New player confused about... pretty much everything... [Archive]

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fatbackwards

19-02-14, 02:57

Hi there! I'm Fatbackwards, and I'm the total definition of a noob in Neocron; to the point where logging into the game just overwhelms me, kinda, and I end up logging off.

I guess I could start by saying that I love the whole Neocron concept. Ever since I heard about Neocron, which was back in 2002/2003; I've wanted in. Unfortunately, due to EB Games/Gamestop not carrying this brand, not being able to afford the monthly fee at the time, and a few other pitfalls; I never joined.

Well...

I made an attempt in 2006 or so when I found the game in EB Games for 5 dollars, and got completely frustrated at the tutorial area, and quit. It was during the time when they still sold used PC games.

Also played the offline demo. That was odd.... an MMO releasing a scripted demo of the game itself, with voice acting?

Now, I'd like to get into the game, since it's free... and I'd be kicking myself in the teeth if I didn't see what this game could offer... but I'm running into issues actually integrating into the game. I don't know if the years of "modern" gaming influenced me or not, but it's quite a possibility... in either case, I'd like to mention a few things that are just completely unknown to me. Maybe due to my pain, someone else who's interested in getting started might know where to look out for.

So, lets jump in, shall we?

The new player area, 'MC-42', is not friendly for new players.
The games lexicon is completely confusing, especially when someone is trying to explain something to you.
Am I really stuck in a sewer killing spiders?
I've heard people mention to avoid certain skills, else I'll screw up my character; is that a valid issue still?
What IS there in the game for a new player to do? You know, besides going into the Neocron sewers, killing spiders.
Are there any guides available on the forums or other sites, which are up to date?

Ok, those are basically my main points, unless I state something else later on.

Just to give a perspective on this game as a new player, I want to paint the image of what it's like to start fresh in this game; so that people can understand what's going on. I realize this game is very old, and the community is small... usually just the people who log in and 'go through the motions', so you may have forgotten what it was like. So the next part is gonna be written like a stream of thought:

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
So, I download and create an account for Neocron, and I go through the patcher and log in. Meanwhile, I visited Tech Haven and read up on what professions are available in this game, so that I could understand what to choose when I started out... I don't understand what pro's and con's are available to me, via which profession/race I could be.

---Aside: Usually, in games I've played previously... a race was a choice, for mostly aesthetic appeal... apparently, it's not so in this game; since you have so many different options based on how you choose to mix yourself. And I'm aware that there's four races... a private investigator, psi-monk, some sort of 'gen-tank', and spy. When reading the profession guides on Tech Haven... they basically gloss over the fact that one race is more suited in a role then another... say, that spell casting 'tech' class can only be played by psi-monks... or being a gen-tank is a terrible idea if you want to be a medic.

What I don't understand is kinda... why?

Like, what's the difference if I play as a spy assassin, or a PI assassin? Can I not use the same gear? Will I be face-rolled once I show up on a battlefield?---

Anyways, moving on... so I make something. Say, PI assassin... because I like the idea of being a private investigator, rifles are what people in the military use to kill things, and I heard that you can unlock the police armor in the game... so that'd be cool to get (Fresh after watching Dredd, "I am the law."). I jump into the game, and am greeted with the 'MCI-76'. Alright, a new player area... hopefully they'll explain what it's like to play this game! Neat! I got a quest... lets go! And I'm doing said quest... and I'm shooting these monsters and they're dropping alot of scrap stuff, and these snakes too... And I can't quite figure out what am I suppose to be doing. Do I just stay here until I feel I have a grasp of the game? Do I finish all the quests here? I can't seem to figure out the later quests, because they're telling me to go somewhere and do something, and I don't know how to do either of those things; so, I try and look it up online... nope. No help. :(

---Aside: When I played at 2006, I spent all my money in a vendor (I think) and I couldn't teleport out of there... effectively causing me to delete that toon, and start again.

Now, I know... after I left that area... that people just suggest to skip that entire place, and leave. But, I didn't know that the first time around.... And the area looked very neat to level around in, if only just to punch robots... I still never completed the 'MASH-28'. Hell, I don't know if you CAN or not.---

Anyways, I'm in my apartment; because another nice new guy told me to run for the hills and just hit that glowing object and pay 1000 coins to skip that area. I meet this guy who looks like Morpheus, who has a few quests for me. So, I do them. Thankfully, this is the easy part... since there's guides on Tech Haven as to how to do them, and I get like... two rifles, and some experience. Woo! Alright! So, he's done... now what?

Ok... lets hit a mission terminal, and get something. Very SWG reminiscent, which was my favorite MMO in recent memory. Spiders? Some sort of rat beast? Sure... lets go.

Ok, sewer... and I'm shooting things in a sewer... and they're dying... and I'm getting paid. Ok... so, I'm basically the games extermination specialist after a while... making sure that the sewers can funnel toilet water in every direction! And... I don't seem to be doing anything else. Every mission involves me going into the sewer and punching/shooting spiders, rats, and those flowers that seem to kill you dead.

So, I guess it's time to ask for advice; since Tech Haven doesn't have any info on the stage of development I'm at now. Now... how do I go about doing that? I'm clicking buttons, panels are appearing... the chat menu is confusing... oh God.... what, ho--- Oh! It's under custom! Yes! And there it is! *click* "Test"... Yes! alright....

Fatbackwards: "So, is the sewer all there is in Neocron? What else can I do?"
Random Player: "Did you finish Mr. Jones's quests?"
Fatbackwards: "The Morpheus guy? Yeah, he's done."
Random Players: *Proceed to tell me about blueprint crafting, PCU, XMS, C++, PU's, C.H.O.M.A.G., and other acronyms and concepts I don't have a clue about.*

Right... so I'm left more confused then I was when I started. Store bought weapons are bad? I need to talk with crafters to make guns? Why are people saying my PE Assassin guy isn't good, and that I should roll a spy? CopBot armor sucks? Spec Dex and matter metamorphasis for addeddamagetosupplementusingadditionalimpl----

*head starts spinning*
*escape*
*wait ten seconds*
*breathe*

Ok... I think I just hit a wall.

*views Neocron forums 'Getting Started' section*
*frowns*

Well... this is bad. I don't have money... or parts... or knowhow, and I'm stuck killing small vermin in the sewers of a city I'd love to explore... feeling like my toon isn't worth leveling, since I apparently picked the wrong set-up in my character creation screen.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Uh... welcome to Neocron? Enjoy your stay?

Yeah... I don't know if I'm missing all the pieces or not of this game. There doesn't seem to be much help in online guides... simply because there aren't really any... And overall, I log in nowadays to jump into a sewer, shoot my gun several times, and log out... simply because I don't know what else to do. I've tried exploring... hell, I even found my way outside of Neocron and beheld the atmosphere outside! But... I wasn't sure if I should be there... I didn't even have a car to drive around in.

Uhm... I guess a 'help' yelp would be customary in this situation. I don't know anyone who's even heard of this game out of friend and aquatencies... and I segway this game into conversations on SWTOR, or ST:O; or hell... even SS13... and people just go "What?"

This is SOO FRUSTRATING. If I was someone who had a casual or passing fancy in this game... I would have left. But I'm not. I want to experience this game, once and for all; be able to drive around in a car... SEE the Dome of York, and not feel overwhelmed with everything.

So...

HELP

Torg

19-02-14, 03:26

A warm welcome to you, runner. Yes, this is a complicated world. Takes a while to learn. So, you want to be a PE (thats what we call em, rather than PI), and use rifles? Thats a good decision. Youll have lots of fun. Once your char is capped, you'll notice a capped spy will have more DEX, so they get to use more powerful guns. But as a PE youll have more STR and CON points to distribute, so you will be stronger, more resistant to damage, even using some fancy psi stuff (heals, shields). Yes, buy your guns from a constructor (player). Better quality, more damage. Sell your loot at the shops. Some foodstuff will heal you. Dont do booze. If spiders are getting boring, check out mutants, beggars, rabid dogs. Some sewers will have a 2nd, lower level. Some sewers/cellars will have bigger foes. Check pepper park, industrial area, outzone. Later you will go to the open wastelands, where the real shit is waiting. And never stop asking people, on the forums and ingame. Now have a happy and productive day!

fatbackwards

19-02-14, 03:56

So, basically it's mission grinding in the sewers; till I can swat everything there away? Just looking if there's anything else in the game to do. :)

I mean, I'll do it... but it's just very bleak to be down there.

nikkon

19-02-14, 04:19

it is a stepping stone to leveling and depending what your char is depends on how fast or where you should level and if you can find groups to go leveling with makes it much easier

Torg

19-02-14, 04:20

i usually avoid missions and rather go exploring, and try to find a team for fighting bigger prey together. dont do anything boring, theres so much to find there. try getting a rifle that matches your current dex and head for the horizon.

