FAQs ::: Frequently Asked Questions 
Fiends Portal and Dragon Court 2
by Diane M. Jones
Updated: 6/20/2003

back to MAIN FAQ Content Directory



FAQ 3: HOW DO I PLAY DC2?

a)Overview Of The Game Console
b)Overview Of Chat Functions
c)Overview Of Fights
d)How To Recover From Injury
e)Acquiring And Spending Money	
f)Options Available From The Pack
g)Adventuring And Quest Limits In DC 2
h)Skills Overview, Importance And Advancement	
i)How Do I Travel Around In DC 2	
j)DC 2 Equipment And How To Use It	
k)Training In DC 2
l)How To Craft In DC 2
m)Harvesting in DC 2
n)Why can't I have unlimited Quests?




FAQ 3a:  Overview Of The Game Console


The screen is broken into three primary regions.

  • The GAME area is the main rectangle in the center and 
upper left of the screen.  This displays an area with places for 
you to click on, OR it will display a shop with stuff for you to 
purchase.

  • The CHATBAR is the text area at the bottom.  
There is a display with four lines of chat, and a smaller bar for 
entering chat commands.  You may have to click on the small bar 
before it will accept keystrokes.

  • The TOOLBAR is the fat bar on the right.  
At the top of the Toolbar are three tabs:
      

    1. Zone will show general world information.

    2. Stats will show information about your hero.  

    3. Chat will increase/decrease the size of the chatbar.  

      1. This 'ZONE' tab part of your Toolbar displays 
a date along with other zone information such as 
the lunar cycles.  Your hero's age is based on a 
15 month year.  The date is measured from the 
ascension of the current king - in this case King 
Draken.

      2. The Stats Tab is a normal playing screen 
console.  If you want in depth information on your 
Stats, you can also use the Stat's screen from inside 
your backback.

      3.  For more on Chat commands and options, please keep reading 
this FAQ, the next section is an overview of Chat Functions. 
    

  • The BACKPACK is opened by clicking on the picture of a pack 
found at the bottom of the toolbar.  With an open pack, you 
will have five more tabs to flip through the pack contents:
        

    1. Gear: your pack contents.  

    2. Arms: equipment you are wearing.  

    3. Rings: rings and talismans you are wearing.  

    4. Stats: skills, skill focus, Attributes, Experience and 
Training Points.  

    5. Peer: is your hero description.
    


    FAQ 3b:  Overview Of Chat Functions
    


  • The bar at the bottom of the screen is the CHAT area.  

  • If you click on the CHAT tab in the upper right corner, 
then the chat area grows to occupy most of the screen.  
There is a small button in the bottom left corner.  
This is the chat mode menu; more on this below.

  • When you type a message, it will appear in the long 
slim bar at the bottom.  When you hit ENTER, this 
message will transmit.  

  • If you put a slash in front of your message, this 
can make the message into commands.  For example, if 
you type /brag then your attributes will be 
shown to other players.  

  • For a list of all the slash commands available, 
type: /help

  • The In-Game Tutorial is always available to you 
through the Chat Line Screen if you type: /start 

  • There are some special keystrokes you can use to repeat 
old commands.

    1. The up and down arrow keys (on your numeric keypad) 
will cycle through your last 20 commands.  

    2. The PgUp and PgDn keys (on the numeric keypad will 
cycle through the people who have whispered to you.
    

  • The chat mode menu gives you a short cut for sending 
messages. 

    1. The default is /Talk which communicates 
with players near you.  

    2. /Ooc is out of context mode - this is used 
to talk out of character.  

    3. /Shout will display to everyone in the world, 
as will /Auction.  Be prudent in how you use these 
modes, excessive 'shouting' can be annoying.
    

  • You can choose what type of messages you receive.  For 
example, you can disable the /auction mode so that you 
no longer see people selling equipment.  This is done with 
the /switch command. 

  • Type: /help switch for more information while you're 
in game.

  • You can connect to 10 chat channels using the /chat 
command.  You send channel messages by starting with 
/0 through /9.

