by Savanja on Dec 28, 2010
Every game has a learning curve but some games are
definitely a little worse than others. For new players looking to jump into
DC Universe Online,
you may find yourself a little lost in this non-traditional MMOG format. Rather
than work the newbie ropes the hard way, we have the ultimate New Player
Survival Guide that will put you in the know with the basics and save you
endless frustration. Be sure to keep this guide on hand for your first days in
DCUO for a quick reference to all things newbie and share with your DCUO
friends, in game and out.
Nothing is the same! Yeah, I know. For most MMOG
players, the UI will seem very different. DCUO is an action game first, a MMO second and this is very clear with
the interface. Dont panic, it will
take some getting used to but here are some quick shortcuts that will make
things easier.
Combat
Getting Around
Want to head back to your base but are a littleChat and General
Hold E key or click both mouse buttonsMain Menu
To see your main menu, press your Esc key. Along with the options list, you will also see icons at the bottom of the
screen.
You can view your characters current stats by hitting your I
key to view your inventory then clicking on the stats tab. Here
is what you have, what it means, and what you do with them:
Health Like in any game, this is how many hit
points you have.
Tanks (Fire and Ice) should focus on Defense, Might, and
Precision. Control classes (Mental
and Gadgets) should focus on building Dominance, Power, and Vitalization. Healing classes (Sorcery and Nature) should focus on Restoration, Power,
and Vitalization. Powersets that
rather focus on damage should work on the Might and Precision stats. These
stats mean a little less to you starting out because you really
need to just equip anything that keeps you from playing naked.
If given the option between two items, use this info to pick
gear that will benefit your role in game.
Gear and item quality, like most games, is told by its
color. For quick reference:
Take your time in the tutorial and pay attention. The mission and silly
things the game asks you to do are made to introduce you to DCUO's unique style
of gameplay. Picking these skills up here and remembering what you learn
will save you headaches and will be the key to taking on more difficult enemies
later on.
DCUO focuses very heavily on storyline progression. Grinding is designed to be ineffective in this game and only really
helpful if youre in a pinch and in need of some cash and loot before moving on
to difficult missions and instances. To keep the experience bar moving, be sure
to look around your current mission area for NPCs that might
have related missions for you to do.
If youre having a hard time in a mission instance, go back
and do lower level missions to get leveled up! One level can make a huge
difference between struggle and success. If youve run out of missions for your level range, remember that you can
always switch back and forth between Metropolis and Gotham via the Hall of Doom
or the Watchtower for a whole fresh set of things to do. For a break from missions, hit your J key and scroll through your
missions to find the Alerts which are level appropriate group instances. With all of these options, every moment in game should be packed with
action.
Wanted posters are found in the safehouses. Grab these and watch your
chat box for other players looking to take down the same enemies that you have a
mission for. The targets are always group orientated so don't even attempt
to go after these known offenders alone unless you are out-leveled for the mob.
Keep colas in your inventory and for the love of Batman, never sell them!
You can really never have enough of these and they are pretty spendy early on so
get what you can. Some of your missions will reward with colas, so
definitely do those if only for the reward alone. You should have a small
stack available and already equipped in your inventory when you enter mission
instances. Another good tip is to remember to keep your gear in good
condition. Getting knocked out (DCUO's version of death) degrades your
gear so you need to visit a merchant to repair especially if you tend to die
often in the early levels like I do.
This is the info that will get you started right in DCUO.
If you have a question that isnt
addressed here, feel free to
post it on our forums and someone will surely help
you out. Have a great newbie tip
youd like to share? Post it for
other players and do your part to ease new player pain.