Quick Tips to Ryzom UI for Noobs
Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2004 10:28 pm
(Moderator, if you or the visiting public find this guide useful, I wouldn't mind your making a sticky of it. My purpose is to aid visitors and new players alike during their free trial period and head off any new player confusion at the pass. I'll try to update the post on occasion, thanks).
18 Tips for the New player:
1) K key brings up the menu where you can see and change what keys bring up what functions, menus , etc.
2) In this menu and most of the other windows you will see in the upper right part of the window a small ? symbol. If you click on that it will bring up the contextual help.
2b) The + sign in menus is clickable and shows you the submenu. Useful in the Advancement Progression window (default key is A) for seeing what each skill branches into. Also useful in Game Options (default key is U).
2c) Use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom out behind your character (3rd person view, it's adjustable to some extent) or to be all the way into first person mode where you see nothing of your character's body at all.
3) The Help Window also has a series of "How to ... " mini articles. How to Craft, How to Harvest, etc.
4) The Help Window also allows you to choose several mini-tutorials, like how to go through your first quest with the Welcomer's etc.
5) If you go to http://www.ryzom.com/?page=support or simply click on the Support choice on the left side of the home page, you will be able to download a .pdf file of the current version of the Game Manual. The second half of the manual IS accurate AND helpful.
6) If you want to understand how tough a target is in Ryzom ... what many call "conning" for considering a monster then you should read the Consideration Guide at ryzomvault.ign.com. IT IS up to date and IS accurate (except for it saying that Puny is the lowest predator prefix in name, Weeny is).
-- Targetting Bracket for Relative Difficulty of Target
Basically when you SELECT (one click selects) a target the targetting brackets have a color on them IF you move your mouse cursor from being still over the bracket. It will pulse that color of the bracket (like green or red etc) alternating with the usual white. But if you keep the cursor of the mouse over it , it often stays all white. That will give you a relative con rating to your current weapon in hand and skill in that (magic for amp weapon, fight for melee, etc).
-- Target Window for Absolute Target Difficulty
Hint 1: The More Stars on the Rhino, the Faster You Run Away
Hint 2: Name Prefixes tell you the Pecking Order in that Species.
Hint 3: A baby rhino can kick the arse of a mature rat, I guarantee.
Hint 4: In other words, Weeny Kipee >> Puny Goari.
Hint 5: Just start with Suckling Yubos. Everyone kicks sand in its face.
Hint 6: Some animals are predators, they attack you if see you and you are near enough. Most herbivores won't. Start treating the game like a safari. If the antelope start running and you see one fighting something, no it isn't pvp, no it isn't a bug, it's that a predator just hunted it down, probably a Gingo.
Hint 7: It gets worse on the Mainland. Animals will start calling for friends, or the herd that is in range will aid a buddy. Do NOT make the mistake of thinking that the Newbie Islands you start on ARE the way it is on the mainland. It's an easier taste of it so that you can get to understand the game.
Details:
Another way to rate the foe is to look in the target window, but that is not the same way as most other MMORPG conning systems. There you have to read the type of animal, Yber or Goari, etc, and then check the number of stars it has, or the prefix, which may be Suckling as lowest for herbivore (1 star ) or Weanling herbivore (2 star), or for predators Weeny is lowest (1 star) and then Puny (2 star). Note that the ryzomvault.ign.com is incorrect about Puny being lowest, it isn't, it's second to lowest, Weeny is lowest predator.
That's a slight oversimplification, but it will get the job done. Ok enough on conning or targeting, moving on ...
7) Almost all of your loot will be usable as crafting ingredients. Same is true of things you harvest/forage. They also sell for money.
8) The Corporals will assign you tasks and pay you for them. Their tasks tend to be Hunt and Kill, simply Locate Animal X (no fighting needed), or Get Such and Such Quartered or Skinned ingredient (find the right animal, kill it, right click on corpse, quarter it, if you got the right part, done). Corporal quests pay you when you kill, quarter, etc .. you don't need to go back to them to get paid, nice eh?
9)Check out also the Overseer. I believe he assigns Crafting Tasks.
9b) There are two Melee Merchants in start towns. One is supposedly for the one handed weapons, the other for the two handed weapons, but their name tags both say Melee Merchant. If you want to buy a Magic Amplifier (Amp) supposedly that is on the two-handed Melee Merchant as well. So check BOTH and learn which is which. To find out how many hands are required to use a weapon, right click for info, it's at the bottom of the info. (Nevrax, may I suggest you move it to the top and rename one melee merchant as 2 Hand Melee etc).
