New Player who is really confused

[bookie]

I am really confused and lost honestly even if the player helper has been useful I feel like in general people in this game just expect you to know what's what and that's it. Honestly its quite frustrating though how am I suppose to know what to do without a proper introduction and no one feels like guiding me. I even tried finding one of the clans and I got told to scram from their main gate.

I understand that you guys pride in this being a realistic mud but you should at least help the new players get use to the game instead of just throwing them into the game and then expecting them to know what to do.

[Cale_Knight]

You're probably going to die a whole bunch before things start making sense. We all go through it. I don't mean that in the sense of "haha, welcome to the initiation, you newb," so much as in the sense of "this game is tough and has a steep learning curve."

As for finding a clan, it's better to try and find a member of said clan in a tavern or something rather than going to their main gates. You probably got brushed off because the people who you saw were either coming or going somewhere else.

If you have any specific questions that the helper hasn't gotten to yet, feel free to post 'em up here, and welcome to Arm! Stick around and I promise things will become less confusing in no time.

[bookie]

You're probably going to die a whole bunch before things start making sense. We all go through it. I don't mean that in the sense of "haha, welcome to the initiation, you newb," so much as in the sense of "this game is tough and has a steep learning curve."

As for finding a clan, it's better to try and find a member of said clan in a tavern or something rather than going to their main gates. You probably got brushed off because the people who you saw were either coming or going somewhere else.

If you have any specific questions that the helper hasn't gotten to yet, feel free to post 'em up here, and welcome to Arm! Stick around and I promise things will become less confusing in no time.

This all sounds like good advice but I have just one concern how can I tell if someone is apart of what? and who is who?

[Barsook]

And make sure you read the docs well and try to understand them!  Ask here if you need help.

[Rahnevyn]

Hi bookie,

Welcome to Armageddon! Sorry to hear you're having a hard time starting out. Don't be afraid to reach out here or in the Helper chat; it's what those resources are for. We try to be as welcoming a community outside the game as we can.

In game, however, not everyone you meet will be a nice person. That's to be expected as they're roleplaying, and Zalanthas is a harsh world in general. You might find someone kind enough to take you under wing in game, but it may not be a given.

I didn't really see any questions in your post, but if you have them, feel free to ask them here, or in the Helper chat, and we'll be happy to get you some answers.

[tiptoe]

The one that told you to scram might have been an NPC. They often aren't all that friendly when you try to enter clan-specific areas. Like Cale Knight suggested, try finding a clan leader in one of the taverns, or check out the rumor boards to find a name of one. Unfortunately, NPCs look exactly like PCs until you interact with them. Everyone is listed by sdesc, rather than names. It can be a little difficult to tell them apart at first.

[Barsook]

You're probably going to die a whole bunch before things start making sense. We all go through it. I don't mean that in the sense of "haha, welcome to the initiation, you newb," so much as in the sense of "this game is tough and has a steep learning curve."

As for finding a clan, it's better to try and find a member of said clan in a tavern or something rather than going to their main gates. You probably got brushed off because the people who you saw were either coming or going somewhere else.

If you have any specific questions that the helper hasn't gotten to yet, feel free to post 'em up here, and welcome to Arm! Stick around and I promise things will become less confusing in no time.

This all sounds like good advice but I have just one concern how can I tell if someone is apart of what? and who is who?

This is a reference guide to the most common uniforms and rings associated with various clans and ranks within the clans of Armageddon, brought to you by the various players of the game and the community around the General Discussion Board. This guide is kept intentionally vague; while your characters will be able to discern the most basic information from a clan member's attire, IC interaction to figure out the true relevance of that person's position in the clan and the world is encouraged. It will hopefully be helpful to new players and players returning from hiatus.

