Tutorial

Before you start

• Connect to the game! How to connect
• Follow the instructions to log in.

Getting Situated

You start the game in a camp. Let's talk through the first things you see. You can type "look" to see this information any time.

• Room Name & Description -- Some information about where you are.
• Room Coordinates -- Global x,y,z coordinates for your location.
• Room Contents -- Players, NPCs, critters, items, and more are shown here.
• Mini Map -- Shows information about nearby rooms.
• Prompt -- This is always shown after every command so you can keep track of your character status. It shows your calories, hydration, and return cost.

Getting Around Camp

Normally movement costs both calories and hydration depending on your equip load and the terrain. Movement is free in camp, so don't worry about that yet. Try walking around the camp and using these commands to interact with the NPCs here:

• north / east / south / west
• talk

The game suggests commands to you by putting them in quotes. For example, a room with a shopkeeper will suggest that you can "shop" so try it out. Experiment with some of the commands that are suggested when you see them.

Communication

There might be other players around. Here are the basic communication commands:

• say -- Send a message to the current room.
• shout -- Send a message to nearby rooms.
• radio -- Send a message to everybody in the game.

Start Exploring

Once you've gotten a handle on the basics, it's time to explore. First, type "map" to see your map.

This is the map of your current region. Only rooms that you have been near are shown on the map, so it will get filled in more as you explore. Special rooms called "Points of Interest" are shown on your map even if you've never been near them. Here they are numbered 1 through 3. Let's start by visiting Point of Interest 1, "Beginner Hill". If your calories and hydration are not full, you can "rest" for free in camp, so do that now. Then start heading south. Use your mini map to follow the trail.

The yellow = tiles are a trail and the yellow - tiles are a bridge. The mini map uses the same legend as the map, so you can always type "map" to help interpret the mini map. The trail turns west soon after leaving camp, then there is a bridge over the river.

Survival

Don't worry, you can always radio for help with the "rescue" command, but let's try to avoid that because it costs money. Here are some more commands you'll need to know as you explore The Woods:

• inventory -- Show what you are carrying. Keep track of your food and water.
• eat -- Eat an item you are carrying. Restores 100 calories.
• drink -- Drink from a water bottle you are carrying. Restores 100 hydration.
• forage -- There are blueberry patches on Beginner Hill. Try foraging if you find one.
• photo -- You always have your trusty camera. Try to take pictures of animals or interesting locations. You can sell photos for cash at camp.
• fish -- You start with a fishing rod and bait. Try catching food when near water.
• camp -- Use kindling to start a fire. Lasts until you move. You can cook while camping.

Your First PoI

The "Beginner Hill" Point of Interest (PoI) will be an ! on your map. You'll know you've found it when you see the text "You've discovered Beginner Hill!". Discovering PoIs even advances your "Exploration" skill which unlocks new perks. You can type "skills" to see all your skills or "skill exploration" to see details for a particular skill.

Back to Camp

Once you've discovered your first PoI, it's time to head back to camp. You can walk back the way you came, but sometimes retracing your steps is the boring part, so you can skip that using the "return" command. Earlier you saw that your prompt has a "return cost" abbreviated "rc". The return command requires this many calories and hydration to use. If you can use it now, go for it. If not, your best bet is to eat and drink until you can.

It's critical to always make sure you have enough food and water for the return trip. One strategy is to carefully watch your return cost as you travel. If going further would cause your return cost to drop below your calories and hydration, it might be better to return right away to regroup and try again.

As a last resort, you can use the "rescue" command. This does not consider your return cost so it doesn't matter how far afield you are, but it does cost quite a bit of cash (and to be honest maybe a bit of dignity).

What's Next

At camp, you can buy supplies, refill your water bottle, and rest before you head out on your next adventure. Buying food can be smart, but watch your load using the "inventory" command. Carrying too much makes movement cost more. Sometimes it's better to find food along the way, especially if you have found good fishing spots or places to forage. Just keep in mind you have to camp to cook, and camping requires a fire starter (such as kindling). You can forage for kindling in any forest. If you're resourceful, you can make the most of the tools at your disposal to extend your excursions.

There is more you can do that is not covered in this tutorial: a good way to learn more is to type "commands". This shows you a list of every command in the game organized by category.

The game is currently an early preview. A main storyline and many more areas to explore are planned. Feel free to email me at thewoodsmud@gmail.com with any feedback drop in and say hi on Discord. Thank you for checking out my game!