iGRYFFYN'S
DARK SWORDS
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GRYFFYN'S LOG
(Also maintained in DS Forum/Newcomers' School; for comments by other players re: this log, go there. They are very informative.)

JANUARY 25, 2007
I'm doing this for several reasons. One, I keep notes anyway, because I have a bad memory, so I might as well keep them here because maybe they might help others. Two, I think this is a great game; it's entertaining, challenging and very addictive. Three, while the Manual is informative, it doesn't -- can't, really -- delve too deeply into specifics. Hopefully, my notes will be helpful to other newbies. They can see what I did that worked -- and all the mistakes I made. I haven't been playing long, and will try to post here regularly, at least for a while. I've already seen many newbies enter the game and asking for help. They need to know how to get started. What to do first. Yes, there are Helpers, but they must be very busy. And other players are busy trying to survive or level up.

I'm starting this after just five sessions, so I'm a newbie, too. These are observations, for the most part, but I may have to make some assumptions, and they could be wrong, so hopefully someone who knows better will correct me when that happens. Not for my sake (I'll probably already have suffered for the mistake), but for others who might read this.

I hope this will be of some help to those just starting out.

Day One

First, I read the Manual, more or less cover to cover. Believe me, it helps. But what the Manual didn't do was tell me what, specifically, to do when I entered the game at Arkijah Town's Stairway to Heaven for the very first time. I knew from the Manual that I wanted to acquire Experience and Gold and increase my Levels. (You don't need Gold for the first three Levels, actually.) But the question was, how to get Experience?

You gain Experience by killing. [We are killers who can't really die. No doubt the World Inhabitants (NCPs) of Tarassos think of us as a terrible plague!] I watch the Chat long enough to figure out that as a Level 0 I need to start out killing mice. With my settings on Autoloot, I also collect some cheese by killing mice, and I can sell the cheese at the Dump for Gold. But everything you try to kill fights back. That includes rodents, marble statues, children, spirits -- not to mention Creatures and Players.

I learn the basics -- to attack you click on the image of your target in the row of beings that inhabit the same space you're inhabiting. Then you click on the sword in the menu along the bottom. Attacks, at this stage anyway, occur in a sequence: the attacker strikes and inflicts a certain amount of damage (or misses); the attacked strikes back, inflicting damage (or misses); and again, and yet again. The damage inflicted with each strike is measured as HP. It occurs to me immediately that I should pay attention to how much damage my intended victim inflicts. (However, not every target in every particular type inflicts the same amount of damage per strike against you; this seems especially true o NCPs.) Why? Because you have to know if you can survive another strike and if you can't you had better try to Flee (see Manual). And because you will need to know how long you must recuperate between attacking different targets. If you're in the Royal Garden killing swans, and a swan normally inflicts about 17 HP, and the swan could get three chances at you (unless it misses), you had better know your HP should be up to at least 52 (17x3+1).

I wander around Arkijah killing mice and visiting all the stores, the inn, the bank, the schools, everything, to find out what they contain and how much the contents cost. Besides, such places are Peace Zones. I cannot be attacked while in them.

Before long I've visited every "square" in the town. I have a complete map. This is very useful, because I decide in the near future to adopt the tactic of moving very quickly through areas heavily populated with Players. I want to be just the flicker of an image on your screen, too quick for you to react to. I always want to know where I'm going, and rarely will linger anywhere that isn't a Peace Zone.

After killing enough mice to acquire enough experience for my first Level Up, I go to one of the schools in town. I've already decided that my focus early on will be to increase my Strength, Constitution and Dexterity. (I'm a human warrior.) I can inflict more damage with increased strength. I can absorb more damage by increasing my Constitution. And I can increase the times my adversary misses me with increased Dexterity. (See Manual).

Note: When you reach a school or store or bank or inn, you must click on the door on the bottom menu to enter and see what is offered.

As a Level 1 I must now begin killing cats and dogs to acquire enough Experience for the next level. (See the menu button with the green vertical bars? Click on it to see the amount of Experience/Gold you need before you can achieve the next level.) I get a couple of dog fangs and a collar (from a cat) in the process. I sell one of the former at the Dump, store the other in the Inn, and sell the collar to a Jeweller. Once I've got enough Experience-- again, the first three levels do not require Gold -- I go to the next school I've picked (Quickness, for Dexterity), and increase to Level 2.

