What is 'Lag'?
'Lag' is a term players use to describe a slow-down in their links to Arctic. It has many different potential causes, the most common of which are discussed below.

Low Throughput
Any of you who used to mud back when we all had 1200 baud modems knows that combat, or speedwalking can cause the mud to send you information faster than your network connection can handle. Unless you still use a 1200 baud modem, this type of lag is almost unheard of today as far as mud players are concerned. If you use RealAudio and RealVideo, then you might have problems with low throughput, but pure text (like muds use) is extremely quick.

Dropped Packets
This is the type of lag we all hate. When the internet "fills up", it stops sending new info until it can finish sending all the old info which is backed up. If Arctic sends you a message, the internet doesn't tell Arctic when it is refusing to send it, the internet just ignores it. Arctic will keep sending more stuff, assuming that everything is fine. Eventually, your computer will tell Arctic that "hey, something is missing. Resend some stuff." Then Arctic will resend the missing "packet" and continue where it left off. This results in a long wait, usually followed by a big burst of text. (Your computer won't print a message until all the previous messages have been received, so it just waits for the dropped message to be resent.) This dropped packet is NEVER Arctic's fault. It is because one of the computers between Arctic and your computer became overloaded. For technical reasons, this will happen every so often, even if there is no other network traffic. It's just a fact of life we have to deal with. (Some ISP's have too little network capacity, and they will have much more problems with congestion. In that case you can improve performance by switching to a better ISP.)

Machine Lag
This is the ONLY type of lag which is Arctic's fault. It is also the only type of lag which affects mobiles just as much as it affects players. If the mud is running, and the host computer is doing lots of other stuff, then sometimes it won't be able to do things quite as fast as normal. This will result in a slight slow down of combat, and a slight lengthening of the tic time. Since the mobs are slowed down exactly as much as the players, this type of lag has virtually no effect on the game and is very minimal in any event.

How can a paladin or dark knight restore their status after losing it?
First you have to restore your alignment to it's proper state. Then you have to seek out a cleric of similar alignment and get them to cast an 'atonement' spell on you. In the event that finding this is not feasible there are rumors of another way for each class to regain their status.

Why have my hit points all of a sudden raised/dropped?
There are certain items in the game that can affect your hit points or your constitution (which in turn affects your hit points). Also age can play a role on your hit points and overall statistics.

How does age affect me?
As you get older, your character becomes wiser and stronger and gain moves up until a certain age. Then for some time, your character's statistics hold steady. After a certain age, these statistics begin to deteriorate and your health begins to suffer even though you still get wiser.

Why don't elves/dwarves/non-humans have long life spans?
Simply because that would be a huge advantage to those races, and we have yet to code many (or any) disadvantages to being non-human. So we won't give them this advantage.

My computer lagged and I died, can I get a reimbursement?
Unfortunately we have to rely on telephone lines to transmit data and sometimes they lag. Due to this fact we cannot reimburse everyone that dies due to lag. For more information on this and other such questions, please refer to 'HELP POLICY' while in the game.

Why don't we heal or memorize while we are linkdead?
Due to that fact that link death is an easy way to escape the dangers of the mud world, memorizing and regeneration while link dead does not occur.

Can I get my items back from a Death Trap?
No, death traps are put into the game for several reasons one of which is to recycle equipment back into the game another of which is to encourage careful exploration. Death traps are a regular part of the game, but can also be avoided if you are watchful (please refer to 'help death trap' in the game).

Why do I end up in some random location when I use a scroll of recall?
You will end up somewhere in the town in which you last rented. We decided that scrolls of recall would be too powerful if they were accurate teleports. So instead, you land in the rough neighborhood of where you want to be.

How do I find and what do secret doors look like?
Generally, there are keywords that you can use to find secret doors/rooms. Sometimes you need to find an item or sometimes the keywords are in the room description. Also some secret entrances are not doors and have to be accessed using the enter command.

Where does it say that you can no_shout me?
Again Arctic is a fantasy realm. If people shout or yell offensive or repeatedly absurd things, it is the prerogative of the higher immortals to decide whether that person should be able to keep his/her shout privileges. If what people are shouting is offensive to you, typing OPTION DEAF will make you unable to hear the shout channel.

Why was my site banned?
The staff at Arctic hopes that it's players can follow the rules and accept them as they are laid out. Unfortunately sometimes people take it upon themselves to do things that are so offensive to the staff at Arctic that the only recourse is to prevent that player from playing the MUD. Site banning is only done in the most extreme of cases, so minor offenses will not cause this extreme action.

Why don't I get a response when I report an idea/typo/bug?
The sheer volume of such reports that we get cannot be responded to immediately by the immortals that handle those topics. When you report a idea/typo/bug, it is saved in a file for the responsible immortals to read and change at a later time. So please, just because you do not get a response, don't think that we do not appreciate your input.

