Sumu Mud Help :: Newbie
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            --==(  General Guide for Newbies  )==--
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 INDEX:

 I.    What is a MUD, What is SumuMUD and what is the purpose of the game
 II.   To begin: help files and using help
 III.  Rules of the game
 IV.   Good newbie areas, survival, getting equipped.
 V.    Choosing a skills and spells, using skills, spells and so on
 VI.   General hints, some more areas


 SECTION I: What is a MUD?

      MUD, short for Multi User Dungeon, is a game for several people over a
    telnet connection. There are several different MUDs all over the world
    and most of them differ from each other like day and night, and many
    even work on a completely different principle. All you need to know for
    now is that You are playing a MUD called SumuMUD (at least for now),
    located in Finland. SumuMUD is a lp-MUD, meaning it is based on the
    lpc-code, unlike the so called Dikumuds, which work differently.
      The "goal" of the mud is to get tougher, bigger and better, at least
    for many players. Some players just come in and enjoy chatting with
    other players, and you may do as you wish, as long as you dont spoil
    anyone the fun of other people by breaking the rules. In SumuMUD, like
    in most "Hack'n'Slash" MUDs, you gain experience points by killing
    monsters, and you can later on use the experience points to your skills,
    spells and experience levels, more of that in Chapters IV and V.
      The Mud is operated by giving commands such as "look", "get item" and
    so on, and there are several channels for players to use for
    conversation about the mud, and about anything else as well.


 SECTION II: To begin: help files and using help

      There are several help files for newbies and other players available
    (such as this one). You can see all the available help files by typing
    "help topics". then you can pick one from the list, for example the
    "channel_rules" help file, and view it by typing: "help channel_rules". 
    There are also many channels where you can ask for help from the more
    experienced players. you should join all the channels now by typing
    "channels join all". If you have questions about the mud etc, just use
    the mud channel for example by typing "mud could someone help me, I have
    a question". Or just by plain asking the question on the channel.  You
    can also ask directly from other players. first type "who" to see all
    players logged on at the time, pick one, preferably one with a higher
    level (the first number in front of the characters name means their
    experience level), and "tell" them your question. for example "tell
    wandar help me", and I'd see "Newbie tells you 'help me'" To begin you
    should at least do "help rules", "help channel rules" and "help
    privacy".

 SECTION III: Rules of the game.

      The rules of the MUD are for the sake of us all, so please obey them
    at all times. The Administrators, the Archwizzes and the wizzes take
    care that players will not break the rules, but they cant be at your
    back all the time, so the responsibility is yours.
      (Can't we? We have the log files *evil grin* ++Yaga).
      People who cheat, (see help cheating), spam on channels or do anything
    else clearly forbidden will be punished, punishments ranging from loss
    of levels, removing the character or even banning the site of the player
    are harsh but needed punishments for those not obeying the rules. Don't
    worry, just behave yourself and you will not have a problem. No-one
    cheats accidentally so as long as you think you dont cheat, You're on
    clear waters...


 SECTION IV: getting started, good newbie areas, getting equipped


        As you may have noticed, You start from the race selection room,
     where you must select a race for your character. you can view all the
     race info by typing "help race <race>". clear instructions are in the
     room you are in so this should be no problem. pick a race you think is
     suitable, and type continue.
        After the character is ready you appear in front of the church. go
     one east, and one south by typing "e" and then "s". You are now at the
     Central Square of the town, where many players come pass by during
     their adventures. If you ask directions in the city, they are usually
     given in the form "go X and X from CS". so this is a good place to
     start.
        First off you should go and find a trainer that teaches you skills
     and spells to suit for your needs, this ofcourse means that the trainer
     wants to teach you. type score, and you will notice that you have 5000
     unused experience points to begin with. Use them wisely. You can use
     the points to get levels by typing "advance" in the Adventurers guild's
     levelling room (2 n, e, s and up from CS). Also from this room to east
     you can find a physical and mental training room - in this room you can
     train your stats to suit your needs (as you look you can notice a small
     note (look at note) which explains how the training works.
     It is recommended that you take maybe 3 or 4 levels with your start
     experience and save the rest for the skills and spells.
     
        Now you should think which skills and spells you would like to
     get in the start as you can advance your knowledge in the future to
     all areas when you gain more experience and knowledge of the world.
     These skills and spells ofcourse should be considered how you were
     going to spend your physical and mental training (stats) and also
     the race you selected to born into. Cyclops make good fighters but
     poor mages without extensive and mysterious training, sprite barbarians
     are not so well known in the world although some rumors has been
     lingering around and so on.
     
     There are few trainers in the adventurer's guild to teach some basic
     skills for the new players and as you explore the city of Aquilonia
     you can find another trainers from there as well. Also the knights
     of the realm training grounds tower can be found quite near of the
     city to south.

     You can 'ask trainer about skill/spell list' to see what they are
     able to teach you.

