New Player Guide: Difference between revisions
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=== Dereth === | === The World of Dereth === | ||
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"The sun sets in a fine shroud of mist, reddening the stucco of a cheery hilltop inn as wind sighs through the groves; in the mountains, a giant banderling shadows a warrior party amid a lulling patter of snow; and somewhere below the flagstones of the deepest Empyrean excavation, the clicking, chittering Olthoi share mad and bloody dreams. Fond human fantasies meet strange nightmares in the magical realm of Dereth. Escape into 500 square miles of hills, mountains, deserts, forests, towns, and | "The sun sets in a fine shroud of mist, reddening the stucco of a cheery hilltop inn as wind sighs through the groves; in the mountains, a giant banderling shadows a warrior party amid a lulling patter of snow; and somewhere below the flagstones of the deepest Empyrean excavation, the clicking, chittering Olthoi share mad and bloody dreams. Fond human fantasies meet strange nightmares in the magical realm of Dereth. Escape into 500 square miles of hills, mountains, deserts, forests, towns, dungeons, and hidden islands, where no invisible boundaries interrupt your journey over the vast open spaces. Storms sweep the countryside, the sun sinks into the west, the moons rise and fall, and dawn creeps over the horizon." | ||
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"Walk the wilds of Dereth, and such fearsome creatures as Golems, Reed Sharks, and Ursuin may be found. Yet by exploring only the world's surface, one will rarely, if ever, encounter Dereth's most fearsome denizens. To face such beings as the Lugians, Sclavus, and even Olthoi, heroes must delve beneath the ground -- into the dungeons. | "Walk the wilds of Dereth, and such fearsome creatures as Golems, Reed Sharks, and Ursuin may be found. Yet by exploring only the world's surface, one will rarely, if ever, encounter Dereth's most fearsome denizens. To face such beings as the Lugians, Sclavus, and even Olthoi, heroes must delve beneath the ground -- into the dungeons. | ||
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Walk the paths between human settlements, and strange portals will often glimmer. Portals which lead not to any civilized town, but rather to underground lairs and ruins and even exotic cities beneath the soil. Before daring to enter such dungeons, adventurers would be wise to stock up on torches, recruit a fellow explorer, and find out all they can | Walk the paths between human settlements, and strange portals will often glimmer. Portals which lead not to any civilized town, but rather to underground lairs and ruins and even exotic cities beneath the soil. Before daring to enter such dungeons, adventurers would be wise to stock up on torches, recruit a fellow explorer, and find out all they can before blindly heading in." | ||
before blindly heading in." | |||
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Revision as of 00:59, 30 May 2012
Related topics: Asheron's Call, New Player Guide, Returning Player Guide
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Welcome to all you new players!
If you've never played an Online RPG before (known as a MMORPG for Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) you are in for a new experience. Unlike other computer games, MMORPGs are played with others from around the world. It combines game play with great online socializing. This guide is designed to help you get started in the world of Dereth.
Even if you have played MMORPGs before, we suggest reading through this guide as well. Although MMORPGs have many similarities, in many ways Asheron's Call is different than the rest. You'll have to throw away your expectations and approach this from a new mindset.
If you have the itching to get in and play, you'll need a few things. The first would be an account. You can purchase a new account at The Turbine Store. After you have your account, you'll need to download the Client from the official Asheron's Call site.
After you have established your account and downloaded and installed the client, you'll need to pick a server. This part is easiest if you already know someone that plays. If you don't though, visit the New Players Forum on Turbine's website, or if you're daring enough, you can browse the various official Server Forums. There are generally players, just like you, looking for information on the servers. There aren't restrictions on playing more than one server, so if you don't like the server you picked, you can always try another one.
What's Unique About Asheron's Call
Graphics
Okay, we'll get this out of the way first as it is often the first thing people notice when loading the game.
Asheron's Call graphics are based on an older engine that does not handle the high details many new games have. This engine was upgraded with the Throne of Destiny expansion, but still does not have the awe-inspiring glory of newer game titles.
However, even though the resolution may not be as great as other games, there are distinct advantages.
No Instances
Buildings on the landscape act like real buildings. They have working doors, there is no 'zoning' in and out of a building. Windows are truly windows and you can watch what is going on outside through them.
The world has no zones or instances (the Colosseum being the only exception). You can run from one end of Dereth to the other, the mountains you see in the distance you can travel to, no matter how far away they are.
With over 500 square miles to explore, AC's world gives players huge scope and freedom.
