 Complete Noob's
(Most of which is probably at least sort of accurate some of the time) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thrust
Thrust is integral in wielding swords. Your thrust skill will add 1-7 points to your sword attacks and 1-6 points to your Hammer attacks.
Stamina and Wisdom both have a bearing on whether or not your Thrust levels up provided your Slash is under 30. Your Thrust must be OVER 60 to level Heavy Arms.
If your Thrust is over 50, you are classified as a Jouster. If your Heavy Arms is over 70 and your Thrust is over 60 you are classified as a Gladiator.
If you are under 77 in Thrust you can obtain a Thrust Book which adds 1 to 6 points to your thrust.
When you reach 90 in Thrust you will be awarded The Golden Lance and receive two Strength attribute points.
The following weapons level up thrust:
- Dagger
- Knife
- Axe
- Gold Ace
- Elven Axe
- Short Sword
- Dark Sword
- Dark Scimitar
- Unholy Lance
- Broad Sword
- Knight's Sword
- Scimitar
- Long Sword
- Gold Sword
- Laser Sword
- Sword of Hope
- Rune Sword
- Star Sword
- Pharaoh Swword
- Ice Sword
- Fire sword
- Dirk
- Blossom
- Graedus
- Guardian
- Blizzard
- Black Falchion
- Thunder Blade
- Hammer
- Thor's Hammer
- Katana
- Scimitar
- Bo
|
|
|
|
|
|
Parry
At its most basic level, Parry helps you dodge attacks. The higher your parry the more likely you are to avoid attack. These are the odds of avoiding an attack by dodging, based on your Parry skill level:
| Level | Ratio | 51-60 | 1 in 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 90 | 61-70 | 1 in 40 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 85 | 71-80 | 1 in 35 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 80 | 81-90 | 1 in 31 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 70 | 91-96 | 1 in 24 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 60 | 96-100 | n/a |
If you are in the Adventurer Faction, your odds of parrying increase by 4.
You can purchase a Parry Book (though at the moment the terms are unclear) that will add between 1 and 6 points to your Parry skill if you Parry skill is below 77.
Parry is one of the instrumental factors in calculating the attack power of staves. The higher your parry, the more dmg you'll do with a staff. In fact it can add from 1 to 6 attack points to your staff dmg. It also adds 1 to 6 points for any Martial Arts weapon.
The algorithm (a beautiful word and one everyone should know) for Parry is a little clearer than the others. The table below shows that the higher your Parry Level the more difficult it is for you to level up.
| Level | Ratio | 51-60 | 1 in 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 3 | 61-70 | 1 in 27 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 9 | 71-80 | 1 in 32 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 13 | 81-90 | 1 in 36 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 14 | 91-100 | 1 in 40 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 17 | Over 100 | Banned |
Once your Parry skill is over 50 you will begin to advance in the art of Block.
Heavy Arms
Your Thrust Skill must be at 60 before you can begin to level Heavy Arms. Wisdom has some bearing on how your Heavy Arms points accumulate, but the relationship is not, at this time, clear. When you reach 90 in Heavy Arms you receive the Golden Hammer and receive two strength points.
There is a Heavy Arms book that you can procure that will net you a random 1-6 point increase in Heavy Arms.
- Axe
- Gold Axe
- Elven Axe
- Broad Sword
- Knight's Sword
- Long Sword
- Sword of Hope
- Rune Sword
- Ice Sword
- Fire sword
- Hammer
- Thor's Hammer
- Mining Hammer
- Blacksmith Hammer
- Ice Hammer
- Fire Hammer
|
|
|
|
|
Axe Fighting
Axe Fighting, like Heavy Arms, is advanced based on your Wisdom. Only three weapons level up Axe Fighting - the standard axe (used for woodcutting) the Golden Axe and the Elven Axe. The standard axe will only level up Heavy Arms if you face a monster opponent, not when you're woodcutting. There is neither a medal nor an attribute boost when you max Axe Fighting, but it will add points to your score.
Swordsmanship
You must have at least 50 in Slash to begin leveling Swordsmanship. Stamina and Wisdom both affect your ability to level up Swordsmanship. When you use any sword, and as your Swordsmanship increases, between 1 and 6 points are added to your attack power.
If your Slash is above 60 and your Swordsmanship is above 50, you are classified in your Bio as a Swordsman. If your Slash is above 60, and both Swordsmanship and Thrust above 50, you are a Jouster. When you reach 90 in Swordsmanship, you will be awarded the Swordsman Plaque and three strength points and two stamina points will be added to your attributes.
