New player. In over my head after just 2 minutes.

[Memory]

Late last night i finished the setup of this on a whim, and i'm suitably excited for it considering that i never was part of the everquest phenomenon in the late 90's (i was playing Quake II and Diablo back then). This is a whole new experience to me, despite how dated the game looks and feels. I logged in for a short minute just to make sure everything works, created a Half-Elf Bard and stepped out into the first town...only to realize that i have no idea how to do anything other than walk in a particular direction and type in local chat. This is dense man, and i don't mean that in a bad way. I look forward to learning it, but i feel like an idiot or a little kid at the moment. I watched a troll (i think?) killing a town guard, for god knows what reason for a while, then logged off. I hope to make some more time for it tonight, but I want to know if there's a laundry list of things i should do first, or things i should learn how to do in order to get rolling.

Thanks in advance for any tips you can leave for me!

[ganedar]

That's the joy of EQ!

You're given almost nothing to start with, and you're taught almost nothing to start with.
But that makes learning the ins and outs of the game so much more enjoyable. I am jealous :)

[mgriff02]

Start killing low level creatures. Collect their loot and sell to merchants to collect money to buy your songs. There are specific items, like certain hides, spider silks, and bone chips, which are much more profitable to sell to other players than to merchants.

The wiki is and always will be your best friend.

http://wiki.project1999.com/index.php/Main_Page

In particular check out this page, it has some real basics that are important:

http://wiki.project1999.com/Players:Newbie#OK.2C_I.27ve_started_playing_-_oh_god.2C_what.27s_going_on.3F_Did_I_just_drown.3 F_Why_does_this_bear_keep_killing_me.3F

Welcome to Norrath! I think all of us here wish we could have a second opportunity to discover the game for the first time. If you have any questions feel free to ask in /ooc chat in game or post again here.

[RDawg816]

Make a hotkey for /loc (on the social tab in the "menu")
Hit it often. It will tell you you're coordinates. Assuming you're in Kelethin, 0,0 will be "home" and if you get lost just move around until you get to that number. If you die, look for your last location and that will get you close to your corpse.

[Yoink1986]

I'd suggest rerolling to a char maybe little easy to handle. I'd look into a mage or even a Druid. Prolly easy for newcomer to deal with. But really if you have any question do /ooc then ask away. Good chance if there's other people around they will help you out in one way or another. But yea being totally noob has its pros and cons. But have fun and expect some o shit moments. GL.

[Pyrion]

Bard can be very complicated to play. In a group you are expected to play several songs at once, a technique called "twisting". It almost requires the setup of macros if you don't want to get insane very early on, since your song effects only last 18 seconds if not played constantly. In later levels a well played bard is a power house, but i don't recommend it for a beginner. If you like a steep challenge, by all means stick with your bard.

Start with something like druid, mage or monk if you like melee, that's far easier. All those classes don't need a lot of money to gear out enough (the casters being the cheapest, just buy your spells and you are 90% there).

[Ravager]

If you like, I can spend a couple hours showing you the ropes of the game, answering questions and getting you started adventuring.

I wouldn't give up on bard right away, just because it's a little harder, but I would definitely recommend trying a few classes that interest you, at least for the first 5-10 levels to see what you want to commit to.

The first 10 levels won't show you what each class is like for the rest of the game, but it's enough to give you an idea of what they do. Anyway, it seems like the class you stick to the longest turns into the class you like best.

[Memory]

That's the joy of EQ!

You're given almost nothing to start with, and you're taught almost nothing to start with.
But that makes learning the ins and outs of the game so much more enjoyable. I am jealous :)

i like discovering new things, even in my 30's. i used to scratch that itch by getting into a lot of beta/alpha games. it made me feel like a pioneer. i think maybe P99 could do the same thing from a different perspective.

"How then am I so different from the first men through this way?
Like them, I left the a settled life--I threw it all away
To seek a Northwest Passage, at the call of many men
To find there but the road back home again."

[Memory]

@mgriff: Thanks for that! i've been watching/reading off and on now. i killed some mobs yesterday, and learned how to activate a song, and gained a level so progress is being made :-p I think i'm going to go shopping next and buy some of the suggested basics.

@yoink/Pyrion/Ravager After some consideration i think i'll stick with Bard. I've never been one to give a care about how hard something is or how will i perform. I used to play Diablo, and later Path of Exile exclusively on Hardcore mode because that's where the thrill was for me. it didn't matter that it was basically impossible for me to get to the end of the game. I'll either master the techniques that make bard cool, or i'll fail at it. It is the same journey :-p

[mgriff02]

@mgriff: Thanks for that! i've been watching/reading off and on now. i killed some mobs yesterday, and learned how to activate a song, and gained a level so progress is being made :-p I think i'm going to go shopping next and buy some of the suggested basics.Songs are going to be your most important purchases. You can find them at the bard guild in whatever city you started in. Bards are unique among EQ classes in that they get a new ability (song) every level. You can find a list of them here:

http://wiki.project1999.com/Bard#Songs

As a newbie it's ok to start out with crappy armor, like the cloth that drops from low level orcs/gnolls. I would recommend getting yourself a sewing kit and making some patchwork armor using ruined cat pelts. You can see an explanation at the tailoring link below. Basically you put a ruined cat pelt into a sewing kit along with the appropriate pattern and pray for a success. You'll want to put some skill points into tailoring first, you do that by visiting the guildmasters at your bard guild.

http://wiki.project1999.com/Tailoring

The first real important purchase you'll want to make is a better, magical weapon. This is best done in the zone East Commonlands next to the city of Freeport. This is the zone where all the players who want to sell or buy things congregate.

