Base Character Template (in General)

In the new players chat room we always hear the same questions...how do I fix my character or what do I do.

Rather than go through the same spiel with them...or tell them to read the FAQ

Why not set up a base character template for them when they sign up.

FB, HP and AMF.

With this they can play,earn a little money and then slowly mould their character.

TMD

If everyone's setup is the same, how will anyone progress?

mmmmm.. yes.. Let's Make cookie-cutter characters.. that happened on D2, with Sorcs. it was stupidly annoying

People get to learn themselves. If you take all the effort out of it, what's the point of playing? Why doesn't Jon just make everything automated while he's at it.


(So it's 2 in the morning.. i'm not exactly at my nicest at that time. that should explain any brutally blunt comments. should. if it doesn't, well... "A wizard did it")

All kinds of Fight Club quotes come to mind.

"Slowly mould their character" -
We all know that this wont happen. They'll change just as quickly, add in a couple more minions, train this cool looking spell here and there. The result will be that we still end up with the same problem as this is supposed to fix.

Also I'm not too keen on the idea of making everyone start off the same...

I think the key is to update the tutorial. Let them get the general idea, but not make them do it. Plus it prevents them from just changing it immediately, if they know better, they wont be so quick to mess it up.

There was a cookie cutter for CB1, there's one for CB2.

In CB1, I was always told "Make a single Tank. Don't train anything bar HP, Str and dex until X PR. Don't add another minion until Y PR." And this was good solid advice.

In CB2, I will always tell new players to make a HP, FB mage. There is no reason to start off with anything else. If you advise differently, you're doing the new player a disserivce. (Unless they're here to mess around, and not compete, but in that case it doesn't really matter what they do.)

Once they have completed thier NUB, they are free to start over with a NCB and try a 4 minion team from the beginning.

With a massive amount of NUB generated cash they made from an item independent FB Mage...

Wow. You were actually told to make a single tank till x PR, add second at Y PR?

/me wishes he had been told to make a single tank from the getgo. would have saved me sooo much time..

currently i have a single tank at 1.2mil. but i'm not going to ever get a second minion. besides the prohibitivly high costs.. currently like, 13 mil for 1, I love single tanks.

They rock!

GL, sorry, but I have a rare "disagree" for you...

What if the new player is simply here to learn a new game and have fun?

Now, I understand the NUB shouldn't be wasted (hence part of my dislike for it, forcing a new player to think they have to maximize every second and take every shortcut they can), but what if a player WANTS to run a single tank here? What if they LIKE playing with weapons and armor instead of a boring ole FB mage.

Sure, if they complain later that their rewards suck, well waaa-fricking-waaa. It isn't sabotage or a disservice to let a new player do their own thing and then help them later. In a way, it is what the NUB is for -- a well-rewarded sandbox where a month of "screwing around" can be overcome by the remaining three months of the bonus (assuming the new player "gets it together" by then).

Question: can someone who gets the NUB get an NCB later? Sorry for the newbie question, but I don't even know if the NUB/NCB are one time things or not?

You can get the NCB when your NUB is up.

I did the whole filling every space with spells and skills and everything else. In my case I needed to work out how things worked for myself - that was half the addictive quality for me. I think hand-holding too much can make things too boring - I loved that moment when I realised that what I'd come up with myself on my char was actually working....

In fact, I think people should be discouraged past a certain point from following templates and trying out 'strange' strategies. There aren't a lot of experiments going on of late, not much strategising. All everyone seems concerned with is maximising rewards, maximising profit.

It's a bit wet, and a very boring....

sorry missed 'encouraged' to try out strange strategies....

:) You're not disagreeing with my Sute.

I agree with you. If someone wants to come mess around, have fun, or they have a team in mind they want to emulate, by all means they should do what brings them the most enjoyment. But these people won't necessarily want to know how to fix thier characters.

But if they want to be competitive, have a shot at the top, or make the most out of thier NUB, they *should* be advised to make a Single FB mage.

The NUB could/should be seen as the introduction time into CB. You get four months to 'catch up' with everyone else, get to know the game, get a base stock of money and items. Then the NCB let's them focus competitively should they want to.

Else, they could just hang out in the forums like I do! ;)

What would we ever do without you, GL? *smile*

Sorry, I think I should add, there's nothing wrong with helping people who want to improve upon an existing strat if thats the way they want to go, but if someone asks how to get the most out of thier NUB time, it's FB mage all the way...

In CB1 it was Single Tank all the way...

The only way to get round this (And it would be a great thing if we do) is to make all strats equal at a base level. And hey, didn't someone in this thread already sugest that? :P

"What would we ever do without you, GL? *smile*"

Probably, have a slower forum... ;) But Johnny seems to be an able replacement! :P

Crazy Brits! *laugh*

Oi!!! We're not crazy, we're just 'eccentric'....

With bad teeth.. I really should go see my Dentist...

The Wiki has strat advice. I like Grant's advice personally.

Perhaps it would be helpful to link to "common beginning strats" from either the "basics" area of the wiki homepage, or from the "getting started" page.