I made a character when I was at home and can't play him now that I am at school, why is that?
In order to keep people from "hacking" your character accounts and using other peoples characters, the Internet Protocol address (or domain) that you create your character at is recorded and saved. Normally, you can only access that player file from the domain at which you created him or her. You may add a couple more domains to your character by following the instructions under the 'help domain' file.

Why am I not allowed to play more than one character at a time?
Multi-playing as that is called is not allowed so that people get to interact with others and learn teamwork in order to accomplish goals. It also allows more people to have an opportunity to get some of the better equipment in the game instead of all of the knowledgeable players taking it all for themselves. If you are caught multiing, you will either be damned (sent to the Abyss for a period of time) or deleted.

Is there a "brief" mode like on other Dikus? A compact mode?
Yes, try typing "help options" for more information on available options at Arctic.

Can you get rid of the "You see nothing special" parts of the "scan" output?
We don't want to. We have to deal with secret exits, and various other hidden exits. It's easier for us to just make a "scan" macro for look in each direction.

Why is the * necessary in the output of the emote command?
It is there to disallow the abuse of emotes.

Why is it so far between towns? It takes too long to get from town A to town B.
Krynn is a vast land with many towns, keeps, and different terrains spread over it. Purchasing a horse at the local stable, or the use of magical items or spells, will likely aid in expediating your journey.

Why when I type "mount horse" does it try to mount someone else's horse?
Try using "mount" with no arguments - that will look for a mount in the room that is following you.

What is lol, rofl, brb, afk, cul8tr, :), (: ?
A lot of players use acronyms for longer sayings. Lol means lots of luck, rofl means rolls on the floor laughing, brb means be right back, afk means away from keyboard, cul8tr means "see you later". Also since it is hard to display true emotion through a computer some people also will use ;) or (; to represent smiley faces.

Why can't we see the levels and classes of other players?
We feel that this sort of information is better conveyed by asking the question. In addition, that sort of sensitive information may be best kept away from one who might wish you harm.

Why don't you make a flag/option which will reveal our own class/level?
As soon as we have a flag which reveals your class/level then anyone without the flag would be suspect. People wouldn't trust them.

Why can't I rent?
There are several reasons this could happen. You could have items that the innkeep will not bring him or herself to store for the duration of your stay, be it their magical properties, or menial worth. Also, the innkeep will charge you a fee for storing your equipment. If you cannot afford the rent, he or she will not allow you to stay.

The last reason the innkeep would refuse your admission is any recent hostilities involving another player. If you have been involved as an aggressor in any player-versus-player combat, using aggressive skills against another player, or casting aggressive spells on another player, you will be unable to rent for some time. This inability to rent is temporary, and the innkeep will soon forget your past transgressions and allow you a room in due time.

Soandso is linkdead, but still visible in the game. Can you please make him or her rent?
No. Generally, when a player is linkdead and still visible in the game, it is because they have done an aggressive act against another player and can not leave the game through normal means. Sometimes this is due to a persons particular ISP and their connectivity to Arctic.

Why do animals have money?
Money is put on animals in order to save time and space. It would be the rough equivalent of skinning the animals and trading the skins or selling them at the market.

Why can a certain mob cast in a room where all my spells fail?
Some mobs are able to cast in their "home" even though players are not. This is deliberate and is not a bug.

Why can a blinded mob use a spell/skill on me?
You too can target the person you are fighting if you are blinded. Simply enter the spell/skill with no target. If it is a "violent" spell/skill then it targets the person you are busy hitting.

Why can a mob bash without a shield and disarm without a weapon?
Otherwise we would have to load many extra objects just so that mobs could use these skills. These extra shields and weapons would just end up lying around unused after the mob was killed. We do have possible solutions but for now you'll have to live with it.

How do I become an immortal?
Long hours of effort lie between a newbie and an immortal. Extensive game knowledge is an important factor among many. Please refer to the 'help immortal application' help file in the game for the road ahead.

Why do gods get curt and brief with me when I ask questions?
Most of the time that immortals are on, they are doing things to improve the game and are quite busy. Most simple questions should be directed toward other players as they can help you if they have more playing experience than you do. More difficult questions can be directed to heroes (level 31 immortals) as they have a good knowledge of the game and can find someone to answer your question if they cannot. Questions that definitely should be avoided are:

• Is a specific immortal here?
  If you cannot see them, they are probably busy improving the mud for you!
• Why are we rebooting?
  Usually only a few people know anyway, or it is just for routine machine maintenance so there is no good answer there.
• Can you repop a zone for me?
  Each zone has it's own repop time that is specified by the zone creator and is not meant to be changed.
• Can you move me to (insert town name here)?
  Again immortals are not supposed to interfere in mortal affairs so not matter how much they would like to help you, they really cannot because there are rules that apply to immortals as well.
• Can you lend me some money?
  Immortals are not allowed to give items, money or favors to any mortal
• How come I failed spell x y times in a row?
  Could be any number of things or just bad luck, immortals generally can't answer this for you.
• Can you delete/ban/noshout/abuse player X?
  Just because someone is bothering you does not mean he has done something against the rules, be more specific.

