Geas' newbie essentials

Are you a Newbie and need some help? Or are you a seasoned player and have tips for newbies? Post here!

Moderator: Wizards

Message
Author
User avatar
okkita
Experienced
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:39 pm

Geas' newbie essentials

#1 Post by okkita » Wed Oct 12, 2016 1:36 pm

It is really difficult for newbies to immerse in a World that has peculiarities they don't know about.

Can we come up with a bullet point list of essential knowledge for complete newcomers?

Mostly lore/setting/RP related things, but it's ok to talk about some essential mechanics too. Just keep spoilers (world/lore/mechanical) out!

User avatar
Arsicas
Master
Posts: 247
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:20 am

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#2 Post by Arsicas » Wed Oct 12, 2016 4:51 pm

Maybe some basic knowledge about the main cities and guilds in the world?

Elvandar is in the north - city of the elves built after the humans attacked and destroyed the old city of Eal-Deliah. Taniel is the main deity of the city.

Arborea is in the south - city of the humans. Asral is the main deity. There has sometimes been some Elvandar-Arborea conflict.

The Underground - city of the dwarves in the Giat mountains between Elvandar and Arborea. Zhakrin is the main deity of the city.

Asador - city of Sathonys in the tundra. Full of evilness-ness and you need permission from the Sathos to enter.

Ironhold - former dwarven city overrun by goblinoids in the southwest. Lilith is the main deity of the goblinoids.

Bandama - village along the southern road, home to the alchemist guild.

Cumberly - fishing village along the southern road.

Derring - area east of the underground and Kargarrok Hills. The road to the village is currently blocked off, but there are several newbie areas around here.

This is just some brief information. Feel free to add more.

Also, some tips:

Skinning/dissecting/eating humanoid beings is considered a barbaric and "evil" act. And nibblers, gremlins, etc. count as humanoid beings.

Sleep and meditate can be used to recover health/mana/stamina, but you will want to be sure you use them in a safe, quiet place, as you are vulnerable in these states, and noise and distractions can interrupt your meditation. Rest can also be used to recover at a slower rate, but you will stay aware of what is happening in your surroundings.
Duncan hisses in Common: love not keepzss zssomeone alive
You speak softly in Common: Sometimes it's all that keeps one
alive.
You smile slightly.

User avatar
okkita
Experienced
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:39 pm

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#3 Post by okkita » Wed Oct 12, 2016 6:33 pm

Some stuff collected from PMs and other sources:

* RL is always more important than the game
* Focus on few skills
* Focus on a single weapon and style of armor
* Spamming a skill hinders more than it helps
* Switch activities if you feel your training isn't going anywhere
* Guilds are head and shoulders above being guildless. If you desire to be influential, you will need the perks of a mainguild
* Guild hopping is highly frowned upon. Plan on being "in for life". Sometimes life happens though and do not fret about it.
* Do not worry if you feel lost, make mistakes or stumble in the middle of conflict. These situations are part of your character's life and also of the roleplay enjoyment. If possible, take the chance to channel this angst and transform it into roleplay material.
* Every race has its strengths and also weaknesses and not every race is suited to every playstyle or guild
* Tshahark are incapable of joining most guilds
* There are many kinds of priests in Forostar, some of which are organized in churches, which are guilds you can join
* 'Hunting' is typically done by groups to fight monsters and train

User avatar
Delia
Overlord
Posts: 2782
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Finland

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#4 Post by Delia » Fri Oct 14, 2016 10:44 am

Read the help files. Twice if not thrice.

