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| || || |
| Welcome || Wait, what? - An Introduction to MUDs, Nightfall and all the Rest || _ ___ _o |
| Announcements || || | | |...| |.| |
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || This text is intended as a rather lengthy introduction, ideally to be read || | | |.o.| |.| |
| Web Client || alongside your first steps in Nightfall. If you are only looking for a || '-' '---' '-' |
| Clients || comprehensive list of commands, try the quickstart manual. || \|
| Quickstart || || o|
| Wait, What? || If you have never seen a MUD before, a very rough first approximation would be || |
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || to think of a text-based MMORPG, such as World of Warcraft. Rather than fancy || \|
| Races || graphics, MUDs use plain text to describe what is happening, rather than you || |
| Guilds || clicking around with a mouse and pressing a few buttons to walk and fight, you || |
| Map || enter commands such as "west" (or "w") to go west and "kill orc" to attack the || |
| Lore || orc (and rather than annoying teenagers, we have annoying everyones!). || o|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || || |
| Who's online? || The most important consequence of that is that you don't need to install large || |
| Finger || programmes to play the game, but very small clients or even the web || \|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || client are perfectly sufficient. After you took the first hurdle to connect, you || |
| The Guide || will be presented with a screen like the following: || |
| Player Help || || |o
| The Sky || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || \|
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || § Connected to nightfall.org. § || |
| Imprint || § Escape character is '^]'. § || |
| || § Gamedriver LPmud 3.3.720 (Amylaar) § || |
| || § ()>~ _ _ _ __ _ _ ____ ___ __ _ _ § || |o
| || § _||_ /| / / / / / / / / / / / / § || |
| || § /. \ \ / |/ / /__ /__/ / /_ /__/ / / § || |
| || § / /. .\ _/ _/_/ /__/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ /__ /__ § || |
| || § / /. . \ \ § || |
| || § |\/\/\/\/\/| LDMud 3.3.720 / NF3.0 § || |
| || § | - . _ . | At nightfall.org § || |
| || § \_______/__/ Port: 4242 § || |
| || § |\/\/\/\/| |. - _ .| |\/\/\/\/| § || |
| || § | _ | - .| | _ . || | | - . _ | Located in § || |
| || § \______/_/ | _ .- .| \__\_____/ Germany § || |
| || § | ||.= | |.||. _ | |- || | § || |
| || § |. _ |\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /|. .| Please use the name § || |
| || § | _ .||_||_||_||_||_||_||_||_|| =_ | "guest" if you just § || |
| || § | || | . _ . . . . | . || |\ /\ /\ want to look around § || |
| || § | _ .- |= _ . - _ .- _ - | _ ||_||_|| for a bit. § || |o
| || § | _ .| || ___ || - = ||. | - _ .|. .= -_ § || |
| || § | || . | . /#|#\- . . _ . |. || | - . _. | . § || |o
| || § |. - = | _ . |#|#| _ _ . = | . _ | .= - . - -_|=_ § || |
| || § |______|_____|#|#|______________|______|__________\ ./_|=|_-_ (c)'93-13 § || |
| || § /____________/ /__________________________Enjoy 20 Years of our history § || |
| || § Enter your name, or type 'create' for a new player: § || |
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |
| || || |
| || If you already made up your mind that you want to play (at least more than || o|
| || once), you should type "create" there. You will be asked for a few details, most || |
| || importantly the name of your character, your password of choice and an || \|
| || (optional) e-mail address. If you just want to look around, type guest. || |o
| || || |
| || In both cases, you will end up in a room where you have three choices, much like || |
| || this screen: || |o
| || || |
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |/
| || § =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= § || |
| || § * Welcome to NIGHTFALL * § || |
| || § =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= § || |
| || § § || |o
| || § Hello stranger, § || o|
| || § § || |
| || § you just entered Nightfall, a Multi User Dungeon, a world of fantasy, § || |
| || § of quests and of mysteries to discover. Explore the vast realms together § || o|
| || § with other players from all over the world and advance your character § || |o
| || § to become a real hero. § || o|
| || § § || |
| || § § || |
| || § You can proceed in three ways now. § || |
| || § 1. Type 'south' for an involving way to create your character § || |
| || § [recommended, slow] § || |
| || § 2. Type 'north' for the old character creation [fast] § || |
| || § 3. Type 'down' for a trip to Frankenstein [not recommended, very fast] § || |
| || § § || |
| || § There are three exits: north, south and down. § || |o
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |
| || || |o
| || The words that are highlighted in green are usually exits. To use a particular || o|
| || exit, type, for example, "south". I suggest you follow the recommendation given || \|
| || and go south. This will trigger an extensive creation process, broken up in || |
