2016

Making a Deed a Home

stargrace April 1, 2016 0Comment

Day three on Sklotopolis – and I’m still loving every minute of it. The server has busy days and days where things are more quiet, but I was probably a bit too hasty in my first assessment, as it was during a quieter time. That’s alright, I like both quiet and busy times! The players are friendly and helpful, answering questions in CA or in GL-Freedom (the server-wide chat) and I’ve made lots of progress in game. I’ve almost reached 30 faith which means I can convert to a priest before too long. I’ve also joined the path of knowledge for meditation, and I’ve answered the initial question that confirms you want to join, as well as the second question that marks you as an initiate.

I created bricks until I got to 30 masonry, not overly difficult because it’s my affinity along with the server experience bonus. I created bricks and mortar so that I could complete the first level of my workshop, and it’s looking pretty good.

Moumix completed the roads to and from the deed, so I can get to my mine easily. I’ve been working away in there in the hopes that I would discover some ore – but I’ve had zero luck with that as of yet. I’ve uncovered at least 15 tiles, and no ore. Maybe today my luck will be better.

Crops on this server are ready in a bit less than a RL day, and they don’t rot. As I mentioned before a lot of the changes that this particular server has implemented are convenience and don’t necessarily take away the essence of what I think Wurm is, but it does allow the more casual player to experience the game. I’ve earned enough silver by being online and killing mobs that I could expand my deed if I wanted, but I think for now I’ll keep it the small size that it is so I can focus on building my skills instead of getting too wrapped up in large deed projects. Plus I tend to play my deeds like I do my video games – in a very nomadic lifestyle. The smaller it is the easier it may be to pack up one day and move elsewhere on the server.

Yesterday saw a nice influx of new-to-the-server players, and each day I make sure to go and vote for the server. Word of mouth is a great way to get the news out, and I’m hoping the server continues to see growth. Remember, if you’ve ever wanted to play Wurm Online, but were restricted by time or the monthly fee, you can buy Wurm Unlimited on steam. Of course I’m a bit biased when it comes to this game, but hey we all have our favourites.

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

More Sklotopolis Adventures

stargrace March 31, 2016 1Comment

Even though I’ve been playing Wurm for years now, when you’re on a beginning character things hurt. They hurt even on the Wurm Unlimited servers where you’re given a little bit of a boost. On Sklotopolis you start with 30 quality leather gear, a sword, shield, and 20 to most stats. I had taken down a few easier creatures (dogs, the odd chicken here and there) but nothing aggressive, and nothing as mean as the field of lava spiders in the screenshot above.

The day started out wonderfully. I completed the terraforming of my deed, made a rough plan of what I wanted things to look like – and then my friend Moumix surprised me by logging in. A friend from Wurm Online, Moumix has been my deed partner in crime for a number of years now. Just like old times he got straight to work and joined my deed to a few of the main roads for easier access. While he was doing that I decided I wanted to try to head to the Altar of Three so I could convert myself to some sort of religion. I know you can have players convert you, but I wanted to do the walk (it’s not that far) and explore. Adventuring is one of my favourite things to do in Wurm.

The walk was fast, there are roads leading exactly where I needed to go. Along the way I passed all sorts of awesome dangerous creatures that I can’t wait to face in battle – when I’m stronger, of course. I also found another horse and two sheep to bring back home. After relaying this information to Moumix he got started on an animal pen while I decided which religion to follow.

It wasn’t an easy choice. My instinct was to go with Fo, I love how it’s centered on healing, animals, and nature. In the end utility won out and I decided to go with Vynora. Priest penalties have been removed from the server so once I hit 30 faith I’ll convert to a priest. Out of all of the modifications to the Wurm Unlimited servers – removing priest penalties is my absolute favourite. I don’t need to have an entire army of alts in order to be a priest and do things in game. It’s wonderful.

The deed is coming along great. The animal pen is up, one road is completed and another has been started. There’s a Vynora altar in place and a forge. Rough outlines for my home have begun – I’ll need 30 masonry before I can actually begin construction of stone houses. I started an area for a knowledge tile (meditation) and even managed to forage up some seeds to plant in my make shift garden. All in all, things are going well. Very well indeed. I’ll post some progress screenshots tomorrow.

