Basic Knowledge

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

What is Wurm Online?

Notch and Rolf (Founders): "...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.

Wurm is many things, but first and foremost it is a survival MMO. In Wurm you must struggle to survive, at least in the beginning. You must find your own food, your own water (with the exception of the first 24 hours of game play, during which you may be able to find a bartender) and your own shelter, unless there is another player generous enough to provide them for you. Once you have mastered the basics of survival you can go on to build great structures, master a trade, combat the enemies of your kingdom or all of the above!

How to Download

Wurm does not require a traditional download or install as it uses Java Webstart.

All you have to do is is click the big "Play" button right in the middle of the main page. This will download the Java Webstart application (.jnlp file) which displays news, the login formular and a menu (to reach settings for example). It will also load the main game files in the background, which you can observe in the "pack updates" tab.

To run the Webstart application you need to have Java installed. It's not advisable to save the .jnlp file on your computer though, as it changes frequently. Better load it from the web always.

If you have a problem with getting the Wurm client working try looking at the Common bugs and solutions page, manual downloads are also located through this link.

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 character name and gender and an email address. Up to five Characters can share the same email address. Please note that the Charactername 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.

After running the Webstart you see the login formular, where you enter your character's Name and Password. Also check "I agree to the terms". Then click on the Play button.

Your character will spawn inside a tutorial in Golden Valley.

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:

You need to find a source of water and find a way to carry some water with you. Go here and read this guide Guide To Cooking. It teaches you how to make a bowl but making a jar is very similar. If you run out of water your stamina will recharge extremely slowly and your actions will be severely limited.
You need to build a house, go here: The "how do I build a house?" guide.
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. Veterans will also have more skills, experience and access to better materials.

Try to stay close to your start town until you get the hang of the game, because you will return here when you die. When you are part of a settlement, it will provide a second respawn point.
You are given a set of Beginners Tools, they will stay with you when you die and re-spawn. Other items will not.

Death and dying

If you die, you lose 0.25 points from some skills and 0.01 of body strength, or if you die in pvp you lose only fight skill.

After death, you will see a red and black screen with a little box in the middle, where you have to choose where you want to respawn. If you are dead but cannot see that little box, type /respawn in the chat window.

If you have no deed, you will only be able to spawn at your current server's starter town. If 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.

Your items will be on your corpse, with the exception of the newbie items you get when you first start, deeds, writs, any items you may have in a Bag of Keeping (BoK) or Master Bag of Keeping (MBoK), and other no-drop items. As long as your items are inside your corpse, they are safe from other players. You'll need to find the corpse to get them back. If the corpse has decayed, usually within 24 hours, the items that were on it will be a pile of items on the ground where you died and free for everybody to grab.

Servers and accounts

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

Common problems of new players

How do I change game options/settings? How do I get better frame rates?

On the log-in screen, there is a "Settings" button. More information on those settings can be found here. For advice on settings for slower or older computers look here.

How can I customize my appearance?

In your inventory there will be an item called Hand mirror. By right mouse-clicking it and choosing Use, you will open a window where you can modify how your character looks in game. This item is a one-use object, so be sure you are satisfied with your appearance before confirming you are done modifying!

Why is it so dark? I can't see

The first 24 hours of playtime characters have automatic light source. After 24 hours the character will get the message "The light leaves you."
If it's dark because it's night time then you could make a light source such as a lantern or a torch.
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.
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.

What's the difference between equip and activate?

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

How do I activate an item?

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.

How do I equip a weapon?

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.

What can I do with a toolbelt?

A toolbelt is a piece of HUD that allows you to place up to ten tools or materials on it for quick selection. Wear (equip) the toolbelt on the legs of your torso, and the toolbelt will appear on the HUD. Drag tools from your inventory into the toolbelt's slots. They can later be removed from the belt by clicking on them with the Shift key held down, or replaced by other tools. The slots can be bound to hotkeys. Default is bind 1 ACTIVATE_TOOL1 and so on, up to 10.

Where do I get a pelt?

A pelt is a product from large rats, wild cats, mountain lions, and dogs. In order to get one, first try asking if someone in the area already has one, as they can be very common (and usually decay if stored and not in the player's inventory). You may be lucky enough to find one for sale at a trader or merchant. Alternatively, find and kill one of these animals and use a butchering knife to butcher the corpse. If you are successful, you may get a pelt, meat, and other animal parts.

I'm so lost, how do I open up the map?

There are in-game maps in Wurm Online. However, you will still have to rely on your compass, navigational skills, and wits to open up the in-game map click the 'map button' on your quickbar(the icon resembles a globe). Luckily, there are out of game player made maps that will help you get a general idea of where you are. When you enter or leave a settlement you will get a message in the event window telling you the name of the settlement ("You leave Blossom"). Examining the ground tiles in and around a settlement can tell you information like "This is within the village of Blossom" or "This is within the perimeter of Blossom". The settlement token of a settlement (deed) has a compass on top. Asking for directions in local chat might help you on your way as well.

Can I starve to death or die of thirst?

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. If you have enough fat reserves and your food bar drops to 6-8%, you will fast. A message in the event window will say: "Your hunger goes away as you fast" and your hunger bar will be filled again. For more information on how many times you can fast, the effects on your nutrition level and how to build up new fat reserves, look here.

Note that your thirst bar will not be filled when you fast, so you need to either stay near water/water sources or carry a container that is able to hold liquids (like a pottery jar, water skin, small bucket etc.).

Why am I moving so slowly?

There are many factors that can reduce your speed:

Rough terrain (Moss, Clay, Sand, Peat, Tar)
Carrying heavy loads
Wearing armour
Having low stamina
The "Hurting" status

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

Why can't I get out or move at all?

If you get stuck in a large pit or cave, first try the Climbing toggle or /stuck command. If you definitely cannot get out, or if you find a bug or glitch etc, then type /support to contact any of the GM's if they are online. Please use this feature sparingly.

Why won't my stamina regenerate?

This may be caused by lag, having "Hungry" and/or "Thirsty" in the status bar, swimming, or your Climbing toggle is activated. If you are being attacked, your stamina bar also will not regenerate and you may not be able to move away fast enough to get away in order to regain stamina which leaves you in a very dangerous situation.

How do I make money?

In Wurm money can be randomly obtained by when killing monsters/animals or botanizing (when the server coffers have money) or bought in the Wurm store. You can also make money by working for other players or selling to them.

the money in the server coffers comes from deed upkeep,which comes from the shop.

The traders do not create or destroy money either, they only use the money that already present in the Game. They can be a source of money, but often enough they are broke as well.

How do I use a large anvil?

The large anvil can only be used when dropped on the ground and making an iron lump active.

What weapon should I create first?

The 10 quality short sword you get at the beginning is barely good enough for killing rats and such, most experienced players will advice you to use a long sword, or other large one handed weapon, together with a (large shield) for added protection.

Bows are popular as well, because they allow you to deal damage without receiving any yourself. Especially (long bow)s, have such a range that most creatures are unable to see and attack you.

Here is more information on axes, mauls, polearms, swords, archery and shields. And on fighting itself..

What are percentages on creating items?

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.

I think I've chosen a wrong server! Can I travel to another one?

It is possible to sail across some server borders, depending on which cluster it belongs to. Read here for more information. It is however not easy for a starter account to get a boat (unless you buy one from another player), so choose the server you want to play on wisely. If you are joining friends already playing: check and double check with them which server they are on.

My wrist hurts, can I bind actions to a key?

Yes you can and it is recommended to do so as it will make playing Wurm Online so much more enjoyable. Learn which actions you can bind to your keyboard keys in Key bindings and Quickswitch hotkeys.