So, as a semi-new player (played a little a couple years ago), I seem to be on the wrong side of the zerg right now--constantly hunted by outlander and fortress. I've figured out that I need to prep if I'm going to stand a chance in fights. As a warrior, without preps, pretty much any player out there can just stand in melee and shred me with their auto attacks. Of course, even if I have *some* preps, it's very tough to figure out which ones I need and how ti find them. Then, rarely do I actually get a chance to apply them. If I'm by myself, even frequently using WHERE, enemy players are on top of me before I can execute more than an action or two.

The short of it is, everyone else seems to move much more quickly and more accurately through zones. Even ones where you'd think WHERE won't be that helpful, like the Sea. Is it simply experience that makes them quicker? Are there client modifications that help here? It's almost impossible for me to run and prepare, since I get squished before I can run. Flee-quaff sometimes works, although that's failed more than once recently (bashed down). That's not a failsafe either, since the cities are pretty much free for alls without a functioning Tribunal cabal.

In the rare times when I am winning a fight, normally because there's more of us than them, I can't catch anyone. In the time it takes to type "n; murder <name>", the other guy is gone. Even using a targeting alias is too slow.

Trying to not complain too much, but the fact is, every fight I get (that's not 2v1 in my favor) is a one sided squashing and I'd love to get better. The lack of out of game resources is frustrating, although I do use the maps on Dios. If I want to learn something, it comes down to wasting some vet's time and having them hold my hand--which neither they nor I want.

Suggestions?

>As a warrior, without preps, pretty much any
>player out there can just stand in melee and shred me with
>their auto attacks.

Unless you're a rager you should probably never be completely without preps. If you're not neutral (and potentially even if you are) then protection vs. alignment is a no-brainer. It's relatively cheap and can be bought in a common area. Stoneskin (with drawbacks) isn't hard to come by, but (depending on which source you use) the drawbacks can be a pain in the butt. There's at least one source whose drawbacks, while annoying, generally don't put you at risk of dying. So you can use it, see what random negative effect you get, then decide whether to pursue the fight or run/quaff away.

>you'd think WHERE won't be that helpful, like the Sea. Is it
>simply experience that makes them quicker? Are there client
>modifications that help here?

Probably both. For instance, I have "sa" aliased to "scan all". If I'm running around on the Open Sea trying to find someone then I only have to type "sa" in each room instead of "scan all". Client-based speedwalk (i.e. entering "4s" or "ssss" is the equivalent of "s;s;s;s") can also help.

>It's almost impossible for me
>to run and prepare, since I get squished before I can run.

The best time to prep is before you go after someone. Not after they've already spotted you, possibly prepped themselves, and are in "seek and destroy" mode. Some buff characters can get away with "wear 'sleek black';zap self" during melee after being attacked, but its rare.

>That's not a failsafe either,
>since the cities are pretty much free for alls without a
>functioning Tribunal cabal.

Teleport is usually safer (and cheaper) despite the inherent dangers of teleport. You can always teleport and *then* word if you find that you need the town healer. Keep a couple teleports and returns in your inventory and a couple more of each in a container.

Side note about thieves:

If you think an enemy thief is near and might knock you out then get all but one of the return/teleport potions out of your container and, if your container is wearable (and you're willing to lose the gear in the slot it would replace), wear it. The thief can still steal all those potions, but doing so will cost him time he could have spent doing other bad things to you. Plus (if you take the possessive edge) one of the steal attempts might wake you up. Consider making a special alias for "get return container;quaff return".

>Trying to not complain too much, but the fact is, every fight
>I get (that's not 2v1 in my favor) is a one sided squashing
>and I'd love to get better.

I'm guessing this is because most of your fights are on the other guy's terms. He's the one hunting you down and initiating the fight. You're the one who gets surprised and is consequently prone to panic-driven mistakes. Problem is, as a warrior, it's much harder to gain the element of surprise than ith certain other classes. To do so you generally need to be moving around a lot. Near constant motion, unless you're somewhere you can be reasonably sure is safe. (Note: this also helps you avoid being assassinated.) Every time you enter an area do 'where' and duck out to assess the situation if there's a PK inside. If it's someone you think you can "take" then prep up (if needed) and try to reach them (and attack) before they see you coming.

Mostly it really is that most of your range does just know the map that much better than you.

And, yeah, generally you should expect (past the pretty low levels) that anyone who isn't Battle will probably be gone via word/teleport/quaff just about as fast as they can flee, when applicable.

That all said I'll offer some advice.

1) There's really no substitute for learning the map yourself better. If nothing else you could roll something like a level 10 ranger and be able to explore the majority of the world that isn't too aggressive pretty well.

Area knowledge, the kind you can only get the hard way, is priceless and pays compound interest. Even (to use your example) on something like the Dragon Sea where I can't use scan or where to pinpoint your exact room, I can still use where to rule out a bunch of places you can be. Or I can deduce not where you are but where you will be and move there. If I guess wrong, I know where to check next. I know where nearby you can lure me into traps or vice versa. Etc.

