Newbie Guide
This page is in progress, but will hopefully be an up-to-date and printable resource for newbies to Achaea when complete. The point here is not to give exhaustive, in-depth information, but just enough for a newbie to be able to use, and to give links and pointers for where to look for in-depth information should it be desired.
What are MUDs?
A MUD (or MUCK, MUSH, MUG, MOO, MMOG, et cetera) is most-commonly referred to in the verbose as a Multi-User Dungeon. In a MUD, you can find interaction with many other players in addition to computer-controlled personas, or denizens, as we like to call them - all in text.
But how can you play a computer game without graphics? One oft-used metaphor compares the experience of a text-based MUD versus a graphical game to that of reading a book versus watching a movie. Sure, there are no pretty pictures, but you'll find that the world we weave with words can be more vivid, more complex, more interactive and immersive, and more compelling than any fancy CGI.
Many of the specifics of this MUD will be delved into enough for you to learn, so we won't go into too many details here.
The Achaea Concept
Once you have created a character and logged on to Achaea, you will find yourself in a world unlike any you are accustomed to. It is important to note that this world's setting is one of medieval ages and, as such, you won't find any modern technologies to role play with. You will, however, find a large host of magical and supernatural circumstances to play with.
Achaea takes place in a fantasy environment that combines elements of classical Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, India, and ancient Persia with the elements of a wide variety of player imaginations.
In Achaea, there is no one goal that everyone is working to achieve. You can kill monsters and beasts, and a wide range of other creatures and sentients to ascend to the level of Greater Dragon, where you can take on the form of the fierce dragon on your whim. You can toil on quests with intricate plots and storylines to earn permanent recognition for your efforts in that area. You may also choose to excel in politics and become the feared or respected ruler of a city-state or House. You may even make your living as an artist or author in the Fellowship of Scarlatti. You can become a feared warrior or thief, a respected protector and champion, or any number of personas including, but not limited to, the jovial court jester and the skilled magi who manipulates the elements.
The path is open to you, and though the actions of others may influence your character, only your decisions will set your true path.
Connecting to Achaea
There are many methods to connect to Achaea, only a few of which are discussed below.
The Nexus Client
Our new NEXUS client is available HERE.
Once the nexus client is loaded, you have the choice between character creation and logging in. We'll cover character creation later, so for now let's assume you are logged in.
There are five status bars on the bottom, left-hand corner of the client. You may note their meanings below.
- The first is a light blue arrow, which measures your experience.
- The second is a red heart, which measures your health.
- The third is a blue water drop, which measures your mana.
- The fourth is a yellow person, which measures your endurance.
- The fifth is a purple square, which measures your willpower.
On the top, left-hand corner of the client you can find a compass that indicates obvious directions from the room you are standing in. The eight cardinal directions are indicated with arrows. Stairs to the right indicate up or down. Doors below the image indicate in and out exits.
You can click on the appropriate direction to walk rather than typing them in.
The client opens in a small window that can not be resized. If you wish to make it larger or smaller, you must first click the detach button in the upper right-hand corner. After doing so, do not close the remaining window, as this will disconnect you from Achaea.
For advanced users, you may find alias, macro, and reflex(trigger) functions in the client as well.