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Trying to compile all the newbie knowledge, and then some. Feel free to add your own, may become more than an info dump then. This thread is now updated by moderators as of 5/14/2015 via PM, please continue to add here though. General Info (includes race, items, or game effects). [One defensive modal + multiple offensive modals] You can have one defensive modal on like Cautious attack, but can have multiple offensive ones on like Savage and Vulnerable. [Highest bonus: Weapon/shield + Worn items (helms, armor, gloves, rings, boots) / Chants + Spells (includes Paladin Auras) + Talents + Per encounter + Racials] PoE pulls from the various effects for your character to have the highest bonus in each. For example, I could use a +2 might weapon, and wear a +1 might glove, and have +3 total. [Wood Elf + Any ranged attack or spell] Unlike Marksman, this works on any ranged attack/spell. [island Aumua (optional) + Quick Switch + Slow weapons] With weapon swapping, the slower weapons like guns bypass much of their recovery issues. [Moon Godlike + Dumping Con + (High Might)] The endurance heals will make health more of an issue than dropping in combat. High Might is recommended to get more out of the heals. [~+100% damage modifiers + Dual wield + Two weapon fighting talent vs 12 DR] Roughly when dual wield starts to gain ground next to a big 2 hander for dps. Before then its a pretty non optimal choice for dps, but good for the speed of attacks and lack of overkill. 12 DR is what most monsters are at as well besides bosses at 28+ DR. [(Pale elf) + Shades, phantoms, spirit + Freeze DR] Pale elf does it easier, tho wizards or paladins can also do it well enough via spells or darcozzi. A lot less damage from one of the most annoying monsters. [Low Might Companions + Guns or crossbows] Just my opinion, but guns are higher average damage and your companions tend to have low might scores giving an inflated "slowness" to combat a lot of times. Reload animation can be interrupted with skill spam, but the low might is never overcome by weapon selection easily unless you're talking about guns. [Companions + Roles + Party composition] 1 tank, 1-2 bad off tanks, and 4-6 dps/support are roughly the numbers of what builds are possible. Also there is no rogue, barbarian, or monk class. So it might be encouraged to make an offtank. [Dexterity + Animation times] Dex effects the actual attack animation AND recovery time. Where as attack speed is only on the recovery time. Reload (guns + crossbows) is never effected by either, except by Gunner, Surehand illa chant, and swift aim (ranger). [Debuffs stack for different sources] Daze + weaken for example works. [Leather armor (Scale) + Pierce Proof + (Quality)] An interesting way to get one of the better DRs vs 2 of the most common attacks (slash/pierce) while retaining a good recovery rate. Alternatively, Scale is also good in this setup as it has a little more Freeze DR. [AI + Lowest deflection] The monsters will target the closest thing they can reach with lowest deflection. Its possible to number crunch so they target in a specific order for your party that way then. [sanguine Plate + Shod in Faith + (Low Deflection)] The new spell holding effects are 2/enc, so having heals + lower deflection + dmg from Frenzy is a great combination, as the person getting crit. Class (Includes anything that involve a class specific skill). * * B A R B A R I A N * * [barbarian + Fire Godlike + Carnage] Burning up for aoe melee attacks. [barbarian + Threatening Presence + Brute Force + its a trap] A NON COMBO: as fortitude actually is higher for most monsters with high deflection. That said, it helps land Fort effects like stunning blow from monk, but only gets "ahead" by other debuffs. [barbarian + Human or Nature Godlike + Vengeful defeat + Second chance item] +dmg or stats and kamikaze aoe damage * * C H A N T E R * * [Chanter + Any buff but not items] Chants can stack with any buff with similar effects unlike spells where the highest overrides. It seems chanter buffs go under "item" slot so while it stacks with different sources, a +reflex item and a +reflex chant, the highest wins out instead of stacking. [Chanter + Chanter(s) + Come Come Swift Winds of Death] These stack up on enemies and start to melt faces at the beginning of the game. [Chanter + Frost Chant + (Fleet foot)] Probably the only class that can reliably kite due to how monsters chase you and you drop frost traps. * * C I P H E R * * [Cipher Focus gains + (Fire Godlike) + Retaliate ] Burning/Retaliate up for your focus below 50% [Cipher + Front line position + Antipathetic Field + Targetting back row enemy] Is extremely high dps, like 25 every second to things in front of you and in melee with you even with 10 might. Consider making Grieving Mother this build if you have enough CC and support effects as her stats are a bit odd and as a human, she gets some racial +dmg/accuracy when below 50% where melee tend to be. [Cipher + (Rogue + Escape) or (Monk + Longstrider) or (Any tank + Fleet foot)+ Ectopsychic Echo] The rogue can teleport behind the enemy line producing a huge echo effect much like the above. [Cipher (Wizard)+ Opening with Confuse] Tenuous Grasp lvl 1 (Cipher) or Bewildering lvl 2 (Wizard), the effect is enemies engage the confused monster and beat them down. * * F I G H T E R * * [Fighter + high might + constant recovery] = larger passive endurance regen [Fighter + high might + wary defender + (two handed OR dual wield) + weapon spec & mastery] = frontline melee that tanks "good enough for long enough" while outputting accurate, consistent damage in a durable package that does not need babysitting. Eder can do this easily. * * M O N K * * [Monk + Turning wheel + Transcendent Suffering + ITS A BUG!] Turning wheel will overwrite the monk unarmed damage bonuses occasionally with no way to fix it except to go back to a previous save. [Monk + Wounds + Duration + (Turning wheel)] Wounds roughly last "10 seconds" so Turning wheel is harder to stack up to higher levels unless they are dealt ~80 damage in less than 10 seconds with Lesser wounds to gain the max benefit. [Monk + Stunning + Enervating + Two weapon fighting +(Rogue)] See here: http://forums.obsidi...