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Forum Name New Player Q&A
Topic subjectHow not to start out...
Topic URLhttps://forums.carrionfields.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=4754
4754, How not to start out...
Posted by Huukor on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
So this is the first MUD I've tried in over 20 years. Since CF is over 20 years old, I thought it would be perfect and perfectly old-school.

So what should I play? I know, I will spin up an old idea for a character and make him fresh. Huukor, an ugly dumb goblin who likes mischief. Hm, home town? Sure, "Goblin Outpost" seems appropriate.

Apparently there are few maps available online... that I can find. All the Angelfire hosted images are blocked if you're not already a member. That's okay, I will just map my own!

There seems to be few options for food in the game, at least in my circumstances, so I am now just watching "You are hungry..." scroll past. So far, I am earning one copper per rabbit I kill, and I can't even eat the rabbit. Maybe I just don't know the right thing to do in the Meat Shack. There are tips on how to EAT in the newbie guides but not exactly how to BUY. Oh, HELP BUY let me learn how to LIST what is for sale. Eyeballs on a stick. Deee~lish! If I spend all I own, I can get two whole meals out of the bargain.

I have no idea where the Academy is, anymore. I haven't even found an actual city yet. I better learn where there's good hunting soon.
4764, RE: How not to start out...
Posted by Isildur on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
Like others said, help files are your friend. Also the newbie channel. There are disadvantages to choosing goblin for your first character, as you've found, but if it's what you interests you the most then that's probably more important than the mechanical stuff.

There are "signs" posted along roads; those can help some. Once you find the roads, at least. Many cities have maps for sale someplace, and you get some in the academy as well.

For longer questions, like this one, I would encourage you to make heavy use of these forums.

If you get too frustrated with your goblin, I would recommend trying one of the following:

* neutral human/arial assassin
* svirfnebli ranger, mountaineer explorer
* neutral offense/defense shapeshifter, or possibly offense/air
* neutral healer

First two give you built-in detect invisible along with a way to hide. Ranger gets pathfinding, which drastically reduces your movement cost, which is nice for new players who're still learning how areas are laid out.

Shapeshifter and healer are nice because they're not as dependent on gear, or skill percentages, to be useful in a ranking group. Both also have built-in detect invisible, along with word of recall. And identify, which can be a big deal.

Neutral because, as a brand new player, you want to minimize the # of people trying to kill you and maximize the # of people you can be friendly with, so that they'll show you around and help you rank.
4759, RE: How not to start out...
Posted by Ishuli on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
You're at a tad bit disadvantaged since you're starting as a goblin, in a small outpost that is far away from the 'central' area of the MUD that contains the most newbie-friends materials. Alas, the Goblin Outpost is rather sparse on food, but if you head towards Galadon and the other more major cities, you'll find a surplus of both lowbie npcs to fight, gear, food, and more.


I think the Goblin Outpost currently lacks an entrance into the Academy, but I'll put up a request for that now.


Feel free to toss out any other questions you have, otherwise I suggest heavy use of the newbie channel in game.

Good luck!
4760, Also the blacksmith doesn't trade
Posted by Kstatida on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
But at least make him vandalizable if he's just greedy :)
4761, RE: Also the blacksmith doesn't trade
Posted by Ishuli on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
Neither of them do. That's by design, ran out of objects there....Or, IC wise, they only re-shape the gnome things they steal from hillcrest.


:)
4763, Wow never caught that from descriptions
Posted by Kstatida on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
Please read PM!
4755, Well as for the maps in general
Posted by Murphy on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
http://wiki.qhcf.net/index.php?title=WorldMap

Goblin outpost isn't mapped or marked there yet because it's a very recently added area. I don't even know exactly where it is.
4756, It's up by Hillcrest. nt
Posted by Tac on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
.
4757, RE: Well as for the maps in general
Posted by Huukor on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM

Thanks for the link.

> I don't even know exactly where it is.

That makes two of us! And to be honest, it may sound like a complaint but it isn't. My character doesn't know where it is, and certainly doesn't know much of the rest of the world (yet), so it's not a problem. He will just have to tighten his belt until he can find something he can eat. It took eleven hours to kill his first maggot pile, and he has had to flee from trout.
4758, Being the most prominent goblin player around here *flex*
Posted by Kstatida on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
First of all, you start in Academy, therefore you don't even know where Goblin Outpost is and don't dare recall there because it will take ages to return to anywhere civilized on foot.

2. If you insist on doing goblin (which is fine by me, but someone might say you're doing it wrong), better choose Goblin village. It's much better choice for a new player because it's near the center of civilization, Galadon and is easier to start around.

3. Do entire Academy, read everything there, do all quests. By then you will know that you can "outfit" to get free bread until you're knowledgeable enough to earn your own. Also, goblins can eat unedible bodyparts as well, are immune to poison/disease from bodyparts, are small frame (slower hunger) and therefore have no problems with food.

4. Read all the help files, CF has great help system which you SHOULD read. It will answer hundreds of your questions before they arise.

That being said, read qhcf wiki, it's awesome (even if somewhat misleading) in that it gives you a lot of info on the game and how to play it (it doesn't contain info on goblins though, but you can't have it all).

Also, goblin RP is awesome and hilarious, and I wish you luck with it. And also do keep in mind that goblins are one of the deadliest little bitches in CF, so if you continuously get stomped, it's not about your build, it's about your skill :)

5. Do Academy. If you're somewhere else and below level 5, you get there by recalling and going down.

6. Seriously, do Academy.
4762, Goblin Outpost
Posted by Kalageadon on Wed 31-Dec-69 07:00 PM
It's located off the trail to the north between Hillcrest and the mountains north of Udgaard.

You get clues to this from the goblin outpost helpfile. "Established near Hillcrest", "Building their home within the forests by the mountains", "they raid nearby settlements for slaves and
supplies that they then trade with Udgaard". Lots of area help files are similar to this in that they have clues and some even have general directions to where they may be located.

As a good rule of thumb, if there's anything you have a question about, try the help file system. And keep in mind you don't even have to be perfect. You can even view help files off line by typing what you want in the search function at carrionfields.net

Something I learned just today due to this little topic, by typing help a, is:
"TAX TAXES (68)
Carrion Fields charges a tax on the wealthiest players to help pay for work on the player's hometown's roads. This tax amounts to 50% of all
copper above 250,000 coins, each and every time you log on. Keep your money in a bank to avoid this."

Not even in CF is a person exempt from taxes.. FML