===============================
= Anarchy Online Newbie Guide =
= Version 0.25                =
= by Hahnsoo                  =
= Last Updated:       1/22/08 =
===============================
This guide is a work-in-progress, and may take some time to complete.
I felt that it was sufficiently complete to post on GameFAQs for now.
If you have any questions, corrections, or concerns, e-mail me at:
hahnsoo(^at^)gmail(^dot^)com
The latest version will always be at Gamefaqs. Check back every month
or so for updates!
=====================
= Table of Contents =
=====================
1) Introduction......................[aong01]
2) Character Creation................[aong02]
3) IP/Leveling Guide.................[aong03]
4) Levels 1-10.......................[aong04]
5) Levels 10-25......................[aong05]
6) Levels 25-60......................[aong06]
7) Levels 60-100.....................[aong07]
8) Beyond 100+.......................[aong08]
9) General Suggestions and Tips......[aong09]
10) Profession Tips..................[aong10]
11) Weapons and Armor Guide..........[aong11]
12) Helpful Resources................[aong12]
13) FAQ..............................[aong13]
14) Glossary.........................[aong14]
15) My Two Cents.....................[aong15]
16) End Notes........................[aong16]
=========================
= Introduction (aong01) =
=========================
What is this guide?
===================
This guide is intended for new players just starting out in Anarchy Online,
with little or no previous experience in playing MMORPGs. It's been over a year
since I've started playing Anarchy Online, and I have gleaned a lot of helpful
information from websites and forums to help myself in playing this complex,
but rewarding, game.
This guide will assume a few things: First, you are a new player who has very
little familiarity with MMORPGs in general and Anarchy Online in particular.
Second, you are playing on a free account, AKA a fr00b, and you do not have
any of the expansions. Third, that you've already downloaded and installed
the Anarchy Online client. Finally, that you are are relatively familiar with
the controls, or at least have downloaded/printed the keyboard map below.
Because most of my experience has been with Omni-Tek, most of my content is
written from the perspective of an Omni citizen. However, I do have characters
who are both Clan and Neutral, and all three factions are viable choices.  The
guide will note the significant differences between the factions, but overall,
the content of this guide should be universal for any player, regardless of
affiliation.
All webpage references will start with a ^ carrot in this guide. For example,
here's a link to the keyboard map for Anarchy Online:
^ http://darkrevolution.50webs.com/store/keyboardmap.pdf
Throughout the guide, you will find a short and sweet version of that section,
condensed to the most essential points, to save you from some reading. I call
these "take-home message" boxes:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TAKE HOME MESSAGE                                                           |
| * This is a "take-home message" box. Cool!                                  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Also at the beginning of each section, I have a boxes with one or more links
to webpages that you might find useful for more in-depth information. I call
these "Recommended Reading" boxes:
/=============================================================================\
RECOMMENDED READING
^ http://www.gamefaqs.com/computer/doswin/file/913777/46197
** This is a "Recommended Reading" box.
\=============================================================================/
What this guide is NOT
======================
This guide will NOT be a detailed walkthrough, with stats and health and loot
tables, etc. of every little creature that you'll see. Instead, I will present
a short synopsis of "Things to do", along with some brief notes to get you
started. Also, a webpage reference usually will be provided if you need more
detailed information, usually in a Recommended Reading box.  I try to be as
comprehensive as I can while minimizing the amount of text needed to read.
This guide will NOT tell you "hax" or "sploits" or other "cheats" to the game.
Not only is this behavior abhorrent to me, but it can also get you banned from
the Anarchy Online servers.  For froobs, this is a permanent ban. You have been
warned...
By no means is this guide an expert account of the most effective way to play
Anarchy Online. It is merely a collection of resources and advice that I have
found useful in my current play. Feel free to disagree with my opinions and
discover your own playstyle.
Useful References (Official Guides)
===================================
/=============================================================================\
RECOMMENDED READING
^ http://www.anarchy-online.com/anarchy/frontend/files/CONTENT/gameguide.pdf
** For more in-depth information on the basic aspects of the game
^ ftp://ftp.funcom.com/cd/manuals_pdf/english_manual.pdf
** The official Manual
\=============================================================================/
Anarchy Online in a nutshell
============================
Anarchy Online, or AO for short, is a massively multiplayer online RPG. While
the traditional MMORPGs tend to be based on a fantasy theme, Anarchy Online
takes place in a unique universe thousands of years in the future. Space
travel is common, computer use is ubiquitous, and nanotechnology and applied
genetics have drastically altered the face of humanity.  However, Anarchy
Online has certain aspects reminiscent of the fantasy-themed MMORPGs. Mutants
and genetically-altered animals replace magical beasts and monsters, while
"nanoprograms" substitute for magic spells. While guns and lasers and other
technological weaponry are common, there is a large variety of hand-to-hand
weapons available as well, along with primitive projectile weapons like bows.
As a game, Anarchy Online has a steep learning curve, even compared to most
MMORPGs.  The complexity is high and some of the mechanics are difficult to
explain and understand.  This can be daunting for the new player, especially
those who are not familiar with MMORPGs in general.  While there were many
online resources available shortly after its release, many of these sites
dwindled and disappeared as people lost interest or moved on to other things.
There are still several "core" sites that are useful for the new player,
but these resources can be hard to find, even using standard search engines
or fansite link directories.  This guide will attempt to consolidate the
most important information while providing links to more detailed websites
about each topic.
