attempt to bring those tools within
your reach.
The fr00b account
=================
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Fr00b accounts are limited, but you get to play for free! |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
If you are just starting out in Anarchy Online, you are probably using a
free account, or "fr00b" account.
What is a fr00b?
----------------
Fr00bs are people who use the free account offer that allows people to play
Anarchy Online Classic without having to pay for a monthly fee. This is
partially subsidized by in-game ads (which can be turned off if you pay the
monthly fee).
While the free accounts are technically level-restricted and have restricted
content, you can still level to 200 and participate in all of the content
in the basic game (without Expansions), unlike in the free trials offered for
other MMORPGs. This free offer lasts until January 2008 at this time, but may
be extended at a later date by Funcom. Basically, you can keep playing your
fr00b account as long as you'd like, as often as you like, until January 2008,
and possibly even longer if Funcom extends the deal.
In Fall of 2007, FunCom extended the fr00b accounts to include the Notum Wars
booster pack, which allows fr00bs to participate actively in tower battles.
What you CAN do as a fr00b
--------------------------
* Gain a maximum level of 200. This may take weeks, even months, to achieve,
so you'll be playing for a long time.
* Explore almost the entirety of Rubi-Ka
* Start off at the ICC Shuttleport Island, AKA Newbie Island. There are
several items that you can ONLY get there.
* Fr00bs, as of this writing, can participate in Battlestations, which came
with the Lost Eden expansion.
These are part of the Notum Wars "booster":
* Create zone control towers. Note that turrets can still shoot at you, if you
decide to attack one.
* Access the zone control buttons on the area map.
* Hear and use the player voices. (as part of the large client)
* Access several custom vehicle options (Yalm Paints)
What you CAN'T do as a fr00b
----------------------------
These options require Shadowlands:
* The Keeper and Shade classes are only available to Shadowlands subscribers.
* Perks are an option that can only be used by Shadowlands subscribers. You
will still see "You have gained a New Perk", but you can't do anything about
it. If you later subscribe to Shadowlands, you get all of your Perk Points
to spend.
* Gain Shadowknowledge and earn levels 201 to 220.
* Access the areas of Shadowlands (obviously).
These options require Alien Invasion:
* Gain alien XP and Alien Experience levels.
* The Global Market search terminals are for AI subscribers only, even
though fr00bs can open the search window.
* Create or enter player-created cities/buildings, although you will see the
buildings and you can use the Whom-pahs to teleport to the various dance
clubs/bars.
* Board alien ships after successfully repelling an Alien Raid. Note that
you can still participate in Alien Raids.
These options require Lost Eden:
* Run LE Missions, although you can team with subscribers so that they can run
LE missions of their own.
* Use Victory Points, through LE missions and Battlestations. Note that Froobs
can participate in Battlestations, and if you subscribe at a later date, the
Victory Points that you earn will carry over.
* Access and learn Research. Research is an alternate form of "leveling" that
gives a passive bonus to your abilities and skills. Research also occurs in
a global scale, as each faction has a number of global research goals.
* Access Vehicles. The Battlemechs/Turrets are for LE subscribers only.
* Purchase from the Lost Eden terminals in the tower shop.
Also:
* There are many powerful items that can ONLY be used by those who purchase
the expansions. Also, there are a few items that can only be created through
tradeskills if you have the expansions. As a fr00b, be very careful when
trading to ensure that you can actually use the item you are about to buy.
The same goes for item crafting... before spending cash for the materials, be
sure that you can actually craft the item in question.
* The expansions give several major boosts to skills, above and beyond standard
leveling and IP distribution. This includes Perks, Research, and City bonus.
It is not uncommon for a player with all of the expansions to have a 50th
level character that hits as hard as a 80th level character in combat, for
example.
* As a fr00b, your rate of growth and overall power will be much lower than
someone who has purchased the expansions. XP gain is a lot faster for those
who purchase the expansions. This is not because of an inherent bonus on the
part of owning expansions, but simply because the monsters in Shadowlands
give far more experience than an equivalent area in Rubi-Ka. Also, SL offers
unique content at the higher levels (Level 150 or higher), giving higher XP.
===============================
= Character Creation (aong02) =
===============================
Recommended Reading
===================
^ Ref: http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?site=knowledge&link=0&id=241
** A good overview of Character Creation
Breeds
======
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Solitus is well-rounded, and can do well with any class. |
| * Opifex is agile and great for ranged combat and martial arts. |
| * Atrox is the strongest and toughest, but suffers later in nanoskills. |
| * Avoid Nanomage for your first character. |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
There are four breeds in Anarchy Online: Solitus, Opifex, Nanomage, and Atrox.
Atrox are technically genderless and so only have one gender option, but the
Solitus, Opifex, and Nanomage can be selected as male or female. Breed and
Gender are important for a handful of equipment prerequisites in the game (for
example, the Massive Steel Armor can only be worn by males), but in general,
you should have a good alternative if your breed or gender doesn't match. In
other words, gender shouldn't really matter in normal play other than personal
preference.
Breed selection is much more important as far as attributes and skills. Below
is a brief summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each Race.
Solitus
-------
The Solitus breed is what normally passes for "Human" in most games. It is also
the most versatile race, with no glaring strengths or weaknesses. You can't go
wrong with picking Solitus as your race. All of your core abilities will cost
the same to raise.
Opifex
------
This grey-skinned breed is more slender and agile than Humans. They have bonuses
to Agility and Sense (which are Light Green for them) and a penalty to Stamina
(which is Dark Blue). This makes the Opifex ideal for ranged combat, especially
Pistol Adventurers, Fixers, and Agents. They are also pretty decent Martial
Artists. Opifex gain the same amount of Health and Nano points as a Solitus per
point of Body Dev/Nano Pool, but tend to have less in each due to their racial
Ability penalties.
Most of the Opifex-only items are geared toward Agility and Sense, but these
items are few and far between.
Nanomage
--------
This breed is difficult to play for most new players due to the hits they take
in the Health department and is not recommended until you have a better grasp
of the game. They have superior abilities in Nano-related skills and overall
Nanopoints, but have less Health. They have penalties in Strength and Agility.
Later on in the game, they get access to race-only buff items such as the
Shades of Lucubration, but these items tend to be out of the grasp of a new
player anyway. It's something to think about for veteran players.
Atrox
-----
These fellas (if that's the appropriate term, since they are genderless) are
the big workhorse race of Anarchy Online. They receive the most Health per
point of Body Development, and have bonuses to Stamina and Strength. They make
ideal melee combatants and tanks, but their intelligence-based skills and
nanoskills suffer. Pick them if you want to be able to dish out a lot of melee
damage and take a lot of punishment. It is a good choice for the early levels,
but in the later levels you'll find yourself hurting in the nanoskill
department
Most of the Atrox-only items are geared toward melee weaponry and strength,
including the Silken Legchopper Gloves. Certain "large" weapons are also Atrox
only, such as the Support Beams and the Diamondine Kick Pistol. Oddly enough,
because Atrox is genderless, in many cases they can wear both male and female
outfits.
Profession/Class
================
In this guide, Profession and Class are used synonymously.
There are two classes that cannot be selected by a fr00b, the Keeper and the
Shade. Other than that, there is a wide selection of classes available to the
starting fr00b. Although each class is unique, a few of the classes have
considerable overlap as far as party role and combat abilities.
Your class determines what sort of nano-programs you can cast and also how
difficult it is to raise each skill. Nanocasting classes, for example, have an
easy time raising their nanoskills, but they tend to have a tough time raising
their combat skills. No skill in the game is restricted to a particular
profession, but your profession will play a large part in raising skills.
There is no such thing as the "best profession". Each profession has unique
strengths and weaknesses. Some are better at solo play, some are better in
teams. Some are good at blitzing, and others are good at direct damage or crowd
control or any number of essential gameplay traits. Each profession also has a
different difficulty threshold and different "level ranges" in which they excel.
Adventurers are easy to play and are strong from levels 1 to 100, but slow down
a bit when they get past level 100. Agents are very difficult to play (because
it requires some knowledge of all the other professions), and do not reach their
true potential until well past level 100. Engineers start out weak, but because
of their strong pets, they can solo comfortably throughout their career (but it
gets expensive to keep on buying new nanos). And so on, and so forth...
Abbreviations used in this section:
AoE - Area of Effect, something that affects multiple targets in an area
Behe - Essence of Behemoth, Enforcer line of nanos that add Strength/Stamina
BM - Biological Metamorphoses
FP - False Profession, Agent line of nanos that mimics other professions
MC - Matter Creations
MM - Matter Metamorphoses
PM - Psychological Modifications
SI - Sensory Improvements
TS - Time and Space
Also some terms:
Buff Begging - Asking for specific nano-skill buffs, usually in an annoying or
repetitive manner.
Holy Trinity - Three archetypes in most MMORPGs: Direct Damage, Tank, Healer.
Mocham's - A line of Meta-Physicist nanos that buffs nano-skills.
Wrangle - A line of Trader nanos that buffs weapon and nano skills for 3 min.
Adventurer
----------
The Explorers, FunCom Lovechildren, All-Around Combat Specialist
"Anything you can do, we can do better"
* Main Weapons: Pistol or 1-Handed Edged
* Alternate Weapons: Pretty much any other weapon
* Main Nanoskills: MM/BM/SI for Polymorphs, MM/BM for Heals
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Mixed (Direct Damage, Healer, Tank, Solo)
The Anarchy Online equivalent of the "Ranger" class, the Adventurer is a
dual-wielding specialist, often focusing on pistols or 1-handed edged weapons.
The adventurer has decent one-shot heals, modest defensive abilities, and makes
a versatile combatant. The damage is highly-dependent on equipment, some of
which is difficult to obtain, but in general, you will hit for small amounts of
damage very quickly, rather than big hits. The Adventurer has a great selection
of Adventurer-only equipment, as well.
What you will love: Great Healing, Polymorphs, Being the Holy Trinity all in
one class. You are the Funcom Lovechild.
What you will hate: No meeps (teleportation nanos), no roots/snares, constant
jokes about playing a "Funcom Wuv-child", expectation to be the Holy Trinity at
all times. Polymorphs mean that your big furry butt will fill your whole screen.
Agent
-----
The Red Mages, Jack-of-all-Trades/Master-of-None, Glass Cannons
"Pow! 13k Aimed Shot! Wait, he's not dead?" *runs for life*
"Oh, I have that buff. Give me a couple seconds to cast it..."
* Main Weapons: Rifle
* Alternate Weapons: Assault Rifle, Bow
* Main Nanoskills: BM/PM/SI for False Profession, MM/SI for Damage boosts
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Hard
* Role: Direct Damage
Agents are long-range assassins, with the ability to hide in the shadows and
strike with a powerful Aimed Shot (often killing things in one hit). They also
have the False Profession ability, which allows them to cast a wide variety of
nanos from other classes. This makes the Agent a versatile and powerful class
selection. However, this versatility comes at a cost, as Agents are one of the
weakest classes in terms of Health and evading attacks. They do not bloom until
later levels, and you really need to know the potential of other professions
before you can effectively play an Agent. Opifex is the race of choice for
these agile combatants.
What you will love: False Profession! High damage from Aimed Shots.
What you will hate: Low Health = Squishy agent. Expectation to be able to cast
buffs from all professions at the same time. SLOW casting time while in FP. You
will NEVER have enough IP.
Bureaucrat
----------
The Crowd Control, Snake Charmers, Miss Congeniality
"Nice Pet. I'll take it."
"What adds? I'll subtract instead." - Terwillinger, and his calms.
