New guy looking for basic info

1) Servers
Can't help you much here, never played in an Europe Server, even though I'm European (Portuguese). I play on Lost City server (US West Tab), feel free to join and pm me - MareAssassin - if you need help.

2)PvP vs PvE
On PvP servers, at Level 30, you will have the possibility to PK and be PK'ed (PK = Player Kill) and your name will turn White, while you are below level 30 your name will be Blue and you can't be PK'ed or PK other people. In PvP servers, indeed, there are some people that like to kill lowbies just for the red name.

On PvE servers, you have the option, at level 30, to switch to PK mode. You can be PK'ed and PK other people while in this mode and if you activate it, you must stay 8 hours or 10 (not really sure) on PK mode until you can deactivate it again. So yes, you can PvP in a PvE server but you can't be killed if you aren't in PK mode and unlike PvP servers, your name will always be Blue, even at level 100, unless you activate PK mode, which will make your name White.

3)

-I want to play a Male character
-I'd prefer not to have a beast head. I guess I could get over this one.
-I would like to be relatively good at solo'ing (at least until I get to a half decent level).
-I want my class to be welcome in a group/party.
-I want to be able to take a few hits.
-I'd like the class to be above average at PvP and not require too much micromanaging.
-If not in conflict with the above I'd like to stay away from the healing/support side of things. A DD generally suits me better.

I would recommend you a barb or veno. But

-I want to play a Male character

Venos can only be females (and barbs can only be males). And

-I'd prefer not to have a beast head. I guess I could get over this one.

Barbs have beast head.

So an Assassin should suit you well I think. They are the best class at solo'ing some dungeons (like FCC) but only at level 100+. They are welcome in parties because they are DD's. They can take a few hits, especially if you are a Vit Build Sin, but don't try to tank bosses like a pro and take hits like a barb because assassins are very squishy. Assassins are very good at PvP because of their stealth abillity and high damage (APS if you have the patience to get the money for all the APS gear at level 100+) plus BP (bloodpaint, assassins level 34 buff which absorbs 2% of all the physical damage you deal to give you HP).

b:mischievous I hope I helped. Cya bro (and don't forget to join Lost City server and pm me there if you want)

3)At first I was thinking about a barb too, but you don't want a beast head. After, I thought about a Mystic but I don't remember why... I think that the class that with suit you the best is a Blademaster. If you have a really good gear, you can survive for few hits. It is really fun to play because you can have 4 weapons, and a BM is really appreciate in a farming squad if you have APS. You don't need to put that much in vit and you can optain a good amount of health.

Yeah, I forgot the Blademaster, sorry there. Blademaster and Assassin, both good.

Indeed, Blademaster can have 4 Weapons, but the coins and spirit at level 30 and more aren't enough to level skills for all Weapon Paths. Most blademasters, specially those who plan on PvP'ing at higher levels, only go for Axe/Fist, and Pole/Pike for Purge, i think.

Blademasters are like second tanks, if the barb dies, the BM tanks. They are good DD's too.

relentlessanger wrote: »

1) Servers
Under the Europe tab there is a server labelled 'FR' and one labelled 'GER'. I am assuming this means language.
I don't speak either of those fluent enough to keep up in internet slang conversations. Does this mean I should be looking towards the East Coast US servers for the next best thing? Or is there an English speaking community on those Euro servers as well?

2) PvP vs PvE
I still consider Lineage 2 the best MMOG I ever played and compare all other games to it. In L2 I liked the fact that PvP was open, without restrictions, but with (serious) consequences.

I've experienced that games that implement both PvP and PvE servers often do so because they fail to regulate PvP in the first place. Is that the case here?

Can I play on a PvP server without having to look over my shoulder 24/7 for someone a million levels higher than me with nothing better to do than kill me?

Should a I choose a PvE server, is there still enough PvP to be had? Outside of the "lets dual each other, okay?" situation.

Any other comments on the matter?

3) Classes
(Feel free to skip over this one. I imagine the info is out there and I'd find it with a bit more searching.)

-I want to play a Male character
-I'd prefer not to have a beast head. I guess I could get over this one.
-I would like to be relatively good at solo'ing (at least until I get to a half decent level).
-I want my class to be welcome in a group/party.
-I want to be able to take a few hits.
-I'd like the class to be above average at PvP and not require too much micromanaging.
-If not in conflict with the above I'd like to stay away from the healing/support side of things. A DD generally suits me better.

Does any class spring to mind?

4) Is this a Pay-to-Win game?
By that I mean: is there an entire level of gear/equipment only realisticly available to those willing to pay (alot) for it?

