Basic Knowledge

Main Page :: Useful links for beginners :: Basic Knowledge

This topic covers the most basic things you, a new player in Wurm Online, should know about.

What is Wurm Online?

Notch (Founder): "...Wurm is not an MMORPG... ;)"

It's Massively Multiplayer Online Fantasy Simulator (MMOFS)

Or you could call it a Life Emulator...

A massive world you can create and shape around you.

How to Download

On the main website (http://www.wurmonline.com) you simply click the big "Launch" button on the left. This will begin download of the Java Webstart application which will load the whole game for you. If this does not work (IE:/ if you end up with a .jnlp file that doesn't do anything) you will need to install Java from http://www.java.com/.
If you have a problem with getting the Wurm client working try looking at the Common bugs and solutions page.

Creating an Account

The first thing you want to do is to create a valid account. To do this, go to the Wurmonline webpage and click Register (it's free). You will be asked for a Player name and an email address. Please note that the playername can only contain Alphabetic characters and no spaces. All letters in the name but the first one will be in lowercase.

You will then receive an email to the email address you supplied, in which there will be a completion link that will take you to the page where you choose your password and Challenge phrase. Once this step is complete, you may start the game by going back to the main webpage and clicking the 'Launch' image.

You must have the latest Java platform installed on your system to play Wurm Online. You may get Java here.

After starting Wurm you see the Login Screen, where one can enter his/her Username and Password. Below it is a checkbox, labeled "Play as Guest" which is enabled by default. Guest accounts are disabled, so uncheck it, then enter your name and password.

Upon logging in, your avatar will spawn (see Spawning) in a village called Newtown (NT) or The Landing. You spawn here the first time you play, and also when you die (there are some exceptions).

Do not steal in and around NT or the Landing. The guards will quickly make swiss cheese of your body.

If you get stuck in a large pit or cave and definitely cannot get out or if you find a bug/glitch Etc, type '/dev' to contact any of the GM's/Devs if they are online.
(See Helpful People). Please use this feature sparingly.

Movement and windows

See the page Interface and controls for an explanation of the various windows, bars and keys.

Getting started

A) There are 3 things that are considered essential to getting started:

1. You need to start developing your cooking skills, go here: Guide To Cooking. Without food, your stamina bar will recharge extremely slowly and your actions will be limited.
2. You need to build a house, go here: The "how do I build a house?" guide.
3. You need a chest with a lock for secure storage, go here: Secure Storage

• It is strongly recommended that you form or join a settlement, as cooperation is a key part of succeeding in any task.
• Try to stay close to Newtown or The Landing until you get the hang of the game.

Death and dying

When you die you will loose 0.25 points from each skill, and 0.1 body strength, or if you die in pvp or fight with guard you lose only fight skill. Note that the body strength currently only updates every 2nd death or with a client restart. With the exception of the newbie items you get when you first start, deeds, writs, and any items you may have in a Bag of Keeping (BoK) or Master Bag of Keeping (MBoK) your items will be on your corpse. As long as your items are in your corpse they are safe from other players. You'll need to find it to get them back. If the corpse has decayed, usually 24 hours, the items that were on it will be a pile of items on the ground where you died.

Also, you will be on a red and black screen with a little box in the middle, you will have to choose where you want to respawn. If you are dead and you cannot see the little box, type /respawn in your chat window.

While you have no deed, you will only be able to spawn at Newtown or The Landing. When you are the owner or citizen of a settlement, you will be able to spawn on that settlement. If that settlement has any allies you will be able to spawn there also if you die within 50 tiles of their center.

Servers and accounts

See Account Types for an explanation of the various accounts See Server Types for an explanation of the two server types.

Common problems of new players

Q) What's the difference between equip and activate?

A) An active item can be used to interact with the world around you, like cut a tree down with your small axe active. You equip a weapon which is then used automatically while in combat.

Q) How do I activate an item?

A) Double click on it. It will show up at the bottom of the inventory next to Active: This means that you can use the item for the tasks it is designed for.

Q) How do I equip a weapon?

A) Put it in your right hand. A second weapon can go in the left hand, but it is used less often, so put your main weapon in your right hand. When you do so, you will get an event message: 'You equip a short sword in your right hand'. You may also want to put a shield on your left arm (the left hand won't be used if you do), or armor on other bodyparts.

Q) Where do I get a pelt?

A) Pelts are a product from large rats, wild cats, mountain lions and dogs. In order to get one, you first have to find and kill one of those animals. then you have to use a butchering knife to butcher the corpse. If you are successful, you may get a pelt or meat and other assorted products. Alternatively, you may be lucky enough to find one for sale at a trader, or you might find a more experienced player willing to give or sell you a pelt.

Q) Can I starve to death or die of thirst?

A) No. If those bars are empty, you won't be able to perform some stamina draining actions (like mining) and your stamina will recharge very slowly. For more information, read Basic Knowledge.

Q) How do I make money?

A) Unlike other games you may have played, money is not gained from killing monsters, but rather from the sale of items you have crafted to other players and traders. You could also convert real-life €'s^(Euros) into ¤W¤'s^{(Wurm currency/silver)} using the Wurm store...

Q) Why is it so dark? I can't see

A) * The problem may lie with your graphics card. Check to see if it features a gamma adjustment setting. If so turn it up very high. A) * The game features full day/night cycles and nighttimes are fairly dark. Time in Wurm is 8x real time so the darkness should only last 1 to 1.5 hours.

Q) How do I use a large anvil?

A) The large anvil is best used on ground or while it is in a forge or campfire and making the lump active.

Q) How do I change game settings? How do I get better frame rates

A) On the log-in screen, there is an options button, you can change the settings there. More information on those settings can be found here

Q) What weapon should I create first?

A) A 10 quality short sword is good for killing rats and such.

Q) Why am I moving so slowly?

A) There are many factors that can reduce your speed:

• Rough terrain
• Carrying heavy loads
• Wearing armour
• Having low stamina
• The "Hurting" status

Also, make sure the "climbing" toggle is switched off.

Q) What are percentages on creating items?

A) The percentage listed on the create menu is the chance that you will succeed, all modifiers taken into account. However, unlucky streaks can and will happen. Failing ten times in a row with 95% success rate is very bad luck, not a bug.

Q) Why wont my stamina regenerate?

This may be caused by lag or you having "Hungry" and/or "Thirsty" in your event box, or your Climbing switch is activated.