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New Player Corner FAQ - Updated 16MAY04

T

The_Traveler

Guest
If you can not find the answer you need here or need more information ask about it by posting on the board. Thank you.

Q: Where can I learn more about the different skills and professions?
A: In the FAQ posts of the various Profession boards.

Q: What is a Shard?
A: A Shard is a server that runs Ultima Online. Read about them here.

Q: Why am I YOUNG and what is Haven?
A: Young means you are new player. Haven is where new players start. More information is available here.

Q: I died! What do I do now?
A: Remain calm. Panic will hurt you not help you. Read this.

Q: What are Moongates and Facets?
A: Moongates are what take you from facet to facet and around each facet. Facets are the lands that make up UO. Read all about them here.

Q: I hear people saying "LJ, Dexxer, DooD, Newb, afk, BOD." What does that mean?
A: You can find descriptions of most terms used in game here.

Q: What do the different character templates offer when I create a new character?
A: When starting a new character you can choose between 5 premade character types or an advanced character. The information on the 5 premade characters can be found here.

Q: Where can I find the different quests in game and how do I do them?
A: You can wander around clicking every NPC you meet or read the guide created by The UnRuled here.

Q: I am seeing all these different item properties and magic bonuses. What do they all mean?
A: The answers you seek are here.

Q: Where does ____________ monster spawn and what loot does it have?
A: Check the Hunter's Guide.

Q: What are power scrolls and what do they do?
A: They increase either your skill cap in a certain skill or your stat cap. More information is found here.

Q: Well now that I know what a power scroll is, where do I find the champion spawns to get one?
A: There are two types of champion spawns. The ones in Ilshenar give no power scrolls, consider them training grounds. The ones in Felucca give the power scrolls. You can learn more here.

Q: I see people Role Playing and I want to try it as well. HOw do I get started?
A: Most Role Players will help you if you ask them. A good guide can be found here. The Lessons are on the top left side of the page.

Q: What types of animals can I ride and what do I need to get them?
A: Magdalene provided a list here with all the information you will need.

Q: What is a good set of skills (template) to use?
A: It varies from player to player. See what other players suggest here in the Template Thread.

Q: People keep telling me in game that I need Auto Map. What are they talking about?
A: Auto Map is a great tool for UO. Especially if you are new to the game and get lost easy like I did. Du Hast Cooper has written a good article about it here.
 
T

The_Traveler

Guest
One of the hardest parts in starting any RPG is deciding what kind of character you wish to play. Do you want to be a mage? What about a sword weilding warrior? Perhaps you can see yourself working over a hot forge as a blacksmtih. You will find there are quite a few options for you in Ultima Online.

Stratics has a forum dedicated to each profession (skill class). Below I have linked to the FAQ for each profession. Take the time to read through them if you are undecided on which type of character you want to play. You may also find some good information on improving your skills in that profession.



UO Adventurer. Those that wish to see all they can.

UO Alchemist. The people that play with potions.

UO Archer. There is something magical about an arrow in flight.

UO Assassin. Those that live in shadows and poison their enemies.

UO Bard. Who needs a sword when you have a lute?

UO Beggar. Got any spare change?

UO Blacksmith. If it is made from metal, you are the one who makes it.

UO Carpenter. The joys of creating with wood.

UO Cartographer. Draw the world and read it's maps.

UO Chef. Somebody has to do all the cooking.

UO Detective. Somebody has to solve the crimes.

UO Fencer. Daggers, spears, krysses, oh my.

UO Fisher. The sea, a ship, and a pole. Life is good.

UO Gardner. Time to grow the plants everybody loves.

UO Healer. You got a boo boo? Let me fix it.

UO Lumberjack. Where do you think carpenters get wood from?

UO Mage. Cast a spell to heal or destroy. The choice is yours.

UO Miner. Pull the metal out of the mountain. Blacksmiths need it.

UO Murderer. Because sometimes a guy has just gotta be whacked.

UO Necromancer. Evil is your friend. Embrace it.

UO Paladin. You follow the virtues and are most noble.

UO Rares Collector. There is only one of item X and you MUST have it.

UO Scribe. Where would a mage be without his spells?

UO Tailor. Without tailors everybody would be naked.

UO Tamer. The dragon is your pet and your weapon.

