Getting Started- the bars at the bottom of the screen
At the bottom of your Maplestory game screen you will see a red bar, a blue bar, and a yellow bar.

The Red Bar
The red bar on the lower left hand corner of your Maplestory screen documents you HP. �HP� stands for health points. If the bar is fully red, you are at 100% health. If the bar has no red that means you are at 0% health and you die. Unless you are a beginner, you lose exp when you die (more on that later). There are two ways to regenerate HP: you can either wait for it to regain by itself or use a HP potion.

The Blue Bar
The blue bar on the lower middle part of your Maplestory screen documents MP. �MP� stands for mana/magic points. If the bar is fully blue, your magic ability is at 100%. If the bar has no blue it means you are at 0% of your magic capabilities. Magic/mana points are required to use special skills such as Power Strike and Lucky Seven. Every time you use one of those skills, you lose a set amount of MP. There are two ways to regenerate MP: you can either wait for it to regain by itself or use a MP potion.

The Gold Bar
The gold bar on the lower right hand corner of your Maplestory screen documents your Exp. �Exp� stands for experience points. If the bar if fully gold, that means you have 100% or almost 100% of the exp required to level up. If the bar has no gold at all, that means you have 0% or almost 0% of the exp required to level up. To gain exp you need to either kill monsters or get rewarded for finishing a quest. Unless you are a beginner, you lose exp when you die. The percentage of exp that you lose is determined by the amount of Luck you have.

What to do when you�re in Tutorial
If you�re making an Explorer character�
While on Maple Island, you should finish ALL quests. It�ll greatly speed up the process of getting off the island. Your skill points (i.e. STR, DEX, etc.) will be set automatically, so no problem there. Once you leave Maple Island at level 10 (level 8 for magicians), get your first job advancement (more on that later). When you do, your stats will automatically be reset to what's best for your class.

If you�re making a Cygnus Knight character�
While on Ereve, you should finish ALL quests. They�re so good that many give enough experience to advance you an entire level. Your skill points should be set automatically, so no problem there. When you reach level 10, you can make your 1st job advancement (more on that later). When you do, your stats will automatically be reset to what's best for your class. You can train efficiently on Ereve until level 15, and come back anytime you feel like.

If you�re making an Aran character�
While on Rien, you must finish ALL quests. They�re so good that many give enough experience to advance you an entire level. Also, finishing all Aran quests is required to learn skills and make the job advancement. Your skill points should be set automatically, so no problem there. When you reach level 10, you can become a full-fledged Aran, and your stats will automatically be reset to what's best for your class. You can train efficiently on Rien until level 15, and come back anytime you feel like.

Explorers
Explorers are the original type of Mapler. There are more Explorers than Cygnus Knights and Arans combined. Explorers are divided into five classes (in order of from most to least popular): magicians, thieves, warriors, bowmen, and pirates. Due to their status as the first type of Mapler released in Maplestory, they will be considered the standard type in this guide.

Magicians use magic attacks to hit monsters both far away and close up. Strong in 1st job, they become weaker in 2nd job and instead start relying on their element specific magic attacks. Magicians have very low HP (health points) and very high MP (mana/magic points).

Thieves either use claws to hit enemies from far away as assassins or use daggers to hit enemies that are close up as bandits. They have high mobility and good accuracy. Assassins are especially strong in the early levels, when properly funded. Thieves have both moderate amounts of HP and MP.

Warriors are melee (close-range) attackers, and use spears, polearms, swords, axes, and blunt weapons. They have a lot of HP (health points), which makes them good at killing bosses. However, their accuracy is low, and they lack mobility.

Bowmen use bows and crossbows to hit monsters that are far away with extremely high accuracy. Bowmen tend to do badly in 1st and 2nd job, but they get much better in 3rd job. Bowmen aren�t versatile, but most of their skills work just fine with limited character movement. They have a moderate amount of HP and a moderate amount of MP.

Pirates either use guns to shoot bullets at enemies as gunslingers or use knuckles to punch enemies. Brawlers can kill groups of monsters very quickly with a wide variety of mob skills. Gunslingers, though weak in 1st and 2nd job, get much better in 3rd job and are extremely powerful in 4th job. Both jobs, like thieves, have moderate amounts of HP and MP.

Pros of Being an Explorer
You can do a wide variety of Explorer-only quests (for Explorer-only rewards!).
You have more classes to choose from during your first job advancement.

Cons of Being an Explorer
Lower-level Explorers are often weaker than Cygnus Knights and Arans.
You get many useless skills.
Some Explorer skills are basically a crappier counterpart of the Cygnus Knights version.

