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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 || || | | 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!). || | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || || | | 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 || o| | The Guide || will be presented with a screen like the following: || |/ | Player Help || || | | The Sky || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ || § Connected to nightfall.org. § || | | Imprint || § Escape character is '^]'. § || | | || § Gamedriver LPmud 3.3.720 (Amylaar) § || | | || § ()>~ _ _ _ __ _ _ ____ ___ __ _ _ § || o| | || § _||_ /| / / / / / / / / / / / / § || |o | || § /. \ \ / |/ / /__ /__/ / /_ /__/ / / § || | | || § / /. .\ _/ _/_/ /__/_/ _/ _/ _/ _/ _/ /__ /__ § || \| | || § / /. . \ \ § || 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. § || | | || § | _ .| || ___ || - = ||. | - _ .|. .= -_ § || | | || § | || . | . /#|#\- . . _ . |. || | - . _. | . § || | | || § |. - = | _ . |#|#| _ _ . = | . _ | .= - . - -_|=_ § || | | || § |______|_____|#|#|______________|______|__________\ ./_|=|_-_ (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 * § || |/ | || § =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= § || | | || § § || | | || § 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 § || | | || § with other players from all over the world and advance your character § || | | || § to become a real hero. § || o| | || § § || | | || § § || | | || § You can proceed in three ways now. § || o| | || § 1. Type 'south' for an involving way to create your character § || |o | || § [recommended, slow] § || | | || § 2. Type 'north' for the old character creation [fast] § || | | || § 3. Type 'down' for a trip to Frankenstein [not recommended, very fast] § || |o | || § § || | | || § There are three exits: north, south and down. § || o| | || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o || | | || || | | || The words that are highlighted in green are usually exits. To use a particular || | | || 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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~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!". || | | || || | | || 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. § || | | || § You have to 'select' a 'race' before you can leave. § || | | || § Genesis, the god of creation. § || | | || § A troll body. § || | | || § An orc body. § || | | || § An oglon body. § || |/ | || § A human body. § || | | || § A homarid body. § || | | || § A halfling body. § || |o | || § A half-elf body. § || | | || § A gnome body. § || | | || § A giant body. § || |o | || § An elf body. § || | | || § A dwarf body. § || | | || § A demon body. § || | | || § A darkelf body. § || o| | || 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). || |/ | || || | | || 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 || \| | || little later and then put into the body of a poor human messenger during the || |o | || 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 || o| | || can "skip" the history lessons. :) || | | || || | | || 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 || | | || the town hall, but later you should follow Sunset Boulevard a little bit south || | | || 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, || |o | || but you will receive a very important item: The Guide. || | | || || o| | || The Guide is a collection of articles written by players, the most useful of || | | || which are usually maps. With "guide <keyword>", you can search it for a || | | || 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 | || || |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 || |o | || 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 || | | || offices and use "mail <name>". You can also read your email in these post || | | || offices. || | | || || |o | || Movement & Looking || | | || || | | || You can generally move from one room to the next using the usual directional || |o | || commands, namely (abbreviation full command): || | | || || |/ | || o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~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 || | | || || | | || 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". || |o | || || | | || Fighting and Experince Points (XP) || | | || || | | || You can start a fight with a living in the current room by "kill <living>". Some || |o | || 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!). || o| | || || o| | || After you killed a monster, you will gain experience points. Try not to run out || | | || 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: || | | || || | | || - score will show a detailed listing of your stats || |o | || - sc will print only a few lines with the most important info || | | || - 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 > || o| | || || | | || Quests and Quest Points (QP) || | | || || | | || 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 || o| | || 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 || | | || 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 || | | || || | | || 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 || | | || 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| -_|= +---------------++----------------------------------------------------------------------------------++----nmsmmsmmmxmS ./_|=|_-_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~{o}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{o}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{o}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{o}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{o}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~{o}~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~