-dual-wielding/ Or basically, you stun on first blow, then enervating blows has a much higher chance due to the debuff. Rogue is nice for the synergy of sneak attack dmg. [Monk + Moon Godlike + Wounds + Torment's reach (or any wound using ability)] More wounds = more heals = more beatings that will continue until things are dead. [Monk + Long Stride + (Withdrawal Cape) + (Tank talents/stats) + (Flaggelent's Path) + (Cipher 3rd lvl Ectopsychic) + (Rooting Pain)] A tank that runs really fast past the front line and trails the ally beam behind them is amazing. Extra bonus for getting hit = more wounds = rooting pain. [Monk + Turning wheel + Rooting Pain + ITS A TRAP] Rooting pain is AoE damage, and does NOT get increased by Turning wheel [Monk + Offhand weapon + Unarmed main weapon] Attacks with offhand only, but with increased accuracy for "both". This means for Torment's Reach, you can hit a bit harder/accurately at the cost of auto attacks. [Monk + Torment's Reach or Rooting Pain + (Cone) AoE + Turning wheel] is unaffected by +Turning wheel modifiers or accuracy as its aoe and a spell effect. [Monk + Might + Transcendent Suffering (aka unarmed damage)] Might does double duty giving more +dmg for both the class passive and base damage. * * P A L A D I N * * [Paladin + Darcozzi + Fires of the Palace + Vulnerable attack + Scion of Flame] Retaliation is a little harder to gain now, but the low damage of the fire retaliate means the above taken in that order will at least deal decent damage. Also targets reflex which is good for shade killing. [Paladin + Flames of Devotion + Intense Flames + Burn Lash + (Guns) - (Scion of Flames)] aka "The Gunadin" The way it checks vs the reduced DR, its more effective to have a bigger bonus to one category, specifically, fire for the paladin. Scion of Flames seems to currently NOT work to enhance the lash effect. Consider a Blunderbuss/Pallegina as well, as all 6 shots have the lash effect vs lowered DR and melts things. [Paladin + Zealous Charge + (Withdrawal Cape) + (Fleet Foot) + (Tanking stats) + (Cipher spell lvl 3 Ectopsychic)] aka "The Runadin" Monsters will generally latch onto one engager and remain there, the paladin can eat/take some disengage attacks while under their Cipher's friend's beam to provide a good nuke with little harm. [Paladin + Darcozzi + Inspiring Exhortation + Spells that provide accuracy] One of the few ways to stack accuracy with other spells or effects. [Paladin + Ranged Arbalest/Crossbow + Righteous Soul (lvl 9)] will effortlessly 1 vs 1 immobile mushroom types of enemies ( Dank Spore // Swamp Spore //Giant dank spore) .. Once their mobile friends have been drawn away and disposed of .. The 'shrooms can dominate the paladin for a second or two and then he shakes it off and keeps pumping them full of arrows 1 at a time ...Confusion is not that dangerous in this 1 vs 1 situation - dank spores have pathetic DPS . * * P R I E S T * * [Priest + Inspiring Radiance + Spells that provide accuracy] One of the few ways to stack accuracy for the entire group. [Priest + Painful Interdiction + Barbarians with Threatening presence/Brute force + (Fortitude spells)] One per encounter (painful interdiction) and the barbarians in your group can hit much better along with fort effects. [Priest + Withdraw + Tank + Chokepoint or AoE Gather] Use withdraw on a tank that is holding a choke point, or similarly gathered up for AoE. * * R A N G E R * * [Ranger Swift Aim + Wounding Shot + Melee + (Stalker's Link)] They all work for melee. Wounding shot seems odd, but hobble effect is stronger than prone for -reflex which can help your casters or similar. [Ranger Vicious Aim + Quickswitch + Guns + Swift Aim + (Stalker's Link) +(Swift/Steady) + (Island Aumua) + (Arms Bearer)] One of the few ways the ranger keeps up competitively for accuracy and thus dps. Uses the burst damage of the guns, and then swaps to Swift aim during reload of the last gun to provide consistent dps. Arbalest > Arquebus and Blunderbuss > Pistol is roughly the same dps, though the first has less issues with DR and can possibly prone an enemy first. [Ranger + Engage item + Hold the line + Pet] Can have as many 5 engagement slots total, just as good as a Fighter. Though the pet will die if its holding all the agro. [Ranger + Guns + Swift Aim + (Swift/steady) + (Surehand Ila from Chanter) + (Gunner)] Best in house dps with the big hitters like Arquebus and reload time. Lacking +dmg modifiers, they rely on the heavier base weapons. [Ranger + Lion] Bear is arguably one of the best of the worst pets, but Lion has a per encounter fear, along with faster movement that can come in handy for pulling or debufing. [Ranger + Backrow pet in formation+ level 5+] Your pets tend to die, or get in the way of real melee. Sometimes, its easiest to manage by keeping them out of the action or when others have firmly engaged. OR keep them in the last row for formation so they have to "catch up" when a fight starts to easily manage them. [Ranger + interrupting blows + pet] = pet also gets the increased interrupt ability with their attacks [Ranger + Stunning Arrows + Driving Flight + Pet] Secondary target will also be stunned. [Ranger + blunderbuss + driving flight + ITS A TRAP] 2 bullets instead of 6. BUGGED [Ranger + Accurate Wounding Shot + Its a TRAP!] Only effects the fortitude accuracy, not the initial strike. * * R O G U E * * [Rogue + Faster attacks] As damage modifiers can get pretty high on this class, faster = better. While most of the others prefer slower weapons for the better base damage. [Rogue + Deep wounds + Dump INT] Unless the rogue is micro'd fully and even then its dubious on effectiveness, the DoT from the same source does NOT stack. Hence, deep wounds will auto refresh on the same target, and there's really no need to up its duration as the rogue will most likely hit again before its up. * * W I Z A R D * * [Wizard spell lvl 3 Combusting wounds + Any Damage over time effect] Each tick of the DoT will make Combust go off for more damage. [Wizard (druid) + Self buffs/weapons + No recovery time] Self buffs have no recovery time and cast in less than a second. Buffing is pretty quick. Druid technically has spiritshift like this as well along with Firebrand. [Wizard spell lvl 3 Alacrity + Summoned weapon] Comboing with the above, the weapons also swing faster as of 1.05 and with Alacrity wizards become even better beatsticks. [Wizard spell lvl 3 Alacrity + spells] Alacrity effects recovery for everything.. spells and weapons. [Wizard spell lvl 4 Essential Phantom + spellbind items + (Armor)] has your "worn spellbind" items with full charges on cast. For example, using a minor gloves of light endurance, even if the player had 0 charges, the phantom gets 3. Note: weapons/shield slot not included. Note: Armor is mentioned since it has the same DR when cast, which is why spellblades are so good in plate armor. [Wizard spell lvl 3 Minor Blights + Blast + (Penetrating Blast)+ (Dangerous Implements)] The wand created by the spell does aoe damage, and then blast does it again. Becomes a crazy nuker this way and raw damage to self is neglible. Also see Alacrity for faster attacks. [Wizard spell lvl 1 Parasitic Staff + Summon ] Easy way to keep your wizard up by beat sticking your summons. Not tested, but should work with melee summons + fire shield. Optionally, Tidefall takes the place of this combo later. [Wizard + Deflection spells + Cautious attack talent + ITS A TRAP] Highest wins, don't take this modal. ---------------- Some things weren't included like Rogue sneak attack as the in game description is accurate enough. This thread purpose was more to gather information that's a little off the beaten path, or frequent asked questions I've seen. Thanks for reading, and please comment/add to the thread below!

(Updated version in a new thread here. ==== Trying to compile all the newbie knowledge, and then some. Feel free to add your own, may become more than an info dump then. General Info (includes race, items, or game effects). [One defensive modal + multiple offensive modals] You can have one defensive modal on like Cautious attack, but can have multiple offensive ones on like Savage and Vulnerable. [Highest bonus: Weapon/shield + Worn items (helms, armor, gloves, rings, boots) + Spells (includes Paladin Auras) + Talents + Per encounter + Chants + Racials] PoE pulls from the various effects for your character to have the highest bonus in each. For example, I could use a +2 might weapon, and wear a +1 might glove, and have +3 total. [Wood Elf + Any ranged attack or spell] Unlike Marksman, this works on any ranged attack/spell. [island Aumua (optional) + Quick Switch + Slow weapons] With weapon swapping, the slower weapons like guns bypass much of their recovery issues. [Moon Godlike + Dumping Con] The endurance heals will make health more of an issue than dropping in combat. [~+100% damage modifiers + Dual wield + Two weapon fighting talent vs 12 DR] Roughly when dual wield starts to gain ground next to a big 2 hander for dps. Before then its a pretty non optimal choice for dps, but good for the speed of attacks and lack of overkill. 12 DR is what most monsters are at as well. [(Pale elf) + Shades, phantoms, spirit + Freeze DR] Pale elf does it easier, tho wizards or paladins can also do it well enough via spells or darcozzi. A lot less damage from one of the most annoying monsters. [Low Might Companions + Guns] Just my opinion, but guns are higher average damage and your companions tend to have low might scores giving an inflated "slowness" to combat a lot of times. Reload animation can be interrupted with skill spam, but the low might is never overcome by weapon selection easily unless you're talking about guns. [Companions + Roles + Party composition] 1 tank, 1-2 bad off tanks, and 4-6 dps/support are roughly the numbers of what builds are possible. Also there is no rogue, barbarian, or monk class. So it might be encouraged to make an offtank. [Dexterity + Animation times] Dex effects the actual attack animation AND recovery time. Where as attack speed is only on the recovery time. Reload (guns + crossbows) is never effected by either, except by Gunner, Surehand illa chant, and swift aim (ranger). Class (Includes anything that involve a class specific skill). [Ranger Swift Aim + Wounding Shot + Melee + (Stalker's Link)] They all work for melee. Wounding shot seems odd, but hobble effect is stronger than prone for -reflex which can help your casters or similar. [Ranger + Accurate Wounding Shot + Its a TRAP!] Only effects the fortitude accuracy, not the initial strike. [Ranger + Engage item + Hold the line + Pet] Can have as many 5 engagement slots total, just as good as a Fighter. Though the pet will die if its holding all the agro. [Ranger + Guns + Swift Aim + (Swift/steady) + (Surehand Ila from Chanter) + (Gunner)] Best in house dps with the big hitters like Arquebus and reload time. Lacking +dmg modifiers, they rely on the heavier base weapons. [Ranger + Lion] Bear is arguably one of the best of the worst pets, but Lion has a per encounter fear, along with faster movement that can come in handy for pulling or debufing. [Ranger + Backrow pet in formation+ level 5+] Your pets tend to die, or get in the way of real melee. Sometimes, its easiest to manage by keeping them out of the action or when others have firmly engaged. OR keep them in the last row for formation