Post by RAIVEN on Aug 25, 2008 1:54:28 GMT -7
Shade FAQ.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
1. BASICS
1.1: How do I get started?
A: You start in Byrendel, a friendly and bustling little town. You have a handful of Gold in your pocket, so head to the shops and pick up some basic gear. It doesn¡¦t go very far, so choose carefully. Get some basic armor, and save money for a sword. Be sure to go into your backpack and equip any items you purchased and wish to use.
Now, head out to the World and work over some monsters to start leveling up and getting stronger. After a few kills you¡¦ll be able to afford some better gear or perhaps a spell if you want to go the Mage or Healer route. Be sure to go into your backpack and Inscribe any spells you purchase. Note that when you Remove a spell from your Spellbook, it is gone for good. You cannot resell an inscribed Spell.
Once you feel a bit stronger and more able to deal with bigger challenges, try heading North to Goblin country and see what you can do there. Some cool treasure and good XP awaits you! Once you¡¦ve mastered this area, you will have many choices open to you.
You can also head to the Chat rooms for some pointers and to get caught up on current events if you wish.
1.2: Okay, I¡¦m in the world. What now?!
A: You can move around by selecting Move, and then the direction you¡¦d like to go. If you want to examine something, get next to it; click Actions, then Look, and then the direction of the object you wish to examine. Be careful though, you¡¦ll likely get attacked if you spend too much time looking! A good trick to use is to get a Minor Heal spell when you can afford it; then when you want to see what / who something is and not risk offending them you can cast a Minor Heal and get the info.
If you want to attack something, click Attack and then the direction you wish to attack in. Whatever weapon you have equipped will be used in the attack.
If you wish to cast a spell, click Cast, then Mage or Healer depending on the spell type you want to use, then the direction (or Self).
Once you have done one of these actions, you can click ¡§Again¡¨ to repeat that action exactly. So, you can continue attacking West, or continue Moving East, etc.
1.3: Ok I killed something and now there is a big chest there. What do I do with that?
A: That is your treasure! Move directly on to that spot, and then click Pick Up. You can either Pick Up All ( if your pack is not full), or select from a list the items you wish to pick up. Once you¡¦ve gathered some treasure, you can head back to town and sell it off in the Shops. Or, if it is better than what you currently have you might want to swap!
1.4: What is the MSGS key for?
A: This is a hot key that swaps you over to your incoming messages screen. It will give you the details of what attacked you, what you attacked, what was used, for how much, etc. You can quickly swap back and forth between the MSGS screen and the world viewer to get the whole picture of what is going on around you. The MSGS screen will always show the most recent happenings to your character.
1.5: What are clans? Do I need to join one? What if someone puts me in their clan without my permission?
A: Clans are basically teams or groups of people who have joined together in a common cause. They have an appointed leader, and they take on new members according to their own individual mandates. Some clans hunt together, some protect new players, some hunt other players (these ones aren¡¦t too popular). Each Clan is guided by its own Code. A Clan affiliation is denoted by the 3 letter tag that follows a player¡¦s name.
You do not need to join a Clan to get by in Shade. There are certain benefits you can enjoy by joining a Clan, but there are also drawbacks. Many players find themselves hunted simply by virtue of the Clan they are affiliated with. If you decide you would like to join a Clan, ask around first to get to know the reputation of the Clan in question. Choose carefully.
If someone puts you in their Clan without your permission, you can leave it by selecting Clans, Leave.
2. GAME DETAILS
2.1: What Towns/ How Many Towns are currently available in the land of Shade?
A: This number will change occasionally. There are many towns spread throughout the land, and the best way to find them is to ask other players and to explore. Just be careful whom you ask, as not all players will give you correct information.
2.2: What do the letters mean to the right of my Hit Points?
A:
P- You have a player message. Click Actions, Messages to view them in the world. Be careful though! You are still vulnerable to attack if you read messages when in the world. It is best to wait till you are back in town to read your correspondence.
H- You hit something. Good for you!
R- You are still recovering from your last attack.
