I'm sure the veterans to this project have seen well over dozens of threads looking for advice on "the best way to get started" and "what classes should i play". So I figured I'd make my contribution to over dozens +1. While I am no stranger to EQ and MMO's for that matter, I'm always looking for advice from other players. I'm currently starting fresh on TAKP, and decided to duo a BST and DRU. I'm curious as to what advice, in the current state / progression of TAKP, some may have in regards to optimizing leveling while sustaining plat income to support spells and maybe gear upgrades along the way. I'm also curious to opinions on having a 3rd and what that might be with my BST/DRU duo. I'm currently level 5 taking advantage of MGBs and running around FOB. If you see Nerfing/Nerfed out in the wild shoot me a wave. TYIA for any feedback you should give.
My first bit of advice would be that if you ever plan to raid, you should change the name of one of your characters now before you get too much time invested. Chars with very similar names are very hard to target for heals.
Welcome to the server! Bst/Dru is a great duo that will last you well into PoP. You have a ton of options for things to add as a third. Your Bst can be your primary tank, and once your druid hits 58 you get a nice incomplete CH. A mag or nec would slot in well and add some extra DPS. Later on, the mage gets some nice pet toys that will also increase your Bst pet DPS. The pets can also make for decent emergency off-tanks when you get multiples. As for plat, there aren't a lot of great options for new players. However, people do give gear away in Plane of Knowledge from time to time. Foxboxxer also runs a deal where he will give you 10k gold (1k plat) if you complete your newbie quest armor/weapons and show them to him.
+1 for changing character names. I don’t suggest having characters with the same 3-4 starting letters the same. Most people tend to do /tar XYZ or XYZA when trying to target someone. It’s very annoying when you need to remember to go a few extra letters because of similar first names. Dru/Bst is a good strong duo. If you’re adding something to it most things will do the potential classes I’d suggest are: Magician - CotH, 2nd pet, eventually summon pet weapons, lazy DPS with an /assist, /pet attack, /cast some nukes macro. Bard - Can lazily sing 1 song like mana Regen or damage shield. Or can more actively use a hotkey to twist two songs. Or even primarily focus on the bard and twist 4~. Bards bring a lot to the table even if afk single song bot mode. Cleric - Druid healing is very weak in the 50-58 range. You can get by but it can be annoying. Also Rez is invaluable to have on hand. Enchanter - Mana Regen/haste buffs help out your duo a bunch. Having Tash for easier slows, Mez on hand and if you really want to get into it charm is top tier DPS where it works. Others would also work like Necro, Wiz, Shaman, etc. but the above 4 are the ones I’d most suggest. As for platinum farming Spiderling silks to start can help. Check the New Player sticky in this forum for some advice on plat generation and other helpful info.
Creating my characters with the same first letter but different enough names might have been one of the best decisions I ever made. Can't recommend a cleric enough as your third, especially while leveling.
If you feel like playing duo for now, it gets confusing this 3 boxing, you can power level cleric with your druid once above lvl 50. Bellow lvl 50, I most of the time didn't even bother to drag cleric somewhere where some my character died for resurrect since, you can faster get XP back than bring cleric there (I have more than 3 characters) - what I'm trying to say, cleric resurrect is not that important bellow 50. You can start farming these spiderlings in small cave in FoB at lvl 3-4-5 or so, depends on MGB's. If you don't know where they are, ask in alliance channel for someone to show you. In few hours you can collect few hundred plat worth of spiderling silk. If you offer them for 3p per piece you will sell them. Most want 5p per piece and then they are waiting for days or weeks to be sold. Also, check Wanor, he offers custom quests. You will get very good rewards if you finish few of those. Nice armor/weapon pieces for your duo. Otherwise, it is hard with plat at lower levels, until low 30's when you can start farming hill giants in rathe. BST-DRU is probably best starting duo box. To level really fast you can choose this path: at lvl 7-8 go to kurn's tower at lvl ~15-17 or so go to paludial cavern up to 22-23 at 23 go to HHK gnols in the basement up to low 30's then hill giants, slow XP but bunch of plat or stay in HHK go after guards, great xp not bad plat Or take your time, have fun, finish beginner armor quest and get 1k plat, finish few Wanor custom quests and get some great pieces. You may enjoy much better. It will be slower, but if you are not impatient, it is worth it! I'm playing for over a year and I'm still far away from lvl 65. My highest is 55. Game is not going anywhere...
+1 This was my experience as well. Usually 10 minutes of killing gets you back that xp anyway at those levels. BST/DRU is a great duo, the only thing you're missing is indoor pacify. Remember if you are indoors and there are a lot of animals around, you can use the Druid's Calm Animal spell up to level 50 indoors. It has some use in zones like Kedge. Something else to consider would be a Necro for a 3rd, although more limited than a chanter naturally, you can pacify/charm undead, summon your corpses, and start rezzing using Essence Emeralds at lvl 53. You can use the necro for extra pet dps or if you're bored with the usual setup, you can just kite with it. I believe Necros also get some type of small group dot/hot at the upper levels.
