Vet's Newbie Help
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The purpose of this document... is to try to help a new player learn the basics of LostSouls, and some nice hints/tips I've picked up from playing.
Contents |
Starting out
Lost Souls, is considerably complex and has a sharp learning curve. You might not understand all of this information, but it will make more sense as you learn and play more. It will take a while for you to be able to play with ease. Hopefully after you read this, it will help your play and have a fun experience here :)
Please realize that this page is still in its infancy. It will grow and become more accurate with time. If it was easy to understand and read, please let me or someone know. If it made you unclear on specific things, please give feedback.
So, you start out with a human, pre-made character. There is nothing wrong with it to start out with, but we'll deal with that later. The first thing you should learn to do is how to walk, talk, send tells, and use the newbie channel.
LS (LostSouls) has 4 basic movement commands:
north, south, east, and west.
To move, just type them. (note - you can also abreviate them, ex n = north, e = east ect ect ect...)
You can also move nw = northwest, se = southeast, ne = northeast, and sw = south west (when the movement is allowed.)
All of those commands can have a Up, of Down direction added to them, this is because the map of LS, is 3D.
ex - typing 'seu' will make you go southeast, and upward.
Talking
So now that you're able to move, maybe talking is a good thing to learn next. To talk, use the command 'say'
ex - say hi <- will result in You say, "hi"
Keep in mind that all NPCs/Players might not speak your language.
Using the say command is important when interacting with NPCs, and other players in game.
Language Barrier
Lost Souls have a multitude of different languages.
You have to be mindful that everyone might not speak your language, and that you might not speaks yours.
If you don't understand a language, it will turn out all garbled, as if someone is just mashing keys at you.
The most common language, is Anglic.
Channels
Channels are forms of communication that have no distance limit, and no language barrier, there are multiple channels, for multiple reasons.
The Neophyte channel is the channel designated for new players.
To use the Neophyte channel, simply type...
newbie [your message]
This will result in something like -
#Neophyte Vetallas# Hi everyone
Use that channel if you have any questions about anything, and someone will help you.
There are also many other channels you can talk over, the 'OOC' channel is the most used one.
To show the channels you can use simply type "show channels" which will bring up a box looking somewhat like this
/---------------------------- Channels of Simaos -----------------------------\ | Channel Type # Info | >-----------------------------------------------------------------------------< | announce other 20 OOC | | balance other 9 | | devhelp support 20 OOC | | emergency support 20 priority, OOC | | ooc other 20 OOC | | shapeshifter guild 3 | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/
You can also block channels from appearing if they cause to much spam.
ex - OOC -
To block the channel simply type in the name of the channel with a '-' after it.
To un-block the channel, do the same, but with a '+'
ex - OOC +
Aliases
Making aliases are key to survival in Lost Souls.
They are commands you set, to shorten other longer commands.
Think of them as short cuts. Throughout this page, I will give you many helpful aliases.
To set an alias...
set alias [shortened command] to [longer command]
Type 'help alias' to get more information on them, but for the basics, you will only need to know how to make simple ones.
Global Movement
Determine Location - this command will show you where you are on the map
ex - You determine that you are at the coordinates 4, 12, 0 in Avalon, and so at global coordinates 166, 93, 0.
To get accurate coordinates, you need about 30 orienteering skill, or a compass.
set alias dl to determine location
Think of the LS world like a grid.
There is one huge grid, (the global map), which is broken down into smaller grids, (regions)
Cimbra is a region, in the main grid.
Every region is made of a 81x81 room box. so, this means the values of a room can be from -40, to +40.
We'll talk about the gird as if it's 2D for now
so, LostHaven (the main town of LS) is at -21, -24 Cimbra.
This means it is 21 rooms west and 24 rooms south of the center of the region.
Every room on the grid as a X, Y, and Z value (ignore Z for now)
ex - You determine that you are at the coordinates -21, -24, 0 in Cimbra...
To move up on the X-axis, move east, to move down on the X-axis, move west
ex - If im at -21, -24. moving 1 west, will put me at -22, -24.
To move up on the Y-axis, go north. To move down on the Y-axis, go south.
ex - If im at -21, -24. moving 1 north will put me at -21, -23
Test yourself by moving to Stillwater from Lost Haven
Still Water, is at -11, -27. Thus meaning you must move 10e, and 3s.
-21 + X = -11, X must = +10, so you must move up on the X axis.
-24 + Y = -27, Y must = -3, thus meaning you must move down on the Y axis.
Or, using multiple direction commands, you could move 3se, and 7e, as i mentioned in the starting of the page.
'The Z axis is used for areas such as mountains, oceans, inside the earth, and air (if you can fly), so be mindful of your surroundings.'
You can alias 'go' commands to something often referred to as quick walks.
