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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 2
Installation/System Requirements ................................................................................................. 3
Game History
Quick Start
................................................................................................................................
....................................................................................................................................
4
5
The World
Player Civilizations ................................................................................................................... 8
Inhabitants of Atys
.................................................................................................................. 10
Atys, The Living Planet ........................................................................................................... 12
Ecosystems ........................................................................................................................... 13
The Game
Character Creation
................................................................................................................. 16
Character Statistics ................................................................................................................ 18
Identity and Titles ..................................................................................................
............
..... 19
Movement and Navigation ............................................................................................... ..... 20
Inventory and Equipment ............................................................................................
......
..... 21
Communication With NPCs
.................................................................................................... 22
Communication With Players ................................................................................................. 23
Buying and Selling ......................................................................................................
.......
..... 24
Trading .................................................................................................................................. 25
Experience and Levels ........................................................................................................... 26
Training
............................................................................................................................ ..... 27
Teaming Up ......................................................................................
.................................
..... 28
Missions
..........................................................................................................
..................
..... 29
Options and Key Configuration ............................................................................................... 30
Packers and Mounts ..........................................................................................
...........
.......... 31
The Action Bar ........................................................................................................................
32
The Modular Action System ..................................................................................... ...........
33
Fame
Guilds
..................................................................................................................................... 35
.................................................................................................................................... 36
Combat
Fighting .................................................................................................................................. 38
Using Magic
........................................................................................................................... 40
Looting and Quartering ...........................................................................................................
42
Death .....................................................................................................................................
43
RAID Engine .......................................................................................................................... 44
PvP Combat ..................................................... ..................................................................... 45
Crafting
Harvesting
............................................................................................................................. 46
Creating Items
........................................................................................................................ 48
Item Enchantment .................................................................................................................. 50
Map ............................................................................................................................................
52
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
1
INTRODUCTION
For many centuries I have voyaged through the quiescent corridors of Ryzom. I bore witness to the Green Rising of Atys, and the birth of hominkind. I witnessed their striving for survival in a merciless world of killing plants and swarming beasts. Worse, entrenched in their brutish ignorance they gave themselves to bloodshed in their vying for power with their own kin. Thus weakened by interracial warfare and bound to their territories in their self-imposed segregation, they fell victim to a terrible swarming of Kitin.
Even the great Atysian forces of the Kami and the Karavan put together were powerless against the Kitin onslaughts in that calamitous year. Entire populations perished. When the dreadful news came to my ears, I did not delay in giving all the assistance I could to save the last survivors, many of whom had dispersed and fled into the wilderness.
Three generations have since passed for healing wounds, rebuilding lives, for introspection and rekindling the spirit of hominkind. The time has now come for the wise and the brave to take up the reins of ambition, to blaze the trail to a new order, to span the rifts between continents and forge the destinies of their civilizations.
This is my one hope, for in unity will we best be armed to repel the tide of advancing evil. Certainly, I already hear the ominous rumblings of the Enemy that, alas, shall one day rock the very bowels of the green planet.
But I have faith yet in this, the New Beginning of Mankind...
Elias Tryton, Year 2525
2
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
INSTALLATION
Simply insert The Saga of Ryzom install disk into your computer’s CD-ROM drive to begin. The installation program should start automatically. If it does not, run the
setup.exe file located on the
CD. Follow the instructions displayed on the screen to complete the installation. Both CDs will be required to complete the installation, you will be prompted to insert the second disk when required.
Creating an Account
Playing The Saga of Ryzom requires an active game account. Purchase of the retail box entitles you to a free 30-day trial period - to create an account, run The Saga of Ryzom and click on the button marked ‘New Login’ when you get to the screen where it asks for your username and password. The ‘New Login’ button will open a registration form. Follow the instructions displayed on the screen in order to create your account.
Technical Support
If you have trouble launching the game, please refer to the technical support section on the Ryzom web site, at http://atys.ryzom.com/, for the latest information.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Minimum System Requirements
Windows 98se/2000/XP
1 ghz Pentium processor (or equivalent)
512 MB RAM nVidia GeForce2 GTS card
(or equivalent 64MB video card)
DirectX 8 compatible sound
5gb free disk space
4x CD-ROM (for installation)
56k Modem
Recommended system requirements
Windows XP
2 ghz Pentium processor (or equivalent)
512 MB RAM nVidia GeForce4 Ti card
(or equivalent 128MB video card*)
DirectX 8 compatible sound
5gb free disk space
4x CD-ROM (for installation)
Broadband Internet
* The video card should support ‘Pixel Shader 1.0’ and
‘Vertex Shader 1.0’ to enable all of The Saga of Ryzom’s display features.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
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4
ATYSIAN HISTORY
For as far back as history is recorded, the homins have been engulfed in the maelstrom of warfare.
Beneath the soaring canopies of Atys, rare and short were the seasons of peace. Long were the cries of the fallen, and silent were the dreams of the dead. This was the future of hominkind until...
2481
A Fyros expedition in search of the Great Dragon (a feared creature of legend) delved deep into the dark and eerie bowels of Atys known as the Prime Roots. After months of unrelenting exploration, the Fyros miners came upon several strange domes filled with hideous alien creatures, the Kitin.
Fraught with fear and horror, their first reflex was to destroy the giant insects they came across. This action would prove to be the ruin of all hominkind.
2481-2483
A mindless mass of Kitin poured out of the Prime Roots in pursuit of the fleeing expedition survivors.
Waves of glistening claws and mandibles surged forth, cutting a bloody path towards the beautiful homin cities. In mere days the homin kingdoms had been overpowered, their cities razed to the ground and their pride shattered. Their only hope of survival was to take flight.
After bearing witness to the massacre of the homin nations, the Kami and Karavan, two powerful forces on Atys, joined the battle. These reinforcements rekindled the hope of victory among the homin people, but the more Kitin that fell beneath the Kami and Karavan, the more that appeared from the dark depths.
All seemed lost. The homins were all but defeated, and the combined efforts of the Kami and
Karavan had yielded nothing more than a postponement of the inevitable. When hope seemed forgotten, the homins were delivered their salvation. Iridescent columns of light appeared throughout Atys and survivors flocked to them, compelled by a need that could not be explained.
Those who managed to reach these mysterious columns of light vanished, transported to a different place, far away from the brutality of the Kitin aggression. Those who could not escape into the lights chose to hide, seeking shelter in the dark and hidden places of Atys.
2483
After two years of constant war, the Kitin swarms slowly began returning to the Prime Roots.
Karavan Guardians were able to assure the homins that the Kitin no longer represented a significant threat, and the homins began to emerge from their sanctuary. Each race took possession of the newfound lands according to their natural instincts, and that is where they are found today.
The Tryker settled in the new lake lands, the Fyros established themselves in the desert, the Matis claimed the forests, and the Zoraï came to rest in the jungle.
Present Day
For the past three generations, the homins have been rebuilding. Each day brings in new refugees; descendants of those who never found the lights. And just out of sight, Kitin sentinels observe the reconstruction peacefully. For now.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
QUICK START
Now that you've created your account, you can log into one of The Saga of Ryzom game servers and begin to play. Before you begin, you might want to take a moment to customize your video options by running the
Configure Ryzom program. You'll find this by default in Start > Programs >
Ryzom - just run the shortcut and you'll get a menu of the different options available to adjust game performance. Click
Apply to save your changes.
After your game client is configured, run the Saga of Ryzom shortcut, and enter in your new username and password when asked. You'll be taken to the server select screen, where you can choose the game server you'd like to play on. Unless specified in the server select list, all game servers will offer the same gaming experience.
Once you've connected to the server, you'll see five empty character slots on the left side of your screen. The top one will be highlighted. Click the
Create New button in the bottom-right to begin character creation. You'll first choose your character's civilization and gender, then customize your character's physical appearance and select their initial action pool. For more information on character creation, see the
Character Creation section of the manual on page 16.
Clicking the
Finish button will prompt you to enter a character name. Character names must be unique. If the one you tried is taken, you may need to choose again. Once a character name has been accepted, you'll be asked to choose your initial starting location from the five camps available in your civilization's starting area. All the camps provide similar services to new players, so choose whichever one you like. After you are comfortable with your character, you can use a teleporter found in each of the camps to travel to your civilization's capital - but be sure to spend some time getting stronger before you do this!
Welcome to Atys!
Before you begin exploring, take a few minutes to customize your interface - you'll find that the windows within Ryzom generally behave like the windows of your operating system. All of them can be moved wherever you like and most can be resized as well. Once you have a window exactly how you want it, you can right-click on the window and choose to lock it - this will prevent the window from being moved or resized accidentally.
All new characters begin with a set of clothing and some basic equipment, based on the action packs you chose during character creation. To open your
Inventory and Equipment window, press the
I key. You'll find some basic weapons or tools in your pack to get you started. To see more detailed information about an item, right click on its icon and choose
Info. This will work for just about any item in the game. You can click the
Equip tab at the top of the window to check out the items you have equipped - right now you only have some very basic clothing, but once you get some new equipment, you can click on the different slots and select from all the valid items you have.
At the top of the screen you'll see the Hands, or
Action Bar. This window allows quick switching between any item or tool in your inventory, as well as contains all the
Actions you have prepared for your character. Actions, and the Action Bar, are covered in greater detail on page
32. In the meantime, you can equip a weapon or tool by left-clicking on the large box on the right side of the window - you'll be able to choose from any items you can equip.
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
5
6
QUICK START
To move your character, you can use the arrow keys or hold both mouse buttons - you'll find a basic control reference on the back of this manual. Holding the mouse buttons in while moving your mouse will allow you to mouselook - the left mouse button will rotate only the camera, while the right button will rotate your character as well. Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out. If it's night time, you may find it easier to move around after turning on your personal light. Press
L to toggle it on and off.
Your First Missions
You'll notice that your new character starts out near an NPC with the title
Welcomer - this NPC exists to help you get accustomed to the game. Left-click once on the NPC to select them, and you'll see your mouse cursor change. The text next to your mouse cursor lets you know what the default action will be if you double-click on this target. To see all the actions available, right-click once and a full selection menu will appear. Choose the default action for the Welcomer and you will receive your first mission, a simple tour of your starting camp. You can press
J to open your journal at any time to see your current missions and your progress in each one. For more information on missions, see page
29.