I've said this before on another post, but it fits here as well. When I first came to this server I spent a day (5-6 hours) farming Swirling Shadows in Shadeweaver's Thicket. They're used in high level smithing and drop from "a lesser shade" level 3-5 mob. They stack and sell for 25-30p each in the bazaar. Usually sell within a week. You can make around 1k per hour there at level 7 or 8. I was able to fully dress my trio after one day with armor they used into their 50s. "a lesser shade" spawn near the entrance tunnels to PC in shadeweaver's thicket (north part of the zone on the map). There are about 10ish static spawns there. Hope this helps
When my wife and I started here we only played 1 character each as a duo. Over time though we regretted that. Our preference is to group with other real people, but that's not always (or often) an option here until you get to higher levels. I would recommend adding in a 3rd character. Ench is the obviously the most popular combo here since charming ex is to good (but that 3 box is pretty "busy"). However, as others have mentioned there are good 3rd characters to add to your box that would be very low rent like a mage, bard, or (maybe even better) a FD necro (pet DPS, corpse puller, DoTs and nukes if you feel like standing him up after you get used to 3 boxing, plus twitch when mana is needed). I look at 3 boxing on this server as the means to solo better than a true solo 1 box. The two other characters are the support team for the class I really want to play. Others may not look at it that way, considering their box team to all be "mains." To each their own. Its a distinction you will have to decide upon, and will come into play if you decide to join a raiding guild while taking into consideration their policies on mains vs. alts. Honestly the best way to make pp is to level IMO. Nearly naked 40s, 50s, and 60s can grind gear and pp from lower level zones as needed much better than trying to figure out a balance between xp and pp as you ding. The ZEMS here from 1-35ish to 40 mean you are going to fly through levels before you know it, unless you are a very casual player. I'm not saying you can't make money as you go; indeed, if you burn through Crushbone, Kurns, Unrest, and then SolA (all high ZEMS) or some combination of the other high ZEM zones (including HHK), you are going to loot enough pp and vendor junk to afford spells and buy some gear along the way. Welcome to the server!
yes, please stop making chars like Bigstuff/Biggerstuff/Biggeststuff you aint getting heals from me !
I will farm and sell a few, so it stays in my memory, then I will mention this to new players alongside spiderling silk. To get around 1k before level 10 is a great option for newcomers!
I also endorse BST/DRU. I found I could do a lot with them. I added a plate tank (SK) later, something I haven't seen mentioned so far. Those 3 have most needs covered; crowd control is only managed by splitting -- 3 mobs are managed by SK on strongest, BST and BST warder on 2 others. BST can heal their pet nicely. Note: BST and DRU may compete for some of the same leather gear. I was non-traditional, though, in that I solo'd the BST because I thought I couldn't manage 2-boxing. Then I took the plunge adding a DRU and learning to 2-box. Finally I added the plate tank because I wanted to manage Guardian Wurms in Skyfire Mtns (lvl 60). [My tip on boxing: I had to accept that I could not max the output of any one toon, but I could accept running each at ~75% output.] Kurns-Paludal-HHK, then either HHK nobles or RM HGs, is also expeditious as outlined above.
Is Foxboxxer still doing this? I have completed my full set, including 2 bracers. I do a /who all the time, and haven't been able to catch him online yet. It was fun doing it, and boy is my druid green (armor). LOL
Definitely. Just need to continue to be patient, and you'll catch him online eventually. He was on last night when I was online briefly.
Foxtrader always sits on the bazaar balcony, awaiting fashionable dancing! Also you cannot /who all fox for any of my characters because of a devious defunct guild named Foxhound! It just searches for them if you shorten it =(.
For what it's worth, i think that's a bug. Iirc it would display guilds and charnames together in a who all as long as they matched the search. A guildname didn't trump a char name.
I would like to encourage other new players to the server/game to give the newbie armor a try. It was fun to focus on my starting area to get all the pieces. And the gear is really good, especially if you can't afford to buy good gear in the bazaar. It helped me bond with my character (hey you, no laughing!). I got to looking at some of the other armor, and might work on them, too. For something to do. After all, life is about the journey, not the destination. =) Thank you again, Foxtrader! You rock!
Since you seem to enjoy the game and you are in no rush, which is great, I suggest to send a tell to Wanor if online. This player gives out custom quests, based on your level. Superb rewards, well well worth doing them. Quest may start a little like a trivia, you have to figure out, where to go and what to do. You get a clues. Super fun. Check it out
For some reason, Pivoo's first post didn't show up in my thread. Until I refreshed. But Meealana's did. Strange! Thank you both! I will have to get with Wanor and see what 'trouble' he gets me into. LOL Sounds like fun! I have to say, this server is full of wonderful people who make it so much fun!