Why can't we see the levels and classes of other players?
We feel that this sort of information is better conveyed by asking the question. In addition, this prevents people from using the information against you... say to discover you are lower level than them, so they can happily waltz up to you and kill you.

Why don't you make a flag/option which will reveal our own level/class?
As soon as we have a flag which reveals your level/class then anyone without the flag would be suspect. People would not trust them.

Why did another player attack me?
Although player killing isn't smiled upon, it isn't against the rules either. Players or groups that become too profecient in player killing may be removed from the game by an immortal but isolated instances are not a cause for alarm. Please refer to the 'help pkill' file.

(Insert name) is stalking/attacking me, can I get an immortal to protect me?
As above, player killing isn't illegal. Also immortals aren't allowed to interfere in mortal affairs unless a rule of some sort has been broken. Help pkill will tell you what those rules are.

How come a player can attack me in a room that someone told me was a peaceroom?
There are certain things that you can do to another player that will give you an aggressive flag (meaning that for a certain period of time, that player can attack you almost anywhere in the game). Attacking a player will certainly flag you aggressive along with a few other actions which are are rather obvious.

Another player killed my character and I am sad!
Every player here has had characters suffer the same fate at one time or another. Often for little or no reason. Put your chin up, pull yourself together and get back in it! Of course you could quit, but then how would you get revenge on the offending player's character?

Why are some people listed on the "bounty" board?
Sometimes there are players that spend a lot of their time player killing. Somewhat like like in real life, these players that are "mass murderers" become known by the peacekeeping establishment in the certain cities around Krynn. A player that becomes "wanted" may produce a reward to the player that brings him to justice.

How should I act in groups so I can contribute and be asked to join the same groups in the future?

The following was written by the player of Khesol in the forums and added here because it will help you, the new player. Other players suggestions have been edited in.

This guide is meant to provide some information for new Arctic players who want to group more, but have never had much chance or have felt badly for not knowing things that your group mates may have treated as common sense. There are also a few solo tips and reminders. I recommend reading all of it, even the parts that seem obvious, since you might learn something new. (And I have also seen plenty of players who seem not to be aware of some of the obvious pointers...) Also, I sometimes embedded lesser known info in among the basic pointers. I'm assuming here that you have played as a group member at least once before, but that you're still somewhat green at it. My hope is this will get more of you grouping, and make it easier for new players to enjoy Arctic!

I have been asked before what level a player should start grouping at. This depends completely on your play style. If you really want to, you can start grouping right from level one if you like, and if you can find some willing group mates of a similar level. Most experienced players, though, solo up until the mid levels or even into the mid 20's. Once you know how to level, a group at low levels is more likely to slow you down than anything else. For this reason, my advice would be to hold off on grouping until at least level 12 or so, when things tend to slow down a little bit.

Common knowledge and solo tips...
Some common abbreviations:
sw me - swap me... this means the player wants you to use the swap command to change positions in the group with you
afk - away from keyboard
brt - be right there
brb - be right back
tnl - till next level (for example, 2.3k tnl means you need 2,300 exp to advance to the next level)
[] - fountain, town square
dt - death trap (read help death trap for more info on this aspect of the game)
lfg - looking for group
dr,dam - damage roll
hr - hit roll
pws - power word stun
ams - antimagic shell
edrain - energy drain
pfe - protection from evil
npp - negative plane protection
bsp - Blood Sea Pirates clan
rgb - Red Goblin Brigade clan
th - toll house (a room near palanthas, vingaard, and kalaman where people sometimes rest or meet up... not an especially safe room, but a good one to know)
I've been bashed and I'm about to die with no hope of heal!
Standing takes an additional step, and also increases your chance of getting bashed again. If it looks like you will die around a bashing mob and you don't have a healer, don't stand up... just recall. (This is more a solo tip than for grouping.)

Lag trouble?
Many leaders will take you through a series of rooms at high speed. You're going to be getting too much data this way, so if lag is a problem, try these things: option brief, option gag, option gag_arrival. If all else fails, break your connection and reconnect.

Learn the roads and towns.
You need to learn how to get from one city to another if you really want to be effective. Get yourself a fly item, and learn how to navigate from city to city. The signs on the roads will usually help you. Learn where the recup rooms are, too, and remember that pker's sometimes lurk around these places. Also, know where the various guildmasters are in the main towns as these are the main meeting places for groups. Good look exploring!

