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Character Class Guide, v.1.1
By Daveo
8/12/02

_-=Version Updates=-_
v.0.9 (8/10/02)- FAQ started, and being assembled... not yet released to 
the public.
v.1.0- FAQ submitted... currently working on information for level 20+ 
Pikemen.
v.1.1- Slight refinements made

_-=Table of Contents=-_
1. Pikeman Overview
 1a. 1st Tier Skills
 1b. 2nd Tier Skills
2. Leveling
 2a. Leveling Spots
 2b. Alternate 'Hit and Run' leveling guide
3. Stat Distribution
 3a. Levels 1-9
 3b. Levels 10-20
4. Equipment
 4a. Weapons
 4b. Armor
5. General Advice
6. Wrap-up 
 6a. Acknowledgements
 6b. Contact
 6c. Legal Mumbo Jumbo

_-=1: Pikeman Overview=-_
 
 The pikeman is a very offense-based class. They also look like ninjas, 
but thats not too important. A Pikemans ideal weapon is (surprise, 
surprise) a pike. Pikemen can dish out tons of damage if done right. You 
should try to kill as fast as possible to avoid getting hit too much, as 
a Pikeman cant take hits quite as well as a Fighter or Mechanician.  

1a: 1st Tier skills

 After a Pikeman reaches level 10, he gets a skill point. He can get 
more every 2 levels afterward. He can talk to the towns Skillmaster to 
learn skills for a slight fee once he meets the requirements. You can 
level up skills by using them. Active skills have a mana/stamina cost, 
and have to be activated on the fly. Passive skills do not have to be 
activated, and give a permanent bonus to your character.

PIKE WIND
Required Level: 10
Active Skill
Can only be used with Pike class weapons.
Damages, knocks back, and stuns enemies in a radius around your pikeman.

ICE RESISTANCE
Required Level: 12
Passive Skill
Increased resistance vs. Ice Type attacks.

CRITICAL HIT
Required Level: 14
Active Skill
Causes you to attack with increased attack power and speed.

JUMPING CRASH
Only Swords/Axes/Pikes
Required Level: 17
Active Skill
Your Pikeman does a leaping attack with a bonus to Hit Rate and Attack.

1b: 2nd Tier Skills
 Activated in version 1.67b, Second Tier Skills are much more powerful 
than their 1st Tier counterparts.

GROUND PIKE
Required Level: 20
Active Skill
Tacks on Frost Damage to your weapon, causing a powerful strike.

TORNADO
Required Level: 23
Active Skill
Brings forth a tornado to harm nearby monsters.

WEAPON DEF MASTERY
Required Level: 26
Passive Skill
Permanently raises defense rating while using Pikes.

EXPANSION
Required Level: 30
Active Skill
Charges weapon with power to strike with a devastating blow.

_-=2: Leveling=-_

 Leveling is an incredibly important aspect of the game. In fact, 
theres little else to do at all in the game at this point in time. 
Anyway, Im making notations on spots to level and information on the 
Hit and Run strategy here.

2a: Leveling Spots

 When you just start out, you should head right for the Novice Area just 
outside of Ricarten. Hunt Armas, Mushroom Ghosts, and Hoppies. Avoid 
Hobgoblins at this point unless you have plenty of Life Potions, youre 
hunting with someone else, and/or utilizing the Hit and Run strategy 
below. Once you get to be around level 5 or 6 and have some alright 
starter gear, you should head along the road heading West from Ricarten 
to the Graveyard Map. There, you should level on Minigues, Imps, 
Obits, Dorals and/or Plants. Keep in mind that some of these are tougher 
than others, and you should avoid getting hit by the ones that cause you 
grief.

 Once you get to around levels 8-10, head West to the Goblin Map and 
fight the monsters there. Just make sure you dont get caught alone with 
a Cyclops, or youll be in a world of hurt. You should level there until 
you are sure you can take on Skeletons and Zombies. You should level on 
them in the first Wasteland Map north of the Novice Map, unless you get 
killed too much/ kill them too slowly. If that is the case, keep to the 
Goblin Map and off Hobgoblins and Plants. Eventually, when you are at 
least level 15, you may want to consider leveling in Wasteland 2, as 
long as you are powerful enough to fight Cockrices, Mephits, 
and Plant Lords. 

 You should get to level 20 on them eventually. This FAQ presently only 
goes up to level 20, so Ill cut the leveling guide section short here 
for now.

2b: Alternate Leveling Guide, Hit and Run

 Hit and Run is a fun strategy, and is an alternate way to get to at 
least level 9 without too much trouble. All it needs is a ranged weapon, 
moderately fast reflexes, and maybe a few extra Agi points if youre 
serious about it. Once you get your grubby hands on a ranged weapon, run 
over to Wasteland 1 (No ranged attacking monsters there), or maybe the 
Goblin Map if you dont mind annoying Imps. The strategy is simple. Fire 
at something that outclasses you incredibly until it gets almost close 
enough to hit you. Run back and fire until it gets close again. Repeat 
until it dies. Go to another monster, and repeat. Its another way to go 
about leveling, since you can level off Plant Lords at Level 1, albeit 
with very slow killing.

 You can also integrate it into normal leveling, since you can have, 
say, a halberd on one weapon switch (pressing W toggles what you set to 
have your right-left hands carry) and an Javelin/bow of some sort and a 
shield, if available, on another. So, you could be finishing off 
Hobgoblins with your halberd, and ready to hit-and-run a Cyclops if it 
appears.