* Main Weapons: Pistol
* Alternate Weapons: Shotgun
* Main Nanoskills: MC/TS for Bots, BM/PM/SI for charms
* Tradeskills: Average
* Overall Difficulty: Hard
* Role: Support (Crowd Control, Mezzer)
Bureaucrats specialize in charming their foes, temporarily recruiting them as
allies. They also have Bots as pets, similar to Engineers. Bureaucrats are an
excellent support class, and as support classes go, are pretty difficult to
play. They have an excellent selection of roots and snares, a fair amount of
nukes, and several unique nanoprograms that only they can use, including the
Baton line of nanoprograms (which increases the XP gained by the party). They
are also specialists in the tradeskill of Psychology.
What you will love: Charming your enemies (Making Friends, and Influencing
People), wide variety of Crowd Control, spiffy outfits.
What you will hate: Wimpy bots. Relying on other people/enemies for your damage.
Poor weapon skills. Juggling Charms. Not being part of the Holy Trinity. No one
knows what you DO exactly...
Doctor
------
The Clerics/Medics/Healers, Voted Homecoming King/Queen by Popular Vote
"Every time I have to CH, I'll take a drink... wait, don't take off your armor!"
- Icydoc and his Complete Healing drinking game
"Nano please! Like, now!"
* Main Weapons: Poor with all weapons, but Pistol is default
* Alternate Weapons: Shotgun, 2 Handed Edged, 1 Handed Edged
* Main Nanoskills: MM/BM for Heals, MM/BM/TS for Heal-Over-Time
* Tradeskills: Average
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Healer
A Doctor of any race is a welcome addition to any party, as they are the most
effective healers. If you are playing a Doctor, you can expect to get invited
by most groups in the dungeons. Your damage output will suffer though, and it
can take laboriously long to kill things as a solo player. If you thrive on
teamwork and don't mind waiting to get picked up by a group before really
taking off in terms of experience and loot, a Doctor is a good option. Nanomage
gives you more for your nano-skills, but most people pick Solitus as their
race for survivability. Most doctors use Pistols for their weapons, a cheap and
effective solution for primary weaponry. Naturally, Doctors are good at the
tradeskill of Pharm Tech.
What you will love: The most popular profession, period. Everyone wants you in
the team. The love and respect of your peers.
What you will hate: Being blamed for everyone's mistakes. Relying on a team for
damage. Running out of nano constantly. Buff beggars who want SFA/IC (Superior
First Aid/Iron Circle). Heal Aggro.
Enforcer
--------
The Guy/Gal with the Big Stick. THE tank.
"Me Trox. Me bash. Me kill."
"MONGO!!!" - Common Enforcer Warcry
"In battle! Use Item. Monster angry! Doctor safe!" - from Da Taunter!
"I am known by many names. Tank. Meatshield. Fighter. Brawler. Corpse.
I am the Enforcer." - from the Enforcer's Prayer (paraphrased in a hundred
other games)
* Main Weapons: 2 Handed Edged, 1 Handed Edged, 2 Handed Blunt, 1 Handed Blunt
* Alternate Weapons: Any Melee Weapon
* Main Nanoskills: BM/MC for Essence, BM/PM for Mongo, BM/MM for Challenger
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Tank, Direct Damage
These guys are the tanks, and they are the heavy-hitters in the game. They are
designed to take damage and dish it out. As an Enforcer, your primary Job is to
stay on the front line, and hold the enemies as long as you can. You have a
variety of tools to keep aggro and a decent amount of skills to keep yourself
alive. You are also the first choice for most people when they want to select a
tank for their team. Atrox is the race of choice for Enforcers, but you can
also be successful with Solitus. Most Enforcers use large 2-handed Blunt or
Edged Weapons, although some use 1-handed Blunt or Edged or even Piercing
weapons dual-wielded.
What you will love: Being part of the Holy Trinity. Finding large sticks and
sharp sticks and killing things with them. Having more Health than God (even
the Nano Mage squishy Enforcers). Mongo is a great self-heal.
What you will hate: If you do your job right, you are always the first to die.
Ranged enemies. Expectation to always have the best and biggest weapon at the
earliest point in time. Mongo is also an AoE Taunt. Behe Buff Beggars.
Engineer
--------
The Guy/Gal with the Big Bot, Tradeskiller.
"/pet hunt. *yawn*"
"You need me to tradeskill what?"
"Mocham's + Wrangle plz" - A typical Engineer request
* Main Weapons: Pistol
* Alternate Weapons: Shotgun, Grenade Launchers
* Main Nanoskills: MC/TS for Bots
* Tradeskills: Good
* Overall Difficulty: Medium
* Role: Support
Engineers are probably the easiest of the tradeskill professions to play. They
have the strongest pets, have the easiest time upgrading their tradeskills,
and many tradeskill items are Engineer-only. Later on, they get the ability to
"warp" other players to their location, making Engineers popular for teams (if
someone dies, they can just get warped back to the team by the Engineer). Most
Engineers use Pistols, and some Engineers even endeavor to create their own
personalized pistol.
What you will love: A bot that will stay with you FOREVER, as long as you are
logged in. Tradeskilling. Beacon Warp. /pet hunt.
What you will hate: Buff begging all the time for nanoskill buffs (Mocham's and
Wrangles). Expectation that you are a tradeskiller, even if you haven't raised
any tradeskills. Bot Aggro (Why are they attacking me and not the big robot?!).
Fixer
-----
The Flash, Blitzers, Smurfs, Taxis.
"I have a need... a need for Speed!" - Top Gun (1986)
"Zooooooooom!" -Zipzipzoom, Fixer
"Hardcore Fixer-on-Fixer action is like watching a boxing match between 2 blind
men. Eventually, one of them will get lucky and knock the other one out. By
then, the crowd will go home, the judge will be asleep and the cameraman will
go off to film paint drying." - Tarradax
* Main Weapons: SMGs
* Alternate Weapons: Pistol, Ranged Energy
* Main Nanoskills: MM/BM/TS for Heal-over-Time, MM/MC/TS for Grid Armor, TS/SI
for Movement buffs, MM/SI for Damage Boosts
* Tradeskills: Good
* Overall Difficulty: Medium
* Role: Mixed (Crowd Control, Support, Tank, Direct Damage, Solo)
This class specializes in moving very quickly. They have access to a special
form of the Grid which allows them to transport themselves virtually anywhere
in Rubi-Ka. Run speed, Heal over Time, and NCU buffs make for a very well-
rounded class which excels at missions and soloing. They also have the best
evades, including the highly coveted Grid Armor line of nanos that allow them
to become virtually untouchable in combat. Their nanoskills, however, are all
dark blue. Opifex is the race of choice.
What you will love: Runspeed buffs. Heal Over Time. Fixer Grid. Submachineguns.
Meeps. Roots AND Snares.
What you will hate: Dark Blue Nano Skills. Runspeed/NCU/HoT Buff Beggars.
Submachineguns. Grid Armor will break your Piggy Bank (AKA Smurf Envy).
Martial Artist
--------------
The Hand-to-Hand Combat Masters, Kung-fu Ninja Monk fighters.
"Everybody was kung-fu fighting! Those cats were fast as lightning!
In fact it was a little bit fright'ning, But they fought with expert timing!"
- Carl Douglas (1974)
* Main Weapons: Martial Arts
* Alternate Weapons: 1-Handed Blunt, Piercing, Bow
* Main Nanoskills: BM/SI for Heals/Damage boosts, PM/TS/SI for Crit buffs
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Mixed (Direct Damage, Healer, Solo)
The best part of the Martial Artist is the fact that you can do lots of damage
without investing in a weapon; your hand-to-hand damage goes up as you put
more points into the Martial Arts skill. Martial Artists have decent self and
team one-shot heals, a variety of boosts for their attacks, and dish out a lot
of damage with little/no dependence on equipment. However, they generally
aren't very sturdy. Opifex makes for great Martial Artists, but Solitus and
Atrox work well, too. I highly recommend this profession for your first
character, as you will never have to spend money on finding a good weapon.
What you will love: Not having to buy any weapons. Martial Arts attacks.
Critical hit buffs. Spiffy outfits.
What you will hate: Noticing that weapons tend to do more damage. Being expected
to be the healer despite mediocre heals. AND tank, too. Ranged Enemies.
Metaphysicist
-------------
The Meatball Persons. The Mocham's/Web buffers.
"I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky." - R Kelly (1996)
"See my pets? Yes, I have three of them."
"No, I don't have Composites. Sorry." - Selmah's logon.
* Main Weapons: Poor with all weapons, but 1 Handed Blunt is default
* Alternate Weapons: Bow, 2 Handed Edged, Pistol
* Main Nanoskills: All Nanoskills
* Tradeskills: Average
* Overall Difficulty: Hard
* Role: Support, Direct Damage
Metaphysicists are known for two things: Nanoskill Buffs and summoning Pets
(often called "Meatballs" or "Blimps"). They get three pets: Attack pet, Heal
pet, and "Mezz" pet. They are also one of two classes that eventually get the
gift of Flight, with the nano Quantum Wings (Who needs a Yalm anyway?). They
aren't too sturdy and aren't great with weapons, but with enough resources,
they are pretty self-reliant, capable of soloing most of the time.
What you will love: Quantum Wings. Self-reliance for nano-skill buffs. Your
Meatballs do everything for you except loot the chests.
What you will hate: Mocham's Buff Beggars (even if you can't cast them yet).
Short duration of pets. Running out of NCU all the time. Poor Weapon skills.
Composite Buff Beggars (You can't even CAST composites as a froob).
Nano Technician
---------------
The OTHER Glass Cannons, Kiters, Nukers.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" - Typical NT, running away from a horde of kited enemies
"We aren't surrounded. We're in a target-rich environment." - Dingzap, in ToTW
* Main Weapons: Poor with all weapons, but Pistol is default
* Alternate Weapons: Shotgun
* Main Nanoskills: MC for Nukes, MM/TS for Humidity Extractor
* Tradeskills: Average
* Overall Difficulty: Medium
* Role: Direct Damage
Nano Technicians are an almost pure caster class. They deal direct damage with
their huge amount of nano nukes, both on single targets and AoE. They
also have
the unique nanoprogram "Humidity Extractor", one of the few ways to recover
nanopoints over time. They are very vulnerable in melee combat, but can deal
enormous amounts of damage.
What you will love: Wiping out a group of 20 monsters with your nukes. Nullity
Sphere literally makes you invulnerable. Humidity Extractor (everyone loves a
nice Humidity Extractor).
What you will hate: You are squishiest squishy that has ever been squished.
Running out of nano DESPITE having Humidity Extractor. Layers are not equal to
heals. Fumbles and countered Nano-programs.
Soldier
-------
The Guy/Gal with the Big Gun.
"TMS up! Ack! TMS Down!" - typical Soldier in combat
"That's the sound you hear just before you drop dead... PEW PEW!" - Snarfblatt
* Main Weapons: Ranged Energy, Assault Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun
* Alternate Weapons: Any Ranged Weapon
* Main Nanoskills: MC/TS for Damage Shields, PM for Taunts
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Tank, Direct Damage
Soldiers are best known as ranged attack specialists, but also do well as tanks,
due to their unique ability to create powerful reflect shields, both long-term
versions and a short term shield that blocks nearly all damage. They have a
variety of buffs for ranged weapons, and can do well with nearly any ranged
weapon in the game. If there is one thing that they lack, it is a solid heal,
so they tend to fare better in a team with good healing.
What you will love: TMS (Total Mirror Shield). Full-Auto. Being part of the
"Holy Trinity" (both Tank AND Direct Damage). Big Guns. Having more ACs than
God.
What you will hate: One-More-Hit-Healing is your only self heal, and it's not
very good. When TMS runs out (uh oh). Running out of ammo ALL THE TIME.
Trader
------
The Wranglers. The Lowbie PvP god. Riding Shotgun.
