The things that usually seem to cripple people aren't selected during character generation. My most general advice:

1) Pick a character and stick with it until CON death. I can't emphasize this enough. The classes play very differently from one another, and you'll confuse yourself immensely by hopping from one to another.

2) Read 'help tips'. It's roughly 400 years old, but the principles still apply.

3) Use at least a basic client. Just being able to alias commands will speed things up immensely, and there are a wide range of free clients out there.

4) Log as much as is feasible. With most computers, you can safely log your entire session without worrying about disk space. After playing, maybe set aside 5-10 minutes to look over the key moments, both when things went well and when they didn't. If you died, figure out why. Don't accept "That guy is just better." or "I was ganged." Accept things like "I need to check 'where' more often." or "Oh. My character can cast Detect Invis but I let it lapse there."
or "After I got disarmed, I didn't have a backup weapon to wield."

5) Ask questions, either IC or here. Keep in mind that some people will be jerks, or don't know what the heck they're talking about. But you'll generally get more good advice than bad, and you'll eventually figure out how to filter it a little for yourself.

6) Don't overestimate equipment. Learn how to get decent equipment. Assume that any fancy item that you stumble onto is a very temporary bonus until you learn to replace it.

Once you've done the above, you'll probably know enough about the game to see which type of character appeals to you. Weigh this heavily-- if you're having fun with a particular character, the defeats won't bug you so much.

If you aren't sure what class to play, early on, I'd recommend a class with a good concealment ability and no empowerment requirements-- thief, assassin, ranger. You'll want to learn to keep yourself alive first, and kill the other guy second. (Anti-paladins can also look good here, with the concealment ability replaced by the easy but risky escape of Teleport.) If you're an experienced roleplayer, shaman, druid, and paladin might make this list also.

From there, try some attacks when the situation would call for it. If you only fight when the other guy attacks you, you'll frequently be at the disadvantage-- they probably wouldn't attack if they didn't at least think they had a good chance to win. If things don't go well, there's no shame in running, concealing, teleporting or whatever and trying again another time. And sometimes, just bringing the pressure to them will cause them to screw up.

Finally, accept that you're probably going to be getting your ass kicked for the immediate future, regardless of the size of your brain. Some CF players have been here over a decade, and the game is deep and broad enough that you won't be able to be even average in a week or a month. You will, however, keep getting better, since the game is much more about skill/knowledge than luck.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com