How to Complete the Job Advancements
First job (Level 10): Talk to the job NPC of your choosing- Athena Pierce of Henesys for bowmen, The Dark Lord of Kerning City for thieves, Grendel the Really Old of Ellinia for magicians, Kyrin of Nautilus for pirates, and Dances With Balrog of Perion for warriors. He/she will make you into whatever job he/she represents. Note: Magicians take the First Job Advancement at level 8.

Second job (Level 30): Talk to your job NPC. He/she will give you a letter. Give it to the 2nd job advancement instructor, who is usually located near the town. After giving the instructor the letter, you will be sent to a special map to collect 30 Dark Marbles by defeating the monsters inside. Once you've collected 30 Dark Marbles, talk to the instructor, and he/she will award you with a Proof of a Hero. Go back to your job NPC and choose your 2nd job. You will be made into whichever 2nd job you choose.

Explorer Guides
Below are some VERY basic Explorer guides. For more detailed information, you may want to look in the class subsections or in other stickied guides.
Mage FAQ
Thief FAQ
Complete Warrior Guide
Archer Skill Build Guide
Pirate Database

Cygnus Knights
Cygnus Knights are a different type of Mapler. The Order of Cygnus consists of 5 unique classes, each one loosely based off a normal Explorer job. These 5 jobs are Night Walker (based off assassins), Dawn Warrior (fighters), Thunder Breakers (brawlers), Wind Archers (hunters), and Blaze Wizards (F/P Wizards). Cygnus Knights get 6 skill points every time they level up instead of 5 until level 70, and have both new skills and skills based off the ones of people with normal jobs. However, their level cap is level 120 instead of 200.

Pros of Being a Cygnus Knight
You can do a more damage than similarly-funded Explorers (normal jobbed-characters).
You will train faster than similarly-funded Explorers.
You will receive some skills earlier than Explorers (i.e. Flash Jump).
You will receive several Cygnus-only skills.
You will receive your mounts earlier than Explorers.

Cons of Being a Cygnus Knight
You can�t go beyond level 120, which means:
-No killing Horntail
-No killing Pink Bean
-Lower damage than Explorers in the very long run
You will miss out on certain skills that Explorers have.
Cygnus Knight �fourth job� skills are weaker than regular fourth job skills.
You can�t do certain Explorer-only quests.

How to Complete the Job Advancements
First job (Level 1): Talk to the Cygnus Knight job NPC of your choosing. He/she will make you into whatever job he/she represents. The NPCs are located in the same map as Nineheart.

Second job (Level 30): Talk to Neinheart. Once you are finished, talk to the Eckhart, the Knight Commander. Then go to the very left side of Ereve and enter the portal on the second platform. You will enter a map swarming with �Tiguru of Exam�. Kill the birds until you obtain 30 �Proof of Tests�. Once you are done, go back to the Knight Commander and he will advance you to Second Job.

Cygnus Knight Guides
Wind Archer Guide
Night Walker Guide
Thunder Breaker Guide
Blaze Wizard Guide
Dawn Warrior Guide

Arans

Arans are a type of Mapler loosely based off warriors. However, they tend to be faster and have a farther range of attack, and can only use polearms. Unlike Cygnus Knights, there is only one type of Aran. When Arans attack continuously, they build up a �combo�, which gives a slight attack boost and allows them to use special skills. They are also able to activate special skills with key combinations. Though they have higher HP than most classes, Arans have low HP compared to warriors, a disadvantage when killing bosses.

Pros of Being an Aran
You have high health points (except when compared to warriors).
You can kill monsters in tightly-packed maps easily.
You get special rings, transferable to any other character on the same account, when you reach level 30, 50, and 70.
You can handle more monsters at a time than any other class.
You get a few very good health-saving and defense skills.
You get mounts earlier than Explorers.

Cons of Being an Aran
You have poor accuracy- it�s difficult to hit higher level monsters.
You can�t kill bosses as easily as warriors, who have more HP.
You have to do quests to get your skills.
You can�t do certain Explorer-only quests.
You only have one class option.

How to Complete the Job Advancements
Complete EVERY Aran-related quest in your quest inventory (press �q�). Every single quest is eventually required to obtain the job advancement and your skills.




What is...
The FM?
FM stands for Free Market. The Free Market is a place accessible by most towns where you can sell your items to other Maplers. In order to sell items, you must purchase a store permit from the Cash Shop and find a spot in the FM to open your store on. There is one Free Market per channel; most people are in the Channel 1 Free Market so it is recommended that you open your store there.

