My first Action RPG game, any rules of thumb?

So with the release of D3 I was introduced to the Action RPG genre, and I seem very interested in what it offers but hesitated to get Diablo 3 due to the numerous complaints. I'm really glad I found this, good job GGG!

So as a total noob to ARPGs, are there any rules of thumb I should know about?

Thank You!

Don't refer to Diablo 3 in global chat.
Be friendly.

Basically about it; D3 in global chat gets really annoying, try not to talk about it or continue conversations related to it. Other than that, go wild.

This might seem counter-intuitive right now, and certainly strange coming from a forum moderator who clearly cares a lot about the game, but if you're totally new to ARPGs, I strongly recommend you give Titan Quest and Torchlight a look first.

While I have known some people to play Path of Exile as their first ARPG, I wouldn't suggest to someone who hasn't at least played established genre staples such as Titan Quest and Torchlight.

What you'll learn playing those two is so much more about the ARPG basics (and even some advanced stuff) than any of us can tell you in a single post, I think.

If you really want to try PoE now though, there's the FAQ at the top of this page (or in my signature, whichever you prefer, it's the same thing) for starters. It explains a few things like the skill 'tree' and a bit about skill gems. It's mostly for people who have already played a bit and have...a Question, which is likely to be one Frequently Asked.

There's my advice, though: try a few established, tried-and-true, polished ARPGs before leaping into this Closed Beta.

"

Charan escreveu:

There's my advice, though: try a few established, tried-and-true, polished ARPGs before leaping into this Closed Beta.

^^ A great, albeit unorthodox suggestion.

I would suggest that whether you decide to play the ARPGs Charan recommended or if you'd prefer to dive right into this one. Just understand that there's a good amount of learning that'll be going on before you finally "get it"/know how to play your characters somewhat well, how skills/spells and certain items work together, etc so don't be afraid to experiment. The learning is actually fun though!! :)

And unless you've done extensive, extensive research on the game before playing and have lots of experience playing other ARPGS, then the first few characters you make won't be built perfectly no matter what so don't feel bad if you put some points in things that you find later on in the game to be not very good. That's part of the learning process and you can either reroll a character (i.e. make a new character and relevel it again) or in this game, you can use respec points you earned from quests or use items called Orbs of Regret to get your points back to reallocate. You'll know what I mean once you start playing this game or the ones Charan recommended.

I agree, torchlight 1 is a great experience for starters.

Ahem...

Kill things.
Acquire loot.
Kill bigger things.

I don't agree you have to play other ARPGs first. I think the earlier you start learning the intricacies of PoE, the better player you'll be when release hits.

That said, you're going to be challenged, but don't worry... It's not impossible by any stretch of the imagination.

Here are my tips for your first playthrough:


1- For the first time, keep your creativity to the minimum. I insist only for the first time. PoE is a game in which you're encouraged to be creative and that's the most exciting thing to do, but if it's your first time playing, stick to a tested build (lurk the forums for one) and build a competitive, powerful character to cruise through the game with relative ease. This means you'll have enough loot and game experience to start your own projects without hitting a brick wall.

2- Take some time to read. Stickies, guides, every resource counts. PoE is not a game you can blindly walk into, and I think most of the challenges have more to do with understanding PoE's complexity than with the genre itself.

3- If you insist on playing other games before, I'd actually suggest Diablo 2 rather than TQ or Torchlight. It's got many more similarities. But again, I don't think this is necessary.


EDIT: I doubt it's linked anywhere so here is my newbie's guide to loot. It will help you avoiding loot mistakes in the beginning.

http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/36975

I also don't agree with Charan. Those games are way inferior to PoE and you should not waste your time with them.

My advice is do your best and if you die don't get angry, that is normal for newbies (I died so many times in D1 :D).
Also try to approach problems in another way, not only through brute force.
And don't be afraid to ask people (both in chat and in forums) for specific advice.

If your not looking to spend much dosh on other games right now, I would just dive into the game. Given all characters are getting wiped at open beta there is no real reaosn not to. If you play badly you die and try again. If you stuff up your skill tree, it gets wiped in a few weeks anyway.

Have fun!

Oh and what the first guy said

If you mention diablo 3 in global chat PEOPLES HEADS WILL EXPLODE and it generally ends in tears.