Another New Player With Questions

[AlimonyJFMSU]

Hello all, I'm new-ish. I played briefly like...10 years ago. Anyway, I have a few questions.

1. I'm thinking of maybe spending some money on the game. Nothing in excess of $20. What's the best bang for my buck? VIP for a month? 32 point build character? Quest packs or whatever they're called?

2. I understand that classes and builds in this game are a lot less rigid than, say, WoW, which I used to play a lot. I enjoyed playing Death Knight in WoW. What should I make starting off that will lead to something like that? For those who don't know, a death knight is basically a close range melee/caster DPS with some necromantic powers. In simple terms: what class do I pick, and how do I allocate my stat points for that class?

3. My friend is totally new to MMOs, what is generally the best class for a brand spanking new player? When I played 10 years ago, I thought Cleric felt very easy. Has that changed? As above, what class, and how should I allocate the stat points for them?

Thank you all in advance for your help.

 

[AlimonyJFMSU]

Also, what's the most active realm? It looks like Orien seems to be the oldest, most populous, and most active realm.

 

[vryxnr]

Welcome back!

1) I would probably say VIP for a month. While that will not give you access to expansions, it will unlock every normal adventure pack as well as being able to run elite right away regardless of your characters past lives (normally you can only do elite after doing hard and hard only after doing normal, on your first life. On your second you can open hard without doing normal first. On your third life you can open elite without doing hard first).

By being able to run all those adventure packs, you will be able to earn enough favor and thus DDO points to permanently purchase via points various other things such as expansions, or specific packs you liked the most once VIP runs out (causing you to lose access to those quests unless you decide to keep VIP going)

2) This can be a bit tricky, as there are several options but nothing that fits exactly. Wizard with points spent in Pale Master (undead form, undead servant) and some Eldritch Knight (melee wizard) is one way. Dark Apostate (cleric variant) with points spent in Dark Apostate and Warpriest is another possible option. You could also go very niche and make an Abyss pact Warlock (gains an undead form) focusing on the Enlightened Spirit tree (the melee centric one). In a while they are planning on releasing a Dhampir race with it's iconic version being a warlock, which might be interesting but I'm not sure how "death knight" it will end up being. Unfortunately, there is no evil paladin, which is what most people tend to think of when someone says "Death Knight".

3) Opinions on this will vary wildly. I will edit in a link to a thread that was focused on just this question once I find it, and unfortunately iirc there wasn't a solid conclusion, but there was lots of info about why one class/build may work better than others. EDIT: it was in the lamannia forums, no wonder I had a hard time finding it lol. here is a link to it HERE. It does focus on a new player who is also solo, so if this friend is going to be playing with you most of the time, remember the take that into account, when balancing simplicity of build vs being able to handle quests.

 

[DDO Gaming]

3. My friend is totally new to MMOs, what is generally the best class for a brand spanking new player? When I played 10 years ago, I thought Cleric felt very easy. Has that changed? As above, what class, and how should I allocate the stat points for them?

barbarian halforc. insanely fun and generally reasonably easy to build

 

[Abax11]

Added on question 1, if you have access to all non exp packs you will gather lot of favor, which gives ddo points that you can use to purchase things ingame, and sometimes some expansions are heavily discounted so all easy to get with points. Also being VIP for 1 month gives you some points.

maybe SSG discount some of them during summer sales, who knows.

 

[Falroth]

barbarian halforc. insanely fun and generally reasonably easy to build

Is Half-Orc F2P now?

 

[DDO Gaming]

Is Half-Orc F2P now?

I don't recall it not being F2P

 

[Falroth]

I don't recall it not being F2P

Horc and Helf were not F2P when they were released. I know there have been changes. I'll log onto one of my alt storage accounts and check.

EDIT - Ok, I checked and Horc and Helf ARE now F2P.

 

[Abramax]

My friend is totally new to MMOs, what is generally the best class for a brand spanking new player?

All classes can be good and very effective in heroic levels ( from lvl 1 to lvl 20) even if it s not the best top tier build.
For epic levels (lvl 20 to 30) it is recommended to have a decent build especially lvl 26+.
Legendary quests lvl 30+ requires a bit more in term of optimisation.

