A Beginner’s Guide to Neoquest 2: Playing the First Chapter by kongsingcheung |  |
NEOQUEST - Neoquest 2 is finally out, and like its predecessor Neoquest, it was
one of the most enjoyable RPG's I had ever played from an Internet site. In fact,
there are many basics and strategies I would like to share regarding the playing
of the game, hopefully it will give you an edge when you play it. Also, I noticed
that lots of people were having tons of trouble with the first section of this
vast game, so I decided to make a guide just to help start you guys off.
Humble Beginnings:
You begin in a town called Trestin, having waved your mommy off; you hope
to march into your destiny with your daddy's sword and a big nose. Start off
by training just outside the town, fighting those plain Lupes and Aishas. Levelbusting,
a term used often, means that you train non-stop to earn valuable experience.
First, let's start the new time-based battling system. This means, rather than
the conventional "whack each other and see who falls down first" method, you
must wait a certain amount of battle time until you can attack again. Strong
moves like spells and healing (later on) usually take much longer to recover
than normal attacks. So, less time means your character moves faster, which
is always an asset in battle.
Character: Rohane
Good skills: Critical Attacks, Damage Increase, Stunning Strikes, Innate
Magic Resistance, and Innate Melee Haste.
Bad skills: Combat Focus and Battle Taunt.
Tactics: Having the most hp of the lot, Rohane can dish it out and take it in.
Start by getting Damage Increase, then Critical Attacks and Stunning Strikes.
Stunning becomes very useful (Remember Shockwave?) when getting a few extra
bangs against your foe.
When you are level 3, march north to the first cave, The Dark Cave. The baddies
are relatively easy as you enter. Head eastwards as much as you can, then going
Southwest when you reach a fork. You'll soon reach an area that resembles an
abandoned gold mine. Follow the tracks to eventually reach the end of this rather
short dungeon. Soon, you may be hit with another surprise: Being taken on by
TWO enemies! Just keep your life up with potions, and you'll destroy those ghost
miners in no time. Eventually, the tracks take you to The Minor Foreman, the
first boss in the game. Boss: The Minor Foreman
Difficulty: Easy
Life: 50 hit points.
Notable Abilities: None
Tactics: The easiest boss who does nothing special. Keep attacking and healing,
and the boss will fall
Reward: 100 Neopoints, some gold, your first armour of the game, and some healing
potions.
(Interesting: you only get NP for beating bosses and finishing the game now.
Drat!)
Upon completion of this boss, touch the transporter, which will take you right
to the entrance of the cave. Get out, and head eastwards to the next cave. You
should be about level 6 by now. Cling on the eastern part of the wall, to reach
a dinky little island. Enter the tower, and aim for the north-eastern corner
of the dungeon to reach the stairs. Levelbust a couple of levels, because you're
going to need it. On the second floor, go north as much as possible, then go
east to reach the third floor. This area should have several Eyrie statues there.
Follow those statues to reach the boss floor. Now, be fully healed, and stocked
with potions, because an ugly Zombom is waiting for you.
Boss: Zombom
Difficulty: Hard
Hitpoints: 120
Notable Abilities: Decimate for 31, zeal (makes him go faster), and healing
40 hp.
Tactics: This is pretty hard, so never, EVER go below 32 life. Otherwise, one
hit and it's a long way to walk back here. If you are having trouble, buy damage
potions in nearby towns for some one-use, quite consistent items. When he falls,
you reminded of that same bliss of defeating Archmagus of Roo. Being an Elephante,
he looks nothing near as cool.
Reward: 200 NP, either sword or an armour, and some healing potions.
Are you sweating yet? Well, exit the place and in the Western Plains, head south
until you reach the White River City. There, you should rest. Resting becomes
a vital time-saver, so when you die (except on Insane) you are transported back
to the last town you rested at. Often the stores have symbols on them. Sword-
Weapons Shop, Helmet-Armoury, Potion- self-explanatory. Now that you've defeated
Zombom, you can go further south. Find the blue Acara named Mipsy. She will
become the spellcaster of the party. Her level is Rohane's level, and she'll
start with that many skill points.
Character: Mipsy
Good Skills: Direct Damage, Group Direct Damage, Innate Melee Haste, Group Haste
and Damage Shields
Bad Skills: Slowing… never works later on.
Tactics: Put 10 into Group Direct Damage or Direct Damage- at level 15, GDD
does 64 a notch and DD, 100 for an enemy. Damage shields is only good if you
invest a lot into it. Either do or don't. Haste gives you that extra speed boost
in battle for more hits dished out. Careful, though, with the lowest amount
of hp, Mipsy is the target of attacks and usually the first to fall in combat.
Leave town and head south all the way until you reach a small city. There,
you will encounter a ghost who tells you to find a "key" before you can pass.
The key is actually a pass code given by a hermit living in a town to the northeast.
Talk to the people there who will give you directions in finding him. After
learning the password, head back to the city, where the ghost will allow you
through. This dungeon is pretty straightforward. Levelbust as usual, then find
the boss in the southeastern area of the dungeon.
A trick in dungeons: Getting lost? Either find another site with maps, or
draw one yourself while going through a floor. Usually, I aim to walk in one
direction, often the corners. I'm led by pillars, statues, and other noticeable
differences in the map. When I see a sudden change in the environment, I know
I've progressed further. Ditto goes when fighting more challenging enemies.
When fighting frequent random battles, don't forget to abuse Mipsy's skills
early and often to pelt your baddies to Heck. Her power is unbeatable this early
in the game. Rohane seems weak in comparison, but later, he'll prove his worth
with his high hp count.
Boss: Sand Grundo
Difficulty: Medium
Hitpoints: 120
Notable Abilities: Nothing important.
Tactics: Blast the sucker with your highest spell, Attack with Rohane. Rinse
and repeat. The sumo-Grundo will fall soon enough.
Reward: 300 NP, some more weapons, healing potions, and getting to the Tower
on A hill.
Enter the tower on a hill: Find the exit located near the north, and race
yourself to Meridell castle, where everyone is in a trance. Go to the northeast
corner to find Ramtor, the evil conspirer behind the King's capturing.
Sub-Boss: Ramtor.
Hitpoints: Irrelevant
Notable Abilities: Direct Damage, haste, shield.
Tactics: This isn't really a fight. After he loses about 1/3 of his life, he
just throws a fit of temper and runs away like a coward.
Talk to the guards, who are now out of their stupor. They'll tell to which
direction to go. Locate the villain's hideout, and ignore the force field. It's
impenetrable. Instead, take the nearby stairs and find the boss that way. Levelbust
until around 18, and when you do, the fate of Meridell is in your hands.
Boss: Ramtor
Difficulty: Medium-Hard
Hitpoints: 200
Tactics: Cast haste to boost the speed of your duo, then follow the rinse and
repeat method. Keep your life relatively high, and cast shields if you're into
that, especially with the protection of Mipsy. Don't forget that your abilities
fade out after a time, so keep casting them.
Reward: 400 NP, items, and the completion of Chapter 1!
The cut-scene promises to be a revelation in the world of Neoquest. You must
see it. Well, I'd like to thank those in the boards for contributing information,
and hopefully, you'll be a coveted champion of Neoquest someday. Next stop:
The search for the Snowager, and an ally? Keep it up!
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