Shattered Kingdoms

...That actually helps the point. Yes, on griffon warning. Prevent more Muktars.

Griffons were a good race to learn the game with and explore with, they had their own armor and weapons on them when they started... hard as hell to get into the higher levels.


While you're warning things...

Warn griffons about starting in the North, Teron, or even the East.

Warn necros about starting in Zhenshi, Tas, and Ayamao.

If any classes are worth excluding for first time players it would be necromancer, paladin, or hellion. Races I would limit first time players from choosing would be griffon, centaur, or deep-elf. I don't think that I necessarily would exclude a first time player from those choices, but everyone pretty much agrees they are the most difficult races.

I think it would be better to mark recommended newbie races/classes instead of having a more prohibitive approach.

The only combinations that should get warnings are those that get gimped from a mechanics perspective. Giant warlock, giant shaman, centaur bard, and dwarf bard are combinations that won't let you use the full range of class skills. Important RP warnings such as "necromancers have a ton of natural enemies" or "griffons can be ruthlessly hunted down by Nashirans" can be covered adequately by the help files.

(And yes, there should be an expectation that new players will read help files. After all, SK is a game that requires reading and comprehension. Anyone who randomly enters the portals without looking up their choices deserves their weird or difficult combinations.)

I don't think you should block anything, I chose a Pallie and did just fine. Eusd chose a Pallie and did just fine. Leen chose a Pallie and did just... well you get my drift. I believe the player of Groof / Igvot was new when they created their Griffon too.

I think messages providing helpful advice. So when you choose your race it gives a 'recommended list' for classes. This could be activated if the player answers "yes" to "are you new to shattered kingdoms?"

Centaur bards should be given a message about not being able to dance without haste.

Whenever I advise a newbie on creating, I'm more likely to suggest a race class combo for them than to list the many combination that are difficult to pull off. However, I always advise against playing a deep-elf, elf, griffon or centaur. I also advise against playing necromancers. Depending on the maturity of the newbie and their level of comprehension of the helpfiles, I may or may not advise them to play a hellion or paladin (usually I don't). More often than not I advise them to play a greybie simply because the LvD mentality of the game (especially as heated as it it currently) can be rather intimidating to start off with.

That being said, if I had to specifically advise against certain combinations they'd be things such as:

Centaur bards
Dwarf bards
Dwarf priests
Gnome mercs
half-elf sorcerers
Giant shamans
Giant warlocks

Usually I suggest combinations such as half-elf or human scouts, human or gnome sorcerers or priests, half-elf or human mercs, human or half-elf swashies. Again, it depends on the newbie and what they like to play and what they're looking for.

Why centaur? They may not be as good in pvp but their blunt resistance makes them great at levelling. Priests and shaman can level very quickly with kick+refresh and take almost no damage because most levelling NPCs punch.

I am basing these lists on the fact that a Noob will play their first character to get game mechanics and general gist of game rp down.

Classes Newbs should never start with: Complicated
Necromancers - The rp makes them die often
Hellions - RP heavy - knowledge of the game needed to play properly
Paladins - RP Heavy - " ", I tried playing this as my first character. I failed.
Priest - RP heavy - Also hard to level

Races Newbs should never start with: Complicated
Elves - RP wise, they get attacked a lot for being elves
Deep-elves - RP wise, they get attacked a lot for being deep-elves.

Kingdoms to Avoid:
Northern Wastes - Far away and a terrible newb school (no offense)
Empire - Its very far away and a newb will find it difficult to start out there because they're so far from everything.

Classes I recommend for Newbs:
Mercenary
Barbarian
Swashbuckler
Shaman

Races I recommend for Newbs:
Human - obviously
Half-elf - The benefits outweigh the problems
Giant - Because as a fighter, these are great to start with. Little tactics needed

Kingdoms I recommend:
Taslamar - The -best- place to start by far.
Uxmal - Still a great place to start.
Zhenshi - All right, but not as great as the other two in my opinion.

Alignments I recommend:
Any grey aura
Scrupulous

I'm against rolling darkies as the first character ever. Darkies are very, very difficult to maintain because of the fact they are so heavily attacked by the other side. They have to deal with cruel characters (RP!) versus grey and lighties, who have access to characters who are much nicer. It makes their first impressions much more favorable in comparison to being shunned.

I wouldn't be playing today if I logged on and it said "N00b, you aren't good enough to RP a Paladin... try again!"