When exploring, pay attention
If you're going into new areas, there are death traps! You can usually see these on scan, and sometimes in room descriptions. Watch out for that. If you do die to a DT, try to think of it as learning something about the game. It will bring you a little closer to being able to lead yourself. Room descriptions may also give you a clue about what kind of place you are entering. If you see dark shadows moving in the trees, and feel uneasy, you may be walking into a dangerous area (although this is not always the case).
When mobs are in the room and a new one wanders in...
Take this example... you are in a room that has two rats. As you know, 1.rat will be the first rat, and 2.rat is the second one. If you type cast 'magic missile' rat, this means 1.rat. Now, once you begin fighting, if you just type cast 'magic missile' the target will be what you are already pounding on... but if you type cast 'magic missile' rat, it means 1.rat again. Normally this isn't so important, but if a new rat wanders in the room while you are fighting (making a total of three rats there), the rat that arrived most recently becomes 1.rat, and the one you are fighting becomes 2.rat. This means that you may end up splitting your attacks up. Why is this important to know? If you are using an elemental (or grouping with a tank), and you are casting on a target without actually engaging it in combat, then if a new mob wanders in you may end up accidentally targeting the wrong one, and getting yourself involved in melee. Below I will tell you that casters should not assist; however, if there is a danger that you will accidentally target wandering mobs, then it might be wise to assist instead and cast on whatever your tank is hitting.

Tips for when you're grouping...

Don't wander off
If you need something, tell your leader early. Don't get to the tollhouse and wander off to buy something in Vingaard, for example, and expect the group to wait. If you're in a group, you're working as a team. Individual concerns come second, and you can't assume that your group will be willing to wait.

If you have to go afk...
Don't! Okay, okay... real life calls, of course, and sometimes you have to go afk. But remember, you need to let your group know if you are going afk. If you expect you will have to go afk or there is a danger you will need to go suddenly, tell your group. Also, don't go afk resting. If you are not standing, your group can't move. Finally, if you are playing a cleric or the main tank, it is even more important that you do not go afk. This should be common sense, but any group leader has seen it happen enough to know it's worth mentioning. Healer, if you go afk in an aggro zone, someone in your group is likely to die.

Flee vs. retreat (especially for healers!)
Both of these have their uses. If you're a caster but you can't resist assisting your group, or if you are hit by an area effect spell or targeted by a mob, you may need to get out of combat. If the mob isn't attacking you directly, one option is retreat. You will stay in the room with the combat if you use this command. *However*, you will not be able to do anything for a few rounds after retreating, so there is a danger that your tank will die in the meantime. If you are a healer, you will be able to act more quickly if you flee, scan, and come back into the room where combat is happening. If you think you'll need to do this, confirm with your group leader first. Some areas are not good for flee because of spin or aggro mobs. But some combats have such hard hitting mobs that fleeing will be the only way to heal your tank in time.
If your cleric is goofy and doesn't heal when the tank is down to low v.bad or at awful...
It may be that the cleric is lagging, afk, or incompetent. If you have good reflexes and you think there is no chance your tank may be healed, it might be wise to recite a recall on your tank. This is a gamble, since your group may want to kill you for it, but it might be quicker than doing a corpse retrieval.

Set watch and watch_opp
Type "prompt watch" and "prompt watch_opp" and you will see that when you "watch" a person you can now see their status, as well as the status of whatever they are targeting, and you don't need to engage in combat yourself to see it. This can be useful for any class, but especially for casters. (This is how healers know when to heal the main tank, btw.) It also lets you know when whatever you are watching has entered the room. If you want to know when your group's thief has come back into a room after a backstab/flee, this will let you do it. Note... if you engage in combat, you will stop watching the target.

Learn how to use tics... but don't rest at random
Someone in the group may have a tic timer. A good caster will rest just before a tic to reduce mem time (but don't rest if another action is necessary... if you miss a heal to catch a tic, your group will not be happy.) Note!!! If you are assisting, you can't do this, so you should learn how to frag a target without engaging it, by letting the main tank do the fighting. On the other hand, if your group is on the move, don't rest at random. Check with the leader (or rely on the leader) for information about when to rest before a tic.
Generally speaking, tanks should always be standing unless the leader directs otherwise. This allows you to be ready in case any aggro mobs wander in.
If you're a caster, don't assist unless you have a good reason
You're a caster, not a tank. Why should you not assist? If you assist... mobs may target you, your concentration is more likely to fail on spells, and you can't rest at tics during combat to reduce mem time. Learn how to frag without engaging the target. To practice this solo, use improved invisibility and conjure elemental. Let your elemental tank while you remain invisible and frag whatever it is fighting. Use watch to see the status of your elemental and the target.
Note... if you use an area spell, anything in the room that is not already engaged in combat will attack you.
Check with your leader before turning or using area spells
You may cause mobs to become aggro that otherwise can be left alone. It might get you or another group member killed, and it might make the combat more complicated than it needs to be... So check with your leader about this first.

