Hey folks- first, I hope no one takes this as criticism of the EfU community at all, but as an honest question.

I'm a long-time CoA player, and I've made several attempts to come over and play on EfU. I think I've made a forum account or two- I just can't remember the names... I've never found myself able to get involved. I don't think it's a problem with the playerbase (hell- we share players between the servers like crazy), or the mod itself (it's very well-designed), so I don't know exactly what I'm doing wrong.

I log in, wander about looking for people, but never manage to find anyone who isn't very busy intently roleplaying with someone else. It usually take 30 minutes to an hour before I log out and go back to CoA. I hear great things about this server from people I've played with on CoA, so I'd love to know exactly how to go about getting involved here.

Any advice offered would be great. Thanks, and merry Christmas.

Hey MisterFantastic,

One thing I advise is to just jump right into that roleplaying others are involved in. Most times if it's not too secretive (what they are talking about) they will probably warm up to you fairly quick. Another trick I use is to "Make a report" with a Watchman in the middle of town. If people are around, they get interested which starts the interaction and you can engage in dialect with a PC law- upholder. I am sure others will chime in with better suggestions. Good luck.

FA

The first thing that comes to mind are Factions. DM and Player Factions.

Look around at the forums and you'll most definitely find a faction recruiting, then jump in there and get involved. If it's not your thing then you have hopefully at least made some OOC connections with the Player Base.

Otherwise, get yourself in a party going for whatever quest and roleplay your sox off. That's usually a good way to make connections ICly. I find myself making my lasting character contacts/friends while I am still low lvl and a low profile character.

Funny, I have the very same question, but for CoA.

Hey, As a former CoA player, I know your pain mate. Back when I was new to EfU, I was intimidated by the long winded emotes, and the smaller stature of the city. I was terrified to venture out, in fear of getting murdered-mugged-or PHKed! But as I started to interact, joining the scripted powegamzors quests, I came to find EfU as sort of a second home. Eventually, I drifted from CoA entirely, and became a member of the Underdark.

Give it some time, and make an effort. The DM interaction is phenomenal, and the playerbase is semi-mediocre! (Kidding, the Player base of EfU is amazing.)

With a bit of trying, and a bit of patience I am sure you will falll into the hefty bosom of the Underdark!

Hey there,

Getting started on any new Persistent World can be tough, and at times overwhelming for anyone. I know when I started playing here things were a bit over my head, and I really had no clue what was going on. I'll try to pass down the wisdom I've gathered from playing here the past two years as concisely and helpfully as possible.

1.) Ask faction players to give you a job, or if they need any help with anything.

This should be huge. Most faction PC's, (largely the Spellguard, Watch, Seekers) should have some kind of agenda they are looking to pursue, and they need PC help. Be it a spy, scout, warrior, whatever. This is a great way to start meeting other PC's, which gives you a reason to log in. Playing alone is boring, having buddies you know online is fun. Do this!

2.) Check the hot-spots.

- Pissing Crone. - Last Stand. - Town Hall (Groan, regretably people still idle outside here.)

Skulk around these places and just get out there and try to meet other PC's. Chat them up about your sad days of slavery, or whatever agenda your PC is trying to pursue. Don't have an agenda? Maybe the other person does, and you can help.

3.) Forums.

I'd recommend making a post offering your services as a mercenary up. Really someone should be wetting themselves to scoop up another able-bodied merc for their cause.

Okay! There we go. Hopefully this helps. If it doesn't, just post anymore problems you're having and I'm sure we'll be willing to help out.

I am sure you have already done this, but I will make mention of it as when I started EFU I did not, and I found the server very quiet as well.

Get a citizen stone so you can hear sendings.

As I said, I am sure you have done this, but just in case, I thought I would mention it. Sometimes it is the simple things we miss, and if memory serves me right you just hear the sendings on CoA, you don't need anything.

The best way I found to Get involved is to make an out of the way Topic, have a character who develops one skill (Like lore, or craft trap) To god like levels. Then offer the faction your skills and you'll be amazed on how much crap they'll give you as a gift (or at a discount) and how many friend's you'll make!

And non stereotypical characters, these guys are usually awesome.

Multiclass and don't give a damn about the EXp penalty, Yes, do it, now.

If your a cleric, PREACH! You will get awesome responses for the community!