Regardless of your prior experience, Anarchy Online is a great game to play
and enjoy, especially for the price (totally free!). However, your Anarchy
Online experience can be made even more enjoyable with the right tools and
the right information. This guide will attempt to bring those tools within
your reach.
The fr00b account
=================
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TAKE HOME MESSAGE                                                           |
| * Froob accounts are limited, but you get to play for free!                 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
If you are just starting out in Anarchy Online, you are probably using a free
account, also known as a "froob" account.
What is a froob?
----------------
Froobs are people who use the free account offer that allows people to play
Anarchy Online Classic (and now, Notum Wars) without having to pay for a
monthly fee. This is partially subsidized by in-game ads (which can be turned
off if you are a subscriber).
While the free accounts are technically level-restricted and have restricted
content, you can still level to 200 and participate in all of the content
in the basic game (without Expansions), unlike in the free trials offered for
other MMORPGs. This free offer lasts until January 2009 at this time, but may
be extended at a later date by Funcom.  Basically, you can keep playing your
froob account as long as you'd like, as often as you like, until January 2009,
and possibly even longer if Funcom extends the deal.  It is very likely that
the deal will be extended, as the froob program has been around for over 4
years (extended one year at a time) and many existing subscribers have froob
accounts as well.  Every year, people proclaim the coming of the impending
"Froobpocalypse" when the froob program will end, and every year the program
is extended.  It is very likely to last as long as Anarchy Online is around.
In Fall of 2007, Funcom extended the froob accounts to include the Notum Wars
booster pack, which allows fr00bs to participate actively in tower battles.
It is important to note that Anarchy Online's froob offer is different from
many other free-to-play MMORPGs. Rather than being a game built from the ground
up to be free (and thus, delineating pay and free content pretty heavily), it
is a fully featured and robust game that has been made into a subscription-free
experience.  People were playing Anarchy Online for a monthly fee prior to the
froob program, and thus you can expect a complete gaming experience.
What you CAN do as a froob
--------------------------
* Gain a maximum level of 200. This may take weeks, even months, to achieve,
so you'll be playing for a long time.
* Explore almost the entirety of Rubi-Ka.
* Start off at the ICC Shuttleport Island, AKA Newbie Island. There are
several items that you can ONLY get there.
* Froobs, as of this writing, can participate in Battlestations, which came
with the Lost Eden expansion.
* Froobs can also buy Paid Points and use them to receive Booster Pack items
such as the Phasefront Hoverboards and Jetbikes. Buying Paid Points does not
remove your "Froob" status, and you can continue to play for free.
These are part of the Notum Wars "booster":
* Create zone control towers. Note that turrets can still shoot at you, if you
decide to attack one.
* Access the zone control buttons on the area map.
* Hear and use the player voices. (as part of the large client)
* Access several new vehicle options (Yalm paint, custom Yalms)
What you CAN'T do as a froob
----------------------------
These options require Shadowlands:
* The Keeper and Shade classes are only available to Shadowlands subscribers.
* Perks are an option that can only be used by Shadowlands subscribers. You
will still see "You have gained a New Perk", but you can't do anything about
it. If you later subscribe to Shadowlands, you get all of your Perk Points
to spend.
* Gain Shadowknowledge and earn levels 201 to 220.
* Access the areas of Shadowlands (obviously).
These options require Alien Invasion:
* Gain alien XP and Alien Experience levels.
* The Global Market search terminals are for AI subscribers only, even
though froobs can open the search window.
* Create or enter player-created cities/buildings, although you will see the
buildings and you can use the Whom-pahs to teleport to the various dance
clubs/bars.
* Board alien ships after successfully repelling an Alien Raid. Note that
you can still participate in the ground portion of an Alien Raid.
* Wear social clothing with the Alien Invasion expansion tag.
* Use Alien Invasion yalms.
These options require Lost Eden:
* Run LE Missions, although you can team with subscribers so that they can run
LE missions of their own.
* Use Victory Points, through LE missions and Battlestations. Note that Froobs
can participate in Battlestations, and if you subscribe at a later date, the
Victory Points that you earn will carry over.
* Access and learn Research.  Research is an alternate form of "leveling" that
gives a passive bonus to your abilities and skills.  Research also occurs in
a global scale, as each faction has a number of global research goals.
* Access Vehicles. The Battlemechs/Turrets are for LE subscribers only.
* Purchase from the Lost Eden terminals in the tower shop.
Also:
* Froobs do not gain Veteran Points, which are specifically reserved for SLers.
* There are many powerful items that can ONLY be used by those who purchase
the expansions. Also, there are a few items that can only be created through
tradeskills if you have the expansions. As a froob, be very careful when
trading to ensure that you can actually use the item you are about to buy.
The same goes for item crafting... before spending cash for the materials, be
sure that you can actually craft the item in question.
* The expansions give several major boosts to skills, above and beyond standard
leveling and IP distribution.  This includes Perks, Research, and City bonus.
It is not uncommon for a player with all of the expansions to have a Level 50
character that hits as hard as a Level 80 character in combat, for example.
* As a froob, your rate of growth and overall power will be much lower than
someone who has purchased the expansions.  XP gain is a lot faster for those
who purchase the expansions.  This is not because of an inherent bonus on the
part of owning expansions, but simply because the monsters in Shadowlands
give far more experience than an equivalent area in Rubi-Ka.  Also, SL offers
unique content at the higher levels (Level 150 or higher), giving higher XP.
