EQMac.com

Great now I got your attention.

I have a project for EQMac.com that I would like to solicit some help for from our very knowledgeable members. This is a volunteer assignment, no pay is involved. All submissions become the property of EQMac.com.

EQMac and Al'Kabor has had a recent influx of players. With this influx it has become quite apparent that many of them are playing a MMORPG for the very first time. These players are becomming lost and frustrated for one simple reason, lack of knowledge.

The majority of us here are always willing to lend a helping hand and some advice to these players when they post their questions. As time passes we are going to see the same problems and questions appear again and again.

Now Rider has already graciously compiled a "Newbie Guide" that teaches some of the game's intricacies to a new player, but todays players need even a more basic guide to help them get started.

I would like to see if someone can come up with a "First steps on Norrath" guide. Something that covers the very basics of game play. Information about starting cities, re mapping attack key, newbie fighting areas, how to travel to POK, how to find players in game, or how to OOC, even what OOC is.

Imagine yourself the first time you turned on the game. What are these windows? How do I equip items? How do I eat food? how do I know if something I want to fight is easy to beat or will kick my butt?

With this I think we can cut down on seeing some of the same questions appear every week, and get burned out on answering them over and over.

Thanks for your attention and your support.

Khama
EQMac.com

maybe we can compile them all together in the end, you know one BIG guide, ive been meaning to update my guide with more basic content, so of course ill help. ive been wanting to sort out my very messy guide and add stuff, just havent had tons of time, but time will be VERY free thanksgiving holiday, i should get some more stuff added then, itll give me something to do at night while im bored out of my mind visiting the folks. any deadline you have in mind?

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I remember starting up EQ and looking at ALL the WINDOWS!! What do they all do?! What's this pet window? and this raid thing and, and and....

How do I talk to someone?! How do I say hello?? I got some weird text here, what? what's a "tell"??

Er, most Mac users want to JUMP RIGHT IN without reading first. What would be nice is an introduction of what to do when you first get in-game.

"#1: remap the "auto-attack from the "a" key to something like "keypad enter" or "keypad 0""

Like that!

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Patience is a virtue learned by humans, borne in felines

I told someone how to move yesterday.

"Psst! It's in first person view!"

When I started playing that baffled me too.

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Shif Vermitimbers level 41 Enchanter
Marn Darkangel 27 Shadowknight
Stufu Arpeer 12 Rogue
Roffle 8 Beastlord
<Destiny>
What do you mean I treat my party members like dogs? And hey, did you just break mezz? Bad you! No Clarity!

As a newish player, all the frustrations are still somewhat fresh in my mind. I'm playing Barbairan so most of my experiences are related to that.

1) Windows. I think a list of the currently relevant windows for a new player would be best. For example, if you are a warrior we can tell them to ignore the spell window. Even beastlords can ignore the spell window until level 9. The raid window and friends window can also be ignored by the new player.

2) Auto-attack key. Its best to reassign this early so that you get used to the new key.

3) Zones. Even after reading the posts here I didn't actaully know what a zone was for over a day. I probably should have just asked, but it seemed (and is) so basic.

Zones: Everquest is divided into many different zones that correspond to sections of the entire everquest world. The zones are connected at certain locations to allow travel throughout the land. When crossing a zone, the computer will 'freeze' for a few moments.

4) Right-click = control-click. Just mentioning that control-click is a valid and often used command will be helpful. Enumerating what actions are done with right click would be beneficial. At first I didn't train my character because I didn't know to right click the trainer.

5) Step by step instructions on making that first kill. This is where things get more complicated. The instructions should depend on race and class. For example, the instructions should tell where to go for that first kill. In Halas, most new players (myself included) get to everfrost peaks by DYING in Halas (I drowned in the lake). Then we pop up in a different zone (Everfrost) and have no idea how to get back into Halas. The boat on the lake is not intuitive until one actually sees it moving, which is a random event of coincidence. It's very confusing, but only relevant to barbarians. Also barbarians have to learn to pull immediately.

