Alter Aeon FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

FAQ Section 4 - Improving your character

Question  4.1  - How do I level, and how should I level?

To level, you need to gain experience.  Once you have enough experience,
you can use the 'level' command to pick which class you want to level.

If you don't use the level command, you'll just keep saving up experience
and never advance your character.  Remember to check it occasionally!

The best advice for leveling is this:  always level your cheapest class.
If there's a tie, pick the class you like more, because whenever you
break a tie between two levels that are the same, the cost of the other
classes will go up.

Don't try to level like this:  [ 0  0  0 27  0  0] - this is stupid.
Don't try to level like this:  [ 2  2  2  2  2  2] - this is stupid.

If you take our advice for leveling, you will level like this:

[25 20 15 10  5] - this is good.

Question  4.2  - Where do I level?

To level, use the 'level' command.  You can level in any of your classes
at any time, even while in a dungeon far away from a town.

Keep in mind that a trainer may be required to learn spells and skills.
For levels up to 15, the trainers on the island of Sloe can teach you
everything you need to know.  There are trainers including Kamrah and
Stiboli in the newbie encampment, as well as several trainers in
the city of Vemarken.

For mid level players, higher level trainers may be found on the islands
of Kordan and Archais.  Use the 'where' command while in cities to
look for trainers, shops, and other places of interest.

For higher levels up to 30, the best guildmasters are in the major cities
on the mainland.  Both Ralnoth and Diagaku-Tatami boast high level teachers
and guilds.

For levels above 30, you must find individual trainers on your own.

Question  4.3  - Why don't I automatically gain levels?

Here at Alter Aeon, you can gain levels and become more skilled in several
classes.  As a result, you need to specify which class you wish to level.

Question  4.4  - How do I get experience?

You can get experience in a huge number of ways.  At low levels, the
easiest way is to simply fight monsters.  At higher levels, you'll find
other ways of gaining expeience that better suit your character.

Here are a few of the most common ways players can gain experience:

- fighting monsters
- using skills
- improving at spells and skills
- spellcasting
- being a group leader
- completing quests
- stealing or shoplifting

There are a lot of other ways to gain experience, some of them dependent
on which spells or skills you get.  No matter which class you pick, you'll
find ways to gain experience that suit you.

Question  4.5  - Where is the best place for me to get experience?

The answer to this question is very dependent on your skill level as
a player, the type of character that you have, and how you have
trained your character.

In short, there is no 'best place'.  We do recommend that you stay
away from areas that are too high level for you - it is better to kill
a number of small monsters or do quests that you can actually complete
than to waste time trying to perform one very difficult task.

It's also a good idea to move out of areas which pose no challenge to
you.  The easier an area gets for you, the less experience you'll be
able to get from it.

Question  4.6  - What is a practice?

Practices are used to buy spells and skills, and also to train/raise your
stats.  You get 5 practices per level, and at higher levels you can buy
practices directly with experience.  You can also buy practices with
credits, which is a good way to get rid of spare credits if you have any.

Question  4.7  - What are stats?

Your stats are usually considered your six main character attributes:

Strength, dexterity, intelligence, wisdom, constitution, and charisma.

By raising these stats, you may gain access to other abilities, make
your character less likely to be attacked, or become a better fighter.

Question  4.8  - Is there a maximum amount I can train my stats?

Yes.  The six stats, such as intelligence, wisdom, and strength, can only
be trained to a maximum of 10 less than the maximum level allowed.
For example, if the highest player level is 37, the maximum you can train
stats to is 37 - 10 = 27.

It is possible to temporarily boost your stats higher than 27 through
the use of magical items or spells.

Question  4.9  - What stats are most important to train first?

As a general rule of thumb, it's usually not a good idea to dump all of
your practices into just one or two stats unless you already have a lot
of experience playing the game.  Alter Aeon is a multiclass game, so
having all of your stats reasonably high will allow you to make use of
any spells or skills you get from other classes.

If you are a mage or necromancer, you will want a high intelligence.
Wisdom can usually be 2-4 points below your intelligence.

If you are a cleric, you will want a high wisdom.  Charisma can
usually be 2-4 points below your wisdom.

If you are a fighter or thief, strength is required to wield your weapons.
If your dexterity is too low, your attacks simply become less effective,
but you can still fight.  If your strength is too low, you can NOT use
your weapon at all.

It's generally a good idea to keep a dozen or so practices around if
you're not sure, so that you can raise a problem stat as soon as you
discover a problem instead of having to wait.

(Advanced players - there's no need to raise certain stats first to get
a leveling boost.  You can raise stats in any order, it won't affect
your character's final stats.)

Question  4.10 - How and where can I learn spells and skills?

Nearly all villages and towns have guildmasters or experienced people
willing to teach spells and skills.  There are also occasional teachers
that may be found living in isolation, and it is also possible to learn
some material using spellbooks or summoned demons.

To locate teachers for a given spell or skill, you can use the
'spell find' and 'skill find' commands.

Unfortunately, the more dangerous high level spells are seldom taught
by well known guildmasters.  Higher levels skills and spells must often
be found individually, usually through captured spellbooks or the rare
trainers willing to pass their skills on to the next generation.

Question  4.11 - Is there a maximum amount I can learn spells and skills?

Yes. Typically, guildmasters will be able to teach you the basics of a
skill or spell, but it will take extensive use and practice to truly
master it.  Skills and spells will improve through use over time.

Question  4.12 - What spells/skills do I want or need first?

Generally, the class you pick will set you on the path to get spells
and skills for that class.  At low levels, the number of spells and
skills you can get is limited, so you may even be able to get all of
them for the first few levels.

Some good rules of thumb:

Mages - get at least one good combat spell that you're comfortable with.
Clerics - get at least one healing and one harming spell.
Thieves - learn dodge, then get combat skills and stealing skills.
Warriors - fighting skills, naturally, but above all, learn parry.
Necromancers - learn the minion spells and skills.  Minions rule.

Question  4.13 - What skills and spells are important for all players?

None of these are strictly necessary, but the dodge, parry, and sneak
skills aid tremendously when exploring and in combat.  Nearly all
characters have these skills by the time they hit level 20.

Healing spells from the cleric class are also very useful.

Question  4.14 - How do I increase my mana regen?

Several things affect mana regen, including intelligence, wisdom,
age, and your levels.  However, the easiest and most effective way
to increase your general mana regen is to find equipment with the
MANA_REGEN effect on it.  For example:

Affects:  MANA_REGEN by 3

You can often find equipment like this in shops, but it can also be
found naturally in areas as you progress through the game.

Question  4.15 - How do I increase my cast or skill level?

You can either gain levels in the appropriate class, or find equipment
with SKILL_LEVEL or CAST_LEVEL on it.  For example:

Affects:  MAGE_CAST_LEVEL by 1

or 

Affects:  THIEF_SKILL_LEVEL by 1

You can often find equipment like this in shops, but it can also be
found naturally in areas as you progress through the game.

Question  4.16 - What god is best to follow?

All gods have positives and negatives, but there is no best.  Ask around
and find a god that seems to match the personality of your character.
You don't really need a god until somewhere between level 10 and level
20, and you can always switch gods later.