Newbie with questions

• gambleflash wrote on 2011-12-24 18:18
  I just made a character on Vindictus (Fiona) and I was just wondering a few things.
  
  1. I've been farming all the perilous ruins maps until I reached minimum ap. Should I be doing that or waiting until later to do it?
  
  2. What swords should I be using until I can use hammers? I've been looking at them on Vindictus Wiki and I can't tell which would make me do more or less damage.
  
  3. I've been lagging quite a bit with DirectX 9 but my computer has DirectX 11. I've narrowed it down to my graphics card. When I use DirectX 8, it works great and it's easy for my computer to reach 45+ FPS on high settings. But the instant I switch to DirectX 9 (lowest settings on everything), my FPS drops like soufflé after hearing an opera singer on high C.
  
  My graphics card is a NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430.
  
  I don't care about most of the things since it's not that noticeable, but what can I do so that my computer doesn't explode whenever it sees shiny metal (just short of buying a new graphics card because this is a new computer)?
• Sekwaf wrote on 2011-12-24 18:37
  I'd wait until later to get max AP from those missions, you'll have plenty of time to grind missions to level after you hit level 40 or so (and trust me, you WILL be grinding a bit by then). As for swords, you should get a Sword of Salvation and hold on to it until you get a quest from Kirstie to defeat the White Tyrant, you'll need it to continue. However at level 12 I believe you should be able to equip a Red Metal Longsword, you won't be able to craft one yet, but I suggest you buy it. That should last you until 24 when you can equip hammers (which I can't tell you which hammers to get as I am a sword Fiona).
  
  Some other advice, get heavy stander to rank A ASAP, it'll block all damage from an attack and is great to use if you don't know if the attack is a smash or not. Also, some people hate counter, make it your best friend, a stunned boss is a dead boss. Once you get rank 9 Guard, if you perform a perfect guard (block right before you're hit, you'll get the blue sparks if you did it right) you can attack and it will automatically be your third attack, meaning a perfect guard -> attack -> smash will actually perform butterfly blow/ivy sweep (depending on weapon), you can use this to get a stigma or amaranth on weak enemies easily.
• RebeccaBlack wrote on 2011-12-24 18:40
  1. Do whatever you want, I guess. You don't have to and you'll either get AP now or later, or maybe you won't go after it at all and simply acquired it "on accident" as you play.
  
  2. Doesn't really matter. I guess Sword of Salvation at level 1 and then Red Metal Longsword at level 12. Those are the best for their levels until you get a hammer.
  
  3. I don't really know that card, I just know it's kinda cheap/old or something.
• Invertex wrote on 2011-12-24 18:52
  You could just run Default -> Friendship -> Aodhan. But you do need the Sword of Salvation for one story quest.
  Feel free to skip the Red Metal Longsword too, Salvation works just fine.
• RebeccaBlack wrote on 2011-12-24 18:56
  It's over 400 attack... I'd totally recommend getting it. Gear isn't terribly important at first because you speed through the levels so quickly, but you might as well, imo. If anything, save money on armor instead and practice your blocking.
• grandpajelly wrote on 2011-12-24 22:44
  Although your computer has Directx 11 your actual graphics card cannot support that. Makes sense? So stick to directx 8
  
  Hope you keep playing, we really need more players :o
• gambleflash wrote on 2011-12-25 00:25
  Thanks for answering the other questions.
  
  So, I suppose I can't see the shiny metal things? Man, that sucks. I want shinies. Can you give me any tips to up my FPS in directx 9 to a playable level?
• Yanm wrote on 2011-12-25 00:27
  The only thing I can think of would be to get a better graphics card.