FAQ
The following list are most of the
frequently asked questions people new to the mud have. Have a read through this
page and if you still can't find the answer then feel free to ask a 'Guide'
in in the game. Guides are there to help newbies just like you find their feet
on Elephant Mud. You can spot them by typing 'who guide' or simply looking for
anyone with the word '(Guide)' after their name in when you look at the whole
'who list'.
1) What is the first thing I
should do as a newbie?
Type 'help starting'. This tells you a little about what the Mud is about. You
should type 'help' for a list of useful topics. Every command also has its own
help page, so you can do things like 'help say', 'help look' etc. At some point
very soon after you start, you MUST visit the library and read up on the Mud
rules. You can find it w, d, w from Loman Kell (where you start if you don't
choose a guild during character creation) or 2n, ne, 8n, w from Aaron the Drakenwood
Times vendor in the Drakenwood Market Square.
2) What do the brackets around
some players in the "who" listing mean?
It means they are using the muds editor, and wont see anything you tell them
until they finish. Using the editor means they may be posting to a board, using
mail, or maybe reading a long piece of text. Messages that they would see would
mess up what they are doing, so they get 'buffered' (stored for later), and
then displayed when they are done.
3) What does the number (1m,
1h, 28m, etc) after some names on the "who" list mean?
Anyone with a number after their name is idle. The number represents how long
they have been idle (m for minutes, h for hours). This doesnt mean that they
are not at their terminal, just that they havent typed in a command for that
long.
4) How do I send and read mail?
Visit the post office. Just go 2s,3w,s,w from Aaron in the Drakenwood Market
Square. Read 'help mail' first, and 'help postal' for a list of set-up options.
You can also see a command list while actually in mail, by typing '?'.
5) What is a guild?
On Elephant Mud, the guild represents the way of life you will choose for your
character in a world that simulates a reality of ancient fantasy. Your guild
is the 'profession' that you wish to be, such as a hardy fighter, a sly rogue,
or a slightly deranged warmage. By joining a guild, you get a wide range of
new skills and spells which will greatly enhance your power. A warmage, for
example, could learn the ability to cast Fireballs at opponents. A rogue could
learn to steal and backstab, and a cleric could learn to raise the dead.
There are a number of guilds on Elephant Mud,
which, while all having their definite strengths and weaknesses, balance out
overall. Some may be weaker at low levels, but make up for it at higher, some
may be weak in defence but powerful in offence. . You should look here
for a list and a description of each.
6) How can I tell when
someone was last on?
Type finger <name> and you will get all of the information you need.
7) How do I use weapons and armour?
Using armour is easy. You just 'wear <name>', eg 'wear boots'. Note that
unlike some muds, on Elephant Mud, armour will ONLY protect those limbs that
it is worn on. You can see which limbs these are by looking at the worn item.
Some pieces of armour, such as rings and shields, can be worn on different limbs.
Thus you could 'wear ring on right hand', or 'wear shield on left arm'. Should
you not specifiy a limb for this type of item, it will default to something
sensible. You 'remove <name>' to take something off.
Wielding weapons is also easy. You just do 'wield
<name>'. You can optionally specifiy a limb, eg 'wield mace in right hand',
but if you do not, then it will pick one if you have a free hand. Some weapons
are two handed. Such weapons do a lot more damage, but must be wielded in both
hands. To wield a two handed weapon, do something like 'wield axe in both hands'.
You can stop wielding a weapon by doing 'unwield <name>'.
8) How many quests do I have
to do?
Elephant Mud uses a point system for determining quests. Harder quests are worth
more points, easier ones worth less. Type 'help levels' to see how many Quest
Points you need for each level.
9) How do I know my stats and
skills?
Just type 'stats'. You can get a lot of other useful information about your
character by typing 'score' and 'bio'.
10) What do my stats mean?
Stats are a numerical representation of your physical and mental make-up.
Strength is your brute muscle and determines
how much you can carry, and when it gets above 14, allows you do do extra damage
in combat. Not surprisingly it is much valued by those who engage in physical
combat.
Intelligence is your reasoning power and sharpness
of mind. It determines how quickly you can learn languages and skills. It is
of great value to Warmages, as it also affects the success of their spells.
This stat will also determine your *initial* starting magic points.