I used to play Arabel often, and I know how ridiculously large that city is!

The best advice I've taken on when making a new character is to do a little research on a faction and join it, even if it's a small player one such as the Spellguard Associates, Vile Industries, The Beacon, etc. While some people prefer to create more complex characters that intend on secretly backstabbing the faction, for first characters I'd recommend making the "ideal" Watchman/Associate/Beacon Caretaker/Office of the Herald Scribe. It keeps things simple and allows more breathing room for a character to develop.

I can say from personal experience that I once had a character that joined the Spellguard Associates and I was quickly surprised to find the amount of plots I was thrown in. This coming from a player faction too! It wasn't hard to become a member and it definitely put direction into where that character went.

So basically if you join a faction expect to have people to play with, a goal to pursue and have a wider path opened for your character to develop.

And lastly, welcome to the Underdark.

When I first started on the server (about a week, two weeks ago maybe) I found it incredibly hard to find anyone to warm to my first PC, Jonie Fryar the paladin. Eventually people got the idea that he was just and true and blah-dee-blah-blah everyone's peachy. All it takes is a little interraction between you and a complete stranger.

Often you'll see people standing about outside the Town Hall, excellent! People talk so much crap outside there you wouldn't believe, easy pickings if you're a xenophobe Barbarian who just 'loves' to tell people to 'Pike-off!' or made snide comments. Or try to barter with a PC merchant, people will laugh and watch in absolute amazement as you tell them they're just not right about the price! Excellent.

Word of advice, don't make your PC more than a little touched in the head, or you'll die a lot and become incarcerated for a long, long time.

Try putting things into the cart, people will see you doing this and think "Aww, s/he's a helpful Bill." and give you a pat on the back. Get involved with other PC's regardless of their first appeal, if someone calls you a stink-beetle-faced-mongotrog, try coming up with something witty in return, then offer your skills to their next adventure. If you're looking for someone to adventure with, and your PC is bold enough, just walk up to people and TELL them they're coming with you - sometimes the other PC is just as eager to get out and cut something up as you are.

If you actively start to roleplay, other people will generally follow it for a bit, at least particepating a little before they go off to do something better. Some of my own personal best memories of RP on the server have been other people talking about something completely alien to my character. Great fun to ask a bunch of questions, and it makes the other person feel that their character is VERY important. :roll:

Good advice, ask QUESTIONS! Get involved with EFU leaders, like councilors etc...these folks can help you out or give you support.

I think this is an amazing topic -- and, while I think the above answers are exceptional, I will say that I will go far, far, far out of my way to reward players that help other, new players, get into the groove of EFU. Ultimately it's the players that help others get involved that I wish to reward. You can spam those awesome 8 line emotes all you want in your last stand room, and I will not reward you, or you can bring new players on quests and show them around, teach them the history, and get them involved. While I think this is in someways its own reward, it is also totally awesome, and something that will be rewarded by DMs and make us think the world of you.

We groan every time we get the call, but one of the first things a new player will invariably do when they walk through the gates is make a report with one of the Watch Privates. Of course, if you are new to the server, then you don't realize that this summons all the Watch PCs to the gates!

It happens often enough that it's more or less customary among Watch PCs that when we get called to the gates by an unfamiliar player, one of us goes to show the new player around a little bit. Most of the time they've already run off to some other area by the time we arrive, however, if you are looking for a faction PC who is willing to take the time for a little interaction, that's one way to get it.

Most of the above advice is good..

Something that I did when I started my first character was to act completely exhausted. Usually, just emoting being really tired, and wounded (even if you're not actually injured) and then collapsing in public (using the '/c fall' command or radial emote) will get players attention. Even high level (6+) characters will help out or emote or engage you in some way.

Keep in mind that trying to do this with a HUGE crowd wont work though. Too many tells, emotes, and dialogue happening for it to be effective. So look for groups of 5 or less.

Also, make sure you get a citizen stone from Town Hall (yes this may be OOC info, but....) they will clue to you in to other players actions through the combat log window when they make sendings for tasks.

Also feel free to make your OWN sendings for information (if you have the gold).

Lastly, ask questions of other characters. If you've asked them where something is located (bazaar, etc), ask what the person does, how they got into the underdark or whatever. The character will usually enjoy telling part of their back story to you and may open up some interesting partnerships.