Frell

19-02-14, 05:31

Doc Holliday

19-02-14, 06:25

I would start this game with gen tank driver in Tangent Technology faction.

I would spend all starting int points to weapon lore.
STR half heavy weapons and oher half transport.
Con 10 points to athletic and rest body health.
Dex 16 points to recycle skill and rest in agility.

I would skip the tutorial and come straight to city to your apartment.
After that i would ask some help in help channel what to do next.

As a new player in the game i would wonder why you are telling me this. As an old player i can see the logic but if im the new guy i want to know why.

Skip the advice above as its already telling you to go do something different to what you want to do and the whole point of gaming is to do what YOU want to do not feel you have to do.

The new player experience is something that is being worked on and mc5 is best to be skipped from the word go and come to the city as mentioned. From there you have a lot of options to go off and explore as torg said and for the time being keep the LE chip firmly implanted in your head until your confident to take it out.

If you can find your way in to pepper park 1 there is a place called the abandoned rooms (pepper park 1. There is a ramp going up to an abandoned store opposite of club veronique. Under the ramp is the hatch. go down in there) which is a much better starter levelling area than any of the sewers. You will find it a lot more fun without being too difficult to level up and toughen up your starting character regardless of class.

My final piece of advice to you is the most simple. IGNORE half of the community when they say you should do this or you should do that. Thats not what being a new player is all about and most of them are too stupid to realise they will be cheating you out of the new player experience when telling you how to use the best possible set ups.

When i started i didnt ask people for the best set ups etc. I asked questions and i figured things out. If i got stuck i asked another question. That is what i would suggest you do. Take your time and look at everything and just have fun getting fully immersed. IF something doesnt make sense ask what it means/says/does. if they start telling you where to go and what to do ignore it and make your own way around till you feel you have the basics down. then keep an eye on the help channel as questions are asked all the time and sometimes you will get good answers. these helps to facilitate the learning.

fatbackwards

19-02-14, 06:39

As a new player in the game i would wonder why you are telling me this....
You know what's fun? I had that exact thought. I have no idea what any of those stats mean, apart from being a driver. That's the profession that lets you drive the cars and tanks, right?

Uh... which I could ask, do you need to be a driver to have your own personal car/tank/hoverboat/camper?

... for the time being keep the LE chip firmly implanted in your head...

That's the thing they put in my brain, right? The reason the MC-5 exists? Prevents the good little citizens from having bad thoughts about others? I assume that has something to do with PVP... so I'll keep it in. Are there any drawback to keeping it in, I mean... past the fact that, I assume, people can kill you?

... find your way in to pepper park 1 there is a place called the abandoned rooms ...
I'll try that... my head is spinning from being in the sewers.

And well, I assume this game is a mob based grinding game... so no real quests other than Mr. Jones and the faction ones, right?

OH OH OH... and is there a way to respec your points? One of the things that's kinda holding me back... is that I don't know how to distribute my points, so... I feel like I'm gonna gimp myself somehow. You know, like putting in all my points into like... psi defense, when I could have distributed them with psi pool and like... the skill that allows you to use psi skills. Since this game is already feeling like a grind... I really would hate to reach the end and go...

"SHIT, I can't hit the broad side of a barn! Why did I put all my points into barter?! The weapon shops are garbage anyways!!!"

:( Mr. Jones won't have a fix for me then.

Doc Holliday

19-02-14, 07:03

In response to this thread fat you already figured out way more than you credit yourself with.

Im gonna try and give you a quick response to these Qs. First off the driver profession gives you a pretty neat quad. It needs 15 vhc (approxx) and can never ever be permanently lost. and its fast as grease lightning across the wastes. this you will like. It is the only profession that is able to earn the quad from the Mr (Morpheus) Jones mission line. Others receive different rewards.

No you do not NEED to be a driver to own a car. any class can spec the points in driving to drive different vehicles but be warned not all of them have the necessary dexterity to make it worth while using tanks and such because they are unable to repair them in the field. (this is something you can worry about later if you are going to use vehicles for combat rather than transport)

Simplely the quad is an awesome piece of kit but dont despair you can buy one usually from players for around $150k. ]

The LE. as a new player KEEP IT IN. learn the game. At around level 30 it starts taking away from your xp and from your cash earned. This is a good thing in the most part because it prevents high level noobs (see my signature) from abusing it too much. HOWEVER it is working absolutely as intended for you the new guy. Its gonna save your ass and you can decide when to remove it if you feel u want to. If you do it cannot be reimplanted past a certain level. be warned. The info should be on the chip (right click and show info on it in your head)

Regards to quests. There are some. Not many. Its not like wow. Its more sandbox. You are free to go off as you please. The "Quests" you will see in game are the faction epic runs (item reward) and the Wisdom of Ceres Gun runs (guns. surprisingly) and one or two others. They are not really worth doing for the XP but are totally worth it for the items. again dont bite off more than you can chew. Decide on what you want from the char and then have a read of tech haven and see if something strikes your fancy and you can organise trying to do that mission. I wont bore you with too much info now.

Finally last question. Simple answer yes you can reset your points. LOM pills. Loss of memory. Sold at taylors biochem stores. (There is one opposite medicare in plaza 1) You buy 1 tablet it has ten uses and removes 5 skill points at a time. It costs xp so you will lose levels potentially. You cannot lom away less than 5 at a time either so if your skill falls below 5 the pill wont work and it wont cost you any xp. If you find you put points in places you didnt want to it is an easy way to reskill and you can "unfuck" your character quickly. I could tell you horror stories of how they used to operate but again too much info too soon.

Finally. Most important point to make. DONT SPEC ENDURANCE. its a waste of a stat in constitution. Avoid it.

Dont forget there is always the help channel. pay attention to it. it will help. be mindful of idiots who think its their own private chat channel for smack talk. they generally talk a lot and know very little. any more help you need pm me here or if im in game just shout up. im happy to give 10 mins of my time to explain a few more bits.

Vid Gamer

19-02-14, 08:06

This is the difference between a game made in 2002 and today. Today, all MMO's are linear, themepark, hand-holding affairs, so when someone genuinely new tries to play a game like Neocron, it's practically impossible.

Luckily, the community both on these forums and in-game are very helpful. Whenever you have a question, use the help chat in-game and more often then not you will have people answering your questions. When I started over again recently I had people just come up to me and give me weapons, armor, money, etc. to help me start out.

It's a very daunting game for a new player and it will take a LONG time to get accustomed to this game, but it's also very rewarding.

Doc Holliday

19-02-14, 08:24

"It's not about the 'new user experience'; in these games the new user experience is utter shit, and it's okay," he said. "There are two lessons people have not learned from Minecraft: Get the game out there and build it. Some kid will put out a video. Players will teach each other. You don't need the 'press A to jump'."

Full Article http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-02-18-bleszinski-ill-never-make-another-disc-based-game

I found that particular paragraph amusing given the current thread topic.

Alduin

19-02-14, 10:53

It's a very daunting game for a new player and it will take a LONG time to get accustomed to this game, but it's also very rewarding.

I still remember my first time crawling through the mainsewer, my first time getting lost in the outzone, my first time in the wastelands... this game just felt huge and it still is... there is so much to discover.

