Ok... I just started this alsaran Serenguard character. I've bashed through the newton caverns, lolliprin, and smoke mountain multiple times, and I'm now lvl 13. And I seem to be losing my enthusiasm for this game only because I want a broader sense of being. Like, I'm a forger (according to the skill i chose, not that I've put any effort in it) and the thought of reverting from killing things to take time to forge, become a part of a large "thing", or anything else worries me only because I am still, deep down, a new mudder with no sense of direction or memory for getting around, etc. But I desperately want to be a "player" in a grand, or even little, organization. I'm a member of the Serenwilde commune, in the Shanthine Pride, and in the Serenguard, but I don't see where I'm going in the long run... i mean I have a sense of what my character is and how he wants to grow, individually, but what kinds of things are available for me to do besides kill things for corpses, chains, and widgets?

You can't really get involved with a whole lot as a newbie simply because, well, you're a newbie!

Once you get out of newbiehood and graduate from novicehood in your guild, you'll get a lot more opportunities to roleplay, take on responsibilites, fight other people, etc.

Just stick with the mindlessness for now, it's not that long and it pays off

Untill level 21(when you lose innocence and get kicked out of Newton) it is best to stay in newton, it doesn't take all that long, and I've even done it on a Warrior subtype with really crappy clubs in about 4 hours straight of hunting there.

There are various ways to help out.

Power quests:
These quests either help your own organization, or hurt other organizations, in various ways, either subtle (sands of the dreaming) or aggressive (killing pixies/cherubs/demons/..I don't think the shadows of the crow can be killed..) There is also hunting the elemental planes as well, and depending on which one you pick and which Org you are in it can be either only slightly dangerous, or extremely dangerous.

Commodity quests:
These, again, help your organization or hurt other organizations, or both.

You can run around stewartsvile and take some hay and collect cows and bring them to Nell, or kill the cows and take them to Butch. There are many MANY other comm quests, but I won't detail them all here, because it's up to you to go around and find them.

Anyway, collecting those things would either increase milk or meat production in stewertsville, thus lowering the price and also increasing the tith to the Serenwilde(because seren has stewerts at the moment, this changes around so always check POLITICS to know which nation has which villages).

There are also inter-village quests. Such as Furrikin farmers. This is either an Acknor quest: Enslave the furrikin; or an Estelbar quest: Rescue the Furrikin. Depending on how many farmers are where fruit and vegetable production is changed for both the villages. There are many other such quests similar to this one in other village combinations.

Culture quests:
You can collect scholars from the mountains and take them to your nation's greater library, thus increasing your CULTURE rating.

You can write some books and submit them, which helps our your library as well. The serenwilde even has the SLS(Serenwilde Literary Society) which reads over books and gives their input which helps Ialie(our current Librarian) make good choices.

Godly essence:
Pick a god(preferably not one hostile or banned by your city/commune) Go out and kill or influence and get your chosen god some essence they can play around with. (I've always got this idea in my head that all the Elders are up in their havens playing with this playdoh-essence we get them )

There are lots of little ways you can help out your own nation, and don't think that they are all listed here.

Surprisingly enough, Newton is one of the best places in the game. You can make so much gold there it's scary. Yes, it is rather mindless, but if you're looking for a challenge, you could try figuring out the honors quest (so named because when someone HONORS you they'll see that you did the quest). You can either help the gnomes or help the finks. Talk to important people to get started.

Pssh, and don't let the big-fighters like Shamarah tell you that this game is only about fighting.

Though yes, if you want to get involved in that aspect of the game you'll need to pack a few levels under your belt before you get to it.



It's scary, There are 3-4 zones in newton, and each one has about 1,000-2,000 gold to be had in it each repop(which happens about every 25-30 minutes)

Considering how EASY it is to kill the things there this is completely off the charts when compaired to anything else, even the moors/gorgogs/catacombs(even though they drop about 7 times the gold, they are a lot more then 7 times harder the those wee little finks and gnomes.)

