Newbie.....PK?

Kalinaar

Hey Everyone,

So, I just returned to Aetolia (still almost completely lost lol) and I've always been curious about the pk system here. I hear a lot of talk of systems and such and it's always seemed like I just wouldn't be able to even compete in pk without some highly sophisticated system I either made or purchased. Is this the case or is it realistic for me to put time into attempting pk on Aetolia?

Right now I'm using Nexus as my client and the Firstaid system for curing. Little by little I've been able to use these to get more done in game efficiently but I'm skeptical as to whether or not this is going to work for pk.

Thanks in advance.

-Kalinaar

Teani

Of course you can get involved in PK! The best part about there being a server-side curing system like Firstaid, is that everyone can join in, even with small things. Even newbies can help in group combat using general bashing skills. All cities have a clan related to combat, where you can ask for help with these things.

You don't have to start out with duels straight away. Instead, there is a way to ease yourself into PK by joining battles at what are called Foci. When these appear, there is usually contention that means both sides (shadow/spirit) bring people in to win the contested area and gather resources. You can ask more about this in the combat clans I mentioned. If you are new to PK, this is a perfect time to learn how to support in group combat, then transition into something more.

Getting involved is fun!

Zaila

I would say the answer to this hinges highly on what you consider "competing" in PK

To actually be considered an "mid-to-upper tier" PKer: Yes. You definitely need a system.

To get by at foci? Nah, you can have some basic triggers/madly type KICK TARGET and know you're helping out!

To kill most of us in the game who don't PK on a 1v1 level? As long as you can trap us in a room and attack us until we run out of curatives, you're probably fine without a system. There are a few people who scramble around PKing (with varying levels of effectiveness) with no system and just a few macros (but that's people like Kalak who serious PKers [aka people with systems] jeer at for being unable to fight)

Oofa

I haven't seriously played in Aetolia in years, and only came back earlier this week. My class skills are virt/virt/inept, I only have maybe 4 or 5 aliases, and I'm relying on firstaid for curing. I'm having a blast in the few PVP events I've jumped in on despite my obvious disadvantage. I am very far away from being even a mediocre fighter, but it's still fun for me. Firstaid is better at curing than a lot of the freebie systems we passed around years ago.

Kalak

Zaila said:

To kill most of us in the game who don't PK on a 1v1 level? As long as you can trap us in a room and attack us until we run out of curatives, you're probably fine without a system. There are a few people who scramble around PKing (with varying levels of effectiveness) with no system and just a few macros (but that's people like Kalak who serious PKers [aka people with systems] jeer at for being unable to fight)

Hey I am the most un-serious PKer out there! So jeering rights do not belong to me!

@Kalinaar As that is stated it is easy to get involved in small conflicts from the get go at group battles because there your individual effectiveness is far less important. But when you move up the mid-tier and decide to try competitive one-vs-one you face:

-Having a system which can track afflictions and do other class specific things (curing priorities).
-Fully transcending class skills.
-Investing in resistance skills (Frost, Thermology etc.)
-Artifacts: While they will not turn one into a combatant, they will turn a combatant into something way deadlier.
-Equilibrium Crown: If you are playing an equilibrium based class that is an artifact you should get to even the fighting speed
-Enhancements and Lvl 100: Depends on your bashing tenacity. It is not hard to reach 100. Enhancements will help, especially the speed one. Also Lvl 100 comes with lots of perks which can help in PK like another method of curing afflictions.
-Enchantments: Purity necklace and resistance rings are helpful.

By time and finances, pretty investment intensive huh?

But for group, pretty much just participation is enough. Especially if you are a Mage (Sciomancer/Ascendril, but they are subject to change) their mere appearance with vibrations is enough. At one battle I think I simply left vibrations and burrowed away. Just move in stab, slash and do whatever fancy your class can do maybe coordinate with your friends in the orgs and have fun.

Eliadon

To echo recent sentiment, group PK you really don't need a whole lot of investment.

One on one takes some time to get into for reasons Kalak mentioned, and a rather large burden of knowledge. The artifacts aren't really a huge deal in most cases and most of the higher tier folks are more than willing to fight you without theirs if you think it's a big deal.

Kalinaar

Thanks guys! In that case I'll continue working with firstaid and adding trigs/aliases to my Nexus client until things are running smoothly.

Evalyne

Eliadon said:

The artifacts aren't really a huge deal in most cases and most of the higher tier folks are more than willing to fight you without theirs if you think it's a big deal.

I have to disagree here. Artifacts carry a lot of weight behind them, though the amount is not always linear to the amount of money they cost. That said, they're a force multiplier, they aren't going to win you fights on your own. Even just a level one sip ring will increase survivability by silly amounts though.

That said, two things:

A: FIRSTAID curing will get you by in like 99% of fights as far as curing goes. Actually contributing to combat in groups especially large ones isn't terribly hard. 1v1 is much much more difficult but I'd also add that I've basically seen no 1v1 combat in my time here and I've actually had trouble finding dueling opponents to TRY to get Evalyne to the "wont die terribly in a one v one fight" level - though I also have to at the same time admit I haven't been actively annoying people advertising for it either.

B: There's a few free systems out there that probably have more than enough to build on for this kind of thing. I can't speak for anyone but my own, but Valkyrior has everything I use personally. The only time I ask anyone to pay is if they're not contributing changes they make back to the project. There's a few others floating around too.

Eliadon

Artifacts here are less impactful than on Imperian or Achaea, for the most part. The most important thing is probably survivability, and that really only matters against the 3 people that can damage you out. :F

Granted, EQ crown.

Kalak

Eliadon said:

Artifacts here are less impactful than on Imperian or Achaea, for the most part. The most important thing is probably survivability, and that really only matters against the 3 people that can damage you out. :F

Granted, EQ crown.

The most artifact tolerant game in IRE history was MKO and also it was with the least PvP requirements due to absense of curatives and ability to PK with far lesser skillset investment. And there were no financial padding in form of resistance skillsets. And as a consequence system creation requirements were far less.

Now it is more then 3 people that can damage you out, if you do not bolster your survivability in this game. But of course, Mages achieve damaging way easier in this, no doubt.

Unrelatedly with the quote, thoughts on PvP of a game:

For me, the main issue is that when you win a game mode outside the game pouring lots of time and financial resources for the ultimate victory...it no longer becomes a fun game. I worked in software projects(military and civilian, still continuing) so coding is not beyond my grasp, played MUD games long enough to compare different kinds of mechanics in the field. In the end it feels like there is a certain charm to defeat people when you are heavily in the disadvantage but you find a time-effective method to kill them. Like pressing buttons manually in the heat of the moment feels more like a game then coding a rotation and watching the code unfold.