/global 101: PoE 101: Wraeclast Beginners Guide to Survival: Tips for new players

 Hello, this thread is a companion to the the other post by Sexcalibure: /global 101 : dedicated to help new comers with the game. Answers/Tricks/Mentoring. The focus of this is for veteran players to provide new PoE players the basic knowledge necessary to get past Normal Brutus and Merveil bosses and reach the act 2 encampment. Please use the other thread to post and discuss anything you deem important/relevant for new exiles to know to survive Normal Act 1. I was dismayed to here Chris say in the latest State of Exile episode #51 at the 38:40 minute mark that since PoE is free-to-play they get millions of players trying it but that about half of these "looky loo's" quit at The Warden boss battle. That's a staggering drop rate and this thread in combination with the other is an attempt by veteran players to reduce the high initial drop out rate.

 Any and all PoE 101: Wraeclast Beginners Guide to Survival feedback is welcome and encouraged (just use the other thread for discussing what to include here). Also, as this PoE 101 survival guide gets fleshed out I welcome info on organizing the information for new player's easier reading and understanding. Thanks.

 Before you wash up on the beach

 This may be a no-brainer but you have to pick one of the 7 character classes to play PoE. There is no right or wrong class to start out with although the Scion class is generally trickier to design a build around for new players and have a viable endgame exile. Since it is way too lengthy to talk about here please read this: 7 PoE Character classes and Character classes

 Shipwrecked on the beach: Now what? (The Twilight Strand)

1. You are stranded and alone, everything that moves is deadly, it's fight or flight.
    Pick up the weapon lying next to your dying shipmate exile. It should auto equip.
     (hold down {Alt} and left click to pick up an item)
    Talk to the dying exile, bash the first creature to death, pick up it's loot drop
     - a skill gem. (btw: you can never save that poor exile... death is always his fate)
    PoE uses sockets on gear to provide the core mechanics of offence/defense.
    These sockets are colored and thus only a gem of matching color can be placed in it.
    Sockets can also be linked to other sockets. as you delve deeper you will find/buy
    support skill gems that can enhance/augment the primary skill.
    Place the gem in the weapon socket. You should now have it on your right mouse button.
    Hold down the shift key and press right mouse a few times to see how it functions.

2. Press {ctrl-o} to bring up the Options menu. Familiarize yourself what the main commands
    are. Assign commands to keys as desired (keybinds).

3. Walk around a little and use your first skill gem to get a good feel for how PoE flows
    for moving/attacking. Getting a good feel for this (kiting) is critical for survival.
     PoE playing tip 
    Never stand in one spot for more than a couple of seconds while attacking. Learning the art of kiting to avoid taking damage is a playing skill that can never be undervalued. The most common kiting technique is called circle strafing... attack, move, attack, move, repeat, while making a circle around the boss (or any tough to kill creature).

4. Make a note of the red and blue flasks on the bottom left toolbar. Flasks function and use
    are also vital to surviving in the hostile world of Wraeclast. You can left click on a flask
    to drink for health or mana but most press the 1 through 5 keys to use them. Always be very
    aware of your life (red) and mana (blue) globes in the corners. Never let life go too low
    (some say 50% others argue 70% but at the beginning it's not as critical). Never spam use
    these as they only refill slowly when you kill a creature. If used up you must kill something
    (or go back to town) to replenish it. Careful balance of attacking/kiting/drinking must be
    learned early to survive and progress.

5. Kill everything to gain exp. and level up. Remember, there is no shame in "he who fights
    and runs away lives to fight another day". It is not necessary to kill everything to
    progress and advance a build. Sometimes it may be necessary to skip a creature that is too
    dangerous. (Nothing in this first zone is too hard to kill.)

6. As a new player you have no gear so open all chests to find something to wear. Anything
    is better than nothing (even rusted gear). You can swap out with better gear anytime.
    While in the (I)nventory menu note that there is a I and II next to the weapon slots.
    You can equip 2 sets of weapons, a primary (main hand) and secondary (off-hand) weapon
    or shield or quiver (for bow builds). Always find something to place there even if you
    never actually use that weapon (you'll understand why a little later).

7. Advance up the beach killing all and picking up all until you run out of space.
    (Yes, everyone wishes their inventory space was larger. Get used to the limited loot
     space, it will never be larger... don't ask for it to be)
    As for items, there are normal, magic, rare, and unique items. Magic gear is best if
    you can find any with uniques usually even better but purposefully designed to work
    with specific builds.

8. Don't be too concerned about gear stats yet. There is plenty of time to learn and that
    is part of the hands on learning fun of PoE. You will never stop learning.

9. At the end of the beach is your first end of zone boss. Hopefully by now you have some
    feel for the attack/kite/drink mechanics. You will need this skill to kill Hillock.
    Note that at 50% health Hillock can leap slam on you so be prepared to move often.
    Also be careful after killing the creatures that get spawned when he leaps that they
    release a poison gas. Never stand in that poison, always move away from the poison area.

10. After his death grab his loot. Move on to the first signs of civilization: Lioneye's Watch.


Stay tuned, more coming soon...