William Antrim

19-02-14, 12:22

Dude you found your way to the forum instead of quitting. Best advice right now is to just work it out for yourself where possible and ask where that is not possible. If you need help then post up your questions here and they will be answered in detail, dissected, resuggested, trawled over and argued about, carefully picked apart and then thoughtfully reanswered. All of this will happen in the blink of a cybereye - (or a few hours if its a daytime) - because there is a contingent of this community that is die hard through the core and absolutely loves helping out new players.

You will genuinely find some of the most bipolar players I have ever experienced anywhere in online communities. The degrees of hatred savoured for one another can only be tempered by the desire to help find new people help out in the short term. You will find them the most generous of fellows as you level and then you will have new people to loathe and hate when you cap along with the rest of us.

The combat system in this game is a little daunting but it is bloody brilliant. Sure the graphics are out of date and would probably benefit from some updates but the gameplay is second to none and cannot be replicated by even the most modern games!

Vid Gamer

19-02-14, 13:43

I still remember my first time crawling through the mainsewer, my first time getting lost in the outzone, my first time in the wastelands... this game just felt huge and it still is... there is so much to discover.

Oh man, the first time I logged into the game back in beta 4 I was absolutely mesmerized. The graphics, futuristic cyberpunk art style, the grittiness, and just the overall scope of the game was really amazing. The fact that all of this was designed around a game that was first-person with real time combat was like a dream come true. I'd go so far to say Neocron was way ahead of its time. I thought the city itself was huge, but the first time I left and opened the map I couldn't believe how much there was to explore.

Not to go off into too much of a tangent, but if the game could receive a facelift (huge, if somewhat an impossible endeavor), more areas to level and explore (basically a PvE redo. So many places to go but the "hotspot" areas are the only places to level effectively) and a boost in XP gain across the board would do wonders and continue to attract many new players like the OP.

Cursed Shadow

19-02-14, 13:51

... Summary of exactly why this game is not friendly for new players and there is not enough information IN-GAME here... HELP

I apologize, I really do.
It's so daunting that as a new player you have to check other websites and forums to understand basic game concepts.

I can answer any questions you have about the game, but for the most part it is better if you explore and find things out for yourself (it'll give you a better grasp and much less confusion).
Perhaps I can give you a brief walk-through of the game tonight if you're around. (without giving away many spoilers)

Cursed Shadow

19-02-14, 13:54

Oh man, the first time I logged into the game back in beta 4 I was absolutely mesmerized. The graphics, futuristic cyberpunk art style, the grittiness, and just the overall scope of the game was really amazing. The fact that all of this was designed around a game that was first-person with real time combat was like a dream come true. I'd go so far to say Neocron was way ahead of its time. I thought the city itself was huge, but the first time I left and opened the map I couldn't believe how much there was to explore.

Not to go off into too much of a tangent, but if the game could receive a facelift (huge, if somewhat an impossible endeavor), more areas to level and explore (basically a PvE redo. So many places to go but the "hotspot" areas are the only places to level effectively) and a boost in XP gain across the board would do wonders and continue to attract many new players like the OP.

I really do think they should try for a Project Kickstarter to raise funds to re-do this game professionally.

Trivaldi

19-02-14, 14:09

fatbackwards

19-02-14, 18:54

Welcome to the Neocron Community. Thank you for your feedback on the new player experience. This is something we want to improve to make it more straight forward for entirely new folk to get into the game. Thankfully, as you can see, while we're working on improving the experience we do have a dedicated community who will help you get started.

As I see no mention of it in your earlier posts, can I ask whether you played the tutorial, offered to you after creating your character? You make reference to the "Offline Demo", I assume from the timeline you gave this was the Neocron 1 Offline Demo (a separate download) and not the current in-game pre-Area MC5 tutorial?

Prior to arriving in Area MC5 there is a tutorial available which guides you through some of the mechanics of the game. This also sets up the story for how you end up a memory wiped new character, wandering around in the strange place in the desert. If you did step through that tutorial, it would be great to hear your feedback on that as well. All information brand spanking new players to Neocron can give, is important information we can use to address any blockers preventing people getting hooked.

First off... I really.... really can't stress enough, from all of you... that you're help has been amazing. Really. I didn't think I'd get such a swift response, especially due to the fact that there doesn't seem to be as big of a player-base here as even SWGEmu. I mean, don't get me wrong; not saying you guys are worse... just, no one I know knows about this game... And even less want to touch it now. I still remember taking that box home and my friend, who was a huge Deus Ex fan, just looking at it going... '

Friend: "No."
Fatbackwards: "Look! It looks cool, all cyberpunk... post-dystopia... hell, it's got CopBots!"
Friend: "There's more latex on the cover than in a German brothel!"
*Fatbackwards looks at the back of the box...*
Fatbackwards: "Huh... The company is based in Germany..."

Uhm... But I realize this... I knew from way back in 2005 the NPE wasn't good... and that's what prevented me from playing it... also, a weird time I chose to join; inbetween the transfer between Neocron 1 and 2... so both games were running at the same time, and it was ALL confusing for me.

EDIT: OH YEAH... Memories come in from a fog... Didn't Neocron have a problem with billing at one point? Like they couldn't accept PayPal... only some sort of like, paysafecash system? I remember something like that. THAT's what stopped me! I couldn't get PayPal to authorize a monthly fee transfer; so I didn't continue. Jesus... A wave of disappointment just rolled over me as I remembered that.

Anywho... Uhm... I think, the best situation for me right now; and a preemptive 'hook' that I need to get suckered in is to just keep a log of my experiences in the game, and hopefully at the end write up a 'Getting Started' guide for new players. Stuff that I got stuck on, someone else might quit because of.

Anyways, to answer some questions...

- I did complete the Tutorial. It was ok, it wasn't that bad because it gave you time to understand the interface, swap armor and weapons in, and gave you a feel that it was a full-on RPG... not an action shooter with RPG elements. And it set the tone as to why you were in the MC-5... which became a bit more sinister when, in the tutorial you were actively working against Risa... all of a sudden you're spouting that you will give your life for her. Chip much?

And yes, that was the Neocron 1 standalone demo. I think it also came with a LOUD screensaver, that constantly had the sound of mechanical electrical humming. I don't remember much, but I remember talking with a CopBot... and something about "Radioactive Smut", which I confiscated after quoting some arbitrary law to the guy who had it. Then it ended...

Anyways, the tutorial itself wasn't bad. I got the basic navigation from the windows, and overall... it taught me how to open the menu screens and the like. What it didn't teach me was how to access the Help channel... which, I tell ya... that was fun to figure out.

*Fatbackwards is sitting hunched over his keyboard, making out small words on his screen*
"No slider for the font, everything is in harsh green, the menus are confusing... THE HELL IS HELP CHAT?!?... WHY IS THIS SO HARD?"
"OH! OH!!! THERE IT IS... I only had to click "Custom" and SCROLL DOWN, and click it... to toggle it."

Please, make accessing the Help chat easier... make it like a normal channel you can thumb through. I didn't know it was under custom, so I thought I was doing something wrong.

The problem I had was the MC-5 is just confusing. I knew how to equip my stuff because of the tutorial, or use the navray... but not... how to do the place. I think the worst that happened was I needed to get those chips, like... I forgot which ones, that drop off of who, and where. So, I ended up killing random robots inside buildings and taking everything from them... and I'd walk back every time to that technician to basically go:

*Fatbackwards enters the compound*
Fatbackwards: *hands the Lead Technician a bunch of crap* "Is it done yet?"
Lead Technician: *looks over the stuff* "No."
*Fatbackwards leaves the compound*
...
...
*10 minutes later*
...
...
*Fatbackwards enters the compound*
Fatbackwards: *hands the Lead Technician a bunch of crap* "Is it done yet?"
Lead Technician: *looks over the stuff* "No."
*Fatbackwards leaves the compound*

I feel an actual mission log, with tracking and navray support would help. Like... you start the game off that bed, and when you talk to the Lead Technician... he gives you an actual quest log mission. That way, you can see how many chips you need, where to go (via navray), and... you know... what you need to kill.

