Lost Ark is one of the newest MMORPGs for Western audiences, and it gained a lot of popularity at release by genre fanatics and newcomers. The clean combat and easy-to-jump-into mechanics make it a great game for anyone to get into
However, Lost Ark can still be a bit daunting for those new to the world of MMORPGs. While it’s not as complex for veterans of the genre, there are some essential tips and tricks to know before hopping in.
Tip 1 – What to Do With Extra Gear in Lost Ark
While you can increase your storage with Crystals, that should be a last resort.
When traveling around Arkesia, you’ll encounter a lot of enemies. These enemies, whether story bosses or random encounters, drop a lot of gear that will quickly take over your inventory. It’s easy to want to hold onto all that gear and armor.
However, there isn’t really a benefit in keeping extra armor. It only takes up space in the already-limited inventory you have, and it’s relatively simple to get rid of. By dismantling extra armor, you’ll get valuable powder that you can sell. This is especially helpful for those of you who haven’t hit level 50 yet.
Tip 2 – Keep an Eye on Your Health
Learning how the different potions work in Lost Ark can be a gamechanger when end-game hits.
There aren’t too many skills in Lost Ark that help you gain health, and odds are, you don’t have access to any of them. Considering that enemies typically come at you in large groups, it’s easy to get distracted and ignore your health bar. This can be a disaster while trying to fight them all off.
Health potions and HP potions are worth taking advantage of to stay alive. You’ll want to keep your health as close to max as possible throughout a fight. Whether that means using shields abilities or relying on potions. Fortunately, quests will give you plenty of potions, so you shouldn’t run out even if you’re spamming them!
Tip 3 – Repair Your Gear Constantly
Enemies love to whack away at your gear reducing its’ stats. Nobody wants to be in a dungeon with broken armor and barely any health.
Repairing your gear makes a massive difference in your damage output. Even as you progress through the story, the bosses shouldn’t get crazy hard — you should be scaling with them. If you notice that your damage is falling short, it might be time to head to the blacksmith.
You can find blacksmiths in major cities and a few other places around Lost Ark. A good way to find them is by looking for the anvil icon on your map. All it takes is a small silver fee to repair your armor’s durability. This will keep you in tip-top shape for the next battle you jump into.
Tip 4 – Use Your Secret Area Keys
Did you know you can do Secret Dungeons with others in your party?
Armor and health potions aren’t the only loot that enemies can drop. Occasionally, you’ll come across valuable scroll-like items called Secret Area Keys. These scrolls contain a map to a hidden area worth searching for.
Typically, the secret area is around wherever you find the map and you can use it to go to a secret dungeon. You’ll come across some enemies and a boss where you can get strong gear. In most cases, it’s better armor than what you’ll find in that area. This is why it’s useful to do secret dungeons as you get keys. Since you’ll make the most of your loot.
Tip 5 – Read Your Abilities Thoroughly
Having a good understanding of your abilities is helpful if you want to try PvP as well.
This Lost Ark tip might sound simple, but it’s important to really go through the abilities that your class has. As you work toward end-game content, you’ll unlock a wide variety of abilities to make your perfect character.
It’s easy to not realize that a lot of them work together for a more significant impact. For example, using a skill that temporarily stuns an enemy gives you an opportunity for a long cast spell. Until you completely understand how they work, you won’t really know how to combine them. Also, it’s a good idea just in case there are any hidden details like buffs or debuffs.
Tip 6 – Don’t Worry About Every Single Side Quest
Side quests can be worthwhile for certain rewards like gold or roster xp, but they will slow down your main progress.
You’re going to run into a plethora of side quests that can quickly overwhelm you in Lost Ark. It’s easy to think that taking on every single one is the right thing to do. However, it’s going to cost you time without giving you much in return.
Before you get to end-game content, you need to hit level 50 and get through part of the story in North Vern. The main storyline and the subsequent World Quests will get you there – side quests, while generally easy, are more of a waste of time.
Tip 7 – Queue Up For Hard Matchmaking In Dungeons
Lost Ark dungeons scale to the number of players so you’re always going to have an experience made for you.
Anytime a dungeon you go to has a Hard Mode, take it. You can make it much easier on yourself by choosing the matchmaking option as well. This will queue you with other players to take on the dungeon with.
While there are more enemies and some scaling in matchmaking, the difficulty tends to be easier. Especially for classes that are lacking in damage or sustainability such as a Bard. Plus, you’ll get better rewards that are oftentimes stronger than what you regularly find in the area.
Tip 8 – Boost Your Stronghold in Lost Ark
Which upgrade gets this dragon in my Stronghold?
After venturing through Arkesia for a bit, you’ll end up entangled in a war and given an island of your own. This is called your Stronghold, and there are a variety of uses for it when it comes to end-game content. It’s best to start leveling it up as soon as possible to get the most out of it.
This island is the key to crafting, and it’s also a way to level up your characters too. Once your Stronghold is advanced enough, you can passively gain experience on alt characters. Additionally, you can unlock the Knowledge Transfer system to boost them to level 50 as well.
Tip 9 – Follow World Quests on the Open Seas
World Quests will take you to interesting continents continuing the main questline. Just wait until you get to Arthetine!
There comes a time when you’ll leave Armen and Thirian behind as you take on sailing to new continents. When this happens, you’ll need to make sure that you start following the blue World Quests to get through the correct stories.
However, this won’t just pop up. You’ll get a contract for a crew member and need to activate it before sailing in order to start the quests. Skipping this step can make journeying the waters aimlessly incredibly difficult. This is why the World Quests are a nice form of guidance in the right direction.
Tip 10 – Repair Your Ship When Docked
Nobody wants to end up with a broken ship in Lost Ark. This is why it’s important to repair whenever you’re near a port.
While fighting has an impact on your armor, traveling across the ocean has an impact on your ship. Whether you’re traveling through quiet conditions or hazardous waters, your ship’s durability will take a hit. Keep an eye on your durability by looking at the numbers in the middle circle, near the bottom of your screen while sailing.
If you’re not quite sure how to repair your ship, you can do this while docking at a port. This is relatively cheap, and it’ll be in your best interest to repair it whenever you dock. Another option is spending pirate coins to unlock a marina for 20 minutes. You’ll still need to pay a fee, but marinas can help when you’re far from a port.
Sailing the open seas in search of new islands to explore can be an exciting adventure of its’ own.
These Lost Ark tips and tricks will give you a good leg up when traveling through Arkesia for the first time. Considering this MMORPG is free-to-play, it’s worth giving it a shot to test the waters yourself. Be sure to leave a comment below with what class you pick!
Brittany’s a video game enthusiast who spends too much time playing Riot’s games and sinking time into fixations like Pokemon and Lost Ark.
tekfen
Wednesday 23rd of February 2022
Thank you for valuable information.