| || various steps. The perhaps most important part here is the following advice: || |
| || || |
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |
| || § Genesis says: First of all, if you have any questions you can ask them by § || |
| || § using the so-called channels. The command is '=' i. e. '= Hello!'. For § || |
| || § more information type 'help =' or 'help channels'. § || |
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |
| || || |
| || Players (and programmers/wizards) of Nightfall use these channels to communicate || |
| || publicly. Everybody who is currently logged in can read and write on this || \|
| || channel. If someone does, it will look like this to you: || |
| || || o|
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |
| || § [Yen] Hey, demons have a heart as well :P § || |
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |
| || || |
| || To write on this channel yourself, do as Genesis said and type "= Hello!". || o|
| || || |
| || At the end of the first bit of the creation process, you will find yourself in a || |
| || room that looks like this: || |
| || || \|
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |
| || § You are floating above a large area where you can see lifeless bodies. § || o|
| || § You have to 'select' a 'race' before you can leave. § || o|
| || § Genesis, the god of creation. § || |
| || § A troll body. § || |
| || § An orc body. § || o|
| || § An oglon body. § || |
| || § A human body. § || |
| || § A homarid body. § || |
| || § A halfling body. § || |/
| || § A half-elf body. § || |
| || § A gnome body. § || |
| || § A giant body. § || |
| || § An elf body. § || |
| || § A dwarf body. § || |
| || § A demon body. § || |
| || § A darkelf body. § || |
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || o|
| || || \|
| || The first two lines describe the room as before, but the pink lines are new. A || |
| || pink line in a room describes another object that is also in this room. Living || |
| || objects are coloured in bright/bold pink, whereas inanimate ones are merely || |
| || dark/regular pink (If you can't see the colours, I suggest to type "config || |
| || terminal ansi" in case the MUD didn't properly recognise your terminal. Most || |/
| || clients nowadays support colours just fine). || |
| || || o|
| || I will not walk you through the rest of this process here, it is relatively || |
| || straightforward. Mostly just do as Genesis says and be patient when he goes off || |
| || to ramble on about...things. You will be shown a meeting between two orcs a || o|
| || little later and then put into the body of a poor human messenger during the || |
| || Second Great War. You will be able to safely exercise walking in Nightfall || |
| || (note that the abbreviations "n", "w", "s", "e", "nw", ..., "u", "d" work just || |
| || fine) and enjoy a small insight into Nightfallian history. Read the descriptions || |
| || of the rooms carefully and you will make it in no time. If you get bored, you || |
| || can "skip" the history lessons. :) || |o
| || || |
| || Your creation process ends with Genesis leaving you in a room with a small || |
| || glimmering portal. After you entered the portal, you will find yourself in the || |
| || actual world of Nightfall for the first time. Now what? || |
| || || |
| || You can explore the town hall a bit and then leave it to the west, where you || |
| || will find yourself outside. Remember to wear your sunglasses (if you are an orc, || |
| || troll or demon) or light a torch (if you are human, e.g.) and cannot see. You || |
| || might want to explore the rooms immediately adjacent to the one where you left || o|
| || the town hall, but later you should follow Sunset Boulevard a little bit south || |o
| || to meet Veridicul. || |
| || || |
| || Veridicul is a very old and very strange person, but he is also very nice. You || |
| || can ask him questions ("ask veridicul about help"), in particular about his || |
| || quest: "ask veridicul about moon-flower". You don't have to start it right away, || |
| || but you will receive a very important item: The Guide. || |
| || || |
| || The Guide is a collection of articles written by players, the most useful of || |o
| || which are usually maps. With "guide <keyword>", you can search it for a || o|
| || particular keyword and with "guide 767", you can show article 767. This article || |
| || happens to be the map of Nightfall City - if you are still with Veridicul, you || |
| || are a bit south of "a". || |o
| || || |
| || Keeping such a mental picture of the world in your mind will be very useful || |
| || while orienting yourself, but if you ever get lost, do not hesitate to ask on || |
| || the public channels. Feel free to browse the other articles in the guide, || |
| || especially "guide guide" and "guide newbie" are worth reading. || |
| || || |o
| || The following sections will cover the most relevant commands/systems in || |
| || Nightfall. More information can always be found using the help command. || |
