Hi. I stumbled onto you guys after hearing about you on Achaea. I made one hell of a mad dash to you guys, alts suicided, credits practically given away, you get the deal. (yes, I heard you guys were that good.) I'd just like to know a few things though...

What's the major RP/ history here?

Is there any real RP difference within the classes (whatever you guys call 'em?)

Within the classes, are there any differences depending on organization/faction/whatever?

I've always wanted to play a pascifist....is that practical here?

And most importantly....who should I know right off the bat to stay the heck away from?

The... major history isn't very easy to discuss in a Forum post. The best way to learn about it is to go to Lusternia's main web page, and go to the history section. It's very long, very detailed, and VERY good. That's what really got me hooked on this game to begin with.

There's a lot of different RP between different classes, both in types (warriors wielding weapons versus wiccans who are more attuned to the Fae versus Druids who have a tie to physical nature...), and just as much within the different classes from organization to organization (the Paladins are little like the ur'Guard, for example, and the Celestines are nothing like the Nihilists. Geomancers, Aquamancers... again, little similarity).

A pacifist is a possibility, but far more feasible in one of the less "fanatical" locations with larger numbers of members. It's possible to be one in Glomdoring or Magnagora, but you'd really have to carve out a niche declaring "I am a pacifist" for Magnagora, and Glomdoring would expect you to defend the Forest (though there are no expectations for raids). Both Serenwilde and Celest have more freedom for pacifism.

Pacifism is further made easy by the fact that you don't HAVE to hunt anything at all. Your character can influence for exp, and never have to kill a single being, which helps make your pacifistic role more of a "reality".

Being a pacifist is completely practical here, if you want to influence for experience. As always, to get you started, I recommend exactly 89 lessons of Influence when you can. That's all you really need to influence-bash.

Within the classes, there are a lot of difference based on org. All warriors get the same primary and secondary skillset, but their tertiary choice depends on their org. Both magi have different but similar primary skillsets. Both druids have slighly different primary and completely different secondary skillsets. Magi and druids have some of the same tertiary choices (runes and dreamweaving), but only magi can be psionics, and only druids can be ecologists. Bards all get different primaries that are similar, and city bards get tarot where commune bards get ecology. And so on for guardians and wiccans.

Is there any real RP difference within the classes (whatever you guys call 'em?)

Deeply rooted in the history so yeah, you should go read it.
While there are basically two versions of each class, (e.g. Hartstone Druid and Blacktalon Druid, Moondancer and Shadowcaster...) each of them are played differently depending on its organization's background.

Skillwise, they have the same basic abilities but they vary from their specialization (e.g Moondancer Wicca is different from Shadowcaster Wicca, Moondancer calls faes to assist them, Shadowcasters enslavaes the faes to assist. Most fo the skills do different things in relation to their counterpart skill in the other class). Each of the skills are also based on the background of each organization.

Think of it like the Priest and its counterpart class in Achaea. But while in Achaea Priest's Angel abilities are basically the same as Demon abilities, here in Lusternia most of Celestine's Angel abilities are different from the Nihilist's Demon abilities)

Within the classes, are there any differences depending on organization/faction/whatever?

Yes. Its up to you to choose your third guildskill (three skillsets to choose from for each class). This makes a guild diverse while sharing the same 2 basic skills. Each member would have its purpose and specialization in an event depending oh his class, and his third guildskill.

This system allows you to test and combine the skillsets which you like most while not being broken. The envoys and the admins have done a great job on making it balanced. *coughexceptfortelekinesiscough*

I've always wanted to play a pascifist....is that practical here?

Its possible. The skill Influence is designed for that. Most of the people that are non-combatants are influencers or merchants, and there are quite a number of pacifists in Lusternia. Ialie is genereally a pacifist for one, and she reached the demigod status.

In the issue of practicality, well... bashing is still better than influencing in terms of getting levels. Save for that, being a pacifist is good.

Also, things you should know about:
-Good/bad in Lusternia is not based on moral standars. Its more accurately translated as "being beneficial or being detrimental" to you or your organization.
-Being a thief is horrible in Lusternia. Its practically looked down upon by every organization.
-Being a rogue is possible, but too crippling. You would still want to join an organization like Deepnight or Zorana which is basically a group of rogues banded together living in a huge aethermanse bought by some crazy rich man. Lusternia isn't designed for rogues, as stated numerous times by the admins.

Have fun here in Lusternia. Im glad were gaining new players.

EDIT: Watch out for some women waiting at the portal of fates asking if you would like to be their child.

Oo, another new one! Welcome!

Yes, Achea seems to be losing them by the score. Maybe we'll finally overtake them in the votes on TMS.

Welcome! For your questions, read the Histories. Some can be found in both the Website and the game, while some (Elder War) can only be found in the game.

Every class has their differences and Envoys work to ensure that one does not become too overly powerful than the others.

