10 Tips For Newbies (from a newbie)

[Julea]

1. You can get to most public places in Lithmore from the crossroads with the travel (room name) command. Such as: travel bank. You can also use the look around command to get valuable information about the room you're in, such as whether it is a courier, or bank as well as extra room descriptions you can look at, and even interesting lore. A map is available of Lithmore at: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

2. Silver is a resource that is very difficult to come by as a newbie, whatever your class. Though typically more difficult for freemen. Start up costs are high, and it can take a while to be at a place where you're managing. If you're able to, purchase silver in chargen (or return there to do so while you're cyan). It's worth it. See help wealth for more information, along with help assets and help making money.

3. There are two almshouses in Lithmore:

* One on the northern side, accessible to gentry, noble and freemen. This is accessible from the crossroads with: travel saint celeste. There are rooms here you can stay in, till you get your own place, and a chest with free goods you can use.

* One on the southern side, accessible just to freemen. This is accessible from the crossroads with: travel southside almshouse. Here, there are dorms you can stay in, multiple chests with free goods you can use, but also a wealth of tools that are accessible for crafting. Everything from woodworking, to tailoring to cooking tools. This means, you don't necessarily have to have everything right away, but rather can use the ones available on grid, till you can afford it.

4. Another place that a newbie freeman can find useful items is the Rubbish Heap (travel rubbish heap). Most junked items all end up in the rubbish heap and one person's rubbish is another person's treasure.

5. NPC shops can be quite expensive. NPC shops typically will display an unlimited resource of an object and display as:

Code: Select all

[   41 --- ] a small courier box 

With the --- indicating it's in unlimited numbers. While a player shop will typically be cheaper and have the quantity listed alongside of it:

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[    5   4 ] a small jade-toned paper box. 

This one indicates it's for sale at 5 silver, and it has 4 in stock.

6. You can find out what shops sell what by travelling to Trade Hall Gallery (from Crossroads) and typing: directory [keyword]. For example: directory box. See help directory for more information.

7. Most resources used for crafting are either craftable, or can be foragable/found on grid. Talk to other characters, they might be able to provide information on where you can find them, or even sell you some for much cheaper than the shops. You can search for an item and find out if it is craftable with: craft -search (keyword). For example: craft -search box.

8. There are a lot of new social rules, mythos and setting information to get your head around at first. However, most players are pretty forgiving of newbies as they're figuring things out. I found that curtsying/bowing and calling nobles Lord or Lady at first is just fine. And as you become more familiar with the theme, that can be expanded on as per help titles.

9. Southside is dangerous for gentry and nobles. If you do end up there, whether accidentally or on purpose, familiarise yourself with help mercy. The NPCs there marked with (L) can kill. Likewise, if you step off the roads outside the gates, there are aggressive forest creatures (wolverines, boars, bobcats etc). These won't kill you but can do a lot of harm.

a potently-smelling clump of animal byproducts is available at Dafydd's General Store and when held, will prevent animals from attacking you. Do not buy these items in bulk, however, as they will deteriorate and do not last long!

10. If you are looking to sell items outside of the merchants guild, it is worth checking in with the Merchant's guild about whether you need a licence to do so. Failing to have one, may result in a black list. See help merchant monopoly and help blacklist for more information.

If anyone else has any useful tips that you have found valuable as a newbie, please feel free to post them in this thread.

[Philly]

Great idea. Not a newbie now, but these are things I wish I learned two years ago.

Minor comments on Julea's tips:
1. The room you can use directory in is actually, ' Entrance to the Merchants' Guildhall.' I usually travel to it with trav ts' g from crossroads.

2. There is a third chest with free stuff in Southside. It's in The Church of Saint Danijel. Whenever characters use the donate command, the goods are split between the Alms for the Poor (Inside Saint Celeste's Mercy Almshouse), the Southside Almshouse Entrance Hall, and Saint Danijel.


My own advice:
1. To check the keywords of objects in your inventory, you can use inv item. To check the keywords of objects in the room, you can use inv room. To check the keywords of objects in a container, you can use inv <container keyword> item. (help inventory)

2. You can use restring <object> keyword <words you want to target it with> at any point on grid, with any object, whether you made it or not. It helps to group outfits and tools by keyword so you can manipulate them easily (help restring). For example, you can add the keyword 'huntgear' to all your hunting supplies. Then you can just 'get all.huntgear' 'wear all.huntgear' rather than manipulate each item individually.

