well i dont know how to say this

[Sandbox]

but.... i hate every second of this game past lvl 40. I haven't the slightest idea how to be competitive because my cabal is always attacked while im wearing crap gear and its always under attack, so i basically run to defend then get slaughtered and start over, each and every time i log on. I don't know where to get good gear and im not good enough to pk in a basic suit. kills after 40... 2 .. deaths.... um 3 today , probably 10 in the past 3 days. :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

its not the fact that i die or get looted because i dont mind re-gearing its just i dont know how to get a lvl 50 suit really... and i really dont stand a chance i got 3 rounded by a guy earlier and he took my whopping 3k gold and the only rare i managed to get over the period of about 6 hours.

[Tyorik]

While being a constant target by being in a Cabal is a good learning experience, you probably should've thought ahead a little bit and realized what you were getting into. If you're new, I really wouldn't recommend being in a cabal - or atleast give yourself some time at 50 NOT being a constant target so you can learn.

Since you're already in... Roll with the punches I guess. Or quit the Cabal. Either way.

Not being an ***, I swear, just saying it how it is; not saying anything I wouldn't follow myself.

[Calron]

Not sure what cabal you are in, but one thing that can be really helpful is if you get in a cabal with an experienced elder. That way you have a sort of "parent figure" that can help ease you into cabal life and take some of the pressure off of you when they are around.

I think one of the best ways newer caballers learn is when there is a strong cabal member that can basically handle the opponents about and then you basically get to help wherever you want/can.

It can be very tough if you are the only one about vs. one or more enemies that are competent.

[Ali_gmud]

I think I know who you are because of this post, 80% certain.

If I'm right, you got some tough players backing you up, get

advice/help from them.

[Malchaeius]

You do better than I did, friend. My first caballed character condeathed pretty quickly. Those were savage times.

Depending on the combination that you are playing, your first step should be learning how to run effectively. The responsibilities of a cabal are indeed strenuous - a baptism by fire if you will. There is a wealth of knowledge to be had however, if you are willing to take the knocks that come with the responsibility.

[Croyvern]

Being in a cabal for the first time, is very much like playing a new class. There are not only skills to learn, but also a whole new list of enemies. Much like your first character you will surely make mistakes, you will be attacked by some people and not have a clue as to why they dislike you. Between learning the new skills, learning to lead armies, understanding what is expected of you, and the overall politics of cabaled life, it is generally rare for someone new to cabal life to maintain high expectations. Do not be discouraged, you will likely do better than you think yourself capable of. And with your next character you will far more prepared for what your getting into. Good luck, and have fun with it.

[Anume]

I suggest you get one of the more experienced players in your cabal to "adopt" you in some rp way. Depending on the cabal this can be pupil, servant, slave, son, schoolar, man at arms, etc. If you can find someone playing the same class as you do, that is a bonus, else get someone who plays something similar (if melee, another melee or a rough, if mage, another mage, if communer, another communer).

If the loots are getting too much for you, you can always ask us to change your char to moderate , then you will keep all non rares and only loose up to two rares a kill.

Defending does not mean you have to die. What you need to do is TRY. If they are beating you up, run away. Also retrieving is often a lot more easier than defending as the altars have little hp.

Keep logging your fights, look the logs over, you'll learn a lot even if you should condie fast on this character. Do not mind it that much, take it as a great opportunity to learn and to get better. Every death you learned from is not wasted.

If you see someone with eq you think would be good for you, just ask them for advice where to get that. Don't be too greedy on eq tours, the knowledge where to get what is more precious than the actual piece quite often. So often your help in getting someone else something if they want that.

[f0xx]

Alright mate, you've made a choice to enter a cabal before your pinnacle, and that cabal seems to have a lot of enemies.

Does this look like a problem with the game or a problem with your personal choice? Not only that, but from what you're saying I think I know who you play, and your combo is one of the combos with highest XP penalties, which means that you have pins in your PK range at level 42.

