In the Beginning...
Just getting started in GS? No? You're just reading this because you read everything on my site, aren't you. Well, if you are just getting started in GS, here's to you; and either way, read on.
I'm first going to treat the information a beginning or prospective player sees on the Simutronics website. (As of this writing, much of that information was out of date, so take all with a grain of salt.) Most specifically, with creating a character; here's what I have to add to the info Simu presents. All statements may be prefaced with "at the present time." Here's my take on some of the information.
Stats
Constitution (CO)
Constitution has few uses. Its most important benefit is how it figures into
weight. The higher one's strength and constitution, the higher one's weight;
the higher one's weight, the more one is able to carry without being encumbered.
Dexterity (DE)
A high dexterity seems to make a big difference in skinning. It's rumored
to make a big difference in avoiding maneuver attacks (special creature attacks
that are notoriously difficult to avoid), but how big that difference is
I can't say.
Discipline (DI)
Discipline is used for very little in the game, but many people place it
first or second in their stats all the same; how many training points one
receives ("spent" to train in skills) is determined by one's stat total,
and discipline counts twice there.
Logic (LO)
A maximum logic and intelligence will allow one to learn as quickly while
hunting as while resting, but the difference isn't that great in the end,
and placing logic or intelligence high is largely a matter of personal
preference.
Intelligence (IN)
See above.
Strength (ST)
A high strength can make life a lot easier at low levels. When you're level
5, +20 to your attack strength may double your chances to hit. A higher levels
that factor doesn't matter as much, but as with constitution, a high strength
allows you to carry more.
Reflex (RE)
Your reflex bonus is added directly to your DS, and this can end up making
a huge difference (again, more at lower levels than at high). I consider
this one of the best stats to place in the top four, unless you're a rogue,
in which case reflex will
grow so fast
it's wise to place it lower.
Charisma (CH)
Currently charisma is only of any real import to bards, and even there it
doesn't have much impact. A low charisma will not cripple a bard in any way.
Wisdom (WI)
This stat doesn't have many uses for non-spirtual spellcasters and
non-lockpickers.
Aura (AU)
Aura is the stat most commonly placed first. It determines spirit points,
mana for many professions, and -- like discipline -- counts double when training
points are determined.
Professions
Warrior
Warriors aren't necessarily the best at combat in GemStone. At later levels,
magic becomes increasingly important in fighting creatures, and warriors
are left out there. Many have great difficulty hunting later in life. There
are still plenty of benefits to playing a warrior, of course. It's easy to
train in many weapons styles. Persistent training in the physical skills
eventually toughens the skin so that warriors can take extremely hard hits.
That coupled with the plate mail few other professions are able to wear allows
old warriors to take hits four times stronger than what would kill any other
profession, all without getting a scratch. They also possess one of two
functioning professional guilds and can learn skills such as tackling,
berserking, and warcries, none of which are trainable skills in the character
manager. Warriors have no negative reputation as a whole to speak of, though
some players seem to feel they've received enough benefits lately and shouldn't
get any more.
Rogue
Rogues have the lowest training point costs of any profession, allowing them
to train in a wide variety of skills with no trouble. This doesn't make them
the most powerful profession, as they have no unique spell list and certain
important skills do cost more for them than for other professions, but they
are the most popular. They're the other class with a functioning guild and
can sweep creatures off their feet, subdue them into immobility, and other
things. Rogues are great hunters due to their ambush skills, can easily pick
boxes for learning on the side, and can learn spells without too much trouble.
The easiest class to play. While not all rogues are thieves and not all thieves
are rogues, there is a high correlation, and often a mistrust of the profession.
Wizard
One of the more powerful classes. Wizards have a large number of utility
spells and services to offer to other professions, leading to their membership
being the richest in the game. They are the only profession to have two unique
spell lists. Many of their area-effect spells are player-friendly, allowing
devastation without danger. Wizards are often seen as greedy, or at least
assumed to be rich, and their ranks are sometimes assumed to be filled with
Halflings (as a disproportionate number of Halflings are wizards, due to
that race's high dexterity bonus). There is long-standing animosity, or at
least teasing, between wizards and sorcerers, with each either seeing the
other as unfairly more powerful or the opposite: seeing themselves as superior
in all important ways.
Cleric
The primary identity of clerics is as raisers of the dead, but they can make
very good hunters, with powerful spells that allow them to swing as hard
as a warrior. They also have a unique ability in meditation, which allows
them to absorb experience at twice the speed and advance quickly. Some regard
clerics as quite a powerful profession, but clerics themselves say the class
isn't all it's cracked up to be. There is some discontent that clerics
have the meditation ability and so many spells to increase hunting power,
but in general they are appreciated for being raisers if nothing else.