Make heavy use of aliases. It makes your life more convenient. Use your MUD client to make your life easy but remember, even if it is fine to make even long chain of commands under an alias, please do not use any tricks for fast travel :)

Also, use the 'newbie' channel for help. There are some nice people out there waiting to help you.
"To be is to do" - Sokrates
"To do is to be" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Frank Sinatra

User avatar
okkita
Experienced
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:39 pm

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#5 Post by okkita » Fri Oct 14, 2016 6:16 pm

* Insects ravaged the continent humans came from and sometimes appear in Forostar. A single insect can easily kill even very strong highbies. Avoid them unless you are in a team that knows what they are doing.
* Undead are atypically strong in Forostar and will kill you easily even as a midbie. Mere contact with undead can infect you with an irreversible disease that will eventually kill you unless you get it removed in time.
* Disease can be removed by certain clerics and certain potions. You won't be allowed access into cities if you're diseased. You can find 'heal disease' potions in Bandama sometimes.
* You will need to learn how to read before you can read potion nametags. Until then, you can try to learn the colors of the most typical potions to be able to recognize them. (Hint: heal disease is normally orange)

Wade
Professional
Posts: 85
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:35 pm

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#6 Post by Wade » Fri Oct 14, 2016 8:51 pm

Learn the 'scout' skill. You can learn it by "look"ing into other rooms (IE. look east, look north). Always look forward if you can, when you're in an new area, or you are unsure of the area's safety. You won't be able to tell what creatures in other rooms are until you get a higher skill, but you'll probably find 'scout' very useful later in the game

User avatar
Delia
Overlord
Posts: 2782
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Finland

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#7 Post by Delia » Sat Oct 15, 2016 9:46 am

'Sneak' and 'hide' skills are extremely useful for exploration even if they might require some work and understanding.

Generally speaking less armour is better as well carrying as little as possible. You can bend the effectiveness limits with increased stats and skills.

Also a bit more obscure factors are at play, roomsize and light levels that will affect sneak & hide.
"To be is to do" - Sokrates
"To do is to be" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Frank Sinatra

User avatar
Delia
Overlord
Posts: 2782
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Finland

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#8 Post by Delia » Mon Oct 17, 2016 5:27 am

Learning 'missile' skill will earn you a place in high level teams and can be deadly when you reach good skill.

Your dexterity will help with the skill.
"To be is to do" - Sokrates
"To do is to be" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Frank Sinatra

Orodreth
Journeyman
Posts: 73
Joined: Thu Jun 23, 2011 9:54 pm

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#9 Post by Orodreth » Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:26 pm

Being evil is very difficult.

fernao
Champion
Posts: 610
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2010 8:44 am

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#10 Post by fernao » Tue Oct 18, 2016 5:06 pm

Don't forget that this is a multi-player environment. If people try to interact and you do not want to do so yourself, that is fine. But have at least the curtesy to tell your fellow players. Simply ignoring them and their attempts to roleplay with you is just insulting.
Life is but a butterflies dream
Image

User avatar
Delia
Overlord
Posts: 2782
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Finland

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#11 Post by Delia » Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:36 am

Even if many show a polite face, there are tensions, racial and otherwise on Forostar.

Humans were originally created by the god of Death to kill and destroy. They rebelled and were adopted by the god of War. Humans destroyed the original elven capital. Humans have spread out the furthest and hold the largest territories.

Every sane person fears tshaharks for what they can do. Some might consider them as freaks as their origins are "unnatural". For that reason and their perceived lack of intelligence, they are not always granted the same rights as other races are.

Mages are generally being held as atleast suspicious even if useful. Responsible for creating the tshaharks. Who knows what other unnatural things they might unleash upon the world?

Dark elves give away their immortal souls to the dark gods. They have no place in the "civilized" world.