so they have to "catch up" when a fight starts to easily manage them. [Ranger + blunderbuss + driving flight + ITS A TRAP] 2 bullets instead of 6. BUGGED [Monk + Turning wheel + Transcendent Suffering + ITS A BUG!] Turning wheel will overwrite the monk unarmed damage bonuses occasionally with no way to fix it except to go back to a previous save. [Monk + Stunning + Enervating + Two weapon fighting +(Rogue)] See here: http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/79105-105-monk-intresting-synergy-stunning-fist-enervating-blows-while-dual-wielding/ Or basically, you stun on first blow, then enervating blows has a much higher chance due to the debuff. Rogue is nice for the synergy of sneak attack dmg. [Monk + Moon Godlike + Wounds + Torment's reach (or any wound using ability)] More wounds = more heals = more beatings that will continue until things are dead. [Monk + Turning wheel + Rooting Pain + ITS A TRAP] Rooting pain is AoE damage, and does NOT get increased by Turning wheel [Monk + Offhand weapon + Unarmed main weapon] Attacks with offhand only, but with increased accuracy for "both". This means for Torment's Reach, you can hit a bit harder/accurately at the cost of auto attacks. [Monk + Torment's Reach or Rooting Pain + (Cone) AoE + Turning wheel] is unaffected by +Turning wheel modifiers or accuracy as its aoe and a spell effect. [Monk + Might + Transcendent Suffering (aka unarmed damage)] Might does double duty giving more +dmg for both the class passive and base damage. [Wizard spell lvl 3 Combusting wounds + Any Damage over time effect] Each tick of the DoT will make Combust go off for more damage. [Wizard (druid) + Self buffs/weapons + No recovery time] Self buffs have no recovery time and cast in less than a second. Buffing is pretty quick. Druid technically has spiritshift like this as well along with Firebrand. [Wizard spell lvl 3 Alacrity + Summoned weapon] Comboing with the above, the weapons also swing faster as of 1.05 and with Alacrity wizards become even better beatsticks. [Wizard spell lvl 3 Alacrity + spells] Alacrity effects recovery for everything.. spells and weapons. [Wizard spell lvl 4 Essential Phantom + spellbind items] has your "worn spellbind" items with full charges on cast. For example, using a minor gloves of light endurance, even if the player had 0 charges, the phantom gets 3. Note: weapons/shield slot not included. [Wizard spell lvl 3 Minor Blights + Blast + (Penetrating Blast)+ (Dangerous Implements)] The wand created by the spell does aoe damage, and then blast does it again. Becomes a crazy nuker this way and raw damage to self is neglible. Also see Alacrity for faster attacks. [Paladin + Darcozzi + Fires of the Palace + Vulnerable attack + Scion of Flame] Retaliation is a little harder to gain now, but the low damage of the fire retaliate means the above taken in that order will at least deal decent damage. Also targets reflex which is good for shade killing. [Paladin + Flames of Devotion + Enduring Flames + Burn Lash] The way it checks vs the reduced DR, its more effective to have a bigger bonus to one category, specifically, fire for the paladin. [Paladin + Darcozzi + Inspiring Exhortation + Spells that provide accuracy] One of the few ways to stack accuracy with other spells or effects. [Chanter + Any buff] Chants can stack with any buff with similar effects unlike spells where the highest overrides. [Chanter + Chanter(s) + Come Come Swift Winds of Death] These stack up on enemies and start to melt faces at the beginning of the game. [Chanter + Frost Chant + (Fleet foot)] Probably the only class that can reliably kite due to how monsters chase you and you drop frost traps. [Cipher Focus gains + (Fire Godlike) + Retaliate ] Burning/Retaliate up for your focus below 50% [Cipher + Front line position + Antipathetic Field + Targetting back row enemy] Is extremely high dps, like 30 to 60 every second to things in front of you and in melee with you even with 10 might. Consider making Grieving Mother this build if you have enough CC and support effects as her stats are a bit odd and as a human, she gets some racial +dmg/accuracy when below 50% where melee tend to be. [Cipher + (Rogue + Escape) or (Monk + Longstrider) or (Any tank + Fleet foot)+ Ectopsychic Echo] The rogue can teleport behind the enemy line producing a huge echo effect much like the above. [Cipher (Wizard)+ Opening with Confuse] Tenuous Grasp lvl 1 (Cipher) or Bewildering lvl 2 (Wizard), the effect is enemies engage the confused monster and beat them down. [Priest + Mechanics skill + Seals] They get higher accuracy, so consider making your priest the trap guy. [Priest + Inspiring Radiance + Spells that provide accuracy] One of the few ways to stack accuracy for the entire group/ [Priest + Painful Interdiction + Barbarians with Threatening presence/Brute force + (Fortitude spells)] One per encounter (painful interdiction) and the barbarians in your group can hit much better along with fort effects. [Rogue + Faster attacks] As damage modifiers can get pretty high on this class, faster = better. While most of the others prefer slower weapons for the better base damage. [barbarian + Fire Godlike + Carnage] Burning up for aoe melee attacks. [barbarian + Threatening Presence + Brute Force + its a trap] A NON COMBO: as fortitude actually is higher for most monsters with high deflection. That said, it helps land Fort effects like stunning blow from monk, but only gets "ahead" by other debuffs. [barbarian + Human or Nature Godlike + Vengeful defeat + Second chance item] +dmg or stats and kamikaze aoe damage ---------------- Some things weren't included like Rogue sneak attack as the in game description is accurate enough. This thread purpose was more to gather information that's a little off the beaten path, or frequent asked questions I've seen. Thanks for reading, and please comment/add to the thread below!