Do you think that your cabal enemies will back off just beacause you are not at your pinnacle? Nope. And that is how it is supposed to be. You get some major perks for joining a cabal before pinn and for that, you need to have some major down sides.

I am not trying to be an *** here, but that is just how things stand.

Also, I share Malch's experience. My first pinn came after like 4 years of playing. After 2 more I finally learned how to survive at 50 and keep my gear. After 1 more I learned how to PK and stack good wares.

I believe the main problem with new players is that they come and want do be a bada$$ immediately. That is not possible no matter what combo you roll and no matter what people teach you OOC.

I'll be honest when I say that the current mud is much better than what it used to be, especially administration wise. And not only that, but it seems like the IMMs have finally decided to start letting non-pinns apply for cabals and en mass too. Just yesterday I spent more than 7 hours mudding. It feels so good that I can't pull myself away from the PC

[Anume]

Re Foxx: You are thinking of the wrong character. Sandbox guy is pinned.

[f0xx]

Oh I see, well ignore the bigger of my reply then

And one small hint, don't be afraid to PM players and ask them whatever questions you feel like. I do it quite often, Mudder and Mindflayer can tell

[Imoutgoodbye]

hang in there, Sandbox! I'm rootin' for ya! Oh, god....my first caballed character was an ogre ranger in Syndi....did I ever get beat up....the opposing cabal consisted of Myrek, Fem-Nec, Mhalador, and some other baddies....*shivers*

I took 14 deaths in one day before I learned what TDP Syndrome felt like...

Whatever you do, don't leave the cabal and don't delete! You can do it! You can do it! You can do it! DO IT! *cheers* Go, Sandbox, YOU DA MAN, BRAH! YOU DA MAN!

[mya]

Don't delete.

Keep on trucking.

If you feel you getting down because of EQ loot ask the imms to change to Restricted tier. This will make you learn a lot.

There is no shame in dieing or losing.

Just keep your head up and keep improving.

[Mali]

Don't log on as much

One character I played took something like 20 deaths within a period of two days. Meanwhile, the rest of the cabal was off at the beach. When we all got a chance to log on togethor, I was naked and they were still wearing the same set they had two days back.

The more time you put in at any one point, the more chance you have of losing. However, you also have a chance to win big. I find that after a few hours of play my skills begin slipping. I get careless. But those first 2 hours im whooping your butt!

Best,

[Iyorvin]

We all went through this stage. Actually, I found the best thing to do was just go all out like a zealous loony and attack them all in a blaze of heroics!

Calron and Eshaine gave some good advice though. If any newer player is willing to subject themselves to the ego's of this player base via the role play of servitude, you will probably get some of the most help and best advice around. One of the greatest honours in the game is to have some other dude titled as your slave dog .

Also, cabal allies are another GREAT source of aid. You may find you are not the only one going through what you are going through, and there may be some poor SOD in another cabal who could use you just as much as you can use them. Remember, when you are new, I don't care what anyone says, keep in numbers when you need to get back on your feet equipment wise. This one vs one nonsense is just a tool of Vets to keep them on top because they know they can't be beat one on one. So team up with an ally to get some equipment, or fight off the Vet. If the Vet whines, tough. Out role play him.

[Pieman]

Some of the best advice I ever got actually came from Festy himself who just posted. Even if you're in a cabal, you don't HAVE to fight. Only fight when you're sure you have a solid chance of being the victor. And NEVER attack someone when you're not sure you have AMAZING chances of winning. And just because you're in a cabal doesn't mean you have to fight all the time on their terms. Set an ambush, bring them to you. Fight on YOUR terms and bring the noise every time.

[Evangelion]

Totally what Mali said.

My first crusader, Karius, was in Knight. Instead of running or logging out every time Cariousus or Azantar logged on, I would go and either A) Attack the Nexus standard, or Wait for them to come attack my standard and defend.

That character was one of my biggest learning experiences, and was also the first character that I got a legitimate PK on (towards the later end of his life). However, I also got my butt handed to me by classes that no crusader should ever lose to.

