Everquest - Quick Start

[Detomah]

3 Quick Start
This section is designed to get you into EverQuest as quickly as possible and show you the basics.
3.1 Installing the Game
System Requirements

Before you install the game, make sure that your system meets the EverQuest system requirements.

Installing the Game

Insert the EverQuest CD into your CD-ROM drive. The installation should begin automatically within a minute. If it does not, you can start the installation by opening My Computer, double-clicking on your CD-ROM drive, then finally double-clicking the EverQuest icon. Follow the instructions within the setup program to complete the installation. After the game is fully installed, an EverQuest shortcut will be added to your desktop and Start menu.

For greater details, see Installation Steps in the Getting Started section.
3.2 Starting the Game
In order to play, you must first set up an EverQuest account.

To do this, do the following:

* Connect to the Internet

* Double click on EverQuest.exe, or double left-click on the EverQuest shortcut on your desktop or taskbar (if you have one). This connects to the EverQuest login server and downloads any additional files that have been changed or added. When you do this for the first time it is normal to download several files. EverQuest is updated on a regular basis, and you will need to download the changes that have been made since your game CD was created

* Click Play after the patcher program is done downloading any files

* Click on Account, then click on New Account to register and set up a name and password for your new account. You will need your CD Key here to set up the account

* Choose a password that NO ONE will know. Account security is the responsibility of the account holder. Please note EverQuest accounts are not to be shared. Each family member should have their own account. The exception to this that parents may purchase an account for a child. Please refer to the End User License Agreement, which you click I Accept to every time you play EverQuest, for a detailed description of policies regarding account sharing. Please be sure to let us know if your email address changes in the future by changing your account information from www.station.sony.com if it happens to change due to switching ISPs, etc. Keeping your email address up to date is important, as it is our primary method of contact with you.

* Click on Change Account to set up a billing option. You will need a credit card to do this.

* Click on Connect to start the game.

* Select a server on the list, then click Play EverQuest.

* Click on Create New Character. At this point, you will be required to choose a race, class and deity. You will also need to invest your ability points into your attributes. The recommended attributes to add to are colored green.

* Before your character is done, you need to choose a name. It is strongly suggest you read the EverQuest naming policy before choosing a name. In order to protect our role playing environment, the naming policy is necessary. Please refer to the naming policy at www.EverQuest.com before selecting a name for your character. Also, you can choose to click on Get Name for our random name generator to suggest some names you might like. Be aware that some of these names have been taken by other players, so you may not get a random name approved every time.

* Once you have chosen a name, you may or may not be able to change your starting city (most races only have one starting city, though some have two). After a deity and starting city has been determined, click Enter World to start the game.
3.3 Arriving in Norrath
You begin the game in your starting city with these items (press i to view them):

* 20 Bread cakes and 20 skins of milk
* Spells (for some classes)
* Standard weapon (dagger, sword, or club)
* Scroll with instructions (a tattered note: right click on the scroll to read it)
Next, read the scroll (right-click on it) and follow the instructions. Usually it will ask you to give your message scroll to your Guild Master. He or she will then give you a basic item of clothing and more information about what to do next.

To equip the new item:

* Press i to open your inventory
* Click on the clothing item to pick it up
* Click on the central area of the inventory screen in order to wear it

The central area of your inventory screen is an auto-equip area. Dropping an item into the auto equip area will equip the item, provided there is nothing in the slot the item goes in and your class, race, and deity can wear or use it. If the item cannot be worn it will automatically go to one of the main inventory slots. If those are full, the item will go into the first container, starting in the upper left most portion of your inventory. If all main inventory slots and containers are full, the item will drop to the ground. Be aware that some merchants and NPCs are greedy and might pick up items they see lying on the ground. This also can be said about other players as well.
3.4 Moving Around
The keyboard is your main control for movement in EverQuest, while the mouse controls the cursor and your current point of view.

Running and Walking

To walk forward and backward, press the arrow keys on the keyboard or the Numpad keys.
Other helpful movement keys:

Control-r to toggle Run and Walk mode.

Number Lock to toggle AutoRun.
Note: hitting forward or backward movement keys (arrows) will also end AutoRun.

Control-Right or Left Arrow to step sideways.

Spacebar to jump.

d to duck down.