Technical FAQ Purpose: To help answer and diagnose simple technical issues you may run across and not yet know how to fix or understand. Always remember to be careful and cautious when doing any work with a computer or system, physically or logically. I/We are not responsible or liable for any issues/damage/problems/data loss that arise as a result of the use of this guide or comments therein. Any software or companies suggested as a utility or helpful resource are done so based on personal opinion and as a helpful starting point for making your own decisions regarding use. Above all, if you are really unsure of something do not attempt it without proper research and/or asking someone who does know what they are doing. Secondly before any major system work ALWAYS perform a backup. Any loss of data or content as a result of not properly creating a backup of some kind is your responsibility. System Image Backup: With the above said a couple of options for creating a system image or backup are; http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.aspx Very stable and consistent backup utility that is free for use. It does not do incremental backups, but otherwise is a very easy to use application and can be largely automated. Previous personal use with it was fine, and it was very easy to use. http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/index.html Very stable with more backup options (differential/incremental, etc) but not quite as universally compatible, still a great option for simple backups. It is important to get into the habit of creating backups regularly. Even if you have never had an issue or lost data, it only takes one time before you realize the error and wish you had. With the cost of storage these days there is really no reason not to. Once you have a backup seriously consider getting some extra DVDs, or a portable HDD used only for image burning. If you do not want to create a system image, windows restore points or the windows backup utility are also decent options (restore being a much softer backup). At least a weekly backup is preferable to no backup, at worst you lose a week, instead of weeks/months/years/decades of work. Fresh Windows install common application loader, and start button/menu re-addition to windows 8: http://ninite.com This is an invaluable website for a clean install, or as the need arises. The premise is simple, select the applications or components you want or need to install on your computer (everything from Chrome to the latest Java to Steam, AVG and Notepad++ along with much much more). Once selected click on get installer and it auto installs all of the programs for you. The only downside is non customized installations but can save you a lot of time installing all of these applications. The installers will remember the software selection as well, so you can save it for use later, or as a template installer. For windows 8 Start button/menu install the Classic Start utility. You will now have a customizable start button/menu again and it auto sets to load to the desktop cutting out charms. Windows 8 PC Refresh/Re-Install: Windows 8 provides the option to ‘refresh’ the PC by bringing the computer back to an almost fresh install state. The benefit here is that you will retain all of the files and downloads pictures etc you have, while reverting to default windows files and setup. Note that this WILL require you to reinstall programs, but you wont lose specific data files as just mentioned. Start-Up / Boot cleanup: A lot of programs like to insert items into startup, a lot of them are extra drains on resources for things like version checking or updates. To disable these items pull up the start button and in the search box type in msconfig.exe then hit enter. MSConfig gives you a lot of different options for your system. This can be a very helpful little utility, but also very dangerous if you play around in the wrong areas. The only 2 places you should really bother with are the Boot and Startup tabs. Boot Tab, controls multi boot loading (EG if you dual boot windowsXP and 7 for instance) and you can control things like time to select, default OS, etc. Also, and sometimes more importantly, the ability to turn on safe boot, with options (eg minimal, networking) and boot logs which can help very much in identifying problems with an unstable system. Just remember to turn off safe mode when you are finished! Startup Tab, basically exactly what it sounds like. Lists the items that are launched on startup and gives you the ability to disable them (uncheck the checkbox) Another good option is to periodically go through your installed programs list and remove anything you no longer use or was not what you thought it might be. Firewall / Antivirus: Over the years firewall and anti-virus apps have come a long way, and there are quite a few great free options. Here are some of the offerings you may come across, most of these are combo these days (both firewall and AV rolled into one) though typically you need to pay for a bundle. Firewall: Zone alarm, very popular free firewall with a lot of options and active scanning. Supports WinXP/vista/7/8 http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/zonealarm-pc-security-free-firewall.htm Windows built in firewall. This used to be much worse than it currently is. These days its fairly robust but pretty straight forward. It is a good option provided you spend a little time to get to know it and its limitations. It is adequate for most home use, especially if you don’t know a whole lot about firewalls and ports. Comodo Personal Firewall, great firewall with active scanning and known good/bad program lists. http://personalfirewall.comodo.com/free-download.html Online Armor, has some cool features, like setting programs to effectively ‘run as’ a user with lower permissions. http://www.online-armor.com/products-online-armor-free.php Anti Virus: AVG antivirus, very popular and good anti virus http://free.avg.com/us-en/free-antivirus-download Avast, another very popular free option: http://www.avast.com/en-us/index Ad-Aware, very popular system http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware.php It is really important to make sure you have protection installed early and updated often. Much like backups it pays to not have an issue or lose data, or