If you’ve downloaded Lost Ark, Amazon Games’ new action MMO game, you’ll no doubt be wondering where to spend your first few hours in the sprawling open-world. Perhaps you’ve created a character but don’t know where all these cool pets are coming from? Or have a question about questing – either way, this guide is for you.
With the fate of several lands resting on your shoulders, you’ll want to go into Lost Ark feeling strong, equipped, and ready for the challenges that stand in your way. Battling demons and exploring a vast magical continent may sound like daunting tasks, but with a few expert tips to expedite your journey, you’ll be a formidable and respected presence in Arkesia in no time.
A few of the key factors in making sure your experience is a good one include picking the right class, keeping an eye on the unfolding story, and mastering the nuances of travel and abilities. Although things may seem complicated at first, once you know what you’re doing you’ll find yourself richly rewarded. We’ve compiled this handy guide to help you on your way, giving a quick rundown of all the first steps you’ll need to take.
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Think About Class
Choosing your Lost Ark class is of huge importance, but don’t let that overwhelm you. Whichever you choose, you’ll be assigned it for the rest of the game, unless you switch to another character. Your subclass is decided afterwards, and there will be some time to practice the different skills and abilities of each one before you make your final choice and wield your speciality weapon.
Remember that each class corresponds to a different playstyle, and comes with its own levelable skills and traits. If you tend to go for long range, for example, perhaps consider a Gunner, or opt for the Mage if you like to play support. Build presets can be made with ease and switched between at any time, making character development easy to get stuck into without too much fear.
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Get Submerged
As tempting as it can be to skip, skip, skip – and very quickly get to the meaty quests – we’d advise you to hold off and take the time to watch cutscenes and play the prologue. Not only will playing Lost Ark become a more rewarding experience, but your knowledge of the game’s characters and locations will provide you with an upper hand at multiple junctures.
Following the natural progression of the story also acts as a gentle tutorial, equipping you with a few juicy Skill Points and additional Songs that may come in handy. It’s also a great way to practice the nuances of life in Arkesia, which is so much more than combat. You’ll also gain some boosts that you’d otherwise miss.
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Take on Quests
During your initiation, assuming you heed the above advice, you’ll be rewarded with all kinds of interesting loot which can help you take on bigger badder enemies in a matter of hours. Some of the early game dungeons drop some surprisingly nifty loot, and you’ll even be rewarded with a pet and a horse if you play your cards right.
This is as simple as following the map markers, and not ignoring the yellow and purple exclamation points in favour of the main story quests. Main story quests are identified as orange arrows, and can help you to level up pretty quickly, as well as expanding your map and abilities. Side quests will add flavour to the story, but also reward you with bits and pieces that will make your life easier. Both have their place – and besides, completing an area in its entirety just feels good, doesn’t it?
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Adopt a Pet
One great feature of Lost Ark – and certainly the cutest – is the ability to add pets and mounts to your party. Not only are these loyal animals adorably sweet, they also have some pretty solid benefits.
The quest to unlock a rabbit can be found in Prideholme, by talking to a young girl dressed in blue. She will send you back and forward to complete a few tasks, and eventually you’ll find yourself the proud owner of a bouncing bunny. You can name your pet, and train it to do various things as you progress, such as picking up loot automatically (which comes in very handy during chaotic boss fights).
Your trusty steed will be gifted to you almost immediately after the prologue, and you’ll even be able to choose between three different breeds. This is a worthwhile acquisition, as riding a mount can get you from A to B considerably faster than running on foot. It’ll also help you escape any pesky fights picked by local animals, which could otherwise slow you down.
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Use Your Stuff
Whenever you pick up a new bit of gear, take a look in your inventory and see if it’s worth equipping. The menu will have a handy guide, telling you whether the item is stronger than your current one, so use this to your advantage. You’ll come across countless upgrades on your journey, so keep checking them to increase your Gear Score and ensure you’re well equipped for the next battle.
Equally, don’t hoard supplies! Health-restoring potions especially are abundant and cheap, so keep yourself healthy. You can also heal by standing in an area free from enemies – after a few moments you will start to replenish health.
Many items in your inventory will need to be activated before they appear in the correct place. If, for example, you receive a Card, you must right-click it to put it into your deck. Similarly with equippables like mounts and pets, they must be assigned to the right menu before use. If you feel like something is missing, it’ll probably be in there somewhere. To discard an item, simply drag it out of the inventory menu.
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Make Travel Easier
When you enter a new map area, you should make a beeline for the Triport. These handy little stone circles allow you to travel – for a modest fee – between the main areas in the game, but only once they have been unlocked. To unlock a Triport, all you have to do is stand on top of it, and from then on, you’ll be able to instantly travel to that spot.
Just be aware that you need to do it from somewhere safe, as being attacked by enemies will interrupt the fast travel process (you won’t lose any coins though).
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Keep an Eye on Levels
Don’t forget to level up, equipping skills and special upgrades whenever possible. You can use the “recommended” tab to get some advice, or simply try to build your own character base. Each dungeon you come to will have a suggested level, which will be shown to you before you enter, along with a choice of Normal or Hard mode. Early in the game, Hard mode will still be doable if you’ve assigned your skill points and taken on all the quests offered, and will grant you superior rewards. Normal mode dungeons will be less of a challenge, but perhaps won’t yield the same quality of loot.
And while we’re on the subject of dungeons, if you’re playing solo, why not give the matchmaking a go before you dive in? Having a full party of adventurers on your side takes some of the pressure off you, and you might even make some new friends while you’re there.
Related: Read up on the complete Lost Ark server list
These tips will give you a solid foundation with which to start playing Lost Ark, and now you can jump in and enjoy your journey through Arkesia. Lost Ark is free-to-play, and available now on PC.