===============================
= Character Creation (aong02) =
===============================
/=============================================================================\
RECOMMENDED READING
^ http://www.ao-universe.com/main.php?site=knowledge&link=0&id=241
** A good overview of Character Creation
^ http://wiki.aodevs.com/wiki/Beginner_Guides
** AOWiki character creation guide by Berael
\=============================================================================/
Breeds
======
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TAKE HOME MESSAGE                                                           |
| * Solitus is well-rounded and can do well with any profession.              |
| * Opifex is agile and great for ranged combat and evades.                   |
| * Atrox is the strongest and toughest, but they suffer later in nanoskills. |
| * Nanomage has the highest mental abilities and nano pool, but they suffer  |
|   in the Health department.  Avoid Nanomage for your first character.       |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
There are four breeds in Anarchy Online: Solitus, Opifex, Nanomage, and Atrox.
Atrox are technically genderless and so only have one gender option, but the
Solitus, Opifex, and Nanomage can be selected as male or female. Breed and
Gender are important for a handful of equipment prerequisites in the game (for
example, the Massive Steel Armor can only be worn by males), but in general,
you should have a good alternative if your breed or gender doesn't match. In
other words, gender shouldn't really matter in normal play other than personal
preference.
Breed selection is much more important as far as ability caps and IP.  Below is
a brief summary of the strengths and weaknesses of each Breed. Also listed is
the "Breed Caps", or the highest unadjusted value of each Ability that the
Breed can obtain (usually at some point in TL5).  With expansions, the Breed
Caps are lifted at level 201 and can reach even higher for their maximum value.
Because this is a froob guide, only the pre-200 ability caps are listed.
Solitus
-------
The Solitus breed is what normally passes for "Human" in most games. It is also
the most versatile breed with no glaring strengths or weaknesses. You can't go
wrong with picking Solitus as your breed.  All of your core abilities will cost
the same to raise, and most of your abilities will cap at 480 (with the notable
exception of Strength at 472).
Many folks pick Solitus for cosmetic reasons, as it is the only breed that has
the same skin tone and body build as a "normal" human.  A handful of Solitus
breed-locked items exist, as well, and they tend to be well-rounded.
Solitus Breed Caps:
* Strength 472
* Agility 480
* Stamina 480
* Intelligence 480
* Sense 480
* Psychic 480
Opifex
------
This grey-skinned breed is more slender and agile than Humans. They have bonuses
to Agility and Sense (which are Light Green for them) and a penalty to Stamina
(which is Dark Blue). This makes the Opifex ideal for ranged combat, especially
Pistol Adventurers, Fixers, and Agents. They are also pretty decent Martial
Artists. Opifex gain the same amount of Health and Nano points as a Solitus per
point of Body Dev/Nano Pool, but tend to have less in each due to their racial
Ability penalties.
Most of the Opifex-only items are geared toward Agility and Sense, but these
items are few and far between.
Opifex Breed Caps:
* Strength 464
* Agility 544
* Stamina 480
* Intelligence 464
* Sense 512
* Psychic 448
Nanomage
--------
This breed is difficult to play for most new players due to the hits they take
in the Health department and is not recommended until you have a better grasp
of the game. They have superior abilities in Nano-related skills and overall
Nanopoints, but have less Health. They have penalties in Strength and Agility.
Later on in the game, they get access to breed-only buff items such as the
Shades of Lucubration, but these items tend to be out of the grasp of a new
player anyway.  It's something to think about for veteran players.  Typically,
playing a Nanomage is a challenging proposition and is one way to ramp up the
difficulty of the game.
Nanomage Breed Caps:
* Strength 464
* Agility 464
* Stamina 448
* Intelligence 512
* Sense 480
* Psychic 512
Atrox
-----
These fellas (if that's the appropriate term, since they are genderless) are
the big workhorse breed of Anarchy Online. They receive the most Health per
point of Body Development, and have bonuses to Stamina and Strength. They make
ideal melee combatants and tanks, but their intelligence-based skills and
nanoskills suffer. Pick them if you want to be able to dish out a lot of melee
damage and take a lot of punishment. It is a good choice for the early levels,
but in the later levels you'll find yourself hurting in the nanoskill
department.
Most of the Atrox-only items are geared toward melee weaponry and strength,
including the Silken Legchopper Gloves. Certain "large" weapons are also Atrox
only, such as the Support Beams and the Diamondine Kick Pistol. Oddly enough,
because Atrox is genderless, in many cases they can wear both male and female
outfits.
Atrox Breed Caps:
* Strength 512
* Agility 480
* Stamina 512
* Intelligence 400
* Sense 400
* Psychic 400
Profession/Class
================
In this guide, Profession and Class are used synonymously.
There are two professions that cannot be selected by a froob, the Keeper and
the Shade. Other than that, there is a wide selection of professions available
to the starting froob. Although each profession is unique, a few of them have
considerable overlap as far as party role and combat abilities.
Your profession determines what sort of nano-programs you can cast and also how
difficult it is to raise each skill.  Nano-caster professions, for example,
have an easy time raising their nanoskills, but they tend to have a tough time
raising their combat skills.  No skill in the game is restricted to a particular
profession, but your profession will play a large part in skills that you raise.