have your identity or credit cards compromised. Weird windows problems or crashing: A useful tool to record problems or crashes is actually one built into windows, psr.exe To open it, go to the start -> search and type in psr.exe click on the record button and perform the steps that lead to the problem. When you are done it will ask where to save the zip file, choose a location. Inside the zip file is an mht file, which opens in internet explorer. It will give you a screen by screen recap of what you did, where you clicked, and what happened along with some information about the OS, the program being used, and versions therein. This can be a great help when diagnosing a problem, or trying to figure out what is happening. A lot of issues can crop up from bad/missing/corrupt windows files or protected items, luckily there is a built in application to help find and fix these. Open a command prompt and type in sfc /SCANNOW This will scan protected and core files to ensure integrity and operation. If any are missing it will attempt to repair them. (Can take a while to perform) Some issues arise from newer drivers or application packages, you can try to use older versions which sometimes can be difficult to find. A couple useful websites to use in this instance: http://www.oldapps.com/category/drivers http://www.driverguide.com/ With that said though, just as many, if not more issues can be caused by OLD drivers, so be sure that you regularly check for updates to your system drivers. I would caution against downloading .dll files by themselves, if you have a missing or corrupt dll file. There are a lot of websites with dll downloads, but it is best if you perform a re-install of the application which uses/installed the dll in the first place. If you absolutely need to do it you will likely need to register the dll, or may need to un-register and re-register the new one. To do so open the start button and type in cmd, right click on the cmd.exe that appears and select run as administrator. In the new window to register a dll (tell the OS that the dll exists, in a specific location, for application use) type the following: regsvr32 “path\to\dll\nameof.dll” eg regsvr32 “c:\users\myuser\dekstop\abc.dll” To unregister a dll (forget it): regsvr32 /u nameof.dll Some useful websites with vast technical knowledge and help: http://www.tomshardware.com/ reviews, troubleshooting help and tech tips http://www.hardwareheaven.com/ much like tom’s hardware http://www.avsforum.com/ centering more predominantly on audio and home theaters http://www.head-fi.org/ great audiophile and headphone community Don’t be afraid to use google, it has saved me many times and can be an excellent resource for finding information on bugs or error codes you come across. Hardware: Hardware issues can be difficult to diagnose, especially with little or no experience dealing with it. If you are really unsure or timid ask for help! Provide as much detail as possible, and be friendly, people will help you out! A key thing to keep in mind, or plan, is a good power supply. The power supply is the most important non glamorous piece of equipment in your machine. If it is poorly built, or weak, or provides uneven power you can easily blow your system, or cause intermittent and nearly impossible to troubleshoot problems. DO NOT SKIMP on the power supply. This doesn't mean you need a lot of power, it means you need quality power. Stick to good name brands (OCZ, CoolerMaster, Corsair, Antec, EVGA, etc) If in doubt, do some research! Also you want to, these days, find one with an 80 PLUS rating. This on a very basic level means that you get more bang for your buck. In the conversion of power, and loss of power as heat (any heat generated is lost power, eg lost dollars) a unit with an 80 PLUS rating (with various sub tiers) means the unit will pure convert at least 80% of the power drawn to usable system power. The better the tier ( going from Bronze to Gold for instance) the better the conversion and the less power lost. YMMV on actual cost savings but on bigger rigs, or multiple run 24/7 it can add up over time. Make sure that you regularly clean your system out as well (once every month or 3). You can use something like a can of air to do it and its pretty fast. If you do not, dust buildup can create 2 problems. The first being insulation. As dust accumulates it insulates the areas it is in contact with, and this is bad news for a computer. It will begin to increase the temperature of those components and create extra wear and tear on them, shortening lifespan or creating heat related crashes or hangs, and general slowdowns. The second issue, while less likely these days, is creating a short between components. Due to newer technology and shielding this is less likely, but still something to keep in mind. Two components with voltage that normally should never interact could become linked in the right circumstances, and fry some components. As a side note, NEVER EVER blow on your components (ala old NES cartridges) or into a connection slot. While you may get rid of some dust, you are also sending a wave of watery saliva into the components which at the least can cause corrosion if nothing else. Whenever you install, remove, or troubleshoot a component be sure that you unplug the system before hand and use an anti static strap (you can find them all over the place – officemax staples, online, etc). Never remove or install components into a live (on/plugged in) system. While the board itself may not carry a charge, if there is dust buildup it can hold a slight static charge and create a short/arc and ruin that shiny new GPU. If you have problems with your system booting, or crashing and it seems to be hardware related be smart. Start with a bare system (cpu/ram/video card and no HDDs/accessories) and work your way up installing one component at a time until you get a failure. If the issue is present with nothing but the 3 previously mentioned bare components, it is likely one of those three, start with a different video card (if possible) and ram. Make sure all fans on the case or components are spinning, and clean them of any blockages (using something like the can of air and perhaps some Q-Tips). Never clean your system with any form of liquid or a vacuum or anything like that. Audio/Video: These days