Allright. I'm standing up and admitting that I'm still, after 6 months, awfully newbie, and still haven't explored much, since I'm darned afraid of exploring. Why is this? Because mobs/areas/death traps on CF are much more powerful, and much better at killing you than in any other game I've played. I think. So I took some other players advice, and I rolled a bard since they have such great utility, people love to have them around so I can gain knowledge from skilled/knowledgable players who are dragging me around for my songs.

The reason I want to explore is to see all the really neat areas in CF, get to know gear well so that I will know how to quickly and effectively gear other characters I will play, find quests and complete them, and finally: to find neat scrolls, potions, pills, wands, and crazy magical items to make me uberl33t.

This is where my paranoia kicks in. I'm afraid, since I'm playing a non-conjurer, that I might find a great progged/keyword activated item, and not know (btw, I'm hoping to get that new observation skill that sounds like it might help with this). I'm afraid that I'll pass over limited wand/etc. spots that are empty, or that I'll look at all the creatures I pass, and if they don't have their limited stuff ON them at that time, perhaps I'll never know about it. I'm not saying these are all reasonable, or important fears, but they're there.

I'm also afraid of dying a LOT and losing my gear a LOT. But that's life in CF. So, I guess I'm looking for advice about really getting down and exploring: I'm going to read room descriptions faithfully, I'm going to have some extra potions in my pack and inventory, to keep me from danger, lots of food and water, I'll look in all directions, I'll go look at things to find secret passages, etc. Is there anything else I ought to do? Is there any aspect to CF areas that I should be more aware of?

I'm wondering a few things though: are there many mobs that are now coded with sayto capability? Are there lots of quests that are started that way? Is there a good way to find quests? I'm worried I've ranked up past many quests. Do any questgivers say "Oh, I was going to give you a quest, but you're too big and busy now (or too young yet)," or "I desperately need help, but I'll never accept it from a common human (despicable dark-elf)" blah blah yadda yadda.

I guess I shouldn't really sweat not finding the limited items, since I'll allready find such cool stuff. Hurrah, let the great exploration begin!

Neurotically yours,
Me

Of course don't phrase it like that but I will tell you this, me and most people(at least goodies and a lesser extent neutrals) will help you out if you rp with us about it. I mean hell I am always up to explore new areas that is part of the reason after 10 years that there is always something new to learn. Well that and taking extended breaks and not playing for a year or two here and there. Corlaan said rp at the Inn and that is a great start since that seems to be the rp hub of the CF universe for a lot of people. Talk to people, ask questions about your travels in a unique and diverse way and if someone knows the answers they will give it up readily, unless they are evil. Hell, if I don't know the answer I would probably be intrigued enough to go with you on an expedition to find the answer. And now that they have added keen observation exp it is even more fun to do because there is just another perk to do it. Kastellyn said to look at anything and everything and he is right. Look at all the mobs you come across, read room descriptions dilligently, I remember back in the day when most of the CF population walked around with brief on. Now I doubt if anyone does. Also read every description no matter how repetitive they seem to be getting there is usually that one or two rooms that have the tiniest bit of differences in them that make the difference. Examine anything in all the room descriptions that sticks out, items etc. Look in every direction when you enter a room, including up and down, sometimes you can find nifty hidden places that way. Hell I know I stumbled into a quest that way. Just remember don't give up. Dying sucks yes, but you learn way more from dying then blindly succeeding everytime. When I first started playing cf I died constantly and losing gear sucks, but the more you die the better off you will be in the future for regearing. Hopefully this helped a little bit.

You can nut-punch (*) me for letting it fall off the Area Team priority list:

Right now, when you type 'areas', you get recommended levels for it. The problem is that those are poorly standardized-- different authors and reviewers think of them differently. Are they levels where you could rank there? If you're above the minimum, can you go there solo, or is a group assumed? If you're above the maximum, does that mean there's no reason to go there?

We'll try to develop a more rigorous set of standards. Maybe areas will have more than two numbers listed. But whatever we do, we'll work towards being able to say "Check the area list" without adding a list of caveats.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com

(*) Figuratively.

