Some great tips for brand-new-fresh players.

[Manabi]

So, you were bored one day and ran across a dusty copy of NWN sitting in your attic that you played when you were 14. You played it, maybe even played a bit online, but the thing is - here you are on Arelith having no idea what is going on. "What is an "RP" server?" is a question that comes to mind. Also, "Why are these people emoting annoyed faces at me while I'm running from place to place?" At any rate, you're confused, but you didn't give up, and here you are on the forums.

Well, that was me about 5 or so months ago, completely new, having no clue what a RP server is, and being put off by the people who are threatening to kill me because I have that Iron dagger out as I ran across Cordor.


So, these tips are for those that are getting a fresh start on this. I'm just going to answer some basic questions, give some basic tips, and try to come up with a list of things I wish someone would have told me when I first started. So, let's begin.


"What is an RP server, and what does it have to do with me enjoying this game?"

Hm! I can't quite tell you what an RP server is in the most general sense. I "can" however, tell you what it means in Arelith. Arelith is a game just like any RPG game. The best way to see it? Pretend everyone that you converse with is an NPC in a single player RPG game. You start out on a quest. You get off of that boat, and there you are. Maybe you have a goal in mind,maybe you don't. You're going to walk around, figure out what everything is, and you'll eventually find out what is right for you. You find a settlement you like? You want to rule that settlement? Then by all means, do it. You want to be a guard for that settlement and bash people who break the law? Do it. You want to play an evil assassin character and want to fill that settlement with like-minded assassin characters? Do it. This is "your" story, but unlike a single player RPG game, you have the option of what you want to do with that story. And there lies the beauty of it. It is your story with your own character who is going to attempt to do whatever your character was made to do.


"What is "In Character and how do I make a character?"
The best thing is to imagine what you want, "Your Story" to be like. While you cannot control all of the factors (or even a part of them) you can at least imagine the personality of your character so you can get your dialogue and story going. Once you have his/her personality set, do not stray from that. Let's say you have an evil assassin type character. You imagine this to be the type of person to break into a family's home and slit a man's throat while his wife & children are forced to watch. For the sake of being even more cruel, he had no motive to do so. He simply saw that someone was home and he felt like doing it. Someone with such evil intentions would not join the temple of love and happiness. If you were playing a single player game and that was your character, you would not be given that option. (of course, you could join it to trick others into trusting you while you rob them blind and kill them off one by one)

So - find out what type of character you want to play based on the story you want to play. The thing about this server is that everything is ran by the players. All of the laws in towns were set by the rulers (or previous rulers). The whole theme of any given settlement is set by the players. A town may be ruled by paladins one day, and the next it will be ruled by hate machines. Find out how you want to react to constant conflict at that scale. Do you want to be good? Do you want to be evil? Do you want to be the sort of, "I don't care what anybody does as long as they leave me alone." type of person?

"IG is IG" or, "In Game is in Game"

I think this is something everyone needs to be reminded of from time to time. Because there is so much tension in this game, you're going to be killed by other players occasionally. Someone is going to see you on the streets and rob you. The thing is, this person "may" not be the Snuggybear that you think he/she is. This player may have felt like playing an evil character, and he/she is acting his part. In his story, he is that assassin I mentioned, and you are simply an NPC that seems like an easy target - and in his options of "what to do" he chose the one that fit his character. In other words - he did exactly what he should have done. Yes, he may have ruined ten hours of your life that you spent gathering all the gold that you were carrying with you. When that happens - try not to be upset. That player was acting according to his story, and the next time you see him, maybe you will have a group with you that will do the same thing to him. Perhaps one day that player will load up another character and be your greatest ally in your faction. If that happens, he will still probably rob you if he sees you on the streets when he is on his evil-doer.


People are going to expect things out of you.

No matter what you're doing, people are going to expect a great deal out of you and there is absolutely no way you can meet those expectations. People are going to expect you to emote more, emote less, spend all of your free-time on Arelith, make a new character, RP differently, use a different dialect, act more in accordance with what they think your character is, and many many many more things than what I mentioned here. As long as you follow the rules and stay within your role and the lore of Arelith - the only thing you should be worried about is having fun.

Don't sign up for more than you can do before you start playing

What I'm trying to say is, don't attempt to do anything huge if you don't have time for it. You have real life to worry about and no matter what, that should come first. Don't show up late to work because of a faction meeting. Don't break a date with your partner because you have to win the election on a settlement. None of us want you to mess up your real life for this game, so definitely don't. On this topic - you probably shouldn't try to run a settlement or faction if you can only play an hour or two a week. Try to take a lesser role - more often than not - those are a hell of a lot more fun.

GET INVOLVED

I can't stress this enough. You need to get involved. This is the most boring game you will ever play if you play it alone. Can you imagine a game with no story? Where your character runs from place to place in an attempts to get physical power for absolutely no reason? Sounds boring, right? That's exactly how Arelith is. You need to get involved to have any fun with this game. The governments and factions are all made and played by the players. There is an incredible amount of complexity and never-ending-craziness because of that. The second you get involved with a faction or a settlement, you will know what I'm talking about and that is when you will truly see how amazing it is. There is most likely something out there for you. If there isn't, find some characters that are like your own character, and make something. Start a thieves guild that hides in the sewers. Make an assassin guild that hides within the ranks of the temple. Play a character who covertly enters evil characters groups to anonymously expose their plots. Chances are - if you can think up a creative and fun thing to do - people will want to join you.

Also, once you get involved, you can find out how everything works. Most of the players are genuinely nice and like to help out new players. So don't be afraid to ask others IG (in game) or here on the forums. Most of us will help you out.

Don't be afraid to ask questions!

Stay away from those who want to exploit the system

Arelith is. . . muddy. There are several ways to get ahead that are against the rules and unfair to those of us who abide by them. If you find someone who is telling you how to exploit the game, the best thing to do is stay away from them. Don't "ever" get involved with these people because well. . . you may get banned, but even more than that, you may end up with a crowd that likes to take the fun away from the rest of us. If you're into that - go Mod a console game or something else. There is no reason to cheat this system. This isn't a game where having millions of dollars and having ten level thirty characters is going to mean anything. What we care about is what is currently going on in the game.

Have fun!

Really, have fun and don't get discouraged. Things won't always work out for you - but when they don't - roll with the punches and try something else. Your thieves guild under the sewer may get discovered and all of your members may be imprisoned because of it. Your assassin character may end up exiled from all of the major settlements in the game. When that happens, you find somewhere else to go and find something else to do. More times than not, that "something else" may be the most wonderful and unique experience you will ever have in this game. Whatever it is that you're doing, make sure you're having fun with it. It's not a second job, it isn't supposed to be about drama and OoC (out of character) conflict. It's supposed to be about having a good time with other players around the world. That's it.

Anyway! I hope this was informative. If anyone wants me to add/change anything, let me know.

[Kashisjonny]

Really good stuff.

One extra thing : don't believe all the things you hear, especially if it is from a player who is currently aggrivated. Even the nicest most level headed people are capable of shit stirring without meaning to. So if someone tells you something that sounds super bad, chances are it is just a player either venting or trying to turn others on their new 'enemy'.
Leave the children to rumor monger, report problems via the right channels and try to avoid the OOC drama.