Questions that need answered. Hopefully not from robots.

[Carala]

Alright, so I'm a returning player from 03' & early 04'. The game is completely different to me and I have to say, for the most part I like the changes I've seen.

However, there is so much content that I just can't wrap my mind around it. I have limited time to play, and even more limited time to research. The LS I'm ultimately sticking with are in the same boat, however I've just happened to level up a bit more quickly than them and I'm waiting for them to catch up.

Here are some questions I'm rolling off the top of my head.

My combat skills are around the cap for a level 75 sam (gkatana & evasion namely) are sitting at 260-270ish. I remember skill ups being slow, but for the life of me I might see a .1 once every hour against steel shells in boyahda. I've even tried using Elshena, Saltena, and Montagna as I've read and they'v seemingly have had no positive effect. Wtf am I doing wrong? I don't suspect they've made this retardedly archaic system go any faster, but this is just horrid and it's really pushing me to not continue after my trial is up if I can't skill up at a reasonable pace to at least be useful while doing anything that requires killing things harder than "tough".

I've tried the skill up on fortalices in Zvahl (S), but it's still slow and the real beauty to those is going AFK. Running this game on my laptop for lengths of time cause it to overheat & power off. Mobile i7's are fast but they run hot anyway, but this games programming is fucking terrible to use the CPU exclusively as it's pull.

Another question is about atma's. I've read these come from defeating NM's in abby zones after exploiting their weaknesses. The problem I'm finding is the only time people are shouting for anything to do with abby, it's almost exlusively for leveling. How does one kill these NM's? Is this usually done via LS friends? I feel like such a gimp while collecting points for merits that even at level 95, keying seems to be more of a purpose than killing things.

Of course this information will go on, as I said my LS is in the same boat. We're so terribly far from the loop and it feels incredibly overwhelming trying to learn everything new, much less playing catch up.

When asking people in game, typically the response is silence. So seeking answers there has not really been any help.

Any answers are greatly appreciated.

[Belmonts]

First of all, welcome back.

Get a exp pt on abyssea and get enough cruor (abyssea currency) to get all the maps, KI's and abyssites from entrance npc's (esp lunar abyssite for your first atma infusion). With maps on yar hand and cruor on the other, wiki aby maps and put snk invis and rr (some mobs are true hear sadly but there are few) and walk all your way to the fluxes and open them and mark it on your map. Will make your aby experience a lot more easier.

You will hear a lot of different ways to cap your skills and many of them will be good. My humble opinion about skill ups is you must do it on abyssea and there you have many options, get someone who can heal you and use your skill up food or even get /dnc if you don't have atmas at the moment, if you do get some regen atmas and hit crabs or w/e mob you feel comfortable with. If you think you are dying too fast you will need to change mob type or get a healer pal. Shadow zones are not longer good to skill imo, but always ppl will differ.

About atmas and triggering system I could type it for ya but, honestly, it will be easier to get into wikipedia (or bgwiki) and search "stagger" and you'll have a good explanation about it, not everyone knows em, normally ppl who are used to stagger don't tell you cus prolly they dun want to get their fingers tired, never the less it is rude. So when that happens, wiki ftw.

If you want atmas you will need to check out shouts that aren't for leveling, unfortunately, many ppl are interested in VoidWatch atm so atma shouts or farm shouts are few, in those cases get your friends together and wiki what atma you are looking for and how to defeat the monster. Just find someone with abyssite of discernment to know which triggers you must use. At first it is a pain but i'm sure there will be someone around happy to help ya.

Abyssea system can be overwhelming at first but ppl catch up pretty fast. And then start to enjoy it. Just as a reminder, there is a world outside abyssea lol.

I'll be happy to help you more so feel free to ask. but atm i know it has been a lot of info lol.

[SpankWustler]

Here's the wiki and BG wiki pages for Atmas.

The first link has some stuff that someone newer to Abyssea might find interesting, such as stuff about Red !!'s. The second link probably has more accurate values for some of the Atma, however.