Recalls
Carry at least 3 glowing scrolls of recall. One in case a kender steals when you're on the move, one in case you accidentally recite in a no-magic room, and that third one just in case all else fails. IMHO, don't bother with regular scrolls of recall. If you don't have a light source, they're useless, plus glowing scrolls put you right back at the inn, a safe room in case someone has just tried to pk you. Mages who think you'll always have continual light on, some mobs dispel magic. You may lose your light. It's worth the extra coinage to use glowing scrolls and play it safe.
Be sure you've loaded up on recalls before leaving town. Don't get to the end of a zone, wait until your group mates have all recalled back, and then grouptell "I don't have a recall." There are also some items in the game that function as a recall for times when you are silenced or blinded (certain potions for example). These can be very handy when silenced or blinded.

Food/water
If your group has someone who can create food/water, you'll be okay, but it's better to bring some of your own.
Loot triggers
My opinion on this is, the leader should make a decision regarding how looting and distribution is to be done. A good system is the leader *only* loots, and either decides who gets what, or carries dice in case a good item needs to be given to equally good group members. If you have a loot trigger, *turn it off* unless you also are going to split consistently. It is extremely irritating to have someone in a group who is looting but not splitting anything, or looting and simply assuming that whatever they took is theirs to keep just because they grabbed it first.
If you're in a fast moving group that seems to be passing up loot, you might ask the leader about it... some players/groups are not concerned with loot (or may have some other reason that it is being passed up). The key thing, though, is to ask the leader.

A couple of other notes:
If you're grouping with a clan, you should expect that good items (or all loot) will go to clan members. Don't expect to get anything, but be happy if you do. Don't complain if you don't. If they are passing up loot, then ask politely if you can grab something.
Beyond that... many leaders make decisions about how loot gets divided depending on who is in the group at the moment, and the roles they are playing. The leader him/herself will often expect to get first choice on anything that comes up (a reward for having the zone knowledge and ability to lead). Next, the main tank is always taking the most risk, so any nice weapons or tankish eq will likely go to the main tank first. Beyond that, loot will probably be divided based on who is there. If you have a mage back at the inn but you're running a tank for the group and another player has a mage in the party, if a book loads, it will probably go to the mage in your group. If you have some special wants or needs, you should let the leader know before you start zoning so it can be worked out.
Finally, don't spam the leader or group requesting to go to a certain zone, complaining about the choice of zone, or talking about how much you need x book or eq. Players who do this can get irritating quickly, and when a leader puts a group together they will be looking for players who don't do this kind of thing... especially if the group will be running a high/dangerous zone where everyone needs to be focused on what is happening.
An additional point on this (a pet peeve of mine)... if you haven't been to a zone and don't know it, don't suggest it, get the group going there, and then discover at the entrance to the zone that no one in your group has ever been there. Work out before you go if someone knows it, and if you don't yourself, be clear about this when making your suggestion. If you are a person new to leading, and you are about to try leading a zone that you don't know well, be up front about this with your group.

Follow the leader
Some fights/zones require special strategies. If you're the leader, don't assume your group knows. Even if they've been to the zone before, even if they've been there with you, don't assume that they know. Some of the high end fights are done in different ways by different leaders (different mob orders for instance), so it's worth confirming that your group members all know how to run it. Tell the group what needs to be done and who should do what, and try not to be irritated if they don't know already. If you're in the group, listen carefully. When it comes time for combat then, don't play around with socials for two reasons: first, it delays whatever action the leader told you to do (and affects your group), and second, someone in your group may have triggers set for certain actions (thus affecting your group, too). As an example, if you sing, it may cause someone's trigger to fire for a rescue targeted on you.

Healers, memorize harm
The spell heal is called a divine spell (read help divine spell). This means that you can memorize another spell in that slot, but still cast heal. When you mem, you will mem back up whatever spell you had memmed before casting heal. On my healer, I have all harms memmed at that level, but for every harm I have memmed I can cast heal. This increases your versatility as a caster (however, heal is arguably your most valuable spell, so it's wise not to use harms unless there is an emergency).

If a casting mob conjures something...
If you're fighting a mage and it summons something, cast a dispel magic on it. Don't bother fragging it... it will disappear. Even if you can't dispell it, whatever was summoned will disappear when the summoner dies anyway.

Don't spam socials
Socials are fun, and can add something to the game. However, don't spam them in combat. Additionally, if someone in your group is having trouble with lag, socials add to the data that has to go through... so you're increasing the trouble they experience.

Train your skills
It takes time and practice to train your skills, but in many cases it pays off when grouping. When you're soloing, work on raising your skills. When you're in a group, you're probably going to be hitting hard, new mobs so it's a good time to practice weapon skills; however, if you're not actually hitting the mob you may not be making much of a contribution. Politely ask your leader if it's okay to work a weapon skill. (If they say yes, one option might be to dual wield with a trained weapon in one hand and one you're learning in the other.) Some leaders might get huffy about it and say no. Listen to what they say (you may be about to face off against a tough mob, or the zone may need to be completed quickly). Some leaders, though, will be fine with having you train a weapon for part of the zone. It helps you develop the character, and it will make you a more effective team member in the long run.

