PK Guide

1. CHARACTER CREATION

The first key to good PK is having a character that is competitive in PK. The definition of this varies greatly depending on who you talk to. First, you need to choose a class/race combination. Class is probably more important than race in most cases as it causes more variation. The simpler classes are probably a better choice for most people just starting with PK. Less options mean less to remember while fighting. Fighter classes are almost certainly simpler. Classes that beginning PKers should probably stay away from include necromancer, rogue, warlock, wildmage, and druid. Others might have a different list. If you are a new player, you should first investigate what spell groups and skills are absolutely critical to the class you choose. It will save you from having to level to 50 again after you find you missed something critical. Do not "gain" things, it's a waste of trains which are better used for hitpoints and mana. On the other hand, do not try to practice everything up from 1%. The pracs saved generally will not be enough to make it worth the _seriously boring_ time spent "spamming" every spell and skill. However you decide to use your trains, you should never have less than 1100-1200 hitpoints once fully equipped. Fighter types, and arguably mages, should be more hitpoint heavy than other classes.

2. SCRIPTS

If you are going to PK, you're going to need a decent client and learn how to write aliases, actions, and work with variables. As an alternative, you can try to work with F-keys (F1, F2, etc.), programming them to send certain text to the mud when pressed. You can also use a combination of these techniques, but if you're serious, you need to get a client and need to learn how to use it properly.

The client we're going to use an example here is Wintin/TinTin++. Wintin is the Windows version of Tintin++, a *nix mud client. A "script" is nothing but a text file containing commands for your client. For example, you can load up Wintin and type #alias {cb} {cast `blindness'} or you can load up a text file with that line in it. To Wintin, it's the same thing. To have something to start with, cut/paste the following lines into notepad and save it as script.txt in your Wintin directory:

#alias {cp} {c portal} #alias {cb} {c blind} #alias {cs} {c summon}

#alias {cst} {c summon $target} #alias {cpt} {c portal $target}

#alias {targ} {#var target %1} #alias {untarg} {#var target NOBODY}

#alias {do} {#var do %1} #alias {blindtarg} {do {c blind}}

#alias {kt} {$do $target}

#action {$target has arrived.} {kt} #action {$target is here.} {kt}

Start Wintin and type #read script.txt

This is a very simple script meant only to give an example of the use of aliases, variables, and actions in a PK script. The first section is just some simple aliases. The second are two aliases that utilize the variable $target. In order for these actions to work, you must assign a character's name to the variable. This is accomplished in the third section which makes an alias called "targ" to set the target variable. So, if you type "targ Joe" then typing "cst" will send "c summon Joe" to the mud. Typing "untarg" will set the variable to "NOBODY". You should always "untarg" after the fight is over to prevent multikills, attacking when you don't want to, etc. The alias "do" is for setting what you want to "do" to a target, such as "kill" or "bash" etc. So if you type "targ Joe" and then "do kill" then the next alias, "kt", will send "kill Joe" to the mud when you type "kt". The next line with "blindtarg" is necessary for setting "do" to something with more than one word, such as "cast blind". Note that you CAN type "do {c blind}" WITH the brackets and it will work. Setting an alias to do it for you is just a shortcut, since getting brackets right while in a fight can be difficult. The last section is an example of actions using variables to react instantly to events on the mud. For example, if you see "Joe has arrived." and the variable $target is set to Joe and the variable $do is set to "c blind" then your client will automatically send "c blind Joe" to the mud the instant Joe arrives in the room with you.

This is just a basic example of a few things you can do with Wintin/Tintin++ scripting. For a more complete version, read "tintin15.txt" or whatever text files are included with your version of Wintin. Get Wintin at www.wintin.org, or try out our version!

3. TACTICS

The following are some of the more common/popular tactics (in no particular order) in use for PK at the time of this writing:

a. Direct damage-At some point, you will have to drop your opponent's hp to zero. Therefore, directly damaging an opponent has to be a part of any strategy at some point. However, it should not be ruled out as an opening for any class, especially mages. Sometimes just hitting your opponent as hard as you can, as soon as you can, turns the battle in your favor early and puts your opponent on the defensive, which is a good thing.

b. Blind-One of the most lethal things you can do to an opponent is take away their sight. The spell blindness is most effective in an area that is unfamiliar to your opponent and even better if the area cannot be portaled/worded/teleported from, or when combined with the spell curse. If they get lost, they'll be forced to cast cancellation on themselves and lose ALL of their spells or cast word of recall which cuts their moves in half and puts them right where you expect them, still blind, while they try to cure it at Kalane. A cleric can heal themselves of it.

c. Curse-Curse negates an opponent's ability to use transportation spells. It also has a negative impact on combat spells, but that's nothing compared to losing transportation spells. Obviously, this is even more effective away from healers and familiar areas. Like blindness, if they get lost, they'll be forced to cast cancellation on themselves and lose ALL of their spells. Also like blind, a cleric can just heal it.

d. Sleep-Amazingly powerful. Don't open a fight with it though, as it does not put your opponent in fight lag on its own and they can simply quit and escape after you have gained a great advantage in the fight. If your opponent is poisoned or plagued or affected by any of the Necromancer spells, they will wake your opponent at the next tick. (A tick happens every 45 seconds). Main lesson? Don't forget to PINCH yourself if you're going into a fight against someone who can cast sleep. Also, you should be aware that there are a couple spells that can be cast on you that will dispel your pinch after you have been slept and before the tick hits, if you're unlucky. Dragging someone who is slept every minute or so is a good idea so that they are kept in fight lag and cannot quit while you are trying to land other spells on them (such as curse and blind).

