How many have used a training dummy?

[Percivalgoh]

Just wondering how many of you have used a training dummy or cast spells without a dangerous target in order to train up your skill.

 

[Yen Sid]

Never used a training dummy but I usually spam spells on myself to gain to whatever skill level I want to be at; magery, necro, spellweaving, and mysticism in fact . So i guess my answer isn't in the poll, perhaps you can add "spam spells on yourself" to the poll, idk if you can change a poll but if you can, that would be me .

 

[Percivalgoh]

Long ago I used training dummies till I had more strength and skill to survive trying to kill something. I used one last after the samurai expansion. I recently used uoassisst to spam a bunch of field spells during the time when it worked to raise my magery but I also trained by killing stuff. eta: Oh yeah and back before Trammel I trained magery casting on my spellbook.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

Yes, the REAL ones. Used to be the standard newbie buildup method... work up each weapon skill (including wrestling) on a training dummy to get Str and Dex up, then choose the skill you wanted and let the others drop naturally (pre-stat/skill locks/management).

If you REALLY wanted to get Dex up at the time, you'd have Hiding in with the macro as well.

Never used the "bone wall" or golems though.

Edit to add: I also remember when it was pretty difficult to find an open training dummy, especially in Britain on LS.

 

[Zalan]

I guess Golems count as trainning dummies.

 

[Lorax_Pacific]

Weird question. Everyone 12 or so years ago used training dummies. We in fact spent days and maybe a week together chatting and discussing our world whilst we pounded the training dummy in the Vesper warriors hall.

The funny thing is that some developers thought it would be a great idea to put all new people on an island and gain in skill independently and let them pass by the lowest level where new characters need to depend on each other and establish lasting friendships.

-Lorax

 

[Jirel of Joiry]

Long, long time ago in pre-Pub 16 UO.

I was a mere nooberling and used to whack the bejesuz out of training dummies to work my swordsmanship.

You didn't have it up there but as a nooberling theif I used a pickpocket dummy to train stealing.

 

[Uvtha]

I did...but it was like a hundred years ago.

p.s. you forgot pickpocket dips!

 

[Nexus]

I voted Yes, on two options!

I used training dummies back in the day, then moved on to blade spirits (Had a buddy working a mage) and eventually Energy Vortex.

As for casting on inanimate objects I still do this, I'll equip a -29 mage weapon or as high as I can get a low level and cast Telekinesis at Chests in Luna or other locations. This is actually an acceptable use I believe unlike when folks used to cast at their spell books or empty bottles or well anyone remember when folks were casting at the tillerman on a ship?

 

[Percivalgoh]

Sorry I forgot the pickpocket dummy. I used one to raise stamina long ago although I never played a thief

 

[Nexus]

Sorry I forgot the pickpocket dummy. I used one to raise stamina long ago although I never played a thief

I still have one, don't use it, but still have it placed.

 

[Jhym]

I used the training dummies in Trinsic for about a week, as I recall, before learning how to chop wood and do other things to earn money.

As for magery, I just used my crystal ball for some of it, but mostly went out and cast spells on animals in order to switch subservers regularly.

 

[wee papa smurf]

I used training dummies years ago, but not recently

 

[Metalstorm]

...

Yes, the REAL ones. Used to be the standard newbie buildup method... work up each weapon skill (including wrestling) on a training dummy to get Str and Dex up, then choose the skill you wanted and let the others drop naturally (pre-stat/skill locks/management).

If you REALLY wanted to get Dex up at the time, you'd have Hiding in with the macro as well.

Never used the "bone wall" or golems though.

Edit to add: I also remember when it was pretty difficult to find an open training dummy, especially in Britain on LS.

+1

I spent many a night with various weapons working str and dex up

 

[Hannes Erich]

Like many here, I used them back in the day and remember when it was hard to find an open dummy on top of the guard fort near Brit (on GL for me back then).

Otherwise, as a matter of personal play style, I've always done all of my advancement "in the field," instead of gaming the system with macros or pets or whatever. I enjoy the challenge (or maybe I'm a masochist).