there are a lot of people with HD capable monitors/TVs and decent AV receivers. If you have these but are perplexed as to how to get the best picture and audio its not that hard. To get true DD/DTS audio from media files (not games) you will need to have an optical or coaxial digital audio connection or HDMI output from your computer (either onboard, or sound card based) to a device that likewise has these connections (receiver). It’s quite easy these days to simply just pass your audio through your video card to your listening/watching device (provided it uses hdmi). My normal media viewing setup passes my video and audio through HDMI out of my videocard to my receiver. I get my movies (DVDs/BluRays/Rips Ive collected) in DD/DTS and have excellent picture. (GTX 460) This is where the ‘fun’ begins. Configuring for true DD/DTS pass-through is a walkthrough in itself but in the end is not terribly hard. There are two main, great, guides/walkthroughs on how to do this: http://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=516729 This one is a bit more easy to follow but I find it lacks a few things from the second guide. Overall quite a good guide, in particular some great tips on madVR setup. http://www.avsforum.com/t/1357375/advanced-mpc-hc-setup-guide Very thorough guide bit more complex, but still easy enough to follow, based a bit more on best possible audio. These days most TVs have HDMI input, and further can easily handle the way a computer outputs video, so hook it up and have a blast! One interesting thing to note, if you have get a DVI to HDMI conversion cable, most newer video cards can output audio from the video card to a TV/etc from this connection. (YMMV) For DD/DTS in video games, you will need a sound card capable of using something like Dolby Digital Live!/DTS Connect. To decode this. An example of these are: http://us.store.creative.com/Creative-Sound-Blaster-Z-PCIe-Sound/M/B009ISU33E.htm http://us.store.creative.com/Creative-Sound-Blaster-Recon3D-PCIe-Sound/M/B00654PUPA.htm http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_hometheater_hd.php http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_forte.php That concludes the FAQ for the time being. Many thanks to the originator of the first FAQ version, and the various sites and forums listed in this guide for all of the help over the years. Attached is the XP version of this FAQ WinXPFAQ.pdf - Many Thanks to Metadigital who wrote the original (XP) version!

Update by Josh Sawyer, Project Director Thanks to everyone who contributed feedback to our visual demo last week. While we are still working out some aspects of our environment art, we appreciate both the kind words and the suggestions for improvement that we received. Due to all of the coverage we received, we noticed a lot of new folks asking about the game as well as past backers who may have missed a lot of the updates that have happened since the Kickstarter campaign ended. We thought it would be a good idea to restate what Project Eternity is all about and update our FAQ. While much of this has been covered in previous updates, we have also included a few new tidbits of information in the details. What is Project Eternity? Project Eternity is a party-based fantasy roleplaying game inspired by the Infinity Engine games (Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, Icewind Dale 1 & 2, and Planescape: Torment) set in an original world created by Obsidian Entertainment. The camera has a fixed axonometric (high angle) perspective (with zoom!). The environments are 2D backgrounds combined with 3D characters and visual effects. Project Eternity's team is focusing on three core ideas that will capture the Infinity Engine experiences players loved so much: Unique, beautiful, dynamic environments that encourage and reward exploration. A story that is both personal and far-reaching, with believable characters and factions that create compelling dilemmas for players. Fun and challenging tactical combat that can escalate in difficulty through the use of optional game modes. What does "party-based" mean in Project Eternity? At the start of the game, the player can create and customize his or her character, choosing from six races and several ethnicities, eleven classes, and a number of cultural backgrounds. Over the course of the game, the player can expand his or her party up to six total characters. The additional characters include eight companions designed and written by Obsidian as well as any new characters players would like to build at the Adventurer's Hall. What is the combat like? Project Eternity's combat will feel very similar to the combat in the Infinity Engine games, which used a "real-time with pause" system. In such a system, events between combatants occur simultaneously, but the player can pause the game at any time. The player selects and commands one or more of his or her party members to issue orders, ranging from continuous activities, like making standard attacks, to the activation of limited-use tactical abilities, such as spells. Like the Infinity Engine games, Project Eternity will support auto-pause features that allow players to establish conditions under which the game will automatically pause (e.g., if a party member becomes unconscious). It will also feature a slow combat toggle that can be used with or in lieu of the pause feature. In slow combat, players can manage the flow of combat without needing to halt the game entirely. What are the different races we can play? Players can select from six main races found in this part of the world: humans, elves, dwarves, orlans, aumaua, and godlike. Orlans, aumaua, and godlike are unique to the world of Project Eternity, though godlike have similarities to "planetouched" races in other settings. Orlans are small humanoids physically notable for their two-tone skin, extensive body hair, and extremely long ears. Aumaua are large, semiaquatic humanoids with a diverse array of skin patterns, elongated heads, and semi-webbed hands and feet. Godlike are not a separate race, but a phenomenon found among all races. They are individuals whom many people believe were transformed by the gods before birth. Godlike have distinctive appearances that invariably make them stand out from other people, with different cultures and individuals holding wildly