As a general rule maximise your statistic upgrades in preference to getting new skills. I always get the first two upgrades of each type for each stat first (i.e. Constitution 1 and 2, and Metabolism 1 and 2 for HP). This will cover you for all of your basic leveling in noobland. If I have the choice between a regeneration stat (metabolism) and a level stat (constitution) I always go for the regeneration one first.
Combat
Start by fighting Suckling Yubos (*not* Weanling Yubos as these will kill you before level 10). If you have a weapon (even a magic staff) use it, otherwise even you hands are OK for the job initially. Select the yubo with the left mouse button and then double tap the '1' key on your keyboard. This will make you move towards the yubo and attack it with your default attack until one of you are dead (hopefully the yubo).
Up to level 10 I choose skills in this order...
Heal HP 1
Metabolism 1
Constitution 1
Metabolism 2
Constitution 2
Increase damage 1
HP Credit Upgrade 1
Accurate Attack 1
When you buy increase damage 1 or accurate attack 1 make sure you immediately put it into use by editing you main combat action. Edit action guides are found elsewhere but its very easy. Just have an experiement. This basic combo will allow you to easily level at least as high as 20 in combat without major changes. Heal HP 1 is a very useful skill which will allow you to start taking out agros very early (I start on agros as soon as I get increase damage 1).
I'd recommend you try to fight the weany agros (ragus/goari/clopper/gringo) once you get to level 10 (it can be done earlier). The agros give higher XP, have less hits and drop more raw materials. Beware they also do more damage and will attack you (agro) if you get too close. You should be able to handle one at a time at this level. I'm not going to cover it but learn how to pull one creature at a time to you so you don't have to fight the whole pack at once.
Magic
I start by choosing these stat upgrades.
Intelligence 1
Wsdom 1
Intelligence 2
Wsdom 2
What you buy after this depends on your start up. Here are some general recommendations. Initially concentrate on increasing your Acid spell. I'd also buy some HP healing as it's always useful. This maybe in the form of Life Gift 1 (if you have no starting magic packs) or it may be by purchasing Heal upgrades usually found near the bottom of the list. Shrike has written a good guide under the Magic section which you should read. http://ryzom.com/forum/showthread.php?t=280
Once again start your magic practice by equiping your magic staff (if you have one) then selecting a suckling yubo. Click on your Acid 1 spell twice. Assuming your within range this will start casting Acid 1 and it will queue another to be cast as soon as the first one is finished. If you have Fear 1 cast that next other wise Acid 1 again. Keep casting Acid 1 until it dies.
With magic, because you can't recycle actions like in combat, you have to keep queuing new spells. Make sure that the current action (left hand one under you health bars) and the queued action (right hand one) are always filled with a spell. If you get interupted (attacked) while casting it will cancel the current spell. If you have another in the queue it will automatically start this one and minimise the time you pile of pixels spends standing around and getting beat up.
Crafting
There are no important associated stats with crafting so you have more choice here.
I usually buy an increase in a crafting skill I already have rather than a new plan (ie a plan to craft a new item type). So i'd be more likely to move from Armour crafting 2 to Armour crafting 3 than to buy a Medium Helmet plan. The full reasons for this are to long and too boring for a newbie guide but you'll start to understand better once you get to around level 30 and are playing on the mainland. Use this as a general rule rather than an absolute rule though (no point having Jewelery crafting 4 if all you can make are a pair of plain earings).
For crafting i'd recommend you don't rush out and spend the skill points as soon as you get them. I'd suggest you have a good think about what sort of items you want to craft rather than buying a Medium helmet plan, then changing you mind and buying a Heavy Gloves plan. You will need to specialise in one or two areas. Some areas to specailise in include: light armour; medium armour; heavy armour(always popular); melee weapons; range weapons; jewelery with stat boosts. Also be aware that 2 handed weapon plans, jewelery crafting and medium and heavy armour plans don't become available until level 20.
If you didn't start with a crafting pack and have spent 50 skill points to buy basic crafting you will need to buy a armours glove at the nearest melee weapons merchant. Usually around 1500 dappers. Equip your armours glove and your Armour crafting 1 action icon should no longer be greyed out. Click this and select the light boots plan. Click each of the 4 empty squares and select the raw material to use. If you do not have any raw material of the appropriate type close the crafting window and go and buy some quality 10 stuff from the nearest raw materials merchant. For light boots you need 2 clothing, 2 lining, 1 stuffing and 1 armour clip (I hope i remembered this right). When at the raw materials merchant right click a material in the sales window to see what it can be used for. Once purchased click your Armour crafting 1 action, fill he empty boxes with raw materails and then click the craft button at the bottom.
With luck this should make your first boots (and your first crafting level)!
To minimise the amount of dapper you lose while crafting (due to the price difference between the raw mats and the finished item) try to only sell your crafted items to local suppliers who want to buy them. To find out what a local supplier wants to buy right click on them and choose the option (which says something like "what does the person want to buy"). The reason for this is that they pay about 20% more for the item than other merchants would.
Harvesting
I'm not going to say much on harvesting skills. Check out DoubleTaps guide, which is excellent. http://ryzom.twazz.net/modules.php?name ... wforum&f=4
If you spent 50 skill points buying basic extraction you will also need to buy a pick from the melee merchant. If you started with a harvest pack you will get one automatically. Equip your pick.
Now look on your radar for a green dot and run over to it. If there are no green dots either wait until night time (when raw materials spots appear automatically near towns) or if you see another harvester prospecting their own spots (ie making them appear by themselves) ask them nicely. Most harvesters will help you out if they can, but if one won't just move on to the next.
Next select the raw material spot and click your extract action once. This will automatically recycle until the resource expires. When finished take the material you extracted and move to the next spot.
Two basic pieces of ettiquete to avoid annoying people.
1) Never start extracting from a resource where another harvester has already started extracting. This is considered very rude. If you do by accident, just say sorry and move on. Naturally occuring resources are claimed on a finders keepers type system where the first person to extract from a resource spot gets the right to do so exclusively. If a new spot appears right next to them then feel free to start on that one though (see rule 2 though).
2) Never extract from another persons resource spot without getting their permission. You can see the owner of the resource spot as their name will be listed in square brackets '[]' in the title of the raw resource.
Money
Two easy ways to make dappers (money).
1) Kill things and quarter them for materials.
2) Talk to corporals about their missions. The "Kill x number of y beast" and "Spot a member of z creature" are easy money. In noobland take all of the killing missions you can. The only exception is be careful you don't get to many kill kippee missions as you may end up having to kill 40 of them before you can exit noobland for the mainland. Also be aware that the urgent missions have a timer on them.
OK thats me done except maybe a few edits later. My last piece of advice is don't act like a child unless you want to be treated like one.
Hope you found it useful (i'm a guide newbie myself
)...