I agree it's unfortunate that the new player experience is less community-inducing than it was 12 years ago; but I also accept the reality that mingling at the training dummies for hours lost its novelty at least a decade ago.

 

[Fink]

I guess you mean inanimate/riskless training aids in general?

- Trained Enticement/Music on town NPCs, I'd consider that riskless.

- I first used a training dummy for my early warrior skills.

- Also used a training dummy to work stats as I'd foolishly given my first character 10 STR. I'd made him smarter than he was strong, but I didn't give him any Magery. Not so smart after all.

- Used a pickpocket dip for my thief.

- Used a golem to finish off some skills like Bushido or Ninjitsu, not because I was impatient but because I like nice round numbers.

- Used ships for 8x8 Healing/Anatomy, Magery, etc. Weirdly I didn't 8x8 Fishing, go figure. With targeted casting I mainly dropped spells on myself. I'd heard people used the tillerman but that seemed somehow cruel.

- My second round of GM Herding was done after anti-macro was removed. I used a variety of tame creatures, essentially training dummies, and spammed those for different skill levels.

 

[Beastmaster]

I used training dummies in the early years. Then later on when we got skill lock buttons, I used them to seesaw skills in order to raise stats.

 

[Shelleybean]

I last used a training dummy when I was a new player in UO. Then I sparred with a guild member. Good times.

 

[Warpig Inc]

Train as you'd fight. Many times seen players with GM+ title getting owned when they shouldn't. There is no greater skill then experience. One of the first is learning when to run and gather yourself to fight on.

There is always something to gather while training be it spine,dull copper or feathers. Then with growth moving to the plentiful Ratman Archers in the Ilsh desert. Having a bank one screen away for the arrows,spine and gold haul.

Plus how many have fought in the reaper grove for magic resist gains. What better training is getting discorded by a satyr and breaking agro to also better gains.

When seeing someone four hours later spamming same spell at Luna Bank there is something wrong. Better example was someone all day, day after day begging the smiths at Luna from the floor above. Yes UO is just a game but it still feeds the the joy of the sense of accomplishing a goal. One the top reasons IMO is players have been allowed ,by game mechanics or a 3rd party, to loose a connection to the game.

My old memories was slashing a guild member while cross healling for gains. All the while planning the future of how we would rule our corner of the world. Now you have new players with the need to hurry up and win. Buy gold from a broker and buying their way into a better suit then most vets use. Then they are upset when they fail to listen to a vet when they say " No I'm going to kill you with my tea cup"

 

[gunneroforgin]

I have used all the various methods of training excluding golems. I perfer to kill things to advance my skills.

 

[Smoot]

I too used training dummies a long time ago, also remember trapping a grizzly bear in my house to train on. Id love to see the old dungeons be more worthwhile nowadays, as just the gold and gems from them used to be a major source of income up until shortly after samurai empire came out. Now loot gold is basically worth so little that its not worth looting, especially since bags of sending are no longer worth the charges to send large amounts of gold to your bank. Dunno why sending bags were ever changed in the first place.

Basically every combat skill i raise now by fighting nothing, except maybe the last 5 or 10 points to 120 because you can fight peerless and "endgame" monsters with that amount of skill.

I trained:

Magery with a tillerman and -29 mageweapon

Wrestle with a fishing pole and golem

Bushido and Ninjitsu actually trained while fighting

Parry and healing with sheep

Weapon skill with golem

Mysticism i trained relatively "real," mostly becuase i needed to get the 10k queen rep anyway.

Necro / Spirit Speak with only forms and vampiric embrace.


These were all of course relatively new characters, after looting monsters wasnt worth the time anymore.

 

[Yen Sid]

I too used training dummies a long time ago, also remember trapping a grizzly bear in my house to train on. Id love to see the old dungeons be more worthwhile nowadays, as just the gold and gems from them used to be a major source of income up until shortly after samurai empire came out. Now loot gold is basically worth so little that its not worth looting, especially since bags of sending are no longer worth the charges to send large amounts of gold to your bank. Dunno why sending bags were ever changed in the first place.