I know... Alot of people have said that this is an old-style MMO... one that takes a long time to learn... But, apparently my years of playing modern-day games left it's toll... I mean, I remember playing the hell out of SWG when it released... walking around killing tortons with a newbie blaster with a group of confused people. I couldn't speak the wookie language, and it was a week before I figured out how to do that... there was a sense of collective learning everywhere you would go. Someone would figure out, "HEY, there's a giant bug creature that drops stuff in these caves!" and people would run to these caves to fight it, in droves... it was like a gold rush of new information.

I can only imagine it was like this when Neocron was new... because right now... I don't have that luxury. I don't see many new people, and it's hard to team up when you can't distinguish between who's max level... and who's just some guy like me.

I mean, after leaving the confusing situation of MC-5... A breath of fresh air was doing Mr. Jones's quests... he's alright; you know, thanks to Tech Haven having a current guide for doing him; and the navray having the locations. I mean... otherwise sometimes you'd get lost big time. But, I had my nav-ray bug out once when doing the Rigger starter quest for Jones. After I got the part from the named guy in the backroom, you know... near the NEXT headquarters building... I wanted to head to 'Machine Room'... so I set up my navray, left that building... and ended up at a biotech store, RIGHT NEXT to the NEXT HQ. Navray said vehemently that this was the place, so I attempted to talk with all four vendors... didn't want my part. They wanted my money. :(

Past that, I didn't know this was a sandbox MMO, to be honest... >_> I don't know if you guys are underselling that tidbit of information, but that would be nice to paste in somewhere. Lets you know what you're getting into. I mean, I knew Neocron didn't have quests... but, I always thought leveling somehow was... I don't know, structured. Which is why I was asking "Am I stuck in a sewer?", because I'm used to being in this situation nowadays; where I'm stuck in a sewer until I'm strong enough to go to the next area to fight harder things, and the cycle continues. The idea that I could go exploring... while feasible, scared me.

"Will I die? What happens if I die? What if I get spawned somewhere I don't know? The last giant respawn machine I touched was in MC-5... will I go back there? What if I get my face rolled by an enemy, what will happen to my gear? I know it's not a lot of stuff, but it's my stuff... and people said the shops aren't worth buying from..."

In an unfamiliar situation, you tend to latch on to anything familiar until you feel rooted... and for me, that apparently was the sewers... because actually leaving them to go somewhere else is quite distressing for me. As much as I hate them, I don't know what else to do... and I don't have any friends who play this... so Neocron is a big, scary city.

I guess it would also be nice to set up some sort of Neocron Lexicon... I mean, you guys are spouting stuff like PPU's, and PU's, and LOM (Thanks Doc for telling me what that is! ^^). I don't... know what any of this means, you know... past LOM. I don't know what a constructor really does... why I need one really. I mean, I don't want to get scammed by someone taking my money and running... especially if I try ordering something I have no idea if I can use/need or not.

That's another thing I'm having a problem with. I have... a couple guns... and like, I can't tell which one would be better to use or not. I don't see clear indications of stats or... like... how much they even shoot. Granted, I can't use most of them, because of Dex requirements... but this will hit me when I get that requirement; and I'll have to choose which gun to use. Right now, I have NO IDEA.

Also, uhm... leveling in this game... do random stats just go up? I see like my strength stat go up one... then my intellect... then my dex, all while shooting the same gun on the same enemies. So, how can I tell what my level is? People say like 'Level 30, the chip will start sucking XP and cash'... Uh... What's level 30? I can't... figure out what level I am.

I guess that's all for now... I'm really thankful for the help and the interest this is getting. If I don't make it to cap, I at least what someone who's gonna be entering the game behind me to not be as confused as I am.

Dribble Joy

19-02-14, 20:14

EDIT: OH YEAH... Memories come in from a fog... Didn't Neocron have a problem with billing at one point? Like they couldn't accept PayPal... only some sort of like, paysafecash system? I remember something like that. THAT's what stopped me! I couldn't get PayPal to authorize a monthly fee transfer; so I didn't continue. Jesus... A wave of disappointment just rolled over me as I remembered that.
NC used to use Worldpay, which had problems of it's own. At some point it moved over to Click2pay which many banks ddin't want to use as it is primarily an online gaming payment system. Paypal was added later I think.

MC5 Stuff.
You've pretty much described why people strongly recommend leaving that place as fast as possible :p.

I guess it would also be nice to set up some sort of Neocron Lexicon... I mean, you guys are spouting stuff like PPU's, and PU's, and LOM (Thanks Doc for telling me what that is! ^^). I don't... know what any of this means, you know... past LOM. I don't know what a constructor really does... why I need one really.
Check out this (http://wiki.techhaven.org/Neocron_Dictionary) page.

There are a variety of tradeskill sub-classes; primary ones are researchers (those who create blueprints of items and discover what certain loot items are), constructors build items with the blueprints researchers make and implanters (usually called pokers) who implant the various cybernetics available.

I mean, I don't want to get scammed by someone taking my money and running... especially if I try ordering something I have no idea if I can use/need or not.
People are not going to scam a n00b player, not worth it.

That's another thing I'm having a problem with. I have... a couple guns... and like, I can't tell which one would be better to use or not. I don't see clear indications of stats or... like... how much they even shoot. Granted, I can't use most of them, because of Dex requirements... but this will hit me when I get that requirement; and I'll have to choose which gun to use. Right now, I have NO IDEA.
In the inventory, right click and select 'Show Info'. That will give you a whole load of info on the item, including requirements and what kind of ammo it uses.

Also, uhm... leveling in this game... do random stats just go up? I see like my strength stat go up one... then my intellect... then my dex, all while shooting the same gun on the same enemies. So, how can I tell what my level is? People say like 'Level 30, the chip will start sucking XP and cash'... Uh... What's level 30? I can't... figure out what level I am.
Like some other games, it's a bit like 'learn by doing'.
As a very general rule of thumb, if an action uses a subskill (like pistol combat or construction) then the mainskill it is associated with gains xp. As there are five mainskills, you have five separate xp pools. When you get enough xp, that mainstat increases by one and you get 5 points to spend in it's associated subskills.
So shooting things with a pistol gets you dex xp (since pistol combat is under dex) and int xp (as weapon lore is under int).
It also adds strength xp because whatever (probably so private eyes and spies can actually level strength).

The average of your five mainskills is your level. The skills window (F5 I think?) will show your rank at the top; something like 9/4. The first is your combat rank - how good your are with your weapon, your health, etc., the second is your level.

William Antrim

19-02-14, 21:02

Fat what timezone are you on? England? USA? Europe? Further afield?

When you are on next give me a shout and I will help you with the game. For now dont worry about dying (you wont really lose anything other than a few credits) and it will happen plenty.

If you have questions come here to ask them and we will all do our best to answer them. Keep your LE in and make sure to get yourself around as many of the wonders you can find in NC.

I speak for the entire community I believe here and I can honestly tell you many of us would actually pay to be in your shoes right now. We have tried in our various ways to recapture that innocence of being a noob in the sewers. We tell each other stories about it all of the time but many of us are too long in the tooth to remember it clearly. It is a time of magic and wonder and enlightening discovery. It is something that you will treasure and remember for the rest of your gaming life. Enjoy it while you have it because when that innocence is gone and you have learned everything that this game can throw at you, you will love it even more.

zii

19-02-14, 21:18

William Antrim

19-02-14, 22:19

That's the benefit of experience though. You're forgetting that part. He's new don't deny him that experience of learning.

It's like parents who want their child to grow up fast, when they get to 25 and ask you for money towards their wedding then you suddenly wonder where those years went.

fatbackwards

19-02-14, 22:47

Fat what timezone are you on? England? USA? Europe? Further afield?

I'm living in Berlin right now, so GMT +1. Europe. :)

I'm usually on during the evenings/night time.

And again, thanks for all the help. Really. Though... Doc Holiday: Took your advice and went to 'Club Veronique'..

Ok, first off... this is an MMO with a graphic red light district. What?

Second off. I found that hatch. And. I found nightmare fuel. WHAT ARE THESE THINGS?!

