I've dabbled in Lusternia a few times before, usually when I haven't had enough time to really get into the game. This time I'd like to really get a handle on it but I have a few questions before I put myself in a potentially dissuading situation.

My previous experiences have been mostly with the wicca archetype and the Shadowdancers guild. While it was nice it was also frequently lacking in assistance for someone who, coming from an older/simpler IRE MUD, was earnestly a bit lost as far as the mechanics of the new/more complicated Lusternia are concerned.

Having looked through the list of guilds/archetypes the four Monk Guilds have caught my eye. In particular the Ninjakari, Tahtetso, and Shofangi (not so much the Nekotai because Glomdoring is where I've played before and it's just not my cup of tea).

So as a returning/new player I'm looking for the kinds of experiences anyone has had either in or with members of these Guilds and the cities they're in. Either bad or good.

Also, since I'm stuck at work and can't play, I thought I'd break into the forums.

So 20 views and not a reply to be seen.

I dug around the forums and found this Thread about Monks and it sounds like they're a pretty broken archetype. In addition it sounds like most monks don't even have a use for their weapon specialties which is what attracted me to them in the first place.

So throw me a bone as to a class I could play that isn't broken and still fun to play.

Well, I'm not a monk and never have been so I can't give you what you're looking for. I don't know much about monks in general, and I'm actually prolly not a good judge on the archetypes as far as balance and combat goes because I don't fight (sometimes I do, but it's with the acceptance that I'm just going to die ) so I only ever choose my characters' guilds based on what sort of roleplay I'm interested in without caring overmuch about how they do in combat. But.... I hope you find out what you need to stick around and have fun, though.

I was formulating a reply, actually. The guilds all have their ups and downs and the archetypes are still fun to play. Monks are definitely on the low end of credit investment for maximum effectiveness as well as being effective at lower mights. What people whine about on them isn't something that should deter a new player from playing them. On the contrary, the overhaul mentioned will be done before you're level 60 or 70, if I had to hazard a guess. They're still very good and you do use your weapon, it's just that in the high-end pvp scene, PPK to head gives a lot of ground.

As for which one, what do you feel like playing? Lighthearted Serenwilde forest, dark and brooding Elitist Magnagoran Organization or the zealots of Holy Powah in Celest? Each guild has some rp set around the race that brought them out and their intentions, but if I were shopping for a monk guild I'd probably be basing it off the org more than the guild.

One thing to note about monks: Although their current combat style can be incredibly boring for many players, they are currently in the process of getting a rewrite (all four guilds). As such, a lot of the older complaints about monks can be ignored (more or less).

(And regarding Nekotai, we are currently working to establish a very strong RP basis with the newly provided information regarding Scorpion and general Nekotai history.)

Alright, let me say first, welcome back!

Second! Monks are currently undergoing an evaluation and re-make, so don't be afraid to try them. Plus as-is, they're crazy good at leveling.
Fun to play...really depends on your play style. Could you tell me -how- you want to be fighting?

The org as in Serenwilde, Celest, or Magnagora?

The RP isn't a huge differentiating factor as I enjoy shaping a character to their general role moreso than my personal feelings dictate what I'm capable of playing...

And I guess Glomdoring isn't entirely out of the picture, I'd just like to experience more of the world than I previously have. (and it seems a bit dark/emo too)

Then it really depends on what archtype you want to be.

Wanna play with swords and sharp things? Or play a mandolin?

Well, in my previous MUD (Achaea) I never really was massively into combat because of the imbalances there and the (near) requirement to invest serious credits to make high-end combat viable. I currently play a Druid on my main character there, but have tried most other classes on another now defunct character.

What interests me most about monks here in Lusternia is the fact that they can use weapons (something Achaean monks lacked). I've personally enjoyed martial arts most of my life and want to translate that into what kind of character I play. Also the idea of that training style appeals as an RP device to me, moreso than the pure acquiring of magical knowledge some of the other archetypes seem to be centered around(Wiccan, druid, aqua/geomancer etc)

Well, if you want an interesting "learning style", Guardians aren't so much aquiring more knowledge as being blessed by your Supermobs...

I'm pretty much against the Warrior archetype, and Bard doesn't interest me terribly. Beyond that I'm open to what's out there.



Hmm, interesting...I'll take a look.

Well, there's always the mage archtype. You don't cast spells like sterotypical mage, but more like druids.

Guardians use pacts and blessings with thier half-formed thier city is tied to.

Half formed?

The Supernals or Demon Lords. They're kinda like baby Gods who never got the chance to grow up into real Gods. So, they're Half Formed. But they're still more powerful than Mortals and often serve to represent some ideal. Celest follows the Supernals, so their Guardian archetype bonds with them and Magnagora follows the Demon Lords, so theirs to them. They get companions (angels for Celest and Demons for Magnagora) that they invest with powers that their bonds with the Supernals or Demon Lords grant.

do know that bards in Lusternia are -vastly- different than anywhere else. What you are use to over in Achaea. pales in comparison

Hi. Welcome.

Quick things IMO.

Warriors and Monks are much more offensive than Guardians (Celestines) in PvP and bashing is easier for them. By offensive I mean you will be going for damage kills with warriors and monks and probably never with Guardians.

Guardians have a kill (at trans) that depends on draining mana. Not all classes (Warriors and Monks) need to use mana on a regular basis.
Their other kills involve overloading the opponent up with afflictions then initiating a 'timed kill'. Also requires a lot of lessons/credits.

Nihilists have great rp. Celestines have good rp but are getting better.

Warriors, Bards, and Monks here nothing like their counterparts in other IRE games. Warriors here are arguably the most fun PvP class in any IRE game (from my experience, anyways).

Yep, deep wounds > DSL Monkeys

The problem here is too many choices...

Ninjakari or Tahtetso
Nihilists or Celestines
Geomancers
Looking at the Wiki even the Warrior archetype is looking cool.

It all comes down to RP really, where it excels, where it lacks and what style there is for each.
Really, like I said, I don't have any huge personal factors that sway me towards one or another as far as RP is concerned. I'm more interested in being able to create a dynamic character in a rich environment.

A guardian archetype is going to feel most like an occultist from Achaea, they are not exactly the same, but they more similar than a warrior from the two games.

I know little about the forest orgs (glom and seren) but the city gaurdians have a lot of great RP behind their guilds and are very well integrated into the world. The RP for monks is not at the same level from what I have seen but I hear some whispers about various efforts to change that.

Mages are rather different from achaea as well, they still have the mix of passive + active affects but the way their passives work is more complex and they affect many rooms. They are a blast until you get stuck being on (mostly thankless) watch duty for hours. Of the two cities I would say that the Mag mages (geomancers) have more developed RP (and they do not call you a spout when you join...I irrationally hate that title).

As others have said monks will get you the most for the least amount of credits, I would say guardians are the worst in that respect (your main PvE skill is very weak until rather high up in the skill, and then it just becomes weak). Mages are somewhere in between monks and guardians.