Newbie questions about the game

[Christsn]

Hey!

I recently started playing this game, and it seems like VIP is mandatory in order to play (10 hour+ in queue..) I have some questions before spending money on it, but so far I am willing to spend some. I want to play this game 1-2 hours a day, mostly just some mindless casual grinding. I am tired of modern mmo-s, where they become your second job with managing every single thing daily. I just want to kill things, enjoy some pvp, and be somewhat competent in that. A bit hard to get newb guide for this exact version of this game, but if you got some good, you can direct me there.

1, Is there any way to show health above character/monsters?
2, How can I tell what class someone else is playing?
3, Is mana a hard to regenerate source, so be careful with it?
4, I kinda like the difficulty (only level 14 with dark elf mystic), those undead with their high magic defense were not easy, will it be significantly harder? As I gathered, leveling will be extremely hard on higher levels, but can you do things even without reaching max, and enjoy your time (so is it a type of game where it only shines in endgame)?
5, Should I spend my adena buying those Soulshots, because they are a must, or it depends on if I can make more adena than I spend?
6, Saw that adena is "nerfed". This game is mostly not player driven economy wise, and need to buy lots of things from vendors, or why is that matter?
7, Can you recommend me this game, if I want to just solo (no boxing), and enjoy some grinding after work for 1-2 hours a day?

7+1, If you can recommend me this game, what do you say would be a good class for a solo player to enjoy his time, and don't get frustrated every pull? I mostly want to play a sword and board class with magic, Spellhowler, Paladin, Sword Singer, or Dark Avanger (mostly in that order, but there are other classes which interest me, like Shillien Knight, Temple Knight, Sorcerer). I read that paladin sucks compared to other tanks, but will it suck to a point where it's unenjoyable completely? I'd like to avoid summoners, and my priority is dark elf, but I am open to any suggestion (I can accept if you say go Warlock for instance, or even some Cleric, so feel free to share your knowledge).

8, Should I just roll on the EU server with these criterias?

Thanks in advance guys, I know it can be frustrating to answer a noob with a 10+ year old game.

[Devoid]

1 hour ago, Christsn said:

Hey!

I recently started playing this game, and it seems like VIP is mandatory in order to play (10 hour+ in queue..) I have some questions before spending money on it, but so far I am willing to spend some. I want to play this game 1-2 hours a day, mostly just some mindless casual grinding. I am tired of modern mmo-s, where they become your second job with managing every single thing daily. I just want to kill things, enjoy some pvp, and be somewhat competent in that. A bit hard to get newb guide for this exact version of this game, but if you got some good, you can direct me there.

1, Is there any way to show health above character/monsters?
2, How can I tell what class someone else is playing?
3, Is mana a hard to regenerate source, so be careful with it?
4, I kinda like the difficulty (only level 14 with dark elf mystic), those undead with their high magic defense were not easy, will it be significantly harder? As I gathered, leveling will be extremely hard on higher levels, but can you do things even without reaching max, and enjoy your time (so is it a type of game where it only shines in endgame)?
5, Should I spend my adena buying those Soulshots, because they are a must, or it depends on if I can make more adena than I spend?
6, Saw that adena is "nerfed". This game is mostly not player driven economy wise, and need to buy lots of things from vendors, or why is that matter?
7, Can you recommend me this game, if I want to just solo (no boxing), and enjoy some grinding after work for 1-2 hours a day?

7+1, If you can recommend me this game, what do you say would be a good class for a solo player to enjoy his time, and don't get frustrated every pull? I mostly want to play a sword and board class with magic, Spellhowler, Paladin, Sword Singer, or Dark Avanger (mostly in that order, but there are other classes which interest me, like Shillien Knight, Temple Knight, Sorcerer). I read that paladin sucks compared to other tanks, but will it suck to a point where it's unenjoyable completely? I'd like to avoid summoners, and my priority is dark elf, but I am open to any suggestion (I can accept if you say go Warlock for instance, or even some Cleric, so feel free to share your knowledge).

8, Should I just roll on the EU server with these criterias?

Thanks in advance guys, I know it can be frustrating to answer a noob with a 10+ year old game.