Good weapons are pretty cheap compared to what they were 16 years ago when I was in your position. I don't know about bard weapons specifically but I'd imagine you can get a really good weapon in EC for 50 platinum or less. That's a ways off for you, of course.

[Takii Huggles]

That's the joy of EQ!

You're given almost nothing to start with, and you're taught almost nothing to start with.
But that makes learning the ins and outs of the game so much more enjoyable. I am jealous :)

=) Actually back in Classic and Kunark, not sure if it was still there during Velious but the game had a short starter demo that you could play and it walked you through talking to NPC's and how to arm your weapons and move around. It finished by having you cross a wooden bridge and attack a Skeleton =). Then how to loot the items off that Skeleton. It was short and sweet but at the time was a huge help in starting =).

[SlankyLanky]

=) Actually back in Classic and Kunark, not sure if it was still there during Velious but the game had a short starter demo that you could play and it walked you through talking to NPC's and how to arm your weapons and move around. It finished by having you cross a wooden bridge and attack a Skeleton =). Then how to loot the items off that Skeleton. It was short and sweet but at the time was a huge help in starting =).

not classic at all.

[Takii Huggles]

not classic at all.

Oh yes it was. I'm not referring to the instance they implemented way up in POP times where you have to free the jailer and all that, then do the quest with spiders and kobolds. In Classic , Kunark and Velious there was a learning tutorial in the files that you could start that walked you though how to use melee, spells and interact with the UI which ended in you crossing a bridge to battle a Skeleton =). It seems possible you just had no idea it was there.

[Grimjaw]

now imagine if no one could link to wiki. thatd be a true classic 99 experience.

[Disc0]

Oh yes it was. I'm not referring to the instance they implemented way up in POP times where you have to free the jailer and all that, then do the quest with spiders and kobolds. In Classic , Kunark and Velious there was a learning tutorial in the files that you could start that walked you though how to use melee, spells and interact with the UI which ended in you crossing a bridge to battle a Skeleton =). It seems possible you just had no idea it was there.

I remember that well - it was definitely classic. It was the first thing I did on getting the game installed, and I bought it the day it was released.

[Pyrion]

If you stick with your bard, you should really write 8 small macros to make your life a lot easier. Those are like this:

/stopsong
/cast 1

Make one for every number from 1 to 8. Those macros will stop the song you are doing (does no harm if you are doing none) and then start one of your memorized songs. If you don't use those you will always have to double click every song in order to change it. Assign those macros to the numbers 1 to 8 on your keyboard and you will have a much easier time.

[Rysky]

It wa definitely classic. You played a cleric on a stand alone server. Character did not carry over

[Splade]

Oh yes it was. I'm not referring to the instance they implemented way up in POP times where you have to free the jailer and all that, then do the quest with spiders and kobolds. In Classic , Kunark and Velious there was a learning tutorial in the files that you could start that walked you though how to use melee, spells and interact with the UI which ended in you crossing a bridge to battle a Skeleton =). It seems possible you just had no idea it was there.
Omg! I totally remember this ! Wow... nostalgia

[Cromcat]

One thing I recommend for all new players is to bind their W key (used to move forward) to also activate a skill e.g. skill slot 6 and then put the Sense Heading skill in that skill slot so that every time you move forward with W you are also "working" sense heading. Sense heading can be invaluable when you get lost or need to know what direction you're going and this method ensures that your sense heading gets maxed very early in your character's life.

[Takii Huggles]

I remember that well - it was definitely classic. It was the first thing I did on getting the game installed, and I bought it the day it was released.

*HUGS*! ;)

[Takii Huggles]

Omg! I totally remember this ! Wow... nostalgia

*HUGS*! ;)

[Lakeland]

If you stick with your bard, you should really write 8 small macros to make your life a lot easier. Those are like this:

/stopsong
/cast 1

Make one for every number from 1 to 8. Those macros will stop the song you are doing (does no harm if you are doing none) and then start one of your memorized songs. If you don't use those you will always have to double click every song in order to change it. Assign those macros to the numbers 1 to 8 on your keyboard and you will have a much easier time.


Played EQ from launch for like six years, never played a bard but figured I'd try one here and have been double clicking every song. Even old school players still learn. Thanks for the information!

[Lakeland]

Oh yes it was. I'm not referring to the instance they implemented way up in POP times where you have to free the jailer and all that, then do the quest with spiders and kobolds. In Classic , Kunark and Velious there was a learning tutorial in the files that you could start that walked you though how to use melee, spells and interact with the UI which ended in you crossing a bridge to battle a Skeleton =). It seems possible you just had no idea it was there.

I don't remember this, maybe this is why my trainer killed me the first time I talked to him until I realized what I was doing. lol

[gildor]

Stay off the wiki imo, enjoy the ride...you will never forget the experience you are having. I still remember day 1 making a female troll shadowknight because immersion, and she looked like my sister, and dying to a froglok in the swamp..wtf do I do now? that was 2 hours after I started and finally found my way out of the city..

Oh nostalgia

[Lakeland]

It's amazing how many people don't remember the tutorial that EQ had on day one. Best part was the ultra-immersed could play the tutorial when the servers were down! Good old Soandso.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq87ECB9o8M


Yep, after watching that I can confirm I never once saw that in EQ. It clearly existed, but I just guess I never noticed it? I remember walking around in Gfay and it was dark.. like REALLY dark (partly because, well, it's dark there and partly because my monitor was crap) and getting lost for a very long time not knowing what to do. That was my tutorial. Also drowning because I didn't know how to swim up. Yeah, doing this tutorial would have been useful. lol