F- You are fatigued and need to rest before you can act again. More often than not this will only happen when you have run multiple times in succession. Best to rest for a few seconds in between runs so you don¡¦t fatigue.
Z- Your spell fizzled.
2.3: Why do I Fizzle all of my spells so much?
A: If you fizzle a lot, try a lower level spell for a while. Each spell is designed for a different level Mage or Healer, so if you are not of a high enough level for a given spell you will fizzle often. Also, some creatures are resistant to spells, so you will fizzle even more often versus these ones.
2.4: How does Teleport work?
A: When you select Teleport, the Wizard Zanden will take you from your current location back to the last town you visited for a fee in gold directly proportional to your current level. You are not allowed to Teleport if you have recently been engaged in combat, as Zanden is a peace-loving Wizard.
2.5: What else is there to see in the land of Shade?
A: There are Orc Caves west of Byrendel. There are Goblin Caves east of Cloven Pine. There is the volcano south of Slyythra (beware of dangerous monsters lurking there). There is the Thunder Dome north of Cloven Pine. There are difficult to find, hidden areas including the Crypt, and the Elven Tree complex.
2.6: I am in Messaging and trying to find a player using Find, All, but I do not see them. Why?
A: Only players that are currently logged into the game can be seen in that list. You can message anyone from your Friend¡¦s List at any time.
2.7: I died and have chosen to Resurrect, should I choose Mortal or Undead? What are the pros/ cons?
A: Mortals start off with the ability to use Weapons or Cast Spells ¡V they can develop all skills. If you die as a Mortal you will lose 20% of your experience. The Undead start off being able to only use Weapons ¡V they can only use Fighter and Ranger skills. When an Undead takes the opportunity to become a Lich (at higher levels) they can only cast spells. Those who chose Undead and die will lose 10% of their experience.
These are simply the broad strokes of the differences between Undead and Mortal, and much is yet to be revealed. The best way is to get in and see which fits you best!
2.8: What is Mana?
A: Mana is the force that allows you to cast either Healer or Mage Spells. It will increase as you gain levels in your skill areas (more for Healer and Mage levels, of course)
2.9: I need to gain more experience as a Fighter/Ranger/Healer/ Mage. How do I do it?
A: You need to use these skills in order to gain experience in those areas. To gain Healer experience, you just need to cast successful Healer spells (any of them). The same is true for Mage experience. To become a more proficient Fighter, you must fight. To boost your Ranger skills, you must use Ranged weapons in combat.
3. TECHNICAL
3.1: I¡¦ve lost my connection to the server, what will happen to my character?
A: If you lose a connection and are NOT in a battle you will time out and your icon will be removed from the screen in a couple of minutes. If you are in a battle it will take longer. This is setup so those that are losing a battle can't just log out to save themselves.
3.2: I logged in to the game and my character is gone! Help!
A: Not a problem. If you¡¦ve recently had your phone serviced, your number changed, or your service upgraded or reinstated, it is entirely possible that the game sees your phone as a new account. Simply create a new character, then send us a feedback with the EXACT spelling of your old character¡¦s name, and request a transfer.
3.3: Why is Shade so slow?
A: It isn't!
This is just to give you an idea of how many points in the chain of data transfer there are between your phone and the Shade server, and how many things along the way contribute to messing up your game. We get a lot of emails, feedbacks, messages, and phone calls about the performance of the Shade server, so we wanted to let you know that we make sure the server is running properly at ALL times. And we will be the first to let the players know when the server is at fault for any problems.
Here's the checklist. It's not too technical, trying to keep the info straightforward.
>>>>>
If the Shade server encounters any major errors, it automatically and instantly dumps everyone. It basically kicks everyone out instantly, and then grabs all info for every player at the moment they were kicked and writes it to the data base. If you notice when we reboot for maintenance, you get dumped instantly. We throw the switch and everyone is out of the pool.
The main factors contributing to game play woes are:
1) The phone itself. You want the most current browser possible in your phone, and you want to clear the cache often. Also, some phones simply transfer data more quickly and reliably than others.