*Fatbackwards is clicking around in the abandoned basement*
"Huh, this isn't so bad... I like the fact that it has co---- OH mY Gdooodddddd---"
*Flicks the mouse across the desk.*

No really, those things that look like half-snake/half-lizard with all their bones showing...

"Things that make you go... Buhhhh...." *shivers*

I guess I have another question to carry over into this post. Now, when you examine a gun... does the ammo/damage denote the amount of damage it gives, or does the piercing stat do it?

Because my gun doesn't show a stat for ammo/damage, but it does for piercing... and apparently, it shoots for 13... but when I shoot, it hits for 17; So, I'm a bit confused.

Dribble Joy

19-02-14, 23:25

Those numbers don't really mean a whole lot, besides, the frequency of a weapon is a critical factor in how much damage it does, not just how much per hit. Mob armour and the level of your skills also affect the final value.

Your rate of xp gain is linked to the TL* of your weapon, so the higher the better (for gaining xp at least).

*TL, or Tech Level, is a key factor in much of neocron. All items have a TL and it's one of the first things listed on the info screen. Though not a hard and fast rule, the TL of a weapon, implant or piece or armour is the same as the mainskill requirement to use it. It's crucial in tradeskilling too.

fatbackwards

20-02-14, 00:05

Dribble Joy

20-02-14, 01:08

The difference between a starter or shop bought weapon and a player-built weapon is enormous, especially if it's several levels above what you are currently using.

And yes, there are different types of ammo. Over the years many different weapons have been added and the number of ammo types has subsequently increased.

The info screen for a weapon will display what ammo types the weapon currently supports (as well as if certain mods are installed/can be added). Check which one your weapon can use before buying ammo.

This is important for rifles, as there are numerous different weapons whose ammo packs use the same image. Street Model rifles (like your starter rifle), Assault rifles, Sniper Rifles and at least THREE different high level unique weapons (I think the CAR/IAR and the Swat/Reaper use the same rounds). Oh, and they all have three alternate ammo types beyond the regular rounds.
24 different ammo types.

You may now know about slots (if those guys told you about them); each slot allows a single mod. That mod can either be a quality improver (dmg, freq, etc.) an ammo mod (so you can use fire, xray, whatever ammo) and things like scopes and laser pointers.

Doc Holliday

20-02-14, 04:14

Ok... a bit of Weapon lore, for aiming... rifle combat for effectiveness... a new gun, some new bones and rims in my brain... and this is a completely different game now!

Thanks again Virgil Earp, and Live/Loose Wire... A gentle push gave me not only more confidence, but damn am I killing faster now.

Guess after a bit of killin', I'll walk around all of Neocron... and take in the sights.

EDIT: There's a difference between 5.56 MM rounds and bullets.

Fat if i see you in game i will try and give you a little more help a long the way. I see you mention virgil by name in your post. he is a friend of mine :) im glad he managed to help you.

Look out for guys with the Regz clan tag in black dragon faction. Most of them will help you out if you need it. We arent a bad bunch of people. I am around usually during the day times for german time to the early afternoon so might not catch you but sounds like your getting to grips with it now.

Im glad you found the abandoned rooms :) although i didnt ever think they were that scary. Im not sure of your class/level now but when you get stronger you can head to the aggressor cellar ( there is one in plaza 1. left side of the ramp as you go up it to the exit to plaza 2 ) which is a kind of natural progression before you head out in to the big wide world.

A word to the wise at this point. you will need some force resist and some pierce resist (you can buy armour that will add to this) and you will need to be careful because they can hurt you. Also when you kill an aggressor or an aggressor captain they will some times drop the yellow bones (you probably have some implanted already) so pick them up and take them to crytons (plaza 1 top of the grav lifts above the medicare center) to sell. the BEST way to make some early credits unless someone has already been kind enough to give you a decent donation.

on a side note massive facepalm at people still using acronyms and abbreviations in a thread where the player is brand new. Is it just me whose able to empathise and help the guy out by describing things in an understandable manner?

William Antrim

20-02-14, 12:04

He got a whistle stop tour of Plaza 1 last night.

Medicare - plus full explanation of medkits, recycling and healing.

Archer and Wesson - full explanation of low tech weaponry, a brief explanation of high tech weaponry. Put put vs PEW PEW essentially. He also got an explanation about ammo types, the differences between no slot ammo and slotted ammo also. He got a basic explanation of slots and mods too and grasped most of it pretty quickly.

Armour store - explanation that he should check there every few levels to see if there is more armour and to go for Kevlar armour because its good.

Crytons Tech Tools - explanation of most things tradeskill related. He got 2-3 new guns researched and built and a donation of around 35k credits to go along with.

Yos vendor in P1 - got an explanation about YOs - how he works and the fact that he is a shady character who will buy everything you want to sell.

He also got taken the Mutant Sewer in Plaza 1 and left there shooting Mutant Gunmen whilst screaming maniacally and burning away like a wild asteroid.

Loose wire and Live wire donated generously with his time and effort and some tosser called Virgil Earp pitched in a little tiny bit too. :)

How much of it goes in is another thing honestly as it can be quite daunting but he had Plaza 1 sewer to go at for a bit with a view to moving on elsewhere for more fun and exploration in the future. Hopefully it helped a little.

fatbackwards

20-02-14, 22:01

So, Today I ended up exploring a bit more of Neocron.... visited Club Vernoique, Pussy Club, Bum Asylum, and found my way into the industrial sector... outzone... then outside.

Managed to arrive at a Simons Factory, or something... and I have to say, there's SO MANY SPIDERS IN THIS GAME.

Really... the outside is mostly spiders. Big hairy spider queens, Grand poisonous spiders, and I even met some sort of spider/mutant hybrid which creeped me the *$#@ out. No really, what happened to like... monsters from the Zoo? or like... anything from STALKER? Why there have to be so many spiders? ;_;

Anyways... so I ended up dying in two shots from an NPC named 'Wang Fitzgerald" (Yes... I got killed by the worst name ever). And found myself with a player named "Hotwheels" in his big Rhino tank, picking up GR's in the wasteland! Jesus, this planet is NOT small!

And dear God.... Tech Haven is just my favorite place ever now. I'm making a crafting toon just to live and work there. :D The music, the atmosphere, the ease of walking around.

Continuing on... we were on our way to the Military Base... and I finally saw pure Sci-Fi stuff!

Hoverbots.... Spiders.... Spiderbots.... Warbots.... DOY scouts (Which look like treaded vacuum cleaners), Cyborgs... Doom Rippers.... Unfortunatly, our trip was cut short... as someone from Protopharm started shooting at our already battered tank; and ended up blowing it up. My guide ended up having a connection issue, and... well... I was alone fighting a Doomripper and a Giant Raptor.

Oh, this reminded me... so, I have the ability to pick up a laser rifle now. It's the slowfire one. Is it worth it to change/construct to that, or keep the Archer Companion Rifle for a while longer?

Torg

20-02-14, 22:30

you've wandered the spider kingdom, it seems. there are other animals in other parts of the world. worse ones.
laser rifles are really, really good. but it may be wise to use those dex-skillpoints for a little recycling (so you can make ammo and other supplies in the field, from loot junk) and to boost your agility before sinking those hard-earned points into tech combat, which is needed for those lasers. in the meantime street rifles are your best choice. and yes, you want to go to the military base next. either by car, or by foot. the easy route: is keep to the western border, and avoid those warbots (i told you. worse. in the north, there are deadly robot spiders, too. damn). good luck.

Dribble Joy

20-02-14, 23:23

Oh, this reminded me... so, I have the ability to pick up a laser rifle now. It's the slowfire one. Is it worth it to change/construct to that, or keep the Archer Companion Rifle for a while longer?
Up to you, but the slowfire is a better rifle. It gets through a hell of a lot less ammo than an assault rifle as well.

HEW shops (there's one in MB) and the High Tech Rifle smuggler in TH (I'll let you search for him ;) though the techhaven website will tell you if you can't) will see to your rifle needs until top level.

And yes, I wouldn't go anywhere near any of the robots until you are much stronger.

fatbackwards

21-02-14, 02:34

Alright, I'll keep all that in mind.

