BEGINNING BRITANNIA
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
| Shard Selection | Movement |
| Creating a Character | Speech |
| Choosing a Profession | Your Inventory |
| Interacting with the Game | Combat |
| Your Paperdoll | Additional Information |
| New Player FAQ |
The Ultima Online interface is designed to provide you with an easy way to interact with the virtual world of Britannia.
Your first experience with the Ultima Online interface will be in selecting a shard and creating your first character.
Shard Selection
Ultima Online uses a multi-shard system (or multi-server) to maintain many different copies of the world. Choosing the shard you wish to play on is an important part of the process of starting out in Ultima Online.
Our shards are located around the globe, so choosing a shard that is located geographically close to you is suggested to ensure a robust connection to Ultima Online. The shards are currently located as follows:
North American East
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Chesapeake
Atlantic
Catskills
AOL Legends
North American Central
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Lake Superior
Great Lakes
Siege Perilous
North American West
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Baja
Pacific
Napa Valley
Origin
Sonoma
Western Europe
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Europa
Drachenfels
Japan
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Hokuto
Yamato
Asuka
Wakoku
Izumo
Mizuho
Mugen
Korea
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Arirang
Balhae
Baekdu
Taiwan
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Formosa
Australia
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Oceania
With the exception of the Siege shards (Siege Perilous, Mugen, and Baekdu), all shards share identical lands and systems. The Siege shards are 'advanced' servers for veteran players. You can read more about the Siege Perilous server at http://guide.uo.com/siege_0.html.
Creating a Character
Once you've chosen a shard, Ultima Online will display an empty character list. To create a new character, simply click on the "New" button.
Choosing a Profession
Ultima Online gives you the option to choose your character from a set of templates of traditional professions. You're certainly not required to build your character from a template, but we highly recommend it for the first-time player. You may create multiple characters on each shard (except the Siege shards), so don't worry about creating a character you may not like. Using a template for your first character is an excellent way to get a feel for Ultima Online.
To create a character from a template, choose the 'Samurai', 'Ninja', 'Paladin', 'Necromancer', 'Warrior', 'Mage', or 'Blacksmith' option. The 'Advanced' option is for those comfortable enough with the UO skill system to build a character from scratch.
Once you have chosen a starting profession, you'll need to customize the 'look' of your character. The image you create will be visible to other players in the game whenever they double-click on you. This image is also known as your 'paperdoll.'
You can specify gender, skin color, hair style and color, shirt color, pants/skirt color and, if you've chosen to play a male character, facial hair style and color.
Your first character will show up with defaults for all of these options, to change them, simply click on the corresponding part on your character. If you click on an item of clothing, you will then be able to select a color by clicking anywhere in the palette box to the right of your character. If the selected item is a hair-style, you will see a drop-down menu appear to the left of your character listing all of the style options. Clicking on one will apply it to your character.
When you are satisfied with your appearance, click the small green arrow to continue.
Interacting with the Game
Congratulations! You've made it into the world of Britannia!
Before you rush out to begin slaying dragons, you may wish to know a bit about how to interact with the game and the players around you.
When you first arrive in Britannia, you will be in a public area of the city you selected. Your initial possessions will be a shirt, shoes, a pair of breeches or a skirt (depending on your character's gender), a backpack, a candle, a blank book (your "diary"), and basic equipment for your starting skills. Initial objects have no monetary value to any of the merchants in the game. You will also receive 1000 gold pieces in "seed money" to help you get started.
The first thing you'll want to do is learn how to move around. You can also familiarize yourself with your Character Window and practice picking up and moving around objects. Practice in the area near where you were placed in the game, as you will be inside town and safe from harm.
Your Paperdoll
Double-clicking on your character in the game window will open a window displaying a representation of your character. This image is known as your "paperdoll" and reflects the hair, skin and clothing color choices you made when creating your character. As you advance in the game and buy new armor and weapons, equipping them will change the look of both your character in the game and your paperdoll.
Along the side of your paperdoll are a number of buttons which may be useful in your adventures in Britannia. They are:
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Walking Around
You move by right-clicking. Place your cursor over a point on the screen and right-click. You will face and take a step towards the cursor. (Note that throughout this document, "click" or "double-click" refers to a left-click, while right-clicks and double-right-clicks are so identified.)
Continual Movement
If you need to go more than a few steps in a given direction, you'll want to move continually. Place your cursor some distance away in the direction you want to go and right-click-and-hold. You will move off in that direction and keep moving until the click is released (or until you run into something). You can change direction by rotating the cursor around your position while holding a right-click.
Opening Doors
Before you can move through a doorway, the door must be open. To open a door, double-click on it. If the door is locked, the game will tell you so.
Keyboard Movement
You can also move using your keyboard. Hold the arrow keys or the outer numbers of the numeric keypad, and you will move in the corresponding direction.
Running
You can run during continual movement. The farther the cursor is from you, the faster you move. To move at a slow stroll, keep the cursor just an inch or so away. To sprint, move the cursor out to the edge of your window.
Following
Hold down the 'Alt' key and left-click on another character to follow that character wherever he goes. Note that if you fall too far behind the other character (due to crowds, combat or rough terrain) the 'Follow' command will cancel itself automatically. To stop following, hold 'Alt' and click on yourself.
