The Grinder's Guide...to Grinding!

Hey, Born_Free of Harshlands here.

So do you need extra EXP, SPIRIT POINTS, or just a little something to give you some moolah? This Grinder's Guide for Grinding is sure to assist you. (Or at least I hope it does, otherwise I just wasted about 45 minutes doing all this!)

Grinding and you

So what is "Grinding?"

By definition: Grinding {grīn'dĭng} (noun): A long period of time where a player will kill monsters (mobs) for a certain item, such as EXP, Spirit, or Materials. Grinding is also another method of leveling up when, at a certain point, a player has run out of quests and has yet to level for some reason.

SO WHY GRIND AT ALL?

Grinding is a simple (although very long and often very boring) process which includes staying in a specific area and killing monsters. It can help you to level, as well as get you used to fighting NPC monsters and learning how to use the skills your character has in their repertoire. Depending on which areas you explore, you can find yourself with an inventory filled with expensive items which you can sell either in catshops, or in NPC (non-player characters, like the Blacksmith or Tailor) areas. If you choose a tailor path, you will find that you will have to grind often (unless you magically obtain heaps of money through another process and buy it from another player) to obtain the items you will need to make even low level items.

The Guide to Grind

This guide is here for a level-specific way to get you to your goal!

BUT REMEMBER THESE LITTLE TIPS:

ALWAYS COME PREPARED: Potions, Health or Mana, are always needed just in case. You can't mediate your way through the game guys.

BEWARE OF AGGRO: Aggro (or making monsters angry at you so then they attack,) is dangerous, and sometimes fatal! Be careful at where you aim your attacks, or where you position your character. Even in low level mobs, some monsters just don't play nice, and decide to attack you just for the fun of it. You may be able to handle it...but then again, if you're fighting a high level monster, and a low level suddenly pops out and attacks.....you could be in some serious trouble!

BE PARANOID OF PLAYERS: This only applies to you if you're level thirty (30) or higher. PvPing occurs most often when people are out grinding, and they think people are just going to be nice to them and let them run around stealing mobs. Think again! Not everybody is that nice. Keep yourself aware, and you might just be able to get away from some close calls!

MULTI-TASK: If you have a quest, and there happen to be some other mobs that give away EXP or Spirit Points around there, don't be stingy! Beating up other types of monsters won't count away from your quest, in fact it might just help move that pretty purple bar faster!

Levels 1-10: Grinding Guide

First off, welcome to Perfect World International! Good to have you with us.

As you know, there are now four (4) starting cities, and four (4) newbie areas:

FOR THE HUMANS: Inn of the Eagle and Etherblade

FOR THE UNTAMED: The Northern Pass and City of the Lost

FOR THE WINGED ELVES: Battlemark Village and City of the Plume

FOR THE TIDEBORN: Dragonfang Village and City of Raging Tides

These four areas are your best friends right now. You will spend a large majority of your first few levels in, at, or around these general areas. It's actually a good idea to STAY in those areas for now, until you reach double digits. (Being 10.)

No matter what, even if you're an eager McBeaver and I know you are... stay where you first spawn, and start grinding. Get used to the battle system. Stay near your beginning areas. I suggest smacking around monsters until you're at LEAST level 4, maybe even 5 if you feel like it. This makes leveling easier, and some of the quests you'll be given a lot easier depending on which race/class you are, since you have a tiny level boost above the monsters you'll probably have to kill.

In addition to killing monsters, you should also gather any items that they drop on death. Even things like arrows (which, if you're not using a bow, is pretty useless,) count for a little something on the NPC market. Lime Stone and other items like Rough Pelts, or things like that, are also common drops that can easily stack some coin in your inventory in the first ten levels. This amount of moolah is also useful if you're feeling like leveling up every single one of your abilities. In the times to come, cash can get a little scarce, especially if you like to spend money in NPC shops.

Level 10-20

Congratulations, you just made it over the first hump. Now that you're level 10, make sure you open up that Supply Crate for some goodies. Usually they will allow you to get a powerful weapon for your class during this time. Make sure you turn it into the Mailbox, or you will miss out on a really great gift!

You should have picked up some quests on the way here. Help for these quests can be found in the Level 1-19 Quests Guide. As stated before, you should keep near the areas where your quests take you. Usually, there is a small town or city which you will have to report your findings to. (IE: For the Winged Elves, there's the Southern Stronghold which you have to visit.) Keep near that area as much as you can for easy trips back and forth. If you have to travel further away from that area for another quest, try and find another town/city that is closer to your location for quick inventory dumps. (Where you sell all your useless things for cash.)

THIS IS THE POINT IN TIME WHERE YOU REALLY HAVE TO KNOW WHAT STATS YOUR CLASS USES!

It's really important that you know which stats your class uses. If you're a tank class, and you think you're going to use a lot of magic...I hate to tell you this, you're wrong. It's a good idea to get BALANCE! Check your class on the main page of the Wiki and make sure you're not screwing up! Those stat points are going to either make you or break you if you are not cautious.

IF YOU ARE A WINGED ELF: Grind at the Plume Lake Shore, Bamboo Village, or for those of you 16+ the Southern Stronghold and surrounding areas.

IF YOU ARE A HUMAN: Outside of Etherblade, Haunted Path, and the Hill of the Swarm is where you should head. (NOTE: DO NOT HEAD TOO FAR EAST! Once you pass the Hill of the Swarm, don't go any further! If you pass the Everflow, you're going to run smack dab into Shattered Jade Shore, which I promise you is not going to let you get out alive.)

IF YOU ARE UNTAMED: Wolf Totem Valley, Courage Path, and Silk Ridge are your destinations of choice. (NOTE: BEWARE OF GOING TOO FAR WEST! You'll run right into some nasty 50+ monsters if you go too far in the direction of the Gate of Delerium.)

IF YOU ARE TIDEBORN: The entire island is your playground at this point. Whatever you do, DON'T SWIM OFF THE ISLAND! Even if you make it, you'll probably head into Dreamwaver Port, which is the closest landmass...and those monsters will eat you alive. If you are going to go off island, once you get to the City of the Raging Tides, you can teleport to any of the other main cities with a quest the Elder gives you. You can then essentially go to the other race's previously stated grinding areas.

Most of the monsters in these areas will start dropping some items which you can equip. A large majority of them might have half their durability (or less) BUT, it's free, and that's cash you don't have to pay for the same item in an NPC store. Better yet, a huge quantity of these dropped monster items have additional effects and added sockets (if you're lucky) which you can use to help improve yourself. DON'T FORGET that if you get any of these items, and there's an ability that has yet to be identified, go to an Elder and get that item identified! Chances are, there's another useful ability that item has that makes the price go up!

Levels 20-30

This is the part where you have to prepare yourself for facing other players in the world of PvP to come. A large majority of players are not going to take pity on you, so start getting ready to face them.

You should have learned at least ONE skill during the first two humps of your journey. If so, you can begin to explore areas with materials you will soon be needing once you hit level 30. This is also the time where most players learn some of their important skills, and are introduced to FB's. (Chinese word: "Fuben" meaning "dungeon". FB is just so much easier to say...) These are heavy grinding areas, however don't get too cocky with them. Just because people say "FB 29" does not mean that when you're level 29 you can just waltz right in there and start smoking people. Trust me...I'm 37, and I still can't smoke that thing solo.

IF YOU ARE WINGED ELF:

IF YOU ARE HUMAN:

IF YOU ARE UNTAMED:

IF YOU ARE TIDEBORN:

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This page is under construction!----

--Setantasrose 09:19, 31 March 2010 (UTC)