Jedi Starter Guide

=Jedi Padawan's Guide for New Players=

This is written in response to the total lack of help by all the digruntled Elder Jedi who only complain and fail to help the growing Padawan population (and updated by another "noob" who found a lot of really cool Elder Jedi to hang with). Thus I provide to you, my guide (and my udpates) to quick leveling up.

As an aside, I (the update guy) want to mention something I think will be useful to know if you are new to the entire SWG community. You will hear a lot of talk about the "NGE" and a lot of negative comments about Sony (or "SOE"). My advice: ignore it, and find different players to hang out with. This game has lots of mature players who may have preferred the old system, but don't see the point in complaining about it endlessly, and still find it fun to play. There are so many fantastic opportunities for the Jedi profession (really more than any other profession, when you think about it, because we have so much freedom to create our own roleplaying environment), you just have to look for them. This game, like so many other things in life, is what you make of it.

Rules of Thumb
(all of this section is by the "update guy")

1. You Done Yet? Always continue talking to NPC's even after you complete their quests and it seems like the conversation is over with. Chances are pretty good they have something else for you to do.

2. He's Dead, Who Cares?? Loot everything and sell most of it (trust me: do this and you will be a millionaire before you hit level 20). If you're a Jedi, you won't have any use for "RIS Armor" diagrams (Jedi can't wear armor ... ever ... so don't ask the old-timers how you get certified to wear that body armor you just paid 20,000 credits for at the bazaar). And how many "Valley View," "Diagram of a Bio-Engineered Creature," and "Party Announcement" posters do you think you really need to carry around with you everywhere you go? (I would suggest that you save a couple of these to decorate your house with later, though).

3. Act Your Age, Not You Shoe Size. The original author of this guide says to use ranged weapons early on, but I disagree -- Jedi never use ranged weapons. In a combat sense, Jedi are melee duelists, and receive no buffs or special attacks when using ranged weapons, plus it really makes you look like an uber-goob when you run around wearing Jedi robes and firing CDEF pistols at critters, trust me.

4. '''JD! How's it Goin'?''' Your very best friend in the galaxy is ... the humble Junk Dealer. Even though junk dealers often don't pay as much as you might receive for an item by selling it to another player, they pay the same amount over and over and over again for the same item that you keep looting from the same droids down on the same lower level at Tansarii station (do that math ...). Plus, when you get to Tatooine, you'll find that junk dealers will be the only people in the game that will buy 90% of your loot. I suppose there might be some crazy pre-NGE player out there who is trying to set the Guinness record for collecting the most magseal detectors in SWG history, but I haven't met that guy yet.

5. A Credit Saved is a Credit Earned! Don't spend any of your money on anything until you know if a)you will ever be able to use it or wear it, b)how long you will have to wait if you can ever use it, and c)if it will help you reach level 90 any faster or easier. By the way, if you find more than one or two items that fit all three of those criteria, send me a /tell, please, because they are few and far between.  In short, save your money - put it in the bank and just carry about 50,000 cr on you for tipping the entertainers in the cantinas.  When you get your first house, you will thank me.  Which leads me to the ONE AND ONLY exception to rule #5 ...

6. Shake It For Me, Baby! Always, always, always tip the entertainers. Just trust me on this -- don't ask them any questions (unless they talk to you first), don't bug them in any way ... just select them, hit the "~" key, and click on "watch" (for a dancer), or "listen" for a musician. Wait at least five minutes, click on "stop watching/listening," and type /tip {ent's first name} 10000 ... or 20000, or 100000 (if she's a true hottie), or whatever you think it's worth. Seriously though, you don't have to spend that much ... just don't go away without tipping at LEAST three digits. Me? I'm a big spender (plus I have an entertainer alt, so I know how tough it is to make ends meet).

7. '''Wait! Don't Go Yet!''' On your first 10 quests or so at Tansarii Station, stay where you are (either at Gamma Station, the atrium, the lower level or the main level at Tansarii) even after you've acquired the item(s) you've been sent to bash creatures or destroy droids to acquire. After you get the notice saying that you've obtained the item(s) and you need to report back to so and so now, ignore it and continue bashing the creatures, droids, or bad guys until you've leveled up at least once (somehow, Han Solo never gets whacked by Boba Fett before he has a chance to take your behind to Tatooine, no matter how long it takes you to get those parts back to him).

