About Rubies of Eventide :: FAQ Last Updated: 03.08.2003 http://www.rubiesofeventide.com/ What is Rubies Of Eventide? Rubies Of Eventide is a Massively Multiplayer Online RolePlaying Game (MMORPG). A MMORPG is a roleplaying game that can be played by a large number of players from any location with Internet access. All of our players can interact with other players online, as well as form adventuring groups and guilds. Rubies Of Eventide is set in a fantasy medieval setting, in the fictional land of Vormis. There is no single player version available. What is a roleplaying game? A roleplaying game is unlike many other traditional board, card or computer games. It is a game in which you adopt a persona (also called creating a character) and use that persona to interact with the fictional world around that character. Roleplaying is much like an interactive story that lets you choose the actions and persona of your character. While some things are constant, such as the history of the game world and the rules of the game, the actions your character takes to affect the story that is presented are determined and enacted by you. In a roleplaying game, characters are offered many options for a variety of storylines that you may choose to take, or choose to ignore. Your character's actions do have consequences in the game world, so you may want to be careful to choose wisely! Many of your character's actions and decisions have consequences, especially in a game such as Rubies Of Eventide, where there are many players and Non-Player Characters (NPCs) to interact with. An NPC is anything that is not a character played by a human player. Monsters, thieves, city guards, shopkeepers, and trainers are all examples of NPCs. As in real life, you can choose to hurt or insult another person, but there will be consequences. You can choose to be a hero or villain, a merchant or craftsman, a mage or a fighter - in a roleplaying game, your character's role and characteristics are decided by you. How much does Rubies Of Eventide cost to play? Rubies Of Eventide is currently in open beta phase. During the course of this open beta, playing and downloading our software is free. After commercial launch, the price for subscription will be as follows: Rubies of Eventide Pricing for 2003 1 month - $14.95 $35.85 for 3 months ($11.95/m) Save 20% off our standard rate!! $65.70 for 6 months ($10.95/m) Look, over 25% off!! $119.40 for a year ($9.95/m)Best deal for almost 35% off at $9.95 a month!! Founder's Fellowship: Beta Tester Discounts We do have a very special offer for our beta testers! This package is called the Founder's Fellowship and will only be available to the first 3000 applicants that opt for this deal. It costs $50 a year to be a Fellowship member but you reap these benefits: 3 magic items: ceremonial sabre (with attack bonuses), Fellowship Cloak (with some status modifiers), Fellowship signet ring (teleportation ring) in-game access to secret Gentry-Only areas Certificate of Peerage with your unique Fellowship number printable from our website. 3 certificates good towards a month of access each for you, OR they can give these certificates to any current playing member good towards one free month. Subscription rate drops to 50% off normal monthly rate!You will be billed automatically every three months in the sum of $22.50. (If you use your 3 months of certificates on yourself, your billing date will be pushed back automatically) 2 extra character slots All of your characters get these magic items! Founder's Club membership is renewable at the $50 rate till 2005. Even if you stop your subscription, your "seat" as Gentry will be reserved for at least 3 months. Keep in mind this package comes with a teleport ring, and our world is only going to get larger! Referral Program In addition to the above mentioned offerings, we also have a referral program that will go into effect when we release commercially. Anyone who signs up and plays this game that mentions you as their source will be noted in your account. If your friends subscribe for access, they start generating 2 "rubies" for you a day. "Rubies" are our online shoppe currency. They have no cash value, but when you accumulate enough Rubies, you can start redeeming them for free months of access, t-shirts, gifts, and gaming merchandise! You can also transfer these free access codes/certificates to other members in good standing. Technical Can I download the game, or is it on a CD? Rubies Of Eventide is no longer being offered on CD during open beta. Any updates are automatically downloaded after the installation of the game. All updates are mandatory to run Rubies Of Eventide. The download is always free. If you need to reinstall, just go here: dl.rubiesofeventide.com What do I need to play this game? What are the system requirements? You will need an Internet connection to play Rubies Of Eventide. There is no single player version planned at this time. Preliminary Minimum System requirements are: 1.4 Ghz Pentium 4 or faster Processor 256 MB of RAM 1 GB Free Hard Drive space CD-ROM Drive Windows 98/ME/2000/XP 64MB 3D Accelerated DirectX 8.x compatible Video Card A DirectX 8.x compatible Sound Card A Microsoft compatible mouse A Microsoft compatible keyboard A 56K+ Internet Connection An active Rubies Of Eventide game account with Cyber Warrior Inc. Rubies Of Eventide may run on less advanced systems, however we do not claim any responsibility or support for how Rubies Of Eventide runs, if at all. Is Rubies Of Eventide available for a Macintosh system? Our game is not designed for a Macintosh system. There are no plans at this time to develop a Macintosh