Introduction - request for assistance...

This is an introduction to myself and also a request for assistance. It's supposed to be precise and to the point but it may be quite long, I don't know. I'm going to be totally honest, about myself, good and bad, and what I like or don't. You may or may not dislike me at the end of this post, but at least it will have been honest.

My nickname's Lofty and I've been playing RPG invasion for a few years, I'm totally familiar with RPG and Druid's RPG too (although there's a few bits on this server which are new, such as different stat caps, engineer class etc). - I've tried the server out and I quite like it. With my level 20-odd character I can score about 200-300 in a game. I don't know how good I am.

Before I go on, I need to say why I'm writing this. I'm not a bad RPG player, nor that good. But I'm a total perfectionist. I don't expect that of others, but I am one inside. Anything I do either has to be the very best I can produce or it's a failure. I'm just that way. In the past, on other servers, this has lended me to be self-destructive, frequently resetting stats in order to pursue the perfect stat build.

And now I'm stuck. I like the server but I have to choose a class. And I don't know which one. So this is why I'm asking, can you help me choose which one might suit me best?

I've been reading on the forum quite a bit, it seems the advice is "pick a class which suits your playstyle". So I'll try and describe that to you. My playstyle is derived from ArenaMaster, so I move a lot, and constantly switch weapons for tactical advantage (note, however, that I don't use onslaught weapons). I prefer to have a decent set of all the standard weapons, rather than one powerful one - I hate being restricted to one weapon. I'll attack monsters aggressively until they seem to powerful, then use the map layout to constructively retreat, blasting round corners after I turn them. I have about three trillion keybinds and settings, so switching artifacts, turning them on and off, or switching weapons at will is instant. I don't like wasting time in gameplay, unless it's a friendly chat and I'm not under attack. I tend to prefer maps with intricate layouts such as Asbestos, Tempest and Epica, rather than those which are either simple, or wide open, with little cover, such as Gael or Insidious. (No, actually, I hate those maps! In Invasion, I tend to put a slight emphasis on survival, although I keep fragging/scoring in a balance too. Also of note is my slightly dodgy connection which tends to spike packetloss, and the location of europe, which gies me slightly higher pings.

Any help is appreciated.

*****

I'd just like to add as a footnote that I do like a lot of things about this server. I'd like to thank those that set it up, play in it and enjoy it. I'd like to give an honest appraisal of what I do and do not like about the server, but it's mostly good.

What I like: Have to work hard for levels, friendly players, excellent hardware and website setup, narrow RPG setup with low stat caps (makes players have to use skill to win), difficulty of server, active server & forums, continued development, interesting monsters.

What I don't like: Sub level 40 skills - [eg, if I'm an adrenaline master, why do I get regeneration? I prefer to have to work for everything, is there a way of turning these bonuses off?], date format in the forums [In the UK we use dd/mm/yy, and I can't find out how to change it to that. Most forums have an option somewhere...] & no swearing etc. But the last point is just because I'm used to doing so. I fully understand that this is a family server, and if you guys want to keep it clean, I am happy to do so. If I accidentally slip up please give me a nudge and a shout, OK?

Thanks for your time.

Hiya Lofty, and welcome to the server.

If you have been playing DruidsRPG for a while you ought to have a fair idea yourself of which play style suits you best.

If you like being face to face with the monsters slugging it out, relying on Vampire to carry you through, and like using the Avril and mine layer, then go for Weapons Master. But that doesn't seem to fit in with what you say.

I see no mention of wanting to help carry others through, so a support role of medic or engineer doesn't sound right either.

So, that leaves Adrenaline Master. Run round, pick up all the weapons, use the magic weapon maker and max modifier to make them really decent weapons, then use them with artifacts to wipe monsters out from a safe distance. Get denial 3 so you don't lose the weapons when you die. Sounds more like it.

Lots of players have multiple characters, so on different days they can play different styles. However, its a long slog once you get into the 50-90 level range.

Oh, and as for swearing a word of warning. Don't wait for people to give you a nudge - it's too late then. This is a no tolerance server. One failure and you will be banned. No second chances. Turn off your mic if you have to.

Look forward to seeing you online.

Thanks for your reply, and the warning...I'll try to be careful!

Szlat wrote:

Hiya Lofty, and welcome to the server.

If you have been playing DruidsRPG for a while you ought to have a fair idea yourself of which play style suits you best.

If you like being face to face with the monsters slugging it out, relying on Vampire to carry you through, and like using the Avril and mine layer, then go for Weapons Master. But that doesn't seem to fit in with what you say.

I see no mention of wanting to help carry others through, so a support role of medic or engineer doesn't sound right either.

So, that leaves Adrenaline Master. Run round, pick up all the weapons, use the magic weapon maker and max modifier to make them really decent weapons, then use them with artifacts to wipe monsters out from a safe distance. Get denial 3 so you don't lose the weapons when you die. Sounds more like it.