"So far, wrangling has not earned me anything, except a load of trouble, and
2/3rds of my customers who aren't even grateful. Do tell me that it's not like
this all the time, please." - GDB2222
"It's like this ALL THE TIME." - Hahnsoo
* Main Weapons: Shotgun
* Alternate Weapons: Pistol
* Main Nanoskills: PM/TS for Drains and Wrangles, SI for Calms, BM for Heals.
* Tradeskills: Good
* Overall Difficulty: Hard
* Role: Support
Traders are merchants who also happen to be quite good at shotguns, for some
reason. They have access to the special Trader shop, and have several key
Trader-only items. Their drains allow them to cast nanos and use weapons far
above their normal ability, while their wrangles are one of the most sought
after buffs in the game. They are one of the classes that excel at tradeskills,
and even have several powerful tradeskill buffs. They even have decent heals
and calms, to boot.
What you will love: Drains. Equipping obscenely powerful weapons. Being feared
universally in low level PvP. The Trader Shop (PROFIT!). Tradeskills. Calms.
Computer Literacy buffs.
What you will hate: Wrangle buff-beggars (see Engineer). Being feared in low
level PvP means that NO ONE will fight you. Running out of nano/NCU all the
time. Your charms are worthless. Fumbles and countered Drains. Aside from low
level PvP, no one knows what you DO exactly (see Bureaucrat)...
Recommendations
---------------
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * It's easiest to start as Adventurer, Doctor, Enforcer, or Martial Artist. |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
I personally can recommend four classes for a starting character. These classes
for one reason or another are fairly easy to play.
* Adventurers are the "default" class recommended by Funcom and for a good
reason. They can do well with nearly any weapon, and they have an easy "set"
of overlapping nanoskills. All you have to do is keep raising MM/BM/SI and
whatever primary weapon skill that you want. Good heals and versatile weapon
selection are key to this class.
* Doctors are the best healers in the game. While you won't do well as a solo
character, you will be very popular in all teams that you come across, making
leveling an easy affair. Just keep raising MM/BM and TS, and you'll be set.
You may not even have to raise a weapon skill at all.
* Enforcers are the brutish damage dealers, and can take and dish out the
punishment. Just keep raising your weapon skill, and investing in enough
nanoskills to use your next Mongo, Challenger, Essence, or Damage Shield.
Enforcers are also highly sought after in parties, as they are the tanks.
* Martial Artist is my personal recommendation, as you will never have to
invest in weapons. Raise your evades and your Martial Arts skill as high as
you can and raise BM/SI for your heals and damage nanos.
Note that these aren't recommended characters for all players. These class
recommendations are for starting players, to get used to the game and to have
an easier experience in the early levels. All of the classes are viable for
the experienced player.
==============================
= IP/Leveling Guide (aong03) =
==============================
Anarchy Online is really a skill-based system masquerading as a level-based
system. In other words, your abilities are not automatically improved as you
level up. Instead, at each level, you are given a set amount of Improvement
Points or IP that are free for you to spend on any abilities or skills. These
abilities and skills are capped at each level, preventing you from spending
too much on any single ability too soon.
Each ability and skill costs a certain amount of IP per point, and this is on
a linearly-increasing scale. For example, if you pay 10 IP for a point in X
skill, you might have to pay 12 IP for the next point, 14 IP for the next
point after that, etc. Abilities and skills marked in Green are the easiest
to increase and cost fewer IP, as well as higher maximums per level, while
abilities and skills marked in Dark Blue are the most difficult to increase
and cost much more IP per point. Light Blue/Teal skills are average to
increase. The color scale is determined by both your profession and your breed.
What to do when you've leveled
==============================
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Keep your Abilities high. You will need at least two maxed for armor. |
| * Max out Body Dev every level. It translates directly into Health. |
| * Max out only one primary weapon skill. |
| * As a new player, max out Computer Literacy and Treatment. |
| * Upgrade Map Navigation only up to 130. Caution: Map Nav cannot be reset. |
| * Do NOT learn Vehicle: Ground, Vehicle: Water, Adventuring, or Swimming. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This section is sorted according to the same order as the "tabs" on your
character development screen.
Abilities
---------
* Strength
* Agility
* Stamina
* Intelligence
* Sense
* Psychic
Also known as "stats", these are the primary abilities of your character. It
is recommended that for your first few levels (up to level 10), you spend as
many points as you possibly can on ALL of these. After level 10 (or whenever
you'd like), it is generally acceptable to spend less on the attributes you
don't use much and max out spending on the attributes that you are using.
Points put into Abilities "trickle down" to your skills, raising the linked
skills by a small, but significant, amount. Abilities are also the main
prerequisite for equipping almost all of the armor in the game. Finally, the
maximum points that you can put into a skill is limited by its base abilities.
If you have trouble selecting which Abilities to focus on, you can use the
following guidelines:
* If you Shift-Left Click on your skills, you will see which attributes trickle
down into those skills. Shift-Left Click on your primary weapon skill, and
focus on those attributes to make sure that your main weapon skill is always
maxed out, especially if you are a primary melee or ranged combatant.
* If you aren't focused on weapons, another good gauge of what abilities to
raise is the kind of armor you would like to wear. For example, almost all
Tank Armor backslot items are based on Strength and Stamina.
* Agility is the stat that supports the most implants... nearly every implant
has a configuration that requires Agility. It is recommended that you raise
this or even keep it maxed out. It is also easy to buff.
* Intelligence trickles down to the most skills and all of the nanoskills. Thus,
it is a good bet to keep this stat high, especially if you focus on nanos.
* No points spent in abilities are wasted. You may slow down your nanoskill
and weapon skill development a bit if you focus too heavily on Abilities, but
the points put into your abilities will help you in the long run.
It is important to note that the only way to reset your Abilities now is to use
the full IP reset ("Reset All Skills") option. So changes to your Abilities
are practically permanent. Fortunately, IP invested in your Abilities is never
wasted, as all of them will be "maxed out" around level 160ish.
If you max out all your Abilities every level, however, you will not have IP to
spend on the rest of your skills. I recommend spending 20% to 30% of your IP in
your Abilities per level. Typically, what this means is keeping 2-3 of your
Abilities maxed out, having another 1-2 of your abilities at around 50-75%, and
one ability in the sinkhole from 25-50%. A popular choice for Ranged combatants
and nano-casters to pooch is Strength, as it is basically only useful for melee
skills and certain types of armor geared toward melee fighters. A popular choice
for professions that aren't nano casters to pooch is Psychic, as it is only
necessary for certain nano-casting buffing items and for Nano Pool.
For some ideas on early IP spending for Abilities, check the Class Specific Tips
section at (aong10).
Body skills
-----------
* Martial Arts
* Brawling
* Dimach
* Riposte
* Adventuring
* Swimming
* Body Dev.
* Nano Pool
Body Development determines your Health, and thus it is imperative to keep
this maxed at all times. Every little bit in Body Development helps.
Martial Arts is the primary skill of the Martial Artist class (duh), and for
anyone who uses unarmed combat as their main attack. It has the singular
advantage of upgrading your damage and attack rating based on your skill alone,
but it is expensive to raise for most classes doesn't give much bonuses other
than the damage.
Otherwise, if you are not a melee or martial arts specialist, this tab is
probably a waste of time and IP. Brawling is often needed as a prerequisite
for many melee weapons and is a useful special attack in its own right. Brawl
does damage based on the points put into the skill, and recycles every 15s.
Dimach is also a prerequisite, but usually it is needed in much smaller doses,
mostly in double digits and rarely into triple digits.
Do not spend points on Adventuring, unless you have a good reason. A 21 in
Adventuring should be enough for Omni characters to equip the Omni Assault Pack
in the early stages of the game. Adventurers get access to the nice Backpack of
Survival which may warrant putting points into this skill.
Do not spend any points in Swimming. There are only a couple of places where
you will need to swim, and these are short distances that any character can
cross without putting points into swimming. Swimming is a worthless skill.
Weapon skills
-------------
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Do NOT split your IP between multiple weapon skills. |
| * Stick with weapons that only require a single "Primary Weapon" skill, but |
| develop as many Special Attack skills as you think you need. |
| * The more points you put into your Specials, the faster they recharge. |
| * You only need as much Multi Melee/Multi Ranged as the LOWER of your two |
| weapons. Despite their description, they do not affect attacks/damage. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Melee
-----
(primary)
* 1h Blunt
* 1h Edged
* Piercing
* 2h Blunt
* 2h Edged
* Melee Ener.
(special attacks)
* Parry
* Sneak Atck
* Mult. Melee
* Fast Attack
Misc Weapons
------------
* Sharp Obj
* Grenade
* Heavy Weapon
Ranged
------
(primary)
* Bow
* Pistol
* Assault Rif
* MG/SMG
* Shotgun
* Rifle
* Ranged Ener
(special attacks)
* Fling Shot
* Aimed Shot
* Burst
* Full Auto
* Bow Spc Att
* Multi Ranged
The primary weapon that you decide to use will greatly determine which skill you
are going to raise among the Weapon skills. There are two general categories of
weapon skills, the primary weapon skills and the special attack skills.
Primary weapon skills determine your base attack rating. Max out the primary
weapon skill for your favored weapon. Do NOT split your IP between many
different weapon skills. While there are many weapons that require multiple
primary weapon skills, it is highly suggested that as a new player you stick
with weapons that only require one of the primary weapon skills and a couple of
the special weapon skills. It is very easy to spread yourself too thin in the
weapon skills categories, so just stick to one Primary weapon skill and weapons
that only use one Primary weapon skill.
Exception: Many Soldiers like to use Assault Rifle/Ranged Energy hybrids, and
there are many good weapon options for this pair of primary weapon skills for
Soldiers.
Special attack skills are also often prerequisites for wielding weapons. These
include skills like Aimed Shot, Fling Shot, Full Auto, Burst, Brawl, Fast
Attack, etc. The level of skill helps determine how long a weapon takes to
"recharge" its special attacks. The base time for the special attacks of a
weapon is determined by the Recharge Time; the lower the Recharge Time, the
faster the weapon specials are recharged. Early on, you will want to only
build up points in the specials as high as you need to wield the weapon. In
later levels when you have IP to spare, it is good to max these out so that
your special attacks can recharge faster. Note that Wrangles (a popular Trader
buff nanoprogram) do NOT increase these special weapon skills, but you can get
special weapon skill expertise nanos to buff them yourself.
For a list of all the recharge time formulas for all special attacks:
^ http://forums.anarchy-online.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=99162
Multi-Melee and Multi-Ranged are special skills used for dual-wielding
(using two weapons, one in each hand). You can dual-wield either two melee
or two ranged weapons (but not a melee and a ranged), and the weapons do not
have to be identical or the same "type", although many weapons cannot be
dual-wielded (if they can, they will have a Multi requirement). You only
need as many points in Multi skills as the LOWEST requirement of the two
weapons you are dual-wielding. If you have two pistols, for example, and
one of them has a requirement of 100 and the other has a requirement of 150,
you only need a Multi-Ranged of 100. Multi-wielding skills have NO effect in
combat, aside from equipping weapons.
If you have trouble allocating skills, stick the general formula of investing
the maximum IP that you can in your Primary Weapon skill and investing half as
many points of the primary weapon skill, including buffs, into the appropriate
special weapon skills. For example, a Pistolero Adventurer would max out
Pistols, and have about half his/her Pistol skill (including buffs) in Fling
Shot and Multi-Ranged.
Speed skills
------------
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Every 600 points in Melee Init, Ranged Init, and Physical Init reduce your |
| recharge time by 2.0s and attack time by 1.0s, to a minimum of 1.0s/1.0s |
| * Evade Close Combat and Dodge Ranged are the two important evade skills. |
| * Put points into Run Speed, but you don't need to max it out. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
* Melee. Init.
