Editor’s Note: Michelle’s review of the new Path of Titans dinosaur-based MMO is also now live, so check out how this amazing dino-themed title was officially scored! 

Path of Titans is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game where players get to be a dinosaur. The title itself has a rather steep learning curve. Even more so than most other MMOs, it can be rather unkind to new players.  I am currently working on a review of Path of Titans, so I’m taking a look in this column at some of the unique mechanics of the game. I’ll also be giving some hints for new players who want to see if they can raise themselves from eggs all the way up to the king of the Jurassic jungle.

Path of Titans is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, PC, Mac, Linux, and mobile platforms.

Welcome to Panjura

The main map in Path of Titans is Panjura, an eight-by-eight-kilometer block of forests, grasslands, mountain ranges, rivers, and lakes. Panjura is divided into multiple regions that are unfortunately not labeled on the world map. As such, it is vital that you memorize or document the different regions yourself. There are a handful of player-developed maps online, but I have found them overall difficult to read or lacking in the details I was looking for. These maps are also not mobile friendly, so if you are looking for a map, use a laptop or computer. The players in the chat will almost always refer to the different regions in shorthand. For example, spined lizard lagoon is sll, little brook meadow is lbm, corpse cove is cc, and great lake cascades is glc. All of these areas are dangerous hot spots for younger dinosaurs. As a general rule of thumb, stay away from the giant lake in the middle of the map and all adjacent areas. Your dinosaur will quickly be lunch if you don’t.

While there are a few home caves in this area, look for shelter elsewhere. I happened to sneak into the home cave on the north side of the lake, but when I tried to come back out a pack of spinosaurus were loudly trampling around the entrance. I immediately went back inside and logged in as a different dinosaur camped in a different location on the map.

It is common practice for larger dinos to wait outside of home caves to pick off easy targets. Always be cautious when leaving your home cave, and never use the stone option to exit. This option thrusts you outside of the cave entrance, possibly into the jaws of a hungry dino. Always walk out of the cave yourself. This will often put you in the back of the cave, giving you ample time to crouch forward and make sure the coast is clear.

Growing Your Dinosaur

There are 5 stages of growth: hatchling, juvenile, adolescent, sub-adult, and adult. Your dinosaur’s growth depends on the completion of quests. There is no passive growth. If you die, excuse me, when you die, you will respawn at a random location and lose marks (the in-game currency) as well as growth experience. Each growth stage is separated into multiple experience bars, with small stats buffs available as each bar is filled. Growing your dinosaur is difficult, and I won’t sugar coat it. There is no mercy for juveniles. I watched a tutorial video on YouTube that claimed there was an unspoken rule not to kill juveniles, but that is not the case. The community is starkly divided on this matter, with several players gloating about killing baby dinosaurs and others harshly condemning them. It is unfortunate that you can’t trust any dinosaur you meet in Path of Titans, even if they seem friendly at first or invite you to quest with them in a party. Death seems inevitable for dinosaurs in Path of Titans.

This was very difficult for me to accept at first. Between the above-mentioned YouTube tutorial and my first couple experiences playing, I thought I would be able to quickly grow my dino into a killing machine. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Be prepared to spend several dozen hours raising your dinosaur up to sub-adult or adult. Some dinosaurs are easier than others to raise, so don’t be afraid to try different options. If you are getting irreparably frustrated at still being a baby, I highly suggest going to the single player server or a community-based server (more on that below).

Since you are going to be spending so much time as a juvenile dinosaur, I recommend trying out a handful of different options. You don’t want to spend all that time growing a dinosaur you don’t really like. It will also give you perspective on the different dinosaur types and characteristics. For instance, I started out as a deinonychus, one of the raptor options. Deinonychus are fast, but I didn’t fully realize that until playing as a spinosaurus. I also discovered I really like playing aquatic dinosaurs. It’s a lot of fun to explore the deeper ponds and catch fish. Spread your early hours out amongst different dinosaurs so you know which ones you like playing the most before investing too heavily in just one dinosaur.

Questing

As mentioned before, questing is the only way to grow your dinosaur on official servers. There are generally two types of quests: the go to this location type or the collect/deliver this item. The go to this location quests last for 30 minutes before failing and restarting with a different location. In my experience, the locations are fairly close to your current location, so if you get one that seems too far away or is too dangerous of a location, just wait for the quest to reset. The find this item type of quests only pop up when you are in named regions. You will generally get two or three of these quests before having to find another region. This is where knowing your map is important. There are several spots on the map where at least two named regions are very close together. Questing in these areas lets you quickly respawn quests without having to traverse large sections of the map.

