<![CDATA[Latest posts for the topic "BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ"]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/3.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ BotFodder's Unofficial FAQ for the Total Newbie Note: The Main FAQ has undergone some updating. You should read that first before looking at any of the information here, as the information in the Main FAQ is infinitely more official than anything you see here. Note II: Please do not PM or otherwise contact BotFodder about administrative issues. Bot is not an admin and has no influence over the admins and owners, and even if he was, administrative issues are best handled through the appropriate channels. Bot's done a little research, and has verified that you are appropriately warned about all aspects (IE, timing) of the administrative processes. These posts will cover the common questions asked by total newbies to the Disastrous Consequences server. Some of the material here will include some opinion, conjecture, and theory. However, whenever possible, the distinctions between facts, rules, and common practices will be clearly labeled. Really, most of the information you find here will simply be informational. If there's a question you have that's not answered in this or the :arrow: main FAQ, or if you think the information may be incorrect, please post it to the :arrow: discussion thread so it can be fully discussed and hashed out before it's added to this FAQ. There's nothing stopping you from posting it here; it's just that BotFodder would prefer to keep this thread as clean (and as short) as possible. If you've already joined us for a map or wave, great! You can skip this paragraph ... but if you haven't, you'll be forced to read and agree to the :arrow: Player Agreement. You are strongly encouraged to read it now (if you already haven't), as it contains the basic rules that one must adhere to to play on the DC server. In the rest of this FAQ you'll find the answers to such queries as "What do I do?" and "What's the best class?" For the rest of this post, though, we'll go over some abbreviations and terms used in these posts and on the server.
  • DC - Disastrous Consequences - the server!
  • player - the individual sitting in the chair playing the game
  • character - tracked as a combination of the CD Key and "name". More on this later.
  • mod - "module", or "modifier". In UT2004, these are extensions to the game that modify game play.
  • newbie - A relative term - usually referring to a new person on the server; however, in reference to specifically characters and not players, it means any character under 41st level. See notes later in the FAQ.
  • RPG - Role Playing Game. DC uses some key mods that change the game play into an RPG style game: :arrow: Mysterial's RPG mod and :arrow: DruidsRPG mod.
  • Dru, Druid - "TheDruidXpawX" on the Forums, he's the guy that does the principle coding for the :arrow: DruidsRPG mod and is co-owner of the DC server.
  • Shan - "Shantara" on the Forums, she is also one of the co-owners of the DC server.
  • INV and VINV - "Invasion", the principle game type played on DC. For some maps (like Onslaught (ONS) maps), there are extensions to make it "VINV", or "Vehicle Invasion." More details in the next post.
  • map - Used both to describe a full invasion game, as well as the "playing field" or enviornment the game is played on.
  • wave - An individual sequence of monsters in an Invasion game. 16 different waves make up a map.
  • XP - Experience Points
  • SP - Stat Points
  • class - Currently, there are three "classes" on DC. These determine what skills you can have. A character can only have one "class", and once chosen for a character, the class cannot be changed. The three classes are listed below with their abbreviations and definitions.
  • Weapons Master (WM) - Occasionally called "Loaded Weapons" or "LW", WMs are masters at using weapons and as a class are designed to get up close and do the down and dirty fighting with monsters. They even have access to skills that allow them to gain health from doing damage to monsters.
  • Adrenaline Master (AM) - Occasionally called: "Loaded Adrenaline", "Loaded Artifacts", "LA", or even "Junkie". Adrenaline Masters are (or will be) considered the UT2004RPG version of Mages. They hang back, hurt monsters from a distance, and eventually get the ability to max magic weapons, push magic weapons past their max, or even double the abilities of a magic weapon. Good thing too, because AM's get none of the skills that give Health. If an AM loses Health, the only way they can get it back is from pickups or Medics, the odd Vampiric weapon, or the Adrenaline Combo "Booster".
  • Medic/Monster Master (M/MM) - They can make a "medic weapon" and heal teammates with it. As such, they can buy skills that give them extra XP for healing people. It can be misleading though to call them simply "Medics", as they also can get skills that allow them to summon monsters that are more intelligent than those from the Summoning Charm.