2) Weak or Fluctuating Signal strength (i.e. the connection between your phone and the nearest Cell tower). If your signal bar is low or bouncing, you will experience send)))) receive)))) delays. Guaranteed. Also, if the cell tower you are on is busy at that time, your signal won't be processed as quickly, and can even be dropped. The cells deal with all incoming signals and have to send and receive everything that every user in that cell area is doing, data or voice-wise.
3) Telco gateway troubles. The Telco Gateway is the Box that sits between your phone and the Telco's connection to the internet. The Telcos are all still working out the bugs on the gateways. Most gateways simply aren't optimized and in addition can get bogged down at busy times. They also don't all deal with data transfer as quickly and efficiently as they could. Bear in mind that early data services were designed with the thought that people would only be checking stock prices and email over the networks. These apps do not require cutting edge optimization. They never saw Shade coming. Shade is effectively the most advanced and demanding application available on WAP, and so will push any and all hardware to the absolute maximum. It will throw glaring light on any inadequacies at any point in the chain.
4) The Telco's network troubles. Each Telco has their own Data network that your signal must traverse before getting to the actual internet. If they are doing any kind of work on this network, or if it is a busy time for them, you may experience delays or errors.
5) Internet congestion. Once the signal leaves the Telco's network and hits the open net, it is subject to all the normal delays you would expect from regular internet surfing. Busy time of day, major internet nodes out due to congestion/attacks; all this sort of thing.
6) Shade server. This is the only part of the chain that we have any kind of control over, and since our business depends on it, we monitor it 24 hours a day. Literally. We have the Shade server hosted with a highly respected Hosting company and are running it on top of the line software and hardware. Every line of code in Shade was optimized to ensure that it runs reliably and smoothly under load. All the software we selected was chosen for its ability to handle very high volume traffic. We're doing our part, believe me! ļ
Then, the signal has to go all the way back through the chain to your phone again, and we start over. There are other, more technical junctions along the way as well; this was actually a fairly simplistic overview of the process. However it should suffice to give an idea of what is involved
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
1. BASICS
1.1: How do I get started?
A: You start in Byrendel, a friendly and bustling little town. You have a handful of Gold in your pocket, so head to the shops and pick up some basic gear. It doesn¡¦t go very far, so choose carefully. Get some basic armor, and save money for a sword. Be sure to go into your backpack and equip any items you purchased and wish to use.
Now, head out to the World and work over some monsters to start leveling up and getting stronger. After a few kills you¡¦ll be able to afford some better gear or perhaps a spell if you want to go the Mage or Healer route. Be sure to go into your backpack and Inscribe any spells you purchase. Note that when you Remove a spell from your Spellbook, it is gone for good. You cannot resell an inscribed Spell.
Once you feel a bit stronger and more able to deal with bigger challenges, try heading North to Goblin country and see what you can do there. Some cool treasure and good XP awaits you! Once you¡¦ve mastered this area, you will have many choices open to you.
You can also head to the Chat rooms for some pointers and to get caught up on current events if you wish.
1.2: Okay, I¡¦m in the world. What now?!
A: You can move around by selecting Move, and then the direction you¡¦d like to go. If you want to examine something, get next to it; click Actions, then Look, and then the direction of the object you wish to examine. Be careful though, you¡¦ll likely get attacked if you spend too much time looking! A good trick to use is to get a Minor Heal spell when you can afford it; then when you want to see what / who something is and not risk offending them you can cast a Minor Heal and get the info.
If you want to attack something, click Attack and then the direction you wish to attack in. Whatever weapon you have equipped will be used in the attack.
If you wish to cast a spell, click Cast, then Mage or Healer depending on the spell type you want to use, then the direction (or Self).
Once you have done one of these actions, you can click ¡§Again¡¨ to repeat that action exactly. So, you can continue attacking West, or continue Moving East, etc.
1.3: Ok I killed something and now there is a big chest there. What do I do with that?