I think I'm at a point where a vehicle would be useful.... but I'm a bit confused on vehicle mechanics. I know you have to load up a vehicle from the garage terminal, if you have one... but what happens after you pull it out and drive it? How do you store it? Personally, I'm not a driver... so I don't have the one that "can't be killed" quad; I'd either have to buy a bike, or somehow make a driver character, get the quad... then send it over to this character... and I've heard people like to snipe other vehicles sitting around, so I don't want to sink money into a car which I'll just loose because someone takes a few shots at it with a laser gun/mutant slaughters it.

Past that, I'm at around 20 dex... and I'm kind of bored in the Neocron sewers and abandoned basements; especially the Plaza 1 district. They seem to be well farmed, as well... so I was wondering if there are any low/medium level areas to farm at, that would give decent xp. Not sure if there's a guide to farming on tech haven, but I'd be interested in trying for something a bit more substantial.

Dribble Joy

21-02-14, 03:08

I'm a bit confused on vehicle mechanics.
You buy a key (from a shop or player) and you right-click it and select use/activate. This registers the vehicle to you.
To bring the vehicle into the game world you go to an ASG (there is one outside most main locations), use the terminal and select it from the list and click Spawn. The vehicle appears nearby.
If a vehicle you own is within close range of an ASG you can go to the terminal, select it and click dismiss; this returns the vehicle to the garage.

You can either buy a vehicle from an ASG shop (though they only sell the basic versions), a player or complete the Driver profession Jones mission. It doesn't matter if the vehicle has been registered to another player previously, activating the key makes it yours.
If a vehicle is destroyed, then it is lost and the key is useless.

A quad, even if it is blown up, will return to the garage and for a small fee, can be repaired and spawned again. Aside from the fact that the quad is fast, maneuverable and easy to use, this makes it one of, if not the best, vehicles in the game.
Acquiring a quad without doing the Jones mission or being a Driver doesn't matter, as long as you register it to you and you have the Vehicle Skill (VHC) necessary, you can use it.

Past that, I'm at around 20 dex... and I'm kind of bored in the Neocron sewers and abandoned basements; especially the Plaza 1 district. They seem to be well farmed, as well... so I was wondering if there are any low/medium level areas to farm at, that would give decent xp. Not sure if there's a guide to farming on tech haven, but I'd be interested in trying for something a bit more substantial.
The Aggressor cellars are probably your next port of call (there is one in Plaza 1, on the left of the steps that lead to the exit to Plaza 2). There is also the Pepper Park sewers; as you enter Pepper Park 1 from Plaza 3, there is an entrance on your right. This is mainly mutants, but also a few higher level things deeper down (there is a hatch near the entrance to a lower level, and then a subsequent entrance to a third area below that).
Though of course this is what many people do (though the 'aggies' is a lot more crowded), so if you want to go off and explore other things, feel free; those spider queens you saw in the zones near NC might be good.
The bunker outside MB is a popular leveling spot as well if the aggies are becoming too easy.

Doc Holliday

21-02-14, 03:33

Hes probably getting a little bit past aggressors at dex 20.

Fat take a short walk out of neocrons main gate. Go to outzone subway and out the front door and one zone north out to jeriko fortress. A road will run out across the front of it and head east. On your map is marked a mutant pit. Go there. You will find mobs like aggressors and mutants and also Hurlers and Butchees (big mutants) who are a little higher than your level and will provide you a challenge. Engage from range. Also occassionally there will be a launcher cyclops spawn. Thats a good option. When you loot these guys look for parts which are known as "Tronik" parts. They are highly valuable (700 creds per one for you to sell. More if you get someone with barter to sell them for you) and a great source of money.

You could also explore the outzone but this may result in you getting lost and the locations i have suggested mean levelling without getting lost too much. It is entirely up to you in regards play style.

If you made it up to military base already and have the gen rep then i suggest military base bunker (good, very popular levelling spot) where you should find a team quite easily and lots and lots of cyclopses. Good fast levelling and you will definitely get your constitution levelled there :)

Laser rifles are awesome. Get one when you can. Also keep an eye on the tech level of your ammo as torg mentioned recycling is very advantageous. and it saves you a fortune. 36 points is a good number to aim for because at higher levels this covers survival kits (med kits on steroids, heals 1000hp) and most ammo types for different guns. However you should scale it up gradually.

Vid Gamer

21-02-14, 04:31

fatbackwards

21-02-14, 06:08

Someone should definitely set up a taxi service for OP and have him tag all the GR's in the Wastes.

Eventually you're going to want to level at the Military Base Bunker (far NW corner of the map, City Mercs HQ) which is a great leveling spot for low/mid-level. You can usually find people there to group with too so XP is super fast.

Actually Hotwheels took the whole day and drove me around the wasteland, REALLY nice of him... and took me to the most popular GR's. (I'm learning the terminology!) Had a blast driving around with him, and the only bad part was when someone blew up our Rhino tank. After that, we ended in the military base and I saw the bunker with my own eyes.

And I finally saw the Dome of York! WoooOoooo............

Man, that place is depressing. I'm told it was something much bigger in the past... now it's just an empty city, with alot of empty corridors. But the old Crahn church must have looked nice, when it was... you know.... working. So, what do you do nowadays there? Just... PVP sometimes? I heard you get missions to go there, but it seems to be neglected nowadays.

Military base is also fun. I never though I'd see a strip club in a fortress... but I'd take Tech Haven over MB any day of the week to live in. That place just has such a neat style, plus the music is nicer (IMO)... of course, the problem with warbots being outside the town is a deterrant... Even a malfunctioning warbot put me on edge, as it attempted to slice my face off... but by far, the middle of the map with all the bots and ships and DOY stuff, that's overkill right there.... I don't want to go there by myself.

Really, thanks again for all the advice everyone is giving... and the support in game. I mean, you guys bicker hard on HELP or other channels, but you do a grand job of making someone feel welcome. I've never gotten this far in the game before, and I'm itching to see the higher ground.

I'm also compiling a list of things for new players, based on my experiences... I'd like to post it in the Getting Started section, along with links from Tech Haven guides; because those guides are starting to make more and more sense, the more exposed I get into the game.

I also see why you should make a gentank driver. :)

Which leads me to a question I have. So... Dribble, you described how vehicles work... and that makes me want to have the quad all the more. I'm not a driver, BUT... I have free character slots.

So, is there a way to... lets say.... level a driver, then finish Mr. Jones... and take that quad, and give it to my toon? I'm not too keen on buying a vehicle yet, as I don't have a renewable source of income; so, I'm not to keen on investing the money I have in a car, to just loose it. :(

AlvaroT

21-02-14, 06:34

Yes, this how you can get quad. Transfer to other char can be tricky At first time. You need to ask other player to help you or, navigate both chars to the same spot with container in It. Place items inside, relog and take your belongings. Now with new website you can set permisions to enter other chars to apartment, so you can use lockers(not tested) or simply drop on the floor. Just mind 00:00 ingame time, zones reset then and all container too

fatbackwards

21-02-14, 06:36

People are not going to scam a n00b player, not worth it.

I ment to post this earlier but... I've played EVE. Not only was that done, and done to me... it's also encouraged. There are people in that game who made A LOT of money on scamming and ponzi schemes.

Hell, I was apart of EVE University for a while... and we had a mole infiltrate the corp and steal the entire bank account that was in place for new players to help fund skill books with. Ran off with... oh what was it.... 4 billion credits? Which... if 600 million goes for 15 euros (since you can buy an in-game item called a PLEX... which is basically a card that adds 30 days to your game time; or you can sell it for the market value, which at that time was 600 million)... so, 90 euros.

I even had a class and practical exam in starship griefing (AKA Suicide Ganking). How to exploit the in-game police system to allow you to kill someone in protected zones.

fatbackwards

21-02-14, 06:37

Vid Gamer

21-02-14, 06:42

Actually Hotwheels took the whole day and drove me around the wasteland, REALLY nice of him... and took me to the most popular GR's. (I'm learning the terminology!) Had a blast driving around with him, and the only bad part was when someone blew up our Rhino tank. After that, we ended in the military base and I saw the bunker with my own eyes.

