I must be missing something...

I bought this game on recommendation and am having a terrible time enjoying it. I see great potential... but I seem ineffective at everything I try to do. I'm level 9 Ranger/Elementalist and I can't seem to advance any more. If I go out solo I end up fighting stuff that can't kill me, but can heal faster than I can kill it, which is frustrating beyond words. I usually get bored of us healing ourselves and warp back to town.

I get killed by swarms of level 3s that give me no exp, and all of the quests I get are too difficult to solo, the henchman are just plain useless, and I can't find groups to do any of the quests I'm on, usually because people are too busy dancing. I've gone to the arena for ~10 matches, just for fun, and lost 9 of them. I don't know if there's something I'm missing or what.

Is this the kind of game you can't really enjoy without getting some people you already know to play it with you?

what skills are you using and what attributes have you put points into and what are the levels of those attributes?

also have you upgraded your armor or are you still in the armor from before the academy?

My latest configuration of skills was... Read the wind, power shot, penetrating attack, troll unguent, flare, lava font, hunter's shot, and favorable wind.

My attributes: 2 in fire magic, 5 in expertise, 1 in wilderness survival, 6 in marksmanship. The 2 in fire magic are only there until my next level... then I plan to put them into expertise.

Make sure your equipment doesn't need upgrading. Otherwise, get used to henchmen! They are FAR from useless. I've gotten through some difficult points of my travels using them.

Also, to help with those swarms of level 3s, use Fire Storm. It might be wise to keep a few attribute points in Fire. It's a great help.

take as many henchmen as you need to survive.

start with a healer than add another archer than a mage

or you can add a fighter as cannon fodder as he will charge the enemy and hopefully they will stay ganged up on him while you pick at them from a distance.

i have a ranger/monk that is doing ok also a pyromancer/monk as well

a group or the minimum amount of henchmen are needed

Quick question - how do I make sure my equipment doesn't need upgrading? I had the best armor made for me, which was 40 armor on each, and customized my longbow ... I don't know what else I can do. Can you have weapons made?

You don't have to group with people you already know. Just get a group of random people together and go adventuring, or do quests.

Hrmm, you need to join a guild and have them twink you through the game like the leetness that beta'd and made this montriusity.