Monster Hordes
In addition, these graphics allow for a much higher concentration of monsters, allowing you to be a true hero and fight entire swarms and emerge victorious.
These touches add a form of realism you don't get in other games. As you play you can find yourself immersed in Dereth as completely as you can any other MMORPG.
The gameplay of AC is unlike any other MMORPG, and that is where AC shines.
Skill-based Character Growth
AC does not have character classes as many other MMORPGs do. There is no 'healer' class, no 'tank' class, no 'attack' class.
With AC you have complete control of the design of your character, allowing you to mix and match skills from any of the traditional class based systems into a character that is truly your own design. The bad news is with this freedom, you can create some extraordinarily bad designs. However, even these designs can succeed, and some players take pride in taking a so-called unplayable design to very high levels.
When grouping for quests, player mixes of skills allow for much greater freedom in creating your groups. A group does not have to consist of a healer, a tank, a leader and damage specialist. Instead, parts of these roles can be taken by anyone in the group.
This also allows for a greater ability to 'solo'. Very little of the content in AC cannot be soloed by a powerful enough character.
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Monthly Content Updates
Almost every month, Turbine releases new content. Content is divided into 'Story Arcs' that are delivered in parts month by month. Each update brings new quests, new items, new places to explore.
And Turbine has been doing this for over TEN years. There is LOTS of stuff to see, you won't run out soon.
Third Party Utilities
AC is unique among MMORPGs in that it allows the use of 3rd party utilities to enhance or design AC gameplay to match your form of enjoyment.
3rd party utilities are available to help you in looting, crafting, managing your stuffs, buffing, finding your way around the world, keeping track of your quest timers and many other useful additions.
Also 3rd party utilities can be used to set up a 'bot' which is an unattended character that can provide services to the community. Bot's provide trading in the AC Marketplace, Bot's provide buffs, portals to far away locations, and services of every kind.
However, this power comes with a downside. Some people use bots to level while they are away from the computer. This is commonly called a UCM for Unattended Combat Macro. UCMs are against the AC rules, and can lead to the character account being banned. However, it is difficult to tell the difference between an attended combat macro (which is legal) and an unattended one. In AC you WILL find macros fighting.
No Mounts
Nope, no horses, flying dragons, speedsters, land rovers, jet airplanes or other weapons of mass transportation.
Instead, you play a super character, faster than a speeding bullet and able to leap tall buildings at a single bound. The run skill allows for faster travel than mounts in other games. You don't have to buy anything special to use it, just add points to your quickness and run skills. With portals to far areas dotting the landscape, and the ability to run as fast as a Volkswagen going up a mountain pass, you will find you don't need a mount.
That said, there are still regular player requests for mounts. Preferable flying and wearing a cape. (Two other things that don't exist in AC)
Other Unique Game Features
Click each image to visit their sections on the Wiki.
A complete list of in-depth articles on a wide variety of game mechanics can be found here.
Social Systems of Asheron's Call
Fellowships
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Whether your goals in Dereth are to obtain powerful magical items, greater experience, or a glimpse of the strange wonders the lands have to offer, you can achieve these ends more easily within a group.
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Allegiances
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"An allegiance differs greatly from a fellowship. A fellowship is a group that lasts for a single adventuring session, potentially sharing experience points evenly, or not all, between its members. When you exit the game, you leave the fellowship.
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Combat and Magic
Combat
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"As you slay monsters and grow in power, you will find weapons of quality and magic. These can be faster, more accurate, or more damaging than normal weapons. They can also improve your skill at deflecting attacks, and can also cast spells to improve your abilities. Keep watch, especially, for weapons that spout flames, frost, lightening, or acid. Not only are they spectacular in battle, but some monsters are extremely vulnerable to them -- you can vanquish a mu-miyah much faster, for instance, with a flaming sword than with one of plain steel." |
Magic
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"The world of Dereth is steeped in magic. Magicians are nearly as plentiful as warriors, and many an enchanted item waits to be found by adventurers. It is perhaps a more difficult choice to begin a career as a spellcaster than it is to begin as a warrior, but the potential rewards may also be greater. Consider that high-level spellcasters are powerful characters whose magical expertise is as important to gameplay as skill with the axe or bow, and as much in demand as the deadliest flaming sword." |
Crafting
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Death and Vitae
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"Asheron's Call wouldn't stay exciting very long if death had no consequences. Ideally, the death penalty occasionally recharges your caution and capacity for suspense. However, if you don't adequately understand how death affects your character, you may find yourself punished even worse than the developers intended. Understanding how the death penalty system works and taking steps to minimize your losses can save you a lot of time and wasted effort, and keep your character's development on a steady upward curve despite the occasional mishap.