The MTS?
MTS stands for the Maple Trade Shop. You can enter it by pressing the large green button on the lower-right hand corner of your Maplestory screen. It�s like shopping website for Maplestory where you can sell and buy items for NX. The NX:meso ratio varies depending on inflation.

A PQ?
PQ stands for �party quest�. Party quests are repeatable quests that can only be done with a party, or group, of people. To form a party, click the �P� key and press the �create party� option on the screen that�ll pop up. To get party members, click on peoples� characters and press the �invite to party� option on their avatar screens. A list of currently available PQs and their guides:
-Henesys PQ
-Kerning PQ
-Ariant Coliseum
-Monster Carnival
-Ludibrium PQ
-Elin Forest PQ
-Monster Carnival 2
-Ludibrium Maze PQ
-Orbis PQ
-Herb Town PQ (also called Pirate PQ)
-Amoria PQ
-Magatia PQ
-Crimsonwood Keep PQ

A Boss?
A boss is a special type of monster. It takes much longer to spawn than any other monster and is a LOT harder to kill. Usually, there can only be one of each boss in every channel. Because of the boss�s rarity and difficulty to kill, its drops are hundreds of times better than a regular monster�s. People often hunt bosses for their drops. There are three kinds of bosses: summoned bosses, spawning bosses, and PQ bosses. Summoned bosses are usually a part of a quest. For them to appear, you must drop a certain item on a certain spot. Most of the high-level bosses have to be summoned. Spawning bosses are ones that spawn every set amount of time. The higher level the boss is, the longer the set amount of time is. PQ bosses are a mixture of both summoned and spawning bosses. They are only found in party quests and are usually part of the last stage of it. Sometimes the PQ boss has to be summoned and sometimes it�s already the moment you enter the stage.

A Scroll?
In Maplestory, scrolls are enchanted pieces of paper. When they are dragged from the items inventory onto an equip in the equips screen, there is a chance (depending on the type of scroll) that the scroll will make the equip more powerful. An equip can only be scrolled a certain amount of times depending on the item�s amount of slots. The exact number of slots can be determined by looking at the number at the bottom of every equip�s description. Regular scrolls include 10%, 60%, and 100% scrolls. If a regular scroll doesn�t work, a slot is taken up and nothing happens to the item. Dark scrolls include 30% scrolls, which add the same amount of stats as 10% scrolls, and 70% scrolls, which add the same amount of stats as 60% scrolls. Though they have higher chance of working, when a dark scroll fails, there is a 50% chance that the item will be completely destroyed instead of just taking up a slot.

A GM?
GM stands for Game Master. GMs work for Nexon, the owner of Maplestory. They ban offenders to the Terms of Service and occasionally host events. Though GMs have a bad reputation of being incompetent, they DO often ban people. You can tell who is or isn�t a GM by their distinct GM halo, which hovers above their heads. Another way to tell if a person is a GM is if he/she has a usually unusable word in his/her IGN (i.e. �Maple�, �GM�, a world name, etc.). Picture of GM: https://img.photobucke*****m/albums/v407/kittyo9/MapleStory/maplegm.jpg

The Buddy List?
The buddy list is a list of people that you can talk to through buddy chat. It is a convenient way to know whether you friends are logged on and where they are (you can track people with the list). To add someone to your buddy list, press the �Invite� button on the lower part of the buddy list�s screen and type in their name. An invitation window will pop up on the screen on the person you invited. If they accept your request, they will be added to your list.

A Guild?
A guild is like an interactive buddy list. The moment a new person enters a guild, he is automatically put on every member�s guild list. This allows higher organization, since this way everyone can talk to everyone. Each guild has a specific name; you can tell which guild a person is in by the name under the person�s IGN (in game name). Certain guilds have large reputations and the name becomes very important. To make a guild, talk to Heracles in Orbis. It costs 1.5 million mesos (more if you want to expand your guild past 10 people). Creating a successful guild requires a lot of time and money, so unless you�re really devoted, it isn�t recommended.