I should get back to work.

BTW, how long of a social can we write? I think I'm going to program explanations into my social window. Then I can give instructions with the click of a button.

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Warlace Barbarian Beastlord [23]
Warsez Barbarian Shaman [35]
<The Shortbread Army>

I would be more then happy to volunteer on this (was actually something I was going to work on).

I had the intention of starting to work on something like this tonight when I got home, taking screen shots and putting together a guide that will basically walk a new player from level one to ten.

If others are going to work on this, someone let me know what information you want or need and I will be more then happy to gather data for you.

Additional:

After the most beneficial help of Rezz, I am going to end up rolling up tonight a Shadowknight. At which time, I will be starting the whole newbie experience yet again (I am getting good at this), I will just start doing screen captures and stuff for it. I will put something together either tonight after gaming or tomorrow and will put together a draft for people to look over. If there is anything in it that people like, that's good. Steal it for something official. If it sucks, it sucks and it won't kill me.

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Velenn, Spreading the Necromantic Joy
"Chaos, panic, and disorder - my work here is done."

Be sure to include something that tells how to engage NPCs in conversation.

It can be somewhat apparent that there are keywords in the NPCs dialog that are enclosed in brackets.

What is not apparent is that you have to phrase your responses generally in question form in order to continue the conversation. I find that simply adding who is... or what is... or just what... usually get the job done.

I put this one up right behind remapping the attack key.

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Finnok 27 Cleric
Finno 24 Rogue
Kaolas 14 Druid
Phineaus 1 Paladin
WoW-->Finn, Dwarven Hunter on the Earthen Ring server (RP East)

A few more tidbits:

Run don't walk. If the run/walk button says run, you are walking, if it says walk, you are running.

Unless you plan on traveling to another city for your first few levels, do NOT get your soul bound at the soulbinder in your starting city. You are already bound in your home city so there is no need to get yourself bound again. Also your initial binding point is in a more advantageous spot. (I was helping a rogue yesterday, watched him die and figured no big deal... I run to the rivival spot and... nothing. And then more nothing. /who him and sure enough, he's in Halas. This isn't a huge deal, but since new players will die and die often, having to run from within the city, back out of the city will get old pretty quick.)
The flip side to this is barbarians get lost when they die as they end up in a place they usually have never seen before.
I've not done other races, so I don't know if this warning applies to all or just barbarians.

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Warlace Barbarian Beastlord [23]
Warsez Barbarian Shaman [35]
<The Shortbread Army>

Whatever is done for the new quides, please don't repeat stuff that is already in the manual.
In fact that should be the first message you send a newbie "Have you read the manual?" (RTFM). If they didn't get a manual with the game then they should be pointed to the online version (perhaps someone could post a url in the relevant section-if it isn't already there?).

Then the second thing perhaps would be to point them to Riders newbie guide and if you are in-game make sure they know about this forum.
Its amazing how many players you meet (even in my own guild) who haven't even heard of EQMac.com.
Then any other guides that may exist and why not the major websites such as EQatlas, Alakazham, etc

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Philippa - Lvl 41 Half-Elf Paladin, proud member of the The Shortbread Army.

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Heres something that confused me. How do you get the raid window back if you exit it? That is a good question and goes for all windows.

Option R.

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Shif Vermitimbers level 41 Enchanter
Marn Darkangel 27 Shadowknight
Stufu Arpeer 12 Rogue
Roffle 8 Beastlord
<Destiny>
What do you mean I treat my party members like dogs? And hey, did you just break mezz? Bad you! No Clarity!

...............

Press the button that says "alt" (without the quotes) and while holding it down press "R" (without the quotes).

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Shif Vermitimbers level 41 Enchanter
Marn Darkangel 27 Shadowknight
Stufu Arpeer 12 Rogue
Roffle 8 Beastlord
<Destiny>
What do you mean I treat my party members like dogs? And hey, did you just break mezz? Bad you! No Clarity!

aaaaaahhhhhhh.......I get it now.