b y G i r l s Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Stage 1-3 Rush vs Stage 1 Rush 3. Building the Party 4. How to Lead 5. Conclusion 6. Credits 1. Introduction: Hello Royals! My name is Girls, and this is my guide on how to lead an LPQ party. Unlike most guides, to which you refer to for raw information and to learn how to perform a specific task, this is more an analysis on how as a leader to make an LPQ run more efficient, as well as a reflection on my personal brand of leading when PQing. In other words, this guide leans more towards food for thought, rather than a categorical How To guide. Of course, I do not claim that my methods or ideologies are the best way to do things, and understand and respect that everyone has his or her own opinions and playstyles. Without further ado! This guide will cover LPQ Stage 1-3 rush runs only. This is because 1-3 rush is the fastest exp, and this guide focuses on making the runs as efficient as possible; if one is playing the full PQ for the sake of nostalgia, then they probably aren't too worried about getting EXP as fast as possible. This guide will proceed with the premise that the reader already has knowledge about the PQ, and knows how to navigate Stages 1-3; in other words, this is not a guide on how to LPQ, but rather one on how to lead an LPQ party with the maximum efficiency. With that said, why is Stages 1-3 rush faster in terms of EXP gain than the full PQ? The answer is in the length of time required to complete the first 3 stages compared to the rest of the PQ; a good party will take 4.5 minutes to rush 1-3, while the full PQ will take about 15-20 minutes, with less than proportional EXP gain (think of the 10 box stage where the correct combination ends up being 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; that's a lot of time wasted just for one stage's EXP). 2. Stage 1-3 Rush vs Stage 1 Rush: A quick comparison. Oftentimes you'll see a party in Channel 1 that contains a Bishop doing Stage 1 rush. While it may look like they're being carried by the Bishop and gaining awesome EXP, I personally feel 1-3 rush is superior in most cases. The first, and most significant, reason for this is because in MapleRoyals PQ's, if a party member kills a monster, only he or she can pick up that ticket for a certain (and rather lengthy) length of time - just as if they are not in your party at all. This means that yes, the Bishop can kill the Ratz instantaneously, but everyone else is a sitting duck, perching atop the tickets for 10 seconds each (which is a long and frustrating time if you're trying to rush). The second reason is that the Bishop is usually leeching his own character. This requires him to click two NPC's on one client, then click the NPC on anotherh client, then switch back to the first client, which takes several seconds, before being able to go in for another run. The disadvantage of this is obvious: if you're doing a rush PQ, especially a Stage 1 rush PQ, you want to be in and out of the PQ as fast as you can; you don't want to lose momentum. Of course, the solution to these points would be a bishop that picks up all his tickets, and is not leeching his own character. If these two criteria are met, Stage 1 rush is likely superior to Stage 1-3. 3. Building the Party It must be stressed that in Stage 1-3 rush, AOE classes are highly superior to single-target classes. This is due to stage 3, in which your objective should be not to necessarily blindly kill, but contain the Bloctopi the moment they are released from their boxes. In other words, Bloctopi like to jump away, which results in you having to chase them, which results in you wasting time. An AOE member with good sense will attack as soon as the box is broken, keeping the Bloctopi pinned until they die. With that said, the most optimal party combination is as follows. Keep in mind that each member has a highly specific role, but that if certain classes cannot be found, the rule of thumb is "get AOE". It is HIGHLY preferable that everyone is level 40+: - 2 Spearmen - 1 Fighter (or any AOE) - 1 Hunter (or any AOE) - 1 Assassin (or Bandit) - 1 Ice/Lightning (or Warrior) I believe the following to be the fastest way to run Stage 3 (and thus LPQ itself). Stage 1 and 2 are not detailed, as they are very straightforward: In Stage 3, 1 Spearman and 1 Hunter should be sent up the top half of the map. Make sure both of them are strong players (lvl 45+), as the rest will be heading bottom. If they have brains, the two top will not require micro-management. The Spearman can handle the mobs at close range after he breaks the boxes, while the Hunter can stun mobs and pick off any Bloctopi that get away. For the bottom half, every run should be played out as follows: 1 Spearman should kill the first 2 boxes while everyone else runs past these 2 boxes; this is his only job. Further down, there is a single box on the right side, it is the I/L's job to kill this one. The remaining Fighter and Sin jump straight down to the very bottom and kill the 2 boxes found there; they should make short work of these. As an aside, the I/L can be substituted with any Warrior class (Hunter is not efficient for this role because they must run away to attack after killing the box solo, which will let some if not most of the Bloctopi escape), the Fighter can be substituted with any AOE class, and the Assassin can be substituted with a Bandit; however there