I go through the session wondering if I will be attacked by another Player. I remember reading in the Manual that towns are supposed to be aggression-free, but usually move quickly through them anyway.

Note: You have nothing to fear (I think) from Players who are more than two levels above you. If you're Level 2 you cannot be attacked by a Level 50, or even a Level 5. Besides, after you've been in a few fights, you'll see why, if YOU'RE a Level 50, you wouldn't want to waste your time attacking a Level 2 even if you could. (This restriction is enunciated in the Religious Systems and Players Fight Against Each Other section of the Manual.)

Days Two and Three

Reaching Level 3 in Day Two, I venture out of Arkijah for the first time, heading south for the Fish Market, which is rich in targets. Up to this point I've only killed animals. In the Fish Market I kill my first "human" -- a shoe-shine boy. It's odd in a way, since in all other RPGs I've played it's been as a "heroic" figure who wouldn't go around killing "innocents." Doesn't take long for me to get over any compunctions I have on that score.

The Fish Market is good hunting -- aside from shoe-shine boys you've got martens all over, and you may pick up a marten's tail to sell at the Dump. By Day Three (Levels 4 and 5) I've ventured to Port Zarijam southwest of the Fish Market and wreak havoc among the Sea Cadets. I realize that by attacking someone or something (a NPC) who is at a slightly -- the key word -- higher level than I am, I collect larger quantities of Experience. (You may reap great rewards, but you also run greater risks.) It also made sense to be at full strength before tackling something/someone of a higher level and, once the combat was underway, to keep the cursor poised over the Flee button.

Also, I found that I recovered twice as fast when sitting down (Relax).

JANUARY 26, 2007
Days Four and Five

I get killed for the first time -- by a Guard Dog posted on the road (west out of Arkijah) to the Menagerie. (I later discover that to get past the Guard Dog you have to Flee immediately upon entering that "square" and being attacked -- and hope you make good your escape. This, of course, assuming you're a lower level than the creature. In that way, several sessions later, I got past the Guard Dog and into the Menagerie.

I also explore to the east of Arkijah and find the Royal Warriors Camp. North of that I enter a Wilderness. But I don't see much of it. I'm killed by a Live Stump -- so quickly that at first I didn't realize what had happened. (This was a source of amusement for some when I mentioned it back at the Stairway in Arkijah.)

Finally, at Level 6, I explored northwest of Arkijah and found a rich hunting ground at the Royal Gardens -- swans, park dogs, squirrels (which drop nuts, of some value), and peacocks. The latter were at a higher level, and I was killed by one on two occasions, but managed to kill two and reap large Experience numbers. The key was to watch the combat closely -- if the peacock missed me once I had a fair chance; if I missed once I wasted no time in hitting Flee. But I found Live Bushes in some of the Royal Garden cul-de-sacs -- and after my experience with the Live Stump in the Wilderness, I didn't hang around long enough to find out what damage they could do.

I continue to speculate on fighting between Players. The Manual mentions that Neutral Players cannot attack or be attacked outside special locations -- Arenas and Chaos Zones. Neutral Players, I assume, are those who are not involved in the ongoing religious conflict between Sun and Moon. But that can't be right -- even in a Religion Wars Only Zone -- at least, I think that's where I was -- I can click on a Player and the sword in my menu lights up -- meaning I can Attack. A mystery -- one I'm sure will be solved at my expense!

Days Six and Seven

If Tharassos were real you would have to feel sorry for the inhabitants. Because here you have a plague of immortal reavers who compete among themselves by killing just about anything in their path. Oh, you can kill these things but they just regenerate, so the respite, if it exists, is brief.

I end the seventh day at Level 11. Previously I'd spent a good bit of time exploring, seeing if there was some way out of the Enigmatic Kingdom. I would explore, of course, without experience, as I expected to be killed, and always was, either by Live Stumps in the Forest or Desert Scorpions or Guard Dogs at the Menagerie or in the Holy Village. But at least I expanded my map. You can explore without repercussions (other than losing experience) -- until you pass Level 10. Then, when you're killed, you lose everything. The stakes have been raised. The game seems designed to keep you in fairly safe waters until you're experienced enough to take on the rest of Tharassos.

