Your First Day: Lessons 1 - 3

goldpython · 11-30-2005, 20:20

I've fleshed out my outline from weeks ago and turned it into a set of lessons that can be used both by a single player and as an instructor's guide.

I still haven't written anything on mining or crafting because I just don't know enough. I have only the very beginner's experience in mining with the TT tools, no more, and none at all in crafting.

The target audience for this is brand new players in their first couple hours in game.

I think this sits well along side rotten-ice's guides as well as others. It's written in a bit different style. Perhaps the different guides will appeal to different people and serve to get more people into the world and keep them there.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,
gp

goldpython · 11-30-2005, 20:20

Your First Day: Lesson 1, Basics

User Interface: Control and Communications

The first thing to do is to learn to control your session and communicate or interact with other players. Do these next few things first. The rest of this guide assume you can do these things.

The Very First Things to Learn

Set the interface for 1st rather than 3rd person
Press 'o' to get the Options screen. Press the button in the lower right corner for 1st Person. Click Done to return to normal mode.

Camera zoom with 'z'
Press 'z' a couple times and see how the view changes. Note the Crosshairs that appear when you're zoomed all the way in.

Toggling between Crosshairs and Mouse
Press SPACE and note how the Mouse either appears or is replaced by Crosshairs.

Getting In and Out of chat window
Press ENTER and note how the focus moves to the chat window so you can type a chat message. Pressing ENTER a second time will send the chat message and resume normal control. Note also, that if the focus is on the chat window, you can press ESCAPE to get out back to normal control operation without sending the chat message.

That's the beginning. Refer back to the above items anytime Mouse, Crosshairs or Chat is mentioned.

Help and Options
Press 'h' for the Help screen or 'o' for the Options screen.

Other Help In Game
In game, Societies can be of value in organizing activites, making contacts with people, and so on. Society Chat can be particularly helpful to new players. If a member of a society, any other member of that society can be contacted anywhere in the game by using Society Chat. Prefix a chat message with "/s" so send the message to all society members currently logged on.

Mentors can be very helpful as well, but beware. If a mentor is not helpful, don't hesitate to kick the mentor and look for another one.

Web Sites
Several websites provide guides such as this one, charts on weapons, armor, and so on. Also some provide information on current prices of items recently on auction.
project-entropia.com
entropiaforum.com
pe-trade.net
mytwopecs.com
entropia-pioneers.kicks-ass.org
www.pe-wiki.info

Private Chat
Get the Mouse. Right-click and hold on the other player. Choose Interaction and then Private Chat. The other player will have to respond by clicking Yes on a dialog box that appears on his screen.

Friend List and Messaging
You can send private messages to people on your Friend List no matter where they are located in the world. You can also see when they enter or leave the world.

Adding a Friend
To add a friend to your list, get the Mouse, right-click and hold, choose Add as Friend. They have to respond by clicking Yes on a dialog for the add to complete.

Sending a Message to a Friend
To send a friend a private message, press 'j' to bring up the friend list, right-click on the friend you wish to send to, choose Message.

Economy, Part I: What to Do in PE?

PE is more of a virtual world than a game, and as such, the activities revolve around the economy. You essentially enter the world and work to earn money and make a living there. Three professions are directly supported and one is indirectly supported. You can also deposit money into the world of PE, usually with a credit card, from the real world.

What Makes it Up?
Sweating
Collecting "vibrant sweat" from animals is the only completely free method of making money in the world. Sweat collected is sold to other players who, by crafting, then use the sweat, along with other materials, to make other things.

Hunting, Mining, Crafting
Hunting, Mining, and Crafting are directly supported by mechanisms in the world. There are weapons for hunting and tools for mining. You hunt for loot, and mine for resources. Crafters use them to make things that they themselves sell. Crafters may make weapons, mining equipment, furniture, clothes, a variety of things.

Trading as an Occupation
Some players trade to make a living, often gathering small quantities of loot and resources into large quantities and selling it to crafters for a profit. This can save the miners and hunters time since they don't have to find the crafter, as well as saving the crafters time since they don't have to find the resources.

goldpython · 11-30-2005, 20:21

Your First Day: Lesson 2, Sweating and Trading

Starting: Your First Sweat Trip

A good place to start is to collect some sweat and then sell it. this will illustrate several aspects of the world.

How to Sweat
Find an animal and get the Crosshairs. Aim at the animal and then click and hold until the concentration period ends. (In the beginning, there is a message to that effect) Then aim, click and hold a second time. This second time collects the sweat. It may or may not succeed. Keep trying until it does or until you receive a message indicating that no more sweat may be collected from the animal.

It is very helpful to have a more experienced player that has a weapon, armor and a fast aid pack (FAP) to come along. The experienced player can attract and keep the animal's attention while the new players sweat the animal.

What Animals to Start With
Daikibas, exorasaurs, snablesnots are the common starting animals. Berycleds are commonly seen in some sweat areas as well.