A couple of general tips:

PKing

Treat every battle like a learning experience, and stop caring whether you lose. Get excited when you win, and let it drive you on even further, but don't let losing discourage you one bit. Also, it's a great opportunity to learn some great, easy re-equip spots, and decent non-rare armor that's always in. I don't know if you're a c/c, rogue, or a melee, but it is fairly easy to get some significant +hp/mana or +hit/dam with non-rares. Log every fight you ever have (get a MUD client that's conducive to this - MUSHclient has the option for a 500,000 line output buffer). Great for logging fights, if not entire play sessions, without having to remember to turn on a logging program. Rolling a new character? Read and re-read every single PK log on the forums. People often even add in little notes about where they made mistakes, or where a fight turned tides - read these notes carefully, so you don't find yourself making the same slip-ups.

Travel

If you're still having trouble, and haven't already, roll a good cleric and travel everywhere and identify everything. And pay really close attention when you're on trips - because if you're not good (or at least improving) on the role that you're supposed to be filling, then no one's going to want to take you anywhere. There have been times in the past where I've consciously decided not to invite someone to go on a Desolation trip because either A) They don't pay attention as a healer and let someone die or have a close call, or They want EVERYTHING, and get really upset when they walk away with one item or no items. Not everyone can have every uber piece of gear, so if you don't get something (or anything) that you want, don't worry about it. The best thing you can do is just ask your party to make sure that you get to ID everything. Equipment plays a pretty big role in this game, for better or worse, so learning where stuff is and how to get it is an important skill.

Mentor

Other people have already hit this nail on the head, but having an in-game mentor is a fantastic opportunity to learn more. It's one thing to have someone explain something to you via PM or over AIM, but it's another thing entirely to have them show you firsthand, or even better, show you multiple times.

Challenges

Roll a neutral character, join Battle if you're so inclined, and challenge EVERYONE. Challenging is (usually) a "safe" way to learn how to PK. You can try different tactics, and really play balls to the wall without fear of dying (or, for some people, without fear of losing your equipment). However, don't treat a challenge like a game of luck - CHANGE your tactics, SWITCH up what you're doing, and TRY new things. Otherwise you're just beating your head against a brick wall - and all that's going to give you is a concussion. However, if you're using challenging as a safe net, you have a very important restriction - the minute you kill someone at the end of a "friendly" challenge is the minute your reputation goes down the drain. Word of mouth is a bitch, and you better bet that three other people will ask that person how they died, and those people will not trust you anymore. So respect the unspoken rule of a challenge, and don't kill someone at the end of it, unless you're prepared for the backlash.

Preparation

Fighting in this game is 90% preparation, 7% skill, 2% luck, and 1% waiting for your opponent to screw up. Until you learn which ones you need for specific fights, have every spell/skill at your disposal up and ready anytime there is a potentially hostile opponent in your PK range, and ESPECIALLY if they're in your area. If you pass by someone you don't trust, don't stop and go back to look at them. Because chances are good that in the time it took you to come back, they've gotten ready for an attack, and they're going to seize the opportunity to get the jump on you if you're not careful. The only time you can fully trust someone in this game is when you're a goodie and they're a goodie. Other than that, prepare for the worst at all times.

Edit: I agree with Festy and MoP to the tune of, if you're going to fight do it on your terms and not on your opponent's. However, I will say that the only way to learn to PK is to fight every battle you possibly can. And to do that, you can't be so selective as to fight only when you are practically guaranteed victory. Especially because if 75% of your PKs are won, but you still suck at PK (IE - You consistently win fights with unprepared people, or get lucky a lot), you're setting yourself up for some huge disappointment when the tide turns and you get stomped because you still don't know how to use flight and sanctuary.

[Pieman]

Basically the point I am trying to instill is that it's not cowardly to bounce and run. As long as you ready yourself (which I know everyone gets the PK adrenaline rush, especially when you get jumped so it includes cooling your head) and coming back to curb stomp that clown into next week.