  • stats - Occasionally used interchangably with "skills", this more accurately refers to the primary six qualities that are common to every character. They do not have different "levels" that are purchased; you can put as little as one point at a time in a stat. See the :arrow: RPG Stat Caps and Skill Costs page for more info.
  • skills - Skills are level based and can cost anywhere from 1 SP to 55 (and possibly more) to raise a skill a level. For descriptions of skills, see the :arrow: RPG Skill Description page. For the costs, see the :arrow: RPG Stat Caps and Skill Costs page.
  • spawn - The act of something appearing, be it you, a monster, or even items. From a different point of view, it's what it's called when you enter the map.
  • gib and gibs - "Gib" is a euphemism for "kill", most notably applied to monsters. "Gibs" (in noun form) are little bits of bodies (or in some cases, big bits of bodies) that are left over when something is "gibbed." "Instagib" covers a specific set of cases where a single shot from a weapon instantly gibs the target. The TinyURL for this Newbie FAQ is: :arrow: http://tinyurl.com/lz229]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15015 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15015 GMT Taking care of basics What wave is it?! Hit your F1 key to get to the scoreboard - at the top it will indicate what wave the map is currently on. I got this weapon with a strange description. What does (weapon type) mean? Weapons on this RPG server can have magical properties. This isn't always a good thing. What a given weapon does is covered in the main FAQ's :arrow: RPG Weapons page in detail. How do I throw a weapon? The default key is "\". My name is appearing with "_Imposter" after it. What does that mean? Characters are tracked as a combination of CD Key and "Name" (see your "Settings" under "Player"). If someone has previously used a name on the server (which means it's under a different CD Key), the extension "_Imposter" is added to prevent people from masquerading as other players' characters. The only way to get rid of the "_Imposter" tag is to choose a name that's unique to the server (note that this will result in you starting a new character from scratch, so if you've played a lot with that "_Imposter" tag before making it to the FAQ, you might just want to live with the tag; alternatively, you can email the server owners and ask for a name change - they'll email you back when it's done). My name is showing up as a number - how do I fix that? Names must be fairly unique to the server. If enough people (usually three) have used a name previously, further attempts to use that same name by another CD key will result in the name being changed to a random number. Stats will not be saved for this character. Your best bet is to go into "Settings" and "Player" and change your name to make the name "more unique". I seem to be dying a lot. Can you do something about that? Even experienced players with high level characters find themselves in situations where continuing their life isn't an option. For lower level characters on a later wave, it's almost a certainty that you're going to die. Not to worry; once the wave is done, you'll spawn again. When you've got some playing time under your belt, you might want to visit :arrow: 320's Strategy and Tactics thread elsewhere on the forums. Debated there are mostly class neutral suggestions that might help you stay alive a bit longer. :idea: And, to quote some advice from one of the admins, don't waste your "dead time":

    Chyster wrote:
    Watch - Look - Listen - Be Patient Watching (observing) other players when you are dead can be beneficial. Depending on who you observe, you'll learn where to go, what to use and a whole lot of tips and tricks on how to stay alive. Remember, every player has a unique style that can be learned from (yes even a noob). Look around and memorize maps. If your new to the game or to a particular map, you'll need to remember where the weapons, ammo, health, adrenalin, etc. are to get you back to fragging monsters fast. Listen to how others talk to each other. You'll learn what is acceptable and what is not. Also, listen to what they are saying. Most of the time somebody somewhere is passing out an awesome weapon or could be giving up a charm. The best is last. Be patient!! No one here learned everything they need to know in one game, one hour or one day. It takes time to learn all the cool stuff that you can do on the DC server and it definately cannot be covered indepth in an FAQ. If you tried, it would be huge. Read through the forums, catch up with what has happened in the past, get to know people and let them get to know you. 
