I told myself I wasn't going to do this...

Verd

Hello guys! I've being playing this game for like a week, and I'd taken to browsing the forums. After seeing some of vitriol on the forums, I told myself I wouldn't post. But, after reading about this new novice initiative thingy, I decided my story might be of some interest.

After getting bored of Guild Wars 2, and fed up with League of Legends, I wanted a new game. After browsing many a forum looking for a game more in-depth then the normal MMO, I stumbled upon the concept of the MUD. I browsed a few, and saw the description on The Mud Connector. I decided to try it out. I had a few thoughts on the tutorial, and the minutes after.

-Tell us about the portals command.

-I might not have seen it, but some suggestion to go north from the Lakeside Highway to find the pygmies would have been helpful.

-Is there a reason why the vials aren't fully filled when given to you? After someone else gave me a two hundred sip vial, I didn't understand what was wrong with my other one.

Now that I've spent some time in the game, I'm loving it. I was deciding between Mhaldor and Eleusis, apostate and sylvan. I choose sylvan. The breadth of history in this game is amazing, and it's been really fun to roleplay the philosophy of the house. 

It seems customary to include thanks to those who have made you time more enjoyable, so here are mine. 

@Alrena: For being the type of mentor who doesn't get impatient with her novices, despite the fact she has to deal with three of us at a time sometimes. I ask random, idiotic, and OOC questions all the time, and I always get thorough answers. Our roleplay with my grove imprinting was really fun! I cannot wait to learn combat from you.

@Ainia: I was scared of you when I first joined. House Leader, arbiter of all things Sylvan. However, I learned you're a very approachable, nice person, who also suffers through my random questions about our house. 

@Yerf: For suffering through my inane philosophical arguments during an interview. I wanted to choose something that challenged me to think!

@Azuros, @Lazareth: I've enjoyed the few interactions we've had, and I can't wait to have more.

Sarapis

Thanks for the feedback! Definitely agree the portals command should be communicated as soon as it's useful to use.

Sena

I would only point out portals after being sure to get the newbie used to using landmarks and navigating without portals. Relying too much on portals can be a hindrance to actually learning your way around the world, and the portals won't last very long.

Kafziel

I used to quit and reroll when portals ran out because I didn't know my way around. That was before in game maps and the better landmarks and stuff though. Also before I knew about Asara's maps

Berenene

Kafziel said:

I used to quit and reroll when portals ran out because I didn't know my way around. That was before in game maps and the better landmarks and stuff though. Also before I knew about Asara's maps

You haven't lived until you've had tabs upon tabs upon tabs of @Asara's maps open when you visited a new area for the first time and had to flick between your game screen and the map and forgot to note which square you were in and got lost and wound up either walking into a room with a high level mob that attacks on site and kills you or wound up in a completely different area because the room you thought you were in on map, you weren't and used the wrong path.  Kids these day *sad shake*

Sylvance

Sena said:

I would only point out portals after being sure to get the newbie used to using landmarks and navigating without portals. Relying too much on portals can be a hindrance to actually learning your way around the world, and the portals won't last very long.

This. To this day I can remember the point at which Sylvance ran out of portals (it was around fifteen years ago) and I realised I didn't have a damned clue how to get around Sapience. I very nearly quit.

Caladbolg

Only reason I ever actually started playing Achaea instead of standing inside a city was when I got a mapper with Vadi-M..

But also the reason I don't know my way around targ but I still have Hashan memorized..

I'm not even sure how to get to targ besides cloud exit east Do know how to get to Hashan/Cyrene/Ashtan though!

Ruth

Berenene said:

Kafziel said:

I used to quit and reroll when portals ran out because I didn't know my way around. That was before in game maps and the better landmarks and stuff though. Also before I knew about Asara's maps

You haven't lived until you've had tabs upon tabs upon tabs of @Asara's maps open when you visited a new area for the first time and had to flick between your game screen and the map and forgot to note which square you were in and got lost and wound up either walking into a room with a high level mob that attacks on site and kills you or wound up in a completely different area because the room you thought you were in on map, you weren't and used the wrong path.  Kids these day *sad shake*

Man, I actually printed out the maps and pasted them on a notebook and flipped through them whenever I needed to get somewhere.