Perhaps adding descriptions for more of the older areas might help this....Just a thought. I know this would be alot of work. I also say give it to team Standardization. :P To standardize the levels that is.

nt

Now that gear won't melt, there's nothing to worry about with exploring. I used to not want to solo explore because there was the odd chance some random mob (ie, High Lord) would have a breath attack you didn't expect and melt all your gear. Now, the worst that will happen is you will die. Don't worry about dying. You're going to die, quite a lot, and it can suck but especially when you're new the MORE you die the FASTER you will learn. People tend to remember the dumb things they do more than the smart things they do so, unless you're an emperor who is fully geared with insane stuff, don't sweat dying.


Corlaan is right. Do as much as you can exploring. Lore as many things as you can. Keep a list of each area and what you found in it and who had it and its stats. If the item looks like it might be uber elite, try wearing it in combat. Then, once you've taken that path as far as it goes, watch other players. Note what gear they have that progs. Don't expect to be 'uber elite' in 6 months. You're competing with people who've played for 10 years. So, don't let stuff like dying bother you.

Allright. I'm standing up and admitting that I'm still, after 6 months, awfully newbie, and still haven't explored much, since I'm darned afraid of exploring. Why is this? Because mobs/areas/death traps on CF are much more powerful, and much better at killing you than in any other game I've played. I think. So I took some other players advice, and I rolled a bard since they have such great utility, people love to have them around so I can gain knowledge from skilled/knowledgable players who are dragging me around for my songs.

Here's what I'd recommend. Explore the newbie areas (use the helpfiles as a guide) as a sub level 10 (and I'll go into detail below on how you might want to go about doing that). Since newbie areas aren't full of death traps or high-level aggro mobs, and you're not in PK range yet, the odds of you dying are greatly reduced. More importantly, you can take your time and do your exploration right. A couple more benefits:

1. You'll thoroughly learn an area and the equipment in that area, which will help you regear for the rest of your CF career.

2. You won't 'miss' any quests that are level dependant. We don't generally put Hero quests in newbie areas. We also try to make the newbie quests pretty obvious (i.e., a mob will greet you and ask if you're interested in a quest).

3. You probably won't die. And if you do, you can always go back and get your gear from your corpse.

4. You'll learn the basic skills that will help you explore higher level areas as well.

Bards are a good choice for the reasons you mentioned above - they also have 100% lore, which is very useful. Remember that their songs are area songs - you sing a song and you might just piss off all ten of those kobolds.

The reason I want to explore is to see all the really neat areas in CF, get to know gear well so that I will know how to quickly and effectively gear other characters I will play, find quests and complete them, and finally: to find neat scrolls, potions, pills, wands, and crazy magical items to make me uberl33t.

All good reasons.

This is where my paranoia kicks in. I'm afraid, since I'm playing a non-conjurer, that I might find a great progged/keyword activated item, and not know (btw, I'm hoping to get that new observation skill that sounds like it might help with this).

I still learn what items are progged by other people using them on me. And I also suspect there is progged gear out there that no one has figured out how to use. You might be the first. Some are pretty easy, some are hard to figure out, but almost all of them have clues somewhere that help you learn what they do and how to use them. Area writers like for folks to figure out their puzzles - some are just harder to figure out than others. Don't let this discourage you from exploring.

I'm afraid that I'll pass over limited wand/etc. spots that are empty, or that I'll look at all the creatures I pass, and if they don't have their limited stuff ON them at that time, perhaps I'll never know about it. I'm not saying these are all reasonable, or important fears, but they're there.

If you see an empty container that you suspect might at one point hold a wand, write that location down. If you see a powerful mage mob that you suspect might hold a wonderous magical artifact, write that mob and location down. Then come back at some later point in time and check again.

I'm also afraid of dying a LOT and losing my gear a LOT. But that's life in CF. So, I guess I'm looking for advice about really getting down and exploring: I'm going to read room descriptions faithfully, I'm going to have some extra potions in my pack and inventory, to keep me from danger, lots of food and water, I'll look in all directions, I'll go look at things to find secret passages, etc. Is there anything else I ought to do? Is there any aspect to CF areas that I should be more aware of?

