Yupa's Zoning Tips
Version 1.1, January 25, 2003

Contents
 A. Introduction
 B. Players
 C. Attacking Mobs
 D. Spelling up Mobs
 E. Wimpy
 F. The Classes
 G. The Races
 H. Sink Rooms
 I. Aliens

A. Introduction

 -I made this file to help people who have questions about zoning.  Now I don't
 think I know all and am some Zoning God or anything, but I thought I'd address
 some issues that are of some importance.  Maybe it'll help you out, maybe not.
 
 -I'm probably leaving alot of stuff out.  I'll try to amend things if I think
 of something new, otherwise, good luck, and have fun out there.


B. Players

 - You should be zoning with 2 equipped characters, if you have em.  There's
 no excuse not to, if you've got 2 characters in the level range of the activity,
 and enough eq for it.  It's better to bring along the other character for 
 extra damage/stunning/healing/spelling/etc.  

 - Even if you've got crap eq (maybe you DTed or got sacced recently, etc), you
 can still be effective to the group.  Just cause you're using EQ from Narshe
 and Ranma doesn't mean you can't zone with it.  You just won't deal as much
 damage, and probably die a bit more, but it's worth it to get new eq, don't 
 you think?

 - Listen to your leader.  The leader's in charge, most often than not knows
 what's going on, and will keep you safe.  If the leader says sit, you better
 sit.  If you're told to attack a target, do it.  

 - Pay attention at all times.  You never know when some mob is going to wander
 in and attack, so be on your best game.  If you need to go AFK to get a drink
 or something, make sure you ask if it's a safe place to be first, and make
 sure you announce that you're not going to be at the keyboard.

 - Leaving.  Yea, sometimes you can't stay on long enough to finish a zone.
 That's totally understandable.  But please show some courtesy;  inform the
 leader/group that you can only stay for awhile before starting the zone (when
 possible).  If it's something that comes up all of a sudden, that's understandable
 too.... just make sure you're leaving at a safe time, and that people know 
 you're going.  I know of a lot of times when people suddenly just say "gotta
 go,bye" (or not even that), and just cut out, even in the middle of fighting.

 - One thing I can't stand:  People asking to zone, then suggesting something
 totally preposterous.  My motto:  Don't suggest something seriously that you
 aren't prepared to lead yourself, or if there aren't enough people around to
 do it anyway.  Honestly, it gets kinda annoying, when a person logs on, then 
 gets flooded with requests to lead Tapis when there aren't enough people on, 
 and the requester doesn't even know how to do it.

 - Nobody likes a backseat driver.  If you're doing the following, do just that: 
 follow.  Give out warning shouts or offer your wealth of knowledge only if the 
 leader's about to make a boo-boo, or is unsure and needs the extra nudge. 

C. Attacking Mobs

 - Follow your leader's instructions, especially if there's a split involving
 multiple players attacking multiple mobs.  If you're assigned 5.guard, make 
 sure to attack that one.
 
 - Unless told otherwise, don't use the term <mob> when fighting.  You may end
 up attacking a druid's clones, or ghosts, or some mob that isn't aggro 
 initally, instead of your designated target.  That means you'll be preoccupied
 fighting the wrong thing, while the target you were supposed to keep busy is
 free to kill everyone in the group off.

 - Assist:  Generally, don't be using assist to start off combat.  You should
 be starting with a solid attacking move, to keep the stunning going.  If you
 type assist Yupa, you'll join in the combat, but no stun attack until the next
 time you can input a command.  That can really hurt, so make sure you start
 off with a lunge, thunderclap, hammerfist, trash, dpunch, web, hammer, etc.
 * There are some instances when assist is ok.  If you're in a real panic, 
 cause some mob just wandered in, it's better to assist than to stand around
 doing nothing. 

 - Stunning:  Speaking of which, use the most effective stunning your character
 can do.  There's no point in wasting your combat turns doing worthless attacks.
 For example, Hack or Dtouch might be a nice variety once in awhile, but when you're
 in the  thick of things, sticking with trash will probably save you more than screwing
 around will.
 Be careful of opening-type stun attacks too, like backstab, Asssassinate, Dim Mak.
 It's good in most cases to start w/ them, but if you miss, you're stunned for way 
 too long and will probably get killed.  Stuff like Assassinate can really mess you 
 up if you maim yourself, and would get hairy if mobs sac, etc.  Use what ya got,
 just know when to use it.

