Some newbie Qs

[Cutthroat]

That is something that happens across MUD clients due to inactivity. I suppose it's a matter of your internet connection, but it's a common problem. You can work around it by making Mudlet send a blank command periodically. My infobar in my sig sets it to every 10 minutes, and that is easyish to change.

If you prefer not to mess around with the infobar, and just want to keep your connection, it's easy:

Click the timers button at the top of Mudlet.
Click the "Add Item" button to make a new timer. You can name it whatever you want, like "connection".
In the Time: area, change the second zero to a number of minutes you want to send a blank command (5 to 10 should be okay - experiment with it).
In the big box, just type: send(" ")
Save the timer and make sure it's enabled (should be a check next to it on the left side)

[Jinxed]

Strange, I use MUSHclient and I am able to idle for several hours in tavern without giving any inputs.

[Barsook]

Strange, I use MUSHclient and I am able to idle for several hours in tavern without giving any inputs.

Same with Mudlet, maybe because the OP didn't create an account yet?

[Barsook]

A piece of advice, make sure you have a backup plan in case the main one doesn't work for you.  And maybe find a time where you can practise the commands without other players interfering.  Play around with the NPC's in the area, but make sure you RP based on where you are.  Don't kill someone in a city is one example.

[Moonflame]

Ok well, my first couple hours of gameplay were terrible. I was alright using the commands but I couldn't do it at the speed required of me, and as a result my character was getting thwarted with hoards of insults that I couldn't type fast enough to stand my ground against. If this is what the game is like then I'm not sure I'm willing to put the effort required in to get good at it.

[Barsook]

Arm has a steep learning curve, it takes time for you to learn and sometimes you need solo RP time to learn.  Reading the helpfiles online helps also.  Player Helpers at the Helper chat can help you too.

[Cutthroat]

That seems like an unusually rough start. Most players are understanding of new players and willing to be patient. If you feel that you need to (for example, you need time to respond), you can use the ooc command to say that you're new and still trying to get a hang of commands, and to bear with you while you learn. Also, always remember that PCs are insulting your character, not you - you seem to already know this, but it can be easy to forget sometimes.

[Moonflame]

Yeah it was really good roleplay, I just couldn't keep up which meant my character couldn't be who I wanted them to be. It made me upset even though I know it wasn't aimed at me. And now I don't want to go back in because if I'd argued back right, my character would have ended up exactly where she wanted, and now the whole chance is blown and the influential people she wanted to be in with, won't be.

I devoured the helpfiles before even posting on here, and I've chatted on the helper chat too. I was feeling alright with the commands, it was just way too fast. I'm a fast typer, and I don't know how this other player was typing so fast let alone with the right commands and reading what everyone else was up to as well.

Feel bummed, I screwed up.

[Barsook]

Don't be, just keep on trying.  We have our moments where we can't keep up with scroll.

[Gimfalisette]

Feel bummed, I screwed up.

Very, very, very unlikely! I say this as a sometimes-player of influential people. They want to play with you. Try again!

It's OK to be slower than other players. They will wait for you. They are trying to make it fun for you too, so let them.

[Barzalene]

If you try again, it might work out fine. Worth a shot.

[Moonflame]

I know you're both right. Maybe I should have created loads of combat-based characters who were bound to die fast whilst I get better at fast RP.

[Gimfalisette]

I know you're both right. Maybe I should have created loads of combat-based characters who were bound to die fast whilst I get better at fast RP.

Nah. I didn't play a combat-heavy character until my 3rd. You're fine. Get back in the game!

I guarantee the other players are thinking, "Yay, newbie! LET'S DO THIS." They are probably just too excited to slow down.

[FantasyWriter]

Man, Arm was my first MUD and I played HORRIBLY, at least until some point between my first and seventh year here.
Solo RPing when you are along can help dramatically. Using the think/feel commands can help you get into your character
in ways that interacting only with others just can't.

It takes time, so be patient, we certainly will be patient with you. Good luck and welcome to Armageddon!

[Fujikoma]

Merchant is rough at first. Personally, I picked ranger, then a warrior, and then an assassin that hardly ever used a coded skill. As I continued to play combat characters, I slowly began to realize all that could be done -without- coded skills, and found myself wondering, wait, why do I want to play an unstoppable kill machine if I never kill anything?

If I were you, yeah, clans are the way to go with a new merchant. I'm stubborn, though. I'd go into more detail but I'd risk revealing who I had played. Sometimes screwing up is fun. Might not seem it at first, but if you can pull off a few epic fails and keep on trucking, you can find yourself in some really odd places.

And those PCs who are giving your PC crap? They'll be dead soon enough and you can dance on their graves. Well, if you live long enough. Often times the best strategy is just to outlive your enemies. I've found I've never had a PC who was just able to "jump in" to the places I'd like them to be, but when they live long enough, I find them in some really interesting situations that I then realize, wow, I really had no idea what I wanted for this PC, but this is really neat. Often times, I've found people will wisely sit back and wait a while, see if your character can survive and has a chance of surviving further before including them in plots they find important.