Most people in the Known world would know about...
a black leather and steel-grey sandcloth greatcloak - House Salarr
a bone ring with an eclipse signet - House Kurac family member.
a gemstone-embroidered sandcloth djellabah - House Kadius.
a hooded brown military aba - T'zai Byn.
a hooded, coal-black sandcloth dustcloak - Kurac.
a hooded, dun-colored dustcloak - Kurac.
a jet-inlaid marble signet ring - Salarr family member.
a lapis lazuli signet ring with an evening stone - Kadius family member.
a long, crested ebon silk dustcloak - Salarr.
a long, crested grey silk dustcloak - Salarr.
an oiled, decorated leather aba - Kadius.
an orange cloth epaulette - Salarr.
a pair of blue and purple armbands - Kadius.
a pair of one-striped studded sleeves - A T'zai Byn Trooper.
a pair of two-striped studded sleeves - A T'zai Byn Sergeant.

If you're from Allanak, you would know about...

an amethyst and jade silver signet ring - House Fale nobility.
a black leather patch with a jade cross - Arm of the Dragon
a grey, wyvern-adorned hooded aba - Borsail Wyvern.
a hooded, black and azure aba - House Oash.
a hooded black militia dustcloak - standard militia uniform (Arm of the Dragon).
a hooded, crimson linen aba - House Borsail.
various scorpion-emblazoned cloaks - House Tor.
a slender crimson and silver ring - House Borsail nobility.
a silver ring set with an azure stone - House Oash nobility.
a silver signet ring - House Tor nobility.

If you're from Tuluk, you would know about...

a hooded, blaze-sigiled black greatcloak - House Tenneshi .
a hooded, kenku-embroidered greatcloak - House Winrothol .
a hooded, kenku-stitched jade cloak - House Winrothol.
a hooded, mace-stitched grey linen cloak - House Lyksae.
a hooded, red and brown greatcloak - House Dasari.
a long, hooded red and white tabard - standard Legionnaire uniform (Utep Sun Clan, aka The Legions).
a ruby and moonstone inlaid, silver signet ring - House Lyksae nobility.
a silver-and-gold, scale-sigiled signet ring - House Kassigarh nobility.
a silver and sapphire signet ring - House Uaptal nobility.
a silver, blossom-sigiled signet ring - House Dasari nobility.
a silver, kenku-carved signet ring - House Winrothol nobility.
a silver ring emblazoned with a gold sun - House Tenneshi nobility.
a silver signet ring - House Negean nobility.

I have no way doing this but this.

[TheWanderer]

I'd suggest joining the T'zai Byn to start your sandy adventures. It's somewhat similar to a tutorial, yet is still a viable option for the more experienced players at the same time. You'll have a place to grow in both the RP aspects and the coded aspects of Armageddon, while also not feeling totally lost amongst the crowds. Byn Sergeants are often like the grizzled guides of Zalanthas that you desire, and people I found very helpful during my first month of play. The T'zai Byn is a proper introduction of sorts to the grittiness that is Zalanthas, and their sergeants tend to be forgiving and prove to be a guiding hand that every new player would like to see (the same can be said for a lot of Leader PCs, but I really suggest getting a feel for the world through the lax policies of the Byn). They take all races, so it won't be an issue as far as getting in goes.

Just a suggestion, mind you. You're free to do as you please.

[LauraMars]

Hey Bookie!  Thanks for taking the time to make a thread on the GDB and post your thoughts.

As we discussed in the helper chat, Zalanthas is a tough, unforgiving world, and roleplay is enforced.  That doesn't mean the players of the game want to be mean to you, though.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We love new players here!  It's possible the person you interacted with didn't know you were brand new, didn't have time to roleplay with you, or was just reacting in a way that was realistic for their character (or was, as someone else suggested, an npc).

Nobody expects you to know what to do right off the bat, but the game does have a steep learning curve.  My best advice to you would be to be patient and immerse yourself in the helpfiles on the website.  Read everything! Then read it again.  And then again.  When I first started, I spent a solid week reading the helpfiles before I even felt confident enough to walk across the city.  

If you want more help, have more questions, or want to talk about this in more detail, please feel free to hop back on to the helper chat or just discuss it here.  We helpers really do not mind answering any questions you have, or even just commiserating with you about how tough it is to start out in Zalanthas.

