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BatMUD > BatMUD forums > Newbie help
sappho
Everything is so poorly explained and the help files are nearly empty. I don't even know what most of my skills do or how to use them. I tried to do the kobold quest, but couldn't for the life of me figure out where I'm supposed to get Dendrax root, so I decided to just leave and let this quest go. Now I have followed the road for an incredibly long distance, to finally arrive at a city with no map and a ferry. I can see the boats arriving and the ticketmaster guy, but I can't figure out how to buy a ticket to board a ship, nor do I even know where I am supposed to go if I can get on one. It took me half an hour just to figure out how to quit the game without losing all my equipment.

Don't get me wrong, I've played games with steep learning curves before - Dwarf Fortress is my favorite. But though DF's in-game help is limited, there is an extensive wiki full of instructions and answers to questions. Is there anything like that for this game, or am I going to spend the first few weeks playing the game randomly asking for help from older players and feeling like a nuisance in general? I hate doing that...
Calmar
Hi,

Old quests like that kobold one are bit difficult as the key npc are almost always dead. Newer quests have made killing important NPC useless so peole don't do it. You need to talk to Mary to solve that kobold quest.

Batmud is all about communication and friends, you need to talk to peole and ask questions and make fiends in order to get anything done. Also always read the room descriptions carefully and try to talk every NPC that is not agressive. Also ticketmaster tells how to buy tickets if you talk to him. There are some maps at ggr webpage, just finger him for link.

We also have Dryads webpage that has nice maps.

Talking is done by ask <monster> about <things>.

The help files have a lot of stuff in them and most newbie skill helps are kinda throughout but we have that wonderful newbie channel for asking if something is unclear. No one here are figured everything out by themself and there are a lot of features that do not have helpfiles.
zakarius
I would certainly have to agree with the OP on this one. I've been over the hlp files so many times, but it never actually explains anything useful. For example... I normally assume ld is a special method of quitting, while typing save then quit would so just that. It apparently seems that ld is the correct way, and quit is some useless method of stripping naked and losing all your items.

Great. Maybe swap those commands around, so they actually make sense?

The other big problem with the helpfiles is they dont explain the syntax or commands neede to do anything. Sure, they tell you to look at another helpfile, but thats about it. Took me forever to work out how to talk to an NPC, simply because it isnt explained anywhere. Only on one of the help signs in one of the rooms in Pleasantville did I get any hint as to what to do.

So now I'm stuck with no weapon, no armour, and still sod all clue as to how to get around properly. I appreciate that the guys that made this might not have English as their first language and all, but can we get some better help files soon?

(Despite all this, I'm gonna keep playing, but this is gonna be hell for a while... gah)

Edit: Well, wonderful. I'm stuck now with no money, I cant get anything out of the bank because what I have would amount to the fee and nothing more, and I cant buy anything else. I cant figure out how to talk on the newbie channel (Because surprise surprise, theres nothing in the help files explaining the commands used to do so) and I'm pretty much limited to wandering around looking at pigeons. Awesome.

So how does this game cater for new players? Other than leaving them lost and confused and easily screwed over by nonsensical commands?
Calmar
I would strongly advice of going through the tutorial in pleasantville and reading through 'help newbie, help channels'.

You can talk in channels by: newbie Hi I would need help on

You can get free eq from damogran in arelium church. There is a portal there from pleasantiville sw corner. You just need to bow/curtsey damogran first to be polite.

I dont know if starting is now harder than what it was in 2000 but i figured those out without pleasantville or helpers or working newbie channel.
sappho
I have done the tutorial and read through all the help files. I have tried talking to the npcs but they ignore me. I have tried asking the npcs about every possible word I could think of that would help, but they just ignore me. I ask Mary about shrinking, shrinking potion, dendrax, dendrax root, root, and everything else I can think of but she ignores me. Maybe she is bugged?

I also tried talking to the ticketmaster but he ignored me. I tried asking about everything I could think of, but he ignored me. Maybe all the npcs are bugged? There really ought to be a better system for figuring out what you need to say.

Also, I read the help file on quit and on ld, and I believe they both referred to the help file on "save." There is no help file on save.

Is there a list anywhere of skills, what they do, and how to use them? I have one called "fresh pants." Seriously - what on earth is that supposed to do?