9c) If you have in the main right hand a one handed weapon, you can wear in the left or off hand a shield, or wield a dagger (dual wielding set-up). I am not sure if you need a special skill to dual wield effectively (believe not) or to use the shield effectively (also believe not). However, some shield special abilities are available to help take damage away from another target you choose to protect. I'll try over time to find out more.
10) Local Suppliers will, if you right click and choose What Do You Want To Buy (something like that), what they will pay better prices for. There are usually two local suppliers at least in any town. Plus in the newbie lands, there are 5 towns, they don't necessarily all want the same thing.
11) Your Welcomer has some tasks also. All the tasks mentioned provide an opportunity for both dapper (money) and Fame (faction rating improvement). Note what it says when done in the System Message Window.
12) Right click is your friend. The default options are not always the only thing you want when you talk to an NPC. Also right click on an item or an icon or even many parts of the screen will give you a sub-menu pop-up. Lots of times you'd be amazed what choices you find there.
13) One click on target to select, two click on target to do the default attack.
14) You can customize your spells and melee special attacks. This is explained in the manual and in-game help. Just keep it in mind for later. You can create the custom action by right clicking on any open slot on the Hands toolbar (the usual 1-10 keys etc bar in most MMORPGs) and then following the prompts etc. Want a short range heal that costs less sap (mana), try and see if you can build it. Want a longer range nuke spell, try and customize it. I'll not explain further, it's in the manual. Think Morrowind's spellmaker.
15) The chat window uses a Tabbed format. Want to see the Regional chat (great for asking questions and making friends) click on that tab and you'll see it in the chat window. Want to see only what is Around you ... use Around tab, now you see that in the window. If the Tab turns red there are new messages in that Tab's type of chat. Would you like a separate window for Region , just right click on the tab and it will separate and create a new window (not that the Avault reviewer missed this ... ahem). Have it your way, just like at McDonald's.
16) Advance Keymapping using the window that comes up using the default K key.
-- Here you can match game functions to the Key's you want. Read the ? help in the upper right of the window for more info.
-- WARNING: When you change a function to a key combo that already exists, the original line that listed the old function mapped to that key combo will disappear from the list. You can always fix that by creating a New Key from up top. Let me give you an example of this danger.
I tried to map many of my main windows to something other than just letters. See to bring up chat you hit Enter, also deactivates chat if still active. Problem is in battles while chatting, often you hit to chat and you will instead not be in chat. The result is you may lose your very important windows when you most need them. For instance, H may be the key for your hands bar, that's where you Action Icons are saying what number key activates your attacks etc and what is in your hands. Not good if you lose that in mid battle and don't have them memorized or want to change weapons. Same if you lose the target window or lose your own status window. So it's a good idea to remap those windows to some sort of ALT default letter combo or to some CTRL letter combo.
But here is the problem. I tried to do that also for the K for Keymapping window. I used ALT K , but that conflicted with another command. But the interface didn't tell me, I had to figure it out. But wasn't easy, because, the old conflicting line was removed from the list in that window. Ended up that I could not bring up the window at all. Luckily the interface is redundant. There is a Game Configuration Window. Open that, check on the Key Window's box and it opens for you after you close the Game Configuration window. So I then changed it back removing the conflict and created the old line via New Key.
Basically you want to change many of the Show/Hide XXX Window keys.
-- Near that ? mark in the upper right title bar of that Key mapping window, you will also see an option for New Key. Yep, you then get a large scroll of functions to make a new key activate. You thought the K window was long already ... you thought the interface powerful ... hey make it more so.
17) Advanced Game Options
The U key will bring up a whole lot of options for Graphics, Sound etc. Just click on the plus sign to see more choices in each category.
Under Interface you can choose to show various bars over your own character , like for sap (mana), hit points (life), name etc. So you can make it look like an RTS, like say Warcraft Key with the little bars over your character. Again this is a powerful interface if clicky and having lots of sub-menus. Check it out.
18) Lots of people think the manual (which is downloadable ) is not so great. They are basically wrong. It's the phrasing which is a chore along with the unfamiliarity with the game. Read it. The more you have played the more you will "get" the manual and the game. You don't have to read the manual, but it isn't "bad". It has more info than Dark Age of Camelot's had, more than Anarchy Online's (they had none in many box versions), more than Asheron's Call 2 manual does even. So the criticism is overdone.