Where to Sweat
NE of Fort Argus; NE and E of Port Atlantis; E, NE, and N of Fort Troy; E of Atlas Haven. These areas are where new players have spawned in recents months. Camp Phoenix is a popular sweat area to travel to.

Economy, Part II: Selling Your Goods

Assuming you have collected some sweat on your sweat trip, it is now time to sell it. The options are the Auction or Private Trade.

What Price?
1 Project Entropia Dollar (PED) = 100 Project Entropia Cents (PEC)

Teleporters are common places to buy and sell goods. The Port Atlantis teleporter may be the most active in terms of commerce. Watch the chat go by and note the prices. They change all the time, so watch and see what the current rate is.

Sweat is priced by the bottle, usually somewhere between 1 and 2 PEC each.

Some Trading Mechanics
TT Value, TT+x, x%
All items have a trade terminal (TT) Value. Press 'i' to get the inventory screen. Right-click on an item, then click Info to see the Value.

TT+x means TT value plus x PED. For example, a gun may sell for TT+2.

x% means a percentage of TT value. For example, Animal Hide may sell for 110%.

Decay
The TT value of most items decays as the item is used. If the item decays too much, the item cannot be used. Repair the item at a repair terminal to restore it to working order. The TT value will go back up after the repair. Right click on an item, then click info and see the spectrum that indicates Condition.

The Auction
Auctions are located in most, but not all, cities. Notably, Fort Argus does not have one, but the run West to Fort Ithaca is not very difficult and there is one there. The seller pays a 1 PED fee for posting an item for auction. Bids can be placed on items, the highest bidder winning the item when the auction finishes. If the item has a buyout bid, a bid of that amount wins the item immediately.

Private Trade
The private trade mechanism provides a safe method for two players to make a trade. Both players have to Confirm the trade, and then both players have to Accept the trade for it to complete.

Extract smaller quantities of PED and PEC from the Card or from larger piles by double-clicking on the Card or pile, and enter the amount to extract. Note that with the Card PED and PEC cannot be extracted at the same time. Two an extraction for each.

Extract smaller quantities of sweat or other bulk items in the same manner as money. Double-click on the item and enter the amount required.

Be careful and note the Condition of an item being bought. Additional money may need to be spent repairing the item after purchase.

Be careful of clicking Confirm and Accept without carefully noting exactly what is being traded. People have been cheated when not careful with this.

goldpython · 11-30-2005, 20:22

Your First Day: Lesson 3, Profession Basics, Basic Hunting

Commonalities
Skills
As you use a weapon or tool, various skills ratings increase, and as they increase, your effectiveness with the tool increases. Press 'k' to bring up the Avatar Info display. Watch for messages in the chat window indicating skill increases.

Trade Terminals
Buy weapons and ammo at Trade Terminals located in Shop Containers (SC) and cities. Also, FAP-5 Fast Aid Packs can be purchased as well. These are handy to speed healing during hunting and sweating.

Get the Crosshairs and right-click on the terminal to activate it.

Hunting
Hunting the same animals that you start sweating with is the best place to start. They can be killed with beginner weapons and without armor.

Beginner Weapons
Beginner weapons typically do only light damage, but they also consume the least ammo, show low decay, and give good economy for the new player. Trade Terminal weapons give learning bonuses as well and make good beginner weapons. Other crafted weapons still work very well for beginners.
Omegaton M2100 (TT), Mann MPH (Crafted)

Solomate Opalo (TT), Jester D1 (Crafted)

Combat Enblade-A (TT), Rep Edge Battle Axe 1x0, 2x0

Weapon Economy
Damage/PEC
Important for hunting to make a living. Account for ammo for ranged weapons, and decay on both ranged and melee. Try to kill as cheaply as possible to give a chance that the loot recieved will be higher than the cost of hunting. Matching the weapon to your skills is critical for this. Much money is wasted by using too powerful a weapon when hunting for a living.

Damage/Sec and Reload Time
Using a weapon with high damage and fast reload times is commonly done where survival is the prime concern, rather than economy. It is often done simply to be able to continue traveling or to save time spent in dying and running back out to the given location.

As a comparison, melee weapons tend to do more damage than their ranged counterparts of similar ranking, but have slower reload times, and higher decay. These factors combine to make the economies similar, but still with their own pros and cons. Often it's a matter of style and use that will determine which weapon is appropriate.

Armor
Armor is not required immediately, but will be good to have later. Pixie is the best to start with. Rascal would be the next grade up.

Teams
In order to take down large animals, teams can be formed so that loot can be automatically distributed among team members. To form a team, right-click on the background, choose Team. Note the different loot distribution options and choose the one that fits your situation.

Team members can communicate with Team Chat regardless of location, something handy especially when a team member dies and is revived outside the immediate vicinity.

Prefix a chat message with "/t" to make it a Team Chat message. If using the Team tab on the main Chat window, the "/t" is not required.

To make sure all team members see your Team Chat messages, make sure to click on Team windows title bar.