Overhead View
Sometimes, particularly in cities, you need a wider perspective than a single screen offers in order to get your bearings. As an aid to navigation, 'alt-R' will call a scrolling overhead map of the immediate area. Pressing 'alt-R' again makes the map larger (you can change this key command using the "overview" option in your Macros). This map shows buildings and terrain, but not individuals or creatures.
Talking to Others
Conversing with other players requires no special tricks in Ultima Online. Merely type what you wish to say and hit the enter key. Your speech will appear directly above your character's head. There are additional keystrokes that allow you to use speech in specific ways; to yell or to whisper. These keystrokes can be learned in the Player Guide.
Talking to NPCs
NPCs (Non-Player Characters) are human characters that are operated by computer, rather than player characters (which are operated by players like you).
NPCs can be so believable that it may be difficult to tell that they aren't being played by a real person. If you are unsure whether a character is an NPC, try asking them a question, or ask them to train you in skills.
NPCs are present throughout Britannia, selling wares, guarding towns and wandering about. They're quite busy interacting with the populace, so in order to speak with them, you must first get them to notice you. To gain the attention of an NPC, you must include their name (or in the case of a merchant, "vendor" or "merchant") whenever you speak to them. You can learn an NPC name by double-clicking on them.
NPCs often provide directions or answer questions posed to them. Be careful to ask your question clearly so that they may understand. Using the "Sell" or "Buy" command with merchants will also allow you to buy and perhaps sell wares.
For example saying:
"Vendor Buy" - will cause the nearest vendor to display their wares
If an NPC doesn't understand your question, they will generally let you know, though on occasion they may merely ignore you.
Inventory
Whenever you open a window, whether your paperdoll, your backpack, or any other type, it will contain a small (-) symbol. Left-clicking on this symbol will minimize the window, but will keep it open on screen. Right-clicking anywhere in an open window will close it.
Warmode and Fighting
To leave Warmode, single-click the same button (now named "War").
Be extremely careful when targeting while in warmode! Double-clicking on an NPC or another player will count as an attack against them, whether or not you actually make contact with the target. This will cause you to be flagged as a criminal ("gray") and other players will be able to call the guards on you if you are in a town zone.
For more information on "grays", "reds", "blues" and the Reputation System, please click here.
Targeting
Additional Information
When you set foot in Britannia for the very first time, you will be considered a “young” player and be granted certain privileges and rights as such. We’ve put together a list of some frequently asked questions about “young” status – you can find all the answers below.
What are the requirements to be considered "Young"?
“Young” status is affected by your total playtime with your account, and is not calculated on a per-character basis.
How do I lose my "Young" status?
I’m “young” and can't log on to the "Siege Perilous" shard, why not?
I died and was teleported to a healer, but he won't resurrect me...what do I do?
How do I get a New Player Quest?
What do I do with my "New Player Ticket"?
What does “New Player Protection” mean?
"Vendor Sell" - will prompt the vendor to offer gold for your goods, if you have any of value.
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At any time, you dig through your backpack to see what you are currently carrying. To view your inventory, double-click on the backpack in your paperdoll window. This will open the backpack and display your inventory. Single-clicking on items within a backpack will display information about them. Double-clicking on an item anywhere in your inventory will attempt to use it, if possible.
Aggressive combat takes place in Britannia only when you are in "Warmode". To enter warmode, click on the "Peace" button to the right of your paperdoll. Your cursor will then turn red in color. Double-clicking on an enemy will then cause you to advance and engage in combat.
To target anything in the world of Ultima Online, you merely need to move your mouse cursor over the item/monster/person and click. Be careful what and when you target, as you may find yourself unintentionally engaging in an attack!
Ultima Online is a vast and complex world, and while we've given you some tips to get started, we certainly haven't told you everything. To learn more about Ultima Online, we recommend visiting our Player Guide.
A player is considered "Young" if their account is less than 40 hours and their characters:
A player loses their "Young" status if their account age goes above more than 40 hours and their characters:
The Siege shards (Siege Perilous and Mugen) are shards for advanced players only. Players with "Young" status cannot access them.
Move away from the healer (up to half a screen) and then walk back towards him/her.
New Player quests provide a series of adventures that are a great way to get familiar with the basics of moving, interacting and communicating with others in the game. As long as you choose one of the seven main character templates (Samurai, Ninja, Paladin, Necromancer, Warrior, Mage or Blacksmith), your new character will be created in a place that leads directly to a New Player Quest, and you’ll also be provided with step-by-step instructions in how to get started in your chosen profession. Something important to note here is that if you choose the "cancel quest" option, you could miss out on some extremely helpful info and items (not to mention there’s 1000 gold pieces in it for you if you complete the quest). However, you can simply stop playing the quest without actually canceling it and continue it at any time as long as you’re still eligible (ie: still a new, or "young" player). Hint: If you need a reminder as to what the quest was, click on your character and select "View Quest Log". Spending time in Haven, the new player city, upon completion of these quests also gives you a chance to practice your new skills in a non-threatening environment, so by all means take advantage of your time there!
First, you’ll need to find another New Player holding a ticket. Once you’ve found another new player, double-click the ticket and target any other ticket marked NEW PLAYER and you will receive a list of prizes to choose from. Generally, the easiest way to do this is to place your tickets in a trade window and then double click it.
While you are considered “young”, you will have access to certain forms of protection not available to more experienced players – called “New Player Protection”. They include the following:
