Curse

Menckenite · Jan 05, 2007, 10:40 PM // 22:40

I have two level 20s and two 16s. I know ... so what?

I'm not a member of a guild and I don't play that often. I've played only PvE and want to learn how to use skills better,try out PvP, and get some kind of points that will help unlock some avatars or some such thing that I need for builds.

Should I just get off of guru and go jump in anywhere or should I seek out advice for getting the most out of my PvP experience

Thanks,

M

pah01 · Jan 05, 2007, 10:52 PM // 22:52

My advice.

Pick a class that you would want to play a lot. Then observe the common builds used in that class in obs mode.

Then play play play.

Read as much as you can on guru. Pay particular attention to
JR and Squidget,These guys post a lot and they are seldom wrong. The Mods in the PVP part of the forum are all great but these two guys tend to post a lot so watch out.

Ensign of IQ posts some cool stuff - why nuking sucks is the best thread I have ever read.

Read team-iq forums.

Then start to play more classes as your skill and knowledge of builds increases.

Have fun

Joe

Seef II · Jan 05, 2007, 10:56 PM // 22:56

The PvP primer series on the official site isn't half-bad. But you will want to look at team-iq and the other pvp forums (like this one) and soak up knowledge. I do it every day.

Divineshadows · Jan 05, 2007, 11:27 PM // 23:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by pah01

Pick a class that you would want to play a lot. Then observe the common builds used in that class in obs mode.

Then play play play.

Read as much as you can on guru. Pay particular attention to
JR and Squidget,These guys post a lot and they are seldom wrong. The Mods in the PVP part of the forum are all great but these two guys tend to post a lot so watch out.

I agree, reading up on some of the information and builds posted here on guru can definately give you a jump start and help you make more educated decisions about how to spend some of the earliest faction you gain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Menckenite

I'm not a member of a guild and I don't play that often. I've played only PvE and want to learn how to use skills better,try out PvP, and get some kind of points that will help unlock some avatars or some such thing that I need for builds.

If you have any friends at all that you have built up through your PvE experience that are in a similar position as you when it comes to wanting to learn to play PvP, then I would recommend that you learn together in TA. Check the Team Arena Builds section for some sample builds to try. If you are alone in your venture, then Team Arenas is still the best place for you to begin your PvP experience (you'll just have to look to join a group there).

In order to be competitively ready for TA though, you will need a certain amount of unlocks so play random arenas for a few hours to get the unlocks you need for your class that you intend to run as part of a TA build. Avoid spending too much time in RA though, because the quality of players that enter randoms is a very wide range and the disparity between the skill level of the two teams may give you the wrong impression about the competitive viability of certain builds or skills. The main thing you should get out of time spent in RA, aside from faction, is experience of how to deal damage (or if you are playing a support caster how to help assist your damage dealers in order to win) and how to reduce the damage you take (such as moving away from someone hitting you with a hammer, scythe, etc.).

If I were in your position starting a fresh account and just entering PvP, the first unlocks I would want to make are:

- rez sig, because it's that important
- the 6 non-elite skills and the elite I want to use in the build I learned about from reading here on guru
- superior vigor
- minor runes for the attribute lines in the selected class
- vitae rune
- fortitude mods for the weapons/shields/offhands of choice
- 15^50 mod if you are using a non-staff or wand weapon

All of this takes about 25k faction and would probably take about 8 to 12 hours to get in RA. You probably have a head start on having some of this unlocked from having played PvE.

Blame the Monks · Jan 05, 2007, 11:28 PM // 23:28

There is no substitute for experience.

To get better at PvP, simply play the game as much as you can. Try to play with as skilled people as you know and try a variety of PvP (but especially GvG). Reading forums, watching obs, and talking to others can help bolster your knowledge or give you more ideas, but ultimately you need to get your hands dirty and learn how to win yourself, not by copying others or theorycrafting.

Over time, you will build a list of people you respect and like to play with. As you learn together, success will follow. And don't be afraid to PM people or ask people to play with you. Most will let you know pretty quick if they welcome the invites or not.