Looking around using the mouse or numpad keys to change your current point of view:

Right-click-and-drag mouse to look around.
Numpad 9, 3 Pan view up, down.
Numpad 5 Re-center view.
Numpad 7, 1 Zoom view in, out.

Swimming

Most cities in Norrath are conveniently located near ponds or large bodies of water, and some even have fountains and underwater aqueduct systems. You can swim in water for a short period of time. The better you are at swimming, the longer you can hold your breath.

To swim:

* Walk into the water.
Notice that a new gauge appears. This is an important gauge; it indicates how much air you have left. When it runs out your character will begin to suffocate.
* Pan your view down and move forward to swim down.
* Watch your air gauge. When it gets low, emerge for air.
* Pan your view up and move forward to swim up to take a breath.
Note: You can swim with your head above water by panning the view up slightly.
3.5 Communicating
EverQuest provides an ongoing source of social interaction. You can chat with fellow players on message boards, or talk to NPCs and other players within the game.

In general, whenever you send a message all players in the immediate vicinity "hear" you, and whatever you typed appears in the scrolling text portion of their screens (their Chat Window). However, you can also send private messages.

You send messages using the Chat Bar (at the bottom of the Chat Window), and all communications from all characters show up as text in the Chat Window.

To send messages to characters near you in the game:

* Press Enter or click in the Chat Bar to activate the text cursor.
* Type your message.
* Press Enter to send the message.
Note: This assumes that your chat is set to use /say as the default mode, which is the default setting.

To send messages only to a specific character:

* Press Enter or click in the Chat Bar to activate the text cursor.
* Type /tell [charactername] [your message].
* Press Enter to send the message.

Use the r key to reply to the last person that sent you a /tell. r puts /tell [charactername] into your chat bar for you. All you have to do then is type the message and hit Enter.

To talk to a non-player character (such as a shopkeeper NPC):

* Click on the non-player character (the NPC's name should appear in the Target Window), then press h.
Note: You should see your character hail the NPC in your Chat Window.
* The NPC will often respond to your hail. Words in [brackets] indicate keywords - when you see these, try asking an NPC additional questions using those words. You may get some useful information, or even a quest.

Note: However you choose to communicate, please refrain from using inappropriate language.

3.6 Attacking with Weapons
You can fight manually in EverQuest by using weapon skills you've learned, but combat is generally easiest if you use the auto-attack function instead. Once you've got a target, you can simply press q (or whichever key you've remapped this function to), and your character will automatically make the attack. Your only task at that point is to stay close enough to the target to hit it.

q Initiate auto-attack (on current target).
Escape Remove current target from Target Window.

If you prefer to take your swings or shots manually, you can do so - as long as you have a weapon skill, and have programmed it onto a Hot button.

Note: Once pressed, the button remains gray until you can take another swing (or, for ranged attacks, another shot).

During melee combat, you must be standing fairly close to your opponent. If you're not near enough, you'll see a message in your Chat Window that says "Your target is too far away." Be sure to remain facing your target. Ranged attacks can be made from as far away as the weapon will allow. Creatures usually rush toward you, however, once you hit them.

The text display also shows you whether your blow landed or missed, and whether or not your opponent has hit you. If you've taken or applied damage, you can see that as well. The amount of damage you can deliver to an opponent is an automatic function of your physical strength, the weapon you use and weapon skills. Your ability to evade blows or withstand blows is based on your combat skills and your armor.

See Health, Damage and Dying for information on how damage affects you.
3.7 Using Magic
Some classes start out with one or more spells. To learn (scribe and memorize) a spell:

* Click the spell book icon at the bottom of your Spells Windows to open your spell book.
* Click on a spell scroll in your inventory to place the scroll on your cursor (you can right-click and hold on a scroll first to view its contents).
* Click on a free slot in your spell book to scribe (write) the spell.

Scribed spells are permanently recorded in your spell book. But you can't cast every spell in your book. You must first choose to memorize those spells. Characters can only memorize eight spells, so at higher levels it becomes a tactical decision as to which spells to keep 'in-mind'.

* Once it's scribed, click on the spell icon in your spell book.
* A "spell gem" will appear on your cursor.
* Click on one of the spell gems (the octagonal slots in your Spells Window) to memorize the spell.

