March 2012

Work Work Work #WurmOnline

stargrace March 14, 2012 No Comments

Dye is a wonderful thing. You can’t use it on everything in game, but you can add just enough colour to give things a personal feel. Arkenor made some olive dye and passed it to me, and I promptly used it on some furniture. Doesn’t it look great?!

Things in-game have been going well. I applied (and was accepted) as a CA. That’s a Community Assistant for those curious. It means that when people have questions in the CA channel, I’ll do my best to answer them. I’ll try to help out new (and veteran) players as much as possible. It’s a ‘job’ that I’ve been looking forward to doing, and have done off and on as I’ve played these last few months anyhow. Just in a more ‘official’ role. I’m hoping (eventually) to move up to CM, and help out with moderation.

What have I been up to? Well. Since I was having issues with griefers, I decided to deed that mountain top residence that I had created. I took down the old wooden shack (1×1) and built myself a 1×3 stone house. Stone houses are much more sturdy, although since I’m deeded it shouldn’t decay anyhow (as long as you have 2 months of upkeep paid). With my new ‘home away from home’ secured, I decided it was time to work on a few skills. I’ve been trying to get my Fo priest to 21 body control, that’s the base amount you need to ride a horse. Last night, after three months, I FINALLY got there! See, as a priest you’re restricted by what you can do, so while archery is a great method for raising the skill, it’s not something most priests can do (there are exceptions, Mag and Lib priests are able to use bows). Priests also can’t improve items, which is another great way to raise body control! So I was limited to doing tailoring, rope, and the best method I found (thanks to the suggestion of Arkenor) was combat. I traveled around Darkpaw Bay looking for unsuspecting creatures like wolves, mountain lions, and wild cats. I even managed to find a few cave bugs at the neighbours place. I still can’t quite handle a spider.

Of course as soon as I hit 21 body control I climbed up onto the first horse in my pen and ran around cackling like a crazy woman. It was a blast! Much faster than riding around on a cart, perfect for my quick trips to the mountains.

Now I need to get Stargrace to the same level. Hopefully it doesn’t take another three months.

As always, happy gaming no matter where you find yourself!

Griefer’s Are Gonna Grief #WurmOnline

stargrace March 13, 2012 1 Comment

While I love going on about how much I adore WurmOnline (and in fact I’ve started a 3rd account) there’s one aspect to this giant sandbox that bothers me to no end, and that is the fact that when something goes wrong, it is incredibly difficult to get any help in the matter. I don’t mean wrong like an account issue or like a glitch in game, I mean wrong like someone comes along, abuses a bug or casts a spell or bashes an undeeded portion of land and breaks down a door, steals horses and a cart, drags them back up to their own deed, and there’s not a lick that anyone else can do about it. The general response to any of this is “deed your valuables” – that’s the problem, these horses were on the perimeter, which does not technically count as on-deed. Even though breaking down enclosures is technically against the rules, and even though many logs with combined evidence were given, it still comes down to ‘the gate decayed, keep your items on-deed.’

This infuriates me. I do not appreciate thieves, especially when there are specific servers where these acts can be performed without breaking any rules (ie: there are pvp servers, go grief there). Taking the time to steal from someone on a pve server is just acting like a troll, picking on people who can not fight back.

“Griefing” also lends itself quite well to wurm, because players are allowed to build enclosures in the wild and technically those enclosures SHOULD be safe. However the server does not reinforce this and so if someone wants to come along and bash open your walls and take all your items they’re more than welcome to. Unless you go and get GMs involved (who will quite often tell you the item in question has decayed and then do nothing) there’s not a lot you can do.

That is just a part of the game and as a player you’re expected to learn this and just deal with it. It’s one of the few parts I do not enjoy in the least bit. It’s also why I now own a third deed, to protect my mountain escape from vandals. Remember, if you care about it, deed it (and lock it).

The Great Adventure (Part III) #WurmOnline

stargrace March 9, 2012 No Comments

It is 01:32:57 on day of the Ant in week 3 of the Raven’s starfall in the year of 1021.

Things were a little rough today. I was visited by a wanderer who mentioned that my walls were not strong, and that because I had settled in the wild, they could easily be removed and all of my things taken. I didn’t appreciate the comments but I did spend some time reinforcing the small property. I was happily given another bull from someone near by and this makes my trips to gather clay and peat much easier. Since burning peat is a much easier on resources than burning wood scraps, that’s what I’ve been up to.