* Ranged. Init.
* Physic. Init
* NanoC. Init.
* Dodge-Rng
* Evade-ClsC
* Duck-Exp
* Nano Resist
* Run Speed
There are four "Initiative" skills, each corresponding to different types of
attacks. Melee Init speeds up Melee attacks with weapons (but NOT Martial
Arts), Ranged Init speeds up Ranged attacks (but NOT regular bows), Physical
Init speeds up Bow and Martial Arts attacks, and Nano Casting Init speeds up
the casting of Nanoprograms. You should only put IP into the appropriate
Initiative corresponding to your weapon of choice, and perhaps spend points
in Nano Casting Init if you are a class that requires combat-casting of
nanoprograms (the instant heals of the doctor and adventurer, the combat nano
programs of the Nano-technician and Bureaucrat, etc.).
I believe Melee, Ranged, and Physical Init will reduce your attack times by 1.0s
per 600 points, and your Recharge times by 1.0s per 300 points. This doesn't
affect special attack recharges (which work on their own formula), and works on
a different scale after 1000 points, but it's a good rule of thumb to remember.
More important in this category are the evades. I would put at least 1 point
per level into Evade Close Combat and Dodge Ranged. Duck Explosion is the least
important of these, only useful in PvP. Nano Resist is important, but only put
points that you can spare here. If you are a front-line combat class, I would
try to max these out or get these as high as possible.
Evades are important for two reasons. The first obvious reason is that they
help you avoid hits. However, you will rarely dodge hits unless your Agg-Def
slider is set more toward Defensive and your Evades greatly exceed the Attack
Rating of your attacker. In practical terms, you will only evade a lot of hits
if you are a Grid Armor fixer or you are higher in level than your opponent.
The second reason evades are important is because the rate at which you receive
critical hits is affected by Evades. It is unknown what ratio of Evades are
needed to avoid criticals, but if you find yourself consistently getting
"double crits" (two critical hits in a row) or getting critically hit on the
first attack in every encounter, then it may be time to raise your evades.
Of special note is the Add All Defense modifier, which adds to all evades except
Nano Resist. This modifier is very useful in boosting your evasion capabilities.
Run Speed is important to max out early on, but when you reach about 200, you
may want to hold back some points. Basically, just upgrade your Run Speed if
you have spare points and you feel like you want to move a bit faster.
Trade & Repair
--------------
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Max out Computer Literacy, until you reach about 250 to 360 points |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
* Mech. Engi (ME)
* Elec. Engi (EE)
* Quantum FT (QFT)
* Weapon Smt (WS)
* Pharma Tech (Pharm)
* Nano Progra (NP)
* Comp. Liter (CL)
* Psychology (Psych)
* Chemistry (Chem)
* Tutoring (Tutor)
A starting character should not probably delve into the murky realm of
tradeskilling. It is difficult to make any money at all from tradeskills, and
the IP and money investment into it often is not worth the rewards. Tradeskills
are beyond the scope of this guide, and in general, IP should not be invested
in these skills for the new player. If you want to do some tradeskilling, I
would suggest creating a primary tradeskiller whose sole purpose is to utilize
these skills (either a Fixer, Trader, or Engineer).
The single exception is the skill Computer Literacy, which is absolutely
essential for equipping better NCU and belts, along with using the Grid. There
is some debate as to how much you should put into Computer Literacy, but I would
suggest for your first few characters to max this skill out. At around 250
points, you can start to slow down if you'd like, as by then, you'll have
access to most of the Grid and a decent 5 slot belt (hopefully the Guardian
Circuit Board from Temple of the Three Winds). Higher Computer Literacy is
generally not needed as much for combat-oriented classes, while nano-casting
classes may want to continue to invest in Computer Literacy for more NCU and
utilities (like a Nano Formula Recompiler). On a personal note, I always max
my Comp Lit unless I'm building a level-locked character for a specific task.
However, as you get more experienced, you may want to dip your toe in these
tradeskill waters. It is best to specialize in a couple of areas (such as Armor
creation or Implant creation) first as IP is tight in the early levels. I would
spend no more than 25% of your IP each level in this category if you are a
primary tradeskiller... any more than that, and you risk harming your
development and slowing down your growth.
Some common tradeskill processes (in order of least to most difficult):
* Monster Parts - These can be turned into Blood Plasma by a Bio-Comminutor,
which can be purchased in the tradeskill section of any General store. It
requires Pharm Tech. Good shop food. In addition to the usual tradeskill
classes, Doctors and Agents are proficient at this skill.
* Implant Creation - By and large, this requires Nanoprogramming. In addition
to the usual tradeskill classes, NTs and MPs are proficient in this skill.
Jobe clusters (special implant clusters) may require other tradeskills.
* Gems and Jewelry - Requires Mech Engi. Gems, normally sold as shop food, can
be made more valuable through cutting them and inserting them into rings. You
can sell the cut gem, or you can raise the QL of the gem by inserting it into
a higher QL ring and then sell them for even more cash. The idea is that you
get more money from higher QL items, and putting a low QL gem into a higher
QL ring raises the overall value. For more info:
^ http://arcanum.aodevs.com/crafting_jewelry.html
* Plate armor creation - Requires Mech Engi, Elec Engi, and Chemistry.
^ http://arcanum.aodevs.com/armor_carbonum.html
Carbonum Plate armor (popular) falls in this category. Expensive in terms of
skills to make, but the tradeskill tools and reagents are readily available,
with the exception of Notum Saturated Metaplast (extremely rare).
* Nanobot armor creation - Requires Nanoprogramming, Comp. Lit, and Chemistry.
^ http://arcanum.aodevs.com/armor_cas.html
A different category of armors which requires Notum Fragments and Chips to
process. Since Notum Fragments and Chips only drop from monsters, these
armors are harder to make, but are also more sought after. Includes the
popular and powerful CAS Symbiotic and Barter armors.
* Nano-Crystal creation - A two-step process, involving Instruction Discs
(which requires Nanoprogramming and Comp. Lit.) and Carbonrich Rocks (which
requires Mech. Engi, Elec. Engi, and Field Quantum Physics). The end product
requires Nanoprogramming and Mech. Engi. Note that for each Instruction Disc
you will need a Carbonrich Rock that equals or exceeds the QL of the ID. Full
process is described here:
^ http://arcanum.aodevs.com/crafting_nanodiscs.html
Other notes:
* Weaponsmithing, by and large, is not a viable tradeskill process. There are
only a handful of weapons that are remotely usable, and it actually costs
more money to build the weapon than it does to buy it or blitz it! The single
exception to this is building Perennium weapons, but those require parts from
Shadowlands, and are only usable by Shadowlands subscribers. If you are dead
set on making weapons, the recipes can be found in the appropriate booth in
any tradeskill section of any general store, in the form of a manual.
* Note that a lot of tradeskill processes also use Breaking and Entry as part
of its recipe. You might want to consider keeping this skill high on your
primary tradeskiller.
* While you can create Nanokits, Nano Rechargers, Treatment Laboratories, and
other Pharm Tech items, most of these are much more cost efficient to buy
from a booth. The process becomes more viable at higher QLs (which cannot be
found in stores), but even then, you will find many Health/Nano curing items
in missions.
* Enriched Notum Nuggets can be bashed to make Notum Chips and Fragments:
^ http://arcanum.aodevs.com/crafting_notumnuggets.html
* Save all of your Notum Chips/Fragments, and Enriched Notum Nuggets! They sell
from 1k to 2k per QL (with QL 200 pieces going for as high as 500k-1m each!).
However, Notum Pellets are worthless (at least, on the open market).
Nano & Aiding
-------------
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Nanoskill selection is highly dependent on your profession |
| * Invest 41 points in MM and BM for the Ability Boost generic nanos. |
| * Invest 66 points in PM and SI for the Expertise line of generic nanos. |
| * Max out Treatment. You will always need more, for implants and labs. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
* Matt.Metam (MM)
* Bio Metamor (BM)
* Psycho Modi (PM)
* Matter Crea (MC)
* Time&Space (TS)
* Sensory Impr (SI)
* First Aid (FA)
* Treatment (Treat)
There are two groups of skills in this tab, the Nanoskills and the Aiding
skills.
The Nanoskills in which you invest are highly dependent on your character's
profession. However, there are a few general rules that I like to follow:
* Almost all buffs to skills involve PM and SI. If you want to be good at nano
buffs, invest in those two categories. I would recommend having at least 66
points in both, because all of the generic Expertise buffs require that much.
* Almost all buffs to abilities involve MM and BM. I would get around 41 points
in each, to utilize the generic Ability Boost buffs.
* MM and BM are also used in Heals, both general Team/Single Heals and HoTs.
* MC is generally used in Nukes, Pets, and Shields. If you want to focus on
any of those three categories, invest in MC.
* TS is used in anything that provides bonuses over Time, like Shields, Pets,
HoTs, and DoTs. It is also used for Nano Rechargers. All characters should
probably invest in a little TS, at least.
First Aid is a good skill to invest in when you have spare IP, but it's not
essential. It allows you to use Stims, like Nano Kits and First Aid Kits. I
personally don't invest much in this category, especially in classes with good
heals (like Adventurers, Martial Artists, Fixers, and Doctors). Classes without
a good self-heal may consider raising this skill.
Treatment is essential for high level implants, Nano Rechargers, Treatment Labs.
I would highly recommend maxing this out, no matter what class you are playing.
Implants are an important part in developing your character, and you will always
need more Treatment.
Spying
------
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * You will need up to 2 times the QL of your missions in Break&Entry |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
* Concealment
* Break&Entry (B&E)
* Trap Disarm. (TD)
* Perception
Concealment is essential for those who use Aimed Shot (mostly Agents), but it
is not useful for much else.
If you run a lot of missions, you are going to run into a lot of locked doors
and chests. The formula for calculating the amount of B&E that you need to pick
a locked door or chest is the QL of the mission times 1 for doors and times 2
for chests. Be sure to have enough B&E to get to the goodies that you want.
If you play mostly in teams, you may not need as much. Also, you can implant
or buff B&E, so keep that in mind when saving IP.
Perception is used to equip crit scopes in HUD3 and to detect hidden objects
or concealed individuals. It is more necessary in PvP than PvM, and there are
several powerful buffs that can raise Perception. You can probably skip this
skill.
Navigation
----------
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Investing in Vehicle Ground and Water is a waste of IP. |
| * You cannot reset Map Nav! Invest as few points as possible into it. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
* Vehicle Air (VA)
* Vehicle Ground (VG)
* Vehicle Water (VW)
* Map Navig. (Map Nav)
The Vehicle skills are, for the most part, a waste of IP. There are several
vehicle options in the game, but you can use the "top" vehicle, the Yalmaha,
with as little as 81 points of Vehicle Air, which is easily obtainable through
implants and trickledown from your abilities. Still, it is cheap to put a
handful of points into Vehicle Air if needed and not likely to affect your
development.
The other vehicles that do not fly are, by and large, a waste of credits and IP.
They are cheaper, but the runspeed boost is marginal and they do not allow you
to avoid combat over large spans of territory like the Yalmaha. You can easily
acquire either an Adventurer polymorph or a Fixer runspeed buff to do virtually
the same thing. Sparrow Flight and Playful Cub are two Adventurer polymorphs
that are even available as a Hacked Graft, allowing anyone to cast these. In
other words, Ground Vehicles are a waste of IP.
There is very little reason to use Vehicle Water, as there are almost no
instances where you would have to swim, making the skill as useless as Swimming.
It is necessary to have SOME Map Navigation, but this is the single skill that
cannot be reset. Use Implants to get your Map Nav as high as you can. You'll
need around 130-140 points of it to use all of the Map Upgrade units (except
for the "Sided" map upgrade).
********************************************************************************
So, to recap...