A: That is your treasure! Move directly on to that spot, and then click Pick Up. You can either Pick Up All ( if your pack is not full), or select from a list the items you wish to pick up. Once you¡¦ve gathered some treasure, you can head back to town and sell it off in the Shops. Or, if it is better than what you currently have you might want to swap!
1.4: What is the MSGS key for?
A: This is a hot key that swaps you over to your incoming messages screen. It will give you the details of what attacked you, what you attacked, what was used, for how much, etc. You can quickly swap back and forth between the MSGS screen and the world viewer to get the whole picture of what is going on around you. The MSGS screen will always show the most recent happenings to your character.
1.5: What are clans? Do I need to join one? What if someone puts me in their clan without my permission?
A: Clans are basically teams or groups of people who have joined together in a common cause. They have an appointed leader, and they take on new members according to their own individual mandates. Some clans hunt together, some protect new players, some hunt other players (these ones aren¡¦t too popular). Each Clan is guided by its own Code. A Clan affiliation is denoted by the 3 letter tag that follows a player¡¦s name.
You do not need to join a Clan to get by in Shade. There are certain benefits you can enjoy by joining a Clan, but there are also drawbacks. Many players find themselves hunted simply by virtue of the Clan they are affiliated with. If you decide you would like to join a Clan, ask around first to get to know the reputation of the Clan in question. Choose carefully.
If someone puts you in their Clan without your permission, you can leave it by selecting Clans, Leave.
2. GAME DETAILS
2.1: What Towns/ How Many Towns are currently available in the land of Shade?
A: This number will change occasionally. There are many towns spread throughout the land, and the best way to find them is to ask other players and to explore. Just be careful whom you ask, as not all players will give you correct information.
2.2: What do the letters mean to the right of my Hit Points?
A:
P- You have a player message. Click Actions, Messages to view them in the world. Be careful though! You are still vulnerable to attack if you read messages when in the world. It is best to wait till you are back in town to read your correspondence.
H- You hit something. Good for you!
R- You are still recovering from your last attack.
F- You are fatigued and need to rest before you can act again. More often than not this will only happen when you have run multiple times in succession. Best to rest for a few seconds in between runs so you don¡¦t fatigue.
Z- Your spell fizzled.
2.3: Why do I Fizzle all of my spells so much?
A: If you fizzle a lot, try a lower level spell for a while. Each spell is designed for a different level Mage or Healer, so if you are not of a high enough level for a given spell you will fizzle often. Also, some creatures are resistant to spells, so you will fizzle even more often versus these ones.
2.4: How does Teleport work?
A: When you select Teleport, the Wizard Zanden will take you from your current location back to the last town you visited for a fee in gold directly proportional to your current level. You are not allowed to Teleport if you have recently been engaged in combat, as Zanden is a peace-loving Wizard.
2.5: What else is there to see in the land of Shade?
A: There are Orc Caves west of Byrendel. There are Goblin Caves east of Cloven Pine. There is the volcano south of Slyythra (beware of dangerous monsters lurking there). There is the Thunder Dome north of Cloven Pine. There are difficult to find, hidden areas including the Crypt, and the Elven Tree complex.
2.6: I am in Messaging and trying to find a player using Find, All, but I do not see them. Why?
A: Only players that are currently logged into the game can be seen in that list. You can message anyone from your Friend¡¦s List at any time.
2.7: I died and have chosen to Resurrect, should I choose Mortal or Undead? What are the pros/ cons?
A: Mortals start off with the ability to use Weapons or Cast Spells ¡V they can develop all skills. If you die as a Mortal you will lose 20% of your experience. The Undead start off being able to only use Weapons ¡V they can only use Fighter and Ranger skills. When an Undead takes the opportunity to become a Lich (at higher levels) they can only cast spells. Those who chose Undead and die will lose 10% of their experience.
These are simply the broad strokes of the differences between Undead and Mortal, and much is yet to be revealed. The best way is to get in and see which fits you best!
2.8: What is Mana?