You can also team up with other players to get group quests. Whenever a group forms, there should be a quest for all members to meet up with the leader of the group. You will also get larger collection quests. Instead of needing to gather 25 or 50 of something, you may need to gather 150 of something. I believe the number needed increases based on how many people are in your group. If you don’t contribute to the quest, you won’t get marks or experience for it, so make sure you participate. You will get one of the largest growth boosts in the game if you complete a gather or delivery group quest. That’s why it’s beneficial to group with others, especially if the other dinos are already adults.

Earning and Spending Marks

In addition to experience, questing will earn you Marks, the in-game currency. Marks can be used to further customize your dinosaur skins or decorate your home cave. Most importantly, marks can be used to purchase new skills and abilities for your dinosaur. Most players recommend spending your marks in this way first. As your dinosaur grows to higher life stages, you can unlock more attacks for them. You can also change their hide to boost defense, speed, or maneuverability, or change the diet and metabolism of your dinosaur. It is important to note that marks are specific to the individual dinosaur. Marks you earn with one dinosaur cannot be spent on another dinosaur.

As soon as you make it to the adolescent growth stage, find a home cave, put your dino to sleep, and invest in your abilities. You should click any empty boxes to see what options are available, spend the marks, and equip the desired ability. It is also important to see what your metabolism options are. There is a tradeoff between food availability and hunger/water drain. Don’t be afraid to try a couple different options to see what fits your gameplay style best. As a kentrosaurus, I immediately changed my metabolism so I could eat flowers and nuts. I find lychees damn near everywhere, and I would rather eat those more frequently than run around trying to find a more elusive berry bush. The deinonychus has a metabolism option to be an insectivore, a scavenger, or a hypercarnivore. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to only survive on insects, but I’m not going to let that stop me from checking it out. I might prefer it, but I won’t know unless I try. Marks are relatively easy to get, and since you lose a portion of them when you die, it’s a good investment to spend them on ability upgrades as soon as you’re able to.

Different Servers

There are three different types of servers in Path of Titans: single player, multi-player on official servers, and multi-player on community servers. Please note, and this is important, your dinosaurs will not transfer between the different servers. The only time dinosaurs will transfer between severs is on the official Path of Titans servers. All your dinos there will always be available for multiplayer official servers. Your dinos in the single player server are confined to only that sever. Your community server dinos are confined to that specific community server, so remember what ones you played on if you want to continue as that character. Also, marks are specific to each dinosaur.

Most, if not all community servers, offer fast passive growth and increased marks for quests. If you would rather fight other dinosaurs and not have to worry about the long and arduous process of raising your dino, the community servers are for you. Dying in a community server often knocks you back one growth stage, but with the passive growth you will be back to adult in mere minutes. Playing on community servers is also a great way to learn what dinosaurs you like the best without having to invest a lot of time in raising them. Some community servers have special rules, such as no killing near way stones or home caves. Others have absolutely no rules.

Playing Nice with Others

There is a small conundrum with Path of Titans. You will grow your dinosaur much faster in a group, but groups can be dangerous unless you personally know the other players. This is where the online community for Path of Titans comes in. If you are interested in playing in a group at all, it is incredibly helpful to interact with other players on platforms such as Reddit and Discord. Path of Titans has a vibrant Discord community, with players constantly chatting in the main discussion. There is also a section on the discord specifically for players looking to group up.

I found a group of people talking about forming a raptor group on the Path of Titans subreddit. We swapped friend codes and created our own Discord server. This allows us to easily coordinate group sessions, share tips and tricks for the game, and communicate much faster than typing in the game chat. Whoever is currently playing in the group joins the Discord audio channel, allowing immediate communication without slowing down gameplay. While playing with this group, I was able to quickly raise my Deinonychus from adolescent to adult utilizing the group quests. Also traveling in numbers is safer, as players are much less inclined to attack a group of dinosaurs than a lone ranger.

Hopefully, you’ve learned something new that will make your time playing Path of Titans more enjoyable. Let me know in the comments if you have any other advice for new players, and what your favorite dinosaur is to play. Until the next time, stay cool, be you. Bye!