2) Try to know where you can get the following preps: detect invis, word of recall, teleport, fly, and depending on your character maybe some of protection, enlarge, or reduce. Almost all of these are for sale in protected cities. If you know these, prepping honestly is no longer holding you back. This is important to know because otherwise you may blame preps for losing fights and miss other reasons for losing fights which you could correct.

3) Aggression is big. If you see an enemy and pounce on him immediately without hesitation, maybe he's ready for you, or maybe he's not.

4) You're right in that you're not now safe when you quaff. Even if ten Tribunal are in Galadon you shouldn't assume that, either. You quaff and then you keep moving if at all possible. Not only to avoid dying in the temple today (a moving target is harder to kill), but to try to conceal knowledge of your hometown for the future.

5) Understand that choice of moves in a fight is important, but so is the setup for the fight. Which, yes, can include preps but includes a lot of other strategizing. You're a shaman? Well, I know you don't learn the whip skill, so maybe I switch one in to hit you more. You're a fire giant? Maybe my frostbrand comes out -- unless I've seen your gear or otherwise have reason to believe you resist cold. Then it's anything but that. Maybe I can lure you into a trap, or maybe I can let you think you're luring me into one to get you to be overconfident. Etc.

6) Understand that to some degree CF is an immensely complicated game of rock paper scissors. To give some very simple examples, almost no matter who you are, there's someone out there who straight-out can outmelee you. Don't let that character have a straight fight with you, go at their other weaknesses. Maybe they're not set to soak maledictions. Maybe they can't absorb direct damage. Maybe disarm will turn the tide.

If you ever see this, and you aren't blind, you're going to get your ass run down, and never catch anyone. It may seem like its nothing, but one every pulse is a big deal with it comes to chasing.

I personally see this message constantly.

By playing lowbie thieves who used 'knife' to kill their foes. You die a lot, but you learn really fast how to chase down opponents. Hero range is not the range to learn how to chase foes down, by the time you get there EVERYONE has already learned to maximize all their skills and it can seem like it is you versus the world.

If I were you and I were really concerned about learning to chase/pk people, I'd play a few lowbie characters with the pure and simple purpose of learning to pk and chase.

Lowbie PK seems to be filled with players wearing gear far beyond their level--making it tough to compete there unless someone else is gearing you.

* You can loot corpses (easier if you can hide/camo)
* Find eq on the ground in certain spots
* If you play the right class you don't need l33t EQ to compete

To cover your other points, you need to learn the way of the land.
Knowing how to chase is nothing more than checking where your
opponent is and predicting where he will run to.

If you have the layout of most areas in the mud in your mind, then you can immediately place someone just from typing where once or twice. You also
know how to put max distance between you and him as fast as possible, if needed.

I'd concentrate first on learning geography. Try and focus on the areas you
find yourself a lot first and learn to be comfortable in them. Ideally, you should
be able to navigate completely blind.

Once you know the most frequently traveled areas, you can focus on trying to kill enemies/skills/tactics etc.

... at least not in some cases. I always PK at all lvls, gathering all sorts of gear. Hell, I've had awesome hero sets at lvl 15 at times only from PKing others. (And the ones I've PKed have perhaps looted a hero corpse, gotten stuff from someone, or picked stuff up in obscure areas as ghosts etc.)

I honestly know the feeling about the PKing situation. I fail horribly at landing PKs. Infact I think I have 1 solo pk to my name and that is because I challenged a Storm warrior to the death and they accepted. HA!

On the other hand, I came to CF for the RP. I did not come for PKing and now I am regretting not learning it early on. I have spent much time learning the common areas and finally now am at the point where I can pretty much go anywhere while blind. It took a long time for me to get here but now I need to focus on PKing people, which is not really what I want to do, but I cant play a herald for every toon (no offense heralds!)

Don't let it get you down, its a rough road, but I find it super rewarding.

Don't assume the hearing is illegitimate. If I as a lowbie can gather 50 gold, say, then a hero might spend time getting me gear in return for that gold, if getting the gear takes him less time than getting the gold. Or sometimes heroes will help because they find your chat interesting.

If you are the guy that invited me to gear you up ooc, don't stoop to that. It is cheating and unfair on other players.

This is a good point. Especially as an evil or neutral. Even a teens character can, with enough patience, build up a bankroll big enough to motivate some heros to go whack a mob or two for you.

As a good-aligned guy you have to approach things differently. Trying to pay a hero to go kill a mob for you won't go over quite as well. If you come by some gear that's "nice" but that your class can't use, try "donating" it to whichever cabal the guy you want to help you out belongs to. There's no guarantee he'll reciprocate, but it's probably more likely than if you just start with, "Hey, feel like killing the midnight dragon for me?" That just makes you look needy.

As an evil you can also sell your eyes. Basically offer to be someone's snitch. Say, "If you make it worth my while I'll notify you immediately whenever I see EnemyGuyOne or EnemyGuyTwo." Attempting to make any sort of "deal" with a higher-ranked evil character can, of course, backfire. If you're planning to pledge a particular cabal, probably best to avoid wheeling and dealing with characters whose opinion of you may impact your future in that cabal.