Ok for now that is enough. Feel free to add to the thread as you wish.
I hope this helps some out.
Edited to add a few tips. Again, again, again.
18 Tips for the New player:
1) K key brings up the menu where you can see and change what keys bring up what functions, menus , etc.
2) In this menu and most of the other windows you will see in the upper right part of the window a small ? symbol. If you click on that it will bring up the contextual help.
2b) The + sign in menus is clickable and shows you the submenu. Useful in the Advancement Progression window (default key is A) for seeing what each skill branches into. Also useful in Game Options (default key is U).
2c) Use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom out behind your character (3rd person view, it's adjustable to some extent) or to be all the way into first person mode where you see nothing of your character's body at all.
3) The Help Window also has a series of "How to ... " mini articles. How to Craft, How to Harvest, etc.
4) The Help Window also allows you to choose several mini-tutorials, like how to go through your first quest with the Welcomer's etc.
5) If you go to http://www.ryzom.com/?page=support or simply click on the Support choice on the left side of the home page, you will be able to download a .pdf file of the current version of the Game Manual. The second half of the manual IS accurate AND helpful.
6) If you want to understand how tough a target is in Ryzom ... what many call "conning" for considering a monster then you should read the Consideration Guide at ryzomvault.ign.com. IT IS up to date and IS accurate (except for it saying that Puny is the lowest predator prefix in name, Weeny is).
-- Targetting Bracket for Relative Difficulty of Target
Basically when you SELECT (one click selects) a target the targetting brackets have a color on them IF you move your mouse cursor from being still over the bracket. It will pulse that color of the bracket (like green or red etc) alternating with the usual white. But if you keep the cursor of the mouse over it , it often stays all white. That will give you a relative con rating to your current weapon in hand and skill in that (magic for amp weapon, fight for melee, etc).
-- Target Window for Absolute Target Difficulty
Hint 1: The More Stars on the Rhino, the Faster You Run Away
Hint 2: Name Prefixes tell you the Pecking Order in that Species.
Hint 3: A baby rhino can kick the arse of a mature rat, I guarantee.
Hint 4: In other words, Weeny Kipee >> Puny Goari.
Hint 5: Just start with Suckling Yubos. Everyone kicks sand in its face.
Hint 6: Some animals are predators, they attack you if see you and you are near enough. Most herbivores won't. Start treating the game like a safari. If the antelope start running and you see one fighting something, no it isn't pvp, no it isn't a bug, it's that a predator just hunted it down, probably a Gingo.
Hint 7: It gets worse on the Mainland. Animals will start calling for friends, or the herd that is in range will aid a buddy. Do NOT make the mistake of thinking that the Newbie Islands you start on ARE the way it is on the mainland. It's an easier taste of it so that you can get to understand the game.
Details:
Another way to rate the foe is to look in the target window, but that is not the same way as most other MMORPG conning systems. There you have to read the type of animal, Yber or Goari, etc, and then check the number of stars it has, or the prefix, which may be Suckling as lowest for herbivore (1 star ) or Weanling herbivore (2 star), or for predators Weeny is lowest (1 star) and then Puny (2 star). Note that the ryzomvault.ign.com is incorrect about Puny being lowest, it isn't, it's second to lowest, Weeny is lowest predator.
That's a slight oversimplification, but it will get the job done. Ok enough on conning or targeting, moving on ...
7) Almost all of your loot will be usable as crafting ingredients. Same is true of things you harvest/forage. They also sell for money.
8) The Corporals will assign you tasks and pay you for them. Their tasks tend to be Hunt and Kill, simply Locate Animal X (no fighting needed), or Get Such and Such Quartered or Skinned ingredient (find the right animal, kill it, right click on corpse, quarter it, if you got the right part, done). Corporal quests pay you when you kill, quarter, etc .. you don't need to go back to them to get paid, nice eh?
9)Check out also the Overseer. I believe he assigns Crafting Tasks.
9b) There are two Melee Merchants in start towns. One is supposedly for the one handed weapons, the other for the two handed weapons, but their name tags both say Melee Merchant. If you want to buy a Magic Amplifier (Amp) supposedly that is on the two-handed Melee Merchant as well. So check BOTH and learn which is which. To find out how many hands are required to use a weapon, right click for info, it's at the bottom of the info. (Nevrax, may I suggest you move it to the top and rename one melee merchant as 2 Hand Melee etc).