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

;;

Sklotopolis – Day 2

stargrace March 30, 2016 0Comment

Yesterday most of my time in game was spent wandering around the vast lands, looking for a place to settle. I had a few decisions to make. Did I want to be in the middle of nowhere with few neighbours, or did I want to be within range of the happenings that take place around starter villages. Did I want to create my own village, or join one already established. What resources did I want to have available, and did it matter if I had access to the ocean.

In the end I settled about mid-way through the map, East of the starter town, right by a little lake. The land was anything but flat and I spent the remainder of the evening terraforming it into something I could live on. This process takes a bit of time, even with the bonus of speed on the server compared to the regular wurm online game, and so the next day I went back at it. I’ve only got one corner left to even out and then the deed (at least the land for it) will be manageable and something I can build on. I also want my place surrounded by trees, and the area around my place is pretty barren. I went out harvesting a couple of sprouts yesterday to place around the perimeter, but I’ll need a lot more.

I also want to connect my deed to a main road. Thankfully there is one East that just sort of dies and there’s another one just South of me that joins up to the Eastern road. There’s completed roads that lead West back to the starter town, and lots of roads for me to use to find my way. What I don’t have on-deed in an easily accessible way is a mine. There’s a hill behind my place along the road, so until I figure out where the rock level starts I’ll just use that mine. I don’t absolutely need one on deed, so long as there’s one I can reach without too much trouble.

I did also donate a bit of money to the servers, and got a 2×2 clay tile on deed in return for my donation. There wasn’t any clay that I could spot around my lake, and since it looks like I’ll be here a while I did want to help out a bit. With the deed area flat, and clay in supply, it’s time for me to figure out where I want my building(s). I’m keeping this deed relatively small compared to my previous places, and I love trying to get creative with my space. I imagine I’ll have a workroom on the main floor with storage and living quarters up above. A small farm and pens for two horses should be all that I need. I’ll probably plan things out in Deed planner so that I have some idea of what I’m working with, but it’s not essential.

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

Sklotopolis – Wurm Unlimited

stargrace March 29, 2016 0Comment

I bought Wurm Unlimited when it first came out, set up a server, played for a bit, and eventually (like many others) drifted back to Wurm Online. With a baby on the way and other expenses coming up I knew I wouldn’t be able to renew my Wurm Online accounts, especially not since I have 3 total (my main and two priests) that I enjoy playing together. I also didn’t want to turn the game into a job and have to worry about whether or not I’d be able to earn the 10 silver each month. I let the accounts lapse, made sure there was plenty of upkeep to keep my deeds going and checked in periodically to mend things that needed repairs and make sure that all was well.

If you don’t have a subscription to Wurm Online you’re hit with a lot of limitations because your skills can’t go above 20. It’s fine if you’re a casual player just looking to explore a bit, but I’ve been playing for years now, and those caps really hurt. Wurm Unlimited gives me an alternative to Wurm Online even if it’s not exactly the same.

Instead of setting up my own server I decided to explore the ones available. Wyvern was the most populated, but it didn’t really appeal to me. Instead I decided to settle down on Sklotopolis. They have forums, a web site, and of course a post on the official Wurm forums. I spent most of the afternoon wandering around exploring and trying to find the perfect place to settle down. Eventually I found it. I decided to set up Quail Ridge to the East of the starter town, near a lake. (Edit: X1681, Y1053 is my location)

Chat isn’t especially active, but there are folks around. Skills increase faster than they do in Wurm Online but not so fast that you feel like you’re flying past everything. Since the game is buy to play, and deeds on this particular server are free with no upkeep, I can scratch that Wurm Online itch I constantly have without buying a subscription. You can make donations to the server to help keep it running, and you get some pretty neat things in return, like resources on your deed, statues, and guard towers. You can also earn money in game by making sure to bury your kills, and for defeating animals. If you volunteer to place a guard tower or work on roads you’ll also be paid a bit of silver for your trouble. The server community has adopted a no griefing policy, and there are contests and events run by players throughout the year. Overall I feel that this server will be a good fit, even if it is a bit more quiet than usual and I’m having fun setting up my place. I haven’t decided what I’ll focus on yet, maybe something I’ve never tried before, just because.

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