compatible version. Playing Rubies Of Eventide What kind of name should I choose for my character? In order to promote a better roleplaying environment, try to choose a name that "sounds medieval." You don't have to be a historian to choose a name, but use your judgment. Some races are more likely to have names of a certain type. An elf's name is likely to be somewhat delicate sounding, while an orc's or ogre's may sound gutteral. A dwarf's last name might have something to do with weapon or armorsmithing, or perhaps a family trade. Character names containing expletives or names that are considered to be of a questionable or insulting nature may be deleted from our system without warning. Characters may not be renamed in Rubies Of Eventide. Can I play an evil character? In Rubies Of Eventide, you are free to choose if your character is primarily good or evil. We believe that part of roleplaying is that any character can be what the player wants within the boundaries of the game. As a result, we are working to provide plotlines and stories for both good and evil characters. There are no right or wrong answers in roleplaying, but sometimes there are consequences. If your character is the vilest of villains in the land, he or she may be hunted. Likewise, if your character is the highest hero of the lands, you may find that evil characters find your character to be loathsome. What race can my character be? There are seven races to choose a character from: leshy, gnomes, elves, humans, dwarves, orcs and ogres. Humans are the most general race as they have no particular strengths or weaknesses. Leshy are pale, thin and tall, and are very intelligent, though they are physically very weak and somewhat frail. Gnomes are short, gray skinned people of childlike stature. They are quick and intelligent, but are physically weaker than most races. Elves are slightly shorter and more lithe than humans, have pointed ears, and are well known for their great dexterity. They are slightly more adept at magic than humans, but gnomes and leshy tend to learn magical skills more easily. Dwarves are a short, stout, barrel-chested race. They are known for their extremely hardy constitution, and though they are the least dexterous of the races, they are strong enough to make up for it as warriors. Orcs are a reddish skinned barbarian-like race, known for their dexterity and strength, but somewhat limited in intelligence. Ogres are the largest and strongest of all the races, making up for their lack of intelligence with might and size. What are the character classes I can choose? Rubies Of Eventide has over 90 character classes available from the start of character creation. Classes are not limited in what they can learn, but the cost for each skill varies by how naturally adept each race/class combination is. Thus, you can play an ogre necromancer, but your character will have to pay more for Necromancy (a magic skill) than a leshy necromancer would have to pay for the same skill. A leshy may be a fighter, but will have to pay more to learn some fighting skills than most other races, particularly ogres, orcs and dwarves. What kinds of spells are there? There are 8 schools of magic, each of which corresponds to a time of the day, color and which is directly opposed to one of the other schools of magic. Shamanic is the school of Life, while Necromancy is the school of Death. Conjuring deals with the Terrestrial, while Illusion mainly manipulates the Ethereal. Bardic magic is part Ethereal and part Life, and is opposed to Summoning, which is part Terrestrial and part Death. Druidic magic is considered Terrestrial and Life magic, and Sorcery consists of Ethereal and Death Magic. Can my character fight another character? No character may initiate combat with another below 6th level. At 6th level, you may choose to participate in several types of Player vs. Player combat (as they are implemented). The simplest type of PvP combat is dueling. You may challenge any other player to a duel. If they accept, the two characters may be able to choose to fight to unconsciousness, death or even permanent death in some areas. A second type of PvP is Guild warfare. If two guilds decide that they wish to conduct a war, all members of each guild are vulnerable to any of the opposite guild's members attacks. The third type of PvP allows you to choose for your character to be left unprotected by the Order of Wardens. Any character who has done the same may choose to attack you, or vice versa. You may change your protection with the Order of Wardens in most cities, however, if you have recently attacked anyone, you will have to wait until your character is considered clear of blame. Where do I start the game? During development, all characters will start in Kaj Blood, a mining city near the west border of South Vormis. As other areas are opened, characters will start in the many towns and villages that are scattered throughout South Vormis according to their character class and race. A choice of starting settlements may eventually be implemented. Money There is one main set of coins used almost universally in Vormis. Imperials are the smallest value of coin, made of a copper alloy. Degnar are made from a silver alloy and are worth 100 Imperials. Larn are made from gold and are worth 100 Degnar. A small platinum coin, the Prox, is considered the highest of all coin denominations in this system. Prox are worth 100 Larn each. 100 Imperials = 1 Degnar 100 Degnar = 1 Larn 100 Larn = 1 Prox Or 1,000,000 Imperials = 10,000 Degnar = 100 Larn = 1 Prox Why does the clock say the time is 33:05? Hours and minutes are measured a little differently