UO Thief. They have it. You want it. Go steal it.

UO Tinker. Need a golem? Need a trap? Need lockpicks? See your local tinker.

UO Treasure Hunter. Keep digging and you will find a treasure chest.

UO Warrior. You live by the blade. You die by the blade.
 
T

The_Traveler

Guest
The term "Shard" is used to represent a server in Ultima Online. Each Shard is actually a Server hosting the game for you. The shards are located in various locations around the world. It is best to choose a shard that is closest to where you live to make sure you have the best connection possible.
The available shards are:
<blockquote><hr>


North American East
---------------------
Chesapeake
Atlantic
Catskills
Legends

North American Central
---------------------
Lake Superior
Great Lakes
Siege Perilous

North American West
--------------------
Baja
Pacific
Napa Valley
Sonoma
Lake Austin

Western Europe
--------------------
Europa
Drachenfels

Japan
----------------
Hokuto
Yamato
Asuka
Wakoku
Izumo
Mizuho
Mugen

Korea
----------------
Arirang
Balhae

Taiwan
-----------------
Formosa

Australia
----------------
Oceania


<hr></blockquote>
As a new player you can log on to any of the shards except for Siege Perilous &amp; Mugen. More details will be given on those later in the FAQ.

Something you may wish to keep in mind is the Asian shards. Most players there do not speak English. You can easily find yourself in a world where nobody understands you.

If you were given UO by a friend or bought it to join a friend find out what shard they play on and start there. Having a friend in game does help.

At this time there is no way to move your characters from one shard to another. Each shard is seperate and in UO Lore does not realize that the others even exist. If you create a character on Sonoma for example, you will not have access to that character from Pacific. Each character remains on the shard you created them on.
 
T

The_Traveler

Guest
You are labeled as a YOUNG player when you start UO because you are new to the game. The purpose of being young is to help you get started without having too many problems.

It is in your best interest to choose one of the starting templates when you create your first character. Don't choose the Advanced option yet. Each of the templates will give you a new player quest to help you become familiar with UO and the various options of the game.

As a young player you will not be attacked by monsters unless you attack them first. This will give you a chance to explore UO without getting killed by monsters you do not recognize. It also gives you a Young label that other players can see with your name. This way people know you are new to the game and can help you out. Remember, some people role play evil characters and may not be too helpful. Young players can buy from NPC vendors in towns without having to wait for the vendor to restock. Again, the purpose of being young is to help you get started.

Haven is an island that all new players start on. It's purpose is to give you an area you can explore, learn in, meet other players, and not come face to face with monsters that would eat you in the blink of an eye. Think of it as a training level. You can start learning most skills in Haven. The monsters there aren't too tough (really, they aren't) so that you can begin working your fighting skills.

Did you know that when Haven was first added to UO only Young players could go there? Now it is open to all players except murderers. We will talk about murderers more later.

What's that? You are Young but not in Haven? Ah yes. You started with the Necromancer Template. You are in the town known as Umbra. When you started you were offered a quest. I hope you took it. It really will help you get started with the game. Once you have finished that quest head to Haven to continue your training. You aren't a Dread Lord yet. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif
 
T

The_Traveler

Guest
Yes, you have died. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but get used to it. Dying is part of the game. Nobody enjoys dying, we just adapt to it. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif

The most important thing to do is remain calm. If you begin to panic you will forget where your body is and where you are.

When you die as a Young player you are teleported to a Healer's Shop. The healer there will resurrect you. You will find that all of your items are in your backpack and waiting for you.

When you are no longer Young and die you will simply be a ghost. You will need to find a healer one your own then. Other players can resurrect you if they have that ability. Otherwise you will need to find a Healer's Shop or a Wandering Healer. Remember, now that you are no longer Young all of your items that are not blessed or insured stay on your corpse. You have approximatley 10 minutes to get resurrected, run back to your body, double click it. This will remove your itmes from your body and place them in your backpack for you.
 
