Library: Anaconda's Survival Guide

[ Shadowjack's note: _Anaconda's Survival Guide_ was written, obviously, by Anaconda. This is *not* written by me. Anaconda wrote this guide shortly after the third BatMUD conversion, but much earlier than Bat-4's "no save" conversion (which introduced the "battle formation" combat system). ] Date: Tue May 24 02:06:36 1994 Well Anaconda's Survival guide has been rewritten/revised for this new and somewhat crazy system we're using now. I've divided it up into sections to help with readability as well as organize it a bit. The guide includes sections on: Newbie areas and general info, To party or not to party?, How to get in a party, How to run/organize a party, A few bits of knowledge on partying in general, Responsibilities of a tank, Responsibilities of the other party members, and last but not least the keys to success on Batmud. The sections on running and organizing a party would benefit old and new players alike. And there are many older players out there that might learn from the responsibilities sections. But overall the rest of the guide is aimed at new players and newbies trying to learn how to play Batmud. This is a very complex and varied mud but that in itself is some of its charm. In the beginning I had a friend show me the mud and answer my questions or I would have likely gotten frustrated and quit. Thats why I wrote this...to help you as a fellow player muddle through things and learn how and what to do. I learned by trial and error and many times the hard way like you will too, but I can only hope the info contained in the guide will save you some headaches. If you ever have questions about the mud...first ask on bat channel. (with so many people on there's bound to be someone that knows the answer.) If that dont work...ask a higher level player. If I'm not busy, fighting, or just miss your tell I'll do what I can to help. ++++++++++++++++++++ The info contained herein many may not agree with however most of it comes from much actual playing experience of my own and others. If you dont agree with part or all of it, thats your perogative. I only hope that some will benefit from what is contained herein. Anaconda's Survival Guide Well first of all fill out the first 15 levels of your background. This background gives you some base skills/spells that you'll need to get a start in Batmud without making choices and spending exp foolishly. During these first 15 levels you can not join any other guilds so all of your exp will go into levels. Save all cash you can during this time for the skills/spells you'll need to train/study after 15th level. Another wise thing to do with cash is to save $ for your own castle. Personally I advise buying a castle jointly with another player you know well or frequently party with. You can also buy a chest or safe and then keep it in a friend's castle until you can afford your own. Newbie areas I would give directions to these areas but with the implementation of the new wilderness the directions might change so directions will be given only if within city. (instead wizard realms will be used) Digga's newbie area...2e of church, read sign and it explains. You can get some free armour and weapon once per boot. Tonze's mines (you'll need a torch or see in dark naturally) The flies are great for levels 1-8 players. The baby black puddings are more of a challenge but give some eq, money and good exp...for level 8-15th players. I'd advise leaving big black puddings alone as well as orc captains and skeleton dwarves. Sarku's dusty fields. The Mantis' are weak and have a weapon and carrots for food. There are trolls and barbarians with weapons and equipment as well. If you look around you'll find an orc cave with easy orcs to kill. Dont worry about the monsters being aggressive they are not tough. Sarku's temple. The initiate priests, temple guards and worshippers are good targets for newbies. The cemetary. from church its 1e,1n and keep going west. The monsters are aggressive but very wimpy. At the central square (cs on city map) is a clock. You can enter the clock for a newbie area. Ladies carrying umbrellas, cats, and dogs and a few other town folk in the main city are wimpy enough for newbies to try to kill as well. In general most monsters that are aggressive will beat the crap out of you. So unless you know its weak avoid aggressive monsters. Use consider...thats what it is for! ++++++++++++++++++++ What do I need as a Newbie? Your background should have provided you with some base skills/spells needed for survival. Well there are certain skills/spells you should train or get as soon as possible. The Crimson Brigade requires members train the skill consider. This is very smart. Consider will help prevent you from attacking a monster that might kill you in one or two hits. Spellcasters as well as fighter types would benefit from getting this skill. The skill attack is of utmost importance to fighter type guilds. Attack affects how often you hit in combat. Next in importance for fighter type guilds are weapon proficiencies. I advise specializing in a few weapons if possible and only raise the others to the %'s required by your guilds. Good choices are sword, ancient, axe, and bludgeon. For fighter types a skill usable in combat really helps. For newbies push, kick, and bash are good choices. Personally I recommend push for a combat skill. Two important skills are doublehit and left wield in that order. Parry for newbies also really helps newbie tanks be able to party and take on tougher monsters. Remember using parry reduces the damage you take but also lowers your attack %. Magic missile makes a good beginning offensive spell for those capable of studying it. You'll need about 50-65% of it to cast it with good reliability. With spellcasting the skill cast generic is EXTREMELY important. Cast generic and the actual % studied of the spell are most critical to the actual calculated chance of the spell going off. Cast generic is so important because it affects the % that every spell will be cast successfully. Later raise your specific cast skills to help increase the success of