This is nice because you don't really have to calculate all the math when moving from town to town.
set alias lhstillwater to go 3se and 7e
Now, to get to Stillwater from Lost Haven, just type lhstillwater, or whatever you have aliased it to.
Skills and Specialty Points
Skills effect everything you do.
In LS, we have a specialty point system, which determines how many points you can have in a skill.
A skill without a specialty point in it, will only be able to go as high as 40, which is fairly low, But with 1 point added, the new cap is 80.
3 points = 120, 4 points = 150...ect ect ect
For every 10 points you have in a attribute, you will have 1 specialty point to put into a skill for that attribute.
ex - Your Strength is 80, therefor, you have 8 specialty points for Strength.
Use the command show specialty points to view how many you have, have assigned, and can use.
set alias spec to show specialty points
To view your current rating in a skill, use the command show skill [skill name]
set alias ssk to show skill $*
A few commands you might want to play around with...
show specialties [skill name, or attribute name] set alias ss to show specialties
show specialty access [skill name, or attribute name] set alias sss to show specialty access
Understanding this system is important, because skills are a main factor in most of what you are able to do in-game.
If your still a little foggy on how everything works, just ask for clarity in the Neophyte channel.
Combat
You have a few ratings that determine how well you are in combat, almost everything effects these ratings. Skills, Attributes, How dark it is, where you are, how big you are...the list goes on
The first thing to be mindful about in combat is your important ratings, such as Attack rating, Damage rating, Dodge rating, and Deflection rating.
Each of these ratings can be shown using a command...lets look at some examples.
show attack rating with [weapon] set alias sar to show attack rating with
Lets use a sword for now...this rating will show you how well you attack with your sword.
If you have a different weapon, substitute sword, for whatever your weapon is.
show attack rating with sword
/---------------------------------------- Attack Rating for Laithde with Midnight-Blue-Moon-Inscribed Steel Katana ----------------------------------------\ | Factor Value Effect Total | >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------< | Dexterity 211 +283.75 284 | | Perception 469 +140.7 424 | | Intelligence 403 +110.825 535 | | Streetwise 329 +494 1029 | | Martial Arts 232 +58 1087 | | Precision Strike 186 +56 1143 | | Combat Reflexes 212 +53 1196 | | Sword 39 +39 1235 | | Killer Instinct 146 +37 1272 | | Tactics 77 +21 1293 | | Flight 40 -10 1283 | | Luck 13 0 to +130 1348 | | Situational Awareness Yes +25 1373 | | Estimated Strike Location Penalty Head -9.1% : -125 1248 | | Effort 120% +20% : +275 1523 | | Encumbrance None +10% : +137 1660 | | Weapon Performance +10.4% : +143 1804 | \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/
This will bring up a simple chart (as show above), showing you all your -current- factors affecting your attack rating.
Notice how all of the factors add up and are totaled at the bottom right of the chart. This is your total rating.
Be mindful of the value of each factor, some can be negative, and some can add a lot to your total, you want your total as high as possible.
Mainly, dexterity, fieldcraft skills, the skill used for the weapon, and other attributes will add the most
Now look at your damage rating with the same weapon, this is how much damage you will do from using it.
show damage rating with sword set alias sdr to show damage rating with
/---------------------------------------- Damage Rating for Laithde with Midnight-Blue-Moon-Inscribed Steel Katana ----------------------------------------\ | Factor Value Effect Total | >----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------< | Strength 118 +118 118 | | Streetwise 329 +329 447 | | Massive Blow 171 +171 618 | | Killer Instinct 146 +146 764 | | Dirty Fighting 26 +7 771 | | Luck 13 0 to +130 836 | | Usable Physical Bulk -9 827 | | Potential Contact Area Size +12 839 | | Leverage One Limb, Flight -100 739 | | Effort 120% +20% : +148 887 | | Total Effect on Damage +22.6 | \----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------/
This one will convert your total to a point, this point is the total damage added, but be mindful that the higher the better.
Realize that these charts, may look nothing like yours, and are only examples. Your ratings may be totally different and have different factors involved.
Strength, fieldcraft skills, and Massive blow skill, are mostly the main ones to buff this rating
Depending on what race you picked, or how you set your attributes, your rating might be somewhere from +3 to +10.
Whatever you have is fine for now, just be mindful to get that rating up! :)
Next will take a look at dodge/deflection ratings. Dodge is obviously, how well you can dodge attacks, and deflection is how well you can deflect them using a weapon or shield.
show dodge rating show deflection rating with sword
Sometimes its better to dodge then deflect, and vice versa depending on the situation, just try to get both ratings up.
Speed/Activity Cost
Every attack, defection, and dodge, has a cost, or activity cost.
Your total Activity points, are based off of a few factors, such as Dexterity, Combat Reflexes skill, and Quickness skill.
Type 'hp' to see your speed, this is how many activity points you will gain a round in combat.