T

The_Traveler

Guest
There are two types of moongates, static and player cast.
The first we will cover is static.
Think of a moongate as a magic bus. You are in one town and want to get to another one. Step in the moongate and choose which other moongate you wish to go to from the list.
When you go into the moongate you will see the four facets listed on the left side of the gump (menu) and the coresponding moongates on the right. Each moongate on the right will get you close the city with the corresponding name. The Minoc Moongate will place you between Minoc and Vesper.
You start the game on the Trammel facet unless you used the necromancer template. In that case you start on the Malas facet.
In Malas the moongates are inside of the cities Luna and Umbra. All other moongates are outside of cities.

There are four facets to choose from: Trammel, Felucca, Ilshenar, and Malas. If you do not see Felucca it is because you are still young.

Felucca - This was the original land of UO. Once Trammel was created Felucca was given a look of desolation. Felucca is the only facet where one player can attack another player without being in the same guild, a warring guild, or in a faction. We'll talk about those later. It is also the only facet where one player can steal from another player. Also be aware that Felucca is the only land a player can access if they become a murderer. If you attack and kill 5 other players in Felucca you will become known as a murderer and your name will turn red. You will not be able to leave Felucca until you have played long enough without killing somebody for your murder counts to wear off.

Trammel - Trammel &amp; Felucca are the same size and shape. The only difference in appreance is Felucca has a look of desolation where Trammel doesn't. In Trammel you cannot attack another player or steal from another player unless you are in the same guild or warring guild.

Ilshenar - Ilshenar is unique in that you can not place homes there and you cannot recall or use a mage cast gate into it. You have to use the static moongates to get there. You can not use a mage cast moongate to leave either. You either have to go back to the static moongate or use the recall spell (or Sacred Journey) to leave. This is the only facet where no player homes are allowed. There is however a nice over land (out of dungeons) spawn of monsters.

Malas - Malas is a unique facet in that it allows housing, but has only 2 towns setup by OSI. The Paladin town of Luna and the Necromancer town of Umbra. You will also find the dungeon known as Doom in Malas. Young players can not enter Doom. It is quite possibly the most dangerous dungeon of the game, depending on who you ask.

To summarize. You can openly attack other players only in Felucca. Ilshenar is the only facet where you can not place a house.

For future reference: Felucca is commonly called Fel, Trammel is commonly called Tram, Ilshenar is commonly called Ilsh, and Malas is commonly called Malas. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif

There is one other difference for Felucca and Ilshenar that are not covered here. That would be Champion Spawns. We will discuss them later.

The second type is a cast moongate.
The moongates already discussed are always there. They don't disappear after a few moments.
Mages can cast their own moongates that other players can use. This is where it gets interesting.
NPC mages sell items known as Runes. Mages can then cast a Mark Spell on a rune they have purchased. The rune then contains the coordinates of where the mage was when he or she cast the Mark spell on it.
The mage can then go anywhere but Ilshenar and cast the Gate Spell on that rune to open a moongate back to it.
If you have a rune marked this way by a mage you can use recall scrolls to transport yourself there, or Sacred Journey if you are a paladin.
Gates opened by mages are typically Blue or Red. If they are Blue it leads to a spot somewhere in Tram, The Lost Lands of Tram, or Malas. If the gate is Red it is somewhere in Fel. Keep that in mind before you walk into a gate somebody you don't know has opened. There are players that will open a moongate to their "Cheap Vendor Home in Fel" when it actually leads to their red friends who are waiting for an easy kill.

While we are discussing facets and moongates I would like to point out 1 other thing. Both Fel and Tram have an area known as "The Lost Lands." Because these lands are "lost" you will not find any wandering healers there if you die.
There are two differences between Fel's Lost Lands and Tram's Lost Lands. You can recall/sacred journey/mage cast gate in and out of the Lost Lands for Tram. You can not do that for the Lost Lands of Fel. You must use one of the "Discovered Entrances" to reach the Lost Lands of Fel.

I do not want to ruin the sense of exploration UO provides by walking you step by step to the lost lands. There is more than 1 way there. I will give you a brief description on finding one of them. The town of Vesper, like most towns, has a graveyard. Only one of the buildings in this graveyard has a basement. There is a tunnel from the basement to the Lost Lands. Go exploring to find it. Then find the others. /php-bin/shared/images/icons/wink.gif

Last challenge for you. There is one static moongate that is not listed on the moongate gump when you walk into the moongates. It is a one way gate. You can only leave from this gate, the other gates will not take you to it. Go exploring and see if you can find it.
 
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