Patrograd · Jan 06, 2007, 12:37 AM // 00:37

I started in PVP with a group of friends who had got bored with PVE, we formed a guild, recruited some other guys new to PVP and off we went.

do XOO still run their training guilds for new PVP players? If so that might be somewhere to start

Sinful Doom · Jan 06, 2007, 12:59 AM // 00:59

If you really want to get into PvP I would suggest this. Go outside and have your neighbor kick you in the ribs a few times so you can get used to the pain and frustration.

Thom Bangalter · Jan 06, 2007, 01:23 AM // 01:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Menckenite

I have two level 20s and two 16s. I know ... so what?

I'm not a member of a guild and I don't play that often. I've played only PvE and want to learn how to use skills better,try out PvP, and get some kind of points that will help unlock some avatars or some such thing that I need for builds.

Should I just get off of guru and go jump in anywhere or should I seek out advice for getting the most out of my PvP experience

Thanks,

M

Play more, join a pvp guild, practice in RA, watch teams on obsever, start doing HA/TA, make contacts, find better guilds, read the good posts on guru (they're had to find, the ganking thread, the nuking thread are both pretty solid, as is the monk primer sticky), unlock the right stuff for the builds you would like to play, etc. I started in HA, but that might be more difficult to get going these days.

.defekt · Jan 06, 2007, 01:36 AM // 01:36

What Thom said. Start off in RA, practicing a particular character (I suggest monk, they have the most demand). Move over to HA and play with PuGs. Go from there.

Wasteland Squidget · Jan 06, 2007, 04:24 AM // 04:24

The most important thing is to work towards a serious guild that actually plays GvG. The GvG ladder will match you up with equal-level opponents a lot of the time, so finding a guild at your level is all that's needed to improve. While TA and HA will teach you some things (skirmish play+movement and basic builds, respectively), nothing will teach you as much as actually playing GvG with a team around your level.

As such, you should play in the low level arenas with the goal of a serious guild constantly in mind. When you do HA or TA, add good helpful players to your friend's list and try to play with them again. Once you have several friends, either join one of their guilds or form a guild together if all of you are guildless. PuGing can be a frustrating experience, but it's important to make connections. Especially important is voicechat - people will remember you a lot better if they've been on voicechat with you, so be ready to use TS or Vent and try to get on with as many players as possible. This will also allow you to weed out ragers and bad attitudes. People with bad attitudes are sometimes great players, but their guilds usually break apart to E-drama before too long. Similarly, you don't want to play exclusively with people that don't have any drive to improve.

As mentioned above, read these forums. Post when something is unclear or if you have a question.

This Article, while rather badly outdated, shows some of the major character builds that are used. Use those builds or builds you take from Observer Mode at first - designing your own will lead to subpar characters, and you'll never know for sure whether a failure came as a result of your build or your play.

Good luck!

drekmonger · Jan 06, 2007, 05:45 AM // 05:45

Depends upon which branch of PvP you want to explore, Organized or Not. In either case, ditch the notion that you'll be using your PvE characters. You'll want to roll up PvP characters unless you have nigh total unlocks and perfect equipment on one of your PvE guys.

Organized -- download and install ventrilo and teamspeak. Buy a decent headset with a mic. Practice a bit in RA/TA (attaining unlocks and perhaps the gladiator title) while you search for a GvG guild willing to train less experienced players. Watch observation mode.

Not Organized -- Play in RA/AB/Fort Aspenwood. Practice in HvH, observing what other people are running in anticipation of the upcoming HvH ladder.

The Omniscient · Jan 15, 2007, 04:51 AM // 04:51

For me, ranger and warrior were the easiest classes for me to learn. Pick builds and practice them in random arenas.

swiss chedda · Feb 06, 2007, 10:42 PM // 22:42

I think observer mode helps a lot. Just start watching one one of the gvgs and keep a close watch on whatever profession you are. I learned a lot about sins from watching observer mode.