  • For Trial Accounts, you can talk to other players who 
are also trying the game.  All Players can talk to the Trial Channel 
this way.  Portal Members can also use the /switch to turn off
the Trial Account Chat Channel if desired.

  • With the 'console' command, you can pipe your chatroom 
text into the java console.  You can select and copy text 
from most Java Consoles.  This is a way for players to 
record conversations.

  • The chat rooms are broken up into regions.  If you are 
questing, trading or in a shop; you can still talk to 
people in the same general area.  

  • If you want to speak to people across the world, you 
need to shout: Type:  /sh (shouts can be switched 
off so that you won't hear them, see /switch below).  

  • Player to Player trade.  Type:  /trade family-name 
Trade can only occur if you are in the same region with 
someone.  

  • Whispers (/w) are magical and can go anywhere.

  • Using the peer function:  

    1. /p shows everyone in your region.  

    2. /p all shows everyone in the world.  

    3. /p name shows the location of the named player 
if that player is in the world.
    

  • There is a curse filter.  Default is on.  It can be 
turned on or off with /filter.  

  • At the moment there are Seven Switches:  afk, Auction,
Filter, Hush, Offer, Shout, Trial.  
('Chatter off' have been incorporated into a  generalized 
'switches' function.)  Type: /switch  which shows a list 
of all switches.  Then type /sw value-name of the switch
 to customize your chat environment. These are on or off 
switches so to reverse just repeat with the same switch 
value.
      

    1. /switch Hush blocks all chat and offers, marks as hush.  

    2. /switch Offer allows offers from other players (trade+train)

    3. /switch Filterblocks curse words, or turned off, allows
unfiltered Chat Room

    4. /switch Shout Allows or turns off Shouted Messages   

    5. /switch Auction Allows Auction Messages

    6. /switch Trial Allows Messages from Trial Players
or Turns of the Trial Chat Channel.

    7. You can still type /afk to change your status
(Away From Keyboard).  But now you can also type 
/switch afk to do the same thing.
    

  • Dice rolling is available.  
      

    1. /r rolls 2d6.  

    2. /r # rolls 1d#.  

    3. /r #d# will roll #d#.
    

  • /bug is used to report errors as they occur, or just 
after they occur.

  • /ooc is for roleplayers to make comments Out Of Context

  • /ti will give you a time countdown until the next day's
refresh of your quests.  The refreshes occur ever 24 hour cycle.  
With this time function, you can also see the GMT time that the 
server is keeping just in case you want to coordinate your time 
zone to the server's time.


    FAQ 3c:   Overview Of Fights
    


  • When you go questing, a common result is that you have to fight.  
The fight is drawn with your figure on the right, and the enemy 
figures on the left.  

  • You can click on any figure and see information describing it at 
the top.  The selected figure of your encounter would be the selected 
foe if you chose to fight.

  • Your Combat options are five black and white buttons 
that appear beneath the fight screen.  These buttons represent: 
Attack, Defend, Skill, Pack, and Flee.
      

    1. ATTACK will send use your weapons and strength to hurt 
an enemy target.  If you do not have an enemy selected then attack 
will fail.

    2. DEFEND will use your action to improve your defense.  
Creatures which attack you will do less damage and suffer more damage 
from your counter-attack.

    3. SKILL will popup a menu that shows special combat maneuvers 
you may use.  Starting characters have none or only one skill.  Some 
skills are meant to use on your hero.  Select a skill, click on an 
appropriate target, then click on 'act' to engage the skill.  You can 
close the popup without using a skill by clicking on 'X'.

    4. PACK will popup a menu of equipment from your pack that 
you can use.  Mostly these will be healing items like food, healing 
salves, and bandages.  Select an item and click on 'use' in order to 
use the item.

    5. FLEE will have you attempt to flee the fight.  As battle 
progresses your hero will take damage.  A damage bar over your head 
will start to turn red.  If it turns completely red then your hero is 
slain and you lose a number of quests.  Flee or heal yourself before 
you die.
    


    FAQ 3d:  How To Recover From Injury
    


  • As you fight and quest, your character will take injuries.  You can 
see this in the 'Stats' panel on the right side ofthe Console.  
      