Some exploring tips (as promised):

1. Make sure you're in the area you think you're in. Every area has a plaque or announcement somewhere in it (usually near the entrance) that gives the author, some sort of disclaimer about using that area on other MUDs and the name of the area.

2. Scan before you step. If you see a mob that looks like it might be aggressive, be prepared to flee right away. See if there's an alternate route you can take to go around this mob. Maybe you can explore the area, then come back to challenge this mob last.

3. Make a map. I jot down little squares with connecting lines on a piece of paper, label them with the area, and stick them in a notebook. I still pull out my original map of some areas when heading there for the twentieth time. Use this map to make notes.

4. Read the room description carefully. Once you've done that, examine any objects that jump out at you from the room description. The room description might say you're in a kitchen with a table, two chairs and a counter. Examine all of those things. The area writer might not have included that level of detail in the area, but they might have.

5. Look at the mobs. You don't have to kill every mob you run across, but if they look like they have sweet gear, go for it. Consider them first. Once you've got the gear, lore it, and jot down some notes.

6. Look in the different directions. The room description might say that a bed has been pushed against the northern wall. If you 'look north', you might see that the bed has been pushed against the wall to cover a secret door!

7. Experience the area. Tie things together. Most (all of the newer) areas have a storyline to them that the room descriptions, mobs and gear contribute to. One reason folks might miss things while exploring is because they are so engrossed in the 'mechanical' aspect of exploring (see the above) that they don't put all the pieces together to figure out that the secret treasure is actually buried in the garden! I find I have a much easier time wringing the secrets out of an area if I experience it while exploring it.

I'm wondering a few things though: are there many mobs that are now coded with sayto capability?

In the grand scheme of things, no. Most newer (last year or so) and all future areas will have this feature in them, but we don't really have the resources to retrofit all the mobs in the other 200+ areas with sayto response. That being said, some of them have been.

Are there lots of quests that are started that way? Is there a good way to find quests?

The exploring methodology I outlined above should get you started on 99% of the quests you'll be able to do.

I'm worried I've ranked up past many quests. Do any questgivers say "Oh, I was going to give you a quest, but you're too big and busy now (or too young yet)," or "I desperately need help, but I'll never accept it from a common human (despicable dark-elf)" blah blah yadda yadda.

Nope.

Once you hit PK range, you'll be ready to explore more difficult areas and more capable of surviving your explorations...but you've also got to remember to type 'where' a lot and be ready to get the hell out of there if you see a three man gank squad coming for you. Don't plan on exploring all areas with one character, either. There's a lot of areas out there!

Good luck, and have fun - that's the most important part of exploring!

Kastellyn the Devourer of Magic, Lord of Legends

>> I'm afraid that I'll pass over limited wand/etc. spots that are empty, or that I'll look at all the creatures I pass, and if they don't have their limited stuff ON them at that time, perhaps I'll never know about it. I'm not saying these are all reasonable, or important fears, but they're there.

> If you see an empty container that you suspect might at one point hold a wand, write that location down. If you see a powerful mage mob that you suspect might hold a wonderous magical artifact, write that mob and location down. Then come back at some later point in time and check again.

Do you guys actually like the current system? I mean, it does not sound like fun to come to the same place over and over if you suspect there is a limited item somewhere in there. Have you considered adding some sort of hints to the rooms/mobs with limited items?

>Do you guys actually like the current system?

Yup!

>I mean, it does
>not sound like fun to come to the same place over and over if
>you suspect there is a limited item somewhere in there. Have
>you considered adding some sort of hints to the rooms/mobs
>with limited items?

You mean, like a conspicuously empty desk in a powerful wizard's laboratory? :)

>>I mean, it does
>>not sound like fun to come to the same place over and over
>if
>>you suspect there is a limited item somewhere in there. Have
>>you considered adding some sort of hints to the rooms/mobs
>>with limited items?
>
>You mean, like a conspicuously empty desk in a powerful
>wizard's laboratory? :)

True, true. But I imagine there are also many empty containers that look like there might be a limited wand in there, but there actually isn't (e.g. in HTS). Furthermore, this only addresses wands, but not the limited gear.