spells. (cast magic, fire, cold, etc...) As a spellcaster I suggest getting the skill that saves sp's as soon as you can because you will fail spells often and it really really helps. ++++++++++++++++++++ To Party or not to Party? I solo frequently and I party a lot also but I do each for different reasons. (note: I prefer to party myself) A player usually can do very well money grubbing alone but poor exp wise. In a party you usually can get decent equipment easier and exp faster. The bigger monsters usually have the better equipment thus making partying a necessity. Batmud has been set up so one can solo but you will not accomplish a whole lot in gaining exp. This is a partying type mud so if you're used to the traditional LPmuds where one can solo exclusively better quit now and look elsewhere. Part of Batmud's charm lies in the fact partying is necessary. When you party you interact with other players and thats what makes it fun. You learn to organize, conserve sp's whenever possible, deal with the unexpected (esp when in Zonni's swamp), and many other useful things working in a party. A well organized and 'run' party is for the most part unstoppable. (unless the monster cheats. -> ie. the monster can cast spells but players can not or the like.) A party can if not organized and 'run' right be less productive than soloing and also give you an incredible headache. With partying you usually make mistakes but hopefully nobody will die and most importantly you learn from your boo-boo's. ++++++++++++++++++++ So How do I get in a Party? There are numerous ways to get into a party or create one. I've seen many players using channels/shouting to try to get in a party. In my opinion unless you are infamous in terms of players this method is the least preferred and least successful. Shouting I NEED EXP will only serve to annoy those who might want to party with you. (Ignore 19 usually is turned on thereafter.) Using bat channel usually also is not too effective because the better players tend not to party with people who advertise on alert, bat, or shout about it. If I had to sum it up the key to getting in parties is your reputation as a player and esp in a party. Other players who party with me know at times I can be an absolute bitch/asshole; however, in a party I know what I'm doing. More than once I've had to get ole' Yari's nasty smelling butt out some situation. To build yourself a reputation start gathering knowledge about the mud, monsters, and treasures. Try not to make big blunders in a party and if you do apologize and learn from the screw-up. Another method I've seen used is sending the ole' multi-tells to a bunch of players asking to party. Sometimes this works but the trouble with this, using channels, and shouting is that it annoys people and players always assume someone else either already has or will answer. The method that seems to work pretty well is to directly ask another player to party. (using tell) Ask if they want to create a party of if you can join their current one. If you get a 'so and so' is not accepting tells it usually means they have ignore turned up so they can concentrate on something they are doing. The other possibility is that you've somehow annoyed them and they are ignoring just you. This method works well because you are personalizing your request. You are MUCH MUCH more likely to at least get a 'yes or no'. If the answer is no dont get frustrated and keep trying. Also if you ever get a 'person name' (combat) or 'person name' (BUSY) its best to not bother them at the time. Just try again awhile later with that person. Now about begging... Begging for exp or a party via tell or otherwise usually gets one nowhere and gets you labelled as a whiner. As a higher level player I'm more inclined to help someone out if they ask concisely and politely. Higher level players really do have a responsibility to do 'charity' work as I call it from time to time. Basically partying with or helping out lower level players. So if Yari, myself, or some other higher level player party invites you for no reason, join and then ask questions later. Usually it just means they feel like helping out. ++++++++++++++++++++ How to organize/run a party. This is one of the more critical aspects of partying. If its done inproperly people will earn little exp, get frustrated, and often die. There are many ways to organize and run a party but I've seen a couple very successful methods and its those I'll discuss here. First off everyone knows its the party leader that takes the hits directly >from the monster. Normally the other party members wont get hurt unless the monster casts area spells or does some other nifty special attacks. Before the new guild system one organize a party by the tank (one with the most hp's and best armour) in front with the weakest (hp wise) spellcaster next behind the tank in party order. The spellcaster or player next in party order (#3) should have the second to lowest hp's. The last person in the party should have the 2nd to highest hp's in the party. The reason for this is area spells. Area spells divide out damage in this manner: 1/1, 1/2, 1/3 to third target, 1/4 to fourth, etc...you get the point. Well the tank gets hit for 1/1 or full damage. The LAST person in the party gets hit with 1/2 damage. The second to the last person should get hit with 1/3 damage. This will proceed in such a manner moving from rear to front excluding the tank who already took the brunt of the damage. (NOTE: The use of area spells on groups of monsters produces the same results. So monster #2 in a group of monsters will not be getting hurt as badly.) Well the arch wizard realizing this is in fact what happens with area spells intended on fixing it. He intends on making damage from area spells going from the front of the party to rear in straight order. I dont think its been fixed as such yet but stay alert because it might change. If so just put your party members in descending hp order from highest to the lowest in the back. In general in a party you usually need someone with a lot of hp's, someone who can heal, someone who can cast defense