I also spent some time in the mines, hammering silver from the walls. I haven’t collected much yet, but I’m getting there. Soon it will time to smelt what I’ve collected, and hammer it into bowls.

First thing in the mornings I wander out with my young hardened dog to clear the mountain top of wild cats and mountain lions. I spotted a large spider in the distance, I don’t want to mess with those quite yet. The creatures can still hurt me since I’m without any armor (aside from a leather glove I picked up along my travels) but perhaps in time I’ll find better.

It’s peaceful up here and I enjoy it so much. I know it won’t always be this way. Before long others will come, paving the green grass, and cutting down the trees to make room for whatever their hearts fancy. When that happens I’ll move on. Until then, this is my  little slice of paradise.

The Great Adventure (Part II) #WurmOnline

stargrace March 8, 2012 No Comments

It is 10:17:53 on day of Awakening in week 2 of the starfall of Fires in the year of 1021.

The forest is not kind today. For hours I was trapped inside my meager pen, avoiding the smoking lava fiends that chased me from the mountains. My own fault I suppose, as I was poking around their homes. It is hard to resist the lure of an open mine. The lava fiends were not the only dangers out there. Mountain lions, wild cats, and even a young troll wandered past. I don’t recall ever seeing a troll back home, but Arysh assures me they are not as rare as we think they are.

Speaking of my dear sister, she came to visit and brought me a few home cooked meals as well as some sprouts to help plant around my temporary home. She knows my gardeners thumb is not nearly as green as hers, in fact I mangled some roots so bad the day before that it’s a wonder we’re related at all.

Progress was made, at least. In an effort to affect as little of the natural surroundings as possible I’ve decided to be content with my small home, a food storage bin, and my forge. The broken down remains of the forge were already here long before I and have proven to be quite valuable. I fashioned myself a new file so that I could work on a large cart for hauling, as well as a butcher knife. I can’t have all that precious meat going to waste after all.

Things are not completely silent here, and I doubt they are anywhere. Deep within my mountain I can hear the clang of pickaxes reverberating off of the walls, as well as the gentle hiss hiss of the lava fiends who call it home. I must remember I am a guest in this little sanctuary, and treat it as such.

Hopefully Arysh comes by with another load of meals today, and if I’m lucky, more sprouts. As long as that troll wandering around leaves her alone…

The Great Adventure (Part I) #WurmOnline

stargrace March 7, 2012 No Comments

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Arysh looked at Stargrace, wrinkling her nose as she stuffed 10 large nails into a backpack.

“Yes for the millionth time, I am sure!” Stargrace giggled and playfully tapped her sister on the shoulder. The decision had not been an easy one, Stargrace and Arysh had been together for as long as either girl could remember, even if they were not true sisters.

“Explain to me why again. Why on earth would you want to leave what we have here and go wandering through the woods!” It was something Arysh could just not understand. The priest of Fo loved adventure as much as the next wurmian but she also enjoyed her nice comfortable pinewood bed, and a roaring fire in the oven to take the chill out of her bones at the end of the day.

“There’s no adventure here! Come on now, we barely see two young brown bears a day, if we’re lucky a wolf.”

“You know Moumix has seen a troll not far from here….” Arysh shivered.

“He was probably seeing things. You know how he is.” Stargrace grinned. “Anyhow, I shall not be gone long. Warriorheart will keep me company, and I’ll write about my adventures every day.”

“You know I’ll support you what ever you decide to do, but I still think you’re crazy.”

“It’s just something I must do, sister. Trust me I’ll be alright.”

With that, Stargrace strapped on her backpack, and started leading her new foal to whatever adventures awaited her. Getting started would not be easy. She had packed only the basics of survival, a few nails so she could set up a home without having to look for iron right away, a frying pan, two eggs from the hen that had been recently laid, some sheets, and a handful of tools. She also packed away two potatoes and onions, it would do her no good if she wandered off only to starve.

As she walked the well-worn path from Fippy’s Keep she ran into problems almost immediately. The fog was so thick she could barely see three feet in front of her, and Warriorheart stumbled down the cobble road, raising such a clatter that creatures from all around poked their nose out to take a bite. She limped through the woods, using up her meager supply of cotton rags almost right away. Taking refuge in Jesse’s house she planned out her next move which was to climb up a nearby hill and scout along the top. She wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but she would know when she found it.