     For more advanced trainers you can ask advice and directions from your
     fellow and a bit more seasoned adventurers. Beware however, there are
     devious people in this world who might try to confuse you, lie or miss
     guide you, so consider yourself warned.

        After using your exp you should get equipped. the shops to the east
     of cs (armourer: e,s from cs, weaponsmith: 2 e,n from cs and general
     store: 2 e,s from cs) sell various things you might need, but you might
     not have the cash for it, so in the beginning it would be good if a
     more experienced player would get a weapon and maybe an armour for you.

     Try asking the players or in the mud channel, the older players have
     easy access to decent equipment, and you will probably get yourself
     a weapon easily. A rumour also says there is a way of getting free 
     weapons for newbies east of the church (la sign).

       You might also find yourself getting hungry at some point of the
     game, at which point you should visit the city bakery at s,e from cs.
        Now all you need is to find some easy monsters to kill so you can
     gain more experience. Be careful however, since you just began, MOST of
     the monsters can easily kill you, which is not nice, so you better look
     for something really easy. players know the best and newest areas, so
     it's a good bet to ask them, although not too many players want more
     newbies running around their areas, so here are a few good areas if you
     cant find anything else:

        Sumupark: 10 e, 3 ne, enter from cs.
          - there are lots of easy monsters in here, such as the pigeons and
            so on. be careful and try to get some experience, this is a
            really good area for newbies, and most monsters outside this
            area are probably too tough for you, so stay here.
        SumuZoo: 9 e, se, 7 s, 17 sw, w, enter from cs
          - the sumupark is filled with animals, from rabbits to Tigers, so
            be careful. you can start by killing the chicks here, and go
            raise your skills after you get some more experience.
        Meadows: 10e, 3 s, 5 e, enter from cs
           - nice area for itty-bitties to roar. You can find various
             animals here that are suitable for any newbie.

 SECTION V:  Selecting a trainer and your own way, using skills/spells

        The trainers allow you to to train and study skills and spells in
     the area they specialize in. The knights tower trainers teaches you
     you to be 'the tank' in the group where the healer trainers teaches
     you how to heal wounds by means of magical spells and skills.

        The trainers teach you skills, spells or both. to use skills you
     sometimes type for example "use strike at orc". type "help skill
     <skill> to see exact info of skills. Many skills are automatically in
     use, meaning you dont need to worry about using them, they are
     automatically taken care of. Examples of this kinds of skills are
     dodge, parry and weapon skills.

        The spells are a bit different however. There are no automatically-
     in-use-spells, and unlike skills, You need spell points to use spells. 
     You cast spells by typing "cast <spell> [at (target)]". For example
     "cast magic missile at orc". You can also see the help files for spells
     by typing "help spell <spell>"

  SECTION VI: General hints

        First: get friends. Powerful friends mean good for your exprate, but
     dont whine for higher levelers to help you, you may ask kindly, but if
     you get a "no" for an answer, or even no answer at all, dont whine. If
     you cant party with higher levelers, party with someone your own level,
     so your will learn, and together you can kill bigger monsters and
     faster, so you both will get something for it.

        Second: be polite. Higher level people appreciate polite and
     thinking newbies, and might even help you later on. no-one like a small
     newbie spamming on channels.

        You should gather some cash, so you can buy better equipment for
     your character. You can use the sales channel if you want to buy
     something more special, or buy it from the shops if there are some.  be
     warned: all your eq will disappear at reboot times, unless they are put
     in the lockers. Lockers price depends on time, so in the
     very beginning you might be better of by not using lockers, and just
     buy new eq every time you enter the game. After you however start
     making more money, you should consider buying a locker for yourself
     (they are positioned 4 e, n from CS.).
     
       Generally, this is a party oriented mud, which means to get powerful
     magical items, a party of players must first success in solving the
     puzzle and they slay the monster guarding its treasures.
     
     There has been records of some epic individual heroes performing
     feats that a mere mortal can only dream about, but the legendary
     fame always comes with a high price. There are monsters beoynd
     imagination which even these superhuman living legends cannot conquer
     solo.
     
     Usually a party consists:
      - A fighter, taking care of the 'tanking'
      - Few blasters, for examples magicians, casting deadly and powerful
        spells with devastating force, while protected by the fighter
      - A healer heals both the tank and the other spell casters
      - An abjurer casts greater protection spells for the party the
        withstand the fury of the monster guarding its treasures
      - A channelors can be found handy for both blasting and
        resurrecting the bodies of the dead players
        
      There are variety of good combinations in partying, that players can
      find the best and most suitable ones by trying out.

      To save your valuable equipment, go see Nalcu who is taking care of 
      Locker in city (see map). After renting just Enter locker, Open chest 
      and Put equipment in chest. And then you can quit and next time you 
      come back, you're equipment are waiting for you in the chest.
     
        And if you got some more questions, feel free to drop some mail to
        me, or ask me if I'm in the game, Ill be more than glad to answer. 
        the post office is located w, n from cs

See also: help trainers

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