There is no such thing as the "best profession". Each profession has unique
strengths and weaknesses.  Some are better at solo play, some are better in
teams. Some are good at blitzing, and others are good at direct damage or crowd
control or any number of essential gameplay traits. Each profession also has a
different difficulty threshold and different "level ranges" in which they excel.
Adventurers are easy to play and are strong from levels 1 to 100, but slow down
a bit when they get past level 100.  Agents are very difficult to play (because
it requires some knowledge of all the other professions), and do not reach their
true potential until well past level 100.  Engineers start out weak, but because
of their strong pets, they can solo comfortably throughout their career (but it
gets expensive to keep on buying new nanos).  And so on, and so forth...
Abbreviations used in this section:
AoE - Area of Effect, something that affects multiple targets in an area
Behe - Essence of Behemoth, Enforcer line of nanos that add Strength/Stamina
BM - Biological Metamorphoses
FP - False Profession, Agent line of nanos that mimics other professions
MC - Matter Creations
MM - Matter Metamorphoses
PM - Psychological Modifications
SI - Sensory Improvements
TS - Time and Space
Also some terms:
Buff Begging - Asking for specific nano-skill buffs, usually in an annoying or
repetitive manner.
Holy Trinity - Three archetypes in most MMORPGs: Direct Damage, Tank, Healer.
Mocham's - A line of Meta-Physicist nanos that buffs nano-skills.
Wrangle - A line of Trader nanos that buffs weapon and nano skills for 3 min.
Adventurer
----------
The Explorers, Funcom Love-children, All-Around Combat Specialist
"Anything you can do, we can do better"
* Main Weapons: Pistol or 1-Handed Edged
* Alternate Weapons: Pretty much any other weapon
* Main Nanoskills: MM/BM/SI for Polymorphs, MM/BM for Heals
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Mixed (Direct Damage, Healer, Tank, Solo)
The Anarchy Online equivalent of the "Ranger" class, the Adventurer is a dual-
wielding specialist, often focusing on pistols or 1-handed edged weapons. The
adventurer has decent one-shot heals, modest defensive abilities, and makes a
versatile combatant. The damage is highly-dependent on equipment, some of which
is difficult to obtain, but in general, you will hit for small amounts of damage
very quickly, rather than big hits. Melee Adventurers are the ONLY profession
for froobs that have the Backstab ability (later on in their career). The
Adventurer has a great selection of Adventurer-only equipment, as well.
What you will love: Great Healing, Polymorphs (I'm a leet!), Being the Holy
Trinity all in one class.  Access to Adventurer-only equipment.  You are the
Funcom Lovechild.
What you will hate: No meeps (teleportation nanos), no roots/snares, constant
jokes about playing a "Funcom Wuv-child", expectation to be the Holy Trinity at
all times. Polymorphs mean that your big furry butt will fill your whole screen.
Agent
-----
The Red Mages, Jack-of-all-Trades/Master-of-None, Glass Cannons
"Pow! 13k Aimed Shot! Wait, he's not dead?" *runs for life*
"Oh, I have that buff. Give me a couple seconds to cast it..."
* Main Weapons: Rifle
* Alternate Weapons: Assault Rifle, Bow
* Main Nanoskills: BM/PM/SI for False Profession, MM/SI for Damage boosts
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Hard
* Role: Direct Damage
Agents are long-range assassins, with the ability to hide in the shadows and
strike with a powerful Aimed Shot (often killing things in one hit). They also
have the False Profession ability, which allows them to cast a wide variety of
nanos from other classes. This makes the Agent a versatile and powerful class
selection. However, this versatility comes at a cost, as Agents are one of the
weakest classes in terms of Health and evading attacks. They do not bloom until
later levels, and you really need to know the potential of other professions
before you can effectively play an Agent. Opifex is the breed of choice for
these agile combatants.
What you will love: False Profession! High damage from Aimed Shots.
What you will hate: Low Health = Squishy agent.  Expectation to be able to cast
buffs from all professions at the same time. SLOW casting time while in FP. IP
crunch hurts badly until TL5.
Bureaucrat
----------
The Crowd Control, Snake Charmers, Miss Congeniality
"Nice Pet. I'll take it."
"What adds? I'll subtract instead." - Terwillinger, and his calms.
* Main Weapons: Pistol
* Alternate Weapons: Shotgun
* Main Nanoskills: MC/TS for Bots, BM/PM/SI for charms
* Tradeskills: Average
* Overall Difficulty: Hard
* Role: Support (Crowd Control, Mezzer)
Bureaucrats specialize in charming their foes, temporarily recruiting them as
allies. They also have Bots as pets, similar to Engineers. Bureaucrats are an
excellent support class, and as support classes go, are pretty difficult to
play. They have an excellent selection of roots and snares, a fair amount of
nukes, and several unique nanoprograms that only they can use, including the
Baton line of nanoprograms (which increases the XP gained by the party). They
are also specialists in the tradeskill of Psychology.
What you will love: Charming your enemies (Making Friends, and Influencing
People), wide variety of Crowd Control, spiffy outfits.
What you will hate: Wimpy bots. Relying on other people/enemies for your damage.
Poor weapon skills. Juggling Charms. Not being part of the Holy Trinity. No one
knows what you DO exactly...
Doctor
------
The Clerics/Medics/Healers, Voted Homecoming King/Queen by Popular Vote
"Every time I have to CH, I'll take a drink... wait, don't take off your armor!"