Fencing
If your weapon is a sword, you will receive between 1 and 6 extra attack points. Stamina and Wisdom both effect whether you level up in Fencing. You must have more than 20 Swordsmanship to begin advancing in Fencing.
If your Slash and Fencing are both over 80 and your Swordsmanship is over 90, you will be classed as a Master Swordsman in your bio. Fencing will not give either a medal or attribute boost.
These are the weapons that level up Fencing.
- Short Sword
- Dark Sword
- Dark Scimitar
- Unholy Lance
- Scimitar
- Long Sword
- Gold Sword
- Laser Sword
- Ashura
- Forged
- Kotetsu
- Tempest
- Blizzard
- Black Falchion
- Flame Saber
- Thunder Blade
- Katana
|
|
|
|
Magery
After getting to 29 or 30 in Magery, you will need to join the Mage Faction. If you belong to the Mage Faction you will receive a bonus for Mage Actions. Between Level 50 and 60 you will receive 1 extra point. Between 61 and 70, you will receive 2 bonus points and above 70 you will receive 3 bonus points.
If your Magery is under 20, you are classified as an Apprentice Mage.
Between 21 and 40, you are a Novice Mage.
Over 90, you are a Master Mage and will receive the "Purple Oracula" and 1 Dexterity Point. This is interesting because we don't HAVE Dexterity points. (It actually adds a stamina point.) You must be over 90 in Magery to enter an area that has a Mage Master's platform. At the moment there aren't any of these areas in the game (but if you have an idea of how to use it effectively, by all means, let me know. I'm thinking some special quests, perhaps.).
If your Magery is over 80 and your Sorcery is over 60 you are a Sorcerer.
If your Magery is over 80 and your Wizardry is over 60 you are a Wizard.
If your Magery is over 80 and your BlackArts is over 60 you are a Necromancer.
If your Magery is over 80 and your Unholy Combat is over 60 you are a Death Knight.
Wearing the following items will increase your spell power.
- White Robe, +1
- White Tiara, +1
- Wizard's Robe, +2
- Ceramic Armor, +2
- Mage's Ring, +3
For a list of spells that level up Magery, where they're sold, by whom and the price, check out this Magery Page
Black Arts
Black Arts is increased by using the spells Raise Dead and Hold. Raise Dead is a nifty little spell that you cast on a tombstone and it generates zombies. Hold temporary freezes yer enemy (and your friends, and people you don't give a flying **** about) to one spot.
Check out the page on Spells to find more about specific spells that level Black Arts, where they're sold and by whom, for how much and the crystal cost to cast them.
You will not get either a medal or an attribute boost for maxing Black Arts.
Unholy Combat
If your Unholy Combat is below 77 you can get a book that will add between 1 and 6 points to your Unholy Combat skills.
Only three weapons raise Unholy Combat.
- Dark Sword
- Dark Scimitar
- Unholy Lance
Anecdotally, it appears that in order to level UC past 30, you have to join the Mage's Faction. However, UC will stop levelling sometime between 77 and 80, despite whichever of the three prescribed weapons you use. According to Apoc (11/4/2013) Baldon had, years before, done some research on this and found that the only thing that would level up UC from 80 to 100 were Orc Lords. Why this would be the case, I don't know. On the 15th, Apoc started trying it and levelled his UC to 100.
You will not get either a medal or an attribute boost for maxing Unholy Combat.
Archery
Archery is levelled by using bows. These include, the Hunter, Short, Steel, Long, Elven, and Wooden. Crossbows (Wooden, Silver and Runic) also level up Martial Arts.
If your Archery is under 30, you are an Apprentice Archer.
At 90 Archery you receive the "Silver Arrow Trophy" and one extra intelligence point.
If your Archery is more than 95 you are a Master Archer.
If you are using a bow, your att power will increase by between 1 and 20 attack points based on your Archery Level and 1 to 16 points based on your Martial Arts. Additionally arrows give you a boost of between 6 and 25 attack points.
The "natural" bow strengths (not including the arrows) are:
- Hunting Bow - 1
- Short Bow - 6
- Wooden Bow - 11
- Long Bow - 16
- Wooden Crossbow - 21
- Great Bow - 26
- Silver Crossbow - 36
- Night Killer - 46
- Assassin's Crossbow - 56
- Elven Bow - 56
Blessing
Blessing is the most common mage skill - in fact it's the default mage skill. If a spell wasn't assigned a specific mage skill, it is, by default, accumulates Blessing skill points.