D. Spelling Up Mobs

 - Throw everything you got at em, and then some.  There's no harm in trying.
 If the mobs aren't aggro, or you can walk in while cloaked, try to blind them.
 Better yet, put them to sleep, it lasts longer.  Blind wears off in about 6 
 tics or so.

 - Always dispel mobs w/ sanctuary.  At least, unless the can't be dispelled.
 You'll get done killing alot faster if they have no sanc.

 - Other spells:  Guinness, Constriction, Stone Circle, Mystic Mist, Sink, 
 Curse, etc.

 - Something else to try:  get the mobs out of the room!  Gust of wind is very
 versatile.  Try it out, if possible.  If gust doesn't work, try scare.  It sucks
 up more mana, but can work when gust doesn't.  The fewer mobs in the room to 
 fight, the better.

 - It's not a spell, but also take into consideration using a giant's Shockwave
 move.  Just knocking a few mobs off their feet can make a difference.  A poor
 man's version of shockwave is the acolyte's Sweep attack; the only problem being,
 is that you'll be attacked by whatever you don't knock down.  Use as a last
 resort, or on a character you don't mind having die. 

E. Wimpy
 
 - Generally, wimpy's not good to have on when you zone.  Why?  Well, sure, it
 may save you from the mob you're fighting, but you may just end up fleeing into
 a room w/ more mobs that haven't been cleared.  That'll cause alot more 
 problem in the long run.  

 - Sometimes, wimpy is good, depending on the circumstances.  Just follow what
 your leader says....keep wimpy off until you're told otherwise, and don't 
 forget to turn it off after the time you need it.

F. The Classes

 - Ranking the Classes (1-10, 10 highest...naturally biased, of course) in terms of 
 usefulness in zoning:

     Heroes (10): Heroes rock.  They really do.  It's also a class that's 
     basically designed for zoning.  Heroes have a good stunning skill 
     (Thunderclap), can Scout (see info on mobs, what they do, etc.  A Must
     skill for zoning), taunt, and can camoflauge (cloak) on top of that.  
 
     Assassins (9):  While they're supposed to be better for single confrontations, 
     an assassin is another must have class for zoning.  Lunge is a decent enough
     stun, and even better since it can maim...assassinate for the same reasons.
     Assassins can also spot (see items in zone), cloak, envenom, and probably most 
     importantly, can scan.  Since you can see about 3 rooms ahead w/ scan, it's a 
     good skill to have.  Consider using an Asssassin as the leader of a group.

     Druids (9): Druids are basically your only source of healing in many
     instances.  Group heal is a must for reflecting mobs. Restore is great too,
     esp. for regaining mana and move.  Druids are less effective naked now,
     but that doesn't mean you shouldn't bring them along.  They can still be
     handy for dispelling a mob, gusting, etc.  and can still do a bit of healing
     regardless.  An equipped Druid though, is a godsend, I assure you.  If you know 
     someone who likes playing an equipped druid, I'd invite them along. 

     Blades (8, sometimes 6): Blades are good stunners, good muscle.  That's basically 
     about all they're good for though.  Good for hack-n-slash playing, but in terms
     of versatility, they ain't it.  I'd knock em down a couple points too, because
     there are many mobs now that pretty much make trash worthless.  Against mobs
     that blk_pummel and junk, trash is a big waste of time, and pretty much makes
     a Blademaster only good for dealing damage.

     Monks (8):  They aren't quite the damage monsters blades are, but their
     rather unusual skill sets make up for it.  Pressure point is very nifty, 
     so make use of it when stunning isn't critical.  Of points to note, do
     Foot (keeps mobs from fleeing), Eye (blinds), solar plexus (like envenom;
     btw, a mob can be envenomed and pressure solar at the same time), and neck
     (silence).  Do a groin pressure point for comic relief. :P

     Archmage (7):  Archies can be cool, but the mana drain in most zones means
     spell casting has to be moderated (druids too, for that matter).  Create 
     portal is a good spell to get around with, but like Druids, is now something
     that's only really usable if equipped.  A good archie player, much like a
     druid, can also be a wonderful addition to a group.