FR = France (The server is located in France)
GER = Germany (The server is located in Germany)

I'd suggest you look toward the US Servers. East and west doesn't matter, preferably you should choose a PvE server that has the lowest Ping.

PvP Consequences are not serious (Like ********* serious, you lose everything more or less) but you can lose items depending on your name color. White name has a 1% chance to drop 1 item when killed by a Player.

If you activate PK Mode, you are on your own, there are no rules, no guidelines. Everyone is fair game.

As you said, you will have to do that. I've heard stories of Level 10X camping 3X quest areas.

Plenty, you might not see it when you are Blue Named, but once you turn on PK you're going to notice it quite a lot more people in PK (Trust your gut, if you're instincts tell you someone is following you in stealth, you better be on Def-con 1 - just my own experience talking there.

Blade Master comes to mind. However, a sin can more easily solo FC (Important). Note: Solo'ing instances is not very easy until you reach 75 (Crab meat and Yuan herbs, but this is debatable)

Yes, this is mostly the end-game gear though. TT99 (Binded gear, requires rare mats) Rank 8 (Lvl100) and Rank 9 (Lvl101) There are 2 parts to getting that gear, however. Reputation required to get the Badge (Ring) needed for that Rank gear. The reputation ultimately leads to needing at least 100m coins. This is farmable through TT and Nirvana, but will take a while. The gear itself is a different story.

http://pwi-wiki.perfectworld.com/index.php/Rank_and_Reputation/RankIX

b:bye

relentlessanger wrote: »

1) Servers
Under the Europe tab there is a server labelled 'FR' and one labelled 'GER'. I am assuming this means language.
I don't speak either of those fluent enough to keep up in internet slang conversations. Does this mean I should be looking towards the East Coast US servers for the next best thing? Or is there an English speaking community on those Euro servers as well?

There are english speaking communties within the European servers, usually you will need to world chat to find them. As for the languages of the servers the FR is French and GER is German. So if you speak those decently you can get away with being on the servers.

2) PvP vs PvE
I still consider Lineage 2 the best MMOG I ever played and compare all other games to it. In L2 I liked the fact that PvP was open, without restrictions, but with (serious) consequences.

I've experienced that games that implement both PvP and PvE servers often do so because they fail to regulate PvP in the first place. Is that the case here?

Can I play on a PvP server without having to look over my shoulder 24/7 for someone a million levels higher than me with nothing better to do than kill me?

Should a I choose a PvE server, is there still enough PvP to be had? Outside of the "lets dual each other, okay?" situation.

Any other comments on the matter?

lol, on a PvP server as of late...besides the assassins and top geared players who just roam the map killing anything in their path you probably won't have much issue with getting PK'd as a lowbie (first time this bm was PK'd was at 30 but that was cause I killed a few other people my lvl and a lvl 100 sin found me >_>). Though you won't become white named (PVP enabled) until lvl 30 on both PvE and PvP servers, then the difference between the two servers is that on a PvE server you can chose to be white or blue name (little button on the mini-map in the upper right hand corner will let you change between white and blue name on a PVE server, but be warned changing to white name means you'll be white named for 10 hrs (plus any more hours you get if you PK), then you can switch back at your leisure. On a PvP server the moment you hit lvl 30 you will be instant white named and be abled to be killed by anybody.
As for the amount of PK....it depends, there is multiple hot spots for PK and people who roam around and kill. The hotspots are silver pool, west arch, north arch, hidden orchid, secret passage (this one isn't active unless somebody calls out a PK war there in world chat), and there might be a few others i'm forgetting but i'm not total sure.

3) Classes
(Feel free to skip over this one. I imagine the info is out there and I'd find it with a bit more searching.)

-I want to play a Male character
-I'd prefer not to have a beast head. I guess I could get over this one.
-I would like to be relatively good at solo'ing (at least until I get to a half decent level).
-I want my class to be welcome in a group/party.
-I want to be able to take a few hits.
-I'd like the class to be above average at PvP and not require too much micromanaging.
-If not in conflict with the above I'd like to stay away from the healing/support side of things. A DD generally suits me better.

Does any class spring to mind?

I'd have to say you won't like a mystic or a cleric then as they are healers/support. A venomancer is gender locked as female (same for the other race for the untamed class barbarian as it is gender locked for a male).....Maybe try a blademaster, seeker, or barb?

4) Is this a Pay-to-Win game?
By that I mean: is there an entire level of gear/equipment only realisticly available to those willing to pay (alot) for it?

lol....pay to win...yeah you could say this game is pay to win by a long standard, but everything this game has to offer is farmable (or merchantable). Just depends on your time to play and what you know how to do.