During your mission, as well as during any general exploration, you'll find your compass to be very useful. By default it is located in the upper-right corner of your screen. Normally the arrow on your compass will be white and point to the north, but you can change this by right-clicking on the compass and using the context menu to choose a different target. For most missions, you'll be able to set your compass to point to the target you need to visit by selecting it from the
Missions section of this menu.
Ignore that welcoming mission for now and try right-clicking on the Welcomer again. You'll see an option to learn more about combat. Choose this option to receive a new mission, to find and kill a
Suckling Yubo. If you received a weapon from one of your initial action packs, you should equip it now. (If you didn't, you can just use your bare hands - it will take a bit longer, but you can still do it).
Make sure that you have a weapon equipped and not a
Pick or Crafting Tool, or you won't be able to attack. You'll find a Yubo just outside the camp. To attack, just click on the Yubo once to select it, and again to begin attacking - your default physical attack will continue to execute until you or your target has fallen. For more information on combat, including the use of special skills, take a look at page
38.
During the battle, take a look at your gauge window
,
located in the upper-left by default. This window gives you a readout of your current status. For now, the only gauge that concerns you is the red one at the top, which is your
HP. If your HP reaches 0, you'll pass out and eventually die. This won't be a problem during this battle, but it will happen eventually. For more information on death penalties, please see page
43.
When the Yubo dies, you should see a sparkling column of light appear around your character.
You've gained a level in Fight! Although you'll become a bit more powerful each time you gain a level, you need to train to learn new skills or to increase your stats. In order to train, you'll need to visit one of the trainer NPCs back in the camp. If you didn't gain a level from one Yubo for some reason, make sure you're healthy enough to take on another one, then kill a second - you'll certainly level up from two.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
Before you go, take a few seconds to loot your kill. Target the fallen Yubo and you'll notice that your cursor will change to
Quartering - this will allow you to collect resources from the Yubo. Quarter the
Yubo and after a few seconds you should receive an assortment of items, ranging from hides to bones to meat - some of these are just to sell, other can be used to craft items. You can right-click on any of these items to get more information on them. Make sure you click
Take All to get all the items, even if you don't want to use them yourself, they can be sold or traded away.
Time to Train
Head back to the camp and the Welcomer NPC who gave you the mission. If you aren't sure how to get there, right-click on your compass, select the
Landmarks submenu, and choose the camp you started in - the arrow on your compass will point you directly to your camp. Or you can choose the
Missions submenu, and select the Welcomer NPC from that listing. In the center of each camp you'll find a building where the trainers are located. Enter the door to activate the transporter - you'll need to choose your destination from the menu. This time, choose the
Fight Trainer.
You'll appear in a small room with a single NPC inside, the
Fighter Trainer. This NPC can teach you physical combat Actions, as well as increase your statistics, at the cost of some training points. Ask the NPC to train you by clicking on her once, and choosing the default action - the Learning window will appear. Your skill points are listed at the bottom left. For gaining a single Fight level, you should have 10 points, enough for a stat boost or a few low-level skills. The choice is up to you - you can view more information by right-clicking on the ability in the learning window. For more information on levels and training, see pages
26 and 27 further in the manual.
Head back to the elevator to exit the building, and make sure you stop by the Welcomer to finish the mission. They'll give you some
dapper, the currency of Atys, as a reward. You'll find merchants nearby where you can sell the items you picked up from the Yubo, and purchase new equipment.
At this point you should know enough about the game and interface to begin making your own way on Atys. Be sure to check out the rest of the manual for more information, and you can always get more information by checking the ingame help menu (click the question mark at the bottom-right of your screen).
Good luck young homin and welcome to the The Saga of Ryzom!
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
7
PLAYER CIVILIZATIONS
Matis
Beautiful and powerful, the Matis are both a romantic and conquering race. The Matis seek to rebuild their majestic kingdom, a legend of the ancient lands, but their own intrigues consume all their energy as each family vies for the crown. As proud heirs of an ancient monarchy, they staunchly believe that just as every particle of the universe has a function, every homin must strive for his or her true place in society - even if it means conquering other civilizations to attain it.
Well versed in botany, as well as genetic manipulation, the Matis have taken root in the forested areas of the new lands, where they are able to find every living essence needed for their experimentation. The
Matisian villages are sculpted into the majestic trees and their strange and wonderful gardens are a marvel to behold.
8
Fyros
Determined, loyal, and fierce, the Fyros have built their kingdom in the harsh deserts and consider themselves to be the protectors of the fertile regions of Atys. Their society rests on a strict code of honor and the common goal of finding and eradicating the dreaded Great
Dragon of legend.
Apart from striving for social dominance and the restoration of their Empire, the Fyros have taken it upon themselves to protect the environment from the ravages of fire. These masters of flame also aspire to further develop their already extensive knowledge of the fabrication of fire-toughened tools and weaponry.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
Zoraï
Often feared by the other civilizations, the Zoraï are mystics from the dark jungles who zealously serve the living planet and quest to cleanse the Goo. In their search for spiritual enlightenment, the Zoraï have grown close to the mysterious Kami, whom they regard as higher disciples of the Goddess Jena. They proudly wear the Kami mask of kinship, which is genetically bonded to their faces, distinguishing them from other homins.
Masters in the manipulation of electrical and magnetic fields, the Zoraï take advantage of these forces in the fabrication of their weaponry and buildings. Structured around magnificent temple-cities, the Zoraï not only seek to restore the glory of their former dynasty but are also keen to promote spiritual awareness throughout the newfound lands.
Tryker
Shorter of stature than the other homin races, the
Tryker have retained their flighty and carefree nature despite the events of the past. Excellent explorers and inventors, as well as experts in wind technology, the
Tryker have built their new civilization in marvelous floating cities of the lakelands, dreaming of a world without the burdens of tyranny or intolerance.
In their penchant for conservationism, the Tryker have also developed the technique of water purification, and they continue to look on water not only for its biological value but seek to use it for energetic ends.
CHAPTER 2 - THE WORLD
9
10
INHABITANTS OF ATYS
The Primitive Tribes
The Gibbaï, the Cutes, and the Frahar are three species of semi-intelligent primates that make their home in the homin lands. Living in organized communities, they control and ferociously defend their hunting grounds from anything they see as a threat. Certain homins believe they are racial ancestors, others see them as distant cousins.
The Renegade Tribes
The four homin civilizations struggle against dozens of renegade tribes for control of the regions considered necessary for expansion. These tribes are composed of homins that refuse to adhere to the laws of the new cities. Often presenting themselves as roaming bandits, these tribes represent an immediate danger for anyone traveling through Atys.
The Kami and Karavan
Mysterious and powerful, the Kami and the Karavan are held in awe, if not venerated, by all of the homin civilizations. These beings possess intimate knowledge of the world and are considered the ultimate authorities on the arts of magic and technology - when they choose to share that knowledge.
The Kami are the guardians of plant life and the organic balance of the world and are responsible for teaching homins the art of magic.
The Karavan are masters of unknown technology with devastating powers and spread the holy word of the Goddess Jena. For many centuries these two forces have kept their distance, observing one another in a cold war, joining together only to push back the Kitin.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
The Kitin
The insect-like creatures known as the Kitin were first discovered in the Prime Roots by a Fyros expedition in the year 2481. A nesting creature, Kitin move in large swarms when disturbed and were able to easily level unprepared villages of all civilizations during the Great Swarming.
Armored, powerful, and intelligent, the Kitin are a fearsome foe for any Atysian and even lone scouts are a threat to an unprepared warrior. Provoking the Kitin may cause them to call for more powerful reinforcements.
Flora
Despite the welcoming and colorful labyrinth of plant life in many areas, sometimes the most beautiful places on Atys can result in the highest amount of danger to the careless traveler. Depending on the climate, it is not uncommon to find intelligent plant life, some of which may be capable of channeling magical spells.
An interesting example of plant life is found in the Fyros oasis and is called the shooki; when provoked, the shooki is said to be able to thrust forth its head and release a swarm of mini kitin. Another plant, the fleshy leaved cratcha, is a noteworthy specimen found in the jungles. If threatened, the cratcha flower spits out a deadly viscous substance which sticks to the victim.
Fauna
The creatures of Atys are very intelligent and you may be surprised to discover that they have unique habits and behaviors that distinguish them from each other. Some creatures are aggressive, but others, like the bodoc
(pictured to the right), are actually docile despite their fearsome appearance. Even normally peaceful creatures may attack if their herd is threatened, so adventurers are advised to engage an unfamiliar creature in combat with extreme caution.
CHAPTER 2 - THE WORLD
11
ATYS, THE LIVING PLANET
Also known as the Green Planet, Atys is an unusual place. Despite the initial appearance, the planet itself is alive, slowly sending tendrils into the air and creating new areas above the surface. Perhaps due to this constant growth, the climates and weather on the surface can vary greatly, even within a short time span. Seasons change more rapidly than it seems they should, but the creatures adapt rapidly to changing situations. Although lacking in anything we would recognize as a metal or mineral, the land is abundant in natural resources and the inhabitants have adapted the resources available to their particular needs.
Atys is also a world rich in legend and mystery. As a result of their long and varied conflicts, a great amount of history has been lost to the Atysians. What little is still known has been passed from generation to generation, picking up their hopes and prejudices on the way. Many homins believe that the Prime Roots hold the key to unlocking their past, but little of note has been discovered there since the expedition that unleashed the Kitin.
12
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
ECOSYSTEMS
Forest
Lofty trees, precipices lost in rolling mist, dazzling light and soft breezes make the forest one of the most majestic places on Atys. The forests benefit from a temperate climate that is ideal for homins, as well as plants and other creatures. Seasons alternate from wet and cold to hot and dry, making the forests the preferred living area of the Matis.
The shy and swift-running capryni make their home here. Keep your eyes open for the yelk, a large scavenger easily recognized by the highly prized mushrooms growing on its back. True to the living nature of Atys, the forest flora comprises several species of intelligent plants.
The psykopia plant is rumored to be able to reduce homin and beast alike to a compliant, slave-like state.
Desert
Violent and incessant winds, severe drought, stifling temperatures by day, and the freezing chill by night makes the burning desert dunes a treacherous trap for the wayward traveler. Daring adventurers venturing over the windswept dunes will discover a unique array of flora that subsists courtesy of the scarce annual rainfall. Travelers through the desert will encounter wildlife found nowhere else on Atys, including such formidable species as the varynx, a predator that hunts in packs, and the vicious goari.