The "bonepriests", servants of the god of Death are the pestilence in the world mundane people wish to preserve. The dead walk and prey upon the living whenever they are sighted.
"To be is to do" - Sokrates
"To do is to be" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Frank Sinatra

User avatar
okkita
Experienced
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:39 pm

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#12 Post by okkita » Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:54 am

* Armaggedon (reboot) happens every Friday at noon CET.
* Reboot will unload the whole game world, destroying any object left on the ground. Objects inside chests in Inn rooms and inside lockers will survive reboot. Objects on the floor in your Inn room will not.
* Armaggedon does not exist IC. It is purely an OOC mechanic. Find ways to explain IC whatever was the impact/consequence of a reboot. I.e. If you died and lost your corpse (with all items) to reboot, you can say that bandits stole your stuff, or that a giant ate it (where appropriate), but you cannot say that you lost it to Armaggedon, because Armaggedon doesn't exist.
* Mounts and mercs get destroyed over reboot. Return mercs to their camp in time to avoid incurring a hiring penalty.
* Stable your mount before reboot. A stabled horse is safe. There are stables in Elvandar, Arborea and Asador (if you have access to these cities). You can buy mounts in Elvandar and Asador, or from other players. If you forget you can poke a Wizard for a chance to get it back if you had previously stabled your mount. Abuse this power and you'll see it gone. If you don't have access to those cities, then you won't be able to use mounts. Bear this in mind.
* Certain other containers can also hold items over reboot: I.e. shelves hold books, certain cupboards can hold scribe materials, certain chests can hold alchemical parts and herbs. Most of this special containers are tied to guild membership.
* An artifact is a unique item of prodigious power. Artifacts will always survive reboot. There are specific rules about holding on to artifacts by keeping them in unreachable locations. Don't do this. Please read 'help artifacts'.

User avatar
Delia
Overlord
Posts: 2782
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Finland

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#13 Post by Delia » Wed Oct 19, 2016 7:10 am

Generally speaking, Geas does not have super characters that can do everything, be best at everything and solo kill everything even if there are some really strong and diverse characters out there.

Having friends and contacts is important, even more so when you plan to go fighting things. Your best combat skill then is 'team combat'.
"To be is to do" - Sokrates
"To do is to be" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Frank Sinatra

User avatar
Delia
Overlord
Posts: 2782
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Finland

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#14 Post by Delia » Sat Oct 22, 2016 8:53 am

'Look at' everything in rooms.

'Search' everything you can look at.

EDIT: also try to manipulate things you can look at. Push, pull, open, close. You never know!

Geas rewards the curious.
Last edited by Delia on Sat Oct 22, 2016 10:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
"To be is to do" - Sokrates
"To do is to be" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Frank Sinatra

lirynel
Veteran
Posts: 112
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2005 6:01 am

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#15 Post by lirynel » Sat Oct 22, 2016 10:03 am

Talk to the NPCs and ask them questions about what they say.

Though the first time I played a mud remotely like Geas where you don't automatically know people I spent ages trying to talk to some guards and then gave up because nobody would talk to me. It was years before I went back and had another try. I think if you've not come across a similar mud it's really confusing and very hard to learn to distinguish NPCs from players.

User avatar
okkita
Experienced
Posts: 42
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2015 4:39 pm

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#16 Post by okkita » Sat Oct 22, 2016 10:35 am

* Quests are a great way to make some early gold and some XP.
* Most quests can be repeated multiple times, but only give a reward the first time you do it. There are a few exceptions though.
* It is forbidden to share quest information OOC. It is encouraged to play quests together though and a large amount of quests will prove to be very difficult for solo players.
* Taverns are a good source of early quests.
* Most of your character statistical growth come from improving skills. When a skill improves, the 'stats' associated with it also improve.
* Other sources of growth (i.e. quest XP) are distributed among your stats according to your own personalized settings. You set this settings at character creation and you can change them at any time in a special room in the OOC area. To reach this room, type 'ooc' to go to the OOC area, then go east.

User avatar
Asraline
Journeyman
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2015 11:09 am

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#17 Post by Asraline » Sat Oct 22, 2016 1:33 pm

*There is a trading post somewhere in the world that you can use for trade. It is a good way to know people and earning a steady income.
*You can recieve unknown mail if you 'set' a 'mailnick' at any Post Office. This is important because the bulletin board and mailing are two good ways of IC contact.
Nibbler: I didn't travel back in time! My people lack that ability.
Fry: But... I know you in the future! I clean your poop!
Nibbler: Quite possible. We live long and are celebrated poopers.

-Futurama

User avatar
Delia
Overlord
Posts: 2782
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Finland

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#18 Post by Delia » Fri Oct 28, 2016 1:21 am

Pay attention ~ if the game warns you about something you probably should take heed. You might very well die if you do not.
"To be is to do" - Sokrates
"To do is to be" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Frank Sinatra

User avatar
Arsicas
Master
Posts: 247
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2011 4:20 am

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#19 Post by Arsicas » Fri Nov 04, 2016 5:27 pm

Brought up by a question someone had of "What do I do when I first join the game?"

As a newbie, you will start in the inn in either Elvandar, Arborea, or the Underground, depending upon your race. A good thing to do is to introduce yourself to the NPCs in the inn, and they will have a few quests for you that they will likely mention, or you can ask them 'help'. That is one thing to keep in mind--a lot of NPCs will respond if you ask them 'help' with either a quest or other information. Note that there are a wide variety of quests. Some will be simple things that a newbie can solve, some may require you getting a bit stronger to fight certain monsters, and some will require help from other characters. If you're having trouble with a certain quest, ask other characters to see if they may be able to help.

You should be given a map of the city you start in that will show you the locations of shops and other features in the city. You can buy armor and weapons to suit your character. Doing quests is a good way to earn money to start out with.

So where do you start to hunt as a new character? In Elvandar, you will be directed to the thildens, which have infested an area east of the city. This is probably the best place to start hunting in this area. In Arborea, some popular hunting spots for newbies are the gremlins and nibblers, which you can find near the crossroads west of the city. Also, there are a few places outside the north gates of the city. In the Underground, you will probably want to follow the road to Derring, which is a bit east of the city. There are several newbie areas and quests here.

As you hunt, you can build up your combat skills. In Arborea and Elvandar, you can also bring the scalps of certain foes to the city hall to collect a bounty for them. This, along with completing quests, will help you earn some money. It isn't necessary to hunt creatures if you don't want to be a combat-oriented character, although it will be helpful to have some fighting skills for self-defense.

You should probably consider what type of character you want to play and set your stats accordingly (this can be done in the ooc room if you type 'ooc' and head east). Fighters will probably want to focus on str, agi, and con, while if you are looking to become a mage or cleric, you should invest more into int and wis, and dis can be useful to prevent being distracted while casting. Of course, the types of skills you learn will affect your stats as well--this is generally intuitive; swinging a big sword will probably increase str, while learning languages will increase int.

Another thing that was brought up was "How do I tell NPCs from PCs?" It can be a bit tricky, but some signs can suggest that one is a PC--they're generally a bit more active, looking at things, taking things from bags or backpacks, etc. Of course, you might happen upon someone zoning out in the city square. Generally, NPCs will respond if you ask them something. 'Help' is a good thing to try. Also, if you introduce yourself, they will generally immediately introduce themselves back.
Duncan hisses in Common: love not keepzss zssomeone alive
You speak softly in Common: Sometimes it's all that keeps one
alive.
You smile slightly.

User avatar
Delia
Overlord
Posts: 2782
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 11:22 am
Location: Finland

Re: Geas' newbie essentials

#20 Post by Delia » Fri Nov 25, 2016 4:46 am

Wielding weapons causes a small delay to your special moves use. Meaning that you are likely unable to use a special immediately after wielding weapons.

Trying to use a special move before you are able to use one adds slightly to the delay. Instead of repeatedly trying a special you cannot use, try changing your delaylimit if you want to perform faster. Note that your specials will cost more to use if you cut your delay with delaylimit.

Note that instead of using one specific special all the time, you can efficiently cycle different specials that use different parts of the body.
"To be is to do" - Sokrates
"To do is to be" - Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" - Frank Sinatra

Post Reply