Invoking spells that use Blessing raises your Spell Points by 1. Using Plum Cap or a Heal Rod adds 4 and 5 to your Blessing Spell Points.
Check out the page on Spells to find more about specific spells that level Magery, where they're sold and by whom, for how much and the crystal cost to cast them.
Sorcery
If your Magery is 80 or more and your Sorcery is higher than 60, you are classified as a Sorcerer in your bio. Blessing will not give you a medal or attribute boost.
Summon Creatures is a Sorcery Spell. If your Sorcery is below 40, you summon pigs. If it's above 40, you summon cows.
Musicianship
A selection of musical instruments
none of which work.
Musicianship is NOT an active skill in the game. I'm not sure why because a number of instruments were coded into the game, as you see above. It's impossible to guess precisely why they weren't implemented, although they once (very long ago) were given away as special items to special people. I seem to remember Baldon gave Eviclya a flute in early 2004. It seems likely that its non-functionalness (?) derives from the fact that there is supposed to be a spell called "Music" that isn't in the program.
Staff Fighting
DO NOT FIGHT WITH THE STAFF. If you fight with the staff, you could get banned. Oh, wait. Wrong kind of staff. By the way, the plural of "staff" is "staves" not "staffs".
Types of staves are:
- Wooden Staff
- Steel Staff
- Lord's Staff
- Gold Staff
- Dark Staff
Wisdom is taken into account when calculating how fast Staff Fighting levels.
Staff fighting will not give you a medal or an attribute boost.
Illusion
Check out the page on Spells to find more about specific spells that level Illusion, where they're sold and by whom, for how much and the crystal cost to cast them.
Maxing Illusion will not give you either a medal or an attribute boost.
Hammer Wielding
Obviously, hammers are the weapon of choice here. They include
- Mining Hammer
- Blacksmith Hammer
- Thor's Hammer
- Ice Hammer
- Fire Hammer
Stamina and Wisdom both effect how you level up in Hammer Wielding.
Fire
The next four skills (Fire, Water, Wind and Earth) are "Elemental Skills". They each have "gods" associated with them, with orbs specific to their element, orb platforms (areas you could only enter if you had the right orb) and Mages that received specific bonuses for using the spells of their particular element. If an orb was dropped onto an "opposing" element platform, something interesting was supposed to happen. Obviously, the system was thought out in some detail, but unfortunately, it wasn't completely developed and exists in a vestigial form in the program, somewhat like the tail and gills that appear in the developing human. Who knows what purpose they served, if any, at what some distant point in the past, and when and under what conditions they were dropped from useful development.
There are however, still weapons that are augmented by the use of a spell. For Fire, they are, Fireball, Fireword and Firebolt.
Check out the page on Spells to find more about specific spells that level Fire, where they're sold and by whom, for how much and the crystal cost to cast them.
Fire Mages automatically get one extra point added to their Spell Power. Bonuses are also given for using certain Fire-related weapons or equipment for Fire Mages viz:
- Fire Rod +5
- Flame Saber +2
- Blaze Plate +4
- Plum Cap +4
- Fire Shield +5
Water
Check out the page on Spells to find more about specific spells that level Water, where they're sold and by whom, for how much and the crystal cost to cast them.
Splash and Ice are the only water spells.
Water Mages automatically get one extra point added to their Spell Power. Bonuses are also given for using certain Water-related weapons or equipment for Water Mages viz:
- Monsoon Mail +4
- Water Rod +5
- Blizzard +2
- Plum Cap +4
- Ice Shield +4
Maxing Water will not give you either a medal or attribute boost.
Wind
Whirlwind and Windwave are the two Wind Spells.
Wind Mages automatically get one extra point added to their Spell Power. SpellPower bonuses are also given for using certain Wind-related weapons or equipment for Wind Mages, viz:
- Plum Cap +4
- Wind Rod +5
- Thunder Blade +2
- Tempest +2
Check out the page on Spells to find more about specific spells that level Wind, where they're sold and by whom, for how much and the crystal cost to cast them.
Maxing Wind will not give you either a medal or attribute boost.
Earth
Earth spells are Crush and Stone Skin.
