Andor's Trail Character, Skill and Grinding tips
Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 8:30 am
Reading through Gaya's current thread http://andorstrail.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5518 gave me the idea that maybe a new thread is needed for tips. I know recently my discussion on the disparity of weapon use http://andorstrail.com/viewtopic.php?f= ... 2&start=10 made me change direction completely (Thank you, Tomcat & RiJackson741) with what I planned to do with 2 skill points I had saved and the direction I had planned on taking.
That said, Throw out your basic character, skill or grinding tips that would help new players... and because of the subject description, google hits should bring people here.
_____________________________________________________ Skill Point choices, levels 1-20
One of the biggest tips I can throw out is saving skill points for when they really will help. Don't be in a hurry to drop them into a useful skill immediately. Let me give the greatest example --- your first 5 skill points. Most people will run towards damage / Armor or blocking boosts. But if you save your first skill point for only one more level, you gain one of the greatest bonuses you can get in the game: Increased fortitude.
It may not seem like much early on, +1 to health per character level, but it adds up dramatically over time and eliminates the need to add +5 to health as one of your level picks. I currently have a level 54 character, with Increased fortitude +2..... and I've only used two +5 health picks.... and this beast has 132 health.
If your first pick goes to Increased fortitude at level 5 --- the obvious companion is Regeneration at level 8. It allows you to back off from a fight and gain health --- but your bonus comes by adding food bonuses. Eat meat --- you're now at +3 every 6 seconds. Eat cooked meat --- your at +4. Regeneration gives you advantages that allow for longer play time while grinding.
Sooo --- Level 4 Skill pick, use at level 5 for IF. Level 8 Skill pick use for Regeneration. Level 12, for me, is a throw away... use it however you want. Level 16 skill pick save again until level 20.... and you grab Increased Fortitude Level 2 and Regeneration Level 2 immediately upon 20th level. This gives you +2 health added per level and +2 health regeneration (Meat now gives you +4 per 6 seconds and cooked meat gives you +5). Over the long haul --- these first skill picks really make far more sense than any other choice you might make.
____________________________________________________________ Grinding tips early on
As for grinding --- each map area has a blind spot. An area where the monsters don't go. Snake Cave has 2 and if you use them properly --- with the regeneration skill bonus + the meat drops (and some food poisoning Antidote in reserve) --- you can stay in that area nearly until level 20... without ever having to go back to sleep anywhere.
Look for the blind spots --- and your grinding becomes greatly enhanced.
Around level 20 (where you should have 45 health points if you took IF) Bonemeal potions are NOT very viable, but they are a MUST HAVE investment for later use. By the time you hit level 25 (you're now sitting at 55 health points) they actually start to become a life saver.... and at level 35 (where you're almost at 90 health points) they become super useful in keeping the grinding going indefinitely. I started grinding Maonit at level 42. At that point I had 199 Cooked Meat and 909 Bonemeal potions. At level 54...... I still have 188 cooked meat (11 used) and 742 Bonemeal (167 used) --- and I've gained 12 levels without the downtime of constantly waiting for my health to come back to fighting standards.
Around level 30-35... your great grinding spot..... is the Charwood mine. Those Aggressive Goblins and Mazarth beasts make for great grinding --- NOTE THIS ---- especially for $$$$$ Grinding!!!!! The drops these guys give you (Raw Perch - Ointment of Bleeding Wounds - Iron Mace - Meat... up to 5 pieces!!! --- not to mention that each kill drops $$$ as well) will give you tons of money to spend on whatever you need.
____________________________________________________Other thoughts.
RiJackson741 & Tomcat made such a great points about daggers and weapon damage (which may change in future updates) that I honestly would love to have them spell it out here (nudge, nudge) for new players to gain wisdom from. I had been saving skill points for IF / Regen Level 3.... but after Tomcat's thoughts, I pumped both points into Combat Speed... and subsequent points into More Criticals / Better Criticals... and haven't regretted the move.
What other tips are out there? Add your own... would love to see this thread become useful to old and new players alike.
Oh... and Gaya.... at level 23... it's still not too late to start over and refocus your skill point choices for a more optimized gaming run. Just saying.
That said, Throw out your basic character, skill or grinding tips that would help new players... and because of the subject description, google hits should bring people here.
_____________________________________________________ Skill Point choices, levels 1-20
One of the biggest tips I can throw out is saving skill points for when they really will help. Don't be in a hurry to drop them into a useful skill immediately. Let me give the greatest example --- your first 5 skill points. Most people will run towards damage / Armor or blocking boosts. But if you save your first skill point for only one more level, you gain one of the greatest bonuses you can get in the game: Increased fortitude.
It may not seem like much early on, +1 to health per character level, but it adds up dramatically over time and eliminates the need to add +5 to health as one of your level picks. I currently have a level 54 character, with Increased fortitude +2..... and I've only used two +5 health picks.... and this beast has 132 health.
Sooo --- Level 4 Skill pick, use at level 5 for IF. Level 8 Skill pick use for Regeneration. Level 12, for me, is a throw away... use it however you want. Level 16 skill pick save again until level 20.... and you grab Increased Fortitude Level 2 and Regeneration Level 2 immediately upon 20th level. This gives you +2 health added per level and +2 health regeneration (Meat now gives you +4 per 6 seconds and cooked meat gives you +5). Over the long haul --- these first skill picks really make far more sense than any other choice you might make.
____________________________________________________________ Grinding tips early on
As for grinding --- each map area has a blind spot. An area where the monsters don't go. Snake Cave has 2
Around level 20 (where you should have 45 health points if you took IF) Bonemeal potions are NOT very viable, but they are a MUST HAVE investment for later use. By the time you hit level 25 (you're now sitting at 55 health points) they actually start to become a life saver.... and at level 35 (where you're almost at 90 health points) they become super useful in keeping the grinding going indefinitely. I started grinding Maonit at level 42. At that point I had 199 Cooked Meat and 909 Bonemeal potions. At level 54...... I still have 188 cooked meat (11 used) and 742 Bonemeal (167 used) --- and I've gained 12 levels without the downtime of constantly waiting for my health to come back to fighting standards.
RiJackson741 & Tomcat made such a great points about daggers and weapon damage (which may change in future updates) that I honestly would love to have them spell it out here (nudge, nudge) for new players to gain wisdom from. I had been saving skill points for IF / Regen Level 3.... but after Tomcat's thoughts, I pumped both points into Combat Speed... and subsequent points into More Criticals / Better Criticals... and haven't regretted the move.
Oh... and Gaya.... at level 23... it's still not too late to start over and refocus your skill point choices for a more optimized gaming run. Just saying.