different biases toward or against them. All of the races have different ethnicities from which the player can choose. For elves, Wood and Pale, for dwarves, Mountain and Boreal, for orlans, Hearth and Wild, and for aumaua, Island and Coastal. Humans have three ethnicities: Meadow, Ocean, and Savannah. Godlike can be found among any race and their appearance always sets them apart from their parents. This is an Aumaua male and female hi-poly head model. The facial colors and texture will be coming later. What about the classes? Characters may be one of eleven classes: barbarian, chanter, cipher, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, priest, ranger, rogue, or wizard. The "core four" classes (fighter, priest, rogue, wizard) are most similar to their traditional tabletop analogues. The non-core classes, barbarians, druids, monks, paladins, and rangers, are somewhat similar to their counterparts but differ more significantly. The two completely new classes are the chanter and the cipher, which are unique to the world of Project Eternity. Traditional classes vary in how high- or low-maintenance they are based on their traditional counterparts. E.g. fighters are generally lower maintenance than wizards. However, the advancement system allows players to bend those roles, making higher-maintenance, active-use fighters or more passive wizards (for example). Class balance is important to us, but we also want playing each class to feel distinctive and complementary to other classes. What will the art style be like? Our art style is fairly realistic and uses a somewhat subdued, natural color palette, especially in outdoor environments. Character proportions are also fairly realistic. Equipment designs and proportions are based on their earthly historical counterparts, with an overall emphasis on function in their form. However, because this is a fantasy game, many environments will also be fantastic, with unearthly architecture, unusual materials, brilliant colors, and beautiful embellishments when appropriate. How about the setting and story? Project Eternity is set in a world created by Obsidian Entertainment, where mortal souls are bound to an eternal, and often mystifying, cycle of life and reincarnation believed to be watched over by the gods. Though cultures and individuals have different beliefs about the nature and purpose of this cycle, it is only recently that mortals have made significant advancements in understanding its fundamental mechanics through the science of animancy. The story takes place in a small nation in the world's southern hemisphere called the Dyrwood (DEER-wood). The Dyrwood is a heavily forested, coastal region where colonial powers from across the ocean have settled and formed an uneasy relationship with the local residents, tribes of orlans and elves who are protective of the ancient ruins of Eír Glanfath on the forest's interior. Eír Glanfath was an ancient melting pot of races that built elaborate, often massive, structures out of a living shell-like substance called adra. Though the fate of the ancient Glanfathans is unknown, their dangerous and complex ruins show evidence they possessed extensive knowledge of how souls work. For this reason, all of the surrounding colonial powers aggressively fight for the chance to explore and plunder Glanfathan structures, often bringing the local tribes into conflict with their relatively new neighbors -- and the neighbors into conflict with each other. The central character in the story is a newcomer to the Dyrwood, a man or woman who is caught up in a bizarre supernatural phenomenon. This event puts them in a difficult position, where they must explore the new world to solve a series of problems that have been thrust upon them. What engine does Project Eternity use? Project Eternity uses the Unity engine in addition to proprietary features developed at Obsidian. What platforms will Project Eternity be available on? We will be releasing Project Eternity for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs. It will be available through Steam and GOG.com. Will Project Eternity use any form of DRM (digital rights management)? The GOG version is DRM-free. The Steam version works like any other Steam game and does not have any added DRM. There is no online requirement to play the game nor any additional DRM imposed by us. What languages will you be supporting? In addition to English, Project Eternity will be released in French, German, Spanish, Polish, and Russian. What resolutions are you supporting? Project Eternity will support resolutions from 1280x720 and up. Our environments are rendered out at a high resolution and support a wide range of scalability. What other cool stuff will be in the game? Thanks to our backers, players will have access to both a player house as well as a full stronghold in the game. Also, players will have the chance to explore all fifteen levels of the backer-funded mega-dungeon, the Endless Paths of Od Nua. Players who want a more extreme challenge can enable up to three optional game modes: Expert Mode (turns off "helper" features), Path of the Damned (dramatically increases the difficulty and complexity of encounters), and Trial of Iron (only one save game, party death = game over, save game deleted). That's all for this week. Thanks for reading! Season 1: Cowardly Cops, Meddling Merchants, and Shrouded Hills. And trash bins. Article by Chris Avellone, Creative Director We’re doing something different with the Arcanum playthroughs with this update – instead of filming a large portion at once and then releasing that one session over several weeks in small 10 min chunks, we’re going to release smaller updates that allow us to respond more quickly to your feedback on the playthrough and then iterate on the next playthrough. In this episode, Avellone explores the small town of Shrouded Hills, deals with cowardly constables, explores trash bins, and finds out more about the cryptic ring from the Zephyr’s zeppelin crash. Virgil guest stars.

Hi guys I'm trying to find out if I can swap items between players and/or have different characters buy stuff. It looks like you can only buy using your main character but at the moment I have Lucas running around with loads of gear and Anjali with practically nothing. Any assistant would be appreciated Thanks A