Klendathu

Ruth said:

Berenene said:

Kafziel said:

I used to quit and reroll when portals ran out because I didn't know my way around. That was before in game maps and the better landmarks and stuff though. Also before I knew about Asara's maps

You haven't lived until you've had tabs upon tabs upon tabs of @Asara's maps open when you visited a new area for the first time and had to flick between your game screen and the map and forgot to note which square you were in and got lost and wound up either walking into a room with a high level mob that attacks on site and kills you or wound up in a completely different area because the room you thought you were in on map, you weren't and used the wrong path.  Kids these day *sad shake*

Man, I actually printed out the maps and pasted them on a notebook and flipped through them whenever I needed to get somewhere.

I had a ring-binder full of maps, and I keep finding little post-it notes in books, folders and boxes where I'd scribbled clues from quests, etc. Shame I didn't keep all of them, could create an alt and zip through all of the honours quests!

Berenene

Klendathu said:

Ruth said:

Berenene said:

Kafziel said:

I used to quit and reroll when portals ran out because I didn't know my way around. That was before in game maps and the better landmarks and stuff though. Also before I knew about Asara's maps

You haven't lived until you've had tabs upon tabs upon tabs of @Asara's maps open when you visited a new area for the first time and had to flick between your game screen and the map and forgot to note which square you were in and got lost and wound up either walking into a room with a high level mob that attacks on site and kills you or wound up in a completely different area because the room you thought you were in on map, you weren't and used the wrong path.  Kids these day *sad shake*

Man, I actually printed out the maps and pasted them on a notebook and flipped through them whenever I needed to get somewhere.

I had a ring-binder full of maps, and I keep finding little post-it notes in books, folders and boxes where I'd scribbled clues from quests, etc. Shame I didn't keep all of them, could create an alt and zip through all of the honours quests!

Years back, there was a big map of the mainland of Achaea on their site.  One day, I thought it would be cool to print it out and then make them into a giant map of the continent.  If I remember right it was something like 4 or 5 a4 pages across and about 6 or so down...turned out pretty big...boy, I'll tell you mum wasn't too pleased when she saw how much paper I was printing out that day.

Achimrst

Berenene said:

Klendathu said:

Ruth said:

Berenene said:

Kafziel said:

I used to quit and reroll when portals ran out because I didn't know my way around. That was before in game maps and the better landmarks and stuff though. Also before I knew about Asara's maps

You haven't lived until you've had tabs upon tabs upon tabs of @Asara's maps open when you visited a new area for the first time and had to flick between your game screen and the map and forgot to note which square you were in and got lost and wound up either walking into a room with a high level mob that attacks on site and kills you or wound up in a completely different area because the room you thought you were in on map, you weren't and used the wrong path.  Kids these day *sad shake*

Man, I actually printed out the maps and pasted them on a notebook and flipped through them whenever I needed to get somewhere.

I had a ring-binder full of maps, and I keep finding little post-it notes in books, folders and boxes where I'd scribbled clues from quests, etc. Shame I didn't keep all of them, could create an alt and zip through all of the honours quests!

Years back, there was a big map of the mainland of Achaea on their site.  One day, I thought it would be cool to print it out and then make them into a giant map of the continent.  If I remember right it was something like 4 or 5 a4 pages across and about 6 or so down...turned out pretty big...boy, I'll tell you mum wasn't too pleased when she saw how much paper I was printing out that day.

I used to use that map too! I loved that thing back in the day it was the only way to see where I was, I also used the wilderness to travel because it was easier, for me, at the time.

Ephram

Man, I would have been lost without Asara's maps. I mean, Eph spent a good amount of time lost even with those. 

Anyway, welcome @Verd‌. I've been playing this game off and on for the better part of a decade, and it really has more depth than anything else I've ever come across. Also, @Ainia is amazing. If you have her helping you out, you're in good shape. 

