Highlights
- Save HP Potions: As the game progresses, Healing Potions become less effective, so save them for Guardian Raids. HP Potions heal based on max health.
- Explore Islands for Rewards: Many islands offer valuable resources and materials. Glacia Island and Turtle Island give XP, while Serenity Island and Golden Wave Island have loot.
- Use the Training Area: Experiment with different classes in the Training Area to see which play style works the best. There are unique powers and abilities for each class.
Lost Ark is an MMO that has been skyrocketing in popularity since its release, and while it can seem fairly inaccessible for beginners at first glance due to just how massive the game and its world are, there are plenty of ways newcomers can familiarize themselves with the mechanics and layout of the game in the first few hours.
The good news is, Tripod Studio and Smilegate have made sure to sprinkle a few rewards and features across the map of Arkesia that beginners can make full use of to make the first few hours a lot more enjoyable to play, alongside also helping the player gear up for the long road ahead that awaits them in their journey.
While there's definitely a lot to do, the game remains very vague on where players should explore first and what sort of quests and activities are most beneficial to take on, so it never hurts to take a few suggestions on board in order to make the early game far more manageable.
8 Save The HP Potions
During the later encounters in Lost Ark, Healing Potions will become far less effective and usable, so it's a good idea to try and hold back on using HP Potions as much as possible since they will become incredibly useful during the Guardian Raids for example. Heal Potions will only heal the player based on a strict numerical value, while HP Potions will always heal based on a percentage of the player's max health.
When reaching the higher levels and expanding the maximum HP, Heal Potions will start to become extremely ineffective, and HP Potions will not only become the go-to option, but they'll also become a lot harder to find, so hoarding them early on is for the best.
7 Explore Islands To Earn Great Awards
Many of the islands that can be found sprawled across the map have some very worthwhile resources and plenty of homing materials which are essential for upgrading item levels. In regard to new quests, Glacia Island and Turtle Island are both great for earning a little more XP by helping people out, but in terms of sheer loot value, Serenity Island and Golden Wave Island are full of riches.
Players will be able to set sail upon achieving the necessary skill which can be acquired by simply playing through the main quest line. By stepping into the anchor icon that can be found in the ports, players will be able to set up their crew and sail away to the islands which are all incredibly rewarding and fun to explore.
6 Make Use Of The Training Area
Each class in Lost Ark can become a sub-class which will grant them very unique powers and abilities that help separate them from the rest of the roster, so it's always worth experimenting in the Training Area to understand exactly how a character plays, and if it's a style that seems comfortable or not before moving on with the rest of the game.
The Training Area can be located back on Trixion, and it can be accessed by talking to Beatrice. For players who are mainly concerned with becoming a true DPS character who can inflict some serious damage, the Warrior class is the way to go, while the Gunslinger is a more strategic class that focuses on staying alive while dealing consistent damage. With that said though, it's well worth experimenting with each of the six classes since they all play very differently from one another.
5 Finish All Side Quests To Avoid Backtracking
The map of Lost Ark is packed full of side quests that the player can complete in their spare time, but they definitely shouldn't become an afterthought since many of them grants a tremendous amount of XP, along with a few rare rewards too.
When observing the map, the player should keep their eyes peeled for the quests that feature a chain link symbol next to them since they will be the ones that grant roster-unlockable items once they are completed. From level 25 onwards, the side quests do become a little less necessary to complete, but in the first few hours, they are a goldmine for XP and loot.
4 Move Faster With Triports
Players are able to teleport around the continent by selecting the Triport icon on the mini-map which will cost a little bit of Silver, but these things become extremely useful for zipping between quests and areas later on when walking long distances becomes much more of a chore.
With that being said, the mount acquired at the beginning of the game is still a great way to travel and is great for picking up a few items and visiting some shops when traveling between points, but Triports should become the go-to way to navigate Arkesia at the higher levels. If players aren't on the same continent, they will get a "Not available" prompt pop-up, so Triports, unfortunately, won't be a reliable way to get off an island, but they're still essential for moving around major cities.
3 Complete As Many Thronespire Floors As Possible
The Thronespire is a solo dungeon that offers 25 floors to complete, but rather than completing each floor individually, players should simply choose the floor they think they're prepared enough for, and upon completing it, each of the previous floors and their rewards will be unlocked too.
The items on offer at the Thronespire are also very valuable and include the likes of Crystallized Destruction Stones, Glory Shard Pouches, and Ancient Platinum Coins. When using AOE abilities as much as possible, the floors are very easy to complete, and while they can be attempted again after they have already been finished once, the greatest and most valuable rewards come from clearing it out the first time. Players can access the Thronespire once they have completed the Main Quest of Punika alongside the Towards Power quest. After these are finished, the door to the Thronespire will be available in each major city.
2 Build Up Gold By Completing Daily Quests
Not only are the Daily Quests incredibly easy to complete, but completing them will also earn the player tokens which can be exchanged for large gold chests. While smaller chests can also be purchased this way, the large chests provide better value since they also have a chance of granting a Giant Gold Bar which is incredibly valuable.
It's worth checking the daily and weekly challenges with each login and running through as many of them as possible at lower levels since it's extremely easy to rack up gold which is needed for materials, accessories, and honing gear.
1 Always Take On Chaos Dungeons
Chaos Dungeons are goldmines for loot, with rare items like Gems, Engraving Recipes, and Entrance Tickets being just a few of the drops that have a chance of making an appearance during an expedition. Chaos Dungeons work extremely well for early game characters, but they also work especially well for players who use multiple characters on the game at once since there will be multiple chances to earn the rarest drops which can be used for honing gear or acquiring a large profit.
Each character is able to complete 2 Chaos Dungeons each day, so it's well worth making use of them in the early levels. The entrance to the dungeons can be found in every major city in Arkesia, with the location of it on the map being a gold and gray winged pillar symbol.
Lost Ark is available now on PC.