Difference between revisions of "Newbie Guide"

=What is a MUD?=

The acronym MUD (or MUCK, MUSH, MMOG, etc) is most often expanded to the phrase "Multi-User Dungeon". In a MUD, a player interacts with other players alongside non-player characters - NPCs as they are called elsewhere, though we prefer the term [[denizen]]. That's nothing new on its own, but in a MUD, there are no graphics. Everything is represented by text (often coloured). But how can you play a computer game without graphics?

One oft-cited example is the comparison between reading a book versus watching a movie. Sure, there are no pretty pictures, but you might just find that the world woven with words is more vivid, more complex, and more immersive, and more compelling than any fancy CGI. It is much the same with MUDs. We don't need to worry about graphics or high-tech hardware, so we can focus on quality gameplay and a vast, immersive world.

Once you have created a character and logged onto Achaea, you will find yourself in a world unlike any other. 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. It is important to note that as this world is primarily medieval/mythological, you won't find any modern technologies such as computers or television. You will, however, find a host of magical and supernatural tools and abilities to utilize.

In Achaea, there is no single goal to achieve, and not everyone seeks to achieve the same things. You could [[Newbie_Guide#Gaining_Experience|earn experience]] to ascend to the [[level]] of Greater Dragon, where you gain the ability to assume the form of a mighty [[dragon]]. Or you might choose instead to undertake the [[quests]] of the lands - many with intricate plots and detailed storylines - to earn [[honours|honourable]] and permanent recognition for your efforts. You may also choose to climb the political ladder and become a feared or respected ruler of a [[city-state]] or [[House]]. There is any number of other paths you might take - master [[bardics|bard]], [[Ivory Mark|Champion]] or [[Quisalis Mark|Assassin]], trend-setting tailor - and it is up to you to follow that path. Though the actions of others may influence your character, only your decisions will set your true path.

Nexus opens in a small window of a fixed size. To make it resizeable, you must ''detach'' the client by clicking the blue button in the upper-right corner. Once detached, Nexus continues to rely on the now-empty window for its existence: should you close it, Nexus disappears along with it.

There are five gauges in the bottom-left corner of the client, each with information pertaining to your character's current status. In order:

*<font color="teal">Light blue arrow</font>: Progress to your next level, in terms of [[experience]].

*<font color="orange">Orange stick-figure</font>: Percentage amount of [[endurance]] remaining.

There are other methods of connecting to the realms, which many other adventurers prefer. It may be difficult to locate a client with all the features you want in a MUD client, but there are some that are a cut above the rest. [http://www.zuggsoft.com zMUD] and [http://www.mushclient.com MUSHclient] are arguably the best clients out there, though they are not without a learning curve. You can find plenty of other clients by browsing the list at [http://www.mudconnect.com/resources/Mud_Resources:Mud_Clients.html The Mud Connector]. In order to connect to Achaea using such third-party clients, you will need to connect to the hostname "www.achaea.com" or IP address 208.185.247.26, using either port 23 or 2003.

Character creation in Achaea is not a difficult process. If you are using Nexus to connect, click the button on the right (marked "Create New Character") to begin, and follow the instructions step-by-step.. If you are using a third-party client, however, you should select the appropriate option upon connecting. You will be prompted with lists in the output window instead of the graphical interface of Nexus, but they are the same in essentials. In either case, you will need to select your name, [[:Category:Adventurer_races|race]], and sex, and you will be on your way to the [[Newbie_Guide#The_Trial_of_Rebirth|Trial of Rebirth]].

The Terms of Service, which ''everyone'' must agree to during character creation, can be found [http://www.achaea.com/tos.html here].

When choosing your name, you should keep a few things in mind. First and most importantly, '''if the [[Guides]] (Romeo or Juliet) or an [[Divine]] ask you to change your name, change it!''' We don't want to waste time explaining why "Awesomesauce" <!-- This was an actual graduate from the Trial! --> is an unacceptable name, especially when it's obviously detrimental to our roleplaying environment. No matter how hard you try to convince us, no Earthly or Achaean parents would name their child Awesomesauce. The best name is an original one that you created, and not a dictionary word. It should be reasonably pronounceable without seriously injuring one's vocal organs.

Dictionary words or names from real life are usually okay, though often they fall short of the "acceptable" mark. These names can be improved upon, but are not forbidden. Do use common sense, however: Winner is probably not acceptable, nor is Michelangelo. Unacceptable names require a change, normally requested by one of the Newbie Guides; should you not comply with the request your character may face administrative action. Unacceptable names may also include profanity, racial slurs, stuttering letters(bobbbbbb), keyboard jokes(asdf), and those most likely unpronounceable(klzgt).

One final note: You may observe other adventurers with names that are not considered acceptable, and while that is quite unfortunate, that cannot normally be rectified except in special cases. These adventurers have likely been around for a long time (perhaps since before namechanging began regularly), or they managed to slip through the cracks, but you cannot use them as an excuse for your own unacceptable name ("Dragonknight has a compound name, why can't I keep Pastasauce?"). It is interesting to note that, around the year 490 A.F., a servant to the Divine called the [[Namer]] announced to the realm that he changed the name of a non-newbie adventurer, proving that just because you're older doesn't mean your bad name won't be changed.

A full list of naming rules can be found at [http://www.achaea.com/irex/helpview/help.php?q=NAMES HELP NAMES], which is ''highly'' recommended reading.

The afore-mentioned statistics are considered to be "average" at a value of 12. They may be higher or lower, which may or may not be a problem depending on your Class and/or goals.

*Strength is related to how much physical damage you can deal out.

*Constitution is related to how much maximum health and endurance you have.

*Intelligence is related to how much maximum mana and willpower you have, as well as how much magical damage you can deal out.

Many races have racial advantages and/or disadvantages on top of these statistics. [[Atavian]]s, for example, can fly, and [[Grook]]s can regenerate their health while immersed in water. [[Rajamala]]ns heal more slowly from elixirs, and [[Troll]]s have trouble recovering balance and equilibrium. Races may be more or less tolerant to certain kinds of damage, as well. For a full list of races, please see our page on [[Races]] or [http://www.achaea.com/irex/helpview/help.php?q=RACES HELP RACES].