Skills that you should "max out"
--------------------------------
* Your Primary Weapon Skill - Whatever weapon you decide to focus on, I'd max
this skill out. If you use pistols, for example, max out your Pistol skill.
* Body Development - This is your Health Points, and directly determines your
ability to survive.
* Computer Literacy - This is necessary to use the better NCU belts and to
access all of the locations on the Grid. Later on, you may not need as much
of it, but it's important to have at least 250 Computer Literacy.
* Treatment - Since all implants require the Treatment skill to equip, and
implants are nearly essential for playing viable characters in AO, it is
important to put as many points as possible into Treatment. It has the
added side benefit of allowing you to use higher level Nano-rechargers and
Treatment laboratories for out-of-combat healing.
Recommended Skills
------------------
* Agility and Stamina are used for many implants. Agility trickles down into
many skills, while Stamina directly helps your Body Dev.
* Intelligence trickles down into all Nanoskills, making it very useful.
Skills that you should avoid
----------------------------
* It is not necessary to put any points into Swimming, Vehicle: Ground, and
Vehicle: Water.
* Adventuring is really only useful for fr00bs for wearing some of the
higher level backpacks, but there are much better backslot items available.
* It is necessary to have SOME Map Navigation, but this is the single skill
that cannot be reset.
********************************************************************************
Other things to do when leveling
--------------------------------
* Consider upgrading your stash of First Aid Kits, Nano Rechargers, and
Treatment Labs. If your Treatment, First Aid, and Time&Space skills have
gone up, you can expect to use higher level healing items in between battles.
* Certain items are "leveling" items, and thus you may want to update them when
you level up.
* You can also consider upgrading your implants, if you've been increasing your
abilities and Treatment skill.
NCU and buffing
===============
Recommended Reading
-------------------
^ http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?site=knowledge&link=0&id=6
** A good overview of the various belts and chips
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * To use buffs, you need as much NCU as you can. |
| * Computer Literacy is necessary to use higher level decks and chips. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
The amount of "buffs" that your character can use at any given time is limited
by a value called NCU (Nano Controller Units). This number is increased by a
variety of equipment, but is most likely to mainly come from your deck and NCU
chip slots. The higher NCU you have, the more buffs that you can utilize. Some
classes are extremely buff-heavy, and thus benefit more from having high NCU.
Other classes can skimp a bit on NCU, if they do not rely on too many buffs to
function.
The most important skill for this is Computer Literacy. Be sure to max out your
Computer Literacy skill every level, so you can use the best NCU belts and
chips. Note that other than the number of Deck slots, the QL of the NCU belts
has NO bearing on performance, other than increasing the Computer Literacy
requirement. Thus, you actually want to get the LOWEST QL of belt that you can
find within a certain deck slot threshold. For example, when you first upgrade
to a 3 slot belt, you will want to find a Belt Component Platform near QL 30.
NCU and Belts can be purchased from the Tools Booth in any General Store, at
varying QLs. These QLs are random and rotate occasionally, just like other
shop booths.
Alternative sources of NCU include Rings (Ring of Nucleus Basalis, ToTW rings),
armor (Advanced Salesman's Hat, Carbonum Armor), and even weapons (the Original
Electronicum).
Buffing Computer Literacy is notoriously difficult to do. There are no nano
buffs that can be cast on others to increase Computer Literacy. Traders and
Agents (FP Trader) have very strong self-buffs, but for the majority of
professions, you will have to equip custom implants in the Eye, Head, and Right
Hand along with a small amount of special buffing equipment in order to raise
your Computer Literacy enough to get into higher belts and chips. Luckily,
belts and chips do not suffer from Over-Equipping, so once they are installed,
they run at full capacity even after you remove the buffing equipment and
implants.
Switching Chips and Belts takes a very long time. Do not jump or open bags or
do anything when you are doing this! It may cancel the process and you will
have to start over. It is best to simply sit in a quiet area and go away from
your keyboard.
One special belt of note is the Guardian Circuit Board from the Guardian of
Time in TotW. It has five slots, adds bonus NCU as well, and only requires
225 Computer Literacy to equip. Most people jump to this belt as soon as they
can, until they are ready to equip a 6 slot belt (which requires a minimum Comp
Lit of around 360). It is fairly easy to get, simply because it is NoDrop and
every person only really needs one of them, so it is often left on the body of
a recently-killed Guardian of Time.
Title Levels: A brief explanation
=================================
All of the classes have named ranks, called title levels, which represent a
significant increase in the threshold of your skills and abilities. You start
at Title Level 1, and as a fr00b, you can go up to Title Level 6. Each Title
Level has an associated name with it which is class dependent. At each Title
level, not only does your skill cap go up, but the IP per Level increases as
well. Note that there is a Title Level 7 but it can only be achieved if you
have Shadowlands.
Title Level 1 - Initial title level (5,000 IP per level)
Title Level 2 - Earned at Level 15 (10,000 IP per level)
Title Level 3 - Earned at Level 50 (20,000 IP per level)
Title Level 4 - Earned at Level 100 (40,000 IP per level)
Title Level 5 - Earned at Level 150 (80,000 IP per level)
Title Level 6 - Earned at Level 190 (150,000 IP per level)
Title Level 7 - Earned At Level 205 (not available for froobs)
Title Level Name Progressions
-----------------------------
Adventurer
Scout -> Hunter -> Preserver -> Adventurer -> Wanderer -> Ranger
Agent
Informer -> Spy -> Agent -> Assassin -> Master Assasin -> Grandmaster Assasin
Bureaucrat
Clerk -> Bureaucrat -> Secretary -> Manager -> Minister -> President
Doctor
Nurse -> Medic -> Doctor -> Surgeon -> Master Surgeon -> Chief of Staff
Enforcer
Docker -> Worker -> Foreman -> Union Man -> Made Man -> Don
Engineer
Techie -> Mechanic -> Engineer -> Chief Engineer -> Master Engineer ->
Nobel Prize Engineer
Fixer
Lifter -> Thug -> Embezzler -> Fixer -> Doer -> The Man
Martial Artist
Initiate -> Apprentice -> Monk -> Master -> 5th Dan Master -> 10th Dan Legend
Meta-Physicist
Disciple -> Devotee -> Priest -> Archdeacon -> Spiritual Leader -> Saint
Nano-Technician
Novice -> Apprentice -> Initiate -> Sorcerer -> Techno-Mage -> Techno-Wizard
Soldier
Militiaman -> Mercenary -> Soldier -> Lieutenant -> Colonel -> General
Trader
Courier -> Salesman -> Merchant -> Board Member -> CEO -> Chairman and CEO
========================
= Levels 1-10 (aong04) =
========================
Recommended Reading
===================
^ http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?site=knowledge&link=0&id=213
** ICC Shuttleport Island Guide from AO Universe
^ http://www.aofroobs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4647
** Beginner Tutorial for the chat client
Newbie Island
=============
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * You will probably spend most of your early levels at the ICC Shuttleport |
| Island AKA Newbie Island. Learn how to play the game here! |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Welcome to the ICC Shuttleport, AKA Newbie Island!
Usually, when I start a new character, I spend some time changing and fiddling
with the interface to my liking.
The FIRST thing I would do is set your inventory to List Mode. You can do this
by clicking the "I" in the upper left corner of your Inventory and clicking the
"List Mode" option. This makes it a whole lot easier to manage your inventory.
You can also use this for your bags (when you get them later on), and in the
trade window (makes shopping a breeze, at a glance).
Later on, I would also recommend separating out your Trade window from the
right sided scroll bar. Right-click on the "Trade" label of the open window and
drag it out into your playing field. After selecting List Mode, stretch the
window out so you can see at a glance the Count, Price, and Quality.
I would also re-arrange your chat windows. You can find a tutorial for this
here:
^ http://www.aofroobs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4647
Finally, I would also download and install the Atlas of Rubi-Ka from:
^ http://forums.flw.nu/viewtopic.php?p=1044
Or alternatively, you can use the CSP map from:
^ http://www.creativestudent.com/ao/
How to earn money on Newbie Island
----------------------------------
Making money on Newbie Island is difficult, as you do not have access to any
backpacks and the items that drop from the creatures in this area generally
do not sell very well. However, since you need cash to buy the various starter
items on Newbie Island, there are a few ways to earn it:
* Sell all the Blue Corundum, Yellow Corundum, Seashells, and Melted Circuit-
Boards that you come across.
* If you have changed your affiliation to Clan or Omni, make use of the side-
specific shops for selling your loot, as they have a much better sell price
than Antonio.
* Certain items can only be purchased on Newbie Island. In particular, the
sided Sunglasses, the Omni-Tek Technical Library, and the Omni Smelling Salts
all are only purchased from the sided vendors. While these items are a bit
expensive for your current budget, they all can be sold on the mainland for
much more than their purchase price. You can expect about 50 to 200k for the
sunglasses, 200 to 500k for the Smelling Salts, and 500k or more from the
Omni-Tek Technical Library (less for Omni, more for Neutral or Clan who
cannot purchase these at all).
I generally spend levels 1 to 6 killing Surf Lizards and Island Reets for
Yellow Corundum and Perfectly-Formed Seashells. After level 6, I hunt Cargo
Droids and Waste Collectors for Melted Circuit Boards. Fill up your inventory,
then run back to the sided store to sell!
The beginnings of Tradeskilling
-------------------------------
^ Ref: http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?site=knowledge&link=0&id=106
There isn't much Tradeskilling that you can do in Newbie Island. However,
what little is there can be used to increase your weapon damage so that you
can kill things faster and thus get out of Newbie Island faster. The weapon
upgrades do not actually require any Tradeskills... they just require you to
combine a component with Antonio's Adaptation Factory and then combine that
component with your weapon. You can either use the Tradeskill Kit window to
do this or simply pick up the item that you are combining and Shift-Right Click
onto the item you want to upgrade.
Important Note: If you intend to make the Tinker Pistol on the mainland, it is
very important that you buy a spare Solar-Powered Pistol. You will probably
want upgrade your pistol to an Electrical Surge Pistol, which cannot be made
into the Tinker Pistol. So buy a spare Solar-Powered Pistol for the purposes of
upgrading it into the Tinker Pistol. It will save you the pain of creating one
from scratch.
Things that you should do
-------------------------
* Choose your affiliation. You should probably do this as soon as possible so
that you can take advantage of the upgraded Newcomer Armor. I suggest Omni,
because it is easier on the new player (you can always experiment with Clan
later), in my opinion.
* If you are Clan or Omni, buy the cheapest Newcomer Armor that you can afford
and upgrade all of the pieces with a Clan or Omni Badge. Since the Newcomer
Armor becomes a leveling item when upgraded, you don't need the more
expensive versions.
* Since the most recent patch, you can get free Newcomer Armor from quests that
Travis Molen gives you.
* Get two shoulderpads of the appropriate side. If you are Omni, get two Omni
shoulderpads. If you are Clan, get two Clan shoulderpads. This means doing
the appropriate quests TWICE, but it's well worth the effort, since good
shoulderpads are generally hard to find.
* Buy the Nanoprogram container of your profession. This booth is next to
Antonio, and gives you a package deal on all of your "starter" nanos.
* You can obtain a Small Backpack from one of the quests off of Adri Alfi. This
adds 21 slots of storage inside the bag and is well worth the time and effort
to get on Newbie Island.
* You can obtain a Shiny Band and Range Meter by doing the tasks given to you
by the ICC Observer.
Optional things to do
---------------------
* If you choose Omni, and you are planning on doing tradeskills of any kind,
make sure you pick up an Omni-tek Technical Library from the same person
that sells the Omni badges to upgrade your armor. You can also just buy
these and sell them on the mainland at 50k to 300k in credits for a tidy
profit, as they are ONLY sold on Newbie Island.