    He's right, you know ... there's a lot of information in this Newbie FAQ (it's huge!) and the :arrow: Main FAQ, and a lot more scattered around the Forums. But Chyster's given you the key to learning the stuff that's hard to explain. :wink: Wait a minute. I don't understand. What do I do? Okay, so I'm attacking monsters and there are these ones with red halos that everyone else ignores and they don't die when I shoot them. What's up with that? Cool! So can I tell them what to do? All of these questions (and actually some of the questions farther up in this article, but to lesser detail) have been covered in the :arrow: Main FAQ and have only been kept here for archival purposes. People are talking about "cloning" weapons. What's that? Explained in great detail in the Main FAQ's :arrow: General Weapon Info page. ]]>     http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15016 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15016 GMT     Giving yourself some class and character ... So how do I manage skills and stats? Hit your "L" key. You should see a window that looks something like this: Note that this is a half size image from a screen at 1280x1024 resolution, and for someone who's over 80th level (who also has three of their stats already maxed) ... what you see may vary due to your level and screen resolution. Anyway, you'll see the primary six stats, the SPs you have available, and the skill window. To raise stats, you'll notice a group of three buttons (a number, -, +), and then a separate "+" button. The group of three indicate how many SP's you want to add to that stat. The - or + button changes that value (depending on how many SPs you have). The separate "+" button raises the stat by the numerical value and decreases your SPs. You can scroll through the skill window, highlight skills, and if you want to see the information about a skill, click on "Info". If you want to buy the skill, click on "Buy". Note that some skills have prerequisites (other skills or stats must be at a certain level) that must be satisfied before you can buy them. The game can be rough in later waves for lower level characters. However, you start out right off the bat at 5th level with 28 SP. Don't go into the Stat Improvement window during combat though! You can't control your character while you have this window up, so it's best to look at it when you're already dead or quickly between waves. Most of the Info for a skill should be available off game at the :arrow: RPG Skill Description page in the FAQ. Finally, :evil: it is BotFodder's advice to never, never, never, ever click on the "Reset" button on this window. If you do, your character will be brought back to starting values: all stats reset to base, level back to 5. There's some debate (I haven't bothered to ask Dru or another knowledgable person) about whether or not this also resets your class. If you want to start a different class, it's best to just start a character with a different name. The Main FAQ Before going on, you should probably now visit the rest of the :arrow: RPG FAQ pages and read up. A few of them have already been referenced. What's the best class? There isn't one. Dru has gone out his way to ensure (even while he's using us to "beta test" new stuff) that the classes are mostly balanced in the amount of XP they get over time. How a particular class does can vary due to the map, weapons available, and even the mix of players on. The best advice would be to review this FAQ and the :arrow: Main FAQ completely (particularly the :arrow: Skill Descriptions page with an eye to what skills a given class can and cannot buy), think about it a little bit, and then pick one. That being said, the general opinion appears to be that the Weapons Master class is the easiest to understand, mainly because the play style tends to be fairly straight forward, and is much like the playing style of non-RPG games. So if you're totally new to the game, you might want to start your first character as a WM. Where do I spend points first? and How do I become a {class}? This totally depends on the class you choose. The quick and easy advice to give is "put points in Health Bonus". However, there are lengthy discussions elsewhere on the DC forums about how to get your character started, depending on the class. In the three forum discussions below are class specific information. BF NOTE: There are in each thread short posts on how exactly one becomes a member of each class. Please read these threads thuroughly before going onto the game and asking these questions, as they aren't always simple answers. See: :idea:Finally, v0rTeX posted what appears to be an accurate :arrow: list of what skills are limited to what class; it should give you a fairly good idea as to the strengths and weaknesses one class would have when compared to another. :? Thanks v0rTeX! I have questions about the Engineer Class. Well, it's still under Beta testing - last I knew, there was a warning on one of the skills that if you choose to play the class, you are agreeing that the Admins can decide to reset your stats at any time, should they feel the class need massive changes/adjustment. There's also a thread in the Forums called :arrow: Questions About the Engineer Class and its Abilities. Beyond that, as the class is still in Beta, and all information is subject to change, I'm hesitant to include more information here. See ARCHIVED QUESTIONS at the end of this post for additional information (IE, answers to things like "When will it be out of Beta?"). How do I change my class? Well you can't. Not really. What you can do is start another character. In your "Settings" under "Player", there's a blank for "Name". Characters are tracked by a combination of the "Name" in this blank and the CD key (which better darn well be unique to the player). So, if you change the name here, and then connect to the DC server, you'll start a new character. To go back to your old character, change the name back. If you're brave, and think you're up to some advanced stuff, see :arrow: FodderFigure's Useful Keybinds thread in the forums. Hidden in his first post is information about making special keybinds that include a way to set a key you can hit to change your name in game. Be sure that, if you go through with some of the suggestions there, that you read everything carefully and understand that there's a difference from when you change your character's name and when it actually takes effect. BotFodder's note: according to things I've read elsewhere and what I've experienced, it requires a solid disconnection or map change before a name change will result in an actual character change. Changing the class of an established character isn't allowed since you'd get a jump on all the folks that started characters in that class from level 5. How often are stats reset on this server? When people talk about "stat resets", they're asking "when are all characters are brought back to starting values - wiped clean." This, to my knowledge, has never actually happened. There have been "adjustments" but they are always special cases. Hey - I was level (>5) before. Now I'm back to level 5. What happened? Most likely you changed your name from what it was previously. If you can remember, change it back to what it was and you'll get your stats back. Others have noted that in rare cases, you might have to disconnect (and wait a minute or so) and then reconnect. Finally, lower level characters that have been inactive for a while (read: like months and months) are occasionally cleaned from the server. ARCHIVED QUESTIONS I can't seem to choose the Engineer Class? It is still under alpha testing and is locked. When will it be available? When it's done. When will that be? Development of DruidsRPG is not under a set "schedule". It is not a paying project, and the developers have jobs and interests. Releases of new versions of the mod are at Druid's whim. So, the answer is: Sometime between now and never. I can't be more specific.]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15017 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15017 GMT Bugs, not bugs, and people that bug ... Hey I took a lot of damage and was transported across the map! That's "Ghosting". It's the most noticeable "bonus" newbie characters (as per the above definition, characters under level 41) get. You get these benefits once you've chosen a class. You will not get them if you do not have a class. The other bonuses tend to be class specific and can include some level of regeneration, vampirism, or adrenaline drip. Hey, F1 says I'm in the game but I'm not! Not sure what causes this issue but the only fix we've discovered so far is to disconnect and reconnect to the server. It's probably a lag related sync failure between the server and your client. These guys keep shooting me. Why won't they stop? If it's another player, don't worry about it. There is no friendly fire on the DC server. The guys shooting you are probably Medics, and are healing you ... it's a good thing, because some Medics can heal you more than even a Booster Combo can. If they're shooting you and your Health is going up, that's a good thing, and you probably want them to shoot you. When someone kills the "floaty fire breathing things" (Gasbags), they explode into large chunks that cover my screen. Help! In your "Settings" somewhere there's a setting for "Gore Level". Bump it down one level, and the gasbags won't explode like that. I'm bouncing/jumping without hitting the jump button. Make it stop! Actually, one of the monsters that the players fight is called a "Titan". They're very big, very mean, and throw rocks that can instantly kill all but the most hardy of characters. One of the things Titans do when they get angry is stomp their feet. When they do that, they cause everyone within a certain range to bounce up. While they appear in a few waves with other monsters, waves 6 (in a standard, non-VINV map) and 14 are strictly Titan only ... so you're pretty much guaranteed to do some bouncing on those waves. My Healing Deemer didn't and I died! If you primary fire a Deemer, you immediately switch to your highest "preferred" weapon (by default, the Rocket Launcher or possibly the Ion Painter, I think). The Deemer will loose it's previous (possibly magical) properties in exchange for the weapon you are wielding when it hits. As hitting yourself with a non-healing weapon does damage, so too will a Deemer you primary fire if it hits while you are holding a non-healing weapon. Secondary fire of the Deemer makes it retain its original properties. My gun keeps firing! How do I make it stop? Switch weapons temporarily. /:)BotFodder: I think the general opinion on why this happens is lag induced confusion between your computer and the server. Oh no! I've spawned with no weapons! First make sure that you actually can't switch weapons. You should start with a Translocator, Shield Gun, and Assault Rifle, so even if your AR runs out of ammo, you should still be able to switch between your SG and Transloc. If you can't, then the only solution that's been discovered so far is to disconnect and reconnect. If you can actually switch between weapons and use them, then your HUD has just changed size - this is usually due to an accidental hit on your "+" or "-" key. These two