    1. Guts will decline as the result of wounds.  

    2. Wits will decline due to insanity or using special skills.  

    3. Charm will decline due to withering and use of gemstones to 
heal insanity.  

    4. Other special damage types will affect your Speed, Melee, Evade, 
Damage and Armour.
    

  • There are several ways to recover from injury.  
      

    1. Some of the items you loot or buy will heal injuries. If you examine 
items in your pack (using info button), you will find that some have 
the ability -wounds.  This means that the item will repair injury. 
        

      1. Food and bandages both heal wounds.  Food repairs small amounts, so is 
best used outside of a fight.  

      2. Gemstone heal insanity.  This is how you recover from the use of 
special skills. 

      3. As you learn more about the world, you will find more items for 
your various healing needs. 
      

    2. Some guilds allow you to REST which uses a quest.  Resting 
will help you recover from all your wounds, and some of your other 
damages.  

    3. Some guilds will also offer to CURE.  This will repair some of 
the special damages, primarily weakness and sickness.  

    4. Some Guilds will offer CLEAR which will remove numbness 
and blinding.  

    5. If a Guild offers CALM this will remove panic.

    6. During combat, or while practicing in a meadow, you or a party member 
can use special Skills to repair damage.
        

      1. HEAL will repair wounds on yourself 

      2. (healing other players NOT YET IMPLEMENTED)

      3. (OTHER PLAYER HEALING METHODS NOT YET IMPLEMENTED)
          

        1. CLEAR will remove numbness and blinding.  

        2. CALM will remove panic.  

        3. CURE will improve weakness and sickness.
    


    FAQ 3e:   Acquiring And Spending Money
    


  • We have 4 coins.  Mithril Arkanum is the most valuable,
Copper the least valuable.  The scale is:
      

    1. Mythril Arkanum

    2. Gold Crown

    3. Silver Guilder

    4. Copper Marks.  
    

  • Each Coin is worth 100 times the one below:
      

    1. 1 : 100 : 10,000 : 1,000,000 

    2. i.e. 1 Mithril Arkanum is worth 100 Gold Crowns  

    3. 1 Mithril Arkanum is worth 10,000 Silver Guilders  

    4. And, 1 Mithril Arkanum is worth 1 million Copper Marks
    

  • Bank Notes are being deprecated, you can turn them in at the bank.

  • Items that you find on your quests can be auctioned in game (see 
 chat faq's for auctioning help) for Trade or Sale to other 
players or you can sell at stores.  There are different stores for you 
to shop around for item availability, purchase price or selling price 
throughout the Realms.

  • In the stores, you can "sell" or "buy".  You will get to see the 
price offered for the sell before chosing to make the sale.
      

    1. Please note that in some stores, you also have the choice of the 
quantity of the item you wish to purchase or sell at a time:  
(1, 10, 100, 1000).
    


    FAQ 3f:  Options Available From The Pack
    


  • As covered in FAQ Tutorial 1, the BACKPACK is opened by 
clicking on the picture of a pack found at the bottom of 
the toolbar.  With an open pack, you will have five more 
tabs to flip through the pack contents:

        
    1. Gear will show what is in your pack.  

    2. Arms will show equipment you are wearing.  

    3. Rings shows rings and talismans you are wearing.  

    4. Stats shows your skills and other attributes.  

    5. Peer is your hero description.
    

  • With the Arms, Gear and Rings Screens 
you can select and swap out what you want to be equipped with, 
inspect your equipment, eat food and healing items, scribe your 
items.   
      

    1. On the Gear Screen, you have 6 buttons:  
Use, Wear, Swap, Info, Drop, Oops

    2. On the Arms Screen you have 3 buttons:  
Scribe, Info, Pack

    3. On the Ring Screen you have 3 buttons: 
Scribe, Info, Pack
    

  • The Info Button available to you on the Gear, Armour 
and Ring Screens will provide you with useful information 
on your individual items.  Just highlight the item and 
click the Info Button. Info on Equipment has three values: 
Craft, Decay, and Maker.  