Earth Mages automatically get one extra point added to their Spell Power. Bonuses are also given for using certain Earth-related weapons or equipment for Earth Mages viz:
- Earth Rod +5
- Plum Cap +4
Check out the page on Spells to find more about specific spells that level Earth, where they're sold and by whom, for how much and the crystal cost to cast them.
Maxing Earth will not give you either a medal or attribute boost.
Block
Once your Parry has reached 50, you will automatically begin accumulating Block skill points. As with Parry, these are the ratios for how often you can block an attack.
Block can increase your hammer wielding and martial arts attacks by 1 to 6 attack points.
| Level | Ratio | 51-60 | 1 in 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 90 | 61-70 | 1 in 40 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 85 | 71-80 | 1 in 35 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 80 | 81-90 | 1 in 31 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 70 | 91-96 | 1 in 24 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 60 | 96-100 | n/a |
If you are in the Adventurer Faction, your chances of blocking improve by 10.
When your Block reaches 90, you will be awarded "The Shield Crest" and two points will be added to your Wisdom.
There isn't a Block Book.
Martial Arts
Flailing away without a weapon equipped will raise your Martial Arts.
Weapons that raise martial arts are Ashura, Forged, Kotetsu, Katana, Tempest and Scimitar in the Sword Class The Bo in the Staff Class levels MA as do all of the crossbows and the Smoke Bomb Spell. If you have maxed your martial arts, you can enter areas blocked off with a Ninja Master's Platform. We don't have any of those in the game at the moment.
If you are using a Bo, your AttPower is between 5-13.
Wisdom will effect how fast your Martial Arts Levels.
Ar 90 you are awarded Oraku's Sash and receive three points total - one each in intelligence, wisdom and strength.
Wizardry
At 90 you will be awarded the Wizard's Crest and receive one extra skill point in Dexterity. If your Magery is over 80 and your Wizardry is over 60 you are a Wizard.
Wrath
The following spells level up Wrath:
- Meteor
- Radar
- Bolt
- Magic Shield
If you use the Plum Cap or the Black Falchion, your Wrath will be taken into account. The Plum Cap will add four spell points and the Black Falchion, two.
Check out the page on Spells to find more about specific spells that level Magery, where they're sold and by whom, for how much and the crystal cost to cast them.
Maxing Wrath will not give you either a medal or attribute boost.
Punch
You can level up punch barehanded. If your Punch is below 25 you are classified as a Brawler. If it's over 45 you're a Boxer. A fraction of your Punch figures into the use of your martial arts weapons - adding between 1 and 6 Att Points.
Maxing Punch will not give you either a medal or attribute boost.
Cooking
This is a stove, used for cooking food.
Cooking is usually done after Fishing, or at least started. Although there isn't anything to equip, you do have to stand in front of a stove. Stoves can usually be found either on main screens in town or in cookshops, taverns, and houses. You can also cook food on a campfire, but it takes twice as long and campfires are notoriously difficult to find in the game, primarily because players pick them up and cart them away.
At this point, the only things you can cook are fish and squid.
These are the ratios of probability of making (not burning) food. They look dreadful, but they really aren't as bad as they seem.
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 190 | 51-60 | 1 in 120 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 190 | 61-70 | 1 in 100 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 170 | 71-80 | 1 in 70 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 160 | 81-90 | 1 in 50 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 150 | 91-100 | 1 in 20 |
This table shows how likely you are to burn food at various cooking levels. If you burn food, you don't lose it. It remains in your inventory and you can cook it again.
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 3 | 51-60 | 1 in 11 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 5 | 61-70 | 1 in 13 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 7 | 71-80 | 1 in 15 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 7 | 81-90 | 1 in 18 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 9 | 91-100 | 1 in 100 |
Each time you attempt to cook, you have a 1 in 8 chance of levelling up. If your cooking skill is under ten, you are an Apprentice Cook. Over 40, you're a Novice Cook, and over 90 you're a Master Chef. You are awarded the Silver Spatula and receive 1 extra point for Stamina. Lower stamina allows you to get hungry which, in turn, causes your armor to break faster. That's important if you want to stockpile broken armor in order to level your blacksmithing skills, since in the early stages, you level it by repairing broken armor. Currently we have several NPCs who sell broken armor so it isn't really imperative that you keep your stamina low for that purpose. But if it's a consideration, you might want to wait a while to completely max your cooking skill until you have your cache of broken armor to repair.
