The Basics about Neflaria

About Neflaria

According to the ingame description of Neflaria, it is "a world of wonders and mystery" and surely, it is. Neflaria is a multiplayer online RolePlaying Game (RPG), based on the late (M)MORPG, Shimlar. Neflaria is a free game that runs upon the monetary donations players decide to give, to allow the game to live on. Neflaria operates on all java-compatible internet browsers out there. I have heard that Safari has some issues with some of the buttons and commands in the game.

Character Races

Starting out on your Neflaria quest, you can choose to be a Human, Elf, Dark Elf, Dwarf, Angel, Troll, Giant, Goblin, or a Gargoyle as you are signing up. Each race has its strengths and weaknesses, as outlined on this page. As you progress through the game, and as your levels increase, you will have the opportunity to reincarnate into a Balrog, Kender, Half Elf, Dark Angel, Galatai, Flame Demon, Duergar, Sprite, Genie, Dragon, Vampire, Titan, Phoenix, Enkidu, or Leviathan. Also, you have the opportunity to reincarnate if you has screwed up your stats early on. For more information about reincarnation and race stats, Click Here.

Starting the Game

Welcome to the realm of Neflaria. Once you create your character on the main page, you will be able to log in. Once you log in, you will see a screen similar to this...

I. Your Character Window

This area shows your character's name, your character's last name (if you are level 50 or over and have set one), and your clan's name (if you are a part of one). This area will show one of three pieces of information: Stats, Items, and Zone Map.

Stats

This part of the screen starts off by automatically showing you your stats, level, gold on hand, gold in the bank, free experience, and your experience to level.

The stats that are relevant in this game is Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Intelligence (NTL), Wisdom (WIS), and Vitality (VIT).

Strength (STR)- Determines the amount of damage you do with melee weapons. It is also a requirement for melee weapons, as well as Shields.
Dexterity (DEX)- Determines your chance to hit enemies with melee weapons, as well as your chance to evade (miss) melee attacks. This is NOT needed if you are a mage.
Intelligence (NTL)- Determines the amount you can cast for with spells. It is also a requirement for spells.
Wisdom (WIS)- Determines your chance to cast a spell effectively, and your ability to deflect enemy spells. This is NOT needed if you are a fighter.
Vitality (VIT)- Determines your maximum number of hitpoints your character can have. It is also a requirement for armour.

Your stats vary by what race you are. Certain races are dominant in Strength, whereas others may excel in Intelligence. To see what they increase by for each level, click here. When you see "Please select a stat to raise" it means that you have gained enough experience to gain a level. The stat you select will raise by 50 in addition to what it would normally raise by. If you select "ALL", it will multiply the normal raise by 2.

Every time you kill a creature, you get gold and experience. Your gold goes straight into your hand. You would want to Bank the gold often, for if a creature kills you, you lose ALL the gold you have on hand.

The experience you get is added to your current Free experience (Experience points unused towards your next level). If you are killed, you will lose experience... 20% of your experience needed to level. For example, if you need 1,000 to next level, you will lose 200 free experience. Free Experience cannot go below 0. The Next Level At is the amount of free experience you need to gain a level. This number slowly climbs with each level.

Leviathan Mist created a beginner's suggestion guide on how to level your character from level 1-30. This guide can be viewed here.

Items

If you click on the green "Items" link in the window below, it will show you your current equipment, your items, and your trades.

To equip/de-equip an item, just select it in the drop down menu, and click on the "Equip" button. If you have troubles doing so, just re-login again.

Trades

If you want to Trade, or just plain send an item to someone, click on the "TRADE (On/Off)" link to bring up the above screen. Just select the item from the drop down menu, type in the player's name correctly, and the amount of gold, if any, to sell it for. Click on the "OK" button to send. The item will now have a "(T)" beside it in the drop down menu. The "Examine" button tells you what the item is, its gem enchanted, or its unused gem slots, if applicable, and its smash/sell-back price to the shop. If the person accepts the trade, it will appear in green text in your chat window.

If someone sends you a trade, it will appear in green in your chat window. To view it, click on "Items", "TRADE (On/Off)", and "Check Items" to view the Trade. Check the trade in the drop down menu, and Examine the item to make sure it is the proper one, then click on "OK" to accept the trade. If you do not wish to take the trade, you must leave it there. At 20 past the hour, all uncompleted trades are cancelled.

If someone sends you an item, or gold, it will appear in gold text in your chat window. You can receive these even when you are offline.

