Difference between total and combat level?

It has been a decent while since playing this server or game for that matter, but I was mainly curious about the difference between the total level and combat level of a character. How does one increase either of them, what do they indicate, and what do you gain from raising one or the other? Any other tidbits about them are appreciated!

 

Combat level is XP earned though quests, killing mobs, completing dungeons, discoveries.

Total level is combat level combined with profession levels.

Professions are gathering and crafting skills which are optional.

You need certain combat level to use stronger weapons and armor, to be able to start quests etc...

 

Thank you kindly good fellow. Also, interesting profile picture choice.

 

In addition to that, there are 3 quests that require at least a certain level of certain gathering professions(farming, woodcutting, mining, fishing). There is also a tome slot that is unlocked by reaching a total level of 300.

 

max total is 1690 i think?

 

Its only 1 quest that requires gathering professions to be levelled now (the others got their reqs removed)

 

Wait which ones got recs removed? Rise of Quartron is the only one where that would be reasonable, since the other 2 have gathering in the actual quest, and not in a kind-of-post-quest section.

 

crop failure got its req changed from farming 20 to farming 1, so you still need to gather, you just dont have to grind beforehand.

 

Which is the other one that got its reqs removed?

 

Rise of quartron, i thought you already knew since you mentioned it lol. Dont know if thats another lvl 1 thing or if it got removed entirely