     Avatar (2):  Hurry up and become a Hero already!  Avatars might have
     the full range of dual skills and spells, but the bottom line is that they
     can't stun for a hill of beans.  Make haste and learn the ways of the Hero.

     Duals (0):  Unless you're doing a dual only zone, there should be no reason
     to bring a dual player along into a high level zone.  You're pretty much
     guaranteeing the poor dual much death, and they won't be able to contribute
     much to the group either.

G. The Races

Yeah, what races you bring along makes a difference too.  How so?  See:

 - Human:  Eh, ok.  Not high on the hp, but no slouch otherwise.  Nothing
 tremendously good or bad about the class, in terms of zoning.

 - Elf:  I guess elves can be marginally better than humans.  More hp, for 
 sure.  Dexterity's pretty decent as well.  

 - Giant: You're standard tanking monster.  Highest HP around, is a good
 thing.  Crappiest Movement, bad.  Bring lots of food if you're taking a 
 giant.  Also, Shockwave is a good skill in some situations.  Give it a try
 before attacking multiple mobs that normally assist, if the circumstances 
 allow it.

 - Dwarf: 2nd highest hp, decent move and mana, this is a good race for zones.
 The inspect skill is especially handy for finding hidden doors.

 - Halfling:  Decent mana, hp, makes a decent enough druid.  Feign could work
 to save you in the right situation.  They don't gain as much mana per tic as
 a lich though.

 - Gnome:  Hahaha!  Eh, seriously, I don't play gnomes, but they have nice mana
 and regen.  Too bad they can't carry squat and have ridiculously low HP.

 - Dragon:  I don't have a dragon char, surprisingly.  But Dragon Breath is 
 a good skill to deal damage, and their other stats are all around average.

 - Lich:  2nd best in terms of max mana, and they regen mana per tic fairly
 good.  Just watch out for their vision during the day, and be careful using
 decay.

 - Drow:  Good dex for assassins/monks.  Nice hp.  Not-so-good movement.  And
 vision during bright times suck.  Sphere of Darkness helps, but be careful
 since it drops ego and str significantly.

 - Kender: In terms of dexterity, probably the best for assassins and monks.
 Tremendous amount of Movement too.  HP ain't so hot, and they can only
 max wimpy at 40%.  

H. Sink Rooms

 - Watch out for them.  It's a pain in the ass if you don't know where the 
 destination will be.  You probably don't have to worry about saccers at the
 other end of the sink...that would be too uncool for anyone to build in. 

 - Test when in doubt.  Toss a coin in the room before you enter, see if it's
 still there when you peek again.

 - Watch out for assassination.  Ya, it's a nice skill, but you don't want to
 end up maiming your eq in a sink room, especially if it's gonna be awhile 
 before you can get to the destination room.

I. Aliens 

 - Aliens can be good or bad, depending on who you ask and when.  If you've
 got aliens, remember that as a consideration when you're in a zone.  I'll 
 gloss briefly over the +/-'s of aliens, and how it affects zoning.
 
     - Super Strength/HP/Mana boosts: Kick ass, nothing wrong with it.

     - Blindness:  Blindness sucks, especially when fighting.  Let the
       leader know, so that a healing char. can keep an eye out for you
       saying you're blind should it occur.

     - Fleeing:  This totally blows.  In combat, nothing you can do about
       it.  But when not fighting, pay attention to the leader.  If he says
       Aliens sit, you should.  Sitting should prevent you from fleeing, but
       pay attention that the aliens don't make you stand in one round, then
       you end up fleeing later.
       Also with this, remember that if you're sitting, to stand up when the
       boss tells you to as well.

     - Lose Cloak:  Sometimes aliens does this.  So just hope it doesn't happen
       in front of an aggro mob.  If you drop cloak, try to cloak up again
       ASAP.


				Lemme know what ya think, if I missed anything of if I'm
				totally wrong on some points; the Tips are a constant work
				in progress....

							Yupa