The great desert of Atys is a wind ravaged wilderness shunned by all except for the Fyros, who have been prosperous in rebuilding their civilization here. Without a doubt, the most captivating place in the desert is the grand Fyros citadel Pyr, an impressive fortress against the elements of this savage land.
CHAPTER 2 - THE WORLD
13
ECOSYSTEMS
Jungle
The Zoraï have established their enchanting towns and villages in the jungles of Atys, a land where
Sap flows in abundance and nourishes the thriving flora. The climate here is wildly variable; the perfect tranquility may be suddenly broken by the clash of thunder and raging storms. The Goo is a virulent cancer that has been known to nibble away at entire regions. Zoraï are particularly vocal in their crusade against polluting phenomena such as the Goo.
The wise traveler will keep on guard, for strange creatures addled by the
Goo roam about in a rabid state, attacking anything that crosses their path. The saber horned torbak, an
Atysian feline, is just one of the ferocious jungle creatures that can fall victim to this infection.
Lakelands
The magical archipelago of the lakelands is an enchanting region nestled between the jungles and the forests of Atys. The archipelago benefits from a wonderful climate with sunny weather all year round with only the odd shower or morning mist to mar its beauty. This climate makes it an ideal home for the Tryker, who have settled here to rebuild their lives.
An abundance of plant life is found on the land here, as well as a wealth of marine plant in the crystal clear waters. The idyllic landscape harbors an interesting blend of land and marine wildlife. Caution is the word in and around the refreshing lakes, however, with wild animals such as the three meter long prakker all too readily snap the life out of the impudent wading voyager.
14
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
Prime Roots
The Prime Roots make up the most mysterious ecosystem on Atys. Delving into the bowels of the planet, this never-ending labyrinth of deep caverns can astound the curious eye with its remarkable beauty, blinding them to the danger that also lurks within. Sap flows here in endless rivers and fluorescent plants softly light the way for travelers, while strange creatures prowl about in the shadows. The Prime Roots are home to a host of mysterious relics from the past as well as a wide range of resources that can be found nowhere else.
The Prime Roots are subject to only slight variation in climate, remaining cool and the damp year round, but always dark. Due to this unusual climate, much of the flora native to the Prime
Roots has developed the capacity to generate its own light, creating an environment both fantastic and alien.
It is here that Fyros excavators first came upon a nest of Kitin, sparking the great war that devastated all of civilization many generations ago. This memory still haunts the homins and they avoid settling near the passages that lead to this dark place.
CHAPTER 2 - THE WORLD
15
16
CHARACTER CREATION
Before you can play The Saga of Ryzom, you need to create a character to represent you on Atys.
After logging in and selecting a server, you will have five slots open to create new characters, shown on the left side of the screen as large question marks. To begin creating a new character, choose one of the open character slots and click the
Create New button in the lower-right corner of the screen.
Civilization
Your civilization will determine your base appearance, the initial reputation you have with various game factions, and in which area of the land you will begin. Your civilization choice will not limit the areas in which you can travel, or what skills you can learn. For a description of each of the player civilizations, please see page
8. Once you've chosen a civilization, click the next step in the column on the left.
Gender
Your gender will change your physical appearance, but will otherwise have no affect on gameplay.
Once you've selected your character's gender, proceed to the next step in the column on the left.
Physical Appearance
Using the sliders, customize the shape of your character's body. You can rotate your character by clicking and dragging with the left mouse button and you can zoom in and out by clicking and dragging with the right mouse button. Your physical appearance will not affect your character statistics. Once you've decided on your character's appearance, proceed to the next step.
Facial Customization
Using the sliders, customize your character's face. Different civilizations and genders will have different options for customization here. You can rotate your character's head by clicking and dragging with the left mouse button, and you can zoom in and out by clicking and dragging with the right mouse button. Once you've finished customizing your character's face, proceed to the final step in the left column.
Action Packs
Your choices here will determine your character's initial set of equipment and
Actions. No matter what you choose here, you character will start out at level one in all skill trees and will be equally able to advance in any skill that you choose.
You have three available slots to fill with four different action packs. Selecting the same type of pack for multiple slots will give you a larger pack, which has more abilities in it - the description window will list what you will receive as you adjust the sliders.
Once you have determined which actions you would like to start with, select the
Finish button at the bottom right of the screen.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
Name Selection
Before you can enter the world, you need to choose a name for your character. Names in The Saga
of Ryzom must be unique, so it may take you several attempts if you are choosing common or highly desired names. Once your name is accepted
*, you will automatically move to the camp selection screen.
Camp Selection
The final step in character creation is to select your starting location. All new characters on Atys begin in a starter land specific to their race, in one of five different starting camps. These camps are all very similar to each other and provide all services necessary for characters to advance to rank 20 in relative safety.
After selecting a camp, you can choose to
Play Now or Play Later by using the buttons in the lowerright corner of the screen. Either choice will finish the character creation and save your character.
Play Now will log you into the game world as your new character, while Play Later will return you to the character select screen.
For a short tutorial on what to do with a new character once you're in the game world, see the
Quick
Start section beginning on page 5.
*
Character names must adhere to the Saga of Ryzom code of conduct. Any character names which are found to violate this policy will be changed by a Gamemaster.
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18
CHARACTER STATISTICS
Each character in Ryzom has several statistics that relate to their ability to perform different actions.
Hit Points (HP)
Hit Points measure the amount of damage that a character can take before they pass out. Regardless of specialization, all characters can train to improve HP and its related statistics.
Strength
The Strength statistic measures the physical strength that a character possesses. For each point of Strength, a character will have 10 max HP.
Metabolism
Metabolism measures the rate at which a character's body can recover from injury. The higher a character's
Metabolism, the faster they will recover lost HP.
Stamina
Used by physical combat Actions, stamina measures a character's current state of fatigue. Characters training the
Fight skill tree will need Stamina in order to execute their combat Actions.
Constitution
A character's Constitution measures their ability to engage in long-term periods of strenuous physical activity. For each point of Constitution, a character will have 10 max Stamina.
Balance
Characters that have greater control over their physical state will have high Balance scores. The higher a character's Balance, the faster they will recover Stamina.
Sap
On Atys, the energy that allows a character to channel magical power is called Sap. Characters that wish to use
Magic will need Sap to power their spells.
Intelligence
Intelligence is a measure of how well a character can focus their mental abilities. For each point of Intelligence, a character will have 10 max Sap.
Wisdom
As a measure of mental control, Wisdom is essential for any that wish to use Magic. The higher a character's
Wisdom, the faster they will recover Sap.
Focus
Focus is a measure of a character’s ability to concentrate. Focus is a measure of this concentration, and required for any wishing to learn the Harvest or Craft trees.
Dexterity
Dexterity is a measure of how skilled a character is at doing fine work with their hands. For each point of
Dexterity, a character will have 10 max Focus.
Will
The ability to maintain a high level of concentration over longer periods of time is a character's Will. The higher a character's Will, the faster they will recover Focus.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
IDENTITY
The
Identity window gives you a display of your character's current statistics, as well as a variety of other valuable information. Press
P at any time to bring up this display. In addition to your current stats and regeneration rates, you can also set your current title (see below), see your current guild, check how many skill points you have, see your current armor penalty, and view your current encumbrance.
TITLES
As your character advances they will begin to collect a wide variety of titles. These titles allow you to change how you represent yourself to other players. For example, you would expect a player with the
Apprentice Magician title to perform a different role in a group than one with the Apprentice
Fighter title. You can see more information on another player's title by right-clicking on them and choosing
Info.
Many titles will be earned automatically as your skill level increases. You'll receive notification whenever you reach a level that awards a new title in this fashion. Still others will be awarded when you learn certain combinations of Actions from your trainers. Rumors abound that there are also additional titles that are only awarded to players that perform certain services for the various Atysian factions.
You can choose which title to display to others by selecting it from the dropdown menu at the top of your
Identity window.
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MOVEMENT AND NAVIGATION
To move your character, use the
arrow keys on your keyboard. The left and right arrow keys will turn you, while forward and back will make you walk in those directions. It may take your character a few moments to reach their top movement speed and they will move faster walking forwards than back. You can also move by holding in both mouse buttons and steering with mouselook.
Mouselook can be activated by clicking and dragging with either mouse button. The left mouse button will allow you to rotate the camera around your character without changing your movement direction. The right mouse button will rotate your character to match the camera facing. While you are using mouselook, the left and right arrow keys will allow you to strafe instead. To strafe without mouselook, hold the
Ctrl key down while using the left or right arrows.
The Map
You can bring up your map by pressing the
M key. The map can be resized and will allow zooming using the mouse wheel. Your currently available spawn points will be highlighted on the map, as well as important landmarks in your current area - clicking on these landmarks will cause your compass to point to them. You can create your own custom landmarks on the map by right-clicking and choosing the option from the context menu - this will allow you to find your way to that point using your compass.
The Compass
Your most valuable navigation tool will prove to be your compass. By default, the arrow on your compass points to the north, but by right-clicking on it and using the context menu, you can have it point to local cities and landmarks, mission steps, group members, or other useful locations. Your compass target is displayed in the text field under the radar display. Proper use of your compass will ensure you never get lost.
The compass also comes with a built-in radar feature, which displays any living creatures in your immediate vicinity. You can change the distance that the compass will scan by selecting
Zoom In or
Zoom Out from the context menu, or by scrolling your mouse wheel while the mouse pointer is hovering over the compass. The default color coding is as follows:
Blue
White
Purple
Orange
Yellow
Green
Aqua
Red
Player Character
NPC
Group Member
Creature or Monster
Mount
Packer
Resource Point
Current Target
You can change the color display for each category in the game configuration menu, under
Interface > Entity.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
INVENTORY AND EQUIPMENT
The
Inventory and Equipment window is used to view your current inventory, the inventory of your packers or mounts, and your currently equipped items. To open this window, press the
I key at any time - the default display will show your current inventory.
Across the top of the inventory window, you will see tabs that will allow you to view different inventory panels. At a minimum, these panels will allow access to your current inventory and your equipped items, but there may also be tabs listed for any packers or mounts you own, as well as other storage locations. To transfer items between panels, right click on one of the tabs and it will split off into a new window - you can then drag and drop items between them. Closing the separated window will return it to tab form.