* Likewise, the Omni Sunglasses and Smelling salts are a good item to pick up
from the same shop. Clan has their own sunglasses, but no neck item. The
sunglasses and smelling salts are not nearly as much in demand as the Tech
Library, but you can probably sell them for 50k to 100k on the mainland.
* Additional Note: These items are subject to supply and demand, so the price
for them fluctuates.
Equipment Suggestions and Tips
==============================
* The best armor that you can get at this point is the Newcomer Armor upgraded
by an Omni badge or Clan badge, which is a leveling item that goes all the
way up to QL 15. Even at QL 15, it is better than most of the armor that
you'll find early on. If you are Neutral, tough luck... you'll have to
harvest armor from the Dynabosses. The large robot dynaboss is great for
higher QL armors.
* Be sure to upgrade your weapon! All of the weapons on Newbie Island can be
upgraded to a higher-damaging form.
* Brandon Thorn gives you free Treatment Laboratories, Nano Rechargers, Nano
Kits, and First Aid Kits for bringing him three Monster Parts. The QL for
these freebies scales with your level!
How do I leave this place?
==========================
When you've had your fill of Newbie Island, then head to the sided Recruiter of
your appropriate affilation (Neutral, Clan, Omni). After talking with them,
you should get a starter pack of Maps and a key. Head to the Teleport Tower,
and use your key on the terminal to the right of the appropriate Teleporter.
This will be your first glimpse at Whom-pah travel. Above the Whom-pah teleport
devices, you will see the names of the three starter cities, Borealis (Neutral),
Athens (Clan), and Rome (Omni).
Once you leave Newbie Island, you cannot come back!
=========================
= Levels 10-25 (aong05) =
=========================
Where in the heck am I?
=======================
By now, you should have reached the mainland. There are many differences
between the safe confines of Newbie Island and the world of Rubi-Ka, and not
just the size. *grin* Some things that you should do:
* Find out where the shops are. Specifically, find out where the Basic General
Store is located. There are three Quality levels of shops, Basic, Advanced,
and Superior. Basic is the one you'll be dealing with first and it supports
equipment from QL 1 to around QL 50.
* Buy backpacks. There is a Container store in the Subway and in all Advanced
and Superior General Stores. Note that the Adventuring requirement on the
backpack is only needed to WEAR the backpack, not USE the backpack to store
items. Each backpack holds up to 21 items, and all backpacks carry the same
amount of items (including the "Book of Knowledge")! Later on, you may want
to mix and match the bags because the icons are different (helpful for
organizing), but when you are short on cash, it is perfectly acceptable to
just use Small Backpacks. Like any inventory, I would strongly suggest using
List Mode. Also, you can Rename your backpacks.
* If you are a Pistol user, or simply someone who likes nostalgia, I would
recommend trying to find where the "Backyards" are. These locations are
where your apartment will be located (once you select one... it's mostly a
cosmetic choice, and not important for gameplay). They contain a Bank term,
a Surgery Clinic, and a Holo-World. The Holo-World contains some low level
enemies and a Second-Hand Peddler Merchant who sells some items not found
anywhere else. The Original Electronicum pistol is sold up to QL 10 here.
The Backyards are the locations where people used to start the game. They are
called different things according to affiliation... for example, in Rome and
Omni territory, they are called "Highrises".
* All General Stores, Backyards, and select other locations have two structures
that are very important for common gameplay.
** The first is a Bank Terminal. This represents a "second inventory" of
sorts, where you can store items. While the storage is limited, you are
allowed to put Bags full of items in the Bank, and it counts for only 1
space for that bag.
** The other important structure is the Surgery Clinic. This device, for a
nominal fee of 30 credits, allows you to switch in/out your implants for 5
minutes, and also heals you for 1000 Health and Nano Pool, making it a
cheap and effective way to heal up quickly.
* Find out where the Mission Terminals are. Mission Terminals will be the main
way for you to make money and gain experience when you aren't exploring a
static dungeon or adventuring in the wilderness. I cannot emphasize enough
how valuable these terminals are... Missions are the lifeblood of your
character advancement.
* Find out where the Insurance Terminals are. These simple structures "save"
your progress. At later levels, you will lose your experience points into a
separate pool of XP when you die (this pool gets recovered eventually, but it
still slows you down). Saving at Insurance Terminals will not only prevent
this from happening, but also "save" you at that location, so you will return
there when you die at one of the "Reclaim" terminals.
* If you can, download the Atlas of Rubi-Ka. It is far superior to the default
Planet Maps that come with the client. You can find it here:
^ http://forums.flw.nu/viewtopic.php?p=1044
Another map that I use is the CSP map. You can find it here:
^ http://www.creativestudent.com/ao/
* Lastly, find out where the Subway is. Each of the major cities of the three
factions has a Subway, which is the first static dungeon that you'll go for.
Your starting location on the mainland will be VERY close to the Subway.
Missions
========
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Early missions are a great way to build up XP and cash in low level play. |
| * Mission Sliders determine the parameters of your mission. Find a setting |
| that is right for you! |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Recommended Reading
-------------------
^ http://forums.anarchy-online.com/showthread.php?t=265462
** An old thread which goes into great detail about mission slider settings
Missions can be thought of as random "instanced" dungeons. Mission terminals
give you a task, after which you head to a location set by the mission,
complete the task at that location, and receive a reward in experience, loot,
and credits.
Missions can be undertaken as a solo player or as a team. Team missions have
multiple levels (separated by elevators) and also contain a boss monster who
has a chance of dropping special boss-only loot in addition to regular loot.
These boss monsters guard the end objective of the team mission.
Learning How to "Roll" Missions
-------------------------------
"Rolling" a mission is as simple as right-clicking on one of the Mission
terminals scattered across most of the major cities and towns of Rubi-Ka. You
will get a display of 5 missions (sometimes less) that randomly selects both
the location of the mission and the reward for completing the mission, as well
as the type of mission.
There are various sliders that appear below the Request Mission button:
* Easy-Hard: This slider determines the difficulty of the mission, in terms of
the level of enemies in the mission. It is relative to your level. At the
lowest setting, all of the enemies will be "grey" and not give you XP. At
the highest setting, all of the enemies will be "red" and be difficult to
kill. This slider also determines the QL of the mission reward.
* Good-Bad: Supposedly, this slider determines the "altruism" of the mission
and the level of violence you can expect to complete the mission. Actually,
all that it does is change what kind of missions are rolled. If you are
having problems finding the kind of mission you want (you want a Find Person
mission instead of a Repair or Find Item), fiddle with this setting.
* Order-Chaos: Sets whether or not you will be facing monsters or humans. Order
missions tend to have all humans, while Chaos tends to have all monsters.
Chaos missions also tend to have multiple "factions" of monsters, so you may
run into mismatched groups (a robot and a Manteze in the same room).
* Open-Hidden: Sets the number of locked chests and doors, as well as hidden
areas in the mission. If you have a low B+E, you might want to set it more
to Open. If you have a lot of B+E and want more XP, set it to Hidden.
* Phys-Myst: Sets the type of enemies in the mission. Phys missions have more
melee and damage-dealing enemies, while Myst have more nano-casting enemies.
* HeadOn-Stealth: Sets the number of cameras, turrets, and hidden traps in the
mission. Moving the slider to Stealth increases these obstacles.
* Money-XP: Sets the Credit reward and XP reward for the mission. Since the
XP reward typically equals the value of one or two mobs in the mission, even
on the highest XP setting, most folks set this slider to Money for credits.
Note that none of these settings have any influence on the type of reward that
you will receive. You will get more "chances" for the reward that you want
with Find Item and Return Item missions, due to the fact that the item you are
looking for will count as a 2nd rolled item, but the reward is random. In other
words, there are no "best" settings to roll a particular item.
My personal favorite settings, for most situations, is all Bad, all Order, and
all Money. This gives me 3 Find Item, 1 Return Item, and 1 Repair mission.
All of these mission conditions are easy to control, relatively easy to blitz,
and this slider setting yields 9 potential items total (since both the mission
reward and the Find/Return item in question count as a rolled item).
Most people, when rolling missions, either are trying to complete the mission
for a token, or trying to "blitz" the mission to get the reward. When rolling
multiple missions, it is best to try to get all of the missions in the same
location, so it is easier to travel to each one.
The easiest missions to get tokens are ones with mission parameters that are
easy to control, such as Find Item, Return Item, and Repair. The easiest
missions for blitzing are ones with easy objectives like Find Item, Find
Person, and Repair. Find Person is especially easy for Blitzing, as you can
simply run around the mission like a madman, tapping on the TAB button until
you target the person you need to find.
Fixers tend to be excellent at "blitzing" missions because they have runspeed
buffs, "meeps" (teleport directly to the Grid), the Fixer Grid, area root and
snare nanos, and Heal over Time nanos.
Traders, Crats, and Nanotechs are also great at blitzing missions because they
have several "calm" nanos that allow them to simply calm any opposition and
walk up to the target scot-free. Adventurers also have a calm, but it is less
useful for this purpose.
Finally, Agents (and Adventurers, with the Pronouncement of Greatness nano)
can blitz missions by Stealthing through it, using Concealment to sneak past
the monsters. Technically, any character with Concealment can do this, but
Agents are the only class that almost always has this skill raised.
For a look at the items available from missions, be sure to check out the
Master Blitz list:
^ http://ao-universe.com/guides/classic/master_blitz_listv2.0.php
You can also use Kimi's Rollability Facts database to figure out if the item
that you are looking for can actually be rolled:
^ http://www.arpa3.net/ao/
Token Boards
============
Another good reason to run missions is the sided Token Boards. Clan and Omni
characters get a certain amount of tokens every time they successfully complete
a mission. This token is received when you receive the mission reward. You
need to kill all of the enemies in the mission in order to have 100% chance of
receiving a token, with lower percentages if you do not kill all of the enemies
or the enemies you kill are too low in level (grey).
The Token boards provide higher and more bonuses as you raise them. You also
gain more tokens per mission as you level up.
Levels 1-14 = 1 token
Levels 15-49 = 2 tokens
Levels 50-74 = 3 tokens
Levels 75-99 = 4 tokens
Levels 100-124 = 5 tokens
Levels 125-149 = 6 tokens
Levels 150-174 = 7 tokens
Levels 175-189 = 8 tokens
Levels 190+ = 9 tokens
Neutrals do not get tokens, unfortunately. Here is a list of some alternate
neck slot items (also for folks who are too lazy to grind for tokens):
* Solyoz Intimate Helper - Fixer shop. Adds a small bonus to health/nano.
^ http://auno.org/ao/db.php?id=158763
* All-Match Augmented Bowtie - Buffs tradeskills, as well as health and nano.
^ http://auno.org/ao/db.php?id=156540
* Collar Casero de la Cripta - From Crypt of Home. Unique. Provides valuable
bonuses to the "Speed" tab skills, as well as NCU.
^ http://auno.org/ao/db.php?id=246125
* Collar of Amplification - From the Biomare/Foreman's quests, final reward.
Adds a bonus to a single nanoskill, which is changed by right-clicking the
Collar. Also buffs treatment by 7.
^ http://auno.org/ao/db.php?id=259265
* Experimental Cyborg Token Board - Comparable to the sided token boards, this
board can only be worn at Title Level 6. Drops from high level cyborgs.
^ http://auno.org/ao/db.php?id=244719
Title Level 1 Moneymaking
=========================
* The QL 10 Concrete Cushion - This item is not store-bought, but instead found
as a reward on missions. These generally go for about 200-300k on the open
market, as a pair (you have to roll two of them).
* The QL 22 OT-Windchaser M06 Quartz - This item is coveted for its ability to
increase Treatment. It comes in QLs from 22 to 25, but the QL 22 is the most
valuable due to its lower reqs. Sells for 200-500k on the open market.