Empath
Even with new spells meant to aid hunting, empaths are still the worst hunting
profession (though appropriately so). Almost all learn the vast majority
of their exp through healing, and once past the first few levels may advance
very quickly with no risk. At this time the two highest-level characters
in the game are empaths, and they keep getting older. Empaths seem to be
everywhere one looks somedays (despite being one of the least common
professions), and while their services are invaluable, the tendency of a
few to heal without asking has played a part in giving this profession what
may be the worst reputation among classes. Empaths are frequently joked about
as being a profession of giggly old crones who sit on their rears and eat
chocolate all day.
Sorcerer
This is the "dark" profession. Sorcerers use both spiritual and elemental
magic easily, and their own unique list is filled with disgusting, destructive
spells. Their area-effect spells are dangerous to other players. The incidence
of dark elves among this profession is high, due both to dark elves' beneficial
stat bonuses and to a gamer fondness for playing darker characters. Sorcerers
used to be the most powerful hunting profession in the game (indeed, that
was about all they could do), but tweaks over the years have weakened them
greatly. The class attracts a disproportionate number of players who think
being evil is kewl and don't know how to use the spells responsibly, but
it has also attracted a disproportionate number of truly great roleplayers.
Due to the hue and cry over the class's downtweaks, many see the profession
as overly whiny, but the presence of so many excellent roleplayers among
the ranks boosts its reputation.
Ranger
A good hunting class, and one of the more powerful in the game. Rangers have
some very different and interesting spells to aid in hunting, though all
are less powerful if used indoors. The class is oriented to the outdoors
and nature, as one might guess, though contrary to expectations rogues make
better archers (and dual-weapon users as well). The ranger population in
the game is relatively cohesive and manages to keep a fair handle on
irresponsibility among its members, and rangers are well regarded -- with
the possible exception of the constant, ongoing joke about rangers not being
able to find their way out of a paper bag.
Bard
Bards may be the least common profession in the game, despite their being
highly desired members of hunting parties. They have an unusual spell list
consisting of "spellsongs," and have the unique ability to loresing to an
item, to determine its properties. A number of their spells increase either
the offensive or defensive abilities of a hunting party; furthermore, they
can increase the value of treasure significantly by focusing their voice
on gems. Bards may have a difficult time hunting alone due to mana costs
out of proportion to those with other professions, but they are a well-respected
profession in general, and as you'd expect can lay claim to many of the game's
best composers, writers and performers. If there is an ongoing joke about
bards, it's that they all seem to drink to excess.
Races
Humans
The Human empire is the largest force in the game world, but it's very rare
a Human character is played to be especially arrogant or proud of the empire.
Humans are looked down on the game by most Elves of all kinds, of course,
and that perception may color those of other races.
Giantmen
Though they were originally called "High Men" and were supposed to be essentially
a superior breed of Humans, with the name change Giantmen (or Giantkin, as
many prefer) have come to be regarded as dumb, blundering warrior types by
many. The noble aspect of the race has largely dissolved, but some still
play to that type.
Half-Elves
Prejudice against Half-Elves in the game is surprisingly rare. A Half-Elven
character may go months without hearing any kind of slur, and their racial
make up seems to go largely unnoticed.
Dark Elves
The most notorious race, and ostensibly the most popular (see relevant commentary
on sorcerers above). Most Dark Elves -- of those with personalities to speak
of, anyway -- are played as arrogant, racist and refined, and give other
races plenty of reason not to like them.
Elves
One of the rarer races in the game, perhaps due to some unfortunate unbalance
in Elven stat bonuses. There are a number of Elven houses, each with different
characteristics, and those who put effort into roleplaying Elves generally
build personalities on the qualities of those houses rather than any standard
for the race as a whole.
Sylvankind
Sylphs are commonly seen as the most attractive of the races. They're reasonably
rare in the game, and often enough are played as both good-natured and
nature-loving.
Halflings
Halflings probably have the poorest reputation of any race in the game, and
it's true, much of the race is populated by giggling airheads. There is also
a good amount of roleplayed prejudice against them, including frequent references
to... eating them. A difficult race to play. Of course, some do it quite
well.
Dwarves
Dwarves are often played as being gruff and grumpy sorts, and have a reputation
among other races for being not so clean. But due to particular racial bonuses
and advantages, Dwarves may be the strongest race overall.
Advice
I'm not going to talk about how (or what) to hunt here, or go into etiquette in great detail. There are other places to find those things out.
Read my Guide to Conservative Roleplaying, and once you're gotten used to the lands, the Good Ole Roleplaying Guide too.
While in the game, look to your fellow players for help. Whisper your questions if you think they may be at all OOC (dealing with game mechanics, verbs, et cetera). Err on the side of caution.
Be patient. There are plenty of players who love to help newcomers; unfortunately, many players you'll see are either AFK or simply don't notice your requests for help in the screen scroll, or assume someone else will help you. Polite persistence pays.
Visit the game's message boards. The sheer number of topics and posts will probably be overwhelming. I advise checking out the Roleplaying folder, or a folder that applies to your town or profession, then opening the most popular boards and reading a few of the more recent messages, and following from there. And feel free to introduce yourself!
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