e. No-exit-If you can get your opponent into a room without exits and beat him in a damage race, he/she will be forced to recall, teleport, shadowstep, or gate out of the room. If your opponent is cursed, that rules out everything but gate, if they have it. If not, that only leaves cancellation as an option. If they wait too long to cancel or realize they've lost the damage race too late, you will KO them with a couple quick damage spells that hopefully will land on them without magic ward or sanctuary (ouch).

f. No-recall-The Void is a perfect example of this. Summoning people here, especially at night, goes through stages of popularity. The main trick of getting out is to move swiftly but carefully and never in the same direction more than twice. Head for anything that isn't "The Void" if the sun is out. At night you'll have to get lucky and run into a non-Void room physically to see it. Practice this with friends, during the daytime and night so you don't panic. Thalos is also useful in this respect.

g. Fastgates-Someone with bash, trip etc. teams up with someone with gate. The basher writes an action to enter the gate when cast so that he is able to "tag" someone on the run with his bash, usually allowing for at least one spell to be landed by the gater who follows the basher through the gate. The way to escape them is to keep moving, allowing no breaks between the moves, not even a split second. This can be easily accomplished by, for instance, running back and forth between Arinock and Visegrad, spamming e and w. If someone has entered eeeeeeeeeeeeeee and hit enter, and the fastgate is cast when that 4th or 5th "e" is accepted by the mud, most likely they won't land the tag. Also, you can't be gated to while in the Elven Valley. Comes in handy knowing how to run there quickly. Also, you can't be gated to in Thalos, but keep in mind that Thalos isn't protected by laws and you can't use transportation spells to leave the area. You should learn the layout and unique properties of Thalos for offensive and defensive reasons. Keep in mind that many consider the use of fastgates less than honorable or skillful. Also see the subsection on "private rooms".

h. Charmies-Charming creatures to use in PK either offensively or defensively is very controversial. Many argue that using them is unfair and unsportsmanlike. Opponents argue that a character should use every spell they have, including charm, and that it is part of that character's balance. It is also possible to separate someone from their charmies, with practice. Pushing and summon can do this. Aside from that, fighting charmies with your own charmies is a viable option, if you have the spell.

i. Private Rooms-A private room is one that can only accommodate 2 people at a time. You cannot portal to someone in a private room. You can gate to them but if there are 2 people in the room already, you cannot enter the gate until one of them leaves. Also, someone coming at you, through fastgates for example, with a bunch of charmies, can be separated from their partner AND their charmies by going to a private room. No room for charmies if there are two people in the room. Of course, if you or they flee, their partner can come in, sans charmy army, but in nonetheless. Two examples of private rooms are the room north of Melancholy's Maps in Arinock and the Cozy Room one up from Lily.

4. GENERAL ADVICE

Spar every chance you get. Practice makes perfect. Don't be a sore loser when you get KO'd. Stay IC. Know the rules. Keep a latelog and fightlag indicator in your prompt. Document your reasons for attacking someone. Don't let them get you in trouble because you can't prove you had a good reason. Before you get into any real fights, be sure your weapon, portal, and teleport are at 100%. If you have gate, that should be at 100 as well. If you can get sneak, get it and use it. Carry sanctuary potions, and heals if you can. Burnproof containers are critical against mages. Always carry a fly potion or two in case you get pushed into the air or are summoned to water after your fly spell has worn off. Always keep sanctuary and magic ward up. Be careful of using mirror image against someone who can sleep. Your poison can hit your mirror and leave you slept another tick, or 2 or 3 or 7. Keep 1 of each critical potion in your inventory. You can use them when blind if they're not in a container. But they're also subject to boiling in fire or ice spells and being stolen. Rogues will rob you blind of gold then take off, making fighting them solo almost pointless if they're not out to win, only to steal. Draconians should almost always run from bards. Dwarves should almost always run from Druids. Avariels should run from mages. Orcs and Ogres should run from Warlocks and Psionics. Lichnee should run from Clerics. Sylvans and Half-elves should run from any fighter class with an iron weapon. Anyone should run from a fight they didn't see coming. Keep your eye on the who list while fighting for anyone shady logging on to help your opponent. Do not get caught up in the possibility of winning and let your hitpoints get too low. Stay healed up. Do not let your opponents bait you into a fight you're not ready for or will be outnumbered in. If someone is going to bash you, cast fly on them. Use "clear" and dirt kick to counter dirt kick and wingbuffet. Hide makes you disappear off of "where" which can be useful. Spar, ask questions, spar some more, ask more questions, rinse, repeat. Have some way to cast an area affect damage spell, whether with staff or your own spell list. It's the best way to break a charm when someone lands one on you. If caught without it, cancellation is probably your only real choice. Don't fall in love with your equipment because you're going to lose it. Do not get excited or afraid while fighting. Fear is the mindkiller, but so is adrenaline. Adrenaline and typing do not mix. Do not spam things in a fight. Spamming stand or flee while being bashed will get you killed and is a common mistake. Keep a boat in your inventory.

Above all, have fun! It's just a game.

Please note: A lot was left out of this guide for many reasons. This is meant as a basic "getting started" guide only, with a lot of room for improvement.

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