Abyssite are also important. They're key items that have less drastic effects (other than the three that allow Atma to be equipped) but you always have them with you. Here are the wiki and BG wiki pages for Abyssite.

Looking at those pages, you can see what's what for yourself way better than I could tell you.

Now, as far as which of those thingies are actually good, lots are situational. There are a few that really stand out, though.

First and foremost, you want at least one Lunar Abyssite and Minnikin Monstrosity. It has a very, very potent Refresh effect that will allow a White Mage to cure whatever horrid things happen to almost-atma-less melee while working on other Abyssites and atma.

After that, the other two Lunar Abyssite and Atma of the Razed Ruin are also important but probably not as important as Minnikin Monstrosity since it helps people make people not die. It also helps that the series of Notorious Monsters needed for it are pretty weak.

Keep in mind that there are Abyssite which add to your maximum HP/MP, and these are also important. Most are easy to obtain, a few are not.

As for how to kill the things...uh...grab some friends and reduce their HP to zero is all I can say. I can't imagine the monsters in Visions and Scars areas being that hard for a group at level 95 or 99 even without many Abyssea-specific buffs.

Once you guys get into the feel of things and collect a few Atma and Abyssite, things will hopefully feel much more smooth. Good luck!

Also, here's a robot offering his advice:



I have no idea what he is saying, but I assume it is as horrifying as he looks.

[Greatguardian]

I'm exhausted at the moment, but I'm making a note to reply to this more thoroughly at a later time (which may be 5 minutes from now because I'm weird).

Basic things: Yes, NMs are generally killed with friends, though once you get your characters caught up on Abyssites and Atmas they are generally duo'able across the board.

Abyssites to get first:

Abyssite of Celerity x3
Abyssite of Merit x6
Lunar Abyssite x3 (2 from boss kills, 1 for 100k Cruor)
Abyssite of Furtherance x3

Atmas to snag:
Razed Ruins, Sanguine Scythe, Apocalypse, Voracious Violet, Alpha&Omega for Melee
Some combination of Minikin Monstrosity, Stormbird, Merciless Matriarch, Beyond, Ultimate, Full Moon, Future Fabulous for Magey types of various kinds

If you know someone who's been around throughout Abyssea, maybe hit them up nicely and see if they're free to steamroll you and your linkshell through a few things sometime. It's decent nostalgia at this point, and anyone who's been doing Abyssea for a while is basically godmode to those NMs which is fun in its own right. Just make sure to try and get as many people online for it as possible, as repetition for those that missed can be burdensome.

[Carala]

Hey guys, I just want to say thanks for replying and answering my questions. The information certainly helped for the mean time. I feel I was extremely lucky, as after seeing your posts I happened to be on yesterday for a short time and saw someone shouting for Razed Ruin atma, and got in the party for it. First atma obtained. I do understand that I need to do some quests to obtain more Lunar Abyssites, in order to equip more atma.

As far as the skill up stuff goes, I definitely wasn't whiffing as much as I was before with Razed Ruin on. However, skill ups seem to be coming slow. What is your take on the skill up food from any personal experience?

I've experimented some, but haven't parsed logs. Right now, I'm still under 300 for gkatana and I've tried Saltena, Elshena, and Montagna. None of these seem to really be doing much of anything. Occasionally I will see a .5 in there but that's very seldom. Any thoughts?

Also, I did purchase the Emp armor set, but it seems the feet portion come from a chest. Mine happens to be in Vunk. I've been to the zone frequently solo, and I do see parties through /sea but I never see anyone looking to make a party for there, nor have I received in invite when flag was up or asking for one through shout. Is this a zone where it's primarily used to farm nm's & not really exp or do much else in?

[Erics]

Like someone mentioned, abyssea is not the "end game" anymore, almost everyone had gotten what they need from there so you are lucky to find anything other than exp shouts for aby zones. As for skill ups, just keep whacking at things in abyssea, you will get skill ups at a more steady rate as it gets higher.

