New Player Guide: Basics

Basics

Now that you are more familiar with the interface, it is time to take a walk and get to know the town around you. Depending on your starting location, you are now inside the local Inn or the city Bank .

Inns & Banks

Inns act as lodging places for travelers who seek shelter to rest safely. They are safe places where you can log out instantaneously.

Banks provide a place of storage, also known as the bank box. To open your bank box you must first visit a bank. Most cities have one, usually found in a central location. When you are close enough to a banker or minter NPC, say "bank" to open your box. You can also open it by using a context menu on the NPC.

Context Menu & NPCs

The term Context Menu refers to a menu accessed by single clicking on something (or holding down shift, then single clicking on something, if one has selected the option to handle it that way). Several game mechanics can be accessed this way.

A Non-Player Character (NPC) is any character that is not controlled by a player. The term's polar opposite is Player Character. Although not controlled by players, monsters and animals are not generally considered NPCs. Hostile NPCs are sometimes categorized with other creatures or monsters. Typical examples of NPCs include: Bankers, Minters, Healers, Vendors and Guards. You can also pay NPCs for training your Skills up to a certain level.

Skills

Ultima Online has 58 different skills currently in game which determine the capabilities of your Character. You can expend up to 700 points between these however you desire.

In order to improve in a skill you simply carry out the associated actions. For example, if you wish to train as a Swordsman, simply fight Monsters with a sword equipped. Likewise, casting a Fishing Pole out into the water is all it takes to become a better Fisherman. Each skill is associated with certain Statistics, which are trained in the same manner.

You can usually pay NPCs for training up to a certain level. For example, visit your local blacksmith's shop and you should be able to learn some of their trade via their Context Menus. You will be expected to pay for these services, of course, though the Gold requested is a pittance. The gold amount is 1 GP per 1/10 of skill with the highest amount of skill costing 400 gold for 40 skill points.

Classic Client - Clicking on the skills icon from the Paperdoll will open a window where you can see the current level of each skill. On this menu, there are small yellow arrows, or locks, located next to each skill. These indicate whether a skill will increase, decrease or not change at all. To gain in a specific skill, make sure the arrow is pointing up. By default, all skills are set to increase as displayed by the upward arrow next to them.
Enhanced Client - Clicking on the skills icon from the Player Quick Menu will open a window where you can see the current level of each skill. On this menu, there are small yellow arrows, or locks, located next to each skill. These indicate whether a skill will increase, decrease or not change at all. To gain in a specific skill, make sure the arrow is pointing up. By default, all skills are set to increase as displayed by the upward arrow next to them.

Statistics

Stats, an abbreviation of statistics, refers to the three statistics all characters have in varying amounts, as follows:

Strength - Determines how much can be carried, amount of melee damage, and number of Hit Points;
Intelligence - Determines the amount of Mana a player has and can affect skills such as Magery; and
Dexterity - Determines Stamina and is important for skills such as Snooping and Parrying.

Classic Client - Clicking on the status icon from the Paperdoll will open the Character Status Menu where you can see your current statistics. On this menu, there are small yellow arrows, or locks, located next to each stat. These indicate whether a stat will increase, decrease or not change at all. To gain in a specific stat, make sure the arrow is pointing up. By default, all stats are set to increase as displayed by the upward arrow next to them.
You can minimize the Character Status Window into a bar by clicking on the crossing squares on the right bottom of the menu:

The bar displays (from top to bottom) your Hit Points (H), Mana (M) and Stamina (S):
Enhanced Client - Clicking on the character sheet icon

from the Paperdoll will open the Character Sheet where you can see your current statistics. On this sheet, there are small yellow arrows, or locks, located next to each stat. These indicate whether a stat will increase, decrease or not change at all. To gain in a specific stat, make sure the arrow is pointing up. By default, all stats are set to increase as displayed by the upward arrow next to them.
Note that your Hit Points, Mana and Stamina are also displayed on the status bar: