Completely new to this game; is there a "Beginner FAQ" type deal?

[Skuli]

All I know is I'm supposed to find iron ore, and I keep getting killed by a.. level 4 something or other out near some sort of debris field.

 

Can anyone point me to a good new player guide?  I have looked over the forums and couldn't find anything.

[Terrell [BT]]

If you're supposed to find iron ore, you're one of the 3 exploration classes.  If I remember the training missions correctly you're a JE so you should be in Io sector, near the Nishino Research Facility.  You should stay in Io until you finish your training missions.  The first mission to find iron ore shouldn't have L4 mobs near you.  There should be abandoned drones & haywires, which if I recall correctly, should be CL0 - CL2. 

 

You should be able to find appropriate asteroids near Refuse Area.  When you get there, press X on your keyboard.  That should target the nearest asteroid (works for other items as well but not mobs).  In your targeting window (bottom right) you should see the asteroid.  Move toward it by turning your ship using the arrow keys, then use A to thrust forward, or Z to go backwards. 

 

Above the asteroid in your targeting window should be a pickaxe icon.  If you're too far for your prospect skill, the icon will be greyed out, and will change color when you're close enough.  When you're close enough (your prospect skill will say how close you need to be in it's description), click on that icon.  It will open a window, click on an item in the window that opens, your ship will mine that item & tractor it in.  You will then receive the item you mined and some explore experience for mining it.  If there's anything left in the asteroid mine it too, it will also give you explore XP, and emptying the asteroid completely will also give you a small XP bonus.

 

When you've mined the amount of Iron ore the NPC asked you to mine, return to him and talk.

[Skuli]

OK, cool.  I'm not sure how I ended up in a level 4 area, I am mining uranium/lead from the asteroids so far.

 

I accepted the mission and just hopped back into my spaceship and ended up out in Io; maybe there's a different exit I need to use to get to the newbie instance or something, I"ll keep looking around. 

[Terrell [BT]]

The newbie areas are class restricted.  Only the class that learns there can go.  You can go back to your training area at any time, regardless of whether you're L0, L150, or anywhere in between.

 

If you're in Io you're in the training area for the Jenquai Explorer (JE).  If you are not a JE then my advice was faulty and you need to go to the correct training sector for your class.

 

Each training sector has 2 gates for entry/exit to other sectors or systems.  Depending on which type of explorer you are, your training sectors are as follows:

 

Terran Scout: Equatorial Earth

Progen Sentinel: Mars Beta

Jenquai Explorer: Io 

 

From Equatorial Earth you can go through gates to Earth or Alpha Centauri.  From Io you can go through gates to either Jupiter or Capella.  From Mars Beta you can go to either Mars or Gallina.

 

Basically there are gates to go to each possible area.  If you see a gate in your targeting window it should have an icon just above the upper right corner of the window.  If there's no icon there, then you can't go through that gate.  Reasons that you can't go through that gate may be faction, it's the training area for another class, or the gate is not open for whatever reason.

[Terrell [BT]]

Another important thing is that each race favors a particular weapon, and you don't have enough skill points prior to 150 to level all of them up without sacrificing key skills.  For a Terran you will always want to max Missile Weapon, for a Progen you always want to max Projectile Weapon, for a Jenquai you'll always want to max Beam Weapon.

 

For any explorer regardless of race you want to max Prospect & Jumpstart.  For equipment you want to max Reactors & Shields.  You also as a bare minimum want your devices to at least L7, though I'd recommend L8 or L9.  Don't forget to raise your engine tech as well though the other equipment is higher in priority.  You'll get hull upgrades at OL10, 30, 50, 75, 100, and 135.  You will have to talk to an NPC and do a mission to get them, who you need to speak too will be in your mission log.  Hull Upgrades make your hull stronger, increase your cargo capacity by 2, and get either an additional weapon or device slot.

[Skuli]

Well I figured it out for the most part; not just ANY debris field will do, I needed to cycle through targets until I found a specific waypoint/marker, and travel close enough to IT to trigger Quest Step 2, which was the actual iron ore mining.  I still got killed but at least I was killed while in the actual right area, which is a start.

 

So far this game seems like it could be a lot of fun.  Is there any here for a joystick?  It appears combat is more typical "stand and shoot" but perhaps exploring and whatnot could benefit from my x52...

[Terrell [BT]]

The game does not offer joystick support.  Depending on your race and class there are tactics you can use to get the best out of your character. 

 

When you're playing solo do the following. For Terrans use missiles, keep your distance.  You don't have to face your target when using missiles.  Spend skill points on increasing missile weapon to the max available.  Ignore raising other weapon types.

 

For Progen use Projectiles, Progen are tougher than Terrans or Jenquai of the same profession.  You must face your target when using Projectiles or Beams.  Spend skill points on increasing Projectile Weapon to the max level available.  Ignore raising the other weapon types.

 

For Jenquai use Beams.  With beams you must face your target to shoot it, also beams have damage penalties if used beyond 50% of the beam's range.  Keep your signature as low as possible via equipment choices.  Use your cloaking skill to sneak up on your enemies.  Get Cloak to L5 as soon as you can, this requires Explore level 25.  Put at least 3 points into Fold Space.  L3 Teleport Enemy sends your enemy away from your ship in the direction you're facing.  Enemy must be targeted for this to be done.

 

Regardless of your race & class, spend skill points on Reactor Tech & Shield Tech as soon as new levels become available and you have sufficient skill points. You also want to level up your Device Tech & your Engine Tech.  Engine Tech takes the lowest priority among the types of equipment, but don't neglect it.

 

On the Net-7 Portal there are character planners to help you out.  After you log in, look to the left of the screen and click on your character's name.  This will show you what your character currently looks like in terms of skills.  At the bottom click on Open Planner.  It will show what you've spent skill points on, and allow decide how you want to spend skill points. 

 

There are tabs above to look at other aspects of your character(s).  These include:

1. Friends (who is on your friend's list)
2. Signatures (ability to make forum signatures for each of your characters)
3. Factions (who likes or hates you & how much)
4. Ship (what you currently have equipped on your ship)
5. Inventory (what is currently in your possession)
6. Mission Log (current missions & completed ones)
7. Item Claim (allows you to pick up items mailed to you by other players)
8. Mail (players can use the N7.org site to mail other players messages)

Faction is important, as it points out how people feel about you.  If you are targeting something or someone who belongs to a specific faction, their faction will be listed below the picture of their ship.  If your standing is between -1999 and +1999 you are neutral to the mob in question, it will leave you alone so long as you do the same for it.  Faction +2000 or greater means that faction likes you, faction -2000 or worse, means that the mob in question hates you enough to shoot on sight.  Whether or not said mob shoots at you depends on whether or not it can see you, and the mobs aggression stat, if you're fighting it's buddies, it's altruism (it's willingness to help others of it's kind) stat may affect it's behavior as well.  Aggression & altruism stats are not shown, you have to observe how the mobs behave.

 

Mobs that are not factioned will respond to you based on whether or not said mob is inherently neutral, or inherently hostile, as well as if it can see you, and it's aggressiveness stats.  It's altruism stat will determine whether or not it will help it's "friends" if you are fighting another mob, and if so to what degree.  Mobs that have a yellow icon generally won't bother you if unless you bother them, or they're told by another mob to attack you.