Newbie Article - The Next Steps
This article is advice for players who have reached Discworld itself, having already completed the Newbie Area and selected a nationality. Now that you are here, what is there to do? There is a huge amount of things that can be done on the Disc, but I'll avoid scary and complicated stuff for now. First you need to get settled in, so this article will suggest some basic aims and ideas you might want to try. It is not a walkthrough. Just browse it for interesting headings if you prefer.
What Don't You Need to Worry About?
Firstly, here are some things that just are not an issue. Dismiss them from your mind:
Print Out a Commands List
It is a good idea to have read the command information before you start to play. It is on the main Discworld MUD site and accessed through the menus (Playing > Help > Commands).
Even once you have a basic grasp though, why not print out a reference copy of the command list.
Note that this is not a full list and that there are many, many more commands. Even remembering this small list is hard enough at first though so a printed copy of just the command names makes a great reference. You can always read in-game help files for more info on what the command does. For example, to find out more about examine, I could type help examine or just syntax examine for a quick reminder on how to enter the command.
Have Some Maps Handy
You are new here. You will get lost. You need maps. The best map collection by far (in my own opinion) is on Steve's site although Airk's maps are pretty good too and I still like Ellesar's Ankh Morpork map the best. All of these sites are available through my Links section so I suggest checking them out.
Wherever you are on the Disc, have a map open in another window that you can flick to.
Explore the Place
The best way to get used to your surroundings is not to be led about by an experienced player. Walk around slowly by yourself at some point reading the room descriptions in full and consulting a map as you go. Start with a small area that you plan to frequent and become really familiar with it. Once you join a guild you should certainly do this for your guild building and its surrounding area.
Try to get to the point where you hardly need the map. Develop your familiarity with the room descriptions themselves so that, if you become lost, you can just read the description and instantly know where you are.
Get a Talker
A talker is a device which allows communication between groups of people. They work a bit like chat rooms.
The voucher that you received as part of your initial equipment can be traded in for one. If you are in Ankh Morpork for example, the shop to exchange your voucher at can be reached by starting outside The Drum (pub) and walking two areas east and one south. Use help talker for an explanation of its use. The various channels can be turned on or off at will and new channels become available as you earn them. For example a channel for your guild is added when you join one.
A talker is really an essential item. The guild channel will be your best way to ask guild related questions of the more experienced players. If you have a dollar to spare (and are in Ankh Morpork) then check out Jorodin's shop on Short Street. Any item can be made into a talker here, like a ring for example.
Join a Guild
Maybe you did some research in the "Guilds" garden in the Newbie area or maybe you already had an idea of the type of character you wanted before you started playing. Either way, most players will want their character to join a guild.
You are already a member of the Adventurers Guild when you start. This is the Guild for those who do not wish to join a Guild. Remaining as an Adventurer is really something I could only recommend to experienced players starting a new alternate character. The Adventurers have no central organisation, no training, no primary skills and no special abilities.
How to join a guild varies enormously depending on your location on the Disc and which guild you wish to join. In general, you need to find the Guild building and ask an NPC (Non Player Character) about joining (using say). If you are stuck then use the newbie command to ask the newbie helpers for advice as this is beyond the scope of this quick overview.
Self Improvement
Time to start beefing your character up a bit. This is too large a subject to fit in here (I did try and gave up) so it has its own article. It is the next article in the Advice section and is called Newbie Article - Self Improvement.