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Character Advancement
Aetheria
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"Help the Arcanum and unlock the secrets of a new kind of magic that the Empyreans called Aetheria.
In addition, by having Aetheria equipped as you fight, you have a chance to evoke an Aetheric surge which will grant you power for a short time. Each Aetheria, in addition its sigil, gains a different type of Aetheric surge. Every time you attack a creature with melee or missile weapon or cast a deadly spell at an opponent there is a chance for this surge to flood you with power for a short time. The chance for this surge to activate is determined by the level of the Aetheria. Although you can have more than one surge active, surges of the same type do not stack. If you activate a surge while another of the same type is active the duration may be prolonged but the effect will not be increased.
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Augmentations
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Once you reach the higher levels of power on your character, you will need ways to spend experience. This is where Augmentation Gems come in. These gems provide unique ways to enhance your characters from things such as lessening damage received, increasing your number of pack slots, reducing the sting of death and much more.
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Cloaks
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"Denizens of Dereth can wear cloaks of varying patterns to compliment their tailored suits. Cloaks are equipped into a new back slot on your character inventory panel. As the Arcanum has learned to weave magic into these garments, cloaks have begun dropping from creatures and appearing in chests throughout Dereth.
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The Colosseum
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The Colosseum is a dungeon of sorts with repeatable content. The premise is very simple. Players enter the Colosseum and fight their way through increasingly difficult stages.
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Societies
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Introduced in Ancient Powers, the Societies of Dereth are factions that characters greater than level 180 are able to join. Societies provide players with high level content, including access to tier 7 loot and a new island. Characters are able to advance in rank within their society by completing tasks. Societies also provide a faction vs. faction PvP system in the form of the land control castles. |
Housing
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This is to be a place where you can bring your characters, their friends, and allegiance at the end of long hard day to share stories, hang your trophies and keep safe all the spoils of battle. There are over 6,200 dwellings to be found in Dereth, ranging from small Apartments and Cottages to luxury Villas and even immense and awe-inspiring Mansions." |
The World of Dereth
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"The sun sets in a fine shroud of mist, reddening the stucco of a cheery hilltop inn as wind sighs through the groves; in the mountains, a giant banderling shadows a warrior party amid a lulling patter of snow; and somewhere below the flagstones of the deepest Empyrean excavation, the clicking, chittering Olthoi share mad and bloody dreams. Fond human fantasies meet strange nightmares in the magical realm of Dereth. Escape into 500 square miles of hills, mountains, deserts, forests, towns, dungeons, and hidden islands, where no invisible boundaries interrupt your journey over the vast open spaces. Storms sweep the countryside, the sun sinks into the west, the moons rise and fall, and dawn creeps over the horizon." |
Creatures
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Never has a more feared collection of monsters been found than of those plaguing the lands of Dereth. A hero would be wise to train in the safer areas before to daring to explore and engage such creatures of the wild. |
Dungeons
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"Walk the wilds of Dereth, and such fearsome creatures as Golems, Reed Sharks, and Ursuin may be found. Yet by exploring only the world's surface, one will rarely, if ever, encounter Dereth's most fearsome denizens. To face such beings as the Lugians, Sclavus, and even Olthoi, heroes must delve beneath the ground -- into the dungeons.
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Quests
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"Adventurers looking to fill their coffers with the gold and magic Dereth has to offer will be quick to learn -- not every treasured relic may be won by simply battling creatures. At times, a more heroic effort is required.
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Multi-slot Armor
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"Many blacksmiths have worked their craft in the lands of Dereth and ancient armor can be found all over. It is not uncommon for smiths to create large pieces of armor that offer coverage over multiple areas of the body. To the discerning adventurer trying to create the perfect suit of armor, however, these larger pieces can be inconvenient to fit into their suit even though the piece may have powerful magics and look very good when worn. In their work to deliver on the noble's request of armor appearance customization they discovered a way reduce the coverage of bulky armors. This allows adventurers to more easily fit pieces into existing suits." |
The Mana Forges
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These wonderful places are locations where the Arcanum is putting the wonders of the Ley Lines to work for the betterment of all Dereth. Help power the forges with shards and you shall be rewarded with powerful weapons, armor and other useful items. |
Player Versus Player
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"The ability to harm and be harmed by other players implies assassinations, ambushes, vendettas, and player battles large and small, but it also makes altruism and cooperation more meaningful, and allows for the possibility of player-organized law enforcement. You may have heard that the Player Killer world is a chaotic free-for-all where players get ambushed at every turn, but those who've had this initial experience likely blundered into a bad situation, or even created one by not observing etiquette. If you learn some basic survival tactics and observe the unwritten codes of conduct, you'll find that you can have the same experiences as on an NPK server, while leaving open the possibility of much deeper intrigues and friendships." |
Player Killers
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Player Killers or PKs are players that have converted to one of Bael'Zharon's Chosen by using an Altar of Bael'Zharon or Eye of Darkness.