Hope this helps!

Make friends

Have goals

Make friends to achieve said goals

Have goals to achieve goals of other friends

Have goals to be not just another random character in the underdark.

Great advice all around; I'll spend the next few days thinking up a concept before I give it another try.

Heh. It's interesting how much of this is the exact same advice you'd get on CoA (or any other RP server, I guess) for asking the same question. Maybe it's just been so long since I've been "new" at a server that I forgot how awkward it can be.

Starting a new server is always hard, especially when it's such a drastic move. You know none of the current players, none of the history or current plots, and so its hard to get involved. However, EfU's playerbase are mature and helpful. A simple tell, asking a question will definately be met with a polite response, or should be! I mean, new players are what keeps a server alive! :)

Welcome to the Underdark.

I know it's been said, but DM factions are definitely the way to go. I was a noob floating around EFU, not having nearly as much fun as I am now, until I apped for my Agent and got involved in the many plots that are constantly going on in EFU. Seekers, Watch, and Spellguard are all excellent choices, and I highly recommend the Crone if you're considering getting involved with Lower rather than Upper.

Hit me up if you want a nudge in the right direction or application help.

Or... just be another random character in the underdark, and hope that something cool happens to you.

I will rant about the most god damned Occurrence.

We were finishing a quest then all of the sudden a SINGLE SPAWN WIPED OUT 4 members of our party. 2 were saved before they could bleed to death but two others were officially pwned. Me included, after i just got back to lvl 7.

Life hurts.

Someone should stick this advice as we always have new ppl looking for how to get started.

Feeling adventersome? Make a goblin or kobold, and wander around lower..guaranteeed pc interaction will ensue. Of course, if your not prepared for it, you will be fugued momentarily, but if you survive it, you will be addicted to the adrenaline rush and quicly find your monsterous cohorts, and embrace your inner monster!!!

Oh yeah, read the FAQ's on makeing the little beasties if you plan on giving this angle a go, will make the whole thing a ton more fun and most likely enhance your longevity, then rolling up a pc only to be fuged moments later. (((A WARNING, PLAYING MONSTEROUS RACES CAN BE ADDICTING, FAR BEYOND A CASUAL GAMERS TOLERANCE, PROCEED WITH CAUTION :twisted: :twisted: )))

When you are creating a character, you should come up with a concept you want to try, make some goals to accomplish through in game actions, then follow through as best you're able. It sounds easy, I know, but it's one of the most difficult things I think you can do.

Maybe you're interested in playing a necromancer. That's all fine and dandy, but why did Jim Bob decide he wanted to be a hated and feared Necromancer at some point in his life? Not because Divination is the lame school of magic, I hope. Maybe, when he was an emo teenager, his young lover died from a wasting illness, and he swore that he would try his hardest to master the forces that control life so that others don't have to suffer, or even in some attempt to bring her back after all this time. He did not possess the reflective characteristic common amongst clerics, or any sorcerous talents to speak of, but he was a bright young man, and after several years of hard apprenticeship managed to make some headway with wizardry before he ended up in Sanctuary.

The second step is making a character build that is viable. I'll assume you are familiar with nearly all the feats, skills, and class features that appear in NWN, so you should take a moment to dig around through these boards and find all the hidden, server unique character rules (New Players section would be a good starting point). https://efupw.com/efu1-forum/topic/37/377/mechanics-changes/index.html You do not have to optimize your character to be the absolute pwnage, but the fact remains that to have a fulfilling character you need to be able to survive at least a few encounters against other PCs and DMs.

Of all the resources available to you in Sanctuary, friends are probably your best bet for long term survival. This is true in the event that you get in a fight of any sort, are killed and need raised, or actually having people willing to converse with you so you don't scrap your character concept.

Welcome to the 'Dark.

Something I've always found helpful is to buddy up with another low level PC. Learn together, RP together, meet-n-greet the world together. Go meet with a city councilor to find out what their job is like, how they feel about the city's divisions. Talk to a Crone Bouncer about this "Ubel" name you keep hearing. Start a little conflict with someone, even if it means that you might get in a fight.