Oh, sweet. You seem to be well on your way then. Soon you're going to be schooling the future new players. ;)

And I finally saw the Dome of York! WoooOoooo............

Man, that place is depressing. I'm told it was something much bigger in the past... now it's just an empty city, with alot of empty corridors. But the old Crahn church must have looked nice, when it was... you know.... working. So, what do you do nowadays there? Just... PVP sometimes? I heard you get missions to go there, but it seems to be neglected nowadays.

A little background on DoY, originally it was just supposed to be an expansion pack for NC1. It took a long time to come out and KK ended up doing more work then intended so they marketed it as a "sequel" or upgrade to NC1 and eventually released it as "Neocron 2: Beyond Dome of York".

DoY used to be the new starting area for factions like Twilight Guardian and The Brotherhood of Crahn however players thought it was just too hard for new runners to survive there as opposed to the much better starting zone of Neocron so KK ended up scrapping it and reverted back to just having NC be the major hub.

Doc Holliday

21-02-14, 06:55

DoY used to be the new starting area for factions like Twilight Guardian and The Brotherhood of Crahn however players thought it was just too hard for new runners to survive there as opposed to the much better starting zone of Neocron so KK ended up scrapping it and reverted back to just having NC be the major hub.

Actually players didnt think this Vid. You are slightly mistaken but from what memory i do have of the game around that time was that everyone agreed red vs blue was shit and city raids never hardly happened. People would stay in their city and fight each other whether they were yellow or green etc and that was it. People missed the old way of the different factions being friendly and enemy to each other and so came the big "F6" patch that reverted relations back to its original status (with a few notable tweaks).

I think the nail might have been in the coffin for some before this but it did a good job of bring back players afterwards. Things looked a lot better for a while. As far as levelling in doy went i never bothered as i had most of my guys moved from nc1 and all were high level but i do remember the above being a major beef with the game at the time. Snowcrash even posted a public comment on it saying yes we messed it up with red vs blue. It wasnt neocron.

Vid Gamer

21-02-14, 07:04

fatbackwards

21-02-14, 07:11

I remember DoY being incredibly confusing to navigate, too. Perhaps it would have worked out if more people played the game to populate the city more. I have to admit city raids would have been pretty cool if large numbers were involved.

You remember well. That place is a maze of rubble... and it's so large and dilapidated, I got lost with Hot more than several times trying to leave that place. :(

Trivaldi

21-02-14, 11:08

Please note the Apartment Access List feature found in NeoLog (http://www.neocron-game.com/NeoLog) on the new website, does not grant access to cabinets within apartments. It only gets nominated players through the door, there's another thread to discuss that though.

I am pleased you are getting settled in fatbackwards, the dedication of the Neocron Community is the reason we're all still here. It's really quite lovely to hear the excitement (albeit sometimes through frustration!) of a truly new player and figuratively see the wide eyed wonder on someones face as the penny drops. I am sure this thread has caused a pretty big nostalgia trip for some, as they too remember their first steps on the road to becoming a NeoCrack addict (there's another term for your dictionary ;)).

I'm not sure how much you know about how the game is run these days, there's a short break down on our About Us (http://www.neocron-game.com/about-us) page. I look forward to seeing the guide you create from your experiences so far, I am sure that will go a long way in allowing the NST (Neocron Support Team) to take a fresh look at the New Player Experience. While we're already making improvements I'm sure this will help us identify the most problematic areas.

Cheers,

Cursed Shadow

21-02-14, 12:12

You remember well. That place is a maze of rubble... and it's so large and dilapidated, I got lost with Hot more than several times trying to leave that place. :(

How's that new Pew Pew Laser Rifle working out for you?
How did you get on with the aggressor captains?

Manuel Moonez

21-02-14, 16:10

Welcome Fat, with a mindset like your's you'll make an excellent addition to our small community here.

Let me add my two cents here as well. Contrary to popular belief, there are much better vehicles than the Quad. Sure, it's indestructible, but you'll get the most fun out of the Observer Prototoype plane, an unarmed two seater small plane. Land on top of stuff, fly over mountains, never get shot by pesky guys on the ground... granted, it costs a bit more but is worth every credit. Plus, you already loose 500 Noob Points if you do. And if you need money to buy one, i'll gladly give you a little cash injection ;)

Dropout

21-02-14, 17:05

Let me add my two cents here as well. Contrary to popular belief, there are much better vehicles than the Quad. Sure, it's indestructible, but you'll get the most fun out of the Observer Prototoype plane, an unarmed two seater small plane. Land on top of stuff, fly over mountains, never get shot by pesky guys on the ground... granted, it costs a bit more but is worth every credit. Plus, you already loose 500 Noob Points if you do. And if you need money to buy one, i'll gladly give you a little cash injection ;)

As if he didnt already have more than enough to learn.. Learning to fly a glider isnt the easiest thing to do in NC...
And is often quite expensive aswell, since they do have a habit of blowing up rather easy :p

Manuel Moonez

21-02-14, 17:17

As if he didnt already have more than enough to learn.. Learning to fly a glider isnt the easiest thing to do in NC...
And is often quite expensive aswell, since they do have a habit of blowing up rather easy :p
It's not that hard! Just use a hill to take off. Beware of structures, but don't mind trees. Besides, i already offered to pay for some gliders :P

fatbackwards

21-02-14, 20:31

How's that new Pew Pew Laser Rifle working out for you?
How did you get on with the aggressor captains?

Pretty well, actually! Thanks to Hotwheels, I think I'll be moving to the mutant base soon... but I just want to see a bit more of Neocron before I leave. I've been grinding on a pulsefire laser cannon that a fellow runner, Martain, helped me build; and it's making short work of those Aggressor Captains. Coupled with the fact that I found the armor smuggler at the military base, I'm now wearing a full set of outstanding light Kevlar... and a robe which I.... crafted.... from human skin...

UHm... Well... I didn't mean to craft that. I wanted another survival kit.... apparently, my recycler though otherwise and made a trench-coat made of mutant teeth, hair, and arms....

What's even creepier is that "leather" was better then the Kevlar robe I was wearing....

Welcome Fat, with a mindset like your's you'll make an excellent addition to our small community here.

Let me add my two cents here as well. Contrary to popular belief, there are much better vehicles than the Quad. Sure, it's indestructible, but you'll get the most fun out of the Observer Prototoype plane, an unarmed two seater small plane. Land on top of stuff, fly over mountains, never get shot by pesky guys on the ground... granted, it costs a bit more but is worth every credit. Plus, you already loose 500 Noob Points if you do. And if you need money to buy one, i'll gladly give you a little cash injection ;)

Aww, thank you. I'm just a regular guy, honestly... Though, I'm working on a draft of a new player's guide I'm working on in my spare time; when I'm not doing a GIS project/studying for exams. I have an idea of how I want to integrate some of the back story of the game into the guide... and I'll be doing it via a narrative.

Also... damn, I still don't have a quad. I can't even picture flying around in a ship yet. I wanna get grounded before I get my wings. :)

Dribble Joy

22-02-14, 01:53

fatbackwards

22-02-14, 17:43

I don't know if you can use it yet, but Battle Armour (available at Archer and Wesson armour vendors) is good for dealing with many enemies. It doesn't have the fire or poison protection that Kevlar affords, but has much higher piercing and force armour (which most mutants and aggressors use).
I'm not sure which is better for the Launcher Cyclops you will be facing soon, since their rockets do force and fire damage (and I don't know the proportions).

As a rifle user though, you should be able to stay away from danger.
Keep an eye on this page (http://www.techhaven.org/db/weapons/rifles), as it will tell you what weapons are now available to you (but avoid the freezers).

I managed to catch a guide to weapons on tech haven, and I caught the blurb on the Freezers.

Pro: "Minor Stun"
Con: "So minor is basically useless."

Past that, I'm sticking with Kevlar for now. I don't know what those launchers are using on me, but I assume it's fire and blast. And I'd rather keep Kevlar right now, because of that.