- Icydoc and his Complete Healing drinking game
"Nano please! Like, now!"
* Main Weapons: Poor with all weapons, but Pistol is default
* Alternate Weapons: Shotgun, 2 Handed Edged, 1 Handed Edged, Martial Arts
* Main Nanoskills: MM/BM for Heals, MM/BM/TS for Heal-Over-Time
* Tradeskills: Average
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Healer
A Doctor of any breed is a welcome addition to any party, as they are the most
effective healers. If you are playing a Doctor, you can expect to get invited
by most groups in the dungeons. Your damage output will suffer though, and it
can take laboriously long to kill things as a solo player. If you thrive on
teamwork and don't mind waiting to get picked up by a group before really
taking off in terms of experience and loot, a Doctor is a good option. Nanomage
gives you more for your nano-skills, but most people pick Solitus as their
breed for survivability. Most doctors use Pistols for their weapons, a cheap
and effective solution for primary weaponry. Naturally, Doctors are good at the
tradeskill of Pharm Tech.
What you will love: The most popular profession, period. Everyone wants you in
the team.  The love and respect of your peers.
What you will hate: Being blamed for everyone's mistakes. Relying on a team for
damage. Running out of nano constantly. Buff beggars who want SFA/IC (Superior
First Aid/Iron Circle). Heal Aggro.
Enforcer
--------
The Guy/Gal with the Big Stick. THE tank.
"Me Trox. Me bash. Me kill."
"MONGO!!!" - Common Enforcer Warcry
"In battle! Use Item. Monster angry! Doctor safe!" - from Da Taunter!
"I am known by many names. Tank. Meatshield. Fighter. Brawler. Corpse.
I am the Enforcer." - from the Enforcer's Prayer (paraphrased in a hundred
other games)
* Main Weapons: 2 Handed Edged, 1 Handed Edged, 2 Handed Blunt, 1 Handed Blunt
* Alternate Weapons: Any Melee Weapon
* Main Nanoskills: BM/MC for Essence, BM/PM for Mongo, BM/MM for Challenger
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Tank, Direct Damage
These guys are the tanks, and they are the heavy-hitters in the game. They are
designed to take damage and dish it out. As an Enforcer, your primary Job is to
stay on the front line, and hold the enemies as long as you can. You have a
variety of tools to keep aggro and a decent amount of skills to keep yourself
alive. You are also the first choice for most people when they want to select a
tank for their team. Atrox is the breed of choice for Enforcers, but you can
also be successful with Solitus. Most Enforcers use large 2-handed Blunt or
Edged Weapons, although some use 1-handed Blunt or Edged or even Piercing
weapons dual-wielded.
What you will love: Being part of the Holy Trinity.  Finding large sticks and
sharp sticks and killing things with them. Having more Health than God (even
the Nano Mage squishy Enforcers). Mongo is a great self-heal.
What you will hate: If you do your job right, you are always the first to die.
Ranged enemies. Expectation to always have the best and biggest weapon at the
earliest point in time. Mongo is also an AoE Taunt. Behe Buff Beggars.
Engineer
--------
The Guy/Gal with the Big Bot, Tradeskiller.
"/pet hunt. *yawn*"
"You need me to tradeskill what?"
"Mocham's + Wrangle plz" - A typical Engineer request
* Main Weapons: Pistol
* Alternate Weapons: Shotgun, Grenade Launchers
* Main Nanoskills: MC/TS for Bots
* Tradeskills: Good
* Overall Difficulty: Medium
* Role: Support
Engineers are probably the easiest of the tradeskill professions to play. They
have the strongest pets, have the easiest time upgrading their tradeskills,
and many tradeskill items are Engineer-only. Later on, they get the ability to
"warp" other players to their location, making Engineers popular for teams (if
someone dies, they can just get warped back to the team by the Engineer). Most
Engineers use Pistols, and some Engineers even endeavor to create their own
personalized pistol.
What you will love: A bot that will stay with you FOREVER, as long as you are
logged in. Tradeskilling. Beacon Warp. /pet hunt.
What you will hate: Buff begging all the time for nanoskill buffs (Mocham's and
Wrangles).  Expectation that you are a tradeskiller, even if you haven't raised
any tradeskills. Bot Aggro (Why are they attacking me and not the big robot?!).
Fixer
-----
The Flash, Blitzers, Smurfs, Taxis.
"I have a need... a need for Speed!" - Top Gun (1986)
"Zooooooooom!" -Zipzipzoom, Fixer
"Hardcore Fixer-on-Fixer action is like watching a boxing match between 2 blind
men. Eventually, one of them will get lucky and knock the other one out. By
then, the crowd will go home, the judge will be asleep and the cameraman will
go off to film paint drying." - Tarradax
* Main Weapons: SMGs
* Alternate Weapons: Pistol, Ranged Energy
* Main Nanoskills: MM/BM/TS for Heal-over-Time, MM/MC/TS for Grid Armor, TS/SI
for Movement buffs, MM/SI for Damage Boosts
* Tradeskills: Good
* Overall Difficulty: Medium
* Role: Mixed (Crowd Control, Support, Tank, Direct Damage, Solo)
This profession specializes in moving quickly. They have access to a special
form of the Grid which allows them to transport themselves virtually anywhere
in Rubi-Ka. Run speed, Heal over Time, and NCU buffs make for a well-rounded
profession which excels at missions and soloing. They also have the best
evades, including the highly coveted Grid Armor line of nanos that allow them
to become virtually untouchable in combat. Their nanoskills, however, are all
dark blue. Opifex is the breed of choice.