My advice is to focus on what you like to play : spells, melee, ranged ?
Learn and discover the game, ask for help if you need to.
Adjust the quest difficulty if you need to, the goal is to have fun
Go to level 20 then gather materials to reincarnate your character and try something else back to lvl 1 to "re-create" your character with bonuses from your past life.
You can still go to lvl 30+ too but I think that you need to buy an expansion (which is cheap now) to have access to epic destinies (enhancements for lvl 20+)

 

[eartheyes]

welcome back!

 

[DDO Gaming]

All classes can be good and very effective in heroic levels ( from lvl 1 to lvl 20) even if it s not the best top tier build.
For epic levels (lvl 20 to 30) it is recommended to have a decent build especially lvl 26+.
Legendary quests lvl 30+ requires a bit more in term of optimisation.

My advice is to focus on what you like to play : spells, melee, ranged ?
Learn and discover the game, ask for help if you need to.
Adjust the quest difficulty if you need to, the goal is to have fun
Go to level 20 then gather materials to reincarnate your character and try something else back to lvl 1 to "re-create" your character with bonuses from your past life.
You can still go to lvl 30+ too but I think that you need to buy an expansion (which is cheap now) to have access to epic destinies (enhancements for lvl 20+)

halforc barb is fun because you don't need to digout a calculator and start undertaking PhD level math to determnine the best balance for your character. you simply focus on running and swinging at anything that moves

 

[Pano]

1) IF you are willing to spend more money potentially if you like the game, then 1 month VIP so you can taste more content. Otherwise the expensions are what most players play most of the time as well as more interesting items are there. So If you want to keep playing for a long time, getting expansions is very recommended. So another good investment is getting some of those ASAP. IMHO the DDO Expansion Trove when it is on sale (can be around 30$ or less) is really good value compared to other content. Other than that, Masterminds of Sharn and Isle of Dread are the other 2 best expansions.
Don't get 32 point build or veteran status with ddo points or money - it is not worth it. You will eventually open everything while playing.

2) Wizard with eldritch knight + palemaster enhancement trees. - dont go predefined path in character creation! - its a trap. Do a customize path. If you have access to harper universal tree, go inteligence and constitution. Otherwise go Str and Con.

3) Subjective... IMO paladin is quite easy and straightforward - again, donť do predifined path when starting a character, but a custom one.

 

[Sturmbb]

Welcome back!

1) I would probably say VIP for a month. While that will not give you access to expansions, it will unlock every normal adventure pack as well as being able to run elite right away regardless of your characters past lives (normally you can only do elite after doing hard and hard only after doing normal, on your first life. On your second you can open hard without doing normal first. On your third life you can open elite without doing hard first).

By being able to run all those adventure packs, you will be able to earn enough favor and thus DDO points to permanently purchase via points various other things such as expansions, or specific packs you liked the most once VIP runs out (causing you to lose access to those quests unless you decide to keep VIP going)

2) This can be a bit tricky, as there are several options but nothing that fits exactly. Wizard with points spent in Pale Master (undead form, undead servant) and some Eldritch Knight (melee wizard) is one way. Dark Apostate (cleric variant) with points spent in Dark Apostate and Warpriest is another possible option. You could also go very niche and make an Abyss pact Warlock (gains an undead form) focusing on the Enlightened Spirit tree (the melee centric one). In a while they are planning on releasing a Dhampir race with it's iconic version being a warlock, which might be interesting but I'm not sure how "death knight" it will end up being. Unfortunately, there is no evil paladin, which is what most people tend to think of when someone says "Death Knight".

3) Opinions on this will vary wildly. I will edit in a link to a thread that was focused on just this question once I find it, and unfortunately iirc there wasn't a solid conclusion, but there was lots of info about why one class/build may work better than others. EDIT: it was in the lamannia forums, no wonder I had a hard time finding it lol. here is a link to it HERE. It does focus on a new player who is also solo, so if this friend is going to be playing with you most of the time, remember the take that into account, when balancing simplicity of build vs being able to handle quests.