| || || |
| || Communication || |
| || || |
| || There are many ways to communicate with other players and wizards (use who to || |
| || find out who is online): || |
| || || |
| || - Publicly, you can use the channels. "= <text>" will let you send text to the || |
| || default channel, "=babel <text>" will do the same for the "babel" channel. To || |
| || turn channels on or off, use "chon" and "choff", for a list of all channels, || |
| || use "channels". Please use English when talking on any channel but babel. || |
| || - Within your current room, you can use "say" and "emote" to communicate with || |
| || other present players (and sometimes NPCs). || |/
| || - To talk privately with others, use "tell <name> <text>". || |
| || - You can also send mail to other players. To do so, go to one of the post || |o
| || offices and use "mail <name>". You can also read your email in these post || |o
| || offices. || |o
| || || |
| || Movement & Looking || |
| || || o|
| || You can generally move from one room to the next using the usual directional || |
| || commands, namely (abbreviation full command): || |
| || || |/
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |
| || § n north nw northwest e enter § || |
| || § w west ne northeast leave § || |
| || § s south sw southwest u up § || |
| || § e east se southeast d down § || |
| || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || |/
| || || o|
| || After every move, you will see a description of the new room, which you can see || |
| || again using "l" or "look". To configure what is shown right after moving, try || |
| || movelook. || |
| || || |
| || To have a closer look at items or other livings, you can "look" at them as || |/
| || well. To see the inventory of livings or the contents of items, try "examine". || |
| || || |
| || Fighting and Experince Points (XP) || |
| || || |
| || You can start a fight with a living in the current room by "kill <living>". Some || |
| || monsters are aggressive and will automatically attack you if you enter their || |
| || room, but you will have to travel to the wilderness to meet these. In Nightfall || |
| || City (NFC), you likely only want to start fights with the monsters in the Newbie || |
| || Park to the southwest (check your guide for maps!). || |
| || || |/
| || After you killed a monster, you will gain experience points. Try not to run out || o|
| || of health points (HP) in the meantime, as that will induce a visit with a lovely || |
| || fellow clad in black. To see your current health points and other stats, you || |
| || have three options: || o|
| || || |/
| || - score will show a detailed listing of your stats || |
| || - sc will print only a few lines with the most important info || |o
| || - By configuring your prompt, you can have your HP shown after every command. || |
| || To show your current health points, spellpoints and time in CEST, you can use: || |
| || prompt $h:$s@$t > || |
| || || |
| || Quests and Quest Points (QP) || o|
| || || |
| || There are currently more than fifty large quests, and roughly the same number of || |
| || miniquests. Solving quests will reward you with QP and some XP, which you will || |
| || need to advance your level. In each guild room, you can print a list of quests || |
| || using "list quests", and "list <number>" will show more information about that || |o
| || quest. There is no formal process to accept a quest, simply start to solve || |
| || it. Good quests for the start are "Clean Phish's Castle" and "See the World" || |
| || (the latter you likely already started when asking Veridicul above). || |
| || || |
| || Levels and Stats || |
| || || o|
| || After you gained enough QP and XP to advance your level (check "score"), you can || |
| || go to your guildroom and type "advance" to advance to the highest possible || |
| || level. Then, you will be able to also advance your stats, i.e. strength, || |
| || dexterity, constitution and intelligence. Some of these are more important than || o|
| || others for some guilds, but during your first few levels, it hardly matters what || o|
| || you choose to advance. || |
| || || |
| || Roughly speaking, higher constitution results in more HP, higher intelligence in || |
| || more spell points (SP), higher strength in harder blows and higher dexterity in || |
| || a higher chance to hit your enemy and evade their strikes. || |
| || || | o
| || More Information || |/
| || || o s|
| || The most important bit is: Do not hesitate to ask. However, if you prefer to || o / /x|
| || read on your own, I would suggest the following bits: || \/ __o/xs|
| || || \/ \xx|
| || - The Newbie Article in The Guide is very informative || \ \s|
| || - The Quickstart Manual has a comprehensive list of commands || \ /x|
| || - The Help system is generally very informative || nmsxxsx|
| || - The Guide has many more articles, e.g. for a list of maps, try "guide map". || xsxxxmxs| .
| || || sxmxxxxmx| -_|=
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