Still, exploring has its rewards, if for no other reason than I've seen things like the Altar of the Sun at the Temple, and the pit of Cobras at the Menagerie. I'll try not to mention other sites -- part of the fun of the game is finding them for yourself. (And kudos to the people responsible for the DS artwork. It's one of the game's great attributes.)

There is a certain degree of satisfaction to be gained when you have leveled up and no longer have to flee from things like Peacocks and Guard Dogs. At Level 10 I returned to the Royal Garden and actually enjoyed killing every Peacock I could find. I ignored the swans, the thieves, the garden managers (all save one, actually), and slaughtered Peacocks. Why did I enjoy it so? Because twice a Peacock had killed me when I was at a lower level, costing me a lot of Experience. Very annoying.

I refine my combat style. When attacking something with a higher level (one or two higher) I usually have a fair chance of winning, as my adversary is likely to miss me once. But, if I miss my first attack I flee immediately. Why waste time having to sit and wait for your HP to recover? If I miss and my adversary misses, or has missed, me then I usually stand in. It's simple math, and a case of paying attention to the damage you inflict versus the damage inflicted upon you.

Experimenting with the three Training Life Potions provided at the start, I found that when taken the beneficial effects are immediate. I can foresee using a Life Potion in the middle of a combat -- one that will be of longer duration than those new players experience early on. Now I never leave Arkijah without at least one Life Potion (which can be purchased). How to use it? On the Inventory screen, simply click the downward-pointing arrow above the cell containing the image of the Potion.

One other thing I learn to do is keep one eye on the middle of my main screen. I tend to move fast, and have almost passed up loot left lying on the ground, there for the taking. Twice I happened upon the site of another Player's misfortune (recently killed) and found everything he/she had lost. So, a good rule of thumb: Always pay attention, and watch for loot.


JANUARY 29, 2007
Week Two (Part I)

Level 18 now, and I have more or less resigned myself to the (apparent) necessity of limiting my explorations until I gain more experience. I may be wrong, but the game seems set up so that newbies are discouraged from venturing too far from their "birthplace" too quickly. I find (and this may have been the intention of the creators) that I am more than ever committed to advance in levels just so I may see the rest of the world. One more reason to persist in this game.

The new version (.07) has a couple of interesting twists. One is the availabily of ships at ports. Ships which will carry you to faraway lands. I know little more than that, since I can hardly afford the passage (it's expensive).* There is another new feature I know more about. Now, if you attack a world inhabitant in the presence of certain other inhabitants, the latter may come to the aid of the former, attacking you. The announcement of the new version (in this forum) states the other inhabitant is most likely to be a guard or patrolman. But might it not be other types, as well? This has not happened to me, but has happened to two of my friends in the game. All the more reason to be cautious -- to wait, if possible, until you find your target alone.

* See MistyWolf's "Ships" in Seastone Gossips.

I acquired a Level 1 Cure at the Guild of Healers in the Mage School (Enigmatic Kingdom). This has been a tremendously helpful acquisition. It effectively increases my HP, and I quickly learned how to use it in combat. Click on the target, then the sword to attack, and immediately click on my character's image with the Spell window (wand) already open, moving my cursor to hover over the "Cure". Watching the combat closely, I can use the cure to heal myself if I'm getting the worst of it. Sometimes I've had to heal myself twice in the same combat. But it's a great asset, and I assume nearly everyone learns to do this at some point in the game.

I also use the Cure at the Stairway in Arkijah, when I'm tired of the stress of killing in the hinterlands and want to help newbies who might be easily discouraged, curing the lower levels when I can (the Lvl 1 spell has its limits), and encouraging them if they make a comment regarding how difficult it is to make a kill -- or how humiliating it is to be killed by a mouse. (These are Tharossian mice, remember!) I do this because it was done for me by others, and I very much appreciated it. But I have learned that I must impose a limit on being helpful; there are some who would rather learn to play this game on their own, and I occasionally found myself going to far in trying to assist a newcomer. On the other hand, I can't bring myself to keep going when I pass a newbie who is clearly getting the worst of it in combat with a cat and not cure them in the midst of the fight. Whether they appreciate it or not.

Okay, maybe I'm not doing them a favor -- I could understand that argument -- and I TRY to refrain from helping unless they ask or I've seen them at the Stairway over and over again without having leveled up; it's obvious, then, that they're well acquainted with being killed and just haven't figured out yet how to survive. My advice, then, would be to use the Cure to help lower levels, and do it with restraint, so as not to offend.