Pacifist, easy. Only expectation for fighting that any of the Orgs really have (and you can avoid by providing for the City/Commune in other ways) is defense against raids.

Enjoy the game, and hide from Reiha. She will hunt you down to be her child, but we all know she has enough and needs to adopt the ones she has first. Which was what Gelo was getting at with the crazy woman.

They're everywhere!

Oh, God! They're in my raccoon wounds!

Thanks for all your advice guys, much appreciated. Gods, I love it here already!

Bear further in mind your racial choices. If you want to play a pacifist (even in Magnagora), that's fine! We could use more influencers. To influence well, you'll want a race with high Charisma, with Intelligence as a secondary concern. Extra Constitution will help you survive in those times when you get attacked (there are some areas in Lusternia that are completely free PK. Celestia and Nil have entities that can be Influenced with the Empowering battle to benefit your organization, and if you join Celest or Magnagora you'll want to influence on those planes.) Class choices are also important: you would probably be better off joining a Mage or Guardian class if you're going to influence, as opposed to a warrior class, which uses Strength and Constitution more. Also, many classes have abilities that makes influencing easier, such as the Laetitia ability in the Rituals skill.

Influencing has many varying abilities as you start learning in the skill. You can get gold from opposing creatures, make them weaker or paranoid, strengthen them, or get them to attack your personal enemies. But by far the biggest ability as far as use to your city goes is in village influencing. You can persuade denizens to follow your organization, and EVERY single city/commune is always looking for more influencers.

And of course, if you ever change your mind, you can either forget all your influencing power and shift it into something else, or buy credits and improve your other skills. It's up to you.

Either way: welcome!

Faeling is a good race for influencing, with its high charisma. Plus bards will help well, Netzach and Bardicpresence increases charisma as well (1 + 2).

You can get karma blessings but since the seal is weakened right now, you'll have to wait till February when the Ascended God gets to strengthen them and return.

Again, welcome to Lusternia, good to have you aboard chap.

You may also want to keep in mind that certain races are ...viewed with suspicion by certain cities or communes. If you're a newbie who came through the Portal the usual way, joining a guild, they should let you know if there's a problem with what you picked, though.

Welcome to Lusty, and ignore what everybody says about Reiha. When you are considering your parents, you wouldn't want anybody else but her, although Dylara+Orti can be a decent substitute because of the former part of that equation

Yep like Viscanti in Celest or Merian/Elfen in Magnagora, don't know what's are the banned races in the communes.

We don't ban Viscanti in Serenwilde, but we do discourage them.

Not like Magnagora discourages its disliked races, though. It's more just "We prefer not to deal with the creatures who remind us of the fates of Ackleberry and Gloriana."

Actually, Merian and Elfen are banned from ever drawing power in Magnagora.

Same for Viscanti in Celest. We're willing to transmit you power, or take you to Astral, but you may not touch the pool.

It's a little more serious than "no power" in Magnagora. Fain pretty much declared that as long as he is patron, the rats in the street would have higher standing than Merians or Elfen. I don't quite know if Celest is more tolerant?

Choose, but choose wisely.

About the question regarding RP between guilds of the same "Archetype" (thats what we call them instead of classes)

I have been both an Ur'guard and a Ebonguard. I could have the EXACT same skills in both guilds (rare).. however, the experience would be completly different.

In the Ur'guard I would be a member of an army, some recruit in the front lines expected to be willfully thrown on the front lines, with respect for strength and power and nothing else.

In the Ebonguard, I would be more like a member of a militia, expected to help defend when needed, but otherwise being left mostly to myself to live my own life, respecting signs of discipline and spirituality in others.

Absolute newbie as well. Since I can't start a new thread, I thought I'd glom onto this one and hope I can get some feedback :-)

In the same vein as the original poster, I am very interested, for rp purposes, in playing a very 'influence' based, non/minimal combat character.

My main question is one of RP/ necessity for such a character...

Are there any guilds/citys that would benefit from having such a character more than others?

Are there any guilds/cities that have a wealth of such characters, and making another would just make me another one of the glut?

Do the characters around here, for obvious rp drama, regularly cross-pollinate to counter guilds/cities? (ie - a trill aligning with Magna, and Illithoid hanging around Celest, etc... forgive me if my canon is off, but I think you get the gist). Along those lines, is it a terribly unusual sight to see , say a Lucidian, hanging with the folks of Magna?

Is there a decent race/guild combo that would best take advantage of my desire to be heavy 'influence' (removing any race that is overly furry (cough) ) ?

I think that I'm just looking for advice on this approach in general, and then possibly some specific race/guild combos that would make my character fairly unique, and available where he was most needed.

I would have no problem playing a bit of an underpowered character assuming it would serve a specific purpose in a guild (ie- Heavy influence in a city/guild that normally has none but would welcome it, etc). I'd rather be potential appreciated for doing a thankless job than just being 'another one'.

Anyway, I know that's about 20 different questions points in one, but I would appreciate any advice you may have :-)