This next paragraph is very important, as it is the biggest difference between CoA and EfU. PvP is a very common thing in EfU, so it's good to be prepared for it, even if you aren't a big fan. Life is very, ver hard. Taking a stand for anything is going to incur the wrath of _________. This doesn't mean you have to PvP and every fight should come to blows. Not at all, and I think I speak for every player here when I say that it's always better to clash with words, schemes, or other more creative means when there is a conflict of interests. Conflict is what drives the server on. Well, conflict and Bears. I know, not funny.

efuincarnate (((A WARNING, PLAYING MONSTEROUS RACES CAN BE ADDICTING, FAR BEYOND A CASUAL GAMERS TOLERANCE, PROCEED WITH CAUTION :twisted: :twisted: )))

Addicting? Absolutely not, Sir! I resent your notion!

You will also find on EFU that 90% of the people are willing to help you (as in new player). The 10%, like me, don't really know how to introduce someone to a new server. We learned by grim determination and annoying the hell outta of the player base until they slapped us around enough to make us monoliths of time.

Also, sometimes we have characters that don't give a rats ass about another escaped slave, now, if you started claiming titles....

Here's my advice - if your first character is, say, a human fighter with decent social skills, for example (basically, the type of character that will get along with pretty much anybody if he wants to) just walk up to somebody and chat them up. Virtually every character on the server will respond to that. Sometimes you might not get what you want (people won't be inclined to help you, for instance) but you'll certainly get roleplay out of it. All the other advice that's been thrown around here is very good and you should follow it - but really, just walking up and offering other characters something to begin interacting with you is a great way to dive headfirst into this server.

- K.

Warning, DO NOT DIVE HEAD FIRST INTO ANY PLOTS. It tends to get you killed.

Try slowly learning more about the plot, and go in feet first like the life guard tells you to. You hear about an Uber necromancer about town and you wish to find the folks out to get him, sure, advertise you want to kill him and get killed in bed when his undead assasins come to call.

Might seem like an awesome way to die, just seems wasteful to me.

Sounds kinda awful, but I will have a lot more patience with someone I know is new, rather than just 'oh christ, this idiot's going to get me killed, what the hell are you playing at?'. For example, taking all of the gold at the end of the quest and walking off will have many players swearing, out for vengeance and vowing to never quest with you again. But on some online games (WoW, for example) the same amount of money would automatically have appeared in the pocket of every other party member, and assumptions are easy to make. So it may be considered a little metagamey or whatever by some, but just send a quick tell saying 'hi, I'm new, go easy on me!' and you'll find a lot of people will go out of their way to help you, show you around, casually mention that the town hall has a bat problem or whatever. Similarly, as an experienced player it never hurts to send a tell saying 'hi, new player or just new character?'. I've spent two hours doing nothing but giving one new player a tour and getting him kitted out before, including missing out on a DM quest which looked sooo tempting :( Sometimes they're idiots. Sometimes they're really nice, but they never come back. Sometimes they're just plain rude. Most of the time if you have the patience to explain what they're doing wrong (no OOC chat in the IC channel, crossbows are not melee weapons, no you really shouldn't attack the balor, walk don't run, healing is a good thing etc) then they will eventually become valued members of the community.

So yeah. Don't assume the new guy is an idiot, new guy, don't assume you know best. What's true for one server may not be true for another.

Oh, and never make your first character a grouchy emo git who never talks to anyone. Play someone enthusiastic and interested in everything who will actually initiate conversations with strangers just because they're there. It's easier to have fun that way - at least in my experience.

Jasede

efuincarnate (((A WARNING, PLAYING MONSTEROUS RACES CAN BE ADDICTING, FAR BEYOND A CASUAL GAMERS TOLERANCE, PROCEED WITH CAUTION :twisted: :twisted: )))

Addicting? Absolutely not, Sir! I resent your notion!

*pats the chair next to him* admitiing you have a problem is the first step, come now and have a seat....

Efuincarnate definitely has it right about the monsters. I started my kobold about a month ago, and it`s easy to attract attention with him. Of course, most of the time that attention involves people throwing fruit or just attacking you, but either way it`s fun. If you do make a kobold, start in Lower so you don`t get killed by NPC guards, and set your spawn point to Chudax`s camp as soon as possible.

This is a great thread to read if you're struggling to get started! Good stuff!

Yes your right these are general hardcore pw rp modules.

This is EfU unqiue for you must have balls or close to, to play this module.

Always be on your guard

It can get very nast ver quickly

What is CoA?