on Vormis. There are 50 minutes in an hour, and 36 hours in a day. Each game day is approximately two real hours, each month has 42 days, and there are 6 months for a total of 252 game days per year. A game year is approximately three weeks in real time. Months Last Day Season Malthus 42 Winter Iptus 84 Winter/ Spring Pendall 126 Spring Chay 168 Summer Olinn 210 Summer/ Fall Vallon 252 Fall Start* Time segments End* Strong School** 34:01 Midnight 2:25 Necromancy 2:26 Early Morning 7:00 Summoning 7:01 Dawn 11:25 Conjuring 11:26 Morning 16:00 Druidic 16:01 Midday 20:25 Shamanic 20:26 Late Day 25:00 Bardic 25:01 Dusk 29:25 Illusion 29:26 Night 34:00 Sorcery *start and end times are at the equinox The start and end times listed above for the eight segments of the day are approximate and depend on the time of year. During the summer months, the days grow longer than they are in spring and fall. In winter, the days are at their shortest. Why do I keep failing spells? There are many factors to consider when you cast a spell. High Intelligence, Spellcraft skill, and skill in the school of magic you wish to cast all contribute to your character's chances to cast. There are magical items that increase your Skills, Attributes and your chance of casting as well. The power level at which you cast, and the level of the spell you are casting will also affect your chance for success. However, if you are still failing to cast spells at a high rate, check your Armor Encumbrance. If the armor encumbrance indicates that your character is wearing more armor than he or she comfortably can, then your spell failure is most likely an effect of being over-encumbered by armor. Why do I take more damage as I put on more armor? In order to wear armor and not be adversely encumbered by it, your character must have an appropriate the Armor skill. If you equip extra armor, it will not aid your character, and may actually slow them down. Wearing too much armor can also make you character's weapon blows less effective, or can make your character more vulnerable to damage. If your character is wearing too much armor, spells become harder to cast and your character will not get the full benefit of his Dexterity skill when being attacked. As a spellcaster, armor may affect your casting even though your available armor encumbrance will allow you to wear more. If you plan on playing a caster, a good rule of thumb is to wear armor about 2 types of Armor below what you can normally wear until you understand what limits your character has. Strength and Dexterity can help to balance casting penalties. What happens if my character dies? If you die before 6th level, you suffer no penalties, and lose no items. You may return to the Temple to resurrect, where your character's body will reform with all of the items he or she had when they perished. You may also be resurrected by another character with the appropriate skill. Once you get to 6th level, you can make a few choices about which items your character gets to keep, or lose when he or she dies. The Risk of losing items is balanced by the Reward of getting more Experience Points (XP) than average, but the default is set to not losing any items. If you die while not Risked, you lose no items and suffer a penalty to your Attributes and Skills until you regain enough XP to make up for the penalty. While you are working off the penalty, _ of the XP you get goes towards paying the penalty, and the other half is added to your character's total, as normal. There are several ways to resurrect. The first is to go to the Temple, either through "giving up" as a spirit, or through walking to the temple in spirit form. The second is to have another character resurrect you in the field. There are specific penalties for each option, but you'll have to discover them in- game. What is the Risk/Reward system? The Risk/Reward system allows you to choose how much Experience (XP) your character receives for risking not only life and limb, but items as well. At the lowest risk setting, your character will get items back, and will suffer no penalty to the amount of XP given after each battle. At the highest Risk setting, your character will lose all of his or her items upon death, but will be awarded 67% more XP than average when a battle is won. Any items that are placed in the Vault do not count as Risked, but they only count for half the normal value as your character cannot use them while they are in the Vault. You may go to the Order of Wardens to change your character's Risk settings. There is an Order member in each major city, as well as in other areas. Can my character be permanently killed? Yes, in Rubies Of Eventide your character may be permanently killed. Your character may accept a challenge to duel to the permanent death - losing will cause your character to permanently die. Why do the prices for some items seem to change? The prices for some items depend on the season and their availability. Some items are more expensive in the summer, while others peak in the winter, fall or spring. Other changes in price can be caused by changes in your character's Reputation, Bargaining skill and Intelligence. Why do some monsters take a lot of damage from one weapon, and not from others? Some monsters are more vulnerable than average to some types of damage, just as some are more resistant than average to some types of damage. Skeletons are a good example of this, as their brittle bones can be weak to bashing damage. However, they are resistant to arrows, since there isn't much for an arrow to stick into. Use your sense when you come up against a monster that seems to be resistant to a certain