Another note I made: I was in the process of "harvesting" mage students at the school, and had, of course, noticed that they always struck with a 20 (or maybe it was 21) HP. I was close to leveling up (to 17, I think), when suddenly a mage student began striking with 29 and 30 HP. I cured myself once, twice, but kept missing the target, tried to flee, failed, and was killed, losing about 300 XP. Interesting. This is why it pays, I guess, to pay attention to the smallest detail, including the damage that each target inflicts. (Though that knowledge didn't help me in this instance, did it?)

And as to the subject of kill-stealing. I suppose it happens to one and all. It has happened to me several times. In every occasion but one I was willing to concede that the KS was unintentional, or accidental. It's easy to spot a likely target and attack before waiting to see if another player has already initiated one -- such mistakes can be avoided by just waiting a moment if another player is in the same space; there might be a lag in the chat, you know; you might not see that a combat has already commenced in the first second or two.

But there was one instance in which I was unquestionably the victim of a kill steal. A Level 5 player arrived and remained in the space when I was attacking a target, and the combat went on long enough for him to see it no matter how slow his computer is, and he waited until the last moment and struck to make the kill and steal the XP (21 as I recall). There is a topic somewhere in this forum, or so I'm told, where the names of KSers can be listed. But I want to handle this personally. I hope to see that player again -- and will deal with him myself. I may not be able to kill him outright (depending on the zone), but I can make his life miserable, and make sure everyone else knows who and what he is. Killstealing is cheating, pure and simple. And cheaters shouldn't prosper, and won't around me. I've seen groups of KSers -- they are, after all, cowards, who don't think they can win according to the rules, and it's not surprising that they run in packs.

On the other hand, killstealing is just another challenge we have to deal with, and, after all, that's why we play this game -- for the challenges.


February 1, 2007
Week Two (Part II)

(Level 23). Ironically, the day after I write about killstealing (Week Two, Part I), I accidentally steal someone's kill. It's embarrassing, and I would rather not publicize it, but this is, after all, to help those who come after, and since killstealing is perceived as a problem in DS, I might as well explain how it happened, so that when it happens to you, you can perhaps better judge whether it was intentional or not.

I was roaming Arkijah when I entered a space occupied by a Level 5 player, a dog and a Townsman. I saw the other Player commence an attack. It was in Russian, and I assumed she would not attack the Townsman (higher level than she) and was going after the dog. I was wrong. I attacked the Townsman and left the space but as I did I glanced at the Player and the dog to see how she was doing -- and saw that the dog had full HP. I asked her if she had been trying to kill the Townsman. It quickly became obvious that we were going to have a communication problem. She didn't understand my language nor I hers, but I became convinced that she was after the Townsman because she did know one word in my language -- SAD. You can imagine how that made me feel. I offered a trade, to pay for my mistake, but it was clear that we wouldn't be able to pull it off without the ability to communicate. (I did try, though, without response). I apologized about a dozen times and then left -- and felt bad the rest of the night.

That night I had kills intentionally stolen twice. (I guess I deserved it, didn't I?) You can tell who they are -- they're usually low level players who wait in the same space while you start a kill, only to strike when your target is weakened, and if their timing is right they make off with the xp and loot. The key is the timing of their attack. As per someone's suggestion I'm keeping a list, and looking forward to the door when I find one of them in a Chaos Zone, or attacking a target that I can heal. KSers are a real problem in Arkijah, and it doesn't hurt to keep an eye on a lower level who enters the space you and a target occupy and then lingers there. He might be a spectator. He might be more than that.

As you continue to level up the required XP for the next level increases, and at my current level is over 1100 XP. One day I had nearly enough for the next level when I was killed. I lost over 400 xp. I got the total back up again and was killed again -- and lost nearly 400 XP. Since that time I've stuck to a simple strategy. When I start off in pursuit of the next level I'll take chances, picking higher level targets. When I'm about a third of the way to my goal I'll stop taking chances and stick to targets at about my level or 1-2 levels above/below. When I'm two-thirds of the way to my goal I become conservative, seeking targets that are few levels below mine. I haven't been killed since.