1. Possible in Live, not allowed in Classic, unfortunately. (In Live, it is Options -> Screen Info -> Gauge Status Indicator, but that part will be missing in Classic.)
2. You must have them as friend, in party, in command channel, in clan, notice class-specific skills, ask them or guess.
3. Mana regeneration is slow in classic. As sitting (and standing to lesser extent) boosts mana regen, best to just use it up and then sit down to regen.
4. Not hard if you know what you are doing (or can join a CP that can carry you). But you are correct that leveling speed is very gear dependent.
   Regarding activities, there are certain bosses targeting lower levels, you can do those… if you can amass at least 5-7 full parties.
5. Shots are never a 'must'. Use them if you need what they give you (e.g. faster XP/lower downtime).
6. Due to the fact that you won't be able to buy stuff from NPC vendors, unless you follow a very specific path through your levels.
7. Yes, I can, but not the FULL CUSTOM UNKNOWN VERSION of "classic" that NCw is offering.
   +1. Sph can definitely fit the bill, just consider the MP-regen breaks you will have to be taking (good for doing something else).
8. On an old low-activity server you will be alone most of the time until the highest levels; if this fits your idea of solo gameplay, yes.

[Christsn]

Thank you Devoid the answers, just what I wanted to know!

[Meier]

More Information:

https://www.lineage2.com/news/lineage-ii-classic-lauch-patch-notes

And for recipes/weapons/armor/acc/Drops/Spoil can check L2wiki Classic plataform.

[VincentColpa]

sir, I must love to see new players in L2. That is so bleeping good. GL with everything and ask everything you need my friend we are here for you

[Vivisector]

4) not really answered fully.  Don't expect to hit Max level in this game.  I played the game almost 8 year the first time around, and was never close to Max level.  And that was with 5-6 hours a night with SS spam on full.  The way the game is now, you can't afford SS spam, and the amount of XP required in the higher levels is actually higher than original, even though up to lvl 20 was way to fast imo.  

 

But yes there is alot you can do in this game without being max level.  This isn't like other games where you hit max level in a week/month, then play the end game.  It's up to you to decide what end game is.  You can join a clan, and fight for a castle at lvl 12 or lvl 60.  End Game here really begins when you join a clan.  Eventually someone will tick off someone else, and a clan war will begin.  Or your clan will fight for a castle, and a war will begin.  Then you will spend a majority of your time leveling up with your clan, For safety, drop from raid bosses, ect.  And then you will also spend alot of your time in war hunting parties.  And yes that XP loss at higher levels does sting quite a bit.  

[Christsn]

Thank you the answers and the warm welcome!

Now I just need to get into the game again.

[Hexploder]

On 28/10/2018 at 7:41 AM, Christsn said:

Hey!

I recently started playing this game, and it seems like VIP is mandatory in order to play (10 hour+ in queue..) I have some questions before spending money on it, but so far I am willing to spend some. I want to play this game 1-2 hours a day, mostly just some mindless casual grinding. I am tired of modern mmo-s, where they become your second job with managing every single thing daily. I just want to kill things, enjoy some pvp, and be somewhat competent in that. A bit hard to get newb guide for this exact version of this game, but if you got some good, you can direct me there.

1, Is there any way to show health above character/monsters?
2, How can I tell what class someone else is playing?
3, Is mana a hard to regenerate source, so be careful with it?
4, I kinda like the difficulty (only level 14 with dark elf mystic), those undead with their high magic defense were not easy, will it be significantly harder? As I gathered, leveling will be extremely hard on higher levels, but can you do things even without reaching max, and enjoy your time (so is it a type of game where it only shines in endgame)?
5, Should I spend my adena buying those Soulshots, because they are a must, or it depends on if I can make more adena than I spend?
6, Saw that adena is "nerfed". This game is mostly not player driven economy wise, and need to buy lots of things from vendors, or why is that matter?
7, Can you recommend me this game, if I want to just solo (no boxing), and enjoy some grinding after work for 1-2 hours a day?

7+1, If you can recommend me this game, what do you say would be a good class for a solo player to enjoy his time, and don't get frustrated every pull? I mostly want to play a sword and board class with magic, Spellhowler, Paladin, Sword Singer, or Dark Avanger (mostly in that order, but there are other classes which interest me, like Shillien Knight, Temple Knight, Sorcerer). I read that paladin sucks compared to other tanks, but will it suck to a point where it's unenjoyable completely? I'd like to avoid summoners, and my priority is dark elf, but I am open to any suggestion (I can accept if you say go Warlock for instance, or even some Cleric, so feel free to share your knowledge).

8, Should I just roll on the EU server with these criterias?

Thanks in advance guys, I know it can be frustrating to answer a noob with a 10+ year old game.