What you will love: Runspeed buffs. Heal Over Time. Fixer Grid. Submachineguns.
Meeps. Roots AND Snares.
What you will hate: Dark Blue Nano Skills. Runspeed/NCU/HoT Buff Beggars.
Submachineguns. Grid Armor will break your Piggy Bank (AKA Smurf Envy).
Martial Artist
--------------
The Hand-to-Hand Combat Masters, Kung-fu Ninja Monk fighters.
"Everybody was kung-fu fighting! Those cats were fast as lightning!
In fact it was a little bit fright'ning, But they fought with expert timing!"
- Carl Douglas (1974)
* Main Weapons: Martial Arts
* Alternate Weapons: 1-Handed Blunt, Piercing, Bow
* Main Nanoskills: BM/SI for Heals/Damage boosts, PM/TS/SI for Crit buffs
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Mixed (Direct Damage, Healer, Solo)
The best part of the Martial Artist is the fact that you can do lots of damage
without investing in a weapon; your hand-to-hand damage goes up as you put
more points into the Martial Arts skill. Martial Artists have decent self and
team one-shot heals, a variety of boosts for their attacks, and dish out a lot
of damage with little/no dependence on equipment. However, they generally
aren't very sturdy. Opifex makes for great Martial Artists, but Solitus and
Atrox work well, too. I highly recommend this profession for your first
character, as you will never have to spend money on finding a good weapon.
What you will love: Not having to buy any weapons. Martial Arts attacks. Crit
buffs. Spiffy outfits.
What you will hate: Noticing that weapons tend to do more damage.  Expectation
to be the healer despite mediocre heals. AND tank, too. Ranged Enemies.
Metaphysicist
-------------
The Meatball Persons. The Mocham's/Web buffers.
"I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky." - R Kelly (1996)
"See my pets? Yes, I have three of them."
"No, I don't have Composites. Sorry." - Selmah's logon.
* Main Weapons: Poor with all weapons, but 1 Handed Blunt is default
* Alternate Weapons: Bow, 2 Handed Edged, Pistol
* Main Nanoskills: All Nanoskills
* Tradeskills: Average
* Overall Difficulty: Hard
* Role: Support, Direct Damage
Metaphysicists are known for two things: Nanoskill Buffs and summoning Pets
(often called "Meatballs" or "Blimps"). They get three pets: Attack pet, Heal
pet, and "Mezz" pet. They are also one of two classes that eventually get the
gift of Flight, with the nano Quantum Wings (Who needs a Yalm anyway?). They
aren't too sturdy and aren't great with weapons, but with enough resources,
they are pretty self-reliant, capable of soloing most of the time.
What you will love: Quantum Wings. Self-reliance for nano-skill buffs. Your
Meatballs do everything for you except loot the chests.
What you will hate: Mocham's Buff Beggars (even if you can't cast them yet).
Short duration of pets. Running out of NCU all the time. Poor Weapon skills.
Composite Buff Beggars (You can't even CAST composites as a froob).
Nano Technician
---------------
The OTHER Glass Cannons, Kiters, Nukers.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" - Typical NT, running away from a horde of kited enemies
"We aren't surrounded. We're in a target-rich environment." - Dingzap, in ToTW
* Main Weapons: Poor with all weapons, but Pistol is default
* Alternate Weapons: Shotgun
* Main Nanoskills: MC for Nukes, MM/TS for Humidity Extractor
* Tradeskills: Average
* Overall Difficulty: Medium
* Role: Direct Damage
Nano Technicians are an almost pure caster class. They deal direct damage with
their huge amount of nano nukes, both on single targets and AoE. They also have
the unique nanoprogram "Humidity Extractor", one of the few ways to recover
nanopoints over time. They are very vulnerable in melee combat, but can deal
enormous amounts of damage.
What you will love: Wiping out a group of 20 monsters with your nukes. Nullity
Sphere literally makes you invulnerable.  Humidity Extractor (everyone loves a
nice Humidity Extractor).
What you will hate: You are squishiest squishy that has ever been squished.
Running out of nano DESPITE having Humidity Extractor. Layers are not equal to
heals. Fumbles and countered Nano-programs.
Soldier
-------
The Guy/Gal with the Big Gun.
"TMS up! Ack! TMS Down!" - typical Soldier in combat
"That's the sound you hear just before you drop dead... PEW PEW!" - Snarfblatt
* Main Weapons: Ranged Energy, Assault Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun
* Alternate Weapons: Any Ranged Weapon
* Main Nanoskills: MC/TS for Damage Shields, PM for Taunts
* Tradeskills: Poor
* Overall Difficulty: Easy
* Role: Tank, Direct Damage
Soldiers are best known as ranged attack specialists, but also do well as tanks,
due to their unique ability to create powerful reflect shields, both long-term
versions and a short term shield that blocks nearly all damage. They have a
variety of buffs for ranged weapons, and can do well with nearly any ranged
weapon in the game. If there is one thing that they lack, it is a solid heal,
so they tend to fare better in a team with good healing.
What you will love: TMS (Total Mirror Shield).  Full-Auto. Being part of the
"Holy Trinity" (both Tank AND Direct Damage). Big Guns. Having more ACs than
God.
