Wurm Online

Most Useful Wurm Online Program Ever? Wurm Assistant

stargrace March 1, 2014 0Comment

I wrote a blog post some time ago about Wurm Assistant, one of the out-of-game programs I use while playing Wurm Online. The program has undergone some amazing changes since then and I figured it was time to talk about it again. I still use (and test) this program on a daily basis, and I can not recommend it enough to long term Wurm Online players.

As you can tell by the image above, there’s a new format for timers. You can center click that window and have it always be on top of your Wurm window. You can set each character individually, with their own timers and have popups or sounds per timer. It’s amazing. As you can see I’m currently playing three characters in Wurm. Two are priests. They all meditate. I have timers that tell me when their path question is up, when to turn their sleep bonus off (after the 5 minute timer), when enchant grass is ready, as well as refresh.

This just touches on the very basics of the program. I also use the granger ability to keep three herds organized. The UI for that has changed some what, but it’s still an amazing feature. Then there is the sounds feature. You can attach sounds to specific actions. So lets say you’re leading a horse along and suddenly you realize you’re not leading it any more. How about a warning that tells you when you stop leading? You can easily create this by inputting the text from the event window when you stop leading, and attaching a sound to it. I have a few such sound events. One for when a wall breaks while mining, another for when the ground in front of my character is too full of items, or when my inventory is too full of items. Playing 3 characters at once means I am not always watching the event window, sometimes I’m clicking the create button on the new crafting UI as I talk to friends in alliance, only to find out that I’ve wasted the clicks because my inventory is full. These warnings prevent all of that.

A huge thank you to Aldur who created this program and continues to maintain it. Programs like these are essential to games like Wurm (think Evemon, or UI mods) and this one is certainly one of the best.

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

Treasures

stargrace February 26, 2014 0Comment

One of my favorite things to do in Wurm Online involves pillaging. Now, this comes with ups and downs. First, you can’t just go taking whatever you would like. There are rules. The game gives players every opportunity to secure their belongings, and I firmly believe that it is the players job to secure these belongings. If you don’t, and your stuff happens to go missing, you have no one to blame but yourself. If the belongings were secured within the rules of the game and still taken, then it is the fault of those who took the items. Please understand that I in no way advocate breaking game rules.

In my wanderings I happen to stumble across lots of unsecured items. Last night it was 700+ bricks and rock shards, along with tools, 78ql ore, and other odds and ends. All of it sitting in a mine, unsecured. If you’re mining 78ql ore you are more than familiar with the game rules – that skill doesn’t come easily. Leaving your stuff unsecured is a bad idea.

I also came across a rare saw, a rare 2h sword, and a few other odds and ends in a different mine. No door on the mine (even if there was a door that does not mean it’s secured) no deed, no locks. To secure your stuff it has to be a legal enclosure. A fence with a house visible (a completed house at that). Put locks on things to discourage others and don’t just leave things laying around undeeded if you’re interested in keeping them. When things go missing it sucks, trust me I know. In my earlier days I lost a whole pen of horses from someone bashing down a wall on my perimeter. There was nothing I could do except learn from my mistakes.

Why bother taking things that don’t belong to you? You certainly don’t have to but it is a part of gameplay. If you don’t take advantage of what you find out in the wild, chance are someone else will. People stop playing all the time, deeds fall, and items decay into nothingness. I’ve been called some pretty harsh names because of my pillaging but I’m always certain to never break the rules of the game, and I’m cautious with my looting. I won’t loot anything if someone is standing there working on the stuff because obviously they’re setting up still and that’s not fair. I try to find locations I know are guaranteed abandoned by checking activity and decay. I don’t bash fences even if they are illegal enclosures because it just doesn’t feel right – even though it is well within the rules of the game.

I’m pleased with what I’ve found so far. None of it is earth shattering rare, usually just raw materials and storage bins, but it does help me out as they’re supplies I can use at my own deed. Just keep in mind that the saying “deed it or lose it” is not just an empty phrase.

What Update 1.2 Means for Wurm Online Players

stargrace February 11, 2014 1Comment

The countdown to update 1.2 has begun, and with it a lengthy list of what is coming. Honestly, this is a game changing patch for Wurm Online, and I couldn’t be more excited. The largest of the changes is the newly revamped crafting interface. This one thing is going to be huge. Notice that you can queue actions for creating items which is something we could never do before. The interface (as pictured above) is neat and tidy and easy to understand. No more right clicking and having to scroll through a gigantic list to find out what you want to craft. Out of everything coming with this update it is probably one of the least talked about but biggest impacting items.

Wagons and ship carriers are going to be neat, because they’ll allow players to move larger items and objects – something we always have a hard time with. Wagons will use four mounts to pull, the previous ‘large cart’ only allowed for two. Along the same path, crates will be added which allow for greater bulk transportation – these will basically replace rafts, which are very limited.

The second largest point to the update in my opinion would have to be the drag and drop function. Normally when you pick items up out of a pile you need to place them in your inventory first, and then into a cart. Players will be able to drag these items directly from the pile, into the cart (and vice versa). You won’t need that extra step of loading everything into your inventory first. Wrists everywhere rejoiced at the news.

In game maps are also huge news, but keep in mind they are not meant to replace the player maintained maps that show locations of actual deeds. They’re basically rough maps for new players to make use of. You can make annotations to the map, and then share those with your village, or an alliance.

This update has really focused on making the game friendlier to players. There’s a village recruitment board that will allow players to port to the village one time so they don’t have to walk. A new invite command to let you invite players to your village from anywhere on the server. A new book of wisdom for in-game help topics, and more.

There’s also a bunch of new graphic updates going live which is always good to see. It keeps things feeling fresh and it shows just how much passion and dedication is given to this game. I haven’t been this excited since 1.0 and multistory was added. It is certainly exciting times for players.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

Spoon, Joseph, and Toast Walk into a Farm

stargrace February 3, 2014 0Comment

I had a hen in Wurm Online. Named her Cluck. Fed her grass. She lay eggs, 44 of them. Served me well and then I decided I would sacrifice her to Fo for a server mission. I waited for those eggs to hatch to see if I would have anything to show for those 44 eggs, it’s rare that anything actually hatches.

I was lucky.

I named my eggs, so that when they hatched they would get to keep those names. It’s just a cute way to personalize the animals a bit. Since I had 44 eggs to name, the last bunch were names like ‘Cat’ and ‘Dog’ – and I peered down into the pen on my way from grooming the horses and noticed three little chick heads poking up out of the snow.

Spoon. Toast. Joseph.

I actually thought Toast had died of starvation, Landmark came out just as the chicks hatched and they didn’t have any food. I decided to pack down the tile of snow so I could see the ground better, and there she was, waiting for breakfast.

I’ve stuffed the pen with a lot of grass to keep them fed, and am trying to be a better chick parent. Eventually they’ll lay their own eggs, though I don’t really have a use for them at this point in time. Maybe other players would like some.

It was a great surprise. I’ve tried to hatch eggs before but I didn’t have any luck and I’m glad I have a few named chicks wandering the pens. As always, happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!