spells, and someone who can cast offense spells. Sometimes you dont need all of those but a well balanced party will have players capable of these different areas. So when trying to get a party organized try to get people who can cover these different areas. Now for the down and dirty. Here are 2 effective methods of 'running' a party I use and have seen frequently used. One I'd call the one boss method and the other I'd call the joint leadership method. The biggest problem I frequently see in parties is that you have too many chiefs and not enough indians. You have one or more players who argue with or try to lead the party besides the actual party leader. This usually results in chaos and multiple deaths. In the one boss method the party leader is the one in charge. He/she will make final decisions, let the party know where they are going or are, give name of next target, specify what spells he/she wants cast them and by whom, and in some cases what spells to use on the monster. This might seem a bit dictatorial for many but its works quite effectively. The party members still supply ideas or advice as always but its the leader's call. This is useful for often the tank has a feeling what kind of beating they can take and survive through. The leader using a countdown before entering combat usually works quite well as it allows everyone to time skills/spells accordingly. The one boss method I described names the party leader as the 'boss', but really it can work just as well with someone else assuming this leadership role. As long as its one person and the other party members can agree on it. I prefer the joint leadership method myself. The joint method has 2 people in charge of the party's well-being. One of the two in charge is the tank or actual party leader. The other person in charge is the most experienced spellcaster in the party. The tank will organize and control all of the fighter-like aspects of the party including any other fighter-like party members. The head spellcaster will coordinate and be in charge of all spellcasters in the party. This method if done properly works extremely well with little wasted time or sp's. Often the tank/fighter types have expertise in fighter type things and not spellcasting. The reverse is true of course and is why this is such an effective method of party leadership. The head spellcaster should via tells communicate with the other spellcasters planing exactly who casts what both in combat and prior to combat. This way Sandar automatically knows he casts the blurred image on Yari, while Waldon does one displacement, and I do the final one. In combat then all healing and attack spells would already be organized so the tank can concentrate on doing his job. The spellcasters can all give a ready (indicating all prep-combat spells are cast.) and the tank gives the countdown to actual combat. With this method the tank can moreve the party about from place to place while the head spellcaster teleports to the city and gets all items the rest of the party might need. The best strategies seem to develop when you have planning by these 2 leaders openly with other party members supplying ideas. The final strategy used then is decided on by the 2 experts in their respctive fields. The other extreme I've seen is where nobody is the actual leader or makes the final decisions. This leads to 20 minutes of Gee, I dunno George which monster do you think we should kill?? What is important is that someone leads. ++++++++++++++++++++ A final word on Partying Players often party with other players they know or have played with before. The reason for this is because they know what they are like. I like to party with Yari or Waldon or Sandar because I know how they think. (too frequently Yari and I get in one another's heads :) In a good party little actually has to be said because members each know their jobs in the party and do them. Unfortunately not all parties work this way. Frequently there is an idiot or two in a party. These people either try to lead when they should just listen or follow along and just downright STUPID things. A spellcaster who decides to create food while his tank is getting the crap pounded out of him qualifies as an idiot. (No joke I've seen this actually happen.) Tanks who start combat without defense spells when they need them qualify also. These are people who you want to avoid mainly because they hurt the party cohesion or get people killed needlessly. You'll find the players that try to disrupt leadership need to be told to chill out and shut up or hit the road. The true 'idiots' often were idiots at 20th level and still remain as such at 50th level. The only way you'll know for sure is to try them out once and if they are idiots you make a mental note not to party with them in the future. NOTE: Idiots are those that make mistakes...stupid ones and dont ever seem to learn from them. ++++++++++++++++++++ Responsibilities of the Tank In my book the tank has certain responsibilities to make things run smoothly as do the other party members. Thats why I included this section in the survival guide. The tank is responsible for keeping alive each and EVERY member of his party. If worst comes to worst the tank should die if it means the other party members could escape. (the word sacrificial lamb comes to mind) The tank doesnt leave his party standing with the monster alone with their pants down just because he didnt want to lose some exp. For some ungodly reason tanks dont seem to notice spells cast at them by a monster. (Unless its dest armour or weapon then they amazingly seem to take notice.) The reason for this is that the tank has many more hp's and wont often notice a few of their many hp's gone from an area spell. Spellcasters who have few hp's to begin with really get pissed when they lose 3/4 of their total hp's from one area spell. The tank needs to pay attention to what a monster casts. If its an area spell and the tank has party members with low hp's, after one area spell he needs to run out and let members get healed quickly and then go back in. (or revise tactics.) Its not cool to let your party members