I recommend downloading kakaze's New World Map (SeaStone Gossips section of this forum). It is very well-done and informative. I've loaded it into my Windows Picture & Fax Viewer so that I have zoom capability. I've seen the way through the Forest to Ruby Fort, and intend to make the trip after a few more levels, now that I can (thanks to the map) avoid the Live Stumps that have done me in before.

And, finally, a player named nuke was kind enough to clarify the PVP (Player vs Player) parameters of DS. Here's part of the message he sent:

"...neutral players are indeed players without religion. only way to fight player versus player is in an arena (just fun, nothing lost when you die) or chaos zones (inventory can be looted, i am not sure about xp)

"General rule for pvp: no fights possible with player less than half your level or higher than 2X your level.

"System for religion wars is entirely explained in the manual. one thing that's probably not mentioned: it's possible to kill own religion! you simply don't gain religious xp for that and it won't make you popular...

"In fact you might try to attack other people as neutral player, this will simply not work untill you are in the arena or chaos zone."

My thanks to nuke and the others who have contributed information in this thread.


February 4, 2007
Week Three (Part (I)

Level 29. I learned a great deal last week, some from the experience of playing the game but most of it from other Players who were kind enough to be helpful. As for the former, Those Who Come After should be prepared for some surprises as they reach certain levels. Example: I was (I think) a Lvl 25 fighting a Town Patrol in the Fish Market, got hit once, hit him twice, then suddenly took a critical hit that knocked out 61 of my HP. My red bar disappeared. For an instance I thought I was dead. But I still had 2 HP. I had enough MP to cure myself twice and continue the fight and eventually vanquished the Town Patrol. If I had taken two hits and not bothered to cure yet I would have died. Lesson learned: Use the cure in a timely manner -- don't wait too long. Along the same lines, Fish Market Grocery Owners started throwing fireballs at me, which had never happened before. They were pitiful fireballs, but fireballs nonetheless.

I was "mobbed" twice last week, both times by Town Guards, and while I'm pretty cautious about such things, I believe that in both cases the second Town Guard entered the space right when I started combat with the first, and jumped in. So, if I'm not mistaken, the second does not necessarily have to be in the space at the very beginning. (Or maybe this has something to do with my chronic computer lag.)

One more word on killstealers. Someone suggested that I identify the KSer and put him on my Enemy List (Player List, right click player name, click on Enemy in sub-menu.) This will at least help you keep track of the KSers (who are currently playing) who have stolen from you before. Then, of course, if you ever get the opportunity, and have the cure, you can always cure their targets. And, in a related note, I assumed KSers were usually lower level; well, I can tell you that's not always so. I had a kill stolen from a Lvl 83. Amazing.

A word on Groups. I have nothing against them -- I understand their utility -- combining attributes to attack a target and sharing the spoils. You will frequently be invited to join a group -- when I am I politely inform the other Player that I prefer to hunt alone, and thank him (or her). [Who knows, really, since I read somewhere that over 50% of the Players who use female chars are actually males.] There are parameters to groups -- a Player cannot join if he is less than half the lvl of the group leader, or more than twice as high. (I believe that's the case, if not someone will. hopefully, correct me in this log.)

I have, however, gotten into the habit of hunting with one other Player. It's nice, sometimes, when you're out in some remote place, to have someone to talk to and joke with as you go about killing enemies. (It can be a dirty, lonely job!) Creating a group in order to travel together is a handy way to get two Players from one place to another (distant) place pretty quickly; then you can disband the "group" and go about your business.

An Elven warrior named Echelo was kind enough to guide me to Ruby Fort. (Initially, when first joining the game, I had requested being born in Ruby Fort, but apparently that isn't actually possible.) I had thought to make the journey with my friend (who is about my level), but now glad that I had a guide like Echelo, who got me through the Frogl Rocks without incident. One wrong turn there (and I tend to be too quick with the movement arrows at times) and I would have been history. Being at Ruby Fort opens up grand new vistas -- I have used kakaze's New World Map to chart a safe course from there to SeaStone.

On the matter of platinum, I thought initially that there might be limits to how far one could advance in this game if one was not willing to pay. (I don't mind paying, in principle, but I've started a DS-related website, the Dark Swords Companion -- I'll add the link at the bottom of this post, if anyone's interested -- so I'm paying my webhost and paying for the domain, so I've made a financial contribution of sorts!) But I talked to several high-level Players who have not chosen to buy platinum, and have fared well just using gold. There is the little matter of purchasing artefact items, which are available, I gather, only for platinum.