Khairt

I just memorized the direction sequences to get to the places I frequently travelled to. After those were commited to memory I branched out from there. I had to use wilderness to find el'jazira though, the se into the village blew my mind for some reason.

Faur

And just as a fair warning, be careful when hunting "sentients", I.E. denizens who are also Player Races, example: Dwarves, Tsol'aa, Grooks, Horkvali. There ARE a few of us who still RP them as being relatives. For example, Faur still keeps an eye out on the Siroccian and the Inbhir Ness Dwarves.

Achimrst

I remember when I started playing Achaea again, I stayed in Hashan mostly and then I had to take @Mannimar around to finish some requirement I never did. I tried to go through Shallam because that was the only way I had memorized to get to Cyrene. Good times.

Mishgul

I still cant find el jazira after all these years

Sena

With landmarks, I no longer have to find (what's left of) el'Jazira myself, saving me 10 minutes of wandering the desert whenever I want to visit.

Taraza

Newbies have it much simpler today, than I did when I first began. Landmarks and a curing system implemented have actually assisted novices to learn more about traveling through various locations and as well as having a curing system. Seriously, I remember having an alias for drinking health and eating moss and walking aimlessly around for hours wondering where the heck I was going... 

I'm glad things are simpler, leads to less frustrations..for the new ones..

Verd

Alright, alright, I get it. I'm super lucky. 

Alexandre

Back in my day, we had to code up hill both ways. And there was truffles for all the world to see!

Berenene

Alexandre said:

Back in my day, we had to code up hill both ways. And there was truffles for all the world to see!

Back in my day, Landmarking was much more hardcore then it was now...so many deaths.

Alexandre

Landmarks. Such wow. Much buckets of blood.

Iocun

Landmarks ceased to exist about a week after I started playing.

There was only room for one of us.

Strata

Kafziel said:

I used to quit and reroll when portals ran out because I didn't know my way around. That was before in game maps and the better landmarks and stuff though. Also before I knew about Asara's maps

Hahaha. I remember on my first character circa 2000 I spent several hours writing down huge strings of directions after printing out and tracing a path from Ashtan to Shallam. Then I'd practice it in a closed room (was totally screwed if someone opened the door) until I was comfortable I wouldn't mess up. Then it was time for action! I'd go into Shallam and die.

Achimrst

Strata said:

Kafziel said:

I used to quit and reroll when portals ran out because I didn't know my way around. That was before in game maps and the better landmarks and stuff though. Also before I knew about Asara's maps

Hahaha. I remember on my first character circa 2000 I spent several hours writing down huge strings of directions after printing out and tracing a path from Ashtan to Shallam. Then I'd practice it in a closed room (was totally screwed if someone opened the door) until I was comfortable I wouldn't mess up. Then it was time for action! I'd go into Shallam and die.

I used tracing paper until I found the maps! I still have that paper too, it only has the road near Delos left though.

Berenene

You know, all this talk of the past, I think I'll just leave this here...

Caoimhaen

Before i knew cure systems existed and that i could ya know. Look at scrolls while i was taking a test. I literally sat down and wrote down every single herb in the game and what it cured. Then my best friend was like...you can look at the scrolls while they test you... later @Lanar‌ bought me svo and I was like, wait. It sips health for me? And cures things...woah. There is a reason I was house rank 1 for the first like..5 or 6 ig years..I thought I had to memorize everything in one go and I didnt want to get ousted for failing my test too many times. Heheh. I was a silly naive newbie.

Hanley

@Caoimhaen can I shoot you?

Arador

Noobs. Asara's world map open behind Zmud with Zmud's transparency enabled. That's how I rolled. I was so scared of running out of portals, I spent hours getting unlost so I could save them for emergencies, then I got level 21 and lost them anyway :(

Agrias

@Ainia‌. My very first beard in Achaea. I'll never forget the news banter we had over Mendax with Oenone.

Iocun

What the hell... transparency? What is this modern witchcraft?