Most people need to reference a map from time to time. Serenwilde is particularly daunting with its sprawling, winding, trails. Don't feel bad about that. You only get to know the place by doing things.

Gathering Pixies, Scholars, Cows, and Pilgrims will help give you a general sense of where things are. Also get yourself a good mentor. They can really help you out if your stuck.

As someone who joined the game in Serenwilde and it was my first mud (only so far) mud ever, I'll say two things: 1. Bash newton. Walk around newton. Learn to interact with NPCs in Newton. Learn to make Aliases/Triggers in Newton. Learn. You will want it. Bashing only gets harder. 2: Talk to your guild! To many newbies sit quiet and quit because they are bored. The guild is there to support you. If your bored, start chatting. Someone will likely talk back (Celestines can get ranting after a simple question like "What's a shroomie"). 3. MOST IMPORTANTLY Interact. Interact, interact, interact, interact, interact, interact, interact, and interact some more. Meet people. Find some friends. Heck, if a Divine is being "visible" on QW, and you feel brave, read their help file and maybe talk to them (Especially if it's a city god). The game is a ROLE PLAYING game. Role play! Also, do the guild tasks. Lots of effort was put into those, and at first, yes, the suck, but eventually you get to do more stuff like be priests religions'n'such, or have debates with other players. The world of Lusternia is stupidly well developed, but it is up to you to learn about it. (and I mean stupidly as in amazingly, awe-inspiring, sweetly, ect.)

Edit: Oh and the serenwilde thing, use the map, and learn NE of here is such, and S of that is such, therefore to get there I go E. It takes time, but soon you'll be able to orient just off general directions. I got lost all the time, but I always know which direction to travel! Oh, right, landmarks help too. Like, if you always pass "Amidist amazingly tall Oaks," then learn where "Amidist amazingly tall Oaks" is.

Celestines do not get ranty after a simple question like "What is a Shroomie?"
Psh, dun listento Shae hun, we Celestines rock!
Love-mimi

I meant ranty in the best way possible! And yes we do, sometimes. A novice asks a simple question and then a few others go way off topic, providing humorous, non-insightful banter! Ooh, come to think of it, something like this right now.

Rhakja, like yourself, I am a Serenwilde newbie and I am enjoying & savouring every moment. I've RPed with other characters, I've helped other newbies out, I've taken part in a newbie's orientation when she came out of the Portal of Fate guildless and looking for help.

I am quite geeky though, so I have mapped areas location by location so I don't get lost. I have explored and mapped some of the villages. I've read some of the books at the library. I've taken pilgrims to Avechna's Peak, struggled to get chickens to Chik and cows to Deb. I have even taken a trip to where Hallifax was to see if I could uncover anything about my ancestors.

After I have mapped all the villages, my next step will be improving my rank within the Hartstone guild by looking at the Wards of Hart. I'm sure the Serenguard have an equivalent. I will also be thinking about somehow getting a mentor.

I will admit though that sometimes you can feel like you are an outsider being a newbie. The veterans will be having a serious discussion about raids or influencing or combat tactics or aetherships and I won't have a clue what they are talking about. but I know that one day I will.

Most people in the Seren are very approachable, even if you have what you think is a silly question. Also, you can play with the personal traits of your character. Mine is shy and does not have much self confidence. This will come thru when I communicate with other characters.

So, Rhakja, stick to it and the rewards will come.

Well, my turn for information,

Bash the frigin' crap of of Newton. I got about 20,000 gold doing that between 1-21. If it helps you out that much, play some music. It sets the mood. Like... I'll play rock and roll, and just go all out on everything. Or, I'll play some Star Wars music, and go all supernova on everything, destruction galore.

Anyhow, stick with it, and it'll get better over time. Maybe you'll even find someone to settle down with for a long time... then AC/DC comes on, and destrustion happens again!

EDIT: The Celestines do have long topics when a novice asks a simple question... Hmmm...