A: Mana is the force that allows you to cast either Healer or Mage Spells. It will increase as you gain levels in your skill areas (more for Healer and Mage levels, of course)
2.9: I need to gain more experience as a Fighter/Ranger/Healer/ Mage. How do I do it?
A: You need to use these skills in order to gain experience in those areas. To gain Healer experience, you just need to cast successful Healer spells (any of them). The same is true for Mage experience. To become a more proficient Fighter, you must fight. To boost your Ranger skills, you must use Ranged weapons in combat.
3. TECHNICAL
3.1: I¡¦ve lost my connection to the server, what will happen to my character?
A: If you lose a connection and are NOT in a battle you will time out and your icon will be removed from the screen in a couple of minutes. If you are in a battle it will take longer. This is setup so those that are losing a battle can't just log out to save themselves.
3.2: I logged in to the game and my character is gone! Help!
A: Not a problem. If you¡¦ve recently had your phone serviced, your number changed, or your service upgraded or reinstated, it is entirely possible that the game sees your phone as a new account. Simply create a new character, then send us a feedback with the EXACT spelling of your old character¡¦s name, and request a transfer.
3.3: Why is Shade so slow?
A: It isn't!
This is just to give you an idea of how many points in the chain of data transfer there are between your phone and the Shade server, and how many things along the way contribute to messing up your game. We get a lot of emails, feedbacks, messages, and phone calls about the performance of the Shade server, so we wanted to let you know that we make sure the server is running properly at ALL times. And we will be the first to let the players know when the server is at fault for any problems.
Here's the checklist. It's not too technical, trying to keep the info straightforward.
>>>>>
If the Shade server encounters any major errors, it automatically and instantly dumps everyone. It basically kicks everyone out instantly, and then grabs all info for every player at the moment they were kicked and writes it to the data base. If you notice when we reboot for maintenance, you get dumped instantly. We throw the switch and everyone is out of the pool.
The main factors contributing to game play woes are:
1) The phone itself. You want the most current browser possible in your phone, and you want to clear the cache often. Also, some phones simply transfer data more quickly and reliably than others.
2) Weak or Fluctuating Signal strength (i.e. the connection between your phone and the nearest Cell tower). If your signal bar is low or bouncing, you will experience send)))) receive)))) delays. Guaranteed. Also, if the cell tower you are on is busy at that time, your signal won't be processed as quickly, and can even be dropped. The cells deal with all incoming signals and have to send and receive everything that every user in that cell area is doing, data or voice-wise.
3) Telco gateway troubles. The Telco Gateway is the Box that sits between your phone and the Telco's connection to the internet. The Telcos are all still working out the bugs on the gateways. Most gateways simply aren't optimized and in addition can get bogged down at busy times. They also don't all deal with data transfer as quickly and efficiently as they could. Bear in mind that early data services were designed with the thought that people would only be checking stock prices and email over the networks. These apps do not require cutting edge optimization. They never saw Shade coming. Shade is effectively the most advanced and demanding application available on WAP, and so will push any and all hardware to the absolute maximum. It will throw glaring light on any inadequacies at any point in the chain.
4) The Telco's network troubles. Each Telco has their own Data network that your signal must traverse before getting to the actual internet. If they are doing any kind of work on this network, or if it is a busy time for them, you may experience delays or errors.
5) Internet congestion. Once the signal leaves the Telco's network and hits the open net, it is subject to all the normal delays you would expect from regular internet surfing. Busy time of day, major internet nodes out due to congestion/attacks; all this sort of thing.
6) Shade server. This is the only part of the chain that we have any kind of control over, and since our business depends on it, we monitor it 24 hours a day. Literally. We have the Shade server hosted with a highly respected Hosting company and are running it on top of the line software and hardware. Every line of code in Shade was optimized to ensure that it runs reliably and smoothly under load. All the software we selected was chosen for its ability to handle very high volume traffic. We're doing our part, believe me! ļ
Then, the signal has to go all the way back through the chain to your phone again, and we start over. There are other, more technical junctions along the way as well; this was actually a fairly simplistic overview of the process. However it should suffice to give an idea of what is involved