Fame?
Fame is a point system in Maplestory that is used to rank players and allows you to wear certain armors. Though mostly useless, your amount of fame can determine how people act around you. Everybody�s fame starts at zero. For your amount of fame to change, a person must either fame or defame you. You cannot alter a person�s fame until you are level 15.Double click on a person�s character to defame/fame them. An avatar screen will pop up. On the bottom half of the screen is bar that says �fame�. Next to it is a number (the amount of fame a person has) and an up and a down button. If you want to fame the person, press the up button. If you want to defame a person, press the down button. You can only fame/defame once a day and can only fame/defame a specific person once a month. The reason fame is important is because it shows the Maple community�s attitude towards you. If you have very low fame, chances are many Maplers dislike you. And this will alter a person�s first impression of you in a bad way.

iTCG?
iTCG stands for the Maplestory Trading Card Game. Maplestory trading cards can be bought from Target and Gamestop for $4 a pack. Very few people actually play the game, but many cards are sold every month because of the free code included in every pack. This code can be redeemed in the Nexon Cash Shop by pressing the �Redeem Code� button in the lower right hand corner. Once you enter the code into the screen, you will receive either a chair, a special pet (more on that later), or an iTCG item. iTCG items can be used to forge special weapons, armors, and potions.

A Pet?
Pets can be purchased in the Nexon Cash Shop. Most of them resemble real life animals (i.e. bunnies and penguins.), but they can take the forms other stuff (i.e. Golden Pigs and Jr. Reapers,). Some are even miniature Maplestory monsters (i.e. Mini Kargo and Mini Balrog). What do they do? Well, that depends on how much Nexon Cash you�re willing to spend on them. For a few dollars of NX Cash, you can buy pet equips such as Meso Magnets and Item Pouches, which give pets the ability to pick up mesos and items for you. But if you�re not willing to purchase anything but the pet itself�they pretty much do nothing but follow you around and look cute. Pets have levels and can be trained to possess, such as talking

A Hidden Street?
A Hidden Street is a special type of map located inside a regular map. The entrance of a hidden street is almost always concealed, hence the name. Usually, there is a special landmark that signifies the entrance of the hidden street. Other times, you have to talk to a specific NPC to enter it. However, there is no portal, unlike a regular map. When you exit a hidden street, you end up in the regular map at the special landmark. A list of SOME known Hidden Streets.

A Mini-Dungeon?
A mini-dungeon is a special type of map designed specifically for training. It shares similar qualities with a Hidden Street, but is unique itself in many ways. You have to enter it from a regular map, but instead of a subtle landmark mark the entrance, a mini-dungeon is marked by a big teleport/portal. They can also be viewed from the world map by dragging your mouse over the regular map that it�s located in; a special �mini-dungeon� sign will pop up above it. Mini-dungeons are great training spots because they have good spawn rates, and there are 20 maps per channel instead of the usual one map.

The Monster Book?
A monster book is a feature that every user carries. It allows you to collect and document monster cards, which are special cards dropped by nearly every monster in Maplestory (the exceptions are jump-quest monsters, some event monsters, some PQ monsters, and monsters in the NLC/Crimsonwood Keep area). The monster cards don�t really do anything; their main purpose is to serve as collectibles. The monster book has images of every type of monster card in existence. Whenever you obtain a new type, the image changes from black and white to colored. This way, you can keep track of every card you�ve ever picked up. For more information, check this reference:

A Mount?
A mount is an object that your character can ride. Explorers, Cygnus Knights, and Arans all have different types of mounts. A mount will cause you to move faster and jump higher than usual, making it a great accessory to travel. However, you can�t attack while on your mount, so it serves little use when training. Explorers can get their first mount at level 70, and Arans and Cygnus Knights can get one at level 50. Getting a mount requires doing a series of quests and paying a large amount of money (20 million mesos for Explorers and 10 million mesos for Arans and Cygnus Knights).

People To Watch Out For
There are A LOT of people that can ruin your gaming experience in MS, so watch out! A few of the more prominent bad apples-

Hackers
Hackers use hacking programs to cheat in Maplestory, training faster and doing other stuff that you�re not allowed to do. They aren�t always mean people, but they�re breaking the Terms of Service, so report hackers whenever you see them. To report a hacker, right click on them and press the �report user� option that�ll show up. A screen will appear. Choose the �hacking� option on the screen and press the �ok� button.

Scammers
Scammers use deception to trick Maplers into giving them their mesos/equips. Never think that you can�t be scammed; some scammers are actually extremely convincing. You can report them if you want, but it�s extremely hard for a GM to find enough proof to ban them. So you�re probably not going to get your stuff back. That�s why you must always look out for a possible con

Kill-Stealers
Kill-stealers (KSers) are players who stop other players from training efficiently by killing a map�s monsters before other players can. They are very annoying, especially since they have an annoying tendency to steal an entire map from you. Some people say KSing isn�t wrong since no one can �own� a map. Well, I�ve got news for them: Maplestory is a 2-D side scrolling game. That means it�s divided into separate maps. And that means that the map itself becomes an EXTREMELY important factor in training. And that means you pretty much have to �own� a map to train successfully in the game. So KSers=asses.