Alchemy
Alchemy is another of the "long skills". From a practical standpoint, alchemy is used to make potions, which replenish your HP or MP and are absolutely indispensible for safe travel and fighting. In the fine, manly days of yore, it took from 400-600 potions (and a week to two weeks) to get a newblet from RThorp to Arthos. This was before "I ran all the to Arthos dodging monsters" became the common practice. Of course "I ran all the way there" is followed by "Oops, I need low-level monsters to level my HP on because I got to Arthos on 51 HP and now I can't do anything". So stay in Rthorp, make your potions and take your time. But I digress.
Potion, Spells, and Elixers are covered in another part of the site. Please check it out.
This table shows your probability of successfully making a potion at each level.
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 200 | 51-60 | 1 in 120 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 190 | 61-70 | 1 in 100 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 170 | 71-80 | 1 in 70 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 160 | 81-90 | 1 in 50 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 150 | 91-100 | 1 in 20 |
This table shows your probability of "messing up" a potion.
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 5 | 51-60 | 1 in 11 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 7 | 61-70 | 1 in 13 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 7 | 71-80 | 1 in 15 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 7 | 81-90 | 1 in 18 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 9 | 91-100 | 1 in 100 |
You become a Master Alchemist at 90, and are are awarded the Golden Bottle medal, and one is added to your wisdom. Two hundred points are added to your score.
Lumberjacking
Lumberjacking is one of the first skills that most people work (after fishing and farming). You can only use the "normal" axe to do lumberjacking - the other two axes (gold and elven) are totally useless. But then, gold is a soft metal and elves are known for gambolling in fairy circles (too lazy to make their own circles, I suppose) and making shoes, not chopping down trees, so it all makes sense.
Not all trees are cuttable. Cuttable trees are those in the red circle. The rest are purely decorative, to one degree or another.
If you are on a "work enabled screen" and you find one of these trees in an accessible area, you can cut it down for lumber. There are numerous woodcutting screens in every town. If two or more people are on the screen, trees will regenerate faster.
When you reach 90 in lumberjacking you receive the Oak Medal and receive one point in strength.
Carpentry
Each time you engage in an act of carpentry you have a 1 in 9 chance of advancing in the art of carpentry.
When you reach 100 you are awaded the "Bronzed Saw" and you receive two attribute points, one for intelligence and one for wisdom.
- Up to 14 you make chairs
- Between 14 and 25 you make stools
- Between 25 and 30 you make tables
- Between 30 and 50 you make tables, chairs, stools and crates
- Between 50 and 60 you make tables, chairs, stools, crates and more chairs
- Between 60 and 80 you can make tables, chairs, stools, crates, and cabinets
- Between 80 and 100 can make tables, chairs, stools, crates, cabinets and wind cabinets.
If there are multiples in the "what you can make list", there is a "one in as many chances as there are items in the list" to make that item. That is, if you can MAKE an item it will be one of the items listed. If there are four items listed, you have a one in four chance of making each of those items IF you make an item.
Fishing
Fishing is the easiest and fastest skill to max. If your fishing is above ten, you will be classed as an Apprentice Fisherman, and above 40 a Novice Fisherman. When you reach 90, you will be designated a Master Fisherman and will receive the Golden Rod and one point will be added to your intelligence.
You need a fishing pole and to face fishing tiles. You must fish from a pier. At this point you cannot fish from the side of a river or lake, or from a boat. Any time you begin to fish you have a 1 in 16 chance of levelling up. If 19 fish are on the screen, you will not be able to gather more fish.
- To level 15 - Raw Fish
- 16-40 - Trout
- 41-60 - Catfish
- 61-80 - Swordfish
- 81-100 - Squid
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 28 | 51-60 | 1 in 14 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 400 | 61-70 | 1 in 12 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 24 | 71-80 | 1 in 10 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 20 | 81-90 | 1 in 8 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 16 | 91-100 | 1 in 5 |
Curiously, the fishing pole can also be used as a weapon, with a random 1 to 3 attack power and is classified as a stave.
Blacksmithing
Blacksmithing is, by far, the most difficult of the skills to max. It is accomplished with a blacksmithing hammer in front of an anvil. You can get a blacksmith hammer for 100 gold from Cril in any mine with a mining shop.
This is an anvil.
You whenever you begin to smith something, you have a 1 in 18 chance of levelling up your BS skill. When your BS is at 90 you will receive the Gold Medal, two strength points and two stamina points.