get area spelled to death. Also you let your party members get too hurt you'll be fighting said monster alone because the rest of your party will have word of recalled out or already died. If a monster throws an area spell do a quick party status and check the conditions of your party members. (heck clerics have to do this all the time for their tanks hp's) Before leaving a room after regrouping up or before entering combat the tank should do a party status to be certain all members are following. If for some reason your party members get separated from you unexpectedly try to find them quickly. You have the most hp's so you should be able to run around in a potentially dangerous area to find them easier than they can. Make sure before you actually enter combat everyone is ready and understands what they are supposed to do as well as the target's name. Since you're the tank you need decent armour in 'most' cases. Your spellcasters cant do much with defensive spells if you're wearing heavy junk armour. Dont carry excessive amounts of money as it will weight you down. ++++++++++++++++++++ The role of the other Party members More often than not the other party members consist of spellcasters. It is your job to keep your tank alive at all costs. (esp since the tank's survival usually ensures yours also.) Pay attention to what your tank's hp's are during a fight esp if you are doing the healing or with a new or unexperienced tank. If your tank suddenly stops hitting and the monster is still hitting your tank is stunned. That means he's losing hp's really fast in most cases and you need to either kill the monster VERY fast or heal him quickly. Except in special cases your tank should never have to ask for healing during combat. The person healing will be monitoring the tank's hp's so it shouldnt be needed too much. Make sure the necessary defense spells are on your tank before he takes the whole party into combat. Let the tank verbally know what you're going to cast so he doesnt run into combat prematurely. Also since the tank will be busy with his combat skills you should be doing the scanning of the monster and giving reports during the fight of the monster's health or lack thereof. Whenever you flee in combat and end up in a room alone with monsters nearby in an area you dont know real well you are better off staying put. Let your tank run around and regroup the party. Always make sure you are following the tank unless the tank says specifically not to. Nothing is more annoying and wasteful than running back 30 rooms to pick up some party member because they didnt party follow. The party members are the pack rats of the party. Your tank needs to have his equipment feather weighted (in most cases). It is critical that the tank carry as little weight as possible. Weight affects your tank's defense factor. The more he carries the more the monster is going to pound him. Food for the party should be suppolied by normally the spellcasters. A feather weighted tinning kit or create food will suffice to meet most needs. All money and treasure gathered should be carried by the other party members and NOT the tank. (thats why the other party members need to have their eq already feather weighted.) Except under extreme circumstances never turn your word of recall off. (even if your tank insists on it, just adjust your wimpy setting instead.) Your tank doesnt have 250hp's and no armour on. Just like your tank should come with some decent armour to the party you need certain equipment as well. + con equipment will help you remain in combat longer than without them. + int or wis eq will help add some more sp's. But most important for partying is regen gear. There no reason a spellcaster shouldnt have at least 2 sewer rings. (unless you absolutely cant afford it but you can always go make them.) ++++++++++++++++++++ The Keys to Success on Batmud The key to success in Batmud is twofold, teamwork and knowledge. >From the time that I've spent on Batmud I've realized many players have to rely on the former because they lack the latter. Let me explain what I mean exactly by these 2 terms. Knowledge consists of knowing the mud in general. Know where different areas are as well as what wizards created them. By knowing the areas you'll know where to go and how to get the equipment you need and want. Be an expert in your field. What I mean by this is whether you're a fighter or a spellcaster know how to use your skills/spells to their best advantage. To become an expert you'll learn by trial and error as well as asking the 'elders' of your guild. Know what you're going to fight. Know what spells/skills a monster uses as well as special attacks if applicable. It's not too much fun getting hit by lava storm as spellcaster when previously you thought the monster only cast flame arrow. READ THE NEWS GROUPS!!!!!!!!!! By doing this you can keep current on changes the arch wizards make. (some possibly major) You can also keep up with smaller changes as they come. Ideas, complaints, and various assundry things can be aired in the news groups. Now the second part of the key is teamwork. By teamwork I mean helping one another out. By helping others you in turn help yourself. Because maybe not today or tomorrow but someday they'll repay you or help you out. The sections concerning partying are also part of teamwork. A good and well organized party can deal with almost anything thrown at them. A group with Yari, Osir, Waldon, and Sandar with the acquired experience and knowledge as well as teamwork shows exactly what success is. The concept of teamwork would also apply to a guild. Members of a guild ought to support one another, discuss problems and solutions (pertaining to the guild), as well as keep others in the guild informed. Well, I've explained the keys to success in Batmud. And if used properly no matter what the forces of evil (or Zonni) throw at you, you'll still come out on top. Knowledge and teamwork are your weapons so sharpen and hone them to use in the fight. That's all folks...... Anaconda *

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Library: Anaconda's Survival Guide