8. Embrace Humility. No matter what Trehla tells you on Tatooine, don't believe it. You really are nobody special until you've accomplished some things on your own. Nobody owes you anything ... not even a moment of their time, so be thankful and respectful when you meet other players who give even that to you. You're just another punk in white robe who carries a big stick and looks like an idiot 90% of the time. (Don't believe me? Try challenging someone to a duel, and about three seconds later, make sure you send me a /tell about how you should have listened to what I told you) Bottomline? You suck and you will continue to suck for quite some time. Wrap your mind around that right off the bat, and you'll have a lot more fun. The key is understanding that every one of those veteran players were in your shoes at one time or another, so if they come across as arrogant to you, they've probably earned the right to do so. You gain respect in this game by accomplishing things, and you gain the most respect by accomplishing them on your own (and not acting like you think you're Luke Skywalker's long-lost-but-far-more-powerful younger brother when you do).

Tansarii Point Station
Do your best to resist the temptation to immediately leave the station and head out into the galaxy; as when you leave you can never come back. The important thing to do here is complete as many quests as possible. There are many creatures that give a lot of experience as well as drop valuable loot items. Many of the items you obtain here will be stronger than what you will find in the markets of the outside world. Always loot. Be sure to spend a lot of time on Space Station Gamma. There are two unique things to do here. One is to kill the giant spider at the end of the dungeon, and the other is to save the space station from the infamous Black Sun. You can obtain badges here that even some Level 90 Elder Jedi never will have a shot at. Be sure to at least complete the quests for Rydell to get a decent sword, otherwise you will look like an uber-noob running around with your Jedi training pole. By this point you should be at least level 10, and then head to Tatooine.

Tatooine
If you have any questions, many people and helpers hang out at the Cantina in Mos Eisley and will answer questions. Once again, do your best to resist the temptation to run around the galaxy right away and follow the quest thread as much as you can. Don't worry about armor, as Jedi get robes as they progress in levels. Keep you eyes out for a good melee weapon and don't be too proud to use a blaster. They can be valuable in the beginning. You should buy a swoop because they are faster than the land speeders you get in the quests. Talk to a lot of NPCs to get minor quests. There is a Calimari in the town that will give you your first pet after a series of simple deliveries.

Grinding
If you're in the mood, pick up a couple of easy levels by whacking on the critters outside Mos Eisley. The higher you are in levels, the easier the later quests become.

Legacy
Follow the Legacy quest (which you get when you first arrive on Tatooine -- it begins with Han Solo's message and "A speeder for me"). This is the best place to do fairly simple tasks for loads of experience. Patience is a must, but completing all of the Legacy Quest steps on Tatooine will net you at least 20 to 25 levels.

Jabba
You can take a break from Legacy and do a number of side quests almost anywhere you are, on any planet, but the first chance you have to do this when it really pays off is while you're at Jabba's Palace. (you'll get there as you work through Legacy). Once you get tons of experience you can rejoin the Legacy string and find it much easier.

The Force Crystal
Once you hit level 14, one of your rewards will be a Force Crystal, which will be located in your inventory. Examine it for a short string that teaches you a nice Jedi Lesson. Again ... depending on how long you waited to do this quest after you hit lvl 14, you will find that the creatures in the second part of this quest give a substantial number of xp when you whack them -- stick around and move up an easy level before you get back to grinding Legacy.

Life After Jabba's
Continue with the Legacy Quest until you complete it -- which will take you to Naboo, Corellia, and finally Talus, at which point you should be around level 45. At this point you can either go and work on your piloting skills which are very useful and can also allow you to gain ground xp. Also you can take this chance and start completing quests on Kashyyyk where there are many that can be done.