At the bottom of the inventory window you will see the amount of dapper, the currency of Atys, that your character possesses. There are also filter buttons that allow you to hide or show different categories of items.
In the upper-right of each inventory panel you'll see a display showing the
weight and bulk measurements of the current panel. Weight is displayed in a numeric format, while bulk is displayed as a bar. Items have both bulk and weight measurements. When the total bulk measurement exceeds the maximum bulk that the pack can hold, you will no longer be able to place new items inside. When the weight of the items in your inventory exceeds your maximum carrying capacity, you will move more slowly or, in extreme cases, not move at all.
To view detailed information on any item in your inventory, right-click the item and choose
Info from the context menu. A status window will display that will provide detailed information about the object.
Equipping Items
To equip items, switch to the
Equip panel by clicking on the appropriate tab and left-click on the slot you wish to change. A list of items that you can equip in that slot will appear. Just choose the one you would like to wear and it will be equipped.
In general, equipping armor will increase your characters physical defenses and equipping jewelry will increase your magical defenses. Some items may not follow this rule, so be sure to examine any items you find for complete information on their abilities. To equip weapons or tools, please see page
32, which describes the Action Bar.
CAUTION
Wearing weapons or armor incurs an penalty on any actions that you do - this is the cost of the added offense or protection. In general, the larger or heavier the item, the more of a penalty you will incur. The penalty will take the form of longer execution times, higher Stamina/Sap/Focus costs, and range penalties for your Actions.
You can view your current penalty at any time by checking your Identity window (see page
19). To see the individual penalty associated with a particular piece of equipment, right-click on the item and choose
Info.
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COMMUNICATING WITH NPCs
For the most part, communication with NPCs will be confined to a few limited formats. The most common reason you'll interact with an NPC is to engage in trade of some sort. For most NPCs, a single left-click to select them and a double left-click to perform the default action will open up their shop window. For more information on buying and selling items from NPCs, see page
24.
The second most common reason for you to interact with an NPC is to obtain or complete a step in a
Mission. Missions are described in more detail on page
29. In most cases, the process will be the same as above - Ryzom will generally select an appropriate default action for your target.
When communicating with an NPC in a mission, their text will appear in a speech bubble next to their heads. You will often be asked to prompt the NPC to continue their speech or to answer a question posed by the NPC. Your response options will be located at the bottom-right of the speech bubble, underlined and in blue. Click on your response to continue the conversation.
In some cases, the default action will not be the one you want to perform - for example, an NPC participating in several of your missions. In this circumstance, use the context menu to select the appropriate action from all options available. To open the context menu, first left-click on the NPC to select them, then right-click on them to open the menu. The most common actions will be located at the top of this menu.
Some missions may ask you to trade an NPC an item using the trade interface. This can be done by following the same procedure necessary to trade an item to a PC, which is described on page
25.
NPC’s may occasionally attempt to contact you, or anyone nearby, without being directly involved in a mission. In these situations, their speech will be found in your chat window along with the speech of other players.
22
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
COMMUNICATING WITH PLAYERS
Communication with other players is much less structured than communication with NPCs. Most communication with players will take place using the chat windows, which are located at the lowerleft of your screen by default. When you first log in, you will see both the main chat window as well as the
System chat window, which provides you with messages relating to combat and other environmental events. Closing the System window will cause it to collapse into a tab in the main chat window.
By default, the chat window is set to the
Around tab. This tab displays the speech from nearby players and NPC's, as well as messages shouted by players farther away. All players will also have a R
egion tab, which allows communication with any other players in the current region. Depending on your character and current situation, you may also have
Team or Guild tabs, which allow you to communicate directly with your team or guild members without distraction.
In addition to the limited channels, you also have access to the
User tab, which allows you to customize the chat you receive inside it. To customize the User chat, switch to the User tab and right-click in the blank area next to the tab to open up the context menu. Selecting different chat types on the menu will allow you to toggle the display of that type of chat.
If you'd like to view multiple chat windows at the same time, right-clicking on a chat tab will cause it to split off into a new window. Closing the separated chat window will cause it to return to tab format.
Tells
To send a message directly to another player, you can use the /tell command. The format for the command is
/tell [PlayerName] [Message]. When you send a message as a tell an individual chat window will open up to allow you to chat directly with the player. Closing the chat window will not cause this window to become a tab - it will simply go away.
Emotes
Emotes are a method of communicating moods or emotions without using direct speech - some will even include animation. For a list of Emotes, right-click anywhere in the game window and select the
Emote submenu. You can also execute most emotes by using a slash command with their name. For example, you can execute the Dance emote with
/dance.
Friend/Ignore Lists
To access your Friend/Ignore list, press the
F key at any time. You can use the Add button to easily add players to these lists by name.
The
Friends list will let you know when a player is online and allow you to easily open up a chat window with them or send them a tell. You can use this list to easily keep track of people you enjoy playing with and find out when they're logged in. The
Ignore list serves the opposite function - it will prevent that player from speaking to you. You can remove a player from either list by right-clicking on their name to open the context menu and choosing
Remove.
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23
BUYING AND SELLING
At some point you will want to sell off some items or purchase some new ones. NPCs in Ryzom sell equipment, resources, pets, and even housing. You can usually tell what type of items an NPC will sell by their title. To see what an NPC has for sale and to make a purchase, select the NPC and choose the
Trade action - this will usually be the default.
The resulting window will list the items that an NPC has for sale, and their cost, on the right. To view detailed information on any of these items, right-click on them to bring up the status window. On the left, you'll find your own inventory, along with tabs to view other inventories you have access to
(such as your mount or packers). At the bottom of the window you'll find your dapper display, which lets you know how much currency you have available.
Next to each item in the listing is the
Price. For items in the shop inventory, the price is for each individual item. For items in your own inventory, the price displayed is for the entire stack. To buy or sell any item in the listing, left-click on it once. This will bring up an information window which will allow you to specify the quantity to buy or sell.
24
!
NOTE
Although NPCs will only sell goods related to their profession, most merchants will purchase just about anything from you. Once an item is sold, it is gone - it will not appear for sale in the merchant's inventory.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
TRADING
Although you can always get basic equipment from NPCs, the best items are created by other players. Whether you get this equipment from a crafter or you need to get materials from a warrior or harvester, you'll probably need to trade with another player at some point.
To begin a trade, right-click on the player you wish to trade with and select the
Exchange option.
They will be notified you are attempting a trade and will need to start a trade with you to bring up the secure trading window.
The trade window is split into two identical parts. At the top is the amount of dapper and the items that the other player is offering, at the bottom is the dapper and items you are offering. There are two buttons to the right of the lower dapper display to allow you to remove or set the amount of dapper being offered. In order to add items to the trade, you can either drag and drop them from your inventory window or left-click on one of the spaces to select from all the items in your inventory.
Once you are satisfied with the trade, click on the
Accept button to register your approval. The arrow in the trade window will highlight to show the trade has been approved by one of the players involved. Once approval has been registered, any changes to either side of the trade window will remove the approved status and require both players to approve the trade again. When both players have approved the trade, the items and dapper will be exchanged.
CAUTION
Before accepting a trade, always examine the items offered carefully to make sure you're getting what you bargained for. Although most players are honest, there are always some that will take advantage of you if given the opportunity.
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EXPERIENCE AND LEVELS
Although characters in The Saga of Ryzom earn experience and gain levels, character advancement is measured on a skill tree. To view your
Action Progression window, press the A key at any time.
On the left side of the window you will see your current skill tree. For new players, there will only be the five most basic skills listed here -
Fight, Magic, Harvest, Craft, and Defense. Each skill box displays your current level in that skill in the lower-right hand corner, as well as the maximum value possible. If you haven't reached the maximum skill level in the skill, there will also be a bar to the left of the skill level displaying your progression through the current level.
Skills in Ryzom are organized in a tree, starting from the most basic skills (from levels
1-20) all the way down to the most specific skills (ending at level
250). If you are currently able to gain in a skill, the skill box will be highlighted and there will be a plus sign to the left of the skill box. Clicking this symbol will expand the skill tree to display the boxes under the skill. Once you have reached the maximum level in a skill, you will then begin to gain experience in the skills underneath it on the tree.
For example, you can reach level 20 in
Fight by using any type of weapon, but once you have reached that level, you will begin to gain experience for level 21 in either
Melee Fight or Range
Fight depending on your weapon.
Each time you perform an action - for example, killing a creature - you will gain experience in any skills that you used to perform the action. When a skill has gained enough experience to fill the bar for the current level, it will level up and you will receive 10 training points.
By clicking on a skill box, the right side of the window will change to display the
Actions and
Upgrades available for that skill, sorted by level range. Actions are special attacks or spells that you learn by training, and are covered in more detail starting on page
32. Upgrades are stat increases that you have purchased from a trainer. If you have learned an Action, it will be highlighted in the listing on the right, while actions that you have not learned will be dim. Actions that you cannot learn yet are displayed in grey. You can get more information on any of these actions or upgrades by rightclicking them in the listing.
!
NOTE
Character progression in The Saga of Ryzom is not limited. Given enough time, any character could advance to the maximum level available in every skill tree without penalty, and learn the associated actions.
This is possible because skill levels do not automatically increase character power - instead, they allow the use of more powerful equipment and the learning of a wider variety of actions. A character with very high levels in multiple skill branches may not be much more powerful than one that has only advanced deep into one branch, but they will be able to perform different roles depending on the situation.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
TRAINING
While gaining levels in a skill will not make you more powerful, it will give you training points at a rate of
10 per level. Training points are limited to the tree in which you earned them, but within that tree you can spend them on whatever you'd like.
In order to train, you will first need to find an NPC trainer for that tree. Trainers can be found in every city. In the starter camps, these NPC's are located in the building at the center of the camp - use the elevator to reach them. You may also find additional trainers in other locations, like guild apartments. Once you've located the appropriate trainer, use the default
Train action to open up the training interface.
Learning new
Actions or Upgrades works very similarly to purchasing an item from an NPC. At the top of the window, you will see a list of everything you can learn from this trainer, while the bottom of the window displays your current training points. Each Action has a different cost associated with it, which is displayed next to the icon. To learn more about an Action, right-click on the icon in the display, and a window with more detail will appear.
To learn an Action, left-click on the icon and a confirmation window will appear. When you are ready to learn the Action, click the
Learn button at the bottom of the window. The points will be immediately removed from your pool and you will learn the action. If you learned an Upgrade, the relevant stats will be increased immediately.