It is possible, to run out of activity points in a round, then for that round, you cannot dodge, attack, or deflect...
Use the following commands to show what you are currently attacking/defending with.
show attacks set alias sa to show attacks
show defenses
This will show you the name of the attack/defense, and its cost.
So, what if you're a better swordsman than a unarmed fighter? You wouldn't want to throw punches all day when you could chop the enemy up with a sword.
You can suspend attacks/defenses with simple commands, i do not advise changing your defenses though.
stop attack with [attack] set alias saw to stop attack with
stop defending with [defense]
Personally, I do not suspend any attacks. But at lower level, it's nice to focus on your better attacks.
Use the command 'help activity' to get more info on how Activity points are calculated.
Combat Modes
There are many different combat modes which will determine your behavior in combat.
Each mode has its own effect on activity costs of your attacks, attack rating, damage ratings, and pretty much all other ratings.
Some combat modes are more useful in specific situations then others.
For the beginning it might be best to use Patient combat mode, because it takes 40% of your attack rating, and adds it to your total. But, it makes your attacks cost more activity points.
set combat mode to patient set alias scm to set combat mode
Use the command...
help combat mode
To get a list off all the combat modes, and a description of what they do.
Removing Specialties
Just like you can increase a skills' specialty points, you can also decrease them as well, using the same command
set specialty degree in [skill] to [number]
If you remove them to a point where the skill is above its new max, you will need to wait until the skill decays under its new cap level, before you can use the extra points again
This can take a considerable amount of time if you had a lot of points in one skill, and remove them all.
Guilds
It is important for you to pick a guild for your character.
Think of a guild as a class, guilds will give you access to skills, that you may not be able to get outside of them.
Guilds can also give your character magical powers, that can be just as useful as a weapon in combat.
Some guilds, are more focused on using a weapon, and others are more revolved around using magic and casting spells. But some can have both.
You can only be in 1 guild at once. And some of them do not let you leave after joining.
The important thing to remember is, PLAY THE GUILD YOU WANT TO PLAY. No one likes being stuck with a character they don't like, and a guild they're not interested in playing.
There are many guilds for you to choose from, goto Category:Guilds to get a list of all the guilds.
Click on each link to bring up more info for the guild.
From experience, you don't want your first guild to be incredibly hard to play.
Brutes, Knights, The Verynvelyrae, and The Aisenshi are all easy guilds to play, and can be powerful once you get them going.
If your not interested in any of those, continue looking at the Guild page until you find one you wish to play, but remember if you pick a tough/hard guild to play, and get confused, it wont be much fun.
Once you have determined what guild you wish to try, ask about it in the Neophyte channel, and read the wiki page about the guild.
Joining a Guild
Each guild has a different way of being joined. For some, there is a guild master, whom you go to, and ask to join.
Others have requirements to join, or might require you to do a specific task to join.
The wiki page for the guild you wish to join should have the info on how to enter the guild.
If you're still lost on how to join it after reading the page, ask for help.
Being in a Guild
Once you've joined a guild, you will want to specialize in the skills important to your guild, or guild powers, depending on what your in, and start using your powers/guild features.
Most guilds also have a guild trainer, who will train your important skills, for a price.
If you're able to get to your own guild master/trainer by yourself, do it. But if you feel like you need help, don't be afraid to ask, there's no shame in getting lost here.
Associations
Think of associations as 'mini-guilds'
You can be in any number of them as possible, or that fit with your guild.
They work just like guilds; they can give access to skills, trainers, and possibly powers.
Find a list of associations here... Category:Associations
Advanced Character Creation
Some races might be better for some guilds, and specific guilds might rely on specific attributes over others.
After you are done reading this article, feel free to mess around with this system, just make a new character, then turn off the basic creation mode, you'll be able to edit a lot about your character with it off.
But for now, this is not important.
Using a Trainer or Teacher
Trainers or Teachers, will increase your skills for a price, each one trains or teaches different things, and they each have different syntax's to be used. To see a specific trainer's syntax use: info <NPC>
Although the most common ones for a Teacher are...
say what do you teach? set alias tee to say what do you teach?
say teach me [skill/skills/all] set alias te to say teach me $*
say what skills do you train? set alias trr to say what skills do you train?
say train me in [skill/skills/all] set alias tr to say train me in $*
You can only receive 1 train/teach in a skill from a trainer/teacher. Successive attempts to train a skill that has been trained will result in the trainer telling you that you must train the specific skill elsewhere before they will train/teach you in the same skill again. To train a skill from that teacher again you must have performed some action that used that skill. EXAMPLE: To train a language skill (such as Anglic, Xhax, or any of the others) multiple times from the same trainer you must either speak or hear the language--whether it looks garbled or not. This will use that particular skill, allowing you to train again. Wait a few moments for the use of the skill to register before attempting to train the language skill from that trainer again. All skills can potentially work this way, not just languages, you just have to find a way to use the skill between training sessions with the NPC. Some guilds have abilities with ratings formulas; if a formula uses a skill and you use the ability, then you've used the skill and can train that skill again from a trainer. You can also move between two trainers to train a skill, and some skills will require you to do so if you intend to train them quickly.