Bags of Sending were changed back my friend . One charge per use.

 

[obeeee]

I have a dip and dummy in my castle. Used them to adjust dex and str.

 

[Percivalgoh]

I should have included sparring with guildmates too. That's one of the less boring relatively safe methods of training. Ahhh memories.... Also the trapped bear sparring. My friend had one with awesome skills and strength.

 

[slaveone]

Pretty much everyone except its not called a training dummy its called a golem.....

 

[Smoot]

Bags of Sending were changed back my friend . One charge per use.

Thanks a ton Yen Id have never known, and look forward to sending gold to my bank where it belongs, rather than just leaving it on corpses.

 

[Pawain]

...

Yes, the REAL ones. Used to be the standard newbie buildup method... work up each weapon skill (including wrestling) on a training dummy to get Str and Dex up, then choose the skill you wanted and let the others drop naturally (pre-stat/skill locks/management).

If you REALLY wanted to get Dex up at the time, you'd have Hiding in with the macro as well.

Never used the "bone wall" or golems though.

I also remember when it was pretty difficult to find an open training dummy, especially in Britain on LS.

The training dummies in Vesper were also full at times.

I used then looong ago. Now it is easier to buy the skill and kill stuff in Haven if you want to start low.

 

[Rakoth]

mOg, training dummies.

I lurved that skill training was so... social, Back in the Day. Last time I played (a few years ago), there wasn't that many people to begin with just doing stuff in towns (I poked around LS, Napa, and Cats,) least of all training snoop, hiding, musical skills, begging, whackin' on training dummies, lumberjacking...

Memories~

 

[Aran]

I miss the bone wall.

 

[Fink]

I should have included sparring with guildmates too. That's one of the less boring relatively safe methods of training. Ahhh memories.... Also the trapped bear sparring. My friend had one with awesome skills and strength.

I wrestled a guildmate to death when we both lost connection for a few minutes. She was using a mace, I was barehanded. I didn't have any wrestling skill, just the displayed skill from high strength. I used a frenzied ostard for parry, fast but very dicey.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

I used training dummies 10 years ago. But today, it is pointless.

 

[Winker]

Aye and once you were finished with the dummy training you moved on to the bone wall to finish your sillks off...The good old days

 

[MiNi MaGi]

if i train resist/eval i cast weaken//feeblemind/clumsy on myself for gains..
if i train magery/mysticism/necro i cast on soemthing like my spellbook in my backpack.

 

[Percivalgoh]

I wrestled a guildmate to death when we both lost connection for a few minutes. She was using a mace, I was barehanded. I didn't have any wrestling skill, just the displayed skill from high strength. I used a frenzied ostard for parry, fast but very dicey.

I beleive I have been involved in some guildies deaths by sparring and poor conections too..... and one from autodefending with my lumberjack onehitkill... oh and back when it wasn't declared illegal to keep bears boxed up in your houses it also wasn't decalred illegal to box up bladespirits and they were dangerous also with a poor connection as were the superbears. Hey I just remember I was casting summon creature and attacking it lost connection resumed attacking the creature which flagged me as a criminal somehow and got notokilled in town when I went to pick up bandages for the guildies. LOL memories......

 

[Fink]

So much stupid stuff "deemed illegal" because they don't or can't fix the root of the problem.

They ought to just stop scripting and unattended activity instead of placing all these restrictions on what we can and can't do with our houses. I stuff the houses of friends with a dozen gorillas as a calling card, will this get them banned? I keep sheep and chickens in my pen, will this get me banned? Pretty reasonable activity, please just go after the cause and not the symptoms.

 

[StifledArgument]

I have been playing a very long time, and training dummies in the very early days were the safest way to try to get your skills up to where if you went outside the gates of a city you didn't get whacked. I loved those suckers. I almost failed calculus in college because I would hit the dang things all night.

 

[Llewen]

Ah the memories. These days with NPC training and Haven the dummies are pretty much useless, that is if they even work still. Just skimmed the thread so maybe that has already been discussed.