What's changed? - returning player

[____________Paranoid]

Hi all,

I played AO in beta and rushed to buy it at release. I then canceled my account in August because the game was just unplayable. Yesterday a friend and I were talking and we decided to give the game another chance and reinstated our accounts.

Right away I noticed the addition of trade skills, and some of the other changes. I also walked smoothly through town, though admittedly there were not a lot of people there. The game seems more playable and I did have fun last night... but I had some questions, mostly about what changed since August.

1) Are Freedom Arms still the best Pistol?

2) Any good trade information sites?

3) It used to be that mobs with guns would shoot you, cast on you and punch you all at the same time, please tell me this is fixed.

4) Are there any changes or tips that would help someone just returning out?

Any help would really be appreciated! Thanks

[_______________Fazun]

Originally posted by Paranoid
1) Are Freedom Arms still the best Pistol?

they were *too* good, so they errrm got locked away ....

Originally posted by Paranoid
3) It used to be that mobs with guns would shoot you, cast on you and punch you all at the same time, please tell me this is fixed.

they now also bite .....

Originally posted by Paranoid
4) Are there any changes or tips that would help someone just returning out?

explore the world ... lots of new named mobs, static dungeons and cool bars ....

and explorin rubi-ka is a *real* pleasure with a stable client ...

quite stable at least ehehehe ,)

[____________Paranoid]

heh, so are my freedom arms worth anything? I have about a dozen of em varying from QL 8 - QL 24 :-)

[_______________Fazun]

ugh, beware the 'sploiter police ....

or you end up in jail like those CRIMINALS dual wieldin pillows !

.... ,)

[Johnfredone]

id say they might be worth a few creds. But like all crappy things pistols are all useless. Everyones gone Shotgun crazy. Get a good ql Vector ND Shotgun. only 1 skill and that is Shotgun.

[__________HardBoiled]

As for trade skills the only ones worth doing still (money wise) are pharmacy based to convert monster parts into plazma that sell back to the stores at a profit. Couple of classes got a few toys like engi got that aggression trimmer that make only and there are a few NF that supposedly is trade only. Making NF is very cumbersome, lenthy, IP expensive and further exuserbated by rediculous prices for equipment needed. Jewelry craft so far seems ok, it is less cumbersome then NF making but supposedly is not too bad money wise.
A disclaimer: this information is from me reading bunch of posts and NO personal experience.

[_________MikeWeather]

Blood plasma is not the only profitable tradeskill. Making nano-crystals is much more profitable. Ever seen what Grid Armor nanos go for? What about Space-Folding nanos? Hell NT's have like 200 loot/tradeskill-only nanos. There are over a thousand total for all classes. Sure you could get them by camping mission terms, but finding or buying an instruction disk is still quicker, IMHO.

[__________WGMelchior]

virral.clansupport.com has a lot of neat info on tradeskills.