Main tank step leads
The main tank goes alone into a room, and the group leader drags the group in. This is how a group works in an aggro zone. Your main tank should be the bottom person in your group list, so no one else is following the tank. If someone else needs to go alone into a room for some reason, one way to do it is to have everyone rest; however, you can also type "east alone" and you will move east without anyone following you.
Tanks, watch for wandering mobs when resting
When you're grouping, the rule of thumb is that casters rest to catch tics for memming spells, but tanks don't rest. Unless your group has no healer, tanks shouldn't sit down unless the leader tells you to. If a mob comes wandering in the room that is aggro, you should immediately attack it so it does not engage one of your resting casters, preventing them from memming.
Tanks, watch for wandering mobs when in combat, too
Sometimes a mob will come in the room while you're fighting, and start pounding on one of your casters. If you're already fighting something and you need to engage something quickly but you can't change your target, one way to do it is use kick, bash, or charge.

Tanks, rescue
If your group's non-tank members are being targeted, you need to rescue them. The main tank needs to eventually rescue everyone so all mobs are targeting on the main. This makes the healer's job easier. If a caster is being hit, though, all tanks should work to rescue that character.
Is someone "singing?" (or using some other social?)
If you see someone singing during combat, it may be because they need to be rescued.

Rescue by name
If you use rescue without a name, and there is more than one character in your group being targeted, then you may end up rescuing the wrong character. This adds to confusion in the battle. Instead, you want to type "rescue name" so you can ensure you end up rescuing the right person. If you can set aliases on your client to make it quicker, do it, because this will increase speed and reduce typos that might get your group members killed. (As an example, if the healer in my group is named Healguy, I will set my client so when I type "rhe", the command "rescue healguy" is sent to the mud.)
If you can set colors with your client...
Color code certain phrases so they stand out from the other lines scrolling by on the screen. There is too much to read everything, but there are certain key phrases that you need to be looking for. As an example, I have my client set so any messages relating to bashes (including standing up) stand out in a different color. This will help you know when something special happens to you, a group member, or your target.

What to do if your character dies while grouping.
Step one: wait a tic to get some hps. This may be bypassed in desparate times.
Step two: withdraw 300-500 coins.
Step three: buy:
-at least 2 milkies,
-at least 2 recalls, at least one of which glows,
-food,
-water (make sure you fill the container if it is sold empty),
-a light source,
-a bag/chest and worn containers if available,
-fly/invis/refresh/cure items if available,
-first aid kit,
-weapons/shield.
Step four: mem important spells (fly, refresh, relo/port, invis, det invis, heals/cures) if a caster. Mem 1-2 tics worth at a time.
Step five: run around the city and see if there are any casters willing to fly/invis/heal/refresh you and pay them if necessary. Yelling/shouting "100 coins for a fly at solace []" may help.
Step six: go to the nearest safe mem/recup room, bandage self and wait there for your leader's tell.

Finally, learn how to use your client.
Raw telnet isn't great for playing Arctic. A client program is better, and it can really improve your game play if you learn how to use it effectively. Ask around, and you might be able to find someone familiar with your client. Learn how to make shortcuts in your client so you can use aliases and hotkeys rather than typing out commands every time. (As an example of what you can do with a client, see the nicely written tutorial by Derek and Jasper for JMC at
http://mudlogs.foghaven.net/mudlogs.php?article=jmctutorial )

If my character fails a spell, does that mean he/she isn't very good?
Not necessarily, your character has a certain percentage chance of learning a spell based on its' intelligence. Therefore even characters with a very high intelligence have a chance of failing a spell. Once you have failed a spell though, you will have to wait until the next level to try to successfully learn it. If you are now level 30, there are still some ways to get another chance.

I've gained a few levels and have seen characters casting spells that I cannot learn in the guild in my town, why do they have these spells and I don't?
Sometimes you can learn different spells in different towns, other times these are spells that have been acquired from books and tablets hidden in zones.

Is there any way to get a list of all the existing spells and skills on the mud?
No. The knowledge of the arcane arts are reserved for those who have acquired such spells. The same principle applies to the wide variety of skills in the game. One could not be expected to know the minute details of spells or skills, other than the ones possessed by the player him or herself.

Where can I find spellbooks, prayerbooks and tablets?
If you spend most of your time in towns, you won't have much luck finding these. Seek out mobs that might carry a spellbook or tablet. Chances are you might just find one.

Sometimes when I cast the same number of spells, it takes longer to memorize them than it did on a different day. Did my stats change?
Not necessarily. If you are a mage, your memorization time can be affected by the phases of the appropriate moon. Depending on your alignment you are affected by one of the three moons (Solinari, Lunitari, and Nuairi) visible on Krynn. Your score page will tell you which of the three moons influences you.

I tried to study a book and it hurt/killed me, why did that happen?
Sometimes the complex magic contained in the spellbooks that you may find is just too overwhelming for the mind of your character. In this case, depending on the complexity of the spell contained in the book, the magic overflow can have any number of effects on the character.

