Acquiring equipment

For low-level Fighters, get the weapon you want before you get the armor you want. Armor is more important as you progress in level.

Buy the first weapon, quest your second. Buy the 768a weapon in your category from the store in your starting town, but don't bother with the 25k weapon, because there is an equivalent weapon available through a quest at Level 10. Do not buy this weapon from players — quest it yourself. Purchase the 66k and higher weapons from players as you get the money.

You should perform all of the weapon and armor quests available to you for your race and profession. If you don't want to spend time questing for it, then you can resort to adena — but realize that you're missing out on whatever XP you would have earned while questing.

A twinked Fighter can reach Level 20 in about 8 hours if lent a full set of bronze armor and the best ungraded sword, plenty of Heal Potions, and a ton of Soulshots.

If money is not a problem, running a new character up is amazingly fast. The "XP grind" is worst for your first character. After you've leveled up a character, future characters can benefit from the first character's inventory (if they can physically visit the same areas).

Until you reach Level 10 and can take on a weapon quest, fight with your starter weapon. Fighters may also find it beneficial to pick up a Short Bow and some Wooden Arrows — this boosts your attack ability because you can get in additional shots before melee combat.

Always try to kill red player characters. You won't be penalized, and they have the best drops of any "mob" in the game! Any PvP character who dies drops something.

You can right-click on weapons, armor and clothing in your inventory window to quickly equip them. (Putting them on your keyboard shortcut bar is better.)

Bows consume MP, even for non-Power Shot attacks. This effect consistently curves upward as you upgrade your bow. (The MP cost for each bow is listed in Equipment.)

Don't think that just because you're a Mystic, or an archer, that you can't use heavy-duty swords and other weapons. You can use any weapon, no matter what your class — but you may not be able to learn skills particular to that type of weapon.

Pick a weapon class concentration based on what you enjoy doing in the game. Fighting other players? You'll probably want two-handed sword skills to overcome their shields. Like pulling mobs? You'll probably want bow skills. Hunting skeletons and golems? Blunt weapons or staffs are your best bet.

Dual-wield weapons hit twice per round, but do only half-damage per hit.

The very large number in your character status screen represents your maximum encumbrance, or maximum weight you can carry. You don't really have to worry much at lower levels, but if you are carrying too much, then you may regenerate MP and HP more slowly, and you won't be able to run as fast. If you are completely encumbered, you're as good as dead until you drop something — you can't move, and you won't regain MP and HP.