At higher levels, some options to train may not be Actions or Upgrades, but will be individual
Stanzas instead. Stanzas are the subcomponents of Actions that are used with the Modular
Action System. The confirmation window will let you know when this is the case. For more information on Stanzas, see page
33.
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TEAMING UP
At times, you will want to form a temporary group with other players to help you communicate with each other and adventure together. In Ryzom, these groups are called
Teams.
Forming a Team
In order to form a team, right-click on the person you would like to add into your group and choose the
Team Invite option. As soon as one person accepts your invitation, a team will be formed immediately. To view your current team members, press the
Y key to open the Team window.
Benefits of a Team
There are multiple benefits to joining a team. The first and most apparent benefit is having a private
Team chat channel for communication without distraction. Regardless of current locations, your entire team will be able to talk to each other using this channel.
The Team window also provides a quick and easy way to check the status of team members and to target them if they're in your immediate area. If they're further away, you can right-click on a team member in the Team window and choose to set them as your current compass target. Team members will also appear as purple dots in your radar display.
When engaging in combat, experience will be divided between the current team members, instead of being awarded to the player that did the most damage. This is the best way to advance in skill lines focused on healing other players, or inflicting negative status effects.
Removing a Team Member
To remove a member of the team, open the Team window, right-click on their name, and choose
Dismiss. That player will be removed from the team and will immediately lose access to the Team channel.
Setting your Successor
If you are the team leader, you can designate the team member that will become the team leader should you leave the team or become disconnected. In order to do this, open the team window, right-click on the player name, and choose
Set Successor. The current successor is signified in the team window by a star next to their stat bars.
Leaving a Team
If you are currently in a team and would like to leave, right-click anywhere in the game window and choose the
Quit Team option. You will also leave your team if you log out or are disconnected.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
MISSIONS
If you're looking for something to do, many NPCs in Ryzom will provide you with
Missions, a variety of tasks that you can perform. Completing a Mission can reward you in a number of ways, you may receive equipment, learn new Actions or Stanzas, gain fame, or be offered better missions.
Obtaining a Mission
Many NPCs will give missions. Some, like the
Corporals in the starting camps, will give missions as their default actions. Other NPC's, like
Traders, default to buying and selling items but can provide missions if you check. To check if an NPC has missions to offer, right-click on the NPC and choose
Missions from the context menu. This will open up the Mission window, which displays a list of available missions.
To take a mission, click on the mission icon and a confirmation window will open with more details. If you want to attempt the mission, choose
Accept from the bottom of the window. You can also
Refuse the mission instead - refusing the mission will not penalize you in any way. Players are limited to three individual missions at a time. If you already have three and would like to take a new mission, you need to abandon or complete another mission first.
Checking Current Missions
To check your current missions, press
J to open up your Journal. At the top of the journal window you will see a list of missions that you are currently assigned, while the bottom of the window shows details on the currently selected mission. To get details on a different mission, click the mission title in the upper part of the window.
Abandoning a Mission
To abandon a mission you need to view its details in your Journal, and then click the
Abandon button that appears. Although abandoning a mission will usually not have negative consequences, depending on the mission you chose and which faction you are working for there may be a penalty for doing so.
Guild Missions
Beyond individual missions,
Guilds can take on missions of their own, which tend to be more difficult and on a larger scale than ones given to individual players. These missions do not fall under the same three-mission limit and can give rewards to every member of the guild. For more information on guilds and guild activities, see page
36.
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30
OPTIONS
Ryzom provides a wide array of configurable options that can be found by pressing the
U key.
Option categories are visible in a collapsing tree view on the left side of the window, while the actual options appear on the right. Most options can be adjusted while the game is running, though some video settings may require the game to be reloaded to take effect. The Options window will also display your current client
FPS in the upper right corner.
Language
Change the localization settings for the Ryzom client. At release, the game client is available in
English, French, and German. This will only change text provided by the game interface - speech from other players will not be affected.
Interface
The largest section of the options, it can be used to adjust a variety of visual options, from the default colors and opacity of the interface to the different bits of information provided for each creature and player.
Inputs
Used to adjust mouse and keyboard cursor and camera response times.
Graphics
Allows adjustment of visual options. Most of these options can also be adjusted outside of the game by using the
Ryzom Configuration utility.
Sound
Allow adjustment of audio options. Most of these options can also be adjusted outside of the game by using the
Ryzom Configuration utility.
KEY CONFIGURATION
Almost any command can have its mapping changed from within Ryzom. To bring up the
Key
Configuration window, press K at any time. The main configuration window can also be used as a handy keyboard reference.
To create a new keymap, select the
New Key button in the upper left corner of the window. If you would like to edit the function of an existing key, right click on the keymap listed and choose
Edit
Key. If you would like to change a listed function to use a different key, right-click on the keymap and choose
Assign Key.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
PACKERS AND MOUNTS
At release, there are two different types of pets available for players to own in The Saga of Ryzom.
Packers are animals that serve as beasts of burden, carrying heavy loads that a player could not carry alone, while
Mounts are used to speed travel, though they can also carry items for their owner. Mounts and Packers can be purchased from most stables, which are found near each major city on the mainland.
To see a listing of your current pets, press
Ctrl+P to bring up the Animals window. Similar to the
Team window, the Animals displays the status of all your pets, as well as providing information on their current weight, and a button for easy access to their inventory.
Right-clicking on your pet, or their listing in the Animals window, will allow access to several commands to change your pet's behavior.
Follow will cause the pet to follow you at a close distance,
Stop will cause a pet to stop and remain at a specific spot, Free will immediately release an animal, and
Stable (which is only available when near a stable building) will cause them to return to the stable until claimed. Mounts also have special commands that will allow you to ride them.
Although mounts and packers can be engaged in combat, they will not fight back against enemy creatures. If your pet gets attacked, it is up to you to save it. Any items carried by a slain pet will be lost, so be sure to stick together, especially through dangerous areas. While riding a mount, you will have increased movement, but will not be able to fight back if engaged in combat. Your mount cannot be damaged while being ridden, but if your character is knocked out or killed you will fall off and the mount will become vulnerable to attack.
When in possession of a pet, their inventory window will also appear as a tab in both your inventory and buy/sell windows. Their locations will also appear as icons on your map and are designated on your radar in different colors.
CAUTION
Freeing a mount or packer will immediately cause it to vanish, taking with it all the items you may have placed in their inventory. Be sure to clean out your pet’s pack before releasing it to ensure that no items are lost.
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THE ACTION BAR
In Ryzom, everything is an
Action. From your default physical attack to magical spells to crafting items, everything your character can do is represented as an Action. Actions are stored for use in the
Hands, or Action Bar, which is located by default in the top center of your screen.
On the left and right sides of the Action Bar there are two larger boxes, representing the items equipped in your hands. Clicking on either of these boxes will allow you to quickly switch between different weapons and tools.
In the center, your current Action bank is displayed. There are 10 Action banks, numbered from 1-
10, which hold up to 20 Actions each. Each of the Actions in the top row can be triggered using the numeric keys [
0-9], while the actions in the second row can be triggered using Shift+[0-9]. On the right, next to your primary weapon, is a number indicating your current Action bank. The arrows above and below this number can be used to change the Action bank, as well as
Ctrl+[0-9].
In order to use an Action, it must be in the Action Bar. To put an action learned from a trainer into the bar, open your
Action Progression window (press the A key) and locate the Action in the right side of the window by selecting the appropriate skill box. Drag and drop the action from the list into the spot you want it on your Action bar.
To create a new action, right-click an empty space in the Action bar, and choose the
Create New option. To delete or edit an Action, right-click on the icon and choose
Edit or Delete. Creating and editing Actions will be covered in more detail in the section on the M
odular Action System. You can get information on any Action in your bar by right-clicking on the icon and choosing
Info.
32
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
MODULAR ACTION SYSTEM
While everything you do in Ryzom is an Action, Actions themselves are formed from smaller subcomponents called
Stanzas. Stanzas determine all the fine details of an action, both the benefits that it gives you as well as the costs. Every time you learn a new Action, from a trainer, mission, or otherwise, you also learn all the Stanzas that are used to build that action. You can view the Stanzas that form an action by right-clicking on it in either the
Action Progression window or the
Action Bar, and choosing Info.
In itself, the fact that Stanzas are smaller parts of Actions is not very exciting. The exciting part comes when you begin to learn enough Stanzas to combine them into your own custom Actions.
!
NOTE
Although spending some time learning to use the Modular Action System will definitely make your character more powerful and flexible in the long run, especially as you advance to higher skill levels, all characters will be able to advance without taking advantage of custom Actions. Most Actions learned from
NPC trainers come in a complete, usable form.
To begin creating a new action, right-click a blank area in the Action Bar and choose
Create New.
This will open the Action Creation window. At the top of the window, you will see a text field for the name of your action. Underneath, inside the
Composition section, there is a blank square to set the root type of the action. All actions contain a single root type that defines them as a combat skill, magic projectile, item crafting, or other type of action.
Once the root type is selected, a box may appear to the right of the effect. This box allows you to select the strength of the effect from all the strengths that you know. Click on the box to open a dropdown menu, displaying all the options you have available, and single-click on the desired strength to set it. Many other Stanzas will also have variable levels, and will use the same system to select them.
After selecting the root type and setting the initial strength, you can begin slotting additional Stanzas into the Action. Some root types may require more Stanzas than others - for example, while the
Atysian Missile type, an offensive elemental spell, only requires one additional Stanza, the Atysian
Double Missile requires two. Once you've picked the required Stanzas, you can continue to add additional Stanzas to the Action by selecting the
Add Option button. Options can do things like increase the damage or range of an action, add area or ricochet effects, or add permanent enchantments to crafted items.
As you choose the base effects and options, you'll probably notice numbers appearing in the columns on the right side of the
Create Action window. Yellow positive numbers represent an increase in the cost and difficulty of an action, while green negative numbers represent a decrease.
In order to learn an Action, the costs must be equal to or greater than the difficulty. If the cost exceeds the difficulty, there will be a success bonus on the Action, making it more likely to succeed during any attempt.
