Please help a returning player (starting from 0)

hi everyone!

i used to play l2 a lot back in chronicle 1-7 and since it's f2p now i want to give the game a shot again, especially from level 1 since the game has changed so much since then.
i will probably main a warlord for the aoe fun (but not 100% sure). i will be boxing myself a bd+wc most likely when my friends are offline too. i have a few general questions atm:

1) what are the best aoe classes right now? early, mid and late game.
2) what are the best characters to buff those aoe characters? i need to know what my friends are going to play + we'll probably have a boxed buffer (if that's allowed), so that's 4 characters most likely.
3) what's the best leveling spots for a small starting aoe party? what's the first spots worth to aoe (lots of most in one spot)? i remember the kamael island dungeon had quite a lot of 2x monster in it which looks like the first good aoe spot, then the catakombs - has this changed in the current state of the game? i would love if someone could guide us to the best aoe spots in the game <3
4) i would love it if someone knowledgeable in the game would guide us through the gear from level 1. when and where do you get free gear like the shadow weapons or the quest gear that is good enough until a certain level just so we could save as much adena as possible. i think i remember you get almost the best no-grade items for free at the newbie guide at level 7 or 8 not sure.

thanks in advance to whomever will help!

 

things are much more different than what you might expect...
first of all you don't need to box a buffer. create a char that you enjoy and then get a mentor (online 85+ person who will provide you with buffs and bonus xp as long as he/she is online). xp time needed to get to 85 is a joke if you have the old days in your mind. you will be 85 in a week or less with normal gameplay.
regarding the aoe, with the new system i think that the best aoe class is the feoh one (attack type mage)...but dreadnought is very good too.
there are so much to learn with the new system i barely think you will find anyone telling you even the 5% in one post.
however, i can suggest you to join this clan : https://4gameforum.com/showthread.php?t=17665
they are really helpfull and will make your road to awakening easier

 

you dont need box buffers anymore.

every town has adventurer's guide npc which will provide you iss enchanter buffs from level 1 till 91.

more over you wont be able to box anything unless you'll buy premium account services which would allow you to log in second character and at the same time would increase exp rate from x1 to x2.

 

oooh ok thanks guys. what about dances and songs? do you get those at an npc?

 

so there's completely no use to box a character then haha (especially if you have to pay for it). what about 78lvl buffs?

 

you can get 1hr adventures guide buffs which are equal to lvl 85 iss buffs. lvl 1-52 i would do the chain quest to 40 and then head cruma tower to make 52. from 52 i used to aoe in tower of insolence till around 70. from 70 you can team up with a friend and go forge of the gods till easy 80/81 aoeing.
like elesmira said get urself a mentor and you will be 85 fast.

 

you telling me they finally added quests that actually help you level up?

 

actually just farming the quest line from lvl 40 (start at npc which changes your 2nd class) so you receive steel door coins is a good way to exp and at same time get gear. gear you can get from adventurer guide with the steel door coins.

when you come across quests with "undecided xp" it will ask you to do like 50 items of 1 kind and unlimited of another, for each 100 extra items you add x1 more quest reward. so when you get 50/50 and 600 extra items, you will receive 7x the reward from quest when you hand it in. these quests will come at some point in the quest line and are a good way to get xp.

going for the most xp, like babymantis says, without help from others with gear will bite you in the *** when you find yourself being 76 with shadow b grade weapon and c grade armor.

 

yes some of them do

but like qre8ive better make friends/clan to get some help otherwise it can be boring...