Zone Map

This is a zone map... specifically the one for Palaor (Human Starting Zone). All the starting zones are identical. The letters represent buildings, as well as the exit out of the zone. Almost every zone has a zone map. If you come across a zone that does not have a zone map, check the "Outworld Map" link at the bottom of the chat screen.

The highlighted square is the square you are currently on.

E- Entrance/Exit: This is where you have entered the zone. This is also an exit to the zone.
B- Bank: This is where you put your gold on hand, or withdraw some gold from your Bank so you can buy items. You can also give gold to other players here.
M- Magic Tower: This is where you buy fire, cold, air, and arcane spells. You can also enchant gems into your equipment here. You can also locate players, for a fee of 20,000 gold. To use gold, you must have it on hand.
R- Shrine: If you have died, you can resurrect here. You can also teleport to other zones, for a fee of 20,000 gold on hand.
S- Shop: This is where you buy Swords, Axes, Staves, Maces, Armour, and Shields. At the Shop, you may also sell your items there for "Smash Price":
- Half of the original value of regular equipment
- 10,000 gold per grade (*) for gems
- 5,000 gold for the first numeral for Shadow Items and 25,000 gold per roman numeral thereafter
- 50,000 gold for the first numeral for Mystic Items and 250,000 gold per roman numeral thereafter
- 5,000,000 gold for Accessories.

II. The Action Screen

This is the action screen. Here, it displays your current coordinates, which zone you are in, which creatures are present in the zone, and options to move.

To initiate a new fight, select the desired creature to fight, then click "New Fight". If you are a fighter, click on "use weapon"; if you are a mage, click on "cast spell". Repeat until a death occurs, whether it is the creatures, or you own. You could attempt to move, select a new fight, or change your equipment, but that will cancel the current fight.

In the drop down menu which has "Fight Creatures", if you can see "Players", then it is a Player Kill (PK) zone. All starting zones are non-PK. To read more on Player Killing and Alignment, click here.

The coordinates in the top left hand corner of this window displays your current placement in the zone. The coordinates work just like a Cartesian plane; Moving East and West adds/takes away from the first number... moving North and South adds/takes away from the second number.

The "Refresh" button in the window is useful if you Player Kill, for it will update the screen as if you just stepped upon that square.

III. The Chat window and tabs

When you first start, you will see "Neflaria welcomes you, CharNameHere.

At level 15, you will be able to chat. You will encounter some shorthand while reading the chat screens. A list of the most common can be found here. Some basic commands for chat are found here.

General Chat

This is the place where most chat belongs. Here you can practically talk about anything, except Real Life details... like Religion, Politics, and personal information. This IS a game, and people want to escape reality for a while. Don't bring Real Life into the game. Also, selling/buying items does NOT belong in chat. It solely belongs in sales.

A few other rules are listed below...

ENGLISH ONLY IN OPEN CHAT
Due to the fact that most moderators have English as their first language, it is a rule that you stick to English only in open chat. You may speak whatever language you want in PMs to other players. Sorry for the inconvenience to you multilingual, and to those who are weak at English.

This is a roleplaying game - Keep Real Life details out of chat
Topics such as Religion, Politics, and personal information are not suitable for a ROLEPLAYING game. RPGs give people a break from reality, and to have some fun, not to fight/bicker over current events in the world.

Earning your own equipment is fulfilling - Do not beg for gold or items, and do not use macros or scripts
Other players have broken their backs, fingers, and even mice to get to where they are now in the game. If you start later in a round, it is even easier for you to get items than it was for players who started at the beginning. You should experience a bit of what they had gone through. "Asking" for any items, gold, or loans is also considered begging.

Using automated programs, and "hotkey" programs, where you use keyboard shortcuts to perform actions for you, is prohibited. If you're caught cheating, your punishment will be no less than a ban, and more than likely an IP ban. Mods will perform routine macro checks on the most active players. If you receive a macro check by a mod (their PMs will be bold), you are required to respond. Failure to do so will result in an IP ban for cheating. Mods have other tools to test for macros and scripts without the use of macro checks. Cheating will not be tolerated.

Keep chat topics clean - Do not swear or use drug references
Swearing is heavily discouraged in all cases. Although sometimes it may fit in context, such as in an RP story, swearing at a person or using commonly-recongized offensive words will result in action by a mod. Masking swears is just as bad as swearing itself.
Drug references of any kind are not welcome in Neflaria!