A final note: I am beginning to understand better the use of armor. Players kept telling me to get to the Ruby Fort and Traders Camp and pick up some rings. I had no idea what they were talking about. Now I do. Once he got me safely there, Echelo provided me with two ruby patrol rings, which substantially increased my HP. And I mean substantially. I picked up a horned helmet, which also helped, but gave me less protection (AC) than the one I had been using. Echelo educated me on the pros and cons of using different kinds of armor/weapons, and why you can't use some with others. I don't pretend to know anything but the bare basics on this subject, but I would encourage all others to take the time to study and learn it.


February 7, 2007

Week Three (Part II)

Level 33. After bringing a hunting companion to Ruby Fort via the route shown me by Echelo, and hunting a day or two in Ruby Fort, the Lords Castle, and the Ruby Traders Camp, I decided one day to venture north into the Rainbow Kingdom, using kakaze's New World Map to find the safe route. I wanted to visit SeaStone. For some reason I expected to find a great many other Players there. SeaStone and surrounding areas seemed prime hunting ground for lower and mid-level Players And I was impressed by the artwork, which makes the Rainbow Kingdom and its locations quite different from what I had been accustomed to in and around Arkikah (and, of course, Ruby Fort). But I was surprised by how few Players there were in Seastone! I hunted there long enough to gain one level and took an inventory of the weapons and armor shops for the website before returning to Ruby Fort.

I find myself no longer avoiding being mobbed by enemies at my level, since I seem to have a HP quotient -- and the cure -- sufficient to handle back-to-back combats. This is handy, since it saves time; one less target I have to hunt for. I've taken several "critical" hits that aren't really critical these days. Much of this has to do with upgrading armor and weapons.

I've been spending a good deal of time experimenting with combinations of weapons and armor. (See last paragraph, Part I.) In fact, I have three combinations, one which provides me with the most protection, another that provides me with the most hit power but much less protection, and one that's more or less in the middle. Involved in these combinations are three weapons (sword, spear, axe), two shields, and two different kinds of armor. Then I tried to pay careful attention to how I fared in combat with the same type of enemy using the different combinations. (Yes, there are variables you cannot control, but there's always something to be learned by studying the "play by play.") I recommend you do the same if you're just starting out; it's a good way to figure out what all those acronyms -- AC, ABS, DM, CHTH, HP, etc. -- really mean to you in the heat of battle.

I've found it useful to keep a variety of weapons for my level (or slightly above) stored at the Inn, so that I can experiment with them. Most I have not had to buy -- they are the product of drops. In fact, the axe and spear I use most were not purchased, but are the spoils of war. I don't sell anything if I think there's even a remote chance it may be of some use to me later.

The question -- "What attributes should I focus on when I level up" crops up all the time in the chat, and I've been asked many times, as though I have a clue what I'm doing! In case you haven't found it, here's what the Manual says about characteristics/attributes:

Strength – defines caused damage and is the main characteristic feature when using a sword;

Constitution – quantitatively influences character health and his ability to resist damage, and is the main characteristic for those who choose axe as weapon. Constitution is also helpful for those who wish to wear heavy armour, the recommended initial value is not less than 10 points;

Dexterity – defines hit chances and chances to dodge a hit; the main requirement for daggers and cloaks;

Intelligence – defines magical abilities and is of a great importance for wizards and alchemists; it is the main characteristic that defines the quantity of magical energy (mana) which is spent when casting spells.

Seems to me it would he helpful to have a pretty clear idea how you want your character to develop over time, and then level up accordingly. For myself, I have no desire to hurl fireballs or ice arrows. My goal is to be a fighter who can work a few modest spells. So I have focused on Strength and Constitution. It's not really that simple -- dexterity is important in combat (better chance to hit, your enemy misses more), and intelligence affects MP, among other things, which affects your ability to cast spells, like the cure, which I use constantly in combat. But if you aspire to be a fighter, remember that the weapons and armor that give you greater advantage in a fight re: HP require certain levels of CON and STR, usually. Better to go about character development with a plan rather than haphazardly, I would think.

I expect to be in the Boundary Realm for a while before moving north, so there will be more to come....

