A~C : ITB... : Part 12. The Other Stuff

Holy shit, it's the final page of this series! Congratulations! I know it's been a long, sometimes overly simple, sometimes too complicated but certainly informative journey, and you've been a real trooper. Now comes the last bit of 'odds and ends' information covering some things I haven't yet put in other sections. Sometimes I've left things out on purpose, some of it just doesn't fit in anywhere else. Whatever the reason, lets get to some of this stuff now.

As for anything else related to actual in-game mechanics and details, or even the related boards and community revolving around the game, I can't really think of any other topics at the moment. Should Raven add new powers and items and any other new features, I'll do my best to keep these and other game-related texts up to date as I get the information. Of course, I'm happy to receive updated info and notices of newly discovered facts by way of the S~A email page.

One thing I haven't figured out where to put is the Necromancers information. I thought it sort of belonged in the Shops page, as that's where you find them, but that page was pretty long as is, and 'Necros' are sort of a special feature of the Shops, not really an everyday part of them. Anyhow, the FTA files section had a good text on them and I essentially ripped it off to place it here, so here's that text:

First, a list of the Q's:

What are necromancers?
Where can I find a necromancer?
I found one, now what?
3a. I went there but I didn't see one... why not?
What kind of damage can he repair?
I had more BP than that... what's the deal?
Are there any other ways to get back my BP?
What about Discount shops? Are they cheaper?
How accurate is this information?

1. What are necromancers?: Necromancers let you buy one pint of blood for 25 coins.
2. Where can I find a necromancer?: Shops in the city which sell potions (IE: Holy Water) will have a Necromancer. [note: some players have said that only potion/apothecary shops (i.e. those that sell HW only, not all-in-one shops) have resident necromancers. See #8.]
3. I found one, now what?: You can buy up to 100 BP less than your highest BP level. (e.g. if you had 2500 BP and were the target of several dozen HW attacks, you could go to a shop that sells HW and buy back up to 2400).
3a. I went there but I didn't see one... why not?: If you don't "qualify" for using a Necromancer, the option doesn't show up in the shop screen. [note: some players have said that only potion/apothecary shops (i.e. those that sell HW only, not all-in-one shops) have resident necromancers. See #8.]
4. What kind of damage can he repair?: This works on all BP lost, not just what the HW took off, too. If you had only lost 800 to HW, but another 150 in scrolls of turning and say 8 more from bites. You could still buy back up to 2400.

Luckily, this works if you have paid BP for Stamina as well. If you just got Stamina 1, 2, and 3 (which includes a cost of 500+1000+1500 BP). You could go to a necromancer and buy 2900 of that back from him.
5. I had more BP than that... what's the deal?: Once more, he will not ever heal you past 100 LESS than your maximum level.
6. Are there any other ways to get back my BP?: You can still get 2 BP for each pub Blood (100 coins) you buy at a pub, so that is twice the cost of Necros, but is not restricted in any way.

There is also the more traditional way... drinking from more targets!
7. What about Discount shops? Are they cheaper?: Alas, the Discount magic stores may be cheaper on the items, but are still the same cost for Necros. Too bad. Discount BP would kick ass.
8. How accurate is this information?: There is still a bit of information that we do NOT know for certain about the operation of these individuals known as necromancers. If you have been damaged beyond 100 pints and can let us know (via the group) where our information is mistaken, we'll be happy to correct it!

Sas- FTA Member & Mod
(note: most of this text was cribbed shamelessly from Brent's FTA message #2362)

Oh... Well it looks like Sasquatch 'stole' it from me and I just 'stole' it back. OK, well, yeah. That's the way we do things in the FTA. Free trade of information, and all that ^_^, heh heh. Thanks Sas. You kick ass. Anyhow, that covers the Necromancers really well, so I'll just move on.

With regard to certain places of the city, there are a couple special locations I haven't really mentioned in this series. The most notable is the Graveyard. You probably got a good idea of what it is by reading the FTA FAQ that is part of the Powers Texts. At least, you better have. If not, go read it now by clicking here.

Like I say in that document, be a decent pire and don't mess with other vamps while you're in the visibility of the Graveyard square. It's just disrespectful.

Another building type I never mentioned is what's called a 'Lair'. Raven Black made a special square for one of the games most well known and respected players recently and named it after her. Her square reads 'Devil Miyu`s Lair' (hey honey ^.^). He did this not just because he and she are friends, but because Ms. Miyu has donated over $100 beyond the costs of her own powers towards RB's server costs.

Since so many players got in a big buzz about it, he decided to make the offer that anyone who donates towards the game at least $100 beyond the cost of a full set of powers can now have their own lair. The lair has no special area effects, so don't bother flocking to it to go see what happens. Nothing special will happen to you in someone else's lair.

Since I've kind of brushed on the topic of pire etiquette, I also want to mention a few habits that many players and myself happen to play by which are sort of a way of being a 'good little biter' in the game.

One such habit is to encourage others to play by not biting other vampires. This may seem odd, but personally I think it's a waste of AP. If I see another vampire, I don't want to waste an AP on biting them when I could be robbing them. Heh heh. In an RP way, it's also a bit rude to bite anyone besides your close friends. Of course, RP-wise, it's also a bit rude to pick people's pockets, so whatever.

That's actually another point of etiquette. It's just a fact of the game that we are able to rob one another. If you are using the banks often enough and not being stupid with your AP, running out before you can deposit a large lump of coins, you really ought to not have the problem of people ripping you off of much. Even if you do, oh well. You rob others and get more. It's not the end of your game. Consider it tuition money. You just got a lesson on the importance of wise AP use and banks. Learn it this time.

Another thing I personally adhere to is not robbing from pires with less than 100 BP, usually. Sometimes I know a particular pire is just a banking drone with intentionally tiny BP to discourage thieves and might rob it. Other times I've just been in a square with 5 or 6 other vampires and accidentally robbed one that I hadn't meant to. But normally I don't rob from pires who are that low in BP as I know it can be tough getting the money together to gain powers and buy items when you're that new.

Now, I've seen people get very upset and talk a lot of shit about it when people rob them. I've seen several go so far as to lecture others on how lame they think it is to 'leech off others' or what have you. To these people I have but one thing to say: It's a game, that's part of it's design, get over it.

I already touched on the whole groups and clans thing several times, most elaborately in the FTA FAQ, so I won't bother going into that much of the topic here. Suffice it to say that I don't think clans are worth it, most of the time, but that the relationships you build with fellow players is a great way to increase your enjoyment of the game. I wouldn't have this page up if it weren't for the Yahoo groups related to this game, so I certainly appreciate all the friends I've made as a result of those hideous group message boards. I even appreciate some of the enemies I've made.

While I may discourage joining a clan, I know that some of them can be really good friends to have and I certainly recommend the first three groups I mention on the main page in the Obligatory Links area. Other than that, though, I suggest you wait a while before getting into other sorts of groups until you are well versed in the RP by having talked it over with some friends you're bound to make in those places.

This game can be a really enjoyable hobby or a sorry addiction. It can be boring or it can be a pleasant distraction. What it becomes to you is for you to decide. How you play, who you commune with when you play it, what you do with the whole thing is all in your hands and it can be a pretty great thing or a total fucking pain in the ass. The game is very flexible about what style of play you choose to apply to it, so find the way which brings you the most pleasure. I hope these texts have made it less of a mystery and more fun for you.

And with that, I shall bid you all happy hunting, a sweet adieu, and a fond good night. May the road rise to you...

~Brent "Andronicus" Elskän.
Proud FTA Member and Moderator.
JMOC Member #714.

"In The Beginning..." The FTA Help System.