3. You can use guildlist <name of the guild> to see the list of public members. Usually they are sub ranked by what type of work they provide. For example, Merchants are listed by what sort of crafts they specialize in, while physicians are listed by whether they are an herbalist, surgeon or medic. You can use ‘guildlist nobles’ if you are looking for a wealthy patron or project sponsor. (help guildlist)

4. There are several public gardens on grid. The Communal Garden on Tavern Road, A Communal Patch of Tiered Farmland in the Farin Quarter, the Hothouse Gardens on Viridian Ave, and the gardens attached to the Southside Almshouse to name a few. If you’re looking for fresh harvestables for cooking, concocting or brewing on a budget, these are the first places I would look.

5. Most of the time if your character is injured or getting symptoms in affects, you'll want to find a Physician. Wound healing takes way longer if it isn't treated (it also drains MV), and treatment without enough skill can make the injury worse. Diseases also get worse and more debilitating if untreated. If you go to any of the clinics or the hospital on grid (Madison Hospital in central Lithmore, Ocarian Clinic in Southside, Highwalk Clinic in the Tubori Quarter, Bastion Clinic in the Farin Quarter), you can notify guild to signal for help. If you drown or get taken to 0 HP by a wild animal, you will be teleported to the hospital and the physicians will be notified. There are NPCs that heal wounds, but they are very expensive.

6. At 10 RP hours, you get a one room phome with a locking door for free. Additional rooms cost more. If you're interested in a bigger house, check out the Real Estate Office. All the homes there are priced at 75% of the cost to build from scratch, and if it's your character's first home, you will get the cost of that free first room/door subtracted from it. You're effectively getting a four room phome for the price of two.

7. As scary as it is, be proactive. I've found most players are willing to finance, hire, and purchase from other characters, but they won't know what to do unless it's brought to their attention. Post fliers, send mail, mention it in public scenes! While it won't be everyone's cup of tea, usually you'll find people to jump on the idea.

8. Most guilds have symbols:
Crossed swords and chalice = Knights
Chalice = Order
Flaming chalice = Inquisition
Winged staff = Physicians
Scales of justice = Reeves
Golden coin = Merchants
Samael/Harmons Hawk = Court
Bardic Scepter(?) = Troubadour

The covert guilds and heretical religions have symbols too, but I won't disclose those here, as unless your character is a part of it, you probably shouldn't know.

9. [P] flag next to someone's short in a room means they're wearing a 'prestigious' item. Something that denotes rank, like Cardinal red, Tubori purple, or gold. Probably either a noble or a member of the Order with a high rank. There are rules about what fabrics, jewels and metals people are allowed to wear (help sumptuary).


Commentary on Titles:
There are a lot of titles in Lithmore. Characters are pretty forgiving if you get them wrong as a newbie, but it's still nerve-wracking (help titles). My shorthand for how to single out and address the special cases are as follows:

[P] + Wearing something clergy (Lots of chalices, eastern stars, cassocks, wimples, skullcaps, stoles, etc.)? You're probably dealing with a Bishop or Archbishop, the highest non-Inquisitor Order ranks.
Your Grace for a Bishop
Your Eminence for an Archbishop

[P] + Cardinal Red/Crimson + flaming Chalices, boleros, anything Saint Aelwyn? You're probably dealing with an Inquisitor or Grand Inquisitor.
Inquisitor for an Inquisitor
Your Holy Honor for the Grand Inquisitor

[P] with almost anything else? You have a noble on your hands. It could a titled noble (Marquis/Marquessa, Count/Countess, Baron/Baroness), it could be a Great Lord (Chancellor, Justiciar, Earl Marshall, or Seneschal), it could be a social noble. For all of them, however:
Default to 'My Lord' and 'My Lady', adjust once you learn more.

Wearing something clergy without a [P] or any red/crimson? You're probably dealing with a lower-ranking Orderite, either an Acolyte or Priest. Acolytes tend to wear more brown, Priests tend to wear more white and blue.
Brother/Sister for an Acolyte,
Mother/Father for a Priest.

Wearing silver spurs alongside a cloak or tabard with crossed swords and a chalice? You are interacting with a Knight.
Sir/Dame for a Knight

If you're able to recognize who is an Order member and who is a noble, you'll probably be good to go. Almost everyone else can be addressed the defaults: Miss/Mistress/Madame or Mister/Master.