It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when starting in Lost Ark, but this beginner’s guide should give you everything you need to get started in this MMO.
It took a while, but Lost Ark is finally available for western audiences. Following its success in Russia and South Korea, players from NA and EU – as well as from other regions – can now dive properly into Smilegate’s MMOARPG experience. The game is beautiful, massive, and boy oh boy, is there a lot to learn. The highly anticipated title combines common tropes seen in the MMO genre with a top-down view, a surprisingly deep storyline, and of course, bundles of loot and Lost ARK gold. If you’re just getting started, you might be a bit overwhelmed by all the systems thrown your way. The game does a great job of pacing, but there’s no denying that the available classes, customization options, dozens of menus, and the gigantic world of Arkesia can be intimidating. Have no fear, because this beginner guide gives you everything you need to get started in Lost Ark!
Direct Your Attention to the Main Quests
Once your adventure starts, you shouldn’t ignore the main questline in favor of pursuits in new regions or side activities. Why you ask? Because it’s the easiest way to level up quickly in Lost Ark, and more importantly, reach the endgame. Slogging through the main quests can be a bore during the first several hours but trust us when we say it’ll be worth it in the end. Not only will this grant you a huge chunk of experience points, but it’ll also introduce you to other regions, characters, and gameplay mechanics you’ll be using throughout the rest of your time with Lost Ark. By doing only the main quests, you can reach the level cap of 50 without having the grind for hours. Furthermore, following these quests is extremely important as it also unlocks dungeons and the arena where you can have PvP matches to earn Lost ARK currency.
Pets Are Your Best Friend
Lost Ark wastes no time in throwing oodles and oodles of loot your way; picking up and organizing all those Lost ARK items quickly becomes a tedious task – unless you have a pet, that is. As in so many other MMOs, Lost Ark has pets – small creatures that you can summon to follow you and help in battle. They may look like just an aesthetic element at first, but getting pets is a life-changing experience. Simply equipping a pet will allow them to pick up everything that enemies drop whenever you’re in fights, and you can further improve their skills by finicking with the Pet Menu and telling them exactly what gear they should only pick up. They also give bonuses to your character called Pet Effects, such as an HP increase or a higher percentage of crit attacks. These are powerful features and one that you’ll want to explore to get the most out of it.
Know the Currencies By Heart
There are multiple currencies in Lost Ark; here’s a rundown of each one:
- Gold – The top-tier currency in Lost Ark which you get from Abyss Raids, exploring islands, and more. This currency is essential as it’s required to upgrade your character’s Lost ARK items. The more gold you have, the better. Thankfully, you won’t have to worry too much about this until you reach the endgame.
- Silver – The standard currency that you earn through completing quests, killing enemies, and looting. Silver is used to pay for fast travel and buy Lost ARK items like potions from various NPCs around the in-game world. The currency can also be used to repair your equipment.
- Pirate Coins – These are accessed when you begin to complete weekly and daily island/sailing quests which you can complete across multiple characters on the same server. Pirate Coins can also be used to buy extra materials for crafting.
- Blue Crystals – Blue Crystals are available both through in-game rewards and from purchasing the currency separately; they’re basically a currency that you can buy with real money. They can be used to get certain boosts, buffs, potions, and skins.
In A Nutshell
Hopefully, our guide will set you off on the right foot as you learn why you should prioritize main quests above all else, why you should pay attention to your pets, and the different types of Lost ARK currency. Now that that’s over with, you’re all set to explore the vast world of Arkesia!
What do you think of Lost Ark so far? Are you enjoying your playthrough of it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
