From different scams you might run across and tips on how to avoid, to things not usually noticed but noteworthy and a few pro's and con's
General Tips
*) Enjoy the game or love to hate it. Allot of patience gets tempered in this game.
*) Don't be too greedy.
*) Just because it says 5/6 prac's, doesn't mean you'll complete the quest.
*) You can loose anything that doesn't have nouncurse.
*) Stay out of CPK before your Vandy Trunk.
*) If things look "fishy" for CPK locker store your most valued items first.
*) Don't mess with your stuff flying over the ocean (couple of accidental drop all's here myself).
*) If you get a decanter of endless water or such before a Vandy Trunk, take the investment of renaming it with a strange coin to something lower case and simple, like a copper canteen. It won't hide it if you drop it, but it won't be too obvious drinking it (away from allot of view). Don't flash and scammer's won't be tempted.
*) If you're on a quest that requires a PK area, most times 1st Class, higher lvl's will give you a break. After that, you better get even more cautious and you'll be sent to NPK more often on quest. Don't linger, recall and skip it if you know a door is already unlocked and open. Being NPKed isn't that bad, you just loose the quest and sit with Mordred for a bit. LPK is only a little better. When I've known someone is there (where) I've asked if I could complete my quest before, and sometimes putting 'please don't kill me' in my title has worked, hehe. There is a slim chance changing your title can confuse others, especially in crowded areas. Things like "/gray/ you sense a hidden life form in the area" or a mob name.
*) That can also be taken advantage of by going off quest for something in an NPK area, on a quest. You can also avoid the potential of bitter grumbles from other players for an off quest desired kill, on quest. Just don't take it for granted or use it too much. (Some mobs with desirable items are hard to compete for.)
*) If you just want to explore PK areas, go at real time night like late in the morning on week days when there's lowest in game activity and don't stay in it too long.
*) If you're caught in a web snare and are invisible, don't struggle. There is the slim chance you won't be seen and the person who snared you won't kill you thinking you're not there.
Scams and PK
Well, every scam in Alyria playing consists of either getting you PKed or taking your gold, which, at times can be bad enough to want to quit the whole durn thing. But, there's ways to get into these things, and avoid them all together.
*)"How would you like to earn some extra gold?" (not always a ligitimate question)
*) "I saw a (desirable item) in (PK area), help me get it" (far less likely to be ligitimate)
*)"Fo/Fo with me and I'll take you". (Most of the time this is ligitimate but locker store first and take your sextant, levitation and/or a quest item gem. They'll either be helping you or it's to PK you or snook hunting - leave you off who knows where. Personally, I wouldn't trust fo/fo knowing I was going into CPK at all unless I was a clan member with another clanny.)
*) A while back there was a guy who tried to scam me allot, one of his fave tricks on his victims was to pretend to be stuck in the CPK room above Rune temple, the Grotesque. You get him out and he's grateful enough to ask you to help him CPK other folks. You wait in the room as the bait, then at the last minute of the door closing and locking your escape, he jumps in and tries to kill you. (Yeah I fell for it, but mostly out of curiosity 'cause he was doing it so much.)
*)You just lost your item someone invisible or shapeshift has picked up and won't give back. Then someone comes along to sell you the same item for an outrageous price. (Know you item values.)
*)You're buying/selling something and making a (bank) transfer - but once they have what they want, they don't complete the transaction and run off with your gold/item. (This is why there should be a witness to the transaction and traditionally gold is given before an item is handed over. Never exchange RU/gold without a witness or log.)
Pro's and Con's of Leveling, Quest and Marks
At 1st Class I was the biggest on getting all the marks I could. It really depends on what you want. You're going to want the maximum of practices either way and you can get those by questing with the quest masters and finding marks more than leveling.
Leveling is fast and easy, it's also greuling and boring if someone is helping you level up by a large number like 10 lvls. You gain trainings and skills at the same lvl regardless, but you won't be getting as much gold, experience (in-game know how) or practices as you would if you quest.
Marks can be interesting and fustrating. Most of the time you gain experience and practices, not so often you might get quest points. The practices are usually a nice number, though you'd need two or three marks to really take a good chunk out of what you want to put it on. It's usually about 30/40 practices in many cases. It can be an interesting way to pass some time in Alyria, trying to get a tough mark or just to hold a record and boast/compare how many you have with others. The most advantage in marks I've had was at leaving Lasler and getting to take a decent chunk out of trainings and maxing or evening out a few skills.
Questing, I've come to appreciate the most at 2nd Class. At 1st Class I remained a rogue until I completed 1k quests which was very greuling after a while, especially in refusing to take 1 and 2 prac quests, so at 2nd Class I decided to just sit back and take all the quests I wanted to whenever.
Even if you leveled to 60 in a few days from 10, never taking a quest, you can still take them all before you 2nd Class. I favor quests though, because you learn more about the game such as where things are, you have more time to spend on using things like evasion or scan to gain another point of skill on it and on top of practices you get quest points to be able to buy quest items and more gold. Overall, compared to marks, you'll get the same amount of practices per experience for leveling with the bonus of quest points. Compared to leveling, you'll be taking longer, but it's plenty of time to learn about what you want to do with your char and what you can do in the game.