Each trainer has a certain ability with any skill. They will be able to train a skill to that particular number and no higher. The maximum value a trainer is capable of raising a skill to varies between trainers.
All skills have diminishing returns as you train them. To explain this, lets say that your max in a skill is 40. From 1-20 will be easily trained. From 20-30 will get harder, requiring more effort per point in the skill. From 30-40 becomes significantly harder, often being very difficult to gain a full 40 points (which would max the skill out). The same would be true if you had specialty points in a skill and raised the max value of that skill. The numerically lower skill points would be easier to train than the higher ones. Ask other players for tips on specialty points and skill training for more advanced applications.
Due to diminishing returns it is unwise to attempt to train your skills to their absolute maximum value unless you have time and money to waste. As a new player you should have neither to do so with. If you try to do so you may spend thousands of gold and only raise the skill 1 point.
Trainers are an easy way to spend lots of gold, so if you are going to a trainer that is not easy to get to you should bring plenty of gold with you, just in case.
Alignment
Depending on what you kill, your outlook on life will change, this is important because some guilds require you to have a specific Alignment.
show outlook
Those guilds may not let you use your powers if your Alignment is way off.
To display your current outlook.
Killing things oppoisite to your outlook will shift it back into the right position.
So, if you're good, you want to kill evil things, and vice versa.
Finding gold and Other Items
As a new character, gold will be important for you to use on trainers, and other things.
Gold is not hard to come by in LS, many of the higher level players kill towns, and just leave all the loot/equipment behind, leaving you up to the job of playing "janitor" to take this loot, and sell it to a shop keeper.
Or, you could ask in the OOC channel if anyone has any spare gold they could lend you.
As for gear, some guilds give you equipment, but depending on your race/size, different things could be better for you, just ask "what should i be using", or "is this weapon good" and someone will answer you.
Quests
Lost Souls has a variety of quests one can do.
show quests
Some quests are meant for higher leveled players, such as the ones towards the end.
Normally the more difficult a quest is, the more quest points you will receive for it.
You can get more information on quests by going here - Quests
Some Quests can give you rare items, or experience points. Or both! :)
Banks
LS has a banking system for gold.
Lost Haven's bank, is 1n and 1e of the town Square.
To open a bank account use...
account open
To deposit gold...
account balance XXXX
To withdraw gold...
account withdraw XXXX
To check your current balance, and max balance...
account balance
There is a bank in almost every major town.
Your max balance is determined by a few skills. Also for every 1 quest point you have; your max balance will be increased by 1000.
Keep
Each item has its own "keep" value, and categories.
How much keep you have for each category is dependent on your; Charisma, Willpower and various skills acceptable to that category.
If a item is not kept, it will be dropped on the ground when you log out. If it is in a pack, or other container, it will disappear forever.
To keep a item,
keep [item]
To see your keep capacity simply,
show keep capacity set alias skc to show keep capacity
And to show all you are currently keeping
show keep usage set alias sku to show keep usage
Handy Commands
There are a few commands that are very helpful and might not be that obvious to find out about...
score
Will bring up your basic character sheet.
set brief combat on
Will only show that actions that do damage in combat, it can clear up a lot of the extra spam.
body
Will show how hungry and thirsty you are.
xp
How much experience you have and need to level.
hp
Just a shortcut command for 'show vitals'
show exits
Will show you a brief description of all the rooms adjacent to you.
Places to gain XP
As for this part, i can not help you, because every type of character should kill different things.
You wouldn't want your holy Knight of the Round, to be slaughtering innocent townsfolk, or your unholy Reaper, to kill his own kind.
I can however, assure you that the Lost Haven sewers, is filled with rats, which are easy to kill, and will help you train your combat skills.
Be mindful that once you get to position where you don't know what you should kill, don't walk around killing (or trying to kill), every NPC you find. Some players need to have specific NPC's, or will get aggravated by you constantly killing them.
What to do Now?
Get your skills up, start trying to kill things, and explore areas all over.
You gain xp for exploring areas, so sometimes exploring is a better idea than starting combat if you're still new.
You have 30 lives, and can buy more at a church if needed.
Dying isn't a bad thing, and if you can't get your equipment back, then simply ask for help, and someone will eventually assist you.
Remember, players will be happy to help you out anytime you need, but much of this game is learning and finding things out for yourself. If you just want to sit around and be spoon fed everything, you wont make many friends here.
Good Luck! :)