This game looks like it could be a lot of fun if only I could learn how to play it. I am trying my hardest, but I have never had so difficult a time getting started in a new game. Methinks the newbie help system needs some revamping and the help files need major updating, or at the very least this game needs some sort of wiki where more information can be found.
Calmar
I would remember that Mary just echoes the needed info so you need to hang around her for a while. But the quest is not mandatory in any way, if it proves to be too hard just skip it and try it in next reinc. Btw. that dendrax root grows in the area, it is not hard to find if you read the room descriptions.

It might be possible that the ticketmaster does not answer to questions. If you get 'monstername ignores you' then it does not talk. I would remember that the ticket bying syntax in fact did not read anywhere directly but just ask on newbie channel, they will tell you. I basicly never use ferries so i don't remember.

help skill skillname and help spell spellname gives info on skills and spells. This is in help skill. Fresh pants makes pants out of monsters corpse. You can even sell those pants for few hundred gp.

But if you have problems really use the newbie channel or ask directly from newbie helper it is much faster than this forum. And yep some sort of newbie guide would be nice and i think that Dralith (wizard) was working on something like that. At least i wrote some area descriptions for him.

About talkin to monsters try it in pleasantville as most of the shopkeepers will talk to you.
mace
The correct syntax to use ferries is 'travel <continent>'. In example 'travel roth' (Roth is alias for rothikgen).

Wait until the ferry arrives and it will automatically pull you onboard. Then just wait for few minutes and the ferry kicks you out when you arrive at your destination.
Brurin
"Special" places usually have a plaque or a sign of somesort to explain the commands of the room [la sign/plaque, read sign/plaque]. Read the room description for hints, try a few things and if all else fails, ask the newbie channel. You will almost always get an answer.

Batmud has a certain style in which things work, once you figure it out things get easier. I promise :>
senson
This whole topic can be summed up very easy and it was listed above...

newbie channel

So you needed help with the kobold quest, newbie can someone help me with the kobold quest, newbie how do i get a ticket from the ticketmaster?

The newbie channel and great support of all the players are what kept me in this game as long as I have...which has been long enough to really start enjoying it.
Fil
the newbie channel has all the info you could need, the help files are for how to interact with the game mechanics, not really how to play the game, the newbie channel is nonstop info on how to actually play the game and do specific things
mrcuddles
@.@
I'm still confused by this city, and this pidgeon keeps hopping around...
and kill pidgeon isn't working.
Torc
QUOTE(mrcuddles @ Dec 24 2007, 01:14 AM) [snapback]1146[/snapback]
@.@
I'm still confused by this city, and this pidgeon keeps hopping around...
and kill pidgeon isn't working.


Maybe it's a pigeon, not pidgeon?
ikki
Hello
I am also a new player.
Discovered Bat yesterday and last night was the first time I played it.
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by all the help I was getting from the helpers. Especially since I was asking more or less obvious questions(no better way to see how is the community,but to ask a few stupid questions,LOL).
I do agree that the game looks quite complicate,however I think if one reads the help files,ask in newbie channel and read carefully the room descriptions one will be ok
onky
Greetings,

I am a new player as well. I'm not new to MUD's, but (of course) I am new to BatMUD.

IMHO having to find out how to get things working for you is part of the fun. The newbie channel is certainly helping at that, and I can only recommend it as well using it.

Blacksmith
All the help about the helps you were looking for: help help

BatWiki: http://taikajuoma.ath.cx/bat/batwiki (note: no quest info is give short of very wague pointers)

Command to ask a NPC about things: ask <npc> about <things>
Command to ask very old NPC's about things: say <things>
Command to talk with guards in arelium to ask things: talk to guard, <things>
tylnareth
QUOTE (Calmar @ Oct 5 2007, 08:37 AM) *
I would remember that Mary just echoes the needed info so you need to hang around her for a while. But the quest is not mandatory in any way, if it proves to be too hard just skip it and try it in next reinc. Btw. that dendrax root grows in the area, it is not hard to find if you read the room descriptions.


Could you give some more clues please? I found a few trees and bushes that look promising but none of the commands work. :(
Calmar
QUOTE (tylnareth @ Feb 17 2009, 07:08 PM) *
Could you give some more clues please? I found a few trees and bushes that look promising but none of the commands work. :(


It is in the cave.
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