keys (on a default configuration) change the size and details on your HUD. BF: IIRC, "+" will add more detail, including what might be your missing weapons inventory. Can I kill people on my team? Technically no - there's no Friendly Fire. But ... Well, there are ways, but I'm not going to tell you how here. And no, you can't use your translocator to kill another player. Suffice is to say that :evil:it is against the rules to go out of your way to kill a player on your team. Doing so may result in a kick :o or ban. :cry: If you do it accidentally, though, not to worry - we've gotten pretty good at knowing when it's an accident. Someone's annoying me a lot. What can be done about it? How do I "ignore" people? It depends on what they're doing. If you think they're doing something against the rules, bring it up to an admin (look for someone with at the beginning of their name, or you can try asking for an admin's help in text chat). You can also ignore them by going to the "ESC" menu, click on the "Communication" tab, highlight their name, and put checks in the three "ignore" boxes. If you decide to ignore an admin, do so at your own peril. While "Kick Voting" on people is possible, it requires a majority of players to vote similarly before the player is actually kicked. BotFodder commentary: This almost never happens unless the player in question is doing something that is clearly illegal (and no admin is around to take care of the matter), or if the player is doing something that is universally considered "poor conduct" (be it gamesmanship or just poor behavior). Even in extreme cases of "chat spam" (which is considered illegal but might take a judgement call from an admin) or other "annoying but not game impacting behavior", the more likely result is most folk simply using the "Ignore" features against the offending player, possibly with the refusal to heal or hand out good weapons to their character. :o Dude this guy was like running real fast but going no where! or I died {as I was|even before I} spawned the first time! or similar strange player bugs When a player's computer is busy loading the map (and all of its accompanying textures and what not), their "avatar" or whatever you want to call their in game presence will be in the game, attackable by monsters ... however, it won't always act like you'd expect. If you feel like checking, hit F1 to see if you can see their ping ... it will be around 988. Hey, I didn't spawn at all! or It says I died right at spawning! Particularly on smaller maps with a large number of players playing, there are a limited number of spawn points for players to appear. If someone spawns at the same place you did|would, you can't spawn until they move (and you might even see some of the "skin" of the player standing in the spawn point). If this happens (usually between waves after dying) and the person doesn't move soon enough, you may not spawn at all for that wave. :!:BotFodder's note: While this note may be an exercise in futility, all I can ask everyone now is that, the minute you spawn, move out of the spawn point to make sure you're not stopping someone else from spawning. I can't tell you how many times I've been screaming at my monitor, "MOVE!" I keep having to download the mods (or maps) for the server every month or so. What mods are they? Where can I find them? Is there another way to manage cached mods or maps? I asked this question myself once ... see :arrow: this thread on the forums. I went with a cache cleaner program called UT2004MI; you should be able to find it with a quick Google. As for maps, they too can be pulled out of your cache using a cache cleaner. However, if you want to give your computer time to download a gigabyte or so of stuff, see :arrow: Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Get your maps here. *(Updated)* What are "Monster Points"? This FAQ item assumes that you are not already a M/MM with the "Loaded Monsters" skill - if you are, read up on your Monster skills. This question is asked when people suddenly see a "Monster Points" indicator on their screen. It (was) a bug in the current version of DruidsRPG and should be ignored. BF Comment: This bug used to occur more often, but as of version 194+, occurs less, and as of 201+, has not been reported - I think I might have actually figured out a fix ... As for the longer explanation of what they are, and how an M/MM might use them, see BotFodder's post :arrow: How do I become a M/MM? on the :arrow: So you want to be a M/MM? strategy thread. It is important to note that, from the M/MMs point of view, there's a bug that exists to where you might see someone else's MPs bar. ARCHIVED QUESTIONS I can't seem to choose the Engineer Class? It is still under alpha testing and is locked. When will it be available? When it's done. When will that be? Development of DruidsRPG is not under a set "schedule". It is not a paying project, and the developers have jobs and interests. Releases of new versions of the mod are at Druid's whim. So, the answer is: Sometime between now and never. I can't be more specific. Someone asked me to turn off my "auto taunts." What's that? Auto taunts are a game setting that causes your character to automatically tell teammates that shoot you not to. It used to be a problem but Dru has created a mod that will force auto taunts to be off. :!:BotFodder: Recent anecdotal observations have shown that the mod apparently can't shut off the taunts until someone is actually in the game. This means that, if the person connected with auto taunts on, for the duration of the first map played, the person will have their auto taunts on. The map after that, the