[FantasyWriter]

If not playing a merchant, I would highly advice a crafting subguild that fits well into your PC.
They can be fun and keep you busy during solo play.

[LauraMars]

I'm sorry to hear you had a rough first experience.  The world is harsh and the people in it are sometimes not nice - and often this just makes things more confusing than fun, so I understand that.  We're all happy to see new players asking questions and trying things out, regardless of any boot stealing that may or may not occur in game.  Take it slow!  I second the advice to practice commands a bit with solo roleplay.  It's very helpful.

[Jinxed]

Strange that no one yet came up with this link:
http://armageddon.org/help/view/Brief

This helps for a new player, like, A LOT. It is also strange that no one mentioned this command in my novice thread as well, when I experienced same frustration with stuff simply going too bloody fast.

[Riev]

It isn't easy to remember, but try to remember this one piece of advice:

Nobody is expecting you to type half a page of flowery, wonderful prose in under a minute.



If you're a slow typer, type slowly. If you think other people are waiting on you, they ARE. They're waiting because they're excited about what you're going to say next. Personally, I'm a fast typer and I get a little impatient with other people when they take a long time. However, I don't have that come across in game. I'm always excited about what is coming next so I can see what my character is going to say for a response.


Its not easy for a lot of newbies, especially those who can't type fast, or are referencing four different emoting guides and three slang posts. Don't give up, just remember that you can type exactly as fast as you want. If you have to, just "ooc Trying to get my bearings, give me a moment" to let your RP partners know you aren't AFKing but honestly, we're all waiting patiently.

[Lizzie]

What Riev said - "Nobody is expecting you to type half a page of flowery, wonderful prose in under a minute."

If things are going at a quick pace and you want to agree with Amos on what he just said, you can

nod amos

You can
emote shakes her head at ~amos

You -can- use commands without emotes, you won't get any demerits for not emoting with them. Slip emotes in when you can but don't stress out if you can't.

[Beethoven]

You should come roleplay with me instead. I will give you all the time you need to type. I love noobs and generally do not even try and claim their boots.

Perhaps the people who weren't letting you get a word in edgewise will read this and slow down a bit.

[Harmless]

Count me in among those who will happily be very patient with you should we ever interact. Also keep in mind that sometimes your interactions just won't go well no matter how smooth or quickly you respond. Finally, keep in mind that persistence pays off. There are few characters who get whatever they want the first time they try it, depending on what it is. But there are more characters who eventually reach their goals. It might feel like whoever is never going to accept/trust you, but leadership changes and so do people's minds. Take a load off, blow off steam in helper chat, and think of other things your character can pursue, or ask around in game for other things to do.

(edited: i deleted the rest of this post, I think it's all fairly obvious, and others have already suggested the things I had here.)

[valeria]

Yeah it was really good roleplay, I just couldn't keep up which meant my character couldn't be who I wanted them to be. It made me upset even though I know it wasn't aimed at me. And now I don't want to go back in because if I'd argued back right, my character would have ended up exactly where she wanted, and now the whole chance is blown and the influential people she wanted to be in with, won't be.

To just respond to this for a moment, this is nothing to be bummed about.  Sometimes your first choice of the clan to get your PC into doesn't work out.  Sometimes you make a concept who just feels to you like Bynner, and the Byn won't hire you (wut? yes, this happens).  So you mope around the bar until some independents grab you and rock your world.  Or you find some other clan to be in.

A lot of the game is overcoming circumstances that are trying to thwart your character from being who they want, doing what they want, etc.  If you start moping around the bar about how you blew it with House Crafter and just want to learn how to make Johzal Bowtie of the Apocalypse, someone will pick you up.  Everyone loves crafters.

The speed will come with time and experience.  When you don't have to think about every emote symbol.  And when you stop feeling like you have to delete your response and type up a new one every time new information comes in.  It's perfectly okay to respond to something they said five says ago.  In fact, it's a huge signal that you just can't keep up, and maybe they will slow down.

Sometimes I don't know I'm RPing with a new player.  Some of my characters can be rapid-fire with speaking and emotes.  But there comes a point where I will wait for a response.  It's probably a credit to you that whoever you were RPing with didn't think you screamed 'noob' from the top of your desc to the bottoms of your noobie boots, and felt like they could proceed at their usual pace.

Still, if you just can't bring yourself to play the character now, store it and try something new.  Trying something else might help!  And you'd be in good company.  I'm pretty sure I stored my character in the first two weeks and left for a month or something.  It wasn't until my second character that I got hooked.

[Rahnevyn]

Moonflame, if you're truly discouraged, don't be afraid to submit a storage request for your current character and try a different concept. Sometimes it takes a few for things to click! But there's really good advice and encouragement to be had in this thread here.

[Barsook]

Moonflame, how was your second day of playing, any better?