February 13, 2007

Week Four

Level 48. This game is about killing. Logically, to excel in this game, I should concentrate on how to kill efficiently. To that end I've paid close attention for the past few weeks to the combats I've been engaged in. And, thanks to the advice of several others, I'm learning how to maximize my fighting ability with the use of armor and weapons. I'm at a point now where leveling up requires 5000+ XP. You'd think that would take longer than it did when I was, say, a Level 20. But I don't think it does. If I do everything right, I can usually get all the XP I need in about 90 minutes, with a few distractions and a couple of trips to the bank and the shops to sell loot.

There are probably several different strategies that work as well or even better than mine, but for what it's worth, here's what I do. I use my notes (as reflected in the Hunting Guide at the Dark Swords Companion -- link at bottom of post -- ) to find the best locations for the level of enemy I'm searching for. So, when I'm a Level 40-something, I look for the place with the most level 40-something and 50-something enemies -- and some level 30-somethings thrown in is nice, too. Preferably the location is small, so that I don't have to waste much time searching for targets. I used to wait between kills for my XP and HP to heal to max. I usually don't bother doing that anymore. I'm familiar enough with these targets to know what to expect from them. I know, for instance, when I'm in the Ancient Ruins, that I don't need to be at my max HP (295) to take on the Archaeologist. I can cure myself up to 100HP three times during a fight, so that helps, too. I have a minimum HP in mind for each target type, because the cure gives me a significant comfort zone. I'm often attacking targets at my level with the HP bar at half because I have max MP and several hundred HP I can tack on if I need to.

If I feel my HP/MP is too low to take on my priority targets, I don't just sit and wait for the regen. In the Dead Swamp, where my primaries are the Duck Hunters (50) and Runaway Prisoners (55), I'll keep moving and kill herons and other small animals who usually can't deliver much if any damage. I pick up things I can sell -- feathers from the herons, eyes from the Witches Cats, and a few XP, anyway, while my regen proceeds. If, later, I reach my weight limit, I can drop the feathers and eyes if I have acquired something more valuable -- say, belts, boots, weapons. Even if I'm not killing lower level targets (as in the Ancient Ruins), I'm spotting potential targets. And if I'm fighting in a square with, say two other potentials, and they both leave, I pay attention to which way they go, so that I don't waste time wandering when I'm done with the present target. Oh, and two other things, I don't bother attacking a target in a square where another Player is present. I just move on to find another target. And I don't take unnecessary chances because dying is a waste of time. (I've come close only once since I was something like a Level 15.)

Getting information for the website can be time consuming, so it's been all the more important to make the kills and increase the XP as quickly as possible. I'd like to get it to under an hour. I'm not saying my way is the best way to play -- just saying I think it pays to pick a strategy that works for you and hone it.

As for knowing about the armor/weapons you carry, I've taken the time to mix and match, as mentioned in a previous post. I usually carry extra equipment with me. For example, I usually wear a traders belt that provides me with +28 HP. But when a particular enemy type started throwing fireballs at me (in addition to normal "hits" -- I switched to another belt that I always carry and that provides me with more protection. I didn't mind losing the 28 HP; I didn't need all 295 HP to handle that target type anyway. In short, it pays to study your Stats, and to try out different combinations to see how they affect things like HP, AC, etc. (For the longest time I couldn't figure out why I couldn't use a certain weapon, which required 35 STR, when my Stats said I had that. Well, it was because when I removed the weapon I was currently using, it lowered my STR level below 35, so that I couldn't use the second weapon! Hey, I'm slow, but eventually I get there.)

I'm glad I'd become acquainted with the Boundary Realm and the Rainbow Kingdom, because at this level I have quite a few more options re: good hunting grounds than I'd have if I was limited to the Enigmatic Kingdom. There are relatively few Players around, so I can hunt in peace and quiet, without distractions. I rarely go to Arkijah any more. Too much clamor, and I can't cure people at the Stairway the way I used to (because of the paramaters of the Cure feature, not because I don't want to.) I go there now only to sell my loot (if it's the most convenient place), might make a few circles around the perimeter checking the gates to see if there's a guard leader to kill, and then go. Oh, and I watch the chat for a while just to identify the jerks -- the ones who brag about being KSers or relish the label of "outlaw" or some such thing; I mark them as Enemies right away on the Players List.