Find a Guild
Jedi-centric guilds are popping up all over SWG now that the elder Jedi have figured out they can play a role in the NGE by taking on Padawans, who become Masters, who take on their own Padawans (growing their guilds in the process). If you like RP, there are some very good guilds who try to make it as authentic as possible. If you are looking for a master-padawan roleplay experience, go to http://www.jedilistings.com, get yourself a login, and advertise that you are looking for a master (or just browse the hundreds of posts by masters looking for padawans and find one you think will work well). Make use of the fact that the game is chock-full of elder Jedi and Jedi masters who know all the tricks. Under their tutelage, you can advance quickly up the level-chart, and make some friends in the process. Many a young Jedi who considered dropping this game entirely wound up staying once they discovered the possibilities inherent in the combination of the master-padawan relationship and the guild system.

Declare for a faction
Wait at least until you get to level 40 to do this, but at some point you may want to consider entering into to Galactic Civil War properly (if you like PvP stuff, you will have to do this in order to participate). Pick a faction (Imp or Reb) by finding their pilot trainer, doing all the missions you can for them in space, and selecting "I want to take part in the ground combat" (or something to that effect) when you think you're ready. Be advised that once you do this, you will be a target, particularly if you join the Rebel faction, every time an enemy NPC sees you.

The Hero of Tatooine
Don't leave Tatooine (even as part of Legacy) before at least picking up the Hero of Tatooine quest from the hermit at the bottom of the Squill Cave (you'll find him on one of the early Legacy missions that take you to the cave). Once you hit cl35 or so, head back to Tatooine and finish the quest for some huge xp as well as a really good item with some great buffs.

Jedi Equipment
Jedi, both dark and light, have a set of equipment that only they can use. The most notable being the Lightsaber by which nearly any denizen of the Star Wars universe will recognize the wielder's nature. Just as distinct, but less memorable, Jedi Robes provide unique protections to a Jedi.

The Lightsaber
Once a Jedi reaches level 26 they are sent on a quest to acquire their training saber. This basic Lightsaber only allows for a single colored crystal. While this first 'saber is given via a quest, more advanced Lightsabers are crafted by their wielder. As a Jedi's power increases so does their ability to create and wield these powerful light swords.

Jedi Lightsaber Progression
There are other more powerful Lightsabers available, but they are not part of the typical progression.
 * Level 26: Training Saber+
 * Level 30: First Generation Saber+
 * Level 38: First Generation Saber
 * Level 54: Second Generation Saber
 * Level 70: Third Generation Saber
 * Level 78: Forth Generation Saber

+ Until Level 38 a Jedi's Lightsaber is given to them

At level 38 Jedi are capable of building their own light saber. A first generation saber is simple to craft and does not require very expensive resources. Check on the Bazaar for resources that have good overall quality. Once you get good resources decide if you are going to build a 1 handed 2 handed or double blade saber. There is no significant difference in the damage that any saber deals out. The animations are the best with a double blade, where as a 1 or 2 handed sabers animations make it easier to see in a group environment. Next you have to have a color crystal for your blade. Choose this wisely, but remember that you can quickly change your color crystal at any time. With a first generation saber you can have 1 Krayt Pearl or 1 Power Crystal in the saber in addition to the color crystal. If you can afford a high quality pearl or crystal get it and tune it for your saber. You can always put it in a saber that you build later.

Again, this is another great opportunity for RP. If you are in a Jedi guild and you are serving as a master's padawan, the chances are good that you will either be provided with the various materials needed to craft a high-quality saber, or you may be sent on specific missions to acquire them -- either way, it makes the whole game immensely more enjoyable.

Jedi Robes
Jedi Robes represent the traditional, modest uniforms of the Jedi Order that are also being used by force-sensitive splinter groups like the Sith. Like the former they are made of a special, robust and at the same time light material which provides ideal protection for the Jedi with the added risk of identifying the profession of the wearer.

The robes are full body suits that occupy most clothing slots on the character, except the gloves, belt, necklace, wristband and hat slot (except the two Elder Jedi robes, which also take up the hat slot). For example, no backpack, bandolier or cloak can be worn when they are equipped.

There are no race or gender restrictions for wearing Jedi Robes, although the boots will be invisible on Trandoshan characters.