      

    1. Maker is the name of the craftsman who created the 
item (usually it is unkown).  

    2. Craft of 100% is average.  Craft affects the combat 
values of an item, and how many hits of damage(decay) the item 
can take.  Non-combat values are not affected by craft.

    3. Decay occurs during fights.  As your equipment takes 
damage, its listing is changed to show one or more stars (*).  
Each * represents 25% of max damage.  When you see 
3 stars: (***) take your gear to Bill Smith in Draken Town 
for repairs.
    

  • With the 'scribe' button players can put descriptions 
of their gear into their chat lines.  This works with any channel 
(talk, shout, ooc, etc...)

  • The Stats screen shows your complete skill list for each 
of your heroes, as well as your other attributes including the hero's 
age.

    1. You can highlight the skill in the skill list that you 
would like to 'focus' and work on, then click the 
"Set Focus" button. 

    2. In the Stats Screen you also have a "Training Points" 
window which lets you see the skills that you are working on and the 
training points in each that you are accumulating.  

    3. For more about Training Points and interpreting this 
Training Point Monitor, see Training Point Tutorial FAQ 11 
    

  • From the Peer screen you can alter your appearance. 

  • See Member Peer Icon available when you first enter within 
the Portal or use this link: Member Peer 

  • Inside Member Peer you can make changes to your Profile or
view other player's profiles.


    FAQ 3g: Adventuring And Quest Limits In DC 2
    


  • Dragon Court is meant to be played over a long period of time.
A single hero will get a limited number of quests EVERY DAY!

  • Your heroes will start out with an alotment of Quests.

  • With each Level you earn, you will also be earning more quests.

  • Mandrake Roots will refresh 5 quests and let you play longer.

  • If you visit the Skills List Page, under General Skills you 
will see Travel Skills which can help you increase or help use 
your quests for the type of adventures you are seeking. 

  • When do I get more quests?
      

    1. /ti Chat Command will give you a time countdown until the 
next day's refresh of your quests.  The refreshes occur 
every 24 hour cycle.  For more on /ti and Chat Functions 
see FAQ Tutorial 2.

    2. If you want to play the game more, then make more heroes.
In Dragon Court 2, you can have 50 heroes per account.
    


    FAQ 3h:  Skills Overview, Importance And Advancement
    


  • See the Skills Page
      

    1. on the DC II page, the SKILLS LIST link is along the top, to the left
of the jokes and riddles.

    2. If you're logged into the Portal, this link will open a new browser
page with the Skills List

    3. You can watch your skills in game via your PACK
    

  • Skills you use are the ones that will improve

  • Some skills won't improve unless you Train.

  • A high level hero starting a skill from 0 will have a more challenging
time learning that new skill than a low level hero.


    FAQ 3i:   How Do I Travel Around In DC 2
    


  • Use your mouse and drag your cursor over the DC 2 map of the
realm you are in.  You should see some pop up descriptions of the
places that are available for you to explore in the vicinity you 
are in.

  • Trail Head Markers point the way "GO".  These mark the trail
heads between some popular trails.  This Trail Head will tell me
if I'm heading "To Town" or "To the Fields".

  • There are Skills and attributes which effect your traveling.  
Pay particular attention to Speed, Explore, and Hauler.  If you 
over-stuff your Backpack, your over-hauling will cost you some 
quests!  Study the Skills List and your STATS and INFO screens,
especially in chosing your Mounts, and equipment in order to 
optimize your game for yourself. 

  • The map of the region will also tell you the region you are
exploring.

  • Click on a Shop to enter.  Click the "BUY" or "SALE" radio 
buttons to buy or sale items.

  • Click on Guilds, Stables, Bank, etc. to enter.  

  • Exit most buildings by finding the "EXIT" button with a boot
image.

  • There are many Regions within the realms, some require certain 
Levels to explore further.  As you gain experience and level, your 
world travels and possibilities will have expanding possibilities.

  • You can opt for a Mount to help you with your travels. Large races 
however can not ride mounts.