* The Leet doll quest -
^ Ref: http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?site=knowledge&link=0&id=24
Just outside the Bronto Burger near the Newland Grid exit is a girl that
wants her Leet Doll back. The lamp that she gives you as a reward sells for
about 25-30k to the shop, making for some fairly good quick cash for early
players, especially those who do not want to advertise on the shopping
channels all day.
* Blood Plasma -
^ Ref: http://arcanum.aodevs.com/pharmacy_treatment.html
Monster parts can be made into Blood Plasma using a Bio-Comminutor and some
Pharmatech skill. Blood Plasma sells for about 60k per unit at QL 200, but
even at lower levels, it makes for great shop food.
Special Quests
==============
Mr. Blake's Quests (Omni Only)
------------------------------
^ Ref: http://arcanum.aodevs.com/quest_mrblake.html
* Omni-Tek helmet - A great helmet for Omni characters, especially early on.
* Omni-Tek Assault Backpack - Probably the earliest decent Back slot piece
that you can wear at this point. It's also a source of confusion for many
new players, as in order to get this item, you need a Scottish Whiskey to
deliver to the Omni Barracks lieutenant. You need to have 21 Adventuring to
wield it, so be sure to spend a few points there.
Dr. Bobic's Quest (Clan Only)
-----------------------------
^ Ref: http://arcanum.aodevs.com/quest_inventorbobic.html
* Notum Hood of Bobic - This item is a great "helmet" that provides a small
boost to intelligence and good Armor Classes for its level.
Implants
========
Recommended Reading
-------------------
^ http://www.dd.org/~tale/ao/premade-implants.html
** A list of the profession "premade" implants in the Basic Stores
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| * Keep Treatment as high as you can so you can use the best implants! |
| * Remember that the Surgery Clinic gives you +100 to your treatment. |
| * Always keep the primary attribute of the implant in mind before buying. |
| * Stick with the Premade implants to save time and headaches, if you don't |
| know what you are doing. |
| * Check all the booths, not just your class ones! |
| * The Soldier Leg Implant and the Trader Chest Implant are two good choices |
| for boosting your Stamina, Agility, and Strength. |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
When you reach the mainland, you will finally be able to use implants. At every
store, there is a Surgery Clinic which allows you to add/switch your implants.
It costs a few creds, gives you +100 to your Treatment skill, and refills 1000
Health and Nano Points. Simply right-click to activate it for the next few
minutes.
********************************************************************************
SPECIAL NOTE: Implants are one of the most difficult parts of the AO learning
curve to overcome. Do not expect to understand the intricacies of Implanting
and Implant creation overnight. There is a lot of information here to cover,
and you may have to come back to it over and over again. The only real teacher
is experience. Make mistakes, learn from them, talk with other players.
********************************************************************************
Implants can have from 1 to 3 upgrades. They typically require some amount of
Treatment and a specific ability to equip, depending on the implant. The
implants have three grades: Faded, Bright, and Shiny. Shiny improvements give
the highest benefit, while Faded give the least. Each ability/skill has only
one of each grade, so you can't have, say, two Shiny Intelligence improvements.
If you wanted to maximize a single ability or skill, you would need a Shiny,
Bright, and Faded cluster in your implant configuration. This is called "Triple
Implanting".
For example, say that I want to maximize the amount of Matter Creation that I
receive from my implants. I would need to select all three gardes of clusters
that are linked to Matter Creation. This means I need a Shiny (Head), Bright
(Right Hand), and Faded (Eye). Since I can only find Matter Creation (Shiny)
in the Head, I would need a Head implant with the Shiny slot filled by a Matter
Creation (Shiny) cluster. Same goes for the Bright slot in the Right Hand and
the Faded slot in the Eye. I cannot have Matter Creation in any other implants,
because there is only one Shiny, one Bright, and one Faded slot for this
particular skill. I can fill the other Shiny, Bright, and Faded slots in the
rest of the implants/slots with other skills, however.
(Note: This does not include special implants like Notum Splice which break the
rules of general Implant creation)
When choosing implants, think of how the implant can work for you. For example,
it is worthless for a Bureaucrat to have an Implant with Shotgun if the Crat
does not use Shotguns at all. Conversely, an Adventurer who wanted to maximize
his/her Fling Shot would be wise to select all the implants that increase Fling
Shot. Still, all implants give SOME benefit, and so it is often beneficial to
fill all of your implant locations with something, if you can afford it.
Every Basic General Store (such as Rome Blue Basic, where Mr. Blake resides)
has profession-specific Implant booths, which provide a suggested layout of
implants at various QLs. I would recommend using these booths when you are
first starting out, but keep in mind that you can always use any other
profession booths and shop for your implants at multiple booths. In particular,
I can recommend both the Trader Chest and the Soldier Leg Implant. They give
boosts to Stamina and Agility, which are often necessary to insert most of the
implants out there.
Whompah Travel
==============
^ Old link: http://travel.to/rubi-ka/
Whompahs are found in select hubs throughout Rubi-Ka and give you instant and
free travel between the various cities and towns. There are several good maps
out there that show the "Whompah Routes". It is a good idea to figure out how
to get to common locations using the Whompahs. For example, many Omnis will
first figure out that they can reach Omni Trade from Rome by taking the Whompah
from Rome Red to Omni-Entertainment, then taking the Whompah to Omni Trade.
It requires no skill to use a Whompah... simply walk up to the gate, and you
are transported.
Also, several player-created cities out in the wilderness have special Whompahs
that teleport you to the various bars across Rubi-Ka. There are whompahs to
Rompa, Baboon's, Reet Retreat, and Neuters R Us. These can be used to return to
the Omni and Neutral "home cities" quickly after a mission or wilderness travel.
Subway
======
Recommended Reading
-------------------
^ http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?site=knowledge&link=0&id=122
** Guide from AO Universe
^ http://forums.anarchy-online.com/showthread.php?t=435283
** Guide from the Official Forums. No pictures, but more in-depth.
There are actually three subways, one for every faction (Clan, Omni, Neutral)
in the home city of each respective faction. The content in the Subway is
identical between the three.
Once you hit level 25, you can no longer enter the Subway. However, if you
are already in the Subway, you can continue leveling past level 25. It is
believed that you are "kicked out" at around level 30 if you have an extended
stay in the Subway.
Locations for leveling
----------------------
At levels 10 to 15, I tend to go to two locations. There is a "bathroom"-like
location on both the North and South end of the upper Subway. The southern
bathroom is guarded by 3 Stim Fiends, 1 Infected Attendant, 2 Slum Runners, and
an abundance of Filth Fleas. The Filth Fleas (especially the ones inside the
smaller room) are easy to kill and give a fair amount of XP.
The Northern "bathroom" is harder and has Workman Strikers and Architect
Strikers. In the doorway to the smaller room, there are two Workman Strikers
that respawn VERY quickly. If you can handle this room, it's a great place to
level until you are about level 15.
I also make sure that I kill all the Stim Fiends that I can find along the way,
as they almost always drop both a Nano Kit and a First Aid Kit, which is useful
for healing.
After level 15, I tend to get bored and head to the Deep Subway. The door to
the Deep Subway is guarded by Eumenides. If he hasn't already been killed, be
prepared for the fight of your life. I wouldn't take him on unless you have at
least one competant healer in the group.
In the Deep Subway, you'll find the rejects (which drop great weapons, Nano
Crystals from the Generic booth, and occasionally Living Cyber Armor). These
are social mobs that are fairly easy to kill, as long as you don't get
overwhelmed. They guard the long corridors in the Deep Subway, and give good
XP until level 20. Deeper in the Subway, they are higher in level and give
even more XP.
Near the end of the Deep Subway, you'll find a room filled with Slum Runners.
The respawn time is slow, but these Slum Runners give a great batch of XP.
Things that you should do
-------------------------
* Living Cyber Armor is dropped in the Deep Subway by most of the humanoid
enemies. This is a leveling item, and goes all the way to QL 50. They can
also be acquired in a series of quests, although the Chest piece is almost
impossible for most Omni players to get in the quest, because a crucial quest
item is in Athens. Living Cyber Armor is mediocre, but it's free and has a
Health bonus. If you are a Nanomage or focused on Int/Psy, this armor could
hold you over for a while.
^ Ref: http://arcanum.aodevs.com/quest_livingcyberarmor.html
* Morphing Memory drops from most of the robotic monsters (and some of the
more organic ones) in the Subway. You should get at least one. It is a
leveling item, and goes all the way to QL 200, making it an ideal item for
your NCU deck slot 1. Unfortunately, you can ONLY put it into deck slot 1,
so it will not solve all of your NCU needs.
Optional Things
---------------
* The Strike Foreman is in a passageway overlooking the main "subway tunnel".
He occasionally drops the Boots of Infinite Speed, which allows you to cast
the adventurer nano buff Terrain Knowledge, regardless of your class. It's
an interesting item, but not really necessary.
* Eumenides, Vergil Aeneid, and Abmouth Supremus all drop the Ring of Nucleus
Basalis. This ring is highly-prized because it adds NCU with only a req. of
Treatment (which is easily buffed). It generally sells for 500k on the open
market. It is also a leveling item, although it is worth more if it is NOT
leveled.
* Abmouth Supremus also drops Juggler's Treat, a Unique ring that is one of the
very few ways for all classes to buff Multi Melee and Multi Ranged (by 10).
Abmouth is very difficult to kill, even with a full team, so few people see
this item unless they have a character that is twinked for killing Abmouth.
Equipment Suggestions and Tips
==============================
* Because money is tight, you will probably get your first non-newbie weapon
either on a mission or as a mission reward or as a drop in the Subway.
However, the newbie weapons can last you quite a while, especially if you
have upgraded them at Newbie Island, and the ranged weapons have unlimited
ammo, which is a plus.
* Since armor isn't a high priority at lower levels (as whatever armor you
are wearing is very likely to reduce the damage you take to the minimum
anyway), consider purchasing a set of the Omni-Med suit, if you are Omni.
It provides substantial bonuses to Treatment and First Aid, allowing you to
use the higher QL First Aid Kits and Treatment Labs early, making healing a
breeze.
* Carbonum Armor is a popular choice, if you have the cash. Many tradeskillers
will make the armor "at cost" for you if you buy the plates yourself. Still,
I would suggest "tipping" them anyway for their services. On the open market,
QL 1-90 generally goes for 10k per QL for a full suit.
^ Ref: http://arcanum.aodevs.com/armor_carbonum.html
* If you have a Trader friend, or can hire a trader, consider having them buy
a QL 15 Cap of the Besieger to craft into a Physician's Cap. This leveling
item goes all the way to QL 75 and outpaces nearly all helmets up to QL 90!
The Psychic and Stamina requirements are higher than a comparable hat, but
it provides good protection and a bonus to Treatment, Pharma Tech, and First
Aid to boot.
^ Ref: http://arcanum.aodevs.com/armor_physicianscap.html
* Living Cyber Armor is a good option all the way up to level QL 50, but there
is another leveling chest armor available for those with high Strength and
Stamina called the Massive Steel Armor. This is dropped by Eye Mutants.
^ Ref: http://arcanum.aodevs.com/armor_massivesteel.html
Most folks stick around the Subway and solo missions (within their "home" city)
until they get past level 24. At level 25+, you no longer can enter the Subway
and are ready for the next section of the game...
=========================
= Levels 25-60 (aong06) =
=========================
These levels are mostly marked by a single dungeon, Temple of the Three Winds.
You will become very familiar with ToTW as a starting player in Anarchy Online.
Some things to do
=================
* Make sure you get used to saving yourself at the insurance terminal. Do this
early and often, so that you don't lose XP into your pool.