As for killstealers, I've gotten into the habit of announcing in open chat their presence in a location. I noticed a few others doing that, and I thought that was helpful, so that I could keep an eye peeled.

February 14, 2007

Week Four (II)

(Level 53) This will be the final post for this log. I want to pass on one piece of advice that was given to me by my mentor, make a suggestion re: the game (and it might as well be here), and, finally, make a few comments about the game itself -- and why I'm here.

As to the advice. Several times of late my mentor has instructed me on developing a clear plan on how I want my character to progress. He warns that when you reach the higher levels, earlier mistakes you've made in this regard may hinder you. (Since he has mentioned it several times, I'm assuming I'm not doing it right, and that he's just too polite to call me an idiot.) This requires knowledge of how Constitution, Strength, Dexterity and Intelligence affect your character's performance. It won't take long before you will have a good idea how gaining a level in each of these attributes impacts your character. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, no "you need x levels of this and y levels of that." But surely it is better to have a plan than to just pop into the most convenient school or guild for your next leveling up. This advice has been confirmed in a couple of private messages I've received from other players, all of which urge me to mention the importance of making wise choices.

As to the game idea. It may not be possible to do, and I don't know if the creators are even interested in suggestions, but here's mine just the same. The ultimate goal is to create a close approximation of full-scale battle, something larger than just a group of two or three players being mobbed by a couple of town guards. The bare bones of it is to have a place -- let's call it a Stronghold -- with three rings or levels. All of the non-playing characters in this location are aggros. You may have lower-levels in the outer ring, higher-levels in the middle ring, and even higher-levels in the innermost ring. You may have multiple access points. You could have a secret tunnel which might (or might not) have one or more aggros and which can only be accessed by answering a riddle (in a pop-up window, much akin to the Born Here window you see when you click the door on a Stairway which was not your original birthsite, and one that is frequently changed, of course). This passage, if you could use it -- and survive it -- might allow you to bypass one level. There might be a rule of no group-fighting inside the Stronghold, which would require a good deal more in the way of tactics -- if there are three aggros in the upcoming square, who attacks which and in what order? There would have to be some strategizing -- should the attack be concentrated on one access point, or several?; how many tanks and how many mages might be needed if there are x number of y-level aggros inside, etc. The payoff would be something at the core, past the third and final level, something that could be shared equally by all who survive and reach that point. Anyway, those are the bare bones, as I've said.

And finally, a comment or two on the game, and why I'm here. I've been asked about this Fellowship of the Sword that is mentioned on my character page at the Dark Swords Companion website. The Fellowship isn't something I just made up out of the blue. It exists. I was accepted into it while playing another RPG.

I will not mention the name of the game, because I understand the DS powers-that-be don't like that sort of thing. But it was a RPG of the classic mode, that is to say, one in which the players contributed significantly to the expansion of the idea/game/universe, creating a cohesive community; hence my story, "The Dark Path," found at the Dark Swords Companion, and written before I realized that Dark Swords is NOT that kind of RPG. So excuse the story because it's the way I've learned to play, inhabiting a character just as an actor inhabits a role in a film.

The basic idea behind the Fellowship is that the way people play a game is a reflection of how they live their lives; in other words, if one is honest and fair in a game, he or she is likely the same way in the "real world." The Fellowship was meant to bring together people who play (and live) in keeping with its motto, the Elvish saying "n-verya, n-anwa, n-faila" -- basically, to be brave, be true, and be generous. The friendship that exists within the membership goes beyond the Internet for the very reason that we are people of like mind. And the membership plays beyond the borders of a single game. I'm just one of several members currently playing in a separate RPG, with a specific goal or quest set for me -- you might say I'm in another land, far from home. It is conceivable another member of this Fellowship may one day play DS, but whether this ever happens could not be of any importance to anyone else in the game. So there it is -- the Fellowship explained; it is not to be had for the asking, is not part of DS, and has significance only to me. (Unless I find someone to recruit into the Fellowship.)

And speaking of recruiting, my work on the Dark Swords Companion (link at bottom of post) goes on -- and I invite one and all to contribute to it, if they like. Only in that way will the DSC be worthwhile.

So I close this log with the hope that it may be of some use to someone along the way, and with the expectation that I will meet you somewhere in Tharassos in the months to come. The nature of my quest means I will be there, nearly every day, for quite some time! Good hunting.