are minor reasons detailed below for the Fighter and Assassin, and not having them will somewhat reduce efficiency. It is extremely important that you, as the leader, micro-manage your team and delineate a specific job to each respective party member. I hate nothing more than seeing a strong composition floundering because the leader is incapable of assigning tasks. The best time to assign roles is at the end of Stage 2 before you hand in the passes to the NPC, where there is usually little chatter and your orders will be fresh in everyone's memory. Usually I do the first run just saying, "In Stage 3, Spear #1 and Hunter kill top. Spear #2, I/L, Sin, and Fighter kill bottom." You don't want to overload your party members with instructions all at once. Then once the party has done the run and understands the strategy, on the second run (again at the end of Stage 2) I say, "Spear #2 kill the first two boxes. Fighter and Sin jump straight down all the way to bottom. I/L kill the box I show you -pokes box when we get in-" Giving these orders is extremely important! Stage 3 takes the longest and is easy to lose momentum in without a structured method going in. The reason the Fighter is picked over another Warrior is for Rage. The reason the Assassin is picked is so that he can kill the Ratz in Stage 1 that are difficult to reach for the other classes, and also to provide strong single target, ranged damage for the stray Bloctopi that get away occasionally (and of course for Haste, Haste is extremely important). The reason for the I/L is because he requires no knockback to deal AOE damage, and has teleport to navigate Stage 1 efficiently. In addition, if you want to take a break and do a full run for fun, you will need a mage to complete the PQ. Again, keep in mind that the above composition is simply an ideal, and that grabbing a bunch of AOE classes will work almost as well. The type of AOE that you recruit is not crucial, but the orders that you give to your party are! As an aside, I consider it worth to wait a few minutes longer in Channel 1 to find the classes I want, as well as members who are level 40+ instead of just taking the level 35 Cleric just to save one or two minutes of my time. It is advised to add good party members to buddy list, so that you have a pool of members to pick from when you next log on to PQ. When I put together a party I am looking to run for a couple hours at the very least, and taking the time to build a strong party will pay off with interest in the long term. It should also be mentioned that building a strong party starts here before it's even assembled; be vigilant and watch for the people who are CCing into Channel 1; make sure to be the first to click them! 4. Credits To @Katsuruka and @Plenty , from whose guides I drew ideas for formatting and general guide-writing.
Code: [CENTER][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/YC8CciQ.png[/IMG] b y G i r l s [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/ZROVyKm.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/PuVspsQ.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] Contents: [goto=1]1. Introduction[/goto] [goto=2]2. Stage 1-3 Rush vs Stage 1 Rush[/goto] [goto=3]3. Building the Party[/goto] [goto=4]4. How to Lead[/goto] [goto=5]5. Conclusion[/goto] [goto=6]6. Credits[/goto] 1. Introduction: [anchor]1[/anchor] Hello Royals! My name is Girls, and this is my guide on how to lead an LPQ party. Unlike most guides, to which you refer to for raw information and to learn how to perform a specific task, this is more an analysis on how as a leader to make an LPQ run more efficient, as well as a reflection on my personal brand of leading when PQing. In other words, this guide leans more towards food for thought, rather than a categorical How To guide. Of course, I do not claim that my methods or ideologies are the best way to do things, and understand and respect that everyone has his or her own opinions and playstyles. Without further ado! This guide will cover LPQ Stage 1-3 rush runs only. This is because 1-3 rush is the fastest exp, and this guide focuses on making the runs as efficient as possible; if one is playing the full PQ for the sake of nostalgia, then they probably aren't too worried about getting EXP as fast as possible. This guide will proceed with the premise that the reader already has knowledge about the PQ, and knows how to navigate Stages 1-3; in other words, this is not a guide on how to LPQ, but rather one on how to lead an LPQ party with the maximum efficiency. With that said, why is Stages 1-3 rush faster in terms of EXP gain than the full PQ? The answer is in the length of time required to complete the first 3 stages compared to the rest of the PQ; a good party will take 4.5 minutes to rush 1-3, while the full PQ will take about 15-20 minutes, with less than proportional EXP gain (think of the 10 box stage where the correct combination ends up being 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; that's a lot of time wasted just for one stage's EXP). [anchor]2[/anchor] 2. Stage 1-3 Rush vs Stage 1 Rush: A quick comparison. Oftentimes you'll see a party in Channel 1 that contains a Bishop doing Stage 1 rush. While it may look like they're being carried by the Bishop and gaining awesome EXP, I personally feel 1-3 rush is superior in most cases. The first, and most significant, reason for this is because in MapleRoyals PQ's, if