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Olthoi Play
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Introduced in the 11th anniversary update: From Darkness, Light, Olthoi Play is a system designed to allow players to jump right into the higher level Player vs. Player action without the need to spend vast amounts of time leveling and collecting gear. The downside is that Olthoi Play is highly restricted. |
The Quest System
Contracts
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"Contracts are a way to track the acquisition and progress of the quests they represent. A contract initially takes the form of a written parchment. These parchments can be found in various places in the game, but most often they can be purchased from contract brokers and barkeeps who sell them instead of rumors. Contracts help track quests, and sometimes they can lead you to quests." |
Quest Journal
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The in-game journal for players is used to take notes and track timers as players complete quests. The quest journal is not an item in the normal sense; it does not have burden and will not take up pack space. The quest journal is basically a series of pages that hold information on quests and other notes. |
Recreation in Dereth
Barbers
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"These artisans use their expert techniques to restyle your hair and freshen up your look. Their craft is not entirely mundane for they can even change other aspects of your appearance such as skin color and facial features. Located near the tailors, you simply talk to the barbers. If you can pay their price you will find a variety of options appear to allow you to change your style. The barbers are very particular about their time, however. You pay up front, and their fee stands regardless of what look you choose, even if change your mind and get cold feet." |
Gambling
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"In Dereth there are houses of games (or 'dens of iniquity' to some), where adventurers returning from a successful hunt can gamble away their hard-earned gains. Some have entered clutching their last trade note, and left with prizes such as Pyreal Nuggets and Platinum Scarabs. Others, more confident, less fortunate, bet all they had, only to walk away with but a single, rotting cabbage." |
Tailoring
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"Tailors create tailoring kits to enable citizens to customize the look of their armor if the character has an initial armor piece to work from.
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Story
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"Asheron's Call develops a heroic fantasy setting familiar enough to draw you in yet mysterious enough to draw you onward. A varied host of monsters populate the benighted, medieval terrain; mysterious artifacts of great power embellish vast treasure hoards; and sorcerers, fighters, and rogues plot both heroic alliances and base villainy. However, Asheron's Call retains a strong flavor all its own, with an original backstory and creatures, and unparalleled flexibility in character creation and development. After selecting your attire and facial features from millions of possible combinations, customize your skill set to make your character truly unique. As you defeat foes, you can allocate experience to not only specific skills but also the base attributes like strength and intelligence. And the allegiance system grants you power and prestige as you recruit followers to your service. Enter the vast and magical world of Dereth, where a new and heroic identity awaits you!" |
Trade
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"The Arcanum, under the direction of the Queen, has created a special Marketplace that is accessible to all of the people of Dereth. Now with just a simple act of will, those in search of goods or services can be transported to the Marketplace, making it easier for everyone to find the materials they need to prepare themselves for whatever challenges lie ahead." |
Getting Started
- Character Creation - A guide to the in-game character creation system
- Character Races
- Beginner Guides for common classes:
Asheron's Call: A Complete Video Documentary
Connor the Craftmaster's Asheron's Call: A Complete Video Documentary
Part 1 Why Asheron's Call?
- Movement
- No Classes!
- Swarms of Monsters
- Player made programs
- 10 Years of Content
- Details of Asheron's Call Story
- Character Creation
<youtube>7WQCpzY8Yis</youtube>
Part 2 Combat
- Melee
- Ranged
- Mage
- The magic system
- Item/Creature/Life/War magic
- Tradeskills and the Treasure System
- Alchemy
- Cooking
- Fletching
<youtube>97oea9eR_TM</youtube>
Part 3 Salvaging
- Tinkering (all 4 skills)
- Endurance Explained
- Armor mechanics
- Segmented armor
- Non-Segmented armor
- Personal Favorites
- In-game writing
- Misc Stuff
<youtube>VHx2Lk8b0b8</youtube>