What you will hate: One-More-Hit-Healing is your only self heal, and it's not
very good. When TMS runs out (uh oh). Running out of ammo ALL THE TIME. Hitting
for 0 bullets with Full Auto.
Trader
------
The Wranglers. The Lowbie PvP god. Riding Shotgun.
"So far, wrangling has not earned me anything, except a load of trouble, and
2/3rds of my customers who aren't even grateful. Do tell me that it's not like
this all the time, please." - GDB2222
"It's like this ALL THE TIME." - Hahnsoo
* Main Weapons: Shotgun
* Alternate Weapons: Pistol
* Main Nanoskills: PM/TS for Drains and Wrangles, SI for Calms, BM for Heals.
* Tradeskills: Good
* Overall Difficulty: Hard
* Role: Support
Traders are merchants who also happen to be quite good at shotguns, for some
reason. They have access to the special Trader shop, and have several key
Trader-only items. Their drains allow them to cast nanos and use weapons far
above their normal ability, while their wrangles are one of the most sought
after buffs in the game. They are one of the classes that excel at tradeskills,
and have several powerful tradeskill buffs. They even have decent heals and
calms, to boot.
What you will love: Drains. Equipping obscenely powerful weapons. Being feared
universally in low level PvP.  The Trader Shop (PROFIT!).  Tradeskills. Calms.
Computer Literacy buffs.
What you will hate: Wrangle buff-beggars (see Engineer). Being feared in low
level PvP means that NO ONE will fight you. Running out of nano/NCU all the
time. Your charms are worthless.  Fumbles and countered Drains. Aside from low
level PvP, no one knows what you DO exactly (see Bureaucrat).
Recommendations
---------------
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TAKE HOME MESSAGE                                                           |
| * It's easiest to start as Adventurer, Doctor, Enforcer, or Martial Artist. |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
I personally can recommend four professions for a starting character. These
professions, for one reason or another, are fairly easy to play.
* Adventurers
...are the "default" class recommended by Funcom and for a good reason. They
can do well with nearly any weapon, and they have an easy "set" of nanoskills
that overlap. All you have to do is keep raising MM/BM/SI and whatever
primary weapon skill that you want. Good heals and versatile weapon selection
are key to this profession.  Atrox does well in melee, while Opifex does well
with pistols, but you can't go wrong with Solitus either.
* Doctors
...are the best healers in the game. While you won't do well as a solo
character, you will be very popular in all teams that you come across, making
leveling an easy affair. Just keep raising MM/BM and TS, and you'll be set.
You may not even have to raise a weapon skill at all.  Solitus and Nanomage
are probably the usual choice for Doctors.
* Enforcers
...are the brutish damage dealers, and can take and dish out the punishment.
Just keep raising your weapon skill, and investing in enough nanoskills to
use your next Mongo, Challenger, Essence, or Damage Shield. Enforcers are
also highly sought after in parties, as they are the tanks.  Atrox is the
preferred breed for Enforcers.
* Martial Artist
...is my personal recommendation, as you will never have to invest your early
(and low) credit supply on a weapon. Raise your evades and your Martial Arts
skill as high as you can and raise BM/SI for your heals and damage nanos.
Atrox, Solitus, and Opifex all do well with the Martial Artist profession.
Note that these aren't recommended characters for all players. These profession
recommendations are for starting players, to get used to the game and to have
an easier experience in the early levels. All of the professions are viable for
the experienced player.
==============================
= IP/Leveling Guide (aong03) =
==============================
Anarchy Online is really a skill-based system masquerading as a level-based
system. In other words, your abilities are not automatically improved as you
level up. Instead, at each level, you are given a set amount of Improvement
Points or IP that you are free to spend on any abilities or skills. These
abilities and skills are capped at each level, preventing you from spending
too much on any single ability or skill too soon.
Each ability and skill costs a certain amount of IP per point, and this is on
a linearly-increasing scale. For example, if you pay 10 IP for a point in X
skill, you might have to pay 12 IP for the next point, 14 IP for the next
point after that, etc. Abilities and skills marked in Green are the easiest
to increase and cost less IP, and they have higher maximums per level.  Skills
and abilities marked in Dark Blue are the most difficult to increase and cost
much more IP per point. Light Blue/Teal skills are average to increase. The
color scale for skills is determined by your profession, while the color scale
for your abilities is determined by your breed.
A full list of the IP multipliers can be found here (1 = cheap, 4 = costly):
^ http://www.aofroobs.com/skillchart.htm
Levels, by some sort of bizarre social custom inherent in most MMORPGs, are
also called "Dings", probably because of the "Ding!" noise that happens when
you achieve another level.  Usually, people announce when they gain a level in
team or org chat with "Ding!" or "Ding (insert your new level here)", to which
the rest of the group mildly applauds and says "Gratz" (or "Congratulations",
if they are actually literate).
What to do when you've leveled
==============================
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TAKE HOME MESSAGE                                                           |
| * Keep your Abilities high. You will need at least two maxed for armor.     |
| * Max out Body Dev every level. It translates directly into Health.         |
| * Max out only one primary weapon skill and stick with it.                  |
| * As a new player, max out Computer Literacy and Treatment.                 |
| * Upgrade Map Navigation only up to 130. Caution: Map Nav cannot be reset.  |
| * Do NOT train Vehicle: Ground, Vehicle: Water, Adventuring, or Swimming.   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
This section is sorted according to the same order as the "tabs" on your
character development screen.