What are the stats on (insert item name here)?
Some equipment can affect your character's performance in positive or negative ways. To learn the properties of various pieces of equipment, you can certain scrolls and spells that can tell you partial or complete item stats. The names of the scrolls and spells should be self-explanitory and such scrolls can be purchased in your local magic shop.

I was "zapped" when I attempted to pick up an item off a corpse or off of the ground.
Being "zapped" by an item means that the item is aligned against you. The good, or evil in the item is so strong that you trying to pick it up as the opposite alignment shocks you, causing you to release your hold on the item.

Okay, so I can't pick up the item. I'd really like to know what it's stats are though, is there any way I can do this?
Yes, of course. The above mentioned scrolls can be carried on your person and recited upon items in your inventory, or on the ground.

I'm sure I had an (item name here), not it's gone, how?
There are many ways you can lose objects. Some disappear over time; many spells and other nasty effects will destroy objects. In both cases the mud will give you a message when the object is destroyed - it may happen in combat, so you'll have to be careful to notice them. If you "rent quiet" you will not be informed of unrentable items which the receptionist tosses away when you rent. There are a few other ways that items can be destroyed or taken away.

I see some people with really cool looking equipment. How come I can never find any?
You need to get out of towns. You won't find any "cool" items in the shops within the towns. Get out. Explore the zones that people don't often go to. You can get the statistics that we provide from month to month by typing help stat.

I'm dead certain I had an unholy krang of doom, now it's gone! How?
There are several ways you can lose objects. An items natural rateof decay could be accelerated by several spells, and other nasty effects. This could come to an end during combat so you'll have to pay attention so you don't miss it. Also, in your travels of Krynn, you're very likely to come across many unscrupulous characters who would be more than happy to lighten your load with their nimble fingers. You are warned to watch your inventory and change purse around these pilferers.

Why are people calling me a "newbie"?
The term "newbie" refers to two types of players' characters. The first meaning refers to very low level characters regardless of the player's experience. The second usage refers more to the player of a character (regardless of level) who have yet to demonstrate proficiency using their character. If you are a new player and find yourself being called this alot, thats ok don't get insulted. Everyone took a varying amount of time to learn this game. We recommend you make yourself familiar with the help files (help, help newbie, help options, help faq, help disclaimer, help policy, and help area) and ask questions of players who seem friendly or heroes that you see on. In addition, make friends and explore zones and always learn as much as possible from your mistakes. If you are a long time player and still find yourself being called a 'newbie', I am not sure how to help you.

Which of the classes is the most powerful one to play?
Each of the character classes at Arctic (Cleric, Druid, Mage, Paladin, Dark Knight, Scout, Thief, Warrior, and Barbarian) have things that make it special. If you have never mudded before, the easiest class to play at any level is the warrior class. Eventually try them all and see which one you like the best. We have tried to make them pretty well balanced overall with all things considered.

How important is it to supply an email address on my character?
The email you have associated with a character is how ownership of the character is decided by the arctic staff. If you ever need administrative help for you characters, it is important to have a valid email address associated with that character which you yourself can access.

Why did an immortal tell me to change my name?
Since Arctic is based on a series of fantasy novels, character names should be relevant to that time frame and civilization. Names such as Bunghole, MrBoffo, Darkmage, or anything obscene really doesn't fit with the world that the creators of Arctic have striven to perfect.

Which is the best town to start in?
Solace is the first town of choice to start in for players that are totally new to arctic. Tarsis, Balifor and Palanthas are also great starting options if Solace is full. Haven and Kalaman are good choices for slightly more seasoned new players and others. The other starting options are best left to those who have played here awhile. Please note that your first order of business in playing your character is to learn basic skills from your character's respective guildmaster so if you are warned that your desired starting town may not have such a guildmaster, pick another town or another class.

If I get a bad roll for my stats, can I get a reroll or can I get my character deleted?
Your character's personal attributes (stats) have a roll in your character's playability. Stats are set for each character at level 2 and may be discerned by various arcane methods at level 3. If your stats are insufficient in your view but desire your next character to have the same name, you may delete your own character when it reaches level 4 or has been existence for 7 days. Immortals will not delete or reroll a character for you so please do not ask.

Welcome to Arcticmud! Arctic is a text based MUD (Multiple User Dialogue) relying on heavily modified Diku-code. Arctic has been on-line since March of 1992 and, as such, has a rich gaming tradition. Our mud is based loosely on dragonlance themes and our creators have worked hard to bring you more than 500 zones comprised of more than 50,000 rooms for your exploring and gaming pleasure. While working to unlock the secrets these zones contain, you will interact with hundreds of other players from around the globe in this rich world we offer you. We hope you are well entertained during your stay here, and who knows, you may never choose to leave!