Lots of players have multiple characters, so on different days they can play different styles. However, its a long slog once you get into the 50-90 level range.

Oh, and as for swearing a word of warning. Don't wait for people to give you a nudge - it's too late then. This is a no tolerance server. One failure and you will be banned. No second chances. Turn off your mic if you have to.

Look forward to seeing you online.

For the most part, I agree with Szlat. However, some of what you have described as your playing style does match the weapon master style of play.

Hiya Lofty

Your playing style sounds the most like a Weapons Master, however even with Loaded Weapons 5, you're still at risk for crappy weapons. If you're very particular about which weapon types you like, then Adrenaline Master is the way to go.

Lofty wrote:

Sub level 40 skills - [eg, if I'm an adrenaline master, why do I get regeneration? I prefer to have to work for everything, is there a way of turning these bonuses off?]

You will loose those skills once you reach level 40, so you will have to work to keep them (with the obvious exception of regeneration).

If you prefer to frequently reset your stats, I suggest you simply start a new character. Stat resets take up the owners time, and I'm sure no one really wants to spend their weekends keeping up with resets

Lofty wrote:

If I accidentally slip up please give me a nudge and a shout, OK?

Ummm... a nudge or shout in that case is really more like a ban. If you would prefer to swear, do so in the privacy of your own home (ie. don't hold down the voice chat key).

My best suggestion is to watch the various masters of LW, LA, LM, and LE when you have died during a map. Some players to watch is Echo, Fodderfigure, Botfodder, Blade Tx, Ratar Killer, and the rest of the top 20 or so players (myself not included as my level is due to longivity and not talent). Some players, like Bot and Echo, have multiple characters that you can watch.

Loaded weapons is probably the most played catagory, simply because you can do so much and you will peak a lot later than the other catagories. Think of the LW as the footsoldiers and in-your-face type of player.

Loaded Artifact is the hardest going in the early stages since you have to learn to handle the various artifacts and have the ability to be calm under pressure. Think of the LA as the artillery and long distance gunner/sniper.

Loaded Medic and Loaded Engineer are support troops. That's not to say that they cannot kill, but the primary focus is support of the LW and LA characters.

As mentioned several times, please do not swear. It is the fastest way to get banned from the server, period.

I suppose the key question is if you consider it essential to always have the artifacts like globe of invulnerability and triple damage? And do you use them a lot?

If yes, then you need to be Adrenaline Master.

If they are optional, and you would prefer to always have a redeemer and weapons when you start, then Weapons Master.

I want to make this very clear: I do not ever intend to swear on a server which does not permit it. I respect your rules - I am only saying I am used to doing so in real life...which means I need to think about what I say carefully before I do. And that's not your responsibility, it's mine.

Basically, I'm just not going to voice chat - it's easier to type, verify what you're saying, then post it.

Thanks for your comments all, I hope to see you in there...

Thus far I have picked an adrenaline master class, however, that's still not final.

First I'll consider the loaded weapons class. Loaded weapons 1 is useful for me, but after that, as I don't really like onslaught weapons, it doesn't matter. Regeneration and Vampirism are great in battle of course. Can I do without them?

I think so. Denial 3 of an AM is like loaded weapons for me, except I have more control of exactly what I get back. I also have far more control over what weapons I make, which I like, as I'm a control freak! Regen can be replaced by booster, which I have found stops using adren when your health is full [I like] - and AM's can also make vamp weapons. Both these are not nearly as good as the WM's versions, but are something. I'm willing to drop some raw surviveability for more control over weapons. Artifacts are handy but not essential, but I've discovered keybinds to them too, which I like! - especially as there's about 10 more artifacts than in the last time I played.

I'm still not sure the adrenaline master class will be better, but I think I can find a use for all it's class-specific skills, wheras some of the other class skills would not really be a use for my gameplay. As for the initial difficulty - I'm an experienced RPG player and prepared to wait [that doesn't mean I'm a skilled player though!]

On a footnote, congrats to Pyramidion for an outstanding display on Campgrounds yesterday.

Welcome to the server Lofty. It was fun playing with you and I'm glad you're enjoying it here! There's some great advice above and I definately recommend trying multiple characters... it's nice to experience each class's features and it adds variety. See yah in game.

Lofty: first, welcome to the server - I hope you like it and stay. Second, your style of play (from your initial post) sounds similar to mine: aggressive. Maybe I'm actually overly aggressive, so I die a lot with my WM (Weapons Master).

I do have a character for every class, and I have enjoyed the challenge of trying to figure out a play style for each. So I would recommend doing so - it is easy to get to mid-20's and by then you would have a good idea of what the class is all about.

Right now I am enjoying the engineer - however, I find myself playing very aggressively instead of spawning vehicles, turrets or obstacles (so I'm not a good engineer per se).

Anyway, enjoy the server and give the classes a try - you may find yourself enjoying the variety once in a while.