auto taunts will be off. Original text of this FAQ item (with minor edits), if you need to turn your auto taunts on after your visit to DC, or if Dru decides to remove the mod: Note that having your auto taunts on is not against the rules, and you're free to keep them on. However, as there is no friendly fire on the DC server, you don't need them. To turn them off, go into your "Settings" (when connected to the server, hit your "ESC" key and then click on the "Settings" button), choose "Audio", and uncheck the box next to "auto taunts". ]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15018 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15018 GMT There's an art to Artifacts ... Artifacts If you haven't read the rest of the :arrow: RPG FAQ, what are you waiting for?! Read them now! This part of the newbie FAQ covers :arrow: artifacts. Artifacts are items that pop out of some monsters that you can pick up and keep for later use. How do I use/switch artifacts? The default use key is 'U', and the scrolling keys are '[' and ']'. These can be remapped by looking for the "inventory item" keybinds in your settings. EDIT: I just recently noticed a special "RPG" section to my keybindings "Settings" section. You can set your mappings up for artifacts there, too! All other information about the use of artifacts are covered by the :arrow: artifacts FAQ page. From the information there, you should be able to understand how to use class specific artifacts. I picked up another artifact like one that I already had, but it disappeared. You can have only one of a given artifact at a time. I tried to pick up another artifact and I couldn't. You are only allowed to carry three artifacts at a time, unless you start with more than three (AMs with the Loaded Artifacts skill and M/MMs with Monster Summoning can start with more than three, but can't pick up any more). But I know others manage to do it ... Yes there are ways to pick up a 4th (or more) artifact, but those are bugs, and while not actively "prosecuted" by the admins, I won't go over how it works here ... because it is a bug. Well then how do I get rid of an artifact short of using it, so that I might be able to pick up something more useful later? You need to go into your console (via the '~' key by default) and type 'tossartifact'. There are, however, :arrow: neat ways to bind some functions to keys, and :idea:binding 'tossartifact' to a key is covered in the first post! Note that some artifacts that are granted as part of a skill might be non-throwable.]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15019 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15019 GMT Getting in when you can't get in ... There are a lot of people playing, but I can't get in! What's going on? There is a 20 player limit to the DC server. You can still spectate. BotFodder's advice: Spectate until the end of a map ... usually after a map is finished, some people leave. Or if you're not willing to wait, see the next FAQ item. But I've seen more than 20 people on! See the :arrow: Donations page. It still won't let me join! If you're in Spectator Mode, you might see on one of your windows a "Join" button that is deactivated. I've yet to come across a situation where that button is actually active. When you're ready to try and join the server from Spectator Mode, go into the Server Browser, highlight the DC entry (it should be automatically added to your "Favorites" list), and click "Join" there. What are the rules about idling? Dru has explained this :arrow: elsewhere in the forums. It is very clear from this post that, if you're not a contributor, don't go idle (BF: Going for a pee is not really considered going idle - however, if you're going to the same place for the other reason, chances are you're going to be there a while longer than a pee, and you should probably log out). Even contributors, while they are essentially paying for the bandwidth, are asked not to idle for long. Hey, you guys are a cool/crazy/funny bunch of people. Can I join your clan? This question was expertly covered in the Main FAQ and here only for archival purposes.]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15020 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15020 GMT This is not the map you're looking for ... I don't like the map that we're currently playing. Can we change? A majority of players must vote for a map change before the map will change. Players are allowed to vote for a new map at any time during a map-game, including wave 16. However, on wave 16, the map is almost over by that point. Should a sufficient number of players vote (usually the ones that are dead by this point), it could trigger a premature map change, costing everyone their chance at that additional 80 XP (and for the living, it could cost them even more). :evil: This isn't the map we voted on! Um, well, that happens. Sometimes it's because the map is buggy. Sometimes it ... well, just happens. Maybe a server glitch, maybe the phase of the moon. If the map the game ends up on is ... "unfavored", players often vote on a new one after a short discussion. Otherwise, they occasionally play it through ... What other gametypes are available on DC? All games (as far as I know right now) played on DC are RPG style. Some (most? all?) of them are:
  • INV/VINV: Invasion/Vehicle Invasion. Monsters are attacking - try to kill them before they kill you! Typically, XP rates tend to be higher on regular INV, and there's a rumor that there are XP tweaks on VINV maps (for example, running over a monster on VINV with a vehicle may not grant full experience - I haven't checked the code to verify this though).
  • Monster Assault (MA): Monsters are defending the objectives of Assault maps. Generally the XP rate tends to be low (but map time is fast) because players run for the objectives and finish the map without killing all of the monsters.
  • Onslaught (ONS), and Capture the Flag (CTF), DeathMatch/Team DeathMatch: PvP (or TvT) games, much like their standard styles but you have your RPG skills. Note that XP rates tend to be really low as the PvP scoring has been severely crippled. Played more for fun than anything else. You should be familliar by now with DM, ONS, and CTF gametypes to understand them (BF: if you aren't, you should look into playing some "single player" or "instant action" games of those types to get the idea). INV is the usual RPG gametype that is played (BF: Going into why would bring in too much of my opinion and start a debate, but I think it's safe to say that most folks prefer straight INV and only occasional romps in the VINV and MA gametypes).]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15021 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15021 GMT Liking the Look of Things Why does everyone look the same? The "look" of a character in the game is controlled by it's "skin" (or in complex cases, it's "model"). Many folks download (from a variety of locations) custom skins or models to use with their character. If you don't have someone else's skin installed, you see them as the default skin, "Jakob". DC regulars usually post links to download the skins they use to :arrow: The Skins Forum. Some downloads will unzip into the proper directories; others will require you to unzip specific files into specific directories (and some even come with *.ut4mod installers). Check the "readme.txt" file that should accompany most skins for instructions. Alternatively, look at the sig at the bottom of someone's posting on the forums; they occasionally put links to the skin they use there. How does one take a screenshot? The default key for screenshots is "F9". A BMP (Windows image format) will be dropped in (your UT Dir)\Screenshots If you plan on participating in the Forums (you're viewing one of the posts right now), you should always convert screenshots to JPG before you upload them (higher resolution BMPs can be too big to upload). Discussions involving how include: :arrow: Em's post on the "Records 2.0" thread about MS Paint :arrow: FodderFigure in the "Your highest score post" thread about MS Picture and Fax Viewer :arrow: And a later FodderFigure post in the same thread introducing an automatic BMP 2 JPG converter]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15022 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15022 GMT BotFodder Talks Too Much How do I use voice chat? :!:It cannot be stressed enough that, before you start trying to use voice chat, that you ensure that your microphone is working outside of the game (in Windows, if you're a Windows user) before attempting to use it in game. Common issues include the microphone not being plugged in 8-} , or the volume settings for the microphone being muted (which may be the Windows default setting for microphones :roll: ). Go into your "Settings" for "Audio" and look at the "Text To Voice" area. Click on the "Configure" button. The best "non-default" settings here are making sure all "check boxes" have checks in them (BF: Admittedly, I have "Autojoin Local Channel" unchecked). The "non checkbox" settings should be okay if you leave them at the defaults. Check your keybindings and become familliar with the voice chat ones - there are binding possibilities for "Speak in channel (channel)" and "Toggle channel (channel)". The keybinds for "Speak" set the active channel you will speak in. The keybinds for "Toggle" will activate your mic for that channel. Once you're sure your microphone is working and you know what your voice chat keybinds are, the default key for Voice Chat in the game is 'F'. If it's working successfully, you should see something similar to the image on the left, on the left side of your screen, just above the mid point. Note that when you hit a "Speak" key (whether it be one for a specific channel, or for the current default channel), you should see the name of the channel pop up in the "communications" region of your HUD. The bar to the left of the name of the channel is the indicator of how loud or soft your mic is picking up your voice. Also note that it is possible to have no active channel set, so if you don't see a channel name but do see a level, no one will be able to hear you.
    :!:Not everyone uses voice chat, so if you try talking to someone and they don't respond, they may not be accepting voice chat. Someone's talking and I can't hear them. The two likely possibilities here: 1. They're testing their microphone/the assume their microphone is working. :XD: You may need to tell them you can't hear them. 2. They were talking when you joined, and there's a bug to where you won't hear them until the next map. And text chat? For the life of me, I can't remember what the default key is (there are actually multiple ones for Public vs Team Chat). Check the key bindings in your "Settings". In a typical INV match, any text you see that is colored red is from someone in the game (like the image to the left). Spectators are yellow and cannot hear voice chat. This text will appear "left aligned" on the bottom half of your screen.