Directly following this paragraph is a short walkthrough designed to get you, the totally new player, started. Please consider using it at least the first time you play to avoid frustrating yourself needlessly. The following pages of this faq exist to answer commonly asked questions and are grouped into general topics. Later, the in-game help files may be added to end of this support section for reference also.

How to start? Read this!
Ok, so lets get you started playing. First note that this website is a support site for the game and that the game is not here. To connect to the game, you can click the connect button on the top bar to use the java applet (which works most of the time fairly well), or you can go to the command prompt on your computer and type: telnet mud.arctic.org 2700 or click the links page to use a mud client (such as zmud).

When you have connected to the game and see the ASCII arctic logo, type 'start' and choose an appropriate and available name for your character. Then put in your chosen password (keep this secret so others can not log your character on and try not to forget it). The gender of your character is up to you and affects nothing except how you want to play your character. When choosing your character's class (your choice affects the skills, spells and hps you will have-type help class to see descriptions of your options), race (your choice affects some statistics and inherent traits-see help race), primary stat (choosing the primary stat makes that stat roll near the racial maximum for that stat but the entire roll may be lower overall compared to not having picked one) and alignment (affects which mobiles you get experience from killing and which items you can use-see help alignment), we recommend starting using a warrior of good alignment. Note that you select these choices by typing the number that is beside your choice, not by typing your choice (ie type 4 instead of warrior). We also recommend that you choose a race with infravision so you can see a little in the dark (not human or kender). Make sure you give your valid email address when asked so that staff have it should issues arise. After scrolling down aways, type '1' to finally enter the game!

You will now find yourself quite literally Nowhere! Now, customize the mud's output to your liking using the help options (opt ansi and opt compact are popular) and peruse the help newbie and help commands files. Next you will need to choose a starting town in which to begin your adventure! We recommend Solace (especially for the good aligned character) but the other choices listed as good starting choices are fine too. Type 'solace' on a line by itself to get whisked off to the Inn of the Last Home! If you are warned that there is no known guildmaster for you in your chosen town, you should choose another class or another town as the last thing you want to do while finding your way around is searching for a guildmaster which may or may not exist there. By the way, a guildmaster teaches you your skills and, if you are a caster, some basic spells so these are very important people in your characters lives.

So, here you are in the inn. Later, when you wish to leave the game but wish to save your money and equipment for a later return, you will need to return to this starting room and type 'rent' so the receptionist will store your stuff (see help rent and help inns). There are many inns in the game spread throughout Krynn. While exploring Tika and Otik's inn, you may find Otik whips up amazing potatoes even though you are too poor to afford them for now (see help list to see what he offers and help eat to see why you may want some). For now, you have a bit of food in your inventory. Also, while wandering around the tavern, you may overhear an ongoing conversation. Tidbits gleaned from this chat may guide you as to where to start your adventures once you are ready. Now type 'look map'. The map in your inventory will show you the general layout of the town you are in. The next order of business is to find and visit your guildmaster in order to learn your basic skills and perhaps spells. The warrior guild is off of a hallway above the fountain in the center of town. When you have found your teacher, type 'learn all' in front of him/her. Learn about your skills by typing help 'skill name' (ie help long blades). If you are playing a caster and learned some spells, you will want to learn about the spell system (see help spells, help memorize and help spell system). You will want to visit your helpful teacher at least once per level (or if you die at low level and need new equipment, go to him/her and type 're-equip' for a new starter outfit) and try to find a similar individual every time you enter a new town in order to raise your skills and/or gain some new spells.

Finally, I would like you to learn how to use a store. Go two south and one east from the fountain to enter Theros' shop. Type 'help shop' here and learn your options. When it is time to eventually leave Solace to travel elsewhere (help map may be helpful here), make sure you are well stocked with supplies and use your complimentary note that can be redeemed (type redeem note) at the stables for a horse (type help mount).

You now have at least the basics under your belt and are ready to start your adventures but before you do, please read the help combat, help commands, and help consider files. While resting between combats you can (re)-read the help newbie, help topics and help options files again to start customizing how you like things. You can also find appropriate areas to explore when you are ready to leave town by reading the 'help area' and 'help area low' files. Also, read the help rules, help disclaimer, help policy files in order to learn what is acceptable in this new world you have entered and the peruse following support pages on this website for answers to common questions (the pages on interpersonal relations will be especially valuable). Try to find other new players (either in game or from real life) to learn the game with as the game is designed to encourage group play and it is much more fun interacting with others.

A final bit of advice for you, the new player: available playing time, game knowledge and friends are critical to your success here. A bold adventuresome spirit, some diplomacy skills and a sharp wit help also. Remember that the characters you play and the items you possess are pretty much irrelevant but the knowledge and friends/enemies you personally accumulate matter.

Good luck! and Welcome to Arctic!

The ArcticMUD F.A.Q (frequently asked questions). You can browse it by clicking on various entries in the navigation bar to the left, or by using the search box to the right. Please feel free to comment on any entries or email gods@mud.arctic.org with any issues!