Respect other players - Do not harass other players, troll or flame players, or in general, provoke bad behaviour
Insulting and persistently bothering people either in open chat, or in Private Messages is considered harassment. If you are being harassed, use the /pignore $playername command. Retaliation to the harassment on your part will make you just as guilty as the other party. Posting "You are now ignoring $playername" counts as harassment.

Trolling involves a user making comments intended to provoke an angry response, and flaming is the act of posting deliberately hostile messages on the Internet. Also, daring, or offering rewards to people who break the rules... is against this rule as well. When a mod tells you to drop the subject, drop it.

Private Messages are intended for privacy - Do not post Private Messages in open chat
These messages are directed solely to you, and all the players do not need to know what happens in them. Under NO circumstances should a PM be posted in open chat. If you received an insult, or are being harassed... /pignore playername and notify a mod by checking the "Mods" link.

Chat is fed and given water daily - Do not spam or flood chat
Spam: typing numerous meaningless letters, symbols, or numbers. Do not do it. L33T could be considered spam, however, a word or two in l33t usually does not hurt. It all depends on the mods online. Flooding: Repeating the same/similar messages more than twice is considered flooding. Countdowns, repeated posting of damages, stats, experience, gold, etc. is also considered flooding. Advertisements for clans, items, etc. more than ONCE on a chat window is also against this rule. Moderators will act as they see fit.

There is a reason why the keyboard is defaulted to small letters - Do not abuse capitals
Capital letters in chat is equivalent to yelling out loud, which is quite irritating to people. They can be used to create an emphasis on a word or two, but PLEASE use discretion. If you abuse the caps, in the opinion of the mods online, you will be caps-cursed for up to an hour, or for repeat offenders, a mute.

Keep chat topics PG-13
There are numerous examples of topics which are inappropriate in open chat; sex and drugs are just two small examples of such topics. Even if the average age of game players is around 17, there are players as young as 8. Also, disturbing behavior is severely frowned upon. Mods will intervene on topics that get out of hand.

Games have feelings, too - Do not diss this, or any other game
If you do not like the game, then simply click that little 'X' in the top right hand corner of your browser. Game creators put in a lot of time and effort to make the game work, and it is hard to please everyone. Some criticism is allowed, such as ways to improve the gameplay, but if you cross the thin line, you may find yourself in boiling water.

Cross-game trading and selling accounts are not allowed
Need we say more?.

DO NOT WHINE ABOUT:
1. Being Player Killed
  If you were player killed, then you must have been in a PK-zone, thus you are fully responsible for your own well-being. To quote a wonderful saying by Cardinal Fang... "Don't whine; Find a Shrine; You'll be Fine".
2. The lag
  Whining about the lag will only make it worse. Everyone has some sort of lag, and that is because of the server. If you think the lag is bad, then why don't you help out the game by clicking on the "Support the Game" link in-game, or on the links found on the mainpage of Neflaria.
3. Not getting drops or masteries
  This is all a matter of luck. There will be days, and weeks, where people can be unlucky. You have to remember that it is a chance to get something. It doesn't mean that it will be certain after a period of time.
4. The cost of items
  All shop costs are standard and do not change. It is just as hard for you to get them as they once were for some of the more experienced round players. Also, do not complain about a price someone is selling an item for. It is their item, thus they can sell it for whatever amount they want to sell it for. A person could sell a tanzanite* for 1 million gold, if they wished. If they get an offer, good for them; if not, then tough luck for them.
5. Hunts
  The more people complain that they want a hunt, the more likely one will not happen for numerous weeks. Also, if you didn't get a reward for helping out in the hunt, then so be it. Complaining will not solve anything; just go about your regular life. Be thankful that the Arches/Admins took time out of their schedule to add in some fun to the regular mix.
6. Mod Activity
  If you were muted and/or banned for no reason, report the incident using the Crew Contact Form, or by typing /data33 or /silwar in the chat box. A screenshot of what happened is always useful as proof, as long as they are not doctored. Mistakes can happen. Whining about actions will get you muted once again.

Roleplay Chat

The Roleplay Room is designed for SERIOUS RP ONLY! If you are found not RPing, or just annoying with "Godmodding", aka you are invincible and act out your opponents moves, deaths, etc., mods will take the appropriate actions. Former Shimlarian Vindaeria Claybourn created an RP Channel Etiquette Guide to help those understand what is acceptable or not in the Rolyplay Room. To better your RP skills, please view former Shimlarian Atlanta Celestial's RP Guide.