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In order to get an Action to balance, you will probably have to add credits to it. To do this, select the
Add Credit button at the top of the window. Credits are Stanzas that have negative effects on the
Action - for example, they can cause the Action to drain HP/Stamina/Sap/Focus, limit the opportunities available to use the action, limit the range, or have other detrimental effects.
At the bottom of the action creation window, there is a scale drawn in yellow and green which illustrates the current difficulty. If the action is balanced, the
Learn the Action button below will be highlighted, and you can create the action. Custom actions appear in your Action Bar and are stored on the Saga of Ryzom server.
CUSTOM ACTION EXAMPLE
An excellent example of the strengths of the Modular Action System can be found at low skill levels in the Magic skill tree. By taking two spells available at low levels and using their Stanzas to create a custom Action, you can greatly increase the amount of time you can spend hunting the weak creatures outside the starting camps.
Before you can create this action, you will need to learn the following two actions from the Magic
Trainer.
Acid Damage 1
AVAILABLE AT LEVEL 1
Atysian Missile Spell
Acid Damage Spell Effect
Acid Damage 1
Credit Range 1
Credit Sap 2
+3
-1
-2
Life Gift 1
AVAILABLE AT LEVEL 9
Celestial Missile Spell
Heal Spell Effect
Heal 2
Credit Range 3
Credit Life 6
+10
-3
-7
Using the Credit Range 3 Stanza from Life Gift 1, you can create an acid elemental damage spell that has no Sap cost but only works at a very close range - perfect for zapping those pesky Yubos.
The final spell Action, called Free Acid Damage here, is shown below.
Free Acid Damage
CUSTOM ACTION
Atysian Missile Spell
Acid Damage Spell Effect
Acid Damage 1
Credit Range 3
+3
-3
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
FAME
Over time, each player will earn a reputation with the other inhabitants of Atys. This measurement is called
Fame and can be viewed by opening the Fame window with Ctrl-F. Within this window, by default, you will see two columns. On the left is the list of all factions you currently have a Fame level with, while on the right is listed your current fame level for each faction.
The Fame level displayed by default is your adjusted Fame. To see more detail, check the box in the lower-right labeled
Details - the window will expand to include three more columns. From left to right, these columns are your
Personal Fame, Guild Fame, and Civilization Fame, which are all tracked separately.
Personal Fame
Your Personal Fame level is a measure of how a faction feels about you, personally. Completing missions and engaging in combat with certain creatures or NPCs can adjust this faction rating up or down. This rating has the greatest effect on how another faction will treat you, but it can be adjusted up or down by the other two measurements.
Guild Fame
If you join a guild, you are affiliating yourself with a wide variety of other players, who may or may not share the same attitudes you possess towards the other factions. Guild Fame is a measure of this and is a calculated score based on the fame levels of all the other members of your guild. The division is not equal though, as the guild leader and guild officers will be counted more heavily.
While not as important as your Personal Fame, a positive or negative Guild Fame score can definitely have an effect.
Civilization Fame
The most difficult Fame level to change, Civilization Fame is a measure of how another faction feels about your civilization. It represents the natural affinity or prejudice that another faction feels towards your people and is gathered by taking into account the fame levels of all members of your civilization.
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GUILDS
Guilds are a way for groups of similarly-minded players to form a long-term bond with one another.
Guilds receive their own chat channel, earn their own experience points, can own their own guild halls, can take and complete guild-oriented missions, and can affect the fame levels of their members.
Forming a Guild
In order to form a guild, you need to find a
Guild Clerk NPC. Guild clerks can be found in the civilization capital cities on the mainland - you will not be able to form a guild until you get off the starter island. Forming a guild will be the default action and will open the
Create Guild window.
Within the guild creation window, you will be able to set the name and description of your guild, as well as choose the guild crest and colors. Once the guild is created, you will not be able to edit these settings, so choose carefully!
View Guild Details
To view information about your guild, press
Shift+J to open the Guild window. From this window, you can see a listing of all members of your guild and perform general membership maintenance functions.
Adding Members
To invite another player into your guild, right-click the player and choose
Guild Invite from the context menu. The player will then be given an invitation to the guild - if they accept, they will be immediately added.
Removing Members
To remove a player from your guild, open the Guild Info window, right-click on the player name, and choose
Kick Member Out. The player will immediately be removed from the guild and lose access to the Guild chat channel and any other guild resources.
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Promoting and Demoting Players
To promote a guild member to an officer level, open the guild window, right-click on the player name, and choose to promote them to an officer rank. Officers have access to additional guild functions, as well as weigh more towards the total guild fame ratings.
!
NOTE
The maximum number of officers in a guild is limited by the members of your guild. If you are no longer able to promote officers, you will need to demote another officer or invite additional players.
CAUTION
Promoting another guild member to the Leader position will remove you from that position. There can only be one leader! Be sure you want to abdicate leadership before giving this rank to someone else!
Guild Halls
The guild leader can purchase a
Guild Hall by finding the appropriate Caretaker NPC in one of the major cities. Your guild hall will be accessible to every member of your guild and contains a guildwide storage area. You can configure access to the guild vault by opening the guild interface, and changing access levels by right-clicking on the members you wish to give or remove access to.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
By earning Guild Experience, you can upgrade your guild hall by adding trainer NPCs and other additional extensions. These trainers can even offer your guild members Actions and Stanzas that they may not be able to find at a regular trainer.
Guild Missions
To earn Guild Experience, Guilds must take and complete Guild Missions, which involve the capture and defense of various outposts from NPC factions. To receive a Guild Mission, speak to the
Outpost Officer NPC that is located somewhere in each major city. This officer will offer a guild mission to take control of and defend an outpost somewhere in the land.
There is only one guild mission available for each outpost and it will only be offered if your guild has a high enough fame level with the faction giving the mission. If your guild does not have a high enough fame level, the guild members will need to work on raising their personal fame level to meet the requirements.
Guild missions are only given out after a delay has passed from the first application. If your guild is the only one attempting to claim the mission, you will then receive the mission. If there are multiple guilds trying to claim the same mission, it will be awarded to the one with the greatest amount of fame.
Once you receive a guild mission, you will need to take control of an outpost. Control can be gained in one of two different ways:
Control by Diplomacy
If your fame score towards the tribe that controls the outpost is neutral or higher, you can attempt to negotiate for control of the outpost. In order to do this, contact the
Outpost
Steward NPC of the tribe and they will offer you tasks to perform. If your guild accomplishes enough tasks, the tribe will give you control of the outpost.
Control by Force
After making a declaration of war to the Outpost Steward, your guild will be able to attack members of the tribe. Once enough tribe members have been slain, the
Captain and his guards will appear. Slaying the Captain and his guards will cause the other tribe members to flee and the outpost will be yours. Taking the outpost by force will force you to defend the outpost during the time you need to control it - even after the Captain is slain, the tribe will continue to attempt to retake the outpost.
Once the outpost is yours, the Outpost Steward of the tribe will disappear and be replaced with an
NPC representing your guild. This NPC will offer your guild members a batch of missions that will fulfill your obligations to the Guild Mission. After completing enough of these missions, your guild mission will be completed.
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FIGHTING
The Fight skill tree is where all Actions relating to physical combat reside. Although all physical combat advances the same way at first, they quickly split off into two separate trees for melee and ranged combat, and continue to diverge from there. In all, there are well over 2000 individual levels that make up the complete Fight tree, making the mastery of physical combat a very challenging goal.
In general, all characters training in the Fight tree will learn skills to improve their attack power, speed, and accuracy. They will also learn special skills to allow them to target specific points on an enemy's body - learning where a creature is more vulnerable, and targeting that area, can give a great advantage over attackers that don't have this ability. Targeted strikes can also be used to control the status effects caused by critical hits, giving an even larger advantage to the knowledgeable warrior.
Melee Fighting
As the most basic form of combat, Melee fighting has the distinct advantage of being a reliable livelihood in this untamed world. Because more violent forms of attack can cause damage to the raw materials that the creatures of Atys provide, melee warriors are always desired for their finesse.
By specializing in the different damage types, melee fighters are able to learn special attacks specific to their skillset. Slashing weapons have the ability to inflict bleeding damage, smashing weapons can slow their target, and piercing weapons can find the weaknesses in any armor. Skilled warriors can also learn to perform attacks on all creatures within their range.
Ranged Fighting
Using ranged weapons has advantages and disadvantages over fighting with melee weapons. The most obvious advantage is that you don't have to be next to a creature to attack and, if the creature doesn't have any ranged attacks of its own, you may get several attacks before it can get into melee range. Ranged weapons also have the advantage of being able to inflict any physical damage type, just by changing out the ammunition you're using for the one you need.
In addition, when dealing with Launchers and Autolaunchers, you also have to account for a natural area of effect attack, and extremely large amounts of damage. These weapons in particular are suited to breaking down large swarms of advancing creatures.
The major disadvantage of ranged combat is the constant need for ammunition. If you run out of bullets or rockets, you will no longer be able to attack. In the case of the Launcher and Autolauncher, the ammunition is very heavy as well. If you're going to focus on ranged combat, you'd be wise to spend some time training to craft ammunition and possibly training to use a backup weapon as well.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
FIGHT SKILL TREE
Fight
Melee Fight
1 Handed Melee Fight
1 Handed Melee Smashing
Mace Fighting
Master Mace Fighting
Staff Fighting
Master Staff Fighting
1 Handed Melee Piercing
Spear Fighting
Master Spear Fighting
1 Handed Melee Slashing
Axe Fighting
Master Axe Fighting
Sword Fighting
Master Sword Fighting
2 Handed Melee Fight
2 Handed Melee Smashing
Mace Fighting
Master Mace Fighting
2 Handed Melee Piercing
Pike Fighting
Master Pike Fighting
2 Handed Melee Slashing
Axe Fighting
Master Axe Fighting
Sword Fighting
Master Sword Fighting
Close Combat
Advanced Close Combat
Dagger Fighting
Master Dagger Fighting
Hand to Hand Fighting
Master Hand to Hand Fighting
Range Fight
1 Handed Range Fight
Advanced 1 Handed Range Fight
Pistol Fighting
Master Pistol Fighting
2 Handed Range Fight
Advanced 2 Handed Range Fight
Autolauncher Use
Master Autolauncher Use
Launcher Use
Master Launcher Use
Rifle Fighting
Master Rifle Fighting
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USING MAGIC
Given to the homins by the
Kami, Magic is the ability to channel the natural energies of Atys into offensive or defensive effects. It is worth noting that the introduction of Magic to the homins has occurred much more recently than that of their other skills and its use is in a much more basic form compared to the refinements their civilizations have made to their other areas of study.