I would advise against dark apostate. Apart from being a weaker tree than Palemaster. They only get to negate the crippling light vulnerability at lvl 12 and even than it has limitations. Palemaster does away with the light vulnerability at level 6. The Dark apostate tree tries to do too much and in the end instead of being a jack of all trades it becomes less than average in each area it tries to excel in. It is a very frustrating class and i really would not recommend a returning player using that class.

 

[Dandonk]

Ah, questions...

- I'm no Jedi, I'm just a guy with a lightsaber and a few questions.
-- Of course, many peoples have them.
- Lightsabers?
-- Questions.

 

[Oliphant]

I can't count on my one hand the number of times I've seen accidents with these lightsabers.

 

[AlimonyJFMSU]

Welcome back!

1) I would probably say VIP for a month. While that will not give you access to expansions, it will unlock every normal adventure pack as well as being able to run elite right away regardless of your characters past lives (normally you can only do elite after doing hard and hard only after doing normal, on your first life. On your second you can open hard without doing normal first. On your third life you can open elite without doing hard first).

By being able to run all those adventure packs, you will be able to earn enough favor and thus DDO points to permanently purchase via points various other things such as expansions, or specific packs you liked the most once VIP runs out (causing you to lose access to those quests unless you decide to keep VIP going)

2) This can be a bit tricky, as there are several options but nothing that fits exactly. Wizard with points spent in Pale Master (undead form, undead servant) and some Eldritch Knight (melee wizard) is one way. Dark Apostate (cleric variant) with points spent in Dark Apostate and Warpriest is another possible option. You could also go very niche and make an Abyss pact Warlock (gains an undead form) focusing on the Enlightened Spirit tree (the melee centric one). In a while they are planning on releasing a Dhampir race with it's iconic version being a warlock, which might be interesting but I'm not sure how "death knight" it will end up being. Unfortunately, there is no evil paladin, which is what most people tend to think of when someone says "Death Knight".

3) Opinions on this will vary wildly. I will edit in a link to a thread that was focused on just this question once I find it, and unfortunately iirc there wasn't a solid conclusion, but there was lots of info about why one class/build may work better than others. EDIT: it was in the lamannia forums, no wonder I had a hard time finding it lol. here is a link to it HERE. It does focus on a new player who is also solo, so if this friend is going to be playing with you most of the time, remember the take that into account, when balancing simplicity of build vs being able to handle quests.

Hey, thanks for the reply. These adventure packs, I have access to them permanently, or only for the duration of my VIP? Regarding my second question, I guess I'll roll a wizard. What stats should I prioritize when creating this wizard?

 

[AlimonyJFMSU]

1) IF you are willing to spend more money potentially if you like the game, then 1 month VIP so you can taste more content. Otherwise the expensions are what most players play most of the time as well as more interesting items are there. So If you want to keep playing for a long time, getting expansions is very recommended. So another good investment is getting some of those ASAP. IMHO the DDO Expansion Trove when it is on sale (can be around 30$ or less) is really good value compared to other content. Other than that, Masterminds of Sharn and Isle of Dread are the other 2 best expansions.
Don't get 32 point build or veteran status with ddo points or money - it is not worth it. You will eventually open everything while playing.

2) Wizard with eldritch knight + palemaster enhancement trees. - dont go predefined path in character creation! - its a trap. Do a customize path. If you have access to harper universal tree, go inteligence and constitution. Otherwise go Str and Con.

3) Subjective... IMO paladin is quite easy and straightforward - again, donť do predifined path when starting a character, but a custom one.

Just looked at the expansion trove. Definitely could be interesting if I'd be able to get it on sale.

 

[Pano]

Hey, thanks for the reply. These adventure packs, I have access to them permanently, or only for the duration of my VIP? Regarding my second question, I guess I'll roll a wizard. What stats should I prioritize when creating this wizard?

You have access to packs as long as you are VIP (once you are no longer VIP, you stop having access). OR you can buy them for DDO points. OR you used the big promotion code and got them all for free permanently (this code was suppose to not officially come back, but they did it twice already - so I would say it is not entirely unlikely to get similar code with new 64bit servers).