Wisdom is your strength of mind and will. A wisdom
above 14 will increasingly improve the amount of magic points you get when you
go up levels. It is vital for those who cast spells based on their faith, such
as Clerics.
Dexterity is your hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
It helps you both hit your target in combat, and avoid being hit yourself. It
is also of general use in a wide range of other activities. Rogues, particually,
need a good dexterity.
Constitution is your state of fitness and hardiness.
When it is above 14, it is of great value, as it increases the hit points you
get when going up levels! It also helps you to resist some poisons, and as a
side effect, determines how much you can drink, before becoming drunk and bloated!
Charisma is your force of personality and your
looks. It determines how aggressive monsters are to you, with many monsters
grudgingly allowing a high charisma character to pass unharmed, while attacking
a less charismatic one on sight! It also helps you get good value when buying
and selling from shops. Druids find this stat vital in trying to influence the
forces of Nature.
Your stats are affected by your race. Elves are
intelligent and swift, but not very hardy, while a giant, although thick, is
massively strong.
11) What do my skills mean?
Your skills are a numerical measure of how proficient you are at certain tasks.
Note that while stats are your physical and mental strengths, skills are learnt.
Thus how much you can carry is based on a stat (strength), but how good you
are with a sword is a skill (blade).
The skills you have will depend on your guild,
and no guild has access to all of the skills. A fighter, for example, is vastly
better with a sword than, say, a warmage. Each skill can go up to 5 * your level
before becoming 'maxxed', ie unable to advance further at your current level.
Although this maximum is the same for all guilds, it is the RATE at which they
increase that differs, and while a warmage and a fighter may find their costs
to raise an 'attack' skill similar at low levels, at higher ones, the warmage
will pay many hundreds of times more.
You should type 'help skills' for a full list,
and for more details.
12) How do I raise my skills
and stats?
Both can be raised in your guild hall by spending some of the experience you
have gained. Skills, however, improve naturally through use. Remember that skills
can go no higher than 5 * your level. Stats also have maximum, which is roughly
11 plus 1 per level above 5. Both of these maximums, however, are affected by
any racial bonuses you may have. Type 'help <race name>' to see that races
skill and stat bonues.
13) How do I learn more about
this mud?
The first people you should talk to are other newbies. They are most familiar
with many of the questions you might have. You can do this by using the 'newbie
line'. To use the newbie line type 'newbie <message>' and it will be sent
to all the other listening newbies, along with any Wizards who are free. Type
'help channels' for more about the newbie, and other, lines. Do not ask the
wizards questions about how to do things unless you have exhausted all other
resources, as they are normally *very* busy.
14) How do I know what commands
exist?
Typing 'help commands' gives you a list of all your commands that work everywhere.
'Help feelings' show you a list of 'emotes'. Typing 'smile', for example, would
display 'Larnen smiles happily' to everyone. Some commands will only work in
certain places, and these are not listed in 'help commands'. For example, you
can only 'buy' things if there is a shopkeeper present. Equally it is no use
trying to 'light torch' if you do not have one!
15) What is a 'bug'?
A bug is anything that is not working as it ought. As a player, you have to
be somewhat subjective about this, as you may not know that it is supposed to
be any different than how it is! But if you find a torch that you can sell,
and then buy back at a profit continually, or monsters stop attacking you for
no apparent reason, yet you can still hit them, or anything else that just seems
'downright wrong', you *MUST* use the 'bug' command to report it. You can type
'bug <message>' to send <message> to the Wizards bug logs. Alternatively,
just type 'bug' on its own to be put into an editor to allow you to compose
longer reports. It is a SERIOUS offense to knowingly do something that you suspect
is bugged!
16) How about if I find a typographical
error, have a a great idea for the mud, or want to praise something good?
There is a 'typo' command, an 'idea' command, and a 'praise' command that work
much like 'bug' but which go to different places. Wizards like people using
the 'praise' command, as it goes not only to the person who coded the room it
is typed in, but to Admin as well. :) 'Great' ideas about guilds should probably
be posted to your guild board rather than 'idea'ed.
17) There is something
really obvious missed out of the FAQ!
Email webmaster@elephant.org with
your idea/suggestion/feedback and she'll take a look at getting it altered,
if of course it's good quality constructive crisitism!
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