4 as in the number of DPS roles in the group that are typically required to meet DPS checks.
Most important advice I can think of:
1.) Your gear is completely flexible up until it hits Legendary which is currently the point of no return. It takes a while to get there so don’t worry about poor early game gear choices.
2.) Join a cabal, your friend plays so maybe there already in one, but not only will this help you make the right choices but it also greatly increases the rate of progression.
3.) In light of point 2 try not to rush through the story you will regret it even if your a dungeon loving endgame fanatic! It is not the same when you go back the second time.
There is one dungeon that’s got extremely strict DPS checks quite a ways in to the Elite levels. Strict to the point of overtuned, likely, so players attempting that dungeon in the E7-E10 range are likely to need one self healing tank and four DPS to finish it, rather than a healer, a tank, and three DPS.
Very nice! Thanks you. This puts more of a spin on what JOrivice said (that the game is really an action-oriented visual novel). I am really looking forward, then, to the story aspect of this. And I love to investigate and do the lore thing, so this will be right up my alley.
Nope, I don’t rush. I’m a very conservative player, checking everything and taking my time. Good to know.
SWL is one of the least “I think I made a wrong toin at Albekoikee”-potential games I’ve played. It’s unlikely you will feel you ‘started out wrong’ or missed something that isn’t easily changed in your first couple weeks of the game.
The only significant choice you will make early on is your ‘class’ or original weapons combo. Weapons break down to
Melee(5m) - Hammer (DPS), Chaos (DPS/Special FX), Fist (Heal/DPS), Sword (DPS/Heal)
Mid-Range (10m) - Pistols (DPS), Shotgun (DPS/Heal)
Longer Range (15m) - Blood (DPS/Heal), Elementalism (DPS)
Longest range (20m) - Assault Rifle (DPS/Heal)
You generally want some matchup between your weapons - having an Assault Rifle as your ‘primary’ weapon and a Hammer as your ‘backup/secondary’ weapon means you will probably rarely use the Hammer at all. Having 2 healing weapons might be overheal although they each have a different ‘style’ so not completely.
If you play ‘melee’ style, then personal movement becomes a bigger issue in combat - staying in range, dodging damage effects, having a movement buff/debuff etc.
Most of the game is played solo (by most players) and people team up for raids, dungeons, megabosses etc. Most of the game is playable as near-pure DPS with a few options for self-healing etc. Skilled tanks are very needed in the higher levels of group content, healers can be less so.
Much of the game is story/atmosphere/puzzle oriented, so do try to figure things out for as long as is fun for you, then ask people for help but let them know if you want a hint or an actual spoiler/solution. It isn’t as ‘gear’ oriented so don’t worry about choosing optimal gear early on, anything you use and level will be used to level up other stuff later so it’s all good.
One key issue is that the primary in-game currency ‘Marks of Favor’ is very handy, is convertible through various means into the other currencies (cash currency, ‘Aurum’ and levelling currency ‘Anima Shards’) and is pretty much only earned by completing the daily ‘Challenge’ tasks. So try to figure out early on how you can earn at least the first set of daily challenges as often as you can.
This here is very true. Eventually down the line you will learn all the abilities for all weapons, but your first 2-3 weapons will be what you play through most of the story with. I say 3 because getting your 3rd weapon is doable with the first set of dailies. Each new weapon you unlock will cost more Marks of Favor (MoF) to do so.
Not all weapons combos are available as a starting class, for instance the three healing weapons you can only get in combination with one of the other healing weapons. While weapons are split up into roles, all of them are viable for dps, you just have fewer DPS abilities to chose from for group content (tanks) and in general (healers)
By role:
- Tanking: Hammer, Shotgun, Chaos
- Healing: Fist, Assault Rifle, Blood
- DPS: Blade, Pistol, Elemental.
Aside from an energy system, each weapon also have a special mechanic to them. Personally i would find two weapons, that have a mechanic you like to work with, or in any other way have something about them that you like. Generally regardless of the combi you go for, the Primary weapon will work it’s mechanic well, the secondary not very well if at all. This is primarily because you generate energy twice as fast on primary than secondary weapon.
Mechanics In Short:
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Hammer: Using abilities build Rage, when you have enough certain abilities get extra effects by spending rage.