Magic is both flexible and powerful, allowing a skilled homin to both give life to others and take it away. It can be as direct as a ball of flame arching through the air or as subtle as inflicting terror on its target. The downside of using magic is that it is very draining on the user and heavy armor will greatly increase the rate at which a caster tires.
More difficult to use than standard spells, the Affliction lines of magic specialize in
Link Spells, a type of spell that requires greater attention from the caster than a normal ability. By using a Link
Spell, the caster will be forced to remain in their current location and refrain from performing any actions other than spellcasting. The link will also drain Sap on a constant basis and should the caster be unable to supply the spell the link will be broken. In return, the spell will cause a constant and powerful effect on the target. Because of the conditions required to maintain a link, casters wishing to specialize in these abilities are advised to find a good warrior or two to stand between them and their targets.
Elemental Magic
Casters specializing in Elemental magic learn to deal direct damage of several elemental types to their enemies. At high levels, their spells can gain the abilities to deal damage over an area, to bounce from target to target, or to inflict multiple damage types in a single cast. Damage-inflicting
Link Spells are also available, causing damage-over-time effects while still allowing the caster to use their direct attacks.
Healing Magic
Homins learning to wield the healing arts are able to help their companions recover quickly from even the most grievous of wounds, even death. But they are not limited to the recovery of health - they will gain the ability to restore stamina and even sap given time. Unfortunately, they are unable to use their abilities on their own wounds, making it vital to stay away from the front lines.
Offensive Affliction
The Offensive Affliction line of spells are used to cause negative status effects to enemies attacking you or your party. Casters specializing in these links will gain the abilities to slow, stun, or blind their attackers, as well as being able to root or slow movement and attack speeds.
Defensive Affliction
Often referred to as crowd control, casters learning the defensive affliction spells gain the ability to prevent enemy creatures from attacking, or to immobilize creatures to better allow their teammates to focus on individual threats. Defensive Afflictions allow a caster to cause fear, to put their targets to sleep, or to directly stun.
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
MAGIC SKILL TREE
Magic
Defensive Magic
Defensive Affliction
Advanced Defensive Affliction
Expert Defensive Affliction
Master Defensive Affliction
Standard Healing Magic
Advanced Healing Magic
Expert Healing Magic
Master Healing Magic
Offensive Magic
Offensive Affliction
Advanced Offensive Affliction
Expert Offensive Affliction
Master Offensive Affliction
Elemental Magic
Advanced Elemental Magic
Expert Elemental Magic
Master Elemental Magic
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LOOTING AND QUARTERING
While on Atys, you will notice that most of the creatures you engage do not belong to a homin civilization and do not carry much in the way of useful equipment. In fact, other than the occasional primitive or renegade, most creatures don't carry much of anything at all. This is where
Looting and
Quartering come in.
To loot or quarter a fallen enemy, right-click on their body and select the Loot or Quarter option. After a few seconds to search the body, a window will appear allowing you to claim all or part of the spoils.
Keep in mind that only the creature or character that received credit for the kill is able to claim the items or materials from a fallen creature. In a team situation, all members of the victorious team are able to claim the kill and distribution of the spoils is left up to the team to decide.
Looting
Should you happen to defeat an opponent that is carrying something you can use, you will have the option to Loot them. Looting will allow you to claim anything that the defeated may be wearing, as well as any dapper that you might find. In most cases, you will be dealing with natural creatures and you won't be able to loot them at all.
Quartering
Because of the odd composition of the planet Atys, the homin civilizations learned to use every resource they can find in any way possible. Because of this, even the youngest homin youth is quite capable of gathering the useable raw materials from the body of a fallen beast.
Quartering is very important. Not only can the meat be sold to the traders in town, but the other materials (like claws, hides, bones, and furs) can be used in the creation of equipment. Because of the difficulty in obtaining some of these resources, they may be very valuable to a craftsman and a wise adventurer will learn to use these resources to trade for equipment that they need. Remember, equipment created from gathered materials is always better than equipment made with the filler that the merchants in town sell.
The quality of material received while quartering is dependant on the way that the creature was killed.
Hand to Hand combat is the most delicate way of slaying a creature and will yield the highest quality resources, while blowing the target to smithereens using an autolauncher is a good way to guarantee you won't be able to claim anything valuable.
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THE SAGA OF RYZOM
DEATH
Through the blessings of the
Goddess Jena, a true death on Atys is a rare and strange occurrence for the homins. Both the Kami and Karavan wield their powers to prevent the loss of their precious disciples, regardless of their feelings towards each other.
Even so, some type of death is unavoidable. Eventually a creature more powerful than you can handle will attack or you'll encounter a group of bandits waiting in ambush. You may even fall in a duel with another player. Any time your HP reaches zero, you enter the death state, which has its own special conditions.
Upon reaching zero HP, your character will pass out from the injuries. At this time the death countdown window will appear. As time passes, the top bar will slowly fill with red, while the bottom bars (representing your Stamina, Sap, and Focus) will slowly empty. Once the top bar fills up, your character will die, and you will be forced to resurrect at one of your bind points.
Preventing Death
While your character is passed out, any other character nearby can cast a healing spell on your body to restore some of your life. If enough damage is healed, your character will regain consciousness with the Stamina, Sap, and Focus that were last indicated on the death window.
Other than the regeneration time, characters brought back from unconsciousness will suffer no ill effects.
Resurrection
When a character dies, they will be revived by the Kami or Karavan at one of their bind points. Each city on Atys has a bind point and visiting that city will activate the bind points for you. If you have multiple active bind points, you will be able to choose the location you would like to respawn from the map that appears after death.
Penalties
Revived characters suffer certain penalties from the resurrection and transportation processes.
When revived, all of their stats are temporarily weakened - this will regenerate over time, but repeated deaths will continue to lower the stats to a point where a character must stop to rest. A death will also cause a debt of experience, which will reduce the amount of experience you get for actions until it has been repaid.
To prevent these penalties, you can do two things. First, travel with friends that can heal. If you're adventuring with a team, they can revive you, saving you both the penalties and the walk back.
Unfortunately, this is not always a possibility. In these cases, you will need to make a
Pact with a
Kami or Karavan representative.
A pact is an agreement you have with a particular Kami or Karavan. Primarily, these pacts are a function to assist the Kami or Karavan in transporting you and they allow you a single resurrection without penalty, at the location where you made the pact. Additionally, any character with a pact may call in the favor at any time, providing them with a free transport to the pact location. Either of these uses will complete the pact and you will need to make a new one afterwards.
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RAID ENGINE
Although referred to collectively, the Ryzom
RAID Engine is actually a collection of related features that contribute to the ability to handle massive AI invasions. These invasions can be triggered in many ways, from player actions irritating a nest of Kitin to storyline events being observed by a
Gamemaster.
Hundreds of Creatures
At release time, the Ryzom game client is limited to displaying approximately
250 creatures at a time, to ensure that even PCs that are at the minimum requirements can participate in RAID attacks.
Over time, as the engine is improved and PC hardware power increases, this can be increased. The game server can control thousands of creatures attacking at once, over multiple areas.
Dynamic Invasions
Although some invasions will be used to drive the game storyline, many other invasions will be triggered by player actions. The Kitin do not like their scouts, workers, or nests being attacked, and will begin to retaliate against homin outposts if continually harassed. The Primitive and Renegade tribes may claim outposts as their homes, and should they be driven out, they will stage their own invasions to attempt to retake their homes. In a completely different fashion, the Goo will slowly contaminate entire regions if left unchecked.
Waves and Artillery
When dealing with hundreds of creatures attacking at once, there isn't enough time to handle them individually. Players will need to use Artillery-class weapons, as well as powerful magical spells, to deal damage to the first wave of attacking enemies.
Full Collision Detection
Unlike most online games, Ryzom features collision detection for both players and creatures. It is entirely possible for warriors to put themselves between the enemy and fragile teammates to keep them safe from attack. These tactics will be required to deal with some large creatures and swarms.
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THE SAGA OF RYZOM
PvP COMBAT
All PvP (player versus player) combat in Ryzom is consensual - that is, you cannot be engaged in combat with another player without agreeing to it in some fashion. There are several ways that this can occur however, so if you are looking to engage in PvP you should be able to find other willing participants.
Duels
By challenging another player directly to a duel, you can engage in individual combat even in areas where PvP is normally not allowed. To challenge another player, right-click on them and choose
Enage Duel from the context menu - they will receive a challenge, and if accepted, the duel will begin. Once engaged in a duel, other players will not be able to heal or assist you in any way - duels are limited to the actions of the two players involved.
The duel will end when one player is slain, or if either of the two players abandons the duel. To abandon a duel, right-click the player you are in the duel with and choose
Abandon.
Arenas
Some areas on Atys, such as the arenas found in many areas, have completely open PvP within their borders. As you near these areas, you will receive a warning that the area has open PvP enabled, and an opportunity to turn back without being vulnerable to attack.
!
NOTE
If you are in an arena and are engaged in combat, leaving the area will not force your enemies to disengage.
PvP Challenges
For a more advanced form of dueling, two teams can use PvP Challenges. To begin a
PvP challenge, the leaders of two teams must agree to engage in a PvP Challenge, using the same procedure as beginning a duel. Once the challenge is accepted, both teams will be transported to a safe area for the combat to occur.
The PvP challenge will end once the entire team has been defeated. At this time, all characters will be revived and returned to the location where the Challenge was issued.
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HARVESTING
Harvesting in Ryzom is used to describe the process of extracting raw materials from the land. The materials you gather are located almost anywhere on Atys and what you will find in a given location depends on the season, weather, and even time of day. Sometimes the creatures in the area will also have an effect on the materials that you can find - for example, you aren't likely to find Kitin Eggs unless there have been Kitin in the vicinity to leave them.
Gathering these materials involves three related but different Actions -
Prospecting, Extraction, and
Care. To perform any Harvesting Actions, you will need to have a Pick equipped in your primary hand.
Prospecting
The first step in gathering materials is to find a resource point. Resource points appear as green, glowing piles on the ground, with labels hovering above them in green. Each point contains one type of material, which is determined when it is revealed. Sometimes you will stumble on these points naturally, especially near the cities, but in most areas you will need to have them revealed.
