Hey so there's heaps of material for new players and everyone has been super helpful towards me, but I feel like one thing that we could do to further smooth the learning curve is to maybe have a "learn PK guide" on the wiki or something. I know it takes a lot of work and I'll def help once I get better but here's the idea anyway.
- First just explaining why it's a good idea to learn on abs, (trolloc abs maybe since the reeq is ez if someone online to help with sk)
- Second giving explanations as to pk terms - for example "bashed" means he's bashed, but I didn't know at the beginning if that was I'm bashed or he's bashed or what. Lots of terms like that I guess? Like "I'm off" meaning I'm gonna flee right? Off meaning lets gtfo. I know it's self explanataryish but some of them can be taken more than one way so easy to just conferm em all for the new guy.
- Third maps with the most common PK zone maps - so like Blight, Gap, Stedding etc etc, maybe some around caem since (at least for me) caem was where I kinda hang out and maybe other new players will be there too - plus it's pretty active pk. So these maps ideally would have patties and points of interest marked (like here's goat, here's downer etc etc). People have helped me out heaps and showed me around but to save them putting in the effort for every new guy, having it as a resource would be super sweet. Then new players can listen on nar's and join up.
- 4th explaining what each role is and each weapon type specializes in. Maybe give an outline of how to play each and a more in depth for abs/bash so that they can use that. For example just letting people know "rogues with daggers tend to stab so turn notice on and blahblah"
Anyway this was just an idea, I dunno if it's worth the effort or not but eh I feel like this would make PK more accessable quickly for new guys/girls. Maybe instead of it's own page some of it can be added to seperate pages like th emaps pages or something. I dunno. Maybe it's not worth the effort. Just seeing what people think.
PK guide
Re: PK guide
We've had many of these guides over the years but they keep getting deleted when we switch forums. There could be one around here. I'm honestly too lazy to look for it now.
There is a need though, I agree, and maybe people like Weir (who wrote extensively to help newbies in the past) have saved their comments from different boards. I remember a really old one from Dalanar's boards (I think quillian/joxter wrote it) basically going through the block spots and points of interest from 2n stout (or BR fade; I forget) to Oakdoor. Very helpful to someone starting out pking up north.
In-fighting lingo, like you mentioned, is also very different. Some people who lead pk will call regroup spots both in advance and during a fight "If we lose, go cul". Some will even call dlines or predict scenario "We'll hit, once we lose go 1d downer". Some will not and then get agitated when players don't regroup. Others will flee from group fights without letting the group know why and call a regroup after they've reached it.
Good leaders can say simple things like "Brb" in a fight at which point it's understood that he/she is making a tactical adjustment and not saving their ass by fleeing first. This encourages morale, especially when you have dodgers in your group. With damage output being what it is with channelers and everyone being a master, this one is kind of important in my opinion.
Stick to the good leaders is what I would tell new players. They will educate and assist without berating. There are plenty to follow. If you happen to follow a bad one, just make sure you're not the last to flee.
There is a need though, I agree, and maybe people like Weir (who wrote extensively to help newbies in the past) have saved their comments from different boards. I remember a really old one from Dalanar's boards (I think quillian/joxter wrote it) basically going through the block spots and points of interest from 2n stout (or BR fade; I forget) to Oakdoor. Very helpful to someone starting out pking up north.
In-fighting lingo, like you mentioned, is also very different. Some people who lead pk will call regroup spots both in advance and during a fight "If we lose, go cul". Some will even call dlines or predict scenario "We'll hit, once we lose go 1d downer". Some will not and then get agitated when players don't regroup. Others will flee from group fights without letting the group know why and call a regroup after they've reached it.
Good leaders can say simple things like "Brb" in a fight at which point it's understood that he/she is making a tactical adjustment and not saving their ass by fleeing first. This encourages morale, especially when you have dodgers in your group. With damage output being what it is with channelers and everyone being a master, this one is kind of important in my opinion.
Stick to the good leaders is what I would tell new players. They will educate and assist without berating. There are plenty to follow. If you happen to follow a bad one, just make sure you're not the last to flee.
Re: PK guide
learn your zones, anticipate what the enemy will do, counteract them, and don't be afraid to die. Everything will come. 
emphasis on learning zones first.
emphasis on learning zones first.Re: PK guide
example: if i tell you to meet me ragan spot gap, and we're orch well, you better be able to race me there. so learning key landmarks and the spams to and from make a big difference. It'll become second nature eventually.