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Shotgun: Each ability use 1-6 shotgun shells, when they hit 0 your ability bar flips, each shotgun ability turning into one of four shell types. You then choose a type to reload with. The type of shell adds an effect to all your attacks (like a DoT, Heal, etc)
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Chaos: When you deal damage divisible by 8 you generate paradoxes, hitting 8 paradoxes triggers a random effect.
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Fist: using abilities builds fury. Once you have enough you can activate one of two Wrath abilities (heal or dps) which flips your ability bar to a new set of abilities
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Assault Rifle: Certain abilities have a chance to load a grenade. You use special grenade abilities to fire the grenade. If you wait for a bit the grenade will be stronger. If you wait too long it explodes in your face.
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Blood: Uses a two directional meter, Corruption or Martyrdom (dps and healing respectively). Using damage abilities increase Corruption, using healing increases Martyrdom. They cancle eachother out. The more you go in either direction, the more powerful that aspect becomes, but the less healing you receive as well. Using either makes you take damage.
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Blade: each hit has a chance to generate chi, when you have 5 you can use an ability to activate Spirit Blade. Spirit Blade adds additional damage to each attack. While in Spirit Blade, each attack spend a charge. You can recharge with chi while in Spirit Blade.
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Pistol: each attack spins two revolver chambers to hit one of three colors (white, blue, red). If you get both chambers on same color, your attacks will be stronger for a time. White = highest chance, lowest bonus. Red = lowest chance, highest bonus.
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Elementalism: uses a heat bar. Using electric or fire abilities increase heat, using ice lowers it. The higher your heat, the higher your damage. If you overheat, your heating abilities will lock up. Both your basic abilities are heating abilities. (basics are the only abilities costing 0 energy so a total lockup is possible)
Sorry for the wall of text =P
One bit that would make life a bit easier for the non vet crowd would be not picking any of the 3 healer classes to start since those weapons have no passive hit rating in them. Yeah I know AR is a freaking beast and is good to use.
I’m biased and recommend Punisher (Shotgun/Hammer) for a starter class since it is pretty damn easy and comes with a few “Oops, I ****ed up” buttons for story level content.
Mostly. Two of the better DPS weapons are Tank and Healer weapons.
The list isn’t a list over what the weapons are good for, but what they have role abilities fore. Besides as i mentioned any weapon is viable for dps.
Now comes the REALLY contentious part:
Which Faction Do You Choose?
Everyone has their favorites, but the big difference between the three is in the mission dialogue and your Handlers.
Note to new players: these are broad generalities. Once you get down to find detail and deep secrets there is only one Truth: Nothing is as it seems and everything you know is wrong.
The Templar: The closest thing we have to ‘standard’ MMO heroes. Old fashioned Knights In Crimson Armor. They are all about the Greater Good At Whatever The Cost. The most readily relatable group, especially if you are a veteran of the Sword And Sorcery type game.
The Illuminati: Their slogan says it all: “S.e.x., Drugs, And Rockefeller”. You are working for the 0.0000000000001%. The allure here is the bizarre cast of inmates running the asylum we all know and love (or loath) as The Labyrinth. Your handler really steals the show. Listen to every single dialogue option and be hooked on this game forever. I recommend an Illuminati character, if only for the writing.
The Dragon: The wild card and proud of it. Your introduction to the Faction begins with an Enchanted Hummer that causes you to travel through time. This will not be the weirdest thing that happens to you. The Dragon make a perfect second or third playthrough, as (a tinsy spoiler here, maybe) your Mission Reports contain lots of insight at what is going on behind the scenes that other factions do not get, such as NPC Origin Stories. Unfortunately, especially early on, they just don’t seem quite as fun or interesting as the others. This…changes…later in the game.
I’d make an argument that Templars have the better writing but that’s more personal. I mean, Illuminati are comedic gold, but that doesn’t automatically mean best writing evar.
I’d always explain it like this:
What’s your favorite sort of villain?
Do you want the zealouts and extremists that think that they’re the hero? Go Templar.
Do you want the greedy corporate business with an ‘F you, got mine’ attitude? Go Illuminati.
Do you want to change the world with knowledge both mystical and scientific who are always one step ahead and know everything, but those steps often seem questionable because they’re so far beyond human comprehension? Go Dragon.