[Sandbox]

oh this wasn't aimed at the Imm staff or the players. It was 100% personal choice and i definitely realize that i guess i was just wondering how to make the "helpless" feel go away. Every other 50 i see i assume they are bigger faster stronger and more experienced than me, i still fight them.. but i tend to spam and panic because of this line of thinking.

and im not deleting or quitting the cabal. thanks for all the support everyone

[Pali]

...Every other 50 i see i assume they are bigger faster stronger and more experienced than me' date=' [b']i still fight them...

...and im not deleting or quitting the cabal....

These are the two most important things you just said. Stick to them, and you will go far.

[mya]

Perhaps you are not meele material.

On communers you have more margin for error for Spamming and Panic.

[oldskooler]

Well I pm'd you and offered to answer any questions and help you in any way you need that doesn't reveal crap you ain't supposed to. I consider myself a veteran player, sure have been around long enough. And I've always been in the top 5 pk wise I believe.

Edit: Oh and this was to you sandbox, the creator of the thread. You never replied to me.

I'd start with asking vets for tips/help with tactics.

[Pieman]

You said what affirmed my point, everyone gets the PK shakes. That rush you try to think 17 rounds in advance and it clogs your now. Take a current powerhouse Kurvi, he has proven time and time again that thinking in the now gets you the win. It's hard, I still do it a lot. In fact there's only 2 classes I can play that I've been able to kick the shakes (bmg and cleric). Everything else I've played they hit me like a ton of bricks. It takes a long time and a lot of practice, but I've found if you play aware of the rush it's easier to get over. I know a lot of people who have said that playing pallies and clerics helps to kick the shakes best, but I still get the shakes with a pally. Just remember, keep it on your ground and keep yourself aware of the rush and bring the noise.

[Anume]

Also, if you end up naked, fill up all your slots. That is very easy to do at 50 with non-rares / easy rares. Upgrade from then. An empty slot is you throwing away some hit/dam.

[oldskooler]

You said what affirmed my point' date=' everyone gets the PK shakes. That rush you try to think 17 rounds in advance and it clogs your now. Take a current powerhouse Kurvi, he has proven time and time again that thinking in the now gets you the win. It's hard, I still do it a lot. In fact there's only 2 classes I can play that I've been able to kick the shakes (bmg and cleric). Everything else I've played they hit me like a ton of bricks. It takes a long time and a lot of practice, but I've found if you play aware of the rush it's easier to get over. I know a lot of people who have said that playing pallies and clerics helps to kick the shakes best, but I still get the shakes with a pally. Just remember, keep it on your ground and keep yourself aware of the rush and bring the noise.[/quote']

I often wonder who actually reads what I post or do they just look at who replied to their posts.

Re: The shakes:

First I describe the shakes as feeling ridiculously cold even when it's warm inside. I usually close any windows, turn off any fans. Try and keep it relatively warm.

Second, As a person who used to suffer from severe anxiety I started sitting doing relaxation exercises at the keyboard with my cursor right there ready to log in. I sit for as long as it takes, taking deep breaths, relaxing. Trying to settle myself. Then when I'm ready I log in. Do a who pk. Get somewhere safe. Look in my sack, backpack inventory, eq and try and get a grip on the situation. Taking deep breaths and relaxing. It's all about keeping your heart rate down. I even know a heart-rate monitor watch although I don't use it IG.

after that first round or two before anyone flees try and take like a second, milisecond just to run and re-get your composure.

If things are going poorly in a pk session get far away, keep completely prepared again and then come back. No sense staying to fight, who are you going to impress, the guy that kills you?

Lastly. I find typing difficult when I would shake. Which is why I've used the f-keys to do simple tasks. Dirt, curse, poison, blind, cure myself, affects, quaff recall. All kinds of stuff. especially f-12 to disconnect/reconnect myself.

[Dale]

Man right now I'm in all mithril at 50. Just stick with it everyone gets frustrated but this is what inspires you to break through and show everyone you ain't takin any **** anymore.