*7. Experience the area. Tie things together. Most (all of the newer) *areas have a storyline to them that the room descriptions, mobs and *gear contribute to. One reason folks might miss things while exploring *is because they are so engrossed in the 'mechanical' aspect of *exploring (see the above) that they don't put all the pieces together *to figure out that the secret treasure is actually buried in the *garden! I find I have a much easier time wringing the secrets out of an *area if I experience it while exploring it.

Just wanted to say of all the areas I have ever explored on CF and that is many, many areas. Except ST and I will someday. Loch Grynmear was by far the most fun I have ever had. You need to write another area man, I was so engrossed in that area that I wasted(well not really:P) 3 hours of my life and I fully intend to go back and finish exploring that area since I was a bit young and couldn't finish it. If more people would make kick ass lower-level exploration areas like that this mud would be as close to heaven as one could come to explore. A lot of the older areas and some newer lack the kind of descriptive quality and neat and kick ass quirks that the Loch has. So I ask, write us a new area damnit. :)

Kolun

First things first. You need to get over the fear of dying. When I first started playing CF back in the day I used to rank up an Anti-Paladin (because they were all cool and evil and stuff) to level 13..when you get teleport. And then teleport. Everywhere. If I con died him in an afternoon so be it. But you know what. I learned at least what a lot of different areas looked like. I didnt know how to get there, or navigate them, but I got to see a lot of Thera(and theres a LOT more of Thera to see nowadays let me tell you)

Understand that if your going to push the envelope, your going to get killed. Your going to get yourself killed. And your going to bang your head against the monitor when you die to the same thing for the fifth time. There is a giant amount of information to remember about this world so dont sweat the small stuff. Like dying..and gear.

Secondly, I find it is the best to try and broaden your horizons with groups of people who know what they are doing. And are willing to not just blow through an area like a madman so you can get a feel for where you are travelling, and all the nifty little things involved. Noone out there is going to say, "Hey, lets go find some limited a/b/s wands. I'll show you how!" But if you RP enough. I reccommend the Inn as a starting point. You'll eventually come across a nice soul who is willing to be nice and take you somewhere exotic and interesting. Side note...if you are a goodie people are much more forgiving when it comes to wanting to look around and explore an area slowly. Evils will tend to (and I know this from personal experience) take advantage of the fact that you are obviously unfamiliar with the area and perhaps get you lost on purpose and kill you when they are done with you.

If you want to do a lot of Solo exploring, then use the roads religiously...so you know how to get there..and get home if you dont have a potion. Follow the signposts..and when you step into the unknown area start looking around. Deathtraps are USUALLY well marked if your looking. And getting stuck is all part of learning. I STILL get stuck in the Jade mountains, Sewers, etc. Its not something you grow out of. Its still something you slip up after playing this game for 10 years or more.


So...carry lots of food, water, and a potion or two. Watch your back. And remember its only a game. If your character dies permanently. Guess what! You can roll up another and keep on trucking.

Corrlaan

n/t

The rule of thumb is simple. The area consists of rooms under open sky, therefore each exit there being either north, south, west or east from to. Exits up and down are slopes that rise up to the mountain to east(or other direction) or descend down to the valley in north(or other direction) and the directions ups and downs go to can be deducted from the directions of other exits(example room has exits east, west, south, up. From this we see that up is a slope that leads to north. Therefore, the same room to up can be reached by going east, north, west, providing that the geography allows this).

Basically, it's a open landscape to travel to every direction(up and down excluded, the rooms are not above or below each other unless there is a cave), and vaguely going towards right direction is an easy way to find your destination in Jade Mountains.