[Belmonts]

Skill ups seem to be coming slow. What is your take on the skill up food from any personal experience?
I've experimented some, but haven't parsed logs. Right now, I'm still under 300 for gkatana and I've tried Saltena, Elshena, and Montagna. None of these seem to really be doing much of anything. Occasionally I will see a .5 in there but that's very seldom. Any thoughts?

Your choices of food are correct, there is also a ring called "Prouesse Ring" that gives you skill ups. As other ppl told ya, skill ups can suck overall but you have to persevere because we all suffered getting our weapons from 300 to cap. You can do it !

Also, I did purchase the Emp armor set, but it seems the feet portion come from a chest. Mine happens to be in Vunk. I've been to the zone frequently solo, and I do see parties through /sea but I never see anyone looking to make a party for there, nor have I received in invite when flag was up or asking for one through shout. Is this a zone where it's primarily used to farm nm's & not really exp or do much else in?

There are shouts to get your boots because solo them is gonna be a pain since you have to get the proper amber light to spawn gold chests blah blah... you will have to be very patient because many ppl don't farm boots anymore, but there are shouts time to time, or a trio of friends can pull that off.

The most common aby zones to exp are: La theine Plateau (worms), Uleguerand Range (Bluffalos) and Altepa (dolls) (at least on fenrir). You can try going to pt zones and put your flag up, although you risk to waste your time and stones there (since this is not valkrum anymore lol) but it has worked for me time to time.

Good luck ^^

[SpankWustler]

As far as the skill up stuff goes, I definitely wasn't whiffing as much as I was before with Razed Ruin on. However, skill ups seem to be coming slow. What is your take on the skill up food from any personal experience?

With skill a bit below 300, fighting stuff you normally encounter rather than stuff specifically to skill up, using sushi to cape your hit rate might be a better bet than using food specifically for skill-ups. Every missed hit is a missed chance at a skill up.

Plus, the sushi is cheaper and helps your performance more than the skill-up food. This only applies if your accuracy is still uncapped even with Razed Ruin and Cruor DEX buffs, of course.

[Psxpert2011]

Alright, so I'm a returning player from 03' & early 04'. The game is completely different to me and I have to say, for the most part I like the changes I've seen.

However, there is so much content that I just can't wrap my mind around it. I have limited time to play, and even more limited time to research. The LS I'm ultimately sticking with are in the same boat, however I've just happened to level up a bit more quickly than them and I'm waiting for them to catch up.
...

'03/ '04? Your basically a 'noob' again, whare the heck have you been? :P

Word of advice do you don't go crazy pulling out your hair. Ignore all this talk about Abysea, find like-minded ppl who like party/ low-man book burns and farm a lot. Like new players, it's important not to worry too much about end-game because there's still nostalgia within the community and veterans come back to play old-school: Doing ZMs, Sky and Sea stuff(maybe ToAU stuff too).

Ever since Abysea came out, it's been abused with the fact there's high level mobs and exp gaining tactics. Mobs con EP to everyone lv.95~99, so it's practically the edge of end-game but the community is expecting more to come still. It's back to the "noob-train" again for everyone!

If you going to play to have fun, then have fun. If you enjoy the game for the sake of content, playability and community... take your time. I didn't rush and I been playing since '04. If you have friends in end-game, they should be able to give you a boost through the leveling grind but for the love of Altana, at-least complete your expansions first, Abysea isn't "all that and a bag of chips"! People are still stressed over getting through the content.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

I've even tried using Elshena, Saltena, and Montagna as I've read and they'v seemingly have had no positive effect.

Saltena to 300, with I think a 120 minimum, Mont 300+. Elshena is defencive skills only, no cap, but thre dose appear to be a minimum as it is not doing anything for my 62 guard. Elshena let me take my shield from 198-424 on pld in 2 hours.