    FAQ 3j:  DC 2 Equipment And How To Use It
    


  • You can buy equipment in the shops, find equipment while questing,
or trade with other players through player-to-player trade.  You can
also Craft your own equipment or barter and trade for other player's
crafted items.

  • You can always get information about your equipment from your Pack screen.
(For more thorough treatment of Options Available From The Pack
please see FAQ 3f.) 

  • Click on the Pack Icon on the "STATS" blue-panel of game console.  This opens 
your Pack screen.  Click the "ARMS" Tab along the top, horizontal tabs, in order
to display items you are wearing. You can see the "Info" on items you
are wearing by clicking the "Info" button here.  

  • The "GEAR" Tab, also within the Pack, on the left of the Arms tab, to 
see the Gear you are hauling.  Select the item you want to look at.  (An item will 
be highlighted when it is selected.)  Click on the 'info' button.  The "Info" 
button has an image that looks like a Scroll.  Everything you know about 
the item will be displayed. 

  • The information screen will display several items of information
such as:
      

    1. The Item Name

    2. Wear

    3. Size

    4. Skill

    5. Craft

    6. Hits

    7. Type

    8. Value
    

  • You may not see all these 'types' of Information on any particular
item because the item may not have all these different qualities.  

  • Value will tell you what an item does.  For instance, if the item
has an effect on -wounds would be a healing item, or whether the item
has an effect on improving armour or damage (these would be weapons or armour).  

  • There are restrictions on which weapons you may wield and which weapons 
you may not wield. Here are the limits: 
      

    1. Number of Hands - you only have two hands. Some larger weapons need 
two hands. All ranged weapons use two hands. 

    2. Riding - large races cannot use mounts. 

    3. Race Size - When a weapon is too small (a dagger in a trolls hands) 
it cannot be used. When a weapon is large (a claymore in a humans hands) 
it needs 2 hands. When a weapon is much too large (a claymore in a goblins 
hands), it cannot be held. 
    

  • As a general rule of thumb, study your "INFO" screens inside your 
PACK pages, while comparing next to your STATS blue-console-panel 
information.  

  • Also look inside your PACK, at the 4th tab which is another STATS panel.
This STATS panel has more detailed information on your Stats. You 
can see more of your SKILLS, and watch your skills and experience as you
Quest.

  • Select equipment that raises your attack, defense and skills, or heals
whatever ails you.  Sometimes you will have to make a hard choice between 
equipment and supplies. 

  • The Skills List is a handy page to study while choosing your equipment 
and what you want to do with your quests. 
http://www.fiends.com/Portal/DCourt2/SkillList.jsp [this page is 
accessible from the top (next to jokes) of the Main DC 2 Game Page by the
Jokes and Riddles]


  • How Do I Wear Equipment?
      

    1. In your PACK screen, click on the "GEAR" tab, far left top corner.

    2. Highlight the item in your Backpack inventory. 

    3. Select the highlighted item to Wear by clicking the "Wear" button 
which is above the "Info" button.  

    4. Some items won't be "worn" but be "used" or by selecting the item and 
clicking on the 'Use' button.  

    5. If you want to remove an ARM, and use a different item instead:
        

      1. Click on your tab for the "ARMS" screen from within your "PACK"

      2. Highlight the piece of equipment you want to replace, or swap out

      3. click "PACK" button from within the "ARMS" Panel, with the ICON of the
OPEN-HAND-->this takes the item and puts it back in your pack.

      4. Now you can put other items in that ARMS slot
    


    
FAQ 3k:  Training In DC 2
    


  • As you use your skills you gain training points.  When 
you study at a guild you gain training points.  When another 
player trains you, you gain training points.  And soon (but 
not yet) you will get training points while partying with 
critters.

  • The yellow bar to the right of the experience gauge shows 
how many training points you have.  If you look on the 'Stats' 
panel (in your Pack) you can see details of your current 
training points.

  • Training Points can become Skill Points when time passes 
(ie. you use a quest).  Each time you use a quest, you have a 
chance to gain skill points.  The more training points you have 
with a skill, the better the chance you have of gaining that 
skill.  Every time training points are tested, some points will 
vanish.