Or you could go full shallow and just pick the best aestethic.
Templars have more of a military, knightly, European kind of bent.
Illuminati are far more modern, business-like and American.
Dragon are all about the East Asian influences.
Red Faction Best Faction
Just to make them equal i prefere Dragon any day. It was my first faction and it will always be my faction xD. As someone that wasn’t much into the supernatural aside from the basic vampires and werewolves, the Dragon made me really feel like i had no clue what i had just been thrown into. I have since played them all, and they are all brilliant in their own right. They all have their own way of giving details into the world. For me as a first time Dragon i felt like they didn’t give me much info, or rather (after going through again) it is not always clear what they tell you right away. In comparison the other two are more straight forward in the info they give you (not to say they give you more) and what they expect of you.
Representation
If you really pay attention to how they are represented, you will see that the writers really managed to show each of the factions mentality through various means. Mission Reports is the more obvious one, the way they respond to your success or failure, how they respond to different types of missions. The Handlers themselves also give an image of the factions as a whole, and their ideology. My fav detail is kinda in the way they are represented by their HQ. The Templars HQ is shouting “look at our power” from Temple Hall, making sure everyone knows they are the power. The Illuminati are hidding in the shadows in The Labyrinth, people don’t know they are there, but they are just below the surface pulling their strings. The Dragon, while currently placed in Seoul, is only localized because it would be hard to move around an HQ from a game design pov, they never really sit still and Seoul is as such temporary.
Relation
As for the relationship between the factions. Templars and Illuminati absolutely hate eachother, and both of them are very weary of the Dragon, as it has been hard for them to learn much about them. Templars and Illuminati both want to sit on power, Templars directly, and Illuminati from the shadows. The Dragon work more with momentary power, and once they got what they wanted, they disappear again.
The Good Guys
Now when it comes to being the Good Guys, this is probably one of my favorite things about the game. The fact is Nobody is the good guy. The Templars look the most like the good guys, and to some extent some Templars have convinced even themselves that they are (talking npcs more than players here). The Illuminati are the typical bad guys, they don’t care to be good, and they don’t pretend to be good. The Dragon doesn’t care much about good or bad either, but funny enough i feel like my Dragon agent gets allowed to do more good on the smaller scale. At the end of the day non of them are the good guys in the sense of being the Heroes of the people. They all have their own agenda, and what they do needs to fit that model. This of cause reflect on your character and their ability to save people as well.
Templars are the best faction for many reasons, but mainly for ‘Virgula Divina’, the transition between Egypt and Romania. It’s probably the single greatest mission in the game.
I will always prefer the dialogue of the Lumies, but you are spot on with Virgula Divina. That mission is flat out amazing. Maybe the best in the game.
Oh yes. Virgula Divina alone should’ve been enough reason to make pre-Tokyo story missions repeatable. Serioulsy. Imagine a new story-focused player finally doing that sub-storyline in Transylvania. Wanna bet they’d love to go back to Virgula Divina to try and see what details that might have eluded them they can now properly piece together?
With regard to picking a healing class, is it the case that none of the secondary weapons within each healing class one that would offer passive hit rating?
If I recall correctly everything but Assault rifle, fist and blood offer hit rating in there passive tree. However. What some people do early in the game is run 2 hit glyphs in there gear and merge them into one later in the game. You only need one hit glyph In late game but this setup allows you to overcome early hit rating deficiencies regardless of weapon choice.
Ah, interesting. Thanks.
So, if I choose a healing class and the secondary weapon has the hit rating in the passive tree, am I still loosing out on getting hit rating (apart from the glyph issue)?
Not enough that I feel it will effect you significantly the 2 glyphs should overcome any early issues and by the time hit starts to matter more you will have likely started to work on other weapons passive trees. Theres a good chart for reference on this: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HVgBeFTbXH0eZ5dJVtzXXm6HyITMHLUyM8avntoPOSI/htmlview#
It is more then you really need to worry about right now but it gives you the recomended hit rating for each level of difficulty in the game. You will want to level 2 accurate(hit rating) glyphs up to meet those requirements and then when both reach mythic lvl 35 you can fuse them together to make 1 legendary hit glyph. This won’t start being important until later but to summarize I think you will be safe in this regard regardless of weapon choice.