a party member kills a monster, only he or she can pick up that ticket for a certain (and rather lengthy) length of time - just as if they are not in your party at all. This means that yes, the Bishop can kill the Ratz instantaneously, but everyone else is a sitting duck, perching atop the tickets for 10 seconds each (which is a long and frustrating time if you're trying to rush). The second reason is that the Bishop is usually leeching his own character. This requires him to click two NPC's on one client, then click the NPC on anotherh client, then switch back to the first client, which takes several seconds, before being able to go in for another run. The disadvantage of this is obvious: if you're doing a rush PQ, especially a Stage 1 rush PQ, you want to be in and out of the PQ as fast as you can; you don't want to lose momentum. Of course, the solution to these points would be a bishop that picks up all his tickets, and is not leeching his own character. If these two criteria are met, Stage 1 rush is likely superior to Stage 1-3. [anchor]3[/anchor] 3. Building the Party It must be stressed that in Stage 1-3 rush, AOE classes are highly superior to single-target classes. This is due to stage 3, in which your objective should be not to necessarily blindly kill, but contain the Bloctopi the moment they are released from their boxes. In other words, Bloctopi like to jump away, which results in you having to chase them, which results in you wasting time. An AOE member with good sense will attack as soon as the box is broken, keeping the Bloctopi pinned until they die. With that said, the most optimal party combination is as follows. Keep in mind that each member has a highly specific role, but that if certain classes cannot be found, the rule of thumb is "get AOE". It is HIGHLY preferable that everyone is level 40+: - 2 Spearmen - 1 Fighter (or any AOE) - 1 Hunter (or any AOE) - 1 Assassin (or Bandit) - 1 Ice/Lightning (or Warrior) I believe the following to be the fastest way to run Stage 3 (and thus LPQ itself). Stage 1 and 2 are not detailed, as they are very straightforward: In Stage 3, 1 Spearman and 1 Hunter should be sent up the top half of the map. Make sure both of them are strong players (lvl 45+), as the rest will be heading bottom. If they have brains, the two top will not require micro-management. The Spearman can handle the mobs at close range after he breaks the boxes, while the Hunter can stun mobs and pick off any Bloctopi that get away. For the bottom half, every run should be played out as follows: 1 Spearman should kill the first 2 boxes while everyone else runs past these 2 boxes; this is his only job. Further down, there is a single box on the right side, it is the I/L's job to kill this one. The remaining Fighter and Sin jump straight down to the very bottom and kill the 2 boxes found there; they should make short work of these. As an aside, the I/L can be substituted with any Warrior class (Hunter is not efficient for this role because they must run away to attack after killing the box solo, which will let some if not most of the Bloctopi escape), the Fighter can be substituted with any AOE class, and the Assassin can be substituted with a Bandit; however there are minor reasons detailed below for the Fighter and Assassin, and not having them will somewhat reduce efficiency. It is extremely important that you, as the leader, micro-manage your team and delineate a specific job to each respective party member. I hate nothing more than seeing a strong composition floundering because the leader is incapable of assigning tasks. The best time to assign roles is at the end of Stage 2 before you hand in the passes to the NPC, where there is usually little chatter and your orders will be fresh in everyone's memory. Usually I do the first run just saying, "In Stage 3, Spear #1 and Hunter kill top. Spear #2, I/L, Sin, and Fighter kill bottom." You don't want to overload your party members with instructions all at once. Then once the party has done the run and understands the strategy, on the second run (again at the end of Stage 2) I say, "Spear #2 kill the first two boxes. Fighter and Sin jump straight down all the way to bottom. I/L kill the box I show you -pokes box when we get in-" Giving these orders is extremely important! Stage 3 takes the longest and is easy to lose momentum in without a structured method going in. The reason the Fighter is picked over another Warrior is for Rage. The reason the Assassin is picked is so that he can kill the Ratz in Stage 1 that are difficult to reach for the other classes, and also to provide strong single target, ranged damage for the stray Bloctopi that get away occasionally (and of course for Haste, Haste is extremely important). The reason for the I/L is because he requires no knockback to deal AOE damage, and has teleport to navigate Stage 1 efficiently. In addition, if you want to take a break and do a full run for fun, you will need a mage to complete the PQ. Again, keep in mind that the above composition is simply an ideal, and that grabbing a bunch of AOE classes will work almost as well. The type of AOE that you recruit is not crucial, but the orders that you give to your party are! As an aside, I consider it worth to wait a few minutes longer in Channel 1 to find the classes I want, as well as members who are level 40+ instead of just taking the level 35 Cleric just to save one or two minutes