srry if i put this in the wrong section :/ at first i thought it should go in general gameplay but...

ok, so my cleric just hit level 45 and after i got over the initial excitement of finally being able to work on my masteries...i realized i have no idea how this system really works!

ive read up on some stuff about the mastery system but i still dont really get it D':

firstly, what exactly is the purpose/importance of the mastery system? is it really worth giving up some of my xp? esp. at this level?

secondly, advice on how much xp i should allocate to the different skills? and how exactly does that affect my leveling? would it slow me down a whole lot? (i mean im already a cleric...how much slower at grinding and leveling can i get?!? xP)

srry if this is a seriously noobish question...i just realized its the one thing about this game that i really don't understand :/

Thanks in advance for any advice

The purpose of mastery system is to make your character UBER powerful. A lvl 45 with full masteries will ALWAYS WIN against a lvl 45 without masteries. I cannot stress its importance since it makes your life easier by a lot.

Basically every 3.5 million exp it taxes from you will give you 1 mastery point, at your mastery level you need 2 mastery points to INCREASE any one level of masteries (max 10 on each). So you have 6 masteries skills, you need 120 mastery points to max all (6 x 2 x 10). That will translate to about 420 millions experience. Re-read this paragraph again if you are feeling confused.

A common mistake done by people is that they do 1-99% mastery distribution. You should not do this, you either do 0% or 100%, please decide whether you want to grind masteries or lvl up. If you die and lose exp (by not using GB on the field for instance) you also lose a %age of your masteries, i think 10% ish of 3.5 mils (altho i remember the amount deducted being not exactly 10%, but slightly lower). You don't lose any if the mastery exp bar has yet to fill.

At lvl 45 most likely you will have a **** of a hard time maxing them, your exp/hourly is so puny it becomes a tedious task. If you are not capping for arena i especially suggest capping at 66 to max all masteries and legendaries (the mastery version that opens when you hit 60).

Ok and you being a cleric is another debilitating factor, try to increase the offensive masteries first and make sure you grind with a good killing weapon. No, not 1h and shield please (turtle grinders with this), at least a staff/2h hammer. You are kind of not wanted in regular grind, but you are hot stuff in dungeon. And i have yet to see the point of dungeon levelling.

My tips to increase exp gain :

1. Get a lover, preferably one with fast killing time
2. Use divine gems/soul gems (both stacks), charms are optional
3. Choose a grind spot that is JUST RIGHT, meaning you dont get overmobbed or running around to find mobs

Best of luck.

hmm ~.~...i think i get what your saying

well i was kinda thinking about capping at lvl 50 for a while and then at lvl 66...so if it makes sense i guess then i would focus on my masteries as opposed to leveling (but does that mean it doesnt make sense at all to use some of my xp for my masteries while im leveling to 50? O-O)

lol and about my lover...he's a lvl 69 WL soo right now im trying my best to catch up xD(yep just about 24 levels to go!)
for grinding i only use 2h hammers so i understand your point there...and as for my grinding spot
i always pick a spot to grind for reps and such(but i sell them for gold instead of handing them in for xp so thats another thing that slows me down) lol but eventually ppl invade my spots! >.<"

huh...UBER powerful? haha ok ^^ thanks! im starting to understand this! i was actually planning on avoiding my masteries altogether! its a good thing i decided to ask first...

Do you still get mastery Xp from reps and stuff or is it solely from grinding?

I see...ok thanks