Re: PK guide
Hey I didn't know that Enok, it's a pity they were lost!
Micha that's kinda why I ment it was a pretty good idea to have maps and stuff for new players to be able to learn where well is for example. I know it'll come, it's more an idea so that older players don't have to spend time showing new players like me and then all the others that hopefully come after me. Just makes it more accessible for people with less work for older players I guess. Saves you running around the zones like "Here is well, here is heart, here is ent, here is downer" etc and them forgetting 30 times. Maybe too much work to make it all again though! It's just something that would have/would help me that I wondered if anyone else thought was a good idea. Maybe I'll work on it when I get better! :p
Micha that's kinda why I ment it was a pretty good idea to have maps and stuff for new players to be able to learn where well is for example. I know it'll come, it's more an idea so that older players don't have to spend time showing new players like me and then all the others that hopefully come after me. Just makes it more accessible for people with less work for older players I guess. Saves you running around the zones like "Here is well, here is heart, here is ent, here is downer" etc and them forgetting 30 times. Maybe too much work to make it all again though! It's just something that would have/would help me that I wondered if anyone else thought was a good idea. Maybe I'll work on it when I get better! :p
Re: PK guide
If you have any zone in particular you'd like to have zone call outs for, let me know and I can write them up for you. It will be on you to go highlight them on your map or write them down, but I can write out callouts for Andor with spams if that is the zone you were most interested in.
As someone mentioned zone knowledge is the key to both getting kills and surviving, my advice would be to walk through a zone and try to memorize the spams from different choke/call out spots. For example in Andor zone, learn the exact spams from Roland entrance, the W E N exit on Caemlyn road that enters Roland zone, to 4K junction. Then start running those spams everytime you move through Andor, so it becomes second nature. After you have the spams memorized, its always good to start knowing the layout of the zone so you always know which direction to Double-line or if to double-line at all, having a map open in your client for this is super helpful, but don't rely on it too much, just use it to have a visual of how the zone looks. I find most people die because they flee back into the room into a rolling bash/weave etc. So knowing your zone layout is super important.
As someone mentioned zone knowledge is the key to both getting kills and surviving, my advice would be to walk through a zone and try to memorize the spams from different choke/call out spots. For example in Andor zone, learn the exact spams from Roland entrance, the W E N exit on Caemlyn road that enters Roland zone, to 4K junction. Then start running those spams everytime you move through Andor, so it becomes second nature. After you have the spams memorized, its always good to start knowing the layout of the zone so you always know which direction to Double-line or if to double-line at all, having a map open in your client for this is super helpful, but don't rely on it too much, just use it to have a visual of how the zone looks. I find most people die because they flee back into the room into a rolling bash/weave etc. So knowing your zone layout is super important.
Re: PK guide
Hey that's great advice thanks!
Yeah I hate to come across like "Make this stuff for me". I just figure people are putting so much effort into helping me it would be awesome if we could note it down. I think I'll make myself useful and try to make my own notes and then upload them so that saves a bit of work for people who actually are good - they can just make sure they're not wrong. Also can try to save what other people give me. I feel like then you guys won't get the same questions over and over ahaha
Yeah I hate to come across like "Make this stuff for me". I just figure people are putting so much effort into helping me it would be awesome if we could note it down. I think I'll make myself useful and try to make my own notes and then upload them so that saves a bit of work for people who actually are good - they can just make sure they're not wrong. Also can try to save what other people give me. I feel like then you guys won't get the same questions over and over ahaha
Re: PK guide
I did this for some of the zones I learned and am planning to do it for a new set of zones I'm learning - basically ask someone (like Samara) for all the main spams and choke points, then print out the map of the zone from Wiki, or just hand draw it (ideally on graph paper) and mark out those main points, and then basically run the exact spam every time you move through the zone.
Bonus: afterwards, you can tell Samara just how badly off her spams are!
Bonus: afterwards, you can tell Samara just how badly off her spams are!
Re: PK guide
I wouldn't worry about it, especially on forums. We can all just ignore you if it seems like a hassle. But most of us want more active PKers and are happy to help out to make that happen.Skurk wrote:Yeah I hate to come across like "Make this stuff for me". I just figure people are putting so much effort into helping me it would be awesome if we could note it down.