My answers:

1. Same as Devoid said
2. At the beginning (lvl 1-20) is easy, if they use dagger or bow they are rogues, if they use sword they are knights, if they cast they are Mystics, from lvl 20-40, best way is having them in party, but again with a little bit of experience you will simple be able to tell wich class they are, same for 40+
3. From 20 to 40 Wizzards get their summons, they help with MP, you can recharge yourself with your summon and recharge the summon with your MP and suddenly the laws of physics gets broken and both get MP because you get more MP from the summon recharge that the MP you consume from recharging the summon and viceversa, for lvl 40+ this doesnt really apply anymore, if you dont wanna dual box then you should duo with some recharger (SE best option for empower), or run a different class
4. Actually the best geared you get, the higher your level is the lower the risk of dying is going to be, but without buffs you will be killing a few mobs and siting for either MP or HP, and gaining 0.05% -> 0.01% per mob is not gonna be very good, if you wanna play 2 hours a day and you have a kill rate of 100 mobs an hour, you may end up gaining 2% a day at lvl 45, maybe 10% if you are VIP 4 and use scrolls and stuff like that.
5. All mobs you kill have a 70% chance of drop adena, and all mobs have a minimum and a maximum adena that can be droped so if you apply this equation -> ((min+max)/2)*0.7 you will get the average adena a mob can give you, if you in 1 hour kill 50 mobs without Spiritshots or Blessed Spiritshots or Soulshots and the mob gave you 100a average, you will get 5k an hour, if using shots make you kill 100 mobs an hour and you spend 50a on shots per mob you will get the same adena, but double the exp, double the fun, double the chance of other drops and mats that can make it more profitable, and following the same reasoning you could end up making even more adena by spending adena... its like real life, sometimes you have to spend money (invest) to gain money.
6. This game is driven by a lot of factors, drops, NPC vendors, Spoilers and Blacksmiths playing, the age of the server, the version of the chronicle (Classic 1.5 in this case) time will change prices and a lot will go down, I buy my Mage Staff at 240k when nobody was sitting selling one and I end up selling it at 200k because there was 2 selling it at 220k and they cant sell it so mainly time shifts prices but it is this way because with time the Offer changes and the Demand changes too so at the end it is a player driven economy.
7. Sincerily, I dont, not at least with caster classes, you need a class that can farm the hours you play a day and in a somewhat efficient pace, sadly there is nothing that can keep up with a party, that can keep up with a triple box, you will be really satisfied by this game a few hours a day if you find a group that share your same routine, you will get more fun by playing a few hours with friends than playing those hours soloing, I dont find this game satisfying for solo one box play, you can go with Dark Avenger and you will be somewhat constant because you have your panther that hits and you hit, and the panther get hits and you dont so its good, but for me the best thing you can do is choose a class that will be needed at lvl 40+ always, like Blade Dancer or Sword Singer, you will farm as a Tank from 20 to 40, like a Shillen Knight like a Dark Avenger will do at those lvls, and then you get a dual sword and dance and its fun, Blade Dancer is one of the best for soloing I guess but always having in mind that party is good. Going Cleric is a good choice and then Bishop, but only if you go with party and even then a Bishop is a pariah at low lvls, is the best no questions ask for Mass PVP, Sieges wich are the most satisfying thing I have done in L2, bishops are the best and clans will always want them, but if you dont get a good party you will not get to high levels and if you don get to high levels then nobody wants you... can you see where the problem is? <- I guess this answers 7+ too.
8. If you play a few hours a day, I guess, after work or college, then a timezone close to yours will be the best if you intend to find people with your same schedule to play, otherwise chose a server with a low quantity of people like gludio so your farming zones are almost empty and you have a fresh server, with people in the same level, or if you want low prices in stuff go to Talking Island where the economy is twisting to cheap NG kinda cheap D and starting to take for the C grade market.

I love L2, I have been playing this game since like... 12 years ago, and I'm starting to play again, so it is a very lovable game but I have to say to you man, if you say something like "I am tired of modern mmo-s, where they become your second job with managing every single thing daily." sadly... L2 is known as the most hardcore "Job MMO" out there... have this in mind, the best party in Talking Island is averaging lvl 60 to 62, almost all their members stream daily, they are all VIP4, and play for 4... 6... 8 or even more hours a day they play in the most efficient way possible in the current meta, they are a mage aoe party, with tank, healers, Bladedancer and Songs, they have it all you CANT be more efficient than them and still at lvl 62 they kill like 20-35 mobs per pull I guess averaging 1 pull every 3 minutes I guess something like that and they get like 0.5% exp or less in each pull so they are getting if i'm not mistaken 10% an hour... maybe less than that, and they are the most efficient at farming, so try to imagine how that would be for a solo player without boxes, L2 is grinding and grinding and grinding, but very slow grind if you dont play efficient, but If you do so, its the best, the more fun you could get from a farming game, then pvp, sieges, managing a castle, its an epic game. So while you will get fun in the travel, the pvp end-game for me is the more satisfying thing in the game.

Sorry for this wall of text, I like to explain and I'm sitting in queue for hours to play at night in Talking Island server

Best Regards.