Hello, I’m trying to decide on a profession to start the game with. After trying them out I’ve narrowed it down to Martial Artist, Trader, Enforcer, and Doctor. I’m wanting something that isn’t going to require a fortune or a lot of knowledge before hand to level up and I’m sure at least one of these isn’t going to be as friendly as I’d hope. I’m also curious about the faction decision that’s made near the end of the tutorial and if one or the other is better or if it’s mostly a personal choice. Thank you for the help!
OK Adventurer seems out of scope, so i would recommend Doctor or Martial Artist and Clan of course. 
Thanks for the reply! Adventurer seemed fun and versatile but I think my issue with it was just that!
Welcome to AO!
Based on your preferences, MA is a good choice! MAs are very beginner friendly, since you don’t have to worry about figuring out what weapons are great and what aren’t… or how you’re going to get your paws on them. Their damage grows with the amount of Martial Arts skill you have (this is a pro and a con), and MAs come with some healing power, which with their evasion skills makes them great for if you go out on your own.
Enforcers aren’t a bad choice early on for learning the ropes, either, and aren’t too complicated to figure out and keep playing if it suits you. It’s more or less wreaking havoc for the first twenty levels, grabbing your choice of Illegally Modified melee weapon when you come across them in the Subway.
Hope that helps, and have fun!
Thanks for the tips! I’ll definitely keep that in mind and I’m going to go with the Martial Artist I think and learn the ropes. I’ll try to get in game asap and track down a guild hopefully that can help out. I really appreciate the help you all have offered!
F2P trader is very tricky. MA and Doc are both pretty straight forward. But. Yes, there is a but. No matter the class you play you’ll find things difficult after the newcomer zone Arete. Don’t rush through the levels. Understanding what things do on your character slot sheets - armor/utilities and belts/ncu and implants are all interconnected. This is what makes AO different than the other games. Its the puzzle game aspect of AO. Essentially it’s the portion of the game you spent time working on your character in the basic shop while standing next to the stationary surgery clinic doing… math and studying.
Sure thing. I think the complexity and the old school feel is what drew me into the game. While it wasn’t an overly complex game it, I played FFXI for 6 years in it’s glory days of grind, level loss, and extreme need to be social and group to get anywhere. I’m definitely going to pace myself and the skill system is overwhelmingly large when looking at it so I’m worried about messing that up. I’m just going to pace myself and learn everything I can along the way.
Not to mess up the IP for MA - general advice:
Max: abilities (at least Str, Sta, Agi), BodyDev, Evade close, Martial Arts, PhysInit, Brawl, Run speed, Treatment, CompLit.
Spend remaining IP as required by your nano programs (heals, for example) and first aid stims (First Aid skill). And you’re good for the first 150 levels.
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Keune, thanks for the advice! That was just the sort of cheat sheet I was needing!