Sales Chat

The Sales Room is for selling your items. You are not allowed to sell your items anywhere else. In sales, you can sell your equipment, gems, accessories, and clan memberships. You CANNOT sell your character, your clan, or participate in cross-game trading. Auctioning random items are allowed. If you really hate them, do not participate. Random auctioners go away after an amount of time if ignored.

There are "seven" ways you can sell your items:

Open Auction: all bids are to be in open sales. All bids in PMs are to be ignored.
Silent Auction: Usually started by stating a minimum price and a time limit, all bids are to be in PMs. All open sales bids are to be ignored. The Auctioner is not allowed in any way to state to anyone what the current highest bid is at.
First PM: The first person to PM the required amount of gold for an item will get that item for that price
PM offers: The seller can reject, accept, or negociate deals with the buyers.
Smash: Smash is selling the item straight to a Shop.
Smasher: A player that buys items for over smash price, who ends up smashing at Black Market smash price (50% more than regular Shop Smash).

The Marketplace (currently down): an automated buy and sell system that takes your item and sells it for you. The seller does not have to be online during the sale. When a bid is placed, the gold is automatically taken from your bank and deposited into the marketplace. If you lose the auction, your gold will be returned to you. An auction would end when the time is up, or one hour after the last bid, whichever is latest. If the buyer is offline, or has a full inventory, the marketplace will hold the item until space clears up, or until the buyer is online once again. A commission of 10% of the final sale price is taken from the sale.

Although most things in the game are "done at your own risk", obvious scammers will be dealt with severely.

To better your sales skills, please view Masmune Myst's Sales Guide.

Clan/Race Chat

This is a shared room between your clan, if you are in one, and your race.

To type to your clan, if you are in one, you can just type normally and it will be seen by all your online clanmates.

To type to your race, ie. Giants, you will have to type /r in front of all your posts, or else they will be seen by your clanmates, if you are in a clan.

IV. The Useful Links

The links below the chat screen are designed to ease your needs.

"FAQ", "Chat Rules", and the "Manual" are the primary sources of information you will need to understand the rules, and how the game works.
"Commands" would show you all the list of chat commands available in the game.
"Top Lists" contains Lists for the 100 top players overall and for each race for gold and levels, top 100 players overall for evil and good alignment, the top 100 clans in Neflaria, most completed quests, a list of all the recent muted and jailed players, a list of all moderators online, and a list of married players. Very useful, indeed.
"Clear Channel" and "Clear Chat" will erase all messages either in one chat room, or in all, respectively.
"NefBay" brings you to the Neflarian Marketplace where you are able to buy and sell your goods, and you need not stay online. A 10% commission is taken from each sale.
"Wiki" and "Forums" are two outside resources to put forth suggestions, and to find out real-time information about the game.
"Support form" is where you would report problems and bugs in the game to the administrators.
"Outworld map" shows you the map of the Wilderness, Dimension of Light, and Dimension of Chaos.
"Support the Game" is donating real life money to the Administrators for Administration Fees, server fees, maintenance costs, and various new twists that can be added to gameplay.
"Average chat", "Slow chat", and "Fast chat" determines the speed at which the chat screen refreshes. By default, it is set to average speed.
"PK watch" is a link that will show the recent player vs player battles that ended with either the assailant or the defendent dying. You can also look up a player's recent activities.

Special creatures

While you are fighting creatures, you may come across some creatures that do not appear to be normal. These creatures are referred to as "Specials". There are 10 specials in all. These are the target creatures for Quests.

Special Creature	Stats Multi.	Gold Multi.	Exp. Multi.	Other Bonuses on creature
Elder	x 1	x 2	x 1	Increases chance of mastery by 300% upon its death
Merchant	x 1	x 4	x 1	None
Fool	x 1	x 0	x 2	Worse than normal equipment
Illusionist	x 1	x 2	x 2	Transports you within the zone
King	x 1	x 3	x 2	Higher drop chance
Assassin	x 1	x 3	x 2	+3 IC to weapons and spells
Defender	x 1	x 2	x 3	+3 IC to armour
Veteran	x 2	x 2	x 4	+1 IC to all equipment
Fanatic	x 3	x 1	x 2	+1 IC to all equipment
Enigma	x ?	x ?	x ?	Can be any special, and changes each round of the fight

Zones

Each zone has different bonuses, strengths, and weaknesses. A list of each zone, its bonus, if any, its list of creatures, and its requirements could be found here.