    Finally, in "Settings", "Audio" there's a section for "Text To Speech". This is where "Voice Chat" is apparently enabled, but is mainly where you activate the option to have your UT2004 client read text messages to you. BotFodder: The options here I use are: "Enable in game", "Enable in IRC", and "Voice chat" are on; "Team messages only" is unchecked. I missed a text message! Find a safe place and hit "F2" - it will bring up a window with all of the text messages you have recieved. Is there a way to bind commonly used messages to keys so that I don't have to type them out? Of course! And where else would you find it? :arrow: Fodder Figure's Keybind Thread elsewhere in the forums. Binding common messages to keys can be quite useful for both the voice chatter and non-voice chatter. Look in the thread for "macro" possibilities that will customize your messages depending on where you are and what you're holding. :? Okay - you've mentioned it like 100 times in this thread. What are the Forums? Hosted on the :arrow: Disastrous Consequences website is a message forum where public message postings are posted so that everyone involved in DC server can communicate. This isn't always about game stuff. However, a lot of game information is discussed and disseminated on the Forums (such as scheduled maintenance/downtime, explanations of those rare instances of unscheduled downtimes, tips, tricks, when seemingly useless items actually become quite useful ... a lot of info is out there). BotFodder: Any question that's asked on the game that would take more than 10 seconds to explain, or if someone asks for clarification on a 10 second answer, and the question is actually answered on a recent Forum posting, I will usually refer the player to the forums. We're there to play and kill monsters; this can be more easily done if people are listening for monsters and not to my voice, and I already talk on my mic too much. If you haven't figured it out yet, what you're reading is one of the message threads in the main DC forum topic. Click on "Forum Index" at the top of this web page to get to the main Forum page. I'm a Total Noob and My Question was Not Answered in Your FAQ! First, make sure you've reviewed all of the :arrow: Main FAQ to ensure that your question isn't answered there. If you're still without an answer to your question, :arrow: post it on the Newbie FAQ Discussion thread, so it can be answered, debated, and if possible added to the Newbie FAQ in the proper place. :) ]]>     http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15023 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#15023 GMT     Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16756 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16756 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16762 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16762 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16770 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16770 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ Banter about BotFodder's unofficial FAQ here: http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1803.page [-X Please ignore the fact that I posted in this thread to tell people NOT to post in this thread [-X ]]> http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16789 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16789 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16794 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16794 GMT Re: BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16796 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#16796 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25170 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25170 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ

    Firestorm96 wrote:
    tnx that helped me out...i am going to be a WM (other 2 are difficult i think) but ok so if its good i only ned weapon master and loaded weapons rhight? 
    Let Fodder's stats help you decide what is necessary to become a good LW player. You can see them with this link: http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dc/stats.jsp?name=%5BDC%5DFodderFigure Also, there is a post for LW wannabees at: http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1554.page As a side note, you should have posted as a new post or a continuation of the LW post. Bot's newbie post should have been left as is for future reference for all players, new and old.]]>     http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25172 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25172 GMT     Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25201 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25201 GMT Re: BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25206 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25206 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25217 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#25217 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#26723 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#26723 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#27006 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#27006 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ

    -Jason_x- wrote:
    well eh i thought id make my first post here..s good as anywhere else...i now know wat LA means thou lol...so yeah im jason x played on sever since ....jan of this year..first time i had ever played invasion game type and then i got hooked on the sever and have been playin there everysince...my typing stinks and i use dots..alot.....as in ...i think its compulsive or sumting....or maybe too mcuh sugar?..o.0.....but yeah thats me...oh yeah and i lvie on small island in cbean called Barbados..so yeah.. 
    Hiya Jason, glad to see you made it to the forums :)]]>     http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#27012 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#27012 GMT     Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#27042 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#27042 GMT Aw:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#34327 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#34327 GMT Re:BotFodder's Unofficial Newbie FAQ http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#34328 http://www.disastrousconsequences.com/dcforum/posts/list/1846.page#34328 GMT