[Drayab]

My suggestion is to go to either the Gaj (if you are in Allanak) or the Sanctuary (if you are in Tuluk).

Sit at the bar and talk to people that come by. Give your character a simple goal of finding work in either a noble or merchant house. Somebody will snap you up eventually (if you are a human). Once you're in a clan, someone will surely show you the ropes.

If you're not sure how to get places, try typing directions.

Don't walk off into the wilds. You will be eaten alive. 

We really do like newbies. Don't take it personally if people are nasty in game, but I expect that once other people realize you're just starting out, they will cut you some slack.

[Barsook]

Oh, about Tuluk.  Make sure you have true inked citizen with both tattoos.

[Lizzie]

I think the advice given is great advice, with one caveat and an assurance:

In the bars, it can get very busy and screen-scrolly. Especially at night IG, during peak time OOC. To see what time it is just type "time" in the game. Peak time can be any time between 8 and midnite, eastern time (which is server time). You can use highlights to make text stand out on your game client - I know a lot of people do that. Anything that happens "At your table" would be something you'd want to highlight, if you go that route. It'll help you filter out things your character is less likely to pay attention to when seated in a noisy bar at night

[bookie]

Thank you all for the advice I'm sort of getting use to things now.

Hopefully I can have a long and profitable life haha

[ShaLeah]

Thank you all for the advice I'm sort of getting use to things now.

Hopefully I can have a long and profitable life haha

It'll be thrilling. Don't give up. Just think of all the stories you're about to learn!

[Drayab]

profitable

That's the spirit!

[slvrmoontiger]

Welcome to Armageddon!

My suggestion is to go to either the Gaj (if you are in Allanak) or the Sanctuary (if you are in Tuluk).

I just had to post a response to this. Please note: If you are in Tuluk and not a true inked citizen you will not be allowed in the Sanctuary. There are two other taverns that you can sit in and talk to people. The first is the Firestorm (which is the tavern you should have started in if you started in Tuluk). The second is the Tembo's Tooth.

[bookie]

Here is another question I have.

If someone were to ask you where you were a few days ago or something along those lines. How do you RP the fact that you weren't playing the game?

[fourTwenty]

Here is another question I have.

If someone were to ask you where you were a few days ago or something along those lines. How do you RP the fact that you weren't playing the game?

Certain clans have a stock excuse but normally just "I've been around" or "I've been real busy" is enough to get the point across.

[Lizzie]

If any members of your character's virtual family are still alive, you can always hitch your excuse wagon to them.

"Oh, Paw came home drunk again and beat the shit outta my brother. I had ter sober Paw's ass up and get Jiggy to the medic."

"Visiting Mom, I told you how she hates it when I'm away more than a few weeks."

"My cousin fell in the pit and I had to get him out."

[Jeax]

I am really confused and lost honestly even if the player helper has been useful I feel like in general people in this game just expect you to know what's what and that's it. Honestly its quite frustrating though how am I suppose to know what to do without a proper introduction and no one feels like guiding me. I even tried finding one of the clans and I got told to scram from their main gate.

I understand that you guys pride in this being a realistic mud but you should at least help the new players get use to the game instead of just throwing them into the game and then expecting them to know what to do.

Hopefully you are playing a human, as humans are employable, and hopefully you are not from the Labyrinth or something like that. Basically, for your stater character you want to avoid playing something that people are going to discriminate against.

The advice of just going to sit in a bar and meet people is good advice, as long as you, again, are not someone people are going to discriminate against. Just say you're looking for work, and people will probably ask you what you do. If you're a Ranger, you'll probably answer something like "hunter" -- if you're a Warrior, might say "mercenary", or "looking to get into mercenary or military work" -- you know, something really generic like this. This may not be the 'best' way of handling these types of things, but it will get you started, and as you learn the ropes you will be able to get into situations in more creative ways.