 _-=3: Stat Distribution=-_
Stat Distribution is a very important aspect of character development. 
However, in this particular game, its moderately flexible. Also, 
everything short of Health is part of one item or anothers 
requirements. Still, you should distribute points as wisely as possible, 
aiming for your next set of equipments requirements and predicting 
others that may come across, as well as slapping points in Health as 
well.

3a: Levels 1-9
 Here you should aim to meet the requirements of better equipment. Try 
for about 45-55 strength, 32-40 talent, 26+ agi (if you want to use a 
bill or ranged weapons), perhaps some in spirit, since the best pike 
available has a spirit req of 36. Not too much, however- overkill with 
spirit too early will hurt you. Just gradually raise it. Health isnt 
too important right now, but you might need some if you dont take hits 
too well. 

3b: Levels 10-20
 You should keep trying to meet reqs, but start spreading out a bit, 
i.e. putting points into things that will help you out, depending on 
your playing style. If youd like a Halberd and Brigandine at level 10, 
try to get 52 str and 30 talent by then. Switch to a trident when you 
can use it. Go for about 64 str and 40 talent by level 16. Try to make a 
goal of at least 74 Str and 45 talent by level 22. Once you have that 
goal in range, work toward some points in health and miscellaneous 
stats.

_-=4: Equipment=-_
 Heres a guide to what you should get as equipment throughout levels 1-
20.

4a: Weapons
 As long as you level in the Novice grounds, you wont really need any 
equipment at all, unless you hunt hobgoblins. Still, any old weapon 
found in the field or bought for cheap will do. Any ranged weapons work 
fine for Hit and Run. Anyway, level with whatever you have until you get 
to level 7. Then, if you can meet the meager reqs, pick up a Bill. That 
will work fine to level 9. At level 9, you should pick up a Longsword if 
you have the money, and go with that for awhile. The very next level, 
ditch that if you can for a Halberd. Halberds do slightly less damage, 
but they make up for it with increased speed and compatibility with Pike 
Wind. Do not try for a Horn Scythe, as getting 28 spirit at level 14 
will hurt you.

 You will probably stay with the halberd until at least level 16, the 
minimum level required for a Trident. You will have to stay with that 
for quite awhile as well, since the next Pike up requires level 22.

4b: Armor
 Before level 10, there are 2 body armors available, Battle Suit and 
Leather Armor. You may want to pick up a Battle Suit, and then Leather 
(As long as the particular Leather outmatches the Battle Suit) as soon 
as you can afford them. Get a Brigandine at level 10 if possible, and 
Steel Armor at level 14 if you can manage. As for shields, Pikemen dont 
really need them, as all pikes past Bill are 2-handers. However, you can 
use any old shield for a Hit-and-Run switch.



_-=5. General Advice=-_

Remember that monster drops are always better than what you can get 
at stores. Sometimes, a Pike Spec High-End Battle Suit would work out 
better than a storebought Brigandine. However, if your luck is shot,
there's nothing wrong with buying items at a store, as long as they
beat what you have at the moment.

Stamina potions get to be somewhat useful once you can use skills,
so don't ditch them entirely beforehand if you plan on using skills a 
lot.

Since hotkeys and commands aren't documented by Triglow anywhere,
I'll list them here.
---------

-Hotkeys-
S- Skill Menu
D- Party Menu
C- Stat Page
V- Inventory
R- Run/Walk
TAB- Toggle Map
1- Use the item in Box Number One (Such as a potion)
2- Use the item in Box Number Two (Such as a potion)
3- Use the item in Box Number Three (Such as a potion)
Enter: Chat box
----------

-Commands-
/: Character (Text)- Send a Private Message to a Character
//Party Character- Invite a character to join your party
----------

You can attack by clicking on a monster, if you didn't know how. 
You can trade with a user by clicking on them, and then hitting the 
'Trade' button that appears below them. Note that if someone deals 
you, invites you to a party, or recommends someone to your party,
a window appears in the corner.

PK Hasn't been implemented yet, but sometimes people play around
and pretend to PK by crtl-clicking people, causing them to take
harmless swings at another character.

More to come...


_-=6: Wrap-Up=-_

Well, that about does it for my FAQ, at least until the next update. 
Its not even NEAR completed yet.

6a: Acknowledgements

Thanks to:

- The Merchant Guild, esp. Iori Yagami, Vanny-Chan and Eddy for replying 
to my request for help with this.

- www.ptprophecy.tks skill, item and monster information

- CjayC for creating GameFAQs

-The Dragon King for a little advice

- Triglow for not being apathetic about serving their players and not 
shutting down the servers for 3 months. *cough*

- Daveo (Me) for writing this

6b. Contact

 Since I am not even close to being psychic, I need your comments and 
suggestions. Did I make a mistake? Did I leave something out that you 
can fill me in on? Should I change something? Then e-mail me about it at 
Daveo1337@hotmail.com. Also, if you are going to contact me, please do 
it in a calm, polite, controlled, constructive matter. Were both people 
here. If you are unnecessarily hostile about something in this FAQ, or 
just plain insult me, Ill ignore whatever you said, delete it, and 
filter out any future e-mails you send me. You cant win... =P

 You can also reach me via AIM under the Username Daveo1337.
_______________________________________________________________________
|6c: Legal Mumbo Jumbo                                                 |
|                                                                      |
| This document is 2002 Daveo, so please take the time to _ask_ me if |     
|youre going to stick this on your site or something. Do NOT Sell this| 
|in any way, shape, or form or copy it without my permission.          |     
|______________________________________________________________________|

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