9c) If you have in the main right hand a one handed weapon, you can wear in the left or off hand a shield, or wield a dagger (dual wielding set-up). I am not sure if you need a special skill to dual wield effectively (believe not) or to use the shield effectively (also believe not). However, some shield special abilities are available to help take damage away from another target you choose to protect. I'll try over time to find out more.
10) Local Suppliers will, if you right click and choose What Do You Want To Buy (something like that), what they will pay better prices for. There are usually two local suppliers at least in any town. Plus in the newbie lands, there are 5 towns, they don't necessarily all want the same thing.
11) Your Welcomer has some tasks also. All the tasks mentioned provide an opportunity for both dapper (money) and Fame (faction rating improvement). Note what it says when done in the System Message Window.
12) Right click is your friend. The default options are not always the only thing you want when you talk to an NPC. Also right click on an item or an icon or even many parts of the screen will give you a sub-menu pop-up. Lots of times you'd be amazed what choices you find there.
13) One click on target to select, two click on target to do the default attack.
14) You can customize your spells and melee special attacks. This is explained in the manual and in-game help. Just keep it in mind for later. You can create the custom action by right clicking on any open slot on the Hands toolbar (the usual 1-10 keys etc bar in most MMORPGs) and then following the prompts etc. Want a short range heal that costs less sap (mana), try and see if you can build it. Want a longer range nuke spell, try and customize it. I'll not explain further, it's in the manual. Think Morrowind's spellmaker.
15) The chat window uses a Tabbed format. Want to see the Regional chat (great for asking questions and making friends) click on that tab and you'll see it in the chat window. Want to see only what is Around you ... use Around tab, now you see that in the window. If the Tab turns red there are new messages in that Tab's type of chat. Would you like a separate window for Region , just right click on the tab and it will separate and create a new window (not that the Avault reviewer missed this ... ahem). Have it your way, just like at McDonald's.
16) Advance Keymapping using the window that comes up using the default K key.
-- Here you can match game functions to the Key's you want. Read the ? help in the upper right of the window for more info.
-- WARNING: When you change a function to a key combo that already exists, the original line that listed the old function mapped to that key combo will disappear from the list. You can always fix that by creating a New Key from up top. Let me give you an example of this danger.
I tried to map many of my main windows to something other than just letters. See to bring up chat you hit Enter, also deactivates chat if still active. Problem is in battles while chatting, often you hit to chat and you will instead not be in chat. The result is you may lose your very important windows when you most need them. For instance, H may be the key for your hands bar, that's where you Action Icons are saying what number key activates your attacks etc and what is in your hands. Not good if you lose that in mid battle and don't have them memorized or want to change weapons. Same if you lose the target window or lose your own status window. So it's a good idea to remap those windows to some sort of ALT default letter combo or to some CTRL letter combo.
But here is the problem. I tried to do that also for the K for Keymapping window. I used ALT K , but that conflicted with another command. But the interface didn't tell me, I had to figure it out. But wasn't easy, because, the old conflicting line was removed from the list in that window. Ended up that I could not bring up the window at all. Luckily the interface is redundant. There is a Game Configuration Window. Open that, check on the Key Window's box and it opens for you after you close the Game Configuration window. So I then changed it back removing the conflict and created the old line via New Key.
Basically you want to change many of the Show/Hide XXX Window keys.
-- Near that ? mark in the upper right title bar of that Key mapping window, you will also see an option for New Key. Yep, you then get a large scroll of functions to make a new key activate. You thought the K window was long already ... you thought the interface powerful ... hey make it more so.
17) Advanced Game Options
The U key will bring up a whole lot of options for Graphics, Sound etc. Just click on the plus sign to see more choices in each category.
Under Interface you can choose to show various bars over your own character , like for sap (mana), hit points (life), name etc. So you can make it look like an RTS, like say Warcraft Key with the little bars over your character. Again this is a powerful interface if clicky and having lots of sub-menus. Check it out.
18) Lots of people think the manual (which is downloadable ) is not so great. They are basically wrong. It's the phrasing which is a chore along with the unfamiliarity with the game. Read it. The more you have played the more you will "get" the manual and the game. You don't have to read the manual, but it isn't "bad". It has more info than Dark Age of Camelot's had, more than Anarchy Online's (they had none in many box versions), more than Asheron's Call 2 manual does even. So the criticism is overdone.
Ok for now that is enough. Feel free to add to the thread as you wish.
I hope this helps some out.
Edited to add a few tips. Again, again, again.