Prospecting is the set of skills that allows a player to do this.
Like most other activities in Ryzom, prospecting is an Action. It is learned and advanced by gaining skill in the Harvest tree and purchasing new abilities from the Harvest Trainer. While novice prospectors will only be able to search for a single resource points in front of them, advancing further up the tree will allow them to reveal multiple points over a much wider area.
!
Range and Cone Angle Increase stanzas allow a prospecting to search in a wider angle (up to 360◦) and at a farther distance from their current location. A wider area increases the chance that a resource point will be discovered.
!
Multiple Point stanzas allow a prospector to reveal more than one point in a single prospecting action. This is invaluable during group harvesting activities or while searching for one particular resource.
!
Material and Terrain Specialization stanzas increase the chance that you will uncover a specific material, if you are searching in an area where that material can normally be found.
!
Knowledge stanzas increase the information that you receive from prospected points.
Normally, points only contain a generic name, but by using a knowledge stanza they will give more information on the material that they contain.
!
Speed stanzas will decrease the length of time it takes for a prospecting action to complete. A shorter wait means you can use the skill more often, which increases the speed at which you discover new points.
!
Source Time stanzas increase the durability of revealed points. This is invaluable if you uncover a rare resource, and wish to be able to gather as much as you can from it.
Extraction
Extraction is the process by which resources are extracted from resource points. To begin extraction, target a resource point and use an Extraction Action from your Action Bar. Your character will run to the resource point, kneel, and begin to gather materials. Advancing in the Harvesting tree will allow you to learn abilities to gather higher quality materials, larger amounts of material, and to increase the speed at which you gather.
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When you begin to harvest from a resource point, a window will appear detailing the items that you have found. As time passes, both the quality and quantity of the items will rise until the resource point expires. When this happens, you will be able to claim the resources you've found by clicking the Take All button.
There are two types of Extraction -
Gentle and Aggressive. Extracting resources from Atys damages the planet. Gentle Extraction will damage the planet less, but is more difficult to do, and will cost your character more Focus points than Aggressive extraction. There is a good reason for using Gentle extraction though - damaging the planet too much can cause trigger violent actions from resource points, and increased damage over a long period of time can anger the Kami.
!
Speed stanzas increase the execution speed of your extraction action.
!
Rate stanzas increase the amount of materials that each extraction action will add to your total find.
!
Quality stanzas will increase the amount of quality that each extraction action will add to your total find.
!
Terrain and Material Specialization will increase the quality and quantity of items found that match the specialization properties.
Care
When a resource point is damaged, several bad things can occur, the least of which is the destruction of the resource point. Poisonous gases may be released into the surrounding area, causing damage to anyone spending time within them, or the point may even explode, causing a large amount of damage to the harvesters. Should the Kami become angry, they may lash out at the harvesters as well, either through direct attacks or by luring aggressive creatures to the point.
Care actions are a way of healing the damage that is being dealt to a resource point, as well as increasing the amount of time that a resource point will stick around. In order to get large amounts of the highest quality resources, an extractor may need to be backed up by several others caring for the resource point.
!
Preservation stanzas will increase the amount of time that a resource point will remain available for extraction.
!
Stability stanzas will regenerate some of the damage that the extraction has inflicted on a resource point.
!
Terrain and Material Specialization will increase the amount of regeneration that is applied to a resource point that match the specialization properties.
CHAPTER 5 - CRAFTING
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48
CREATING ITEMS
Although there are plenty of NPC merchants that will provide equipment at any level, the items that they sell are not very high quality. To get the best equipment, it must be crafted by a player. This makes skilled craftsmen invaluable in Ryzom, as well as the Harvesters that can gather the resources a crafter needs.
Advancing in the Crafting tree will allow you to learn Actions that let you create higher quality items.
You will also begin to learn stanzas that allow you to add permanent enchantments to the equipment you create.
Item Enchantment is covered in detail on page 50.
Materials
All crafting requires raw materials. Although NPC merchants can provide a material (often referred to as "
Wondermat") that can be used to perform any function, it is of very low quality, and is generally unsuitable for anything other than training purposes. Other materials will need to be gathered by players, either by taking them from defeated creatures or by harvesting them from the planet.
By right-clicking on a material in your inventory and choosing
Info, the detail window for that item will appear. At the bottom of the window you will see a dropdown listing all the item components this material can be. Below this, there is a listing of all the properties of the material when used as the selected component, with bar graphs indicating the quality level. The further to the right the bar is, the better the bonus the resulting item will have to for that property.
Equipment Plans
Before you can craft an item, you must learn the equipment plan for it. Think of these plans as instruction manuals. These plans are available from the
Craft Trainer and once learned will allow you to create that item at any quality level. Each civilization has their own crafting plans for each item - to learn plans from another civilization, you will need to visit a trainer in their lands.
Crafting Items
To craft an item, you must have a crafting tool equipped in your primary hand. There are different crafting tools for armor, jewelry, melee weapons, ranged weapons, and ammunition - if you learn a crafting action from your trainer without having a tool, they will give you the appropriate one.
You will also need to have the appropriate Crafting Action in your Action Bar. There is one root type of action for each item type for each civilization. The level of the item you are attempting to create is set in the Crafting Action. To create items of a given level, all of your materials must be of that level or higher. Using lower quality materials will cause the level of the resulting item to be less than or equal to the lowest quality material used.
To begin crafting an item, click on your Crafting Action in the Action Bar. The crafting window for that item category will appear. At the top of the window, you'll see a blank area marked to select the crafting plan. Clicking in this empty area will bring up a dropdown list with all your crafting plans in this category listed - select the crafting plan you wish to use from the list to set it as the active plan.
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Once the plan has been selected, the material selection boxes will appear. Each item you create requires several different component types, and each component type requires a different amount of material. The quantity needed of each component type can be found listed to the right of the boxes. To set a material into the component slot, click on the empty box, and any materials you have that will fit that type will appear in a dropdown list.
If you do not have enough material of one type, or don't wish fill the full requirements with one type, another blank box will appear to add more material of a different type. In order to craft an item, you must fill every component slot with enough material to meet the requirements. Once all the requirements are met, click the
Make Item button to begin your crafting attempt.
It will take a few seconds for your character to create the item. If your attempt is successful, the item will appear in the crafting box and you will be able to take the item. If you are not successful, or if your material quality is not as high as the item you're trying to create, the item you get will be of a lower quality. On rare occasions, you may fail completely.
Quality Level
As you advance as a crafter, you will begin learning equipment plans labeled as medium or high quality. These items, while offering the same usability as the items lower-level craftsmen create, have a much fancier appearance. Being able to craft these items is a mark of prestige.
Equipment Color
Craftsmen can add color to their armor by carefully selecting the materials used to create it. If you look at the Info window for a material, there is a field indicating the color. If the majority of the materials used to create an item are of one color, the resulting item will inherit that color.
!
NOTE
Only clothing and armor can be colored. Weapons, jewelry, and ammunition do not retain the color properties of their materials.
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ITEM ENCHANTMENT
In addition to being more powerful than items sold by NPCs, player-crafted items have another major advantage - they can be made to hold enchantments. While any item type can hold
Passive
Enchantments, only weapons can hold Active Enchantments. A passive enchantment on a weapon will not prevent it from being able to contain an active enchantment.
Passive Enchantments
Any item that you can equip can have passive enchantments placed on it. These enchantments will give the character that equips the item increased
HP, Stamina, Sap, or Focus.
In order to apply a permanent enchantment to an item, the crafting action used must be changed.
Crafting Actions work differently than normal actions in that the root stanza gives a credit based on the quality level of the item, and any enchantments added reduce the difficulty. Crafting an item of level 250 will give you 250 credit points to spend on enchantments.
Once the Crafting Action is created, use it like a normal crafting action, and any items created with it will have the permanent bonus. It is not possible to apply this bonus to items that have already been created, only to newly crafted items.
Active Enchantments
By taking advantage of player-crafted items and magic actions, it is possible for a weapon to have a spell linked to them, using a
Spell Crystal. Spell Crystals require the weapon to have a built-in Sap pool of their own, so items intended for enchantment cannot be purchased from an NPC, or be crafted with Wondermat. The higher level the item, and the higher quality materials used, the larger the sap pool for the item will be.
Active enchantments must be applied after the item has been created and can be stacked with passive enchantments. In order to use an active enchantment, the weapon must be held in the character's primary hand - enchantments on weapons held in the off-hand will not be usable.
To create a Spell Crystal, a character must first be able to cast the spell they wish to use. Once created, a spell crystal can be traded to others, making it possible to get a spell much more powerful than you can cast yourself placed into a weapon. To create a spell crystal, right-click on the spell icon in your action bar and choose
Crystalize from the context menu. Your character will cast the spell and, if successful, the spell Action will be stored into a crystal, which you can claim using the
Take All button.
Once you have a spell crystal in your inventory, equip the weapon you would like to enchant in your primary hand and right click on it. There will be an option to
Enchant Weapon in the context menu.
Select this option and the crystal will be attached to the weapon, and the weapon will be able to cast that spell. A spell crystal, once placed into a weapon, cannot be removed, but it can be replaced with a different spell by using another spell crystal.
In order to cast a spell, a weapon must have Sap in its pool. All weapons are created with an empty pool and must be charged before enchantments can be used. To charge a weapon, you must use
Sap Crystals, which can be created by using the Primal Magic spell Create Sap Crystal, which is
THE SAGA OF RYZOM
learned in the Magic skill tree. A successful cast of this spell will create a Sap Crystal in your inventory. Right-click on the Sap Crystal and select
Recharge Weapon to transfer the Sap from the crystal to the weapon pool.
To use a spell that has been placed into a weapon, you need to use the Activate Enchantment Action that all characters begin with. It is found in the Level 1 section of the Fight tree in your Action
Progression window. Using this action will cause the spell in your weapon to cast just as if you cast it yourself, with two notable differences. First, spells cast from a weapon will always succeed - they cannot be interrupted, and will never fail. This makes them excellent for use during a battle, when failure would be a catastrophe. Second, they will not drain Sap from your pool; they will instead drain sap from the weapon pool. If the pool in the weapon does not have enough sap, it will not be possible to cast the spell.
CAUTION
If a spell is set to drain HP as part of its casting cost, it will drain them from your character. All other credit stanzas will behave as expected.
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