Abilities
---------
* Strength
* Agility
* Stamina
* Intelligence
* Sense
* Psychic
Also known as "stats" or "attributes", these are the primary abilities of your
character. It is recommended that for your first few levels (up to level 10),
you spend as many points as you possibly can on ALL of these. After level 10
(or whenever you'd like), it is generally acceptable to spend less on the
abilities you don't use much and max out spending on the abilities that you
are actively using.
Points put into Abilities "trickle down" to your skills, raising the linked
skills by a small, but significant, amount. Abilities are also the main
requirements for equipping almost all of the armor in the game. Abilities are
also used as one of the requirements for equipping implants.  Finally, the
maximum points that you can put into a skill is limited by its base abilities.
Here is an overview of the Abilities in the game:
= Physical Abilities =
* Strength is generally required for a lot of "heavy" armors, including Tank
Armor (backslot armor strong against the common damage types).  It is also
required for many Melee Weapons and Martial Arts.  Most melee combatants
invest heavily into Strength.  Left and Right Arm implants are often based
on Strength.
* Stamina is required as the major trickledown for Body Dev, which determines
your maximum Health.  All characters will need some amount of Stamina, and
front-line combatants may want to max this out.  Stamina is also used for
Melee Weapons and a handful of other skills in combination with Strength.
Leg, Chest, and Waist implants are often based on Stamina.
* Agility is possibly the most versatile "physical" ability, with trickledown
to many Melee and Ranged skills, as well as the Speed tab. Agility is also
the ability that supports the most implants, as nearly every implant slot
has a configuration that requires Agility. It is recommended that you keep
this high or maxed out on all characters.  Agility is the ONLY physical
ability that can be a requirement for Head, Eye, and Ear implants (which
often have a mental ability requirement).
= Mental Abilities =
* Intelligence is the major trickledown to all of the nanoskills and many
Tradeskills (including Computer Literacy). Thus, it is a good bet to keep
this ability high or maxed out, especially if you focus on nano-casting.
* Sense is the one of the two main trickledowns for most Ranged skills as
well as most of the Speed tab. It is important for professions based on
evades or Ranged weapons, but not as important in nano-caster professions.
Many implants are also based on Sense.
* Psychic is the major trickledown for Nano Pool, and thus it is important
for nano-casters.  Psychic is also a trickledown for Martial Arts.
If you have trouble selecting which Abilities to focus on, you can use the
following guidelines:
* If you press U or click on the button that opens your character sheet, you
will see a list of skills.  Left Click on any of the skills to see, in the
description, which abilities are linked to the skill. Left Click on your
primary weapon skill, and focus on those abilities to make sure that your
main weapon skill is always maxed out, especially if you are a primary
melee or ranged combatant.
* If you aren't focused on weapons, another good gauge of what abilities to
raise is the kind of armor you would like to wear. For example, almost all
Tank Armor backslot items are based on Strength and Stamina.
* Agility and Intelligence are almost always a good investment, since Agility
trickles down into so many skills and Intelligence trickles down to all of
your Nano Skills and Computer Literacy.
* No points spent in abilities are wasted, so don't worry about screwing it
up. You may slow down your nanoskill and weapon skill development a bit if
you focus too heavily on Abilities (especially before level 100), but the
points put into your abilities will help you in the long run, and when you
reach level 175 or so, all of them will probably be "maxed out".
* Even if you invest too much in your Abilities, you can simply level up again
and use less (or no) IP in them during your next level.
It is important to note that the only way to reset your Abilities is to use
the full IP reset ("Reset All Skills") option.  Thus, changes to your Abilities
are practically permanent.  Fortunately, IP invested in your Abilities is never
wasted, as all of them will be "maxed out" higher levels.  Each breed has a
different maximum for each ability, known as "breed caps".  Most players will
hit breed caps for all of their abilities between level 150-170.
Early on, IP spending is difficult because you are given so few IP per level.
If you max out all your Abilities every level, however, you will not have IP to
spend on the rest of your skills. I recommend spending 20% to 30% of your IP in
your Abilities per level. Typically, what this means is keeping 2-3 of your
Abilities maxed out, having another 1-2 of your abilities at around 50-75%, and
one ability in the sinkhole from 25-50%. A popular choice for Ranged combatants
and nano-casters to pooch is Strength, as it is basically only useful for melee
skills and certain types of armor geared toward melee fighters. A popular choice
for professions that aren't nano casters to pooch is Psychic, as it is only
necessary for certain nano-casting buffing items and for Nano Pool.
For some ideas on early IP spending for Abilities, check the Profession Tips
section at (aong10).
Body skills
-----------
* Martial Arts
* Brawling
* Dimach
* Riposte
* Adventuring
* Swimming
* Body Dev.
* Nano Pool
Body Development determines your Health, and thus it is imperative to keep
this maxed at all times. Every little bit in Body Development helps. Pet
professions may be able to get away with less Body Development, but I typically
max this out on all of my characters.
Martial Arts is the primary skill of the Martial Artist profession, and for
anyone who uses unarmed combat as their main attack.  It has the singular
advantage of upgrading your damage and attack rating based on your skill alone,
but it is expensive to raise for most classes and it doesn't give much bonus
other than the damage.  The Martial Artist profession have a bonus to their