What are some generic resources or pointers you can offer newbies who are just getting started in combat?

Off the top of my head:

• Gain circles of experience. Use lessons.
• Set up a system. Customize it for your archetype - Learn to script or pay someone to do it for you. Learn to cure afflictions.
• Learn to fight - General knowledge of your skills, the skills of others. Study logs (http://nogfx.org) Forums. Speak with your guild champion and security
• Practice - Not in raids...
• Acquire a decent set of equipment.
• Buy artifacts

I'm pretty sure I die more than anybody else in the game so for now I just want to learn how to protect myself and stay alive.

Well... 1-2-3 and a ton of 4. 5 if you're a knight. 6 won't get you anywhere without the rest of it.

I did most of my learning in actual fights/raids/defense/jumping talkan for bashing shallach/etc. I've done my fair share of dying and the way I see it if you don't die you don't learn. You won't do all that you can to prevent yourself from dying offensively and defensively.

Spars with people that you feel you have no chance against. You generally learn nothing from fighting people who can't dent you.

So instead of "I'm climbing up a hill and somebody has now thrown a wrench at me" I should think of beatings as "growing pains" and a learning experience



I'm ganked quite often. So far I've learned a fair amount about curing, running away, and Magnagorian abilities. I guess I'll keep up the *cough* good work.

Pretty much, like I said, I've done my fair share of dying and praying. I didn't have conglute for the longest time when I was learning to fight off plane and I've been jumped on prime many many times as well. My first time was by Nico when he was pre-nerf bc pre-nerf champ where he could just walk in crush head twice and just smite down train til he kills someone. I was probably about level 40-50 at the time. Forren has jumped me on prime. Nydekion, Malicia, etc etc. I didn't rage qq or threaten to never play the game again and make emo posts on forums about how I'm quitting. Instead I was just like wtf did he just jump me for, whatever I'll just level up learn to fight and own them all later on. Guess what.

Ok, first off telling novices they need artifacts for combat is bull. Tell them to learn some basic reflexes/aliases, and the best thing to do is go on raids/defense.

This should be taken to heart.

When you lose a fight, you should take it personally. It's not RP, it's not that you were misunderstood, it's not something subjective. You lost because you failed. Get angry, find motivation in that anger, and get better. Then, get even.

Then, once you get there, you can complain about imbalances, because you can actually see them.

Wow, Xavius is a closet Fainite.

The only bad death is one you don't learn anything from, otherwise it's nothing to fret about and will only make you stronger. The only way to get better is to get beat down so many times that you learn to keep standing.

Anyone who cries over getting pwned is never going to be a good fighter. People don't like to hear that but it's the truth. There are no artie shortcuts to get you past needing combat experience.

Not entirely true. There are a couple of warriors who have no real combat experience, and rely entirely on Trueheal/artifacts. Which means that they tend not to do so well against, say, Vathael, but the way warrior combat works they can mow down level 80- in a swing or two.

I think I know who you're talking about...

Now, now. I'm just pointing out that it's possible to let artifacts fight for you as a warrior (not top-tier, of course, but depending on what you're looking for you may not need top-tier).

What is this smashing of 80ites by arti upped warriors you speak of? Surely you jest.

If anything there is a definitive line between being an effective enough combatant to aid your respective orgs and being an awesome combatant all around. Furthermore there's a distinct different between being able to smash the majority of the playerbase due to your characters raw power/artis etc and being actually good.

But.. still learning myself overall combat: Sparring lots, taking part in all defense/raids, discipline trans and conglut for your own sanity.. um.. Lots of dying and a good attitude. The road to a Griefdom is forged by fire, if you survive the flames you too shall pwninate?

Fixed

Are warriors the only class that require such a large investment of credits to be top skilled fighters?

Artifact requirement for warriors is subjective. You can buy arties and still suck as a warrior or do really well. There are also warriors that don't have artifacts on their weapons at all and still do well.

I can't remember how many times (Or I just don't really want to admit), how often I died just getting a freaking grasp of combat. You have to remember what you died from, if you could of prevented it, and if anything they did during the set-up of your death could of been avoided.

Example: Dysolis jumped me at the aetherplex when I was still a BM and just getting the hang of "Sharp part of sword goes into body." (Thanks Vathael for that advice) and things were going good until I ran out of healing scroll, then things went bad and I eventually died.

Lots of things I could of done to avoid that: 1) Went into a random aethershop and recharged the scroll, 2) Used the skill in rituals to keep my ego in check. 3) Paid more attention to my supplies before the fight even got that far.

In short, you have to be willing to eat alot of salt before you see the results, but the first time you manage to off someone by yourself with nothing else but yourself. It makes it allllllll worth it.

Having Choke helps too.

In seriousness, back when I was playing Imperian, I got tired of being jumped constantly so I eventually decided to start practicing against people who I had no chance at beating at all. Same philosophy applies, really. You can start learning a lot by fighting against the upper tier. Losing doesn't make you a "noob" if you have a willingness to learn and listen. What makes people "noobs" is when they act like they know everything and spout off nonsense pretending to be a combat genius. Just take it slow, practice, and you'll go far.

As far as credits go, they're limiting here than in any other IRE game. They make a difference and give an edge, but it's not a huge one compared to the rest of IRE.