The Wizard EK can be tricky. Depends on what you know already about game mechanics. You need to get your main stat to to-hit and dmg. So you either need to have a harper universal tree (can be bought with DDO points) and in that case go full Int. If you don't have the tree, you need to go Str. Also you need to get your fighting style feat line - basicaly mandatory for all melee builds. Those feats have prerequisities though so you need to plan it. If you want to use 2 handers (AoE slow attacks), you need Str to unlock the 2HF feat line. If you want 1 handers (fast singletarget weaker attacks) you need sufficient balance skill to unlock the SWF line. If you want to use 2 weapons in each hand (very fast but weak single target attacks) you need to invest in dexterity to gain access to 2WF feat line. - Always check the ddo wiki for details.

As a Eldrith knight (EK) you dont really need to invest much to your casting abilities. You will be casting just heals/buffs/debuffs. Dont try to build to have working ofensive spells and melee damage at the same time - it is almost imposible for a new character and you will cry in late heroics. Just focus on your heals and melee dps and you will be fine.

Your heals will come from 2 death aura spells that will passivly heals you over time and Negative Energy Burst spell that is your main active heal. Alternativly you can play as a warforge and not be undead and heal with repair spells.

So long story short, your build needs: Your main stat to DMG and to-hit, access to the whole fighting style feat line of your choosing. Check Wiki or ask for details.

 

[norriskwondo]

Hello all, I'm new-ish. I played briefly like...10 years ago. Anyway, I have a few questions.

1. I'm thinking of maybe spending some money on the game. Nothing in excess of $20. What's the best bang for my buck? VIP for a month? 32 point build character? Quest packs or whatever they're called?

2. I understand that classes and builds in this game are a lot less rigid than, say, WoW, which I used to play a lot. I enjoyed playing Death Knight in WoW. What should I make starting off that will lead to something like that? For those who don't know, a death knight is basically a close range melee/caster DPS with some necromantic powers. In simple terms: what class do I pick, and how do I allocate my stat points for that class?

3. My friend is totally new to MMOs, what is generally the best class for a brand spanking new player? When I played 10 years ago, I thought Cleric felt very easy. Has that changed? As above, what class, and how should I allocate the stat points for them?

Thank you all in advance for your help.

Borderlands, or maybe if you can squeeze a little extra the old adventure pack set that has a bunch of the old expansions in it like ravenloft.

 

[AlimonyJFMSU]

You have access to packs as long as you are VIP (once you are no longer VIP, you stop having access). OR you can buy them for DDO points. OR you used the big promotion code and got them all for free permanently (this code was suppose to not officially come back, but they did it twice already - so I would say it is not entirely unlikely to get similar code with new 64bit servers).

The Wizard EK can be tricky. Depends on what you know already about game mechanics. You need to get your main stat to to-hit and dmg. So you either need to have a harper universal tree (can be bought with DDO points) and in that case go full Int. If you don't have the tree, you need to go Str. Also you need to get your fighting style feat line - basicaly mandatory for all melee builds. Those feats have prerequisities though so you need to plan it. If you want to use 2 handers (AoE slow attacks), you need Str to unlock the 2HF feat line. If you want 1 handers (fast singletarget weaker attacks) you need sufficient balance skill to unlock the SWF line. If you want to use 2 weapons in each hand (very fast but weak single target attacks) you need to invest in dexterity to gain access to 2WF feat line. - Always check the ddo wiki for details.

As a Eldrith knight (EK) you dont really need to invest much to your casting abilities. You will be casting just heals/buffs/debuffs. Dont try to build to have working ofensive spells and melee damage at the same time - it is almost imposible for a new character and you will cry in late heroics. Just focus on your heals and melee dps and you will be fine.

Your heals will come from 2 death aura spells that will passivly heals you over time and Negative Energy Burst spell that is your main active heal. Alternativly you can play as a warforge and not be undead and heal with repair spells.

So long story short, your build needs: Your main stat to DMG and to-hit, access to the whole fighting style feat line of your choosing. Check Wiki or ask for details.

To be honest, I don't really know anything at all about mechanics of this game. But I want to use two handers, so...what, should I beef up STR when I first make my character? Right now, I just need to know how I should allocate my custom stats at the character creation screen. I figure it's best if I take things one step at a time.