To cast a spell:

* Click on a target. The target's name should appear in the target window (spells that affect only you don't require a target).
* Click on a spell gem that is holding a memorized spell.
* A casting timer will appear. This indicates the time your character needs to finish casting the spell.
* Wait for the casting timer to disappear, then cast again if you'd like.
3.8 Quick Cash
When you start, you've got enough food and drink to last for a while. But eventually you will need more, and you might want to purchase better armor and equipment from a merchant. To do this, you'll need money.

By far the best way to gain that money is by defeating enemies. In the areas just outside of the city that you start in you will be able to find small creatures, often in plague proportions. You can aid your fellow citizens and earn cash in the process by defeating these pests and looting their corpses. Merchants will buy most of these items for a few copper pieces. It's not much, but it's a start. And at the same time you will be earning some experience, practice for much greater deeds to come. Just don't wander too far from your friendly guards until you've gained a few levels, or if you're feeling very brave.

FYI: 1 platinum = 10 gold = 100 silver = 1000 copper
3.9 Skills
Your character possesses a few basic skills at the start of the game. Everyone can Beg, Fish, use Sense Heading and Bind Wounds. Some skills (like Elvish or Pick Lock) are only originally known to those of a specific race or class, while others that you don't originally know can be learned over time (such as Meditation if you are a spell caster).

In order to use a skill you'll want to place it on an easily accessed hot key button.

To do this:

* Click on the Skills Tab (the hand) of the Actions Window.
* Right-click on an empty hot button slot.
* Click on a skill to assign it to that slot.
* Click that Hot Button to use the skill.

Open your inventory (i) and click Skills to see how proficient you are in any given skill. The more you use a skill, the better you become at it. When your skills improve messages appear in your Chat Window.
3.10 Experience
You start out at Experience Level 1 in whichever class you choose. As you gain experience through combat, you progress to the next level.

Open your inventory to view your current level and how much experience you need to advance to the next level. To gain experience; find your guild, kill creatures and complete quests.

You can learn more by reading Experience Levels.
3.11 Acquiring, Selling and Buying Items
The most common method of acquiring items is to defeat monsters in battle and take their stuff. It is important to note that you can only loot an NPC corpse if the damage you and/or your group did to that NPC was greater than anyone else or their group. It is considered good etiquette not to interfere in a combat unless asked (or you ask if the person needs aid and they say yes).

To loot the corpse of an NPC (monster) or player you've killed:

* Right-click on the corpse to open its inventory.
* Click on an item in the corpse's inventory. It "floats" on your cursor.
* Click on a free slot in your inventory.

or you can use the shortcut method:

* Right-click on the corpse to open its inventory.
* Right-click on an item in that inventory and the game will 'auto-equip' it by trying to place it in the most appropriate spot in your inventory (if there is room).

To buy/sell an item:

* Right-click on a merchant NPC (Note: you will have to be relatively close to the merchant for this to work. If you are too far away you will only receive the "consider" information for the merchant, not the merchant window).
* Click on an item in your inventory to offer to sell it or click on an item in the merchant's inventory to purchase it.
* Click on the arrows to adjust the quantity if you're buying or selling multiple items.
* Click Purchase or Sell to purchase or sell the quantity of items you've selected.

Note that the merchant will tell you if you don't have enough money to buy an item or if he is not interested in purchasing something you wish to sell after you click the Purchase or Sell button.

To give away/drop/destroy an item:

* Open your inventory (i).
* Click on the item (it "floats" on the cursor).

* To drop it, click anywhere in your front view where there is no player character or non-player character. The ground is a good choice here.

* To give it to someone, click on that person. This will open the Trade window. Just click Trade to give them the item (the person receiving your gift will also have to click Trade to complete the trade, so don't run off until the trade is completed).

* To destroy it, click Destroy.

If you accidentally drop an item, you can pick it up:

* Double-click on the item (it might appear as a small bag on the ground or as a representation of the item).
* Click in an open inventory slot.
3.12 Exiting the Game
Your character does not require food, drink or rest whenever you're not playing. The next time you start the game, your character's previous condition is restored. (For example, if you were tired and hungry, you'll still be tired and hungry when you resume playing.)

To exit the game, sit down and set up camp in a safe area. Click Sit on the Main Tab in the Actions Window, then Camp (this takes approximately 30 seconds). Then, click Exit.

Or:

* Type /sit and then hit Enter to make your character sit down
* Type /camp and then hit Enter to start the 30 second camp timer

When you return to the game later your character will be where you left him. Keep that in mind when choosing your campsite.