Knowing this, you should be able to get anywhere in Jade Mountains and not get too badly lost. Additional knowledge to this is that there are well-marked death traps in Jade Mountains, so look before you go if you are not sure where you are in respect to these death traps. The death traps are also excellent landmarks, and thus are helpful in finding your way in Jade Mountains. Also, there are three broken exits that defy this logic. Hitting one of these exits may make the area seem like a maze, but remembering that it is just a case of three individual exits(and one missing exit) helps(I have typoed them all in the past, but I think they are still there. I found them when I mapped the area as Fungor).

Sewers can be nasty if you don't remember the way to go(though it is not a maze either), but in Jade Mountains, it is not important to know your exact location in the area to find your way, as long as you are careful.

>Allright. I'm standing up and admitting that I'm still, after
>6 months, awfully newbie, and still haven't explored much,
>since I'm darned afraid of exploring. Why is this? Because
>mobs/areas/death traps on CF are much more powerful, and much
>better at killing you than in any other game I've played. I
>think. So I took some other players advice, and I rolled a
>bard since they have such great utility, people love to have
>them around so I can gain knowledge from skilled/knowledgable
>players who are dragging me around for my songs.

If it's only been 6 months you're doing fine. Some people don't leave eastern road for their first year. The desire to explore is more than enough, you'll be fine real fast. When exploring, you are sure to learn at least one thing new (useful and new) per day. Often times though, the challenge isn't seeing something, it's seeing how it is useful to you later.

>This is where my paranoia kicks in. I'm afraid, since I'm
>playing a non-conjurer, that I might find a great
>progged/keyword activated item, and not know (btw, I'm hoping
>to get that new observation skill that sounds like it might
>help with this). I'm afraid that I'll pass over limited
>wand/etc. spots that are empty, or that I'll look at all the
>creatures I pass, and if they don't have their limited stuff
>ON them at that time, perhaps I'll never know about it. I'm
>not saying these are all reasonable, or important fears, but
>they're there.

Part of exploring is luck, and part diligence. Lucky to see items where they're supposed to be, yes. Diligent enough to notice hidden containers that may currently be either full or empty, yes. Hidden passages? Even more so. What I will say is that once you've explored an area, going through it again sometime later is ten times easier than the first time, and you can easily check the containers and mobs that you already know about.

>I'm also afraid of dying a LOT and losing my gear a LOT. But
>that's life in CF. So, I guess I'm looking for advice about
>really getting down and exploring: I'm going to read room
>descriptions faithfully, I'm going to have some extra potions
>in my pack and inventory, to keep me from danger, lots of food
>and water, I'll look in all directions, I'll go look at things
>to find secret passages, etc. Is there anything else I ought
>to do? Is there any aspect to CF areas that I should be more
>aware of?

You'll die alot. You might lose alot of gear, but now with big daddy Nepenthe giving us our gear-loss-free-blasts, it's alot less of a concern. If you're out exploring you'll probably know who is around to loot you if you in fact got looted. Otherwise, I can only think of a few places where you won't be able to retrieve your gear and will have to wait for it at the pit. As for advice, I'd say you're on target. Read everything, check the keywords from the description, check the directions. SCAN. If something looks big and nasty when you scan for it, it probably will smack you.

>I'm wondering a few things though: are there many mobs that
>are now coded with sayto capability? Are there lots of quests
>that are started that way? Is there a good way to find quests?
>I'm worried I've ranked up past many quests. Do any
>questgivers say "Oh, I was going to give you a quest, but
>you're too big and busy now (or too young yet)," or "I
>desperately need help, but I'll never accept it from a common
>human (despicable dark-elf)" blah blah yadda yadda.

Quests are in my opinion the trickiest part of this game entirely. Some mobs talk to you. Some want you to talk to them. I've heard rumors about sayto striking conversations. Some quests you have to simply observe what a mob wants and go get it for them. However, to my knowledge, you will NEVER find out about a quest by the mob telling you, if it isn't being given to you. For example, *NewbieQuestGuy* isn't going to tell a hero "Shame you're not a tike anymore lad, I would have sent you to do something cool." Some are race exclusive, some are level dependent, some are alignment based - it's awesome and painful at the same time. Bless those imms.

Good luck guy, I wish I'd started exploring as early as you are. I was proud to be leading to camelot back then.