type of damage. The monster may be vulnerable to a damage type that seems opposite of their nature, or to silver or magical weapons. Why are the guards attacking me? If the guards are attacking you, it is because they see you as evil or unlawful. If you have killed or attacked other people, you may have gained a bad reputation with that particular group of guards. Each major group in South Vormis has a reputation ranking with every other group - though it starts close to neutral, what your character does may affect even those whom you have not met. Casting certain spells may add to some reputations and detract from others, as can wearing or having certain magic items. It is always wise to Identify items that you find, especially those that are considered symbols of an enemy group. I keep getting messages saying my character sneezed. Why? If your character is sneezing, coughing or has a runny nose, then you have been diseased. There are spells that will cure the disease, or you may go to the Temple of Erosis to have it cured. Herbalism may also help you cure the disease through healing items. Poison can also kill your character, even out of combat, and is indicated by a wavy view or a greenish color shift in your character's view. It can be cured in similar ways as disease, as well as through an Herbalist's skills by using "Antidote." If your character is poisoned, drunk, or diseased, the effect will be shown at the top of the screen. The Status of any potions, spells, and other beneficial and detrimental effects will be shown as a picture. Clicking on the picture may give you more information about the specific effects. Interface How do I find out who else is online? One of the easiest ways to tell who is online, or to look for a specific type of character, group or a player is to use the /who command from the Chat Screen. A brief list of useful /who commands is listed below: /who name or part of name - shows the character names of matches /who area name - shows matches in an area of the game /who chatgroup - shows who is in a specified chatgroup /who class - shows characters of the specified character class /who lfg - shows who else in the area is looking for a group Though a full list can be found in our manual, some other useful commands are: /anon on/off - hides your character name, and will also remove you from /who command results. /chatlog on/off - keeps a log of every message your character gets on your harddrive /consent character name - allows you to give consent to one character to move your corpse (once implemented) /curse language - your character will say a colorful curse in the language of your choice /dir - displays the direction that your character is facing /exit, /quit, logout, /logoff - exits the game after about 20 seconds of inactivity /follow - allows your character to auto-follow a selected character within range /friends - displays you character's friends list /add friend character name - adds a friend to your list /delete friend character name - removes a friend from your list /help - brings up a help screen with general topics /ignore character name - no messages from the ignored person will be received by your character. Sysop characters may not be ignored. /insult - much like the /curse, this command will insult a selected target in a colorful way in whatever language your character is currently speaking /invite character name - You may also right-click and select Invite to form a party. Only party leaders may invite new members, but anyone can leave. /join - a second way to confirm that you would like to join a group to which you have been invited /journal - brings up the Journal screen /leave - your character will leave the party - though this cannot be done while in combat. /loc - gives the coordinates for your character's current location /looking or /lfg - sets your character to looking for a group. /macro - can be used to set up customized buttons, check the manual for more details /me performs an action - use this to emote actions and ideas to others /em performs an action - a second form of emote /music on/off/last/next - Turn the game music on or off, or advance or replay a song /played - displays the total time you have played your character /quest - displays the quest log screen /set lang language - sets your character's spoken language to the specified language /set lang - restores default (Praxic) language /sit - Your character will sit on the ground to rest. /stand - You may also use the arrow keys to move in order to stand up quickly. /tech - technical information to help diagnose problems /temple, /rtt, /return - all of these will return your (dead) character to the temple /time - shows the time of day in game Everyone is on the other server, can I join them with this character? Your characters are server specific, however there are plans to allow you to transfer your characters to other servers for a minor fee, and/or transfer your character to any other member in good standing. The only trickey part is that some servers may not allow you to transfer your character to another person to play on the same server if its a strictly RP server. This is to protect the integrity of our game. When you create a character on a server, be sure to read and understand your server's rule- set before incarnating there! You may have a certain number of characters on each server, but a character you start on Server A may not be played on Server B if they have conflicting rule-sets. More on this topic will be added to this FAQ as rule-sets become more concrete. Has anyone tried this game yet? If so please write something about it for a future issue. - o -