---
Past that, I do have a question about the lore.

So I'm writing up a little narrative that I hope to attach to the New Player guide I'm typing up, and I'm a bit confused as to what's going on now.

See, the Official History ends with the factions moving to the Dome, and no updates have happened since... and the last date was 2755. Now, since KK moved the factions back to NC, and the dome is abandoned; that would mean there had to be several years of events that weren't cataloged. So, the current year would be roughly... what, 2762ish?

Also, who's running City Admin? Is it still Risa? I've seen a conflict recently, where it seems like the game still promotes Risa and everything; yet backlogs from events on Tech Haven I've found seem like Risa was assassinated, was replaced by a guy named Jack Red... who was then killed in front of CityAdmin's HQ by TG. So... if that's true, who's running things? Or was that thrown under the rug after KK brought all the factions back to NC from the Dome?

Another thing would be, how the hell has the MC-5 functioned for more then 14 years with that same virus? I'm guessing he couldn't get the help he needed because everyone just sprints out of there as fast as possible... leaving him to deal with that virus alone for many years (LOL). I get that the purpose of the virus is to explain how people who were conditioned to be loyal, good citizens of Neocron could break away and join factions like the Twilight Guardians... but... with all the changes to the game, that just seems to be a leftover piece of story.

Trivaldi

22-02-14, 18:03

Also, who's running City Admin? Is it still Risa? I've seen a conflict recently, where it seems like the game still promotes Risa and everything; yet backlogs from events on Tech Haven I've found seem like Risa was assassinated, was replaced by a guy named Jack Red... who was then killed in front of CityAdmin's HQ by TG. So... if that's true, who's running things? Or was that thrown under the rug after KK brought all the factions back to NC from the Dome?

Another thing would be, how the hell has the MC-5 functioned for more then 14 years with that same virus? I'm guessing he couldn't get the help he needed because everyone just sprints out of there as fast as possible... leaving him to deal with that virus alone for many years (LOL). I get that the purpose of the virus is to explain how people who were conditioned to be loyal, good citizens of Neocron could break away and join factions like the Twilight Guardians... but... with all the changes to the game, that just seems to be a leftover piece of story.
Neocron is currently operated day to day by the city council and the NCPD . The shoulders of the city are currently without a head. The lack of a current president gives us a nice natural break in proceedings for things to go on as normal in Neocron and the rest of the game world. A new president will be put into power in the future. At that time the storyline will also move forward along with relevant changes to the game world (think pro-Reeza propaganda).

At the moment the storyline is on a bit of a general hiatus as we work on other things. Check out the Development Updates (http://www.neocron-game.com/development-updates) for more information on that. There is quite a lengthy plan to straighten out some bits, update others and generally move things forward in the storyline. However, we need to use the resources we have (as in people) in other areas for the moment. As you're no doubt aware there's plenty we want, need and have to do regarding overall quality.

fatbackwards

23-02-14, 03:25

Neocron is currently operated day to day by the city council and the NCPD . The shoulders of the city are currently without a head. The lack of a current president gives us a nice natural break in proceedings for things to go on as normal in Neocron and the rest of the game world. A new president will be put into power in the future. At that time the storyline will also move forward along with relevant changes to the game world (think pro-Reeza propaganda).

At the moment the storyline is on a bit of a general hiatus as we work on other things. Check out the Development Updates (http://www.neocron-game.com/development-updates) for more information on that. There is quite a lengthy plan to straighten out some bits, update others and generally move things forward in the storyline. However, we need to use the resources we have (as in people) in other areas for the moment. As you're no doubt aware there's plenty we want, need and have to do regarding overall quality.

Alright, I understand. It just makes writing a piece of fan faction a bit hard. I have to shlep through old forums that are long gone to find info. @_@

----
I made my own post on Garriot's Diner, originally... but then I realized it hasn't been used in 5 years; and I don't wish to start a new forum topic about this but...

I've been writing up a New Player's guide for Neocron, to be placed in the Getting Started section... and as a side project, I've worked on a supplemental narrative that goes along with the Neocron lore; and it'd pertain to the time from when you were murdered in the tutorial by NCPD, to the time you woke up in MC-5 with no memory, and a chip in your head. I'm hoping to add it in for a bit of flavor in the guide, but I'm having an issue with some of the write ups.

Like I said before, I'm very... very new to this game, and the history of the universe. The only guide I have to go on is what is available in the Official Neocron History list, or various discussions on the forums. I'd like to get a feel for the history of the game a bit more... as I am struggling with the whole DoY conflict a bit, and the history of Neocron (the city itself). I would appreciate any suggestions or information that would be possible in this en-devour.

From my understanding is that two tribes abruptly showed power on this continent... Thor and Crahn. There isn't a lot of back story as to why Crahn slaughtered Thor's tribe so savagely... past that he was a vain person, and Thor was in the way of his 'invincible' conquest. I mean, he basically took Jeriko from them and placed Neocron on top of it. I tried finding a bit of info as to why Crahn has such bloodlust, basically.

And the information I'd find, I'd like to spin into something City Administration would show as the 'underdog'... that "We are the good in this land... and DoY is/was evil. And good won!"

From what I read, Neocron is a terrible town with a terrible past... and I don't think you can spin it any other way, considering that most people 'remember' what happened. I'd love to spin it as Neocron = good; so that the player can ambiguously believe that lie... or see it for what it is... but the lack of info is driving me crazy.

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jIA-4ulcc79SgESvKQ5OMxIcnvrWPQ0IFtNLHI1iIok/edit?usp=sharing
(Just an FYI, I'll be taking this post down when I'm done with the narrative completely... this is just to give a feel for what I'm looking for)

The [bracket] spaces are liner notes for myself, describing the info I need. Unfortunately, I can't seem to compose a well enough history that would feed into it. Not to mention, there really isn't all that much fanfiction FOR Neocron on the internet; and the most that DOES exist... well, it's written in lingo and terminology that I don't understand. :(

I'd really appreciate any advice. I'm looking forward to finishing this narrative and bringing a guide up soon.

L0KI

24-02-14, 12:21

I truly envy OP's current position. 10-11 years ago is when most of us were in your shoes; and what a nice pair of shoes they were.

You seem like a great addition to the community. I'm not entirely active right now for a number of reasons, but if I see you in game I'll be more than willing to help you in any way I can.

William Antrim

25-02-14, 01:23

fatbackwards

25-02-14, 01:27

I cant access your link Fatbackwards.

I am pretty well versed in NC fan fiction. If you need help I can do my best to point you in the right direction.

Feel free to drop me a pm if you want to discuss it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jIA-4ulcc79SgESvKQ5OMxIcnvrWPQ0IFtNLHI1iIok/edit?usp=sharing

This link should work now. Also, your inbox is full. :)

William Antrim

25-02-14, 02:59

Its empty now. P.s when you say GIS studying - what do you mean exactly? I know the acronym in my business but not sure if it is the same thing.

I will take a look at your link now.

fatbackwards

25-02-14, 03:03

Geodesy and Geoinformation Systems. It's basically surveying mathematics, combined with computers and satellites. There's also remote sensing with drone surveying, ArtGIS mapping and cartography, and programming with OpenCV. It's A LOT of technical work, coupled with the fact that most of the teachers in my branch are from the DLR, and expect great things.

Makes your head spin.

William Antrim

25-02-14, 03:07

Yeah you are in the same business then - sort of. :)

I work alongside Geospatial Analysts in Britain so I understand your work pretty well. I use ArcGIS in my job but I dont do the technical stuff. I just put the icing on top of the cake so to speak.

Anyway this is going way off topic. We dont want to talk shop here.

I cannot access your folder from here (I am at work tonight) but I will check in with it all when I get home later on or tomorrow morning.

Drachenpaladin

25-02-14, 03:25

Oh god... the memories are coming back... make them go away! I once had to convert DEMs into actually usable 3d models for 3d applications... the horror, THE HORROR!

William Antrim

25-02-14, 07:42

lol DEMs, not going into that for now. It just gets far too nerdy. What apps?