Newbie Guide
So, here you are, a Healthy Newbie Whatever-it-is, standing around in Dew Valley admiring the scenery. Just what do you do now?
Presumably, since you are reading this page instead of being out killing monsters, you are a Scholar as well as a Whacker. Hopefully, you have already pressed the F1 button and read all the HELP files. So you know it all ... that is, all the devs (game developers) WANT you to know! You are ready to begin your progress and learn about Dungeon Runners the hard way. Maybe this guide will help you get started.
Wander around here in Dew Valley for a while. Find the entrance to Dew Valley Forest, the beginners dungeon. BUT -- before you go galloping off to kill and loot, take a bit more time. Look around for the NPCs here. You will be able to identify them by the exclamation point or question mark over their heads.
The goofy looking one that dances around to attract your attention is the Helpful Noobosaur. Dumb as he looks, he can give lots of good advice so stop to talk to him. He will direct you to others NPC's who frequently give out Quests. It is very important to take as many quests as you can find that apply to the dungeon you are running. Quests are usually rewarded by large sums of money and sometimes King's Coins. You will need a lot of both if you are going to buff up! The Dew Valley Quests include many that are designed to introduce you to the various places and characters in the game and are great for Newbies to learn their way around.
You will see a Queue of NPC's, who turn out to be waiting for Technical Support! Yes, that is the first of many little stabs at a very well known MMORPG that takes some hits from Dungeon Runners! Be sure to talk to these characters because, as they wait in line, they will give you some NEWCOMER Quests that will prove to be very helpful in learning how the game works.
NPC's perform many other functions in the game. First, they are the Merchants who will sell you important items like potions, and buy all the junk -- ooops, loot that you pick up in the Dungeons. Let's face it, as a newbie you are probably going to need a bunch of Health Potions and Mana Potions to cover for all the mistakes you make. You need to get to know these merchants.
So, having had nice chats with the kindly folk of Dew Valley, performed the newbie quests faithfully and patiently, and stocked up on those all-important potions, you are finally ready to KILL SOMETHING! Find the entrance of Dew Valley Forest and boldly stride through it!
Take the time to look around. Pick a direction and move slowly that way. It won't be long before you spot your FIRST MONSTER! Most likely it is a Whiskerling. Don't be in too big a hurry to rush into trouble. Look around a bit. Is that a wolf hiding in the bushes? The nice thing to know is that the vast majority of the time the monsters just stand around picking their noses and contemplating the whichness of what until YOU decide to attack! Also, monsters very rarely attack from behind. So you have time to gather your wits and check your pockets. Look at the top left of the screen and make sure your Health and Mana are in good shape. Get a good grip on your weapon, and into battle it is!!
Now your class will determine just how you fight the battle. Check Basic Builds for Newbies for each class for tactics and suggestions. But let us assume that you quickly dispatch your first challenge. Of course, you now look around you for LOOT! Hint: pressing ALT will toggle on and off the loot labels, so you know what you are seeing. At this stage of your career you will most likely just scoop up everything that falls on the ground, willy-nilly.
Loot goes into your Inventory. You start out carrying ... well, nothing! And you have ... well, chump change for gold pieces. Obviously, you are trying to build that up! Some loot items that you pick up will be just right for your character. A fighter can use great armor, a ranger will need a terrific crossbow, and a mage will look for protection and jewelry. So check out the items you find and see if they are useful for your character. But what if they are not? No problem, when you get back to town, almost every one has a gold piece value and a Merchant will buy it from you.
You only have a certain amount of space in Inventory. Each item occupies from one to eight squares in your box. However the program is not very good at arranging them for maximum space. From time to time you will have to stop and re-arrange the items in Inventory to make the best use of the space you have available. This is a lot more fun then Tetris and will keep you occupied happily for some time. Eventually, however, your monster dispatching abilities will have gained enough loot to fill up your inventory. Here you are standing in the dungeon with no place to put more stuff. What do you do?
Look to the left of your skills tray. Hopefully, you have a Waypoint Scroll showing there. Click on the scroll and a brilliant white light will appear. Step into the light and presto, you are back among the friendly citizens of Dew Valley. Go visit the merchants, and they will be happy to give you shiny new gold pieces for all that junk ... sorry again, I mean loot you picked up! Over you go to the Obelisk (that strange blue post in the middle of Dew Valley),look for your Waypoint Scroll, and you are right back where you left off in the Forest.
Another thing you can do at this point is look for a Group to join. There are probably a few low level characters wandering around Dew Valley. You can always right click on a character name and WHISPER to invite him to run with you. You can open the Social Screen by typing O and look for a group near your level with a green open lock next to it. Click on the green lock and JOIN GROUP. Alternatively you can right click on your name, and select FIND GROUP and see if the program will match you with an existing group. Running with a group can be a lot of fun and a good way to meet other players. Remember, though, that some of those Level 1 characters may belong to players who already have been to Level 100 six times and are going to be moving very fast for a newbie to keep up with! If your Mommy doesn't think you are ready go out and play in traffic yet you might want to be careful about picking a group.
So there you are, dead monsters to your credit, gold pieces in your purse, and hopefully already have some upgraded equipment. You are now a seasoned Dungeon Runner! So, look down in the left corner for Karl. He should be holding a sign showing how much xp (experience points) you need for your next level. Already, you have a goal to work toward!
Settle down in your chair. Say good bye to all your email friends. Tell your loved ones that you are busy. Gather some life-sustaining supplies like chips and beef jerky. No more life for you. YOU ARE ONE OF US NOW!!!
The Beginners Trail now leads to Beginner's FAQ