From the moment you see the message: "You begin to smith..." you will have the following chances of crafting/repairing an item.
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 460 | 51-60 | 1 in 240 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 400 | 61-70 | 1 in 150 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 350 | 71-80 | 1 in 110 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 340 | 81-90 | 1 in 40 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 320 | 91-100 | 1 in 12 |
Blacksmithing and crafting are very much intertwined. There isn't a separate "crafting" skill, but crafting is subsumed under blacksmithing.
From an historical perspective, blacksmithing has always been a huge challenge. Not only are the levels more difficult to accumulate than in other skills, but it is resource heavy and requires large amounts of mining. In the early days of the game, only a few people maxed BS and it took somewhere between six and eighteen months. Furthermore, nobody in the history of the game levelled their BS up "naturally" to 100. Everybody who made it to 100 had ssistance from the admins, either in the form of chunks or point boosts. The first person to come close was the infinitely patient Ivona, who started the game in September or October of 2003 and, playing several hours each day, reached 90 in the late summer of 2004. It was grueling. Baldon gave her an extra five points and she was able to soldier on and finish. The next person maxed it several months later, again with a 3-5 point boost. But then, in those days it took several months to get the strength necessary to visit all the towns.
Was this awful, horrible and abusive? Absolutely not. And here's why. This game is (ask anyone who's played it) not as much about awesome gameplay and heart-stopping action. It's about community. It's about interacting, getting to know each other's online personnas. It's about commeraderie with people all over the world whom we would never have the pleasure of knowing without something that keeps us together. It's not like a chatroom where everybody is there to promote their own personal agenda and make converts out of the rest of the people. It's something else. It's an attachment that grows over time - not something that you walk in and say "Hey, I belong here now". So we need time. If you simply want to play A GAME, there are tons of far better games out there on the market - better graphics, better soundtracks (soundtracks, period!), more action, smoother physics, etc. But this is the BEST GAME because it provides a certain indeclinable "something else". But in order to develop that you have to actually BE here, and the hook, historically, has been the desire to develop those long skills. We find when people rush through the game, they get bored and leave. Period.
And that's kind of what happened when we started "dumbing down" the skills, and selling skill points. People stopped caring. People stopped PLAYING.
So we're still looking for that perfect balance.
Mining
These are mining rocks used for mining
This chart graphically and intuitively tells you which of the rocks in the game are not mining rocks and which are. The ones with X's aren't, and the one with the happy, smiley face is. There. Very intuitive.
And this is the mining hammer used to break the rocks.
Mining is one of the pivotal skills in the game. It is accomplished by equipping the mining hammer, facing a rock of the kind you see above and holding down tab. You have a 1 in 22 chance of levelling up anytime you "attack" a rock. If your mining is under ten (and you don't have any other designation) your "class" in your bio will be "Apprentice Miner". Above 40 and you will be a Novice Miner and over 90, a Master Miner. When you reach 90 you are awarded the Medal of Stone and one strength is added to your attributes.
Also, and this is anecdotal, at 90 also (or thereabouts) the speed of your mining hammer will slow perceptibly. I cannot find any reason for this in the engine, but it certainly appears to be happening. The chart below represents the ratio of breaking a rock. You can see that as you level up, you will break the rocks faster, until at 100 it takes three strokes.
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 18 | 51-60 | 1 in 10 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 15 | 61-70 | 1 in 8 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 14 | 71-80 | 1 in 6 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 13 | 81-90 | 1 in 4 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 12 | 91-100 | 1 in 3 |
Whenever you break a rock you have a possibility of mining a crystal or a chunk. The algorithm is rather more complex than, for instance, the algorithm for farming, and I won't bore you with the details, which won't be of any use anyway. Suffice it to say, the higher your mining level the more chances you have of mining one of the six crystals or 12 chunks.
The crystals are blue, red, yellow, purple, green and white. They are used for casting spells, shooting arrows and making potions. See our page on Crystals for much more information.