of my time. It is advised to add good party members to buddy list, so that you have a pool of members to pick from when you next log on to PQ. When I put together a party I am looking to run for a couple hours at the very least, and taking the time to build a strong party will pay off with interest in the long term. It should also be mentioned that leadership starts here before the party is even assembled; be vigilant and watch for the people who are CCing into Channel 1; you must be the first to click them so as to obtain the best members for your team! [anchor]4[/anchor] 4. How to Lead In this section I will detail the tips and mindset that I have accrued during my time leading PQ's in both Royals and GMS. The following illustrates how I feel a leader should behave and think, as well as things he or she should do when leading an LPQ party. Again, I know great leaders with very different methodologies, and the following is my personal style and opinion. Starting with mindset, when I lead a party, I demand absolute obedience from my team. Everyone must be on the same page, and it better be my page. In return, I endeavor to do everything in my power to make the run as fast and efficient as possible; I work the hardest, I rest the least, and I stay focused on the run for the entirety of my stay with the party. However this does not mean that I am harsh or unfair; it is just as important to be kind as it is to be firm. If someone DC's, costing us the run, I let them know that it is perfectly okay. If someone needs to AFK for a minute, I tell them take 3. If someone needs to leave, I thank them for their hard work. If the team does well (5 minutes or less), I tell them the time with which they completed the run and congratulate them on their speed and efficiency. The one thing I do not tolerate, however, is laziness. For example if, after several runs, I suspect that a member is slacking in Stage 1, I stay behind the team (otherwise you should always be the first one moving) and watch to see who is not doing their fair share. Usually it is enough for me to simply stand beside a slacker saying nothing for them to get the hint (lol). Another thing I do not tolerate is refusal to get with the program; if someone refuses to follow the plan I've laid out for the good of the party, they are unfairly sabotaging the efficiency and hard work of the rest of the team and deserve to be kicked with impunity. There are also certain things that are crucial to an efficiently running LPQ party and for which orders to the team must be given. When I give an important order, I always do it in all caps; your voice when giving a command must not be drowned out by the others' chatter. Again, the following are crucial to the smooth operation of the LPQ run: (Before the Run) - "IF YOU KILL, THEN YOU PICK UP THE TICKET" for obvious reasons. - "HASTE AND HYPER BODY AT THE END OF EVERY STAGE" (During Stage 1) - "IF YOU FINISH TOP SAY DONE" so that the people below do not waste time climbing up. Few things as satisfying as watching the entire team instantly begin dropping down when the Done is called. (If someone's pet picks up the passes at the end of a stage) - "EVERYBODY TURN PET ITEM MAGNETS OFF" -cough Sharon- (At the end of Stage 2) - Assignment of roles mentioned above to each member, usually prefaced by "ALRIGHT LISTEN UP" - This is the most important one! [anchor]5[/anchor] 5. Conclusion In conclusion, I cannot stress enough the importance of the fact that you as the draconian leader must also be the hardest working member. As a minor example, I always do the trap box in Stage 2, as it is the most tedious one there. Nobody wants to follow a leader who is weaker or lazier than themselves, and they will resent you if you are screaming commands yet are not even pulling your own weight. My style of leading is built solely upon my work ethic and the respect my team has for me; once those are gone, I am nothing but a screaming tyrant. However because I work hard alongside them, I am regularly praised by my party members for my leadership, and often at the end of my runs receive buddy requests to PQ again in the future. Thus I urge you to gain the respect of your party by being the hardest working, having the most knowledge, and making your runs as efficient as humanly possible. Thus is my guide on how to lead LPQ; I hope that you enjoyed reading it if not learned from it. It should also be said that no matter how great a leader you are, there will always be times when you have lazy, unmotivated, or uncooperative members who refuse to get with the program. Such members should be dealt with by a swift kick out of the party. Their poor attitude is not reflective of your own ability as a leader, and as such should not discourage you from being the best and most positive leader you can be. However when you do assemble that golden party where everyone is determined, capable, and on the same page, there are few things in Maple as beautiful as the synergy and respect you receive from your team. And with that, I bid you, fellow leaders, godspeed and happy running. -Girls [anchor]6[/anchor] 6. Credits To [USER=31]@Katsuruka[/USER] and [USER=4844]@Plenty[/USER] , from whose guides I drew ideas for formatting and general guide-writing. To @Aegie for ochem and chimaek which turned into chisoju[/QUOTE] Copy and paste this code and replace it with your guide for a functioning table of contents.
