This is a work in progress that will take some time to complete. I'm usually on a short limit when I access a comp. Anyway, here's what I have so far.
I. The Basics
---What race to choose.
A large number of players will tell you to either pick Galin/Wiban/Elf only because of the 5 mp you get per level from them. However, while this is pretty necessary if you are a complete beginner, depending on the gear you have you may not need to do that. I know that when I got my JoV I wanted to restart kydenn as a troll because they get the most HP and Str at the beginning, even though the amount is trivial. I wanted perfection. So basically, if you have gear that will make up for the difference in MP and you're not going to be a mage, don't worry about the race. It's not as important in that case.
---What class should I be?
There aren't really "classes" exactly. There are just particular builds that resemble a broad and familiar base of different types of characters. Mainly you have to choose whether you want to be a Fighter or a Mage. But the different types of fighter/mage you can ultimately end up are more variable than you would think. There are a number of players who also think that there are stats that are utterly pointless to add to. This is also disputable because of some of the lesser used classes, such as the shield mage. (Of course, you do never want to add to DEF once you have 95 total DEF, so this is the exception.)
Unless you are interested in the Berserker build or one hit mage, you need to add to DEF until your total DEF is equal to 95. So, until this is done, you generally have a little bit of time before you'll have to make an ultimate decision on the route you want to take with your character. (Exceptional classes will be explained later.)
---An explanation of DEF versus Total DEF
Your DEF stat helps you to determine your resistance to physical attacks, whether from players or mobs(monsters). For every 3 DEF you have, you have 1 point of Total DEF. Also, whatever the # value of your equipped armor is is added to your Total DEF. Your total DEF is a numeric value that represents the % of damage you mitigate from a successful attack. There is a hidden cap at 95, so adding to DEF beyond this point does nothing.
---HP/Str Ratio
HP versus str is unbalanced if you have 95 total def. For a player to do 1 point of damage to another player it takes 20 points of Total Strength. This means that for PvP and PKing it is much more important to add to HP than to Str. Unless of course you're determined to gain the 27,000+ Levels needed to one hit the higher lvl players. (Please don't attempt this...I don't want anyone complaining to me for something I didn't say you can do.
)
---PK versus PvP
PK is just openly walking up and attacking someone. There is also something called PK tournaments which are held at players' discretion where 4 or more players enter a cave and try to rack up as many kills as possible.
PvP is when one player challenges another to a duel. This works much differently. Oh yeah, you can't use spells in PvP, so don't try.
---Fizzle Fizzle Die Die
A spell will fizzle if you do not have enough skill to use it, or if you don't have enough MP to cast it. This means that it will not work, and the mob will stilll attack you. Needless to say, this is EXTREMELY dangerous. So don't go switching spells immediately after you get a new one. That usually spells death.
II. Explanation of Stats
---STR=each point you add/have in STR adds to your Total STR. Your Total STR is how much raw damage you inflict when swinging with your weapon.
---DEX=As long as this is equal to 72% of your LVL or above, you will get the first hit against mobs. Also, in PvP, whoever has the highest DEX attacks first. At around 1500 Dex, you can attack a mob twice without it attacking you at all. And at around 3000 Dex, you basically don't have to worry about getting hit by them at all. In order to Flee from battle successfully every time, your DEX needs to be at least 1 point above your LVL. But you can always use Panic for a quick escape, so it's not really necessary. (Panic is a Lvl 2 Shadow Spell.)
---INT=This determines how much damage you inflict with magic attacks. It's sort of complicated how it all works. Each attack spell has a raw amount of damage that inflicts, which works sort of like a modifier for your INT. The damage bonus you receive from INT is based on a ratio of your INT versus your LVL. Unless you are adding INT every level, your damage will DECREASE with spells over time. This is why it is extremely important to add INT if you plan on using magic as a primary attack. (It is recommended that you add 3 INT per LVL if you are a magic user.) However, if you are a shield mage or warrior who uses shields and/or healing spells, INT is not a necessity. Healing spells have set amounts they heal, and shields do set damage/healing.
---DEF=I already explained that every 3 points in DEF is equal to 1 point of Total DEF, which is equal to 1% resistance to attacks. Do not allow your Total DEF to exceed 95 when you add points, because that is just a waste of points. (Not figuratively. It literally does nothing. Unless you really just want to say you have the highest DEF in the game. In that case, have at it.)
---HP=My best friend. Your starting HP depends on your Race. Unlike MP, you do not receive a set amount of HP per LVL. (That
'd be pretty sweet.) When your HP gets to 0 or below, you die. Simple as that. Don't let that happen. (Some of the less orthodox classes do not require you to add any points to HP. These classes are usually harder to play.)
---MP=Don't add to this, unless you are a class built around it. (Shield Mage) Again, you can do this if you simply want the highest MP in the game, but it is not necessary for most characters. You get a set amount of MP per LVL based on your race. It is expended as you cast spells. When you don't have enough to cast a spell, the spell will fizzle. When this happens, you generally die. So keep that in mind.
**I'll edit more soon. I have a lot to cover in a short amount of time.**