  • Sometimes the skill improvement will occur long after you 
got the training points.  Do not be confused by this.  For example, 
you may get merchant skill after a fight.  You earned the training 
points for merchant while you were shopping, it just took a while 
for the skill to get a bonus.

  • Players can now train each other.  This takes 
a little time, but is a great way to gain training points.
Use the /train command with the player's family name whom you 
are training with.


    
FAQ 3l:  How To Craft In DC 2
    


  • First, visit the Hammer Guild in Salamander Township .  
They can teach you most crafting skills.  The Hammer Guild 
also has a library.  For a small fee you can look at the 
recipes for a large number of low-level items. (nope, no 
buying... just reading)
      

    1. The Skills List is a great reference for Crafting 
and Harvesting skills, you can find this on the Main DC 2 Game Page
up to the top by the Riddles and Jokes:  
http://www.fiends.com/Portal/DCourt2/SkillList.jsp
    

  • Second, you can harvest resources from the quest zones.  
(for more on Harvesting, please continue this FAQ Section, the
next Topic will cover topics on Harvesting.

  • Third, you find a crafting room to build items.  Crafting 
uses Craft, Artisan, Armory, Smithy, Tailor, Cook and Carver.  
These skills all need training.  They will not grow from 
zero without training.
      

    1. When crafting, you need to specify a pattern.  This can 
be done in two ways, you can take items from your pack, and 
put them in the pattern area to define a pattern.  OR you can 
use a scroll.  

    2. Once your pattern is defined, you will see a number of 'TRIES' 
listed at the bottom.  This is the limit of how many times you 
can try the pattern with the materials in your pack.

    3. You have a choice of crafting fast or slow.  Fast will not spend 
a quest, but the final result will be lower quality.  Slow will 
spend a quest, and give you the best chance of a high quality 
item.

    4. Fast crafting will earn you training points.  Slow crafting 
gains training points AND spends training points to try to 
improve skills.  The best combination of fast + slow is up to 
you.
    

  • Fourth, comes dismantling (THIS IS NOT YET IMPLEMENTED, but
coming soon).  Dismantling uses new craft skills to pull apart 
equipment.  Successful dismantling results in new scrolls!


    
FAQ 3m:  Harvesting in DC 2
    


  • You can Harvest Resources for your questing and crafting needs.

  • Like Crafting, visit the Hammer Guild in Salamander Township 
in order to Train your Harvesting Skills.

  • The Skills List Page under Crafting Skills 
has details on Crafting and Harvesting skills.  You can also
learn more on Crafting from the FAQ topic imediately preceding this
section, FAQ l, "How To Craft In DC 2".

  • Harvesting will take Craft, Harvest, Farmer, Woodsman, and Miner 
skills.  

  • You should train your Craft and Harvest skill, since these won't 
improve without training. 

  • Harvested items have a difficulty rating (even, easy, simple, hard, 
tough, ouch).  You should start with some easy items, then work up as 
your skill improves.  

  • You can have encounters while harvesting.  It doesn't matter if you 
evade a fight, a quest is still spent for  your time harvesting.


    
FAQ 3m:  Harvesting in DC 2
    
FAQ 3n:  Why can't I have unlimited Quests?


  • Quests are dispersed on a daily basis.   The number of Quests received is
dependent on your level and your hero. Delivering Quests this way helps to 
maintain game balance.

  • Players have a level playing field by getting close to the 
same amount of quests and being able to compete equally for those Quests.
The equal opportunity to Quest helps keep the score lists competitive.

  • Instead of Unlimited Quests, you can have more quests with multiple heroes.  
You are allowed 50 heroes per account!  These heroes are all part of your
Family which means you can work toward your family hovel, or storage and
on up to your Mansion and all your heroes in your family get to use this
family storage/home. 

  • Also, if you just can't get enough questing, The TEST server of DC II
is set up to "Refresh" your quests once you camp, or go to sleep (with 0
quests), return to play, and it will be a new day for you.  

  • Test heroes who quest quite a lot will age more rapidly.


    •