* Buy up an ample amount of Small Backpacks (around 5 or 6) to store loot.
* Run some low level missions to make money. You can save quite a bit of money
if you roll missions for your nano crystals, rather than buying them.
* At this point, you should be able to cast the appropriate Expertise for your
primary weapon skill and any support weapon skills that you use. Also, you
should get the Expertise nano buff for any Nanoskill line that you often use.
Title Level 2 Moneymaking
=========================
* QL 44 Galahad Beyer pistols - One of the few ways to buff Comp Lit. These
generally go for 500k to 900k on the open market for a pair. Demand for this
item tends to be low.
* Sealed Inner Sanctum passes are obtained by trading an Exarch Robe from ToTW
to the Blind Cultist outside of ToTW. They generally sell for 100k on open
market.
* Purifying Rods from ToTW sell for about 100k each to PvPers. Demand is low.
* Omnifiers and Clanalizers now drop from missions (at around QL 50). Demand
for these items tends to be high, and they sell for about 100k each to the
appropriate side, and 30-50k each to the opposite/wrong side. A good idea is
to dump all of these items on a Neutral alt to sell to the appropriate side.
Conversely, if you need Clanalizers and have Omnifiers (or vice versa), you
can often trade them 1 for 1 from the opposite side if you have a Neutral or
opposite sided alt.
* As soon as you are able, head to Foreman's. Loot drops there faster than any
other location at these levels. If you are Omni, there is even a convenient
Advanced General Store nearby to sell your loot and a save terminal at the
top of the hill.
* Save your Notum Fragments, Notum Chips, and Enriched Notum Nuggets. These
sell for 1k per QL, generally, on the open market. Pellets are worthless.
The Joy of Self-buffing
=======================
By this point, you should have at least 66 points in PM and SI and 44 points in
MM and BM. This will allow you to use two very important nano-lines, available
in the Generic nano booth.
The first are Expertise nanos. These nanos will buff a variety of skills by
20 points each. They cost a small amount of NCU and last only 30 minutes, but
these rudimentary buffs can prove to be the difference between equipping a great
weapon or having to wait for 5 levels to do so. All of the weapon skills, nano
skills and tradeskills have an Expertise buff. Pick these up as soon as
possible and start using them.
The second are the Boost. These will buff any of the core six abilities by 12
points each. They don't last long, but they don't take up much NCU. Again,
these nanos may be the difference between using a new armor and implant now and
having to wait a few levels. They also provide trickle down to your skills,
giving you a small but significant bonus. A common example is using Intelligence
Boost to increase Computer Literacy by 3 points.
Missions
========
Token Boards
------------
Although Missions can be a rather dull grind, I would highly suggest completing
some missions for the tokens, especially if you've hit Title Level 3 at level
50 already. The token boards give many useful bonuses, and it's the best way to
"buff" your character at this point.
Grid Travel
===========
By now, you should have enough Computer Literacy to use most of the Grid. The
3rd floor and some of the 2nd floor will still be inaccessible with a high
Computer Literacy requirement, but those are areas that are more appropriate
for higher level characters.
Here are the Computer Literacy requirements for all of the exits and gridpoints:
First Floor
-----------
* 0 - Emergency Exit (will get you out of the grid)
* 0 - Organization Exit (will teleport you to your org's tower fields and city)
* 75 - Omni-1 Trade
* 80 - Old Athens
* 80 - Tir
* 90 - Borealis
* 90 - Newland
Second Floor
------------
* 75 - Omni-1 Ent
* 80 - 2HO (Stret East Bank)
* 90 - Meetmedere (Newland Desert, fly north to Mort)
* 100 - Rome (Rome Red Grid or RRG)
* 120 - Galway
* 120 - Harry's (fly north to Milky Way, take Ferry nearby to Pleasant Meadows)
* 120 - Lush Hills
* 130 - West Athens
* 150 - Clon**** (north to Andromeda)
* 180 - 4 Holes
* 250 - Broken Shores (City of Home)
Third Floor
-----------
* 150 - Omni-1 HQ
* 450 - Camelot (Avalon)
* 460 - Sentinels (Mort)
Temple of the Three Winds
=========================
Recommended Reading
-------------------
^ http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?site=knowledge&link=0&id=171
Getting There
-------------
As Omni, you can actually arrive at the Temple of the Three Winds from Rome
Green. On the East wall of Rome Green, south of the Jobe Whompah, is an alley
with a portal to Temple of the Three Winds. To use this portal, you need to be
below level 60 and pay 1000 credits to Windcaller Cerrak in front of the portal.
Neutrals can also use this portal as well.
As Clan (and Neutral), you need to either Grid or Whom-Pah to Tir. Head north
from the city of Tir, zone into Greater Tir County, then keep heading north
until you reach the Temple.
It is a long trek out to ToTW, far away from any cities. So be sure to stock
up on Ammo, Treatment Labs, Nano Rechargers, etc. Bring a lot of spares, as
folks tend to run out of supplies when they are out there.
Where's the Loot?
-----------------
Almost all of the items in the Temple of the Three Winds are either Unique or
NoDrop or both. The Unique items are fairly easy to acquire, simply because
everyone can only have one. However, the drop rate of all other loot is very
poor here, so don't expect to make much money in the Temple of the Three
Winds. You can't collect multiple items, and you can't sell the items that
you CAN accumulate.
Choo Choo!
----------
Trains are long trails of monster groups that follow fleeing players. Running
into a Train tends to be fatal, because the monsters tend to stop and attack.
Trains become a BIG problem in the Temple of the Three Winds,given the straight
corridors, wide level disparity, and difficult boss monsters. It is not
uncommmon for you to face a train of cultists and perhaps even a boss as you
walk down the front entrance. There's really no way to prepare for this other
than just knowing that you can face a train at any time in this dungeon and
that you are ready to run at any time when it happens. I typically move to the
closest wall, and try to hide behind some object to stay out of Line of Sight.
Even if I am seen, it typically reduces the amount of enemies that I would have
to fight.
The "Monster" Map upgrade (installed with 130 Map Nav) is helpful to see trains
coming before they hit you. At an earlier point, you can use the People Map
upgrade to see other players running. Most of the time, they are just running
to another area, but sometimes they are followed by a train.
Locations for Leveling
----------------------
Generally, at levels 20 to 30, I stick to killing the Cultists in the initial
lobby area/corridors and the large room with Defender of the Three. At around
level 30, I head down the middle path beyond Defender of the Three and kill
Cultists (slightly higher in level) and the Windcallers and Exarchs in Nematet's
room.
The enemies in Aztur's room (beyond Doorkeeper Gartua in the right path) are
tougher, but give better experience. They respawn slowly, though, and you'll
bump into other teams that want to try to kill Aztur or the Exarchs in that
room.
The most popular location for leveling in ToTW is the spiral ramp down to Lien.
There, one will find an abundance of Deathless Legionnaires, which are called
"Legos" by many players. These give between 3000 to 4000 Xp each and are great
for leveling between 30 to 50. Unfortunately, they tend to be heavily camped.
Boss Monsters
-------------
Listed in order of difficulty from easiest to hardest:
* Defender of the Three - Drops Notum Splice, 1H Blunt weapons.
* The Curator - Drops Rockcrusher Gauntlets and Touch of the Gripper. Also
heavily camped, because he occasionally drops the rare BM/MM buffing Notum
Ring of Three and its MC/TS counterpart.
* The Reanimator - Drops Withered Flesh, Crumbling Funeral Urn, 1H Blunt weapons
Occasionally drops Lien's Crystalizer, Barrow Strength.
* Gartua the Doorkeeper - Rarely drops Keeper's Vitality.
* Guardian of Time - Drops Guardian Circuit Board, Bracer of Amplified Sound.
Occasionally drops Guardian Tank Armor, which is why he is heavily camped.
* Windcaller Yatila - Drops Barrow Strength, Crumbling Funeral Urn, Lien's
Crystalizer.
* Lien - Drops Dark Memories, Crumbling Funeral Urn, 1H Blunt weapons.
Occasionally drops Memory Loop and the Ring of Memory Loss.
* Nematet, Custodian of Time - Drops Temporal Chalice, Touch of the Gripper.
Rarely drops Nematet's Eye.
* Uklesh - Rarely drops Frozen Tear of Uklesh. Spawns Khalum after dying.
* Khalum - Occasionally drops Fist of Orion. Spawns Aztur after dying.
* Aztur - Drops the Stygian Desolator (100%). Occasionally drops Holy Book of
the Immortal.
Things that you should do
-------------------------
* Cultist Robes - the Temple of the Three Winds has a good variety of Back
slot items. Shoot for an Exarch Robe, at the very least, which are dropped
from... well, Exarchs. Also, accumulate multiple Exarch Robes if you can and
stash them, as they will become important later on to enter the Inner Sanctum
dungeon.
* Cultist Rings - There are a variety of powerful rings that are dropped by the
Cultists here. You'll start out with the Bronze Ring of Three (dropped by the
Faithful) and work your way up to Silver, Gold, and Platinum (dropped by
Acolytes, Reverends, and Windcallers, respectively). The most powerful are
the Notum Ring of Three, a unique item dropped by bosses and Exarchs. Be sure
to get at least one Notum Ring of Three and one Platinum Ring of Three. Note
that while all the rings are Unique, you can pick up a second Notum Ring of
Three from The Curator, because his ring occasionally has different nanoskill
bonuses (and thus is considered a different ring).
* If you are a 1-handed Edged Weapon user, pick up a couple of Phase Blades.
They do decent damage until you can find something better, and drop like crazy
in this place from the Exarchs and Windcallers. You can also, if you are
really lucky, can pick up a Frozen Tear of Uklesh from the boss monster of the
same name, but he is quite a chore to kill without a good team.
* 2-handed Edged Weapon users hit the jackpot here, with good items that drop
from the monsters here. One is the Frost Scythe of the Legionnaire, which is a
very common drop from the Legionnaires. The other is a drop from Aztur (the
toughest boss monster in the Temple of the Three Winds), called the Stygian
Desolator, and is probably the best 2-handed Edged weapon until you can
upgrade to a Panther. Energy Scythes are also a common drop, but they aren't
nearly as good as those two weapons.
* 1-handed Blunt Weapon users will find Howling Skulls and its bigger brothers,
the Skull of Lamentation and the Skull of Woe here.
Optional things to do
---------------------
* The "Meatpads" - There are special shoulderpads that drop from a couple of the
minibosses in this area, Barrow Strength and Tainted Flesh. While they have
minor penalties against certain abilities, their advantages far outweigh their
penalties. Barrow Strength provides a significant boost to damage, while
Withered Flesh adds to health and ACs.
* Touch of the Gripper - This Right Arm implant adds several nice bonuses,
including a prodigious bonus to damage. If you aren't using your Right Arm
implant slot for anything useful, then this implant is made for you.
* Rockcrusher Gauntlets - Drops from the Curator. Adds damage as well as good
armor.
* Shadowfade Armor - This Agent-only armor drops from the various Windcallers
and Reverends in ToTW. It is NoDrop and provides great ACs for its reqs.
My personal Checklist for ToTW
------------------------------
* Barrow Strength - From Windcaller Yatila
* Exarch Robe - From various Exarchs
* Guardian Circuit Board - From Guardian of Time
* Notum Ring of Three (common) - From various Exarchs
* Platinum Ring of Three - From various Windcallers
* Rockcrusher Gauntlets - From the Curator
* Touch of the Gripper - From the Curator
* Withered Flesh - From the Re-Animator
* (optional) Notum Splice - From Defender of the Three
* (optional) Dark Memories - From Lien
* (optional) Notum Ring of Three (rare) - From the Curator
How do I get out of here??
--------------------------
Unfortunately, ToTW is way out in the middle of nowhere. Clans have an adv