As for not being logged into the game and people asking where you've been, yeah, I usually just say something like "I've been pretty busy lately." or something like that. Pretty much everyone will get the point, but sometimes people will press the point and be like "Oh? Doing what?" and you just make something up that makes sense and will again try to drive this point in. OR, say something that you actually do, like "hunting" or "trading" or "making stuff" and just leave them to it--it makes sense ICly that you would have been busy doing those things while you were not logged in.

The T'zai Byn is a great clan to get involved with, in the South (it's just now opening back up in the north after some IC events) -- if you are in the North, just try to find employment with a Noble/Merchant House. If you can't, see if you can find a hunter to tag along with, or something that does what you want to do. Also, the OOC command should be used really sparingly, but if you are really just floundering...don't be afraid to just call it like it is and say "sorry i have no idea what to do here." -- I did that with my first character a few different times, when the Byn Sergeant wanted us to do stuff and I had no idea what he was talking about. Now, I can handle those types of things ICly, but that is after 4 years or so of playing 

[Kismetic]

Hi bookie,

Welcome to the game.

... I have just one concern how can I tell if someone is apart of what? and who is who?

The important thing to remember is that your character is always alive and breathing during each moment you are logged into the game.  The best way to tell the difference between which characters are controlled by players is to bring your character to life by emoting.  Unless someone is idle (or possibly linkdead), they will interact back with an emote, too, or maybe even dialogue.  In the early phase, it is best to learn these interactive commands (emote, say, talk, look, etc.) and become familiar with their functions.  Good luck!

If someone were to ask you where you were a few days ago or something along those lines. How do you RP the fact that you weren't playing the game?

Your character lives a full life behind the screen time that you put in.  Feel free to riff with this however you like.  Imagine what your character would have been doing, and tell them so.  This is also a good time to familiarize yourself with the world through the website at www.armageddon.org.  There is a wealth of information to guide your crafted persona based on background and region, skills and aspirations (once you get to that mindset).

[Kol]

Hi Bookie! Welcome to the game.

Firstly, I've been playing since '08, and I'm still a newb. Don't get disheartened. As it's been said before, you'll die...a whole damn lot. Even when you really like the PC your playing...(trust me, I've shed tears, and I'm not the only one.) Read over the help-files whenever possible, IG and on the website. try to clan up (not in the same clan) For the first few PC's until you get a good grip on the game, and also try out both Allanak and Tuluk for a starting point, some people will cry love for the Highlord, some for Utep, it's up to you where your love and devotion should be given.

You said you were finding it hard to find other players to help you. I can appreciate this (If it wasn't for a few leader-types when i started, I would have given up) However, try and remember the setting your in, it's a harsh world, filled with harsh people. People are just playing their PC's as best as they can, don't take it personally, it's hard to spot a new player most times, unless you make some really obvious mistakes. just keep plugging at it, and sooner or later you'll be tossing out emotes and feels like Tek himself. (Cus he obv rawks balls)

Lastly, but most importantly, remember everyone on the boards has a boot fetish. We like boots. The feel of them...the smell of them as you rub your nose in them, taking in that freshly killed scent....Ahem....I digress though.

Once again, welcome to the game! We're here to make sure you enjoy this as much as we do! 

[Fujikoma]

I just used my innate hobo sense for softies when I found myself in a position where I needed help. It worked like a charm. Still, there's lots of things you'll need to learn about the game, and a number of them you'll learn the hard way ("What's a shield wa---. Ooooh, well, that was unpleasant."). I'm still learning stuff. Luckily my PCs tend to end up tough as nails so when they scrape by by a fingernail, I realize, yeah, maybe I need a better strategy for this. Still, learning stuff is fun! ("I've killed twenty of these easy! Fresh me--- OW! FECK! MY HEAD! MY NECK! OH GOD, WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO!?")

[Clavis]

("I've killed twenty of these easy! Fresh me--- OW! FECK! MY HEAD! MY NECK! OH GOD, WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO!?")

this belongs in a sig

[yoink]

-gigantic helpful list of emblems and uniforms-

Thanks heaps for posting this, it shall certainly come in handy!