The chunks are:
- Chunk of Star
- Chunk of Ruby
- Chunk of Emerald
- Chunk of Sapphire
- Chunk of Pink Quartz
- Chunk of Jade
- Chunk of Obsidian
- Golden Chunk
- Chunk of Silver
- Chunk of Star
- Chunk of Steel
- Chunk of Iron
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 100 | 51-60 | 1 in 60 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 95 | 61-70 | 1 in 50 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 90 | 71-80 | 1 in 40 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 80 | 81-90 | 1 in 30 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 75 | 97-100 | 1 in 25 |
As your mining level increases the probability of mining more than one crystal at a time also increases. After 90 (when your mining hammer seems to slow), your rate of "drops" will also slow but you should get more crystals per drop. The crystal graphic will look the same. If you merely load them into your inventory without looking at them, you will not know that you have picked up multiples. Thus it appears that your productivity increases, although your apparent speed decreases. There was also talk years ago that after reaching 100 in mining, one could not mine chunks anymore, but that certainly isn't the case now. The table below will show how likely it is to mine multiple crystals (up to 12 in one "bundle").
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 1 | 51-60 | 1 in 4 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 2 | 61-70 | 1 in 4 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 3 | 71-80 | 1 in 5 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 3 | 81-90 | 1 in 5 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 3 | 91-100 | 1 in 6 |
There can only be a total of 19 items on the screen. Keep your crystals and chunks picked up regularly so that they can continue to spawn.
Having two or more people on the screen will increase the regeneration rate of rocks.
Shovelling
This is a shovel, used for shovelling.
Shoveling has been removed from the "regular" game.
Notice that with the shovel equipped you can make a very nice hole in the ground.
But observe!
You can also make holes in buildings!
Still more holes.
And whereas that's all very amusing and stuff, if you put a shovel hole on a wall you can walk through it. Viz:
Muahahahha. I laugh at your door.
Additionally, people can (and have) tunnelled through walls into non-mapped areas from which they have to be retrieved. It wouldn't be so bad if they would sit quietly and wait for a rescue, but no, they have to scream and spam broadcast: "OMG this game is s***! I was minding my own beeswax being nice and escorting little old ladies across the street and saving flood victims and all of a sudden the big mean awful game HACKED MY CHARACTER and threw me into this pit of darkness and I can't move! And the power-abusing admins are keeping me here - forever! I've been here forever! They're ignoring my innocent and pathetic cries for assistance! Locked in darkness! Oh, the darkness! Oh woe is me!" which is both a) completely incorrect and b) really bad for player morale.
Technically there are only four tiles that can be "shovelled", and they are G1, G3, H1 and 01. Too bad the program can't figure that out.
Now there are a couple of things. All airship-safe building interiors should be immune to shovelling and all interiors should also be set to "non-attack" so you shouldn't even be able to use the shovels inside. There are, however, some 2,500 building interiors, so, as with airships, it's taking a long time to go through these and reset them (we still have about 1,500 to go). Unfortunately, when we have to import the maps from another folder, many of the map preferences revert to the default and we have to manually reset each map.
However, shovelling IS still programmed into the game. You have a one in 12 chance of levelling up shovelling when you have the shovel equipped and "attack" an appropriate tile.
When you max shovelling, points are added to your score, but you don't receive any attribute points or a medal.
We do occasionally (on holidays, especially) have shovelling events which either consist of "free shovelling" in a set of closed screens or a contest to see who can gain the most shovelling levels in the shortest period of time.
Farming
(Historical Note: When the game started, farming was levelled by hoeing empty "land" tiles until they became cultivatable.)
This is a hoe, formerly used for farming.
Old Garden Plots
And here it is hoed.
Then the players would plant seeds, water them and they would grow. The problem is that watering was a process that took every bit as long as tilling up the ground and gave the player nothing. So Baldon, in his infinite wisdom, changed the "operant farming device" from the hoe to the watering can. All the farm tiles were changed to the tilled ground and players could simply plant seeds and water to level up farming.
Seeded plot with watering bucket. Notice there aren't any "vines" growing.)
Seeded tiles with vines
Water until the vines appear, then stop. Plants will appear randomly on planted tiles. The rate of growth of plants is based on a lot of factors and cannot be predicted.
Roses growing on seeded tiles.
Likelihood of "vining" a tile while watering, based on your Farming Skill. You have a one in 12 chance of levelling up each time you use the watering can on a tile.
| Level | Ratio | Level | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | 1 in 18 | 51-60 | 1 in 10 |
| 11-20 | 1 in 15 | 61-70 | 1 in 8 |
| 21-30 | 1 in 14 | 71-80 | 1 in 6 |
| 31 to 40 | 1 in 13 | 81-90 | 1 in 4 |
| 41-50 | 1 in 12 | 91-100 | 1 in 3 |
When your farming level reaches 90 you are awarded the Earth Pendant and receive one stamina point and three intelligence points.