User:Ahnaom
Contents
What is this guide?
The purpose of this article is to give new players some general overview of the Shartak game and its community, provide a few basic tips and help you to find the way around more easily. This is a good place to start.
It is not a comprehensive guide or manual of the game that tries to cover every aspect of Shartak. There are, however, many links included that can point you to the places with more details. Also, be sure to check other articles in the Wiki, especially the ones that are provided on the front page.
Things to know before you start
- Free browser game
Shartak is a free game, it can be played on any operating system with a regular web browser like Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome or Internet Explorer. There is no need to install anything else. Since everything is stored on the server, you do not have to be constantly logging in from the same computer either.
- Pacing
It is a slow paced game. You won't be slaughtering enemies left and right, every action that you make costs some action points which slowly regenerate over time. Depending on your play style, it might not take longer than 10 minutes per day to enjoy the game.
- Goals
Shartak is what you make of it. Once you complete the in-game beginners' tutorial there are no predefined goals that you have to achieve. You are free to explore, heal, hunt, fight other players, trade or just sit and have some beer with your friends in the tavern. It's up to you to set your own goals.
- Persistent environment
Your character will be in the game regardless if you are logged in or not. This means he or she can be killed, healed, etc. while you are away. Real time interactions are not that common in Shartak, players kind of "take turns" logging in and spending their action points whenever they see fit.
- Roleplaying
While not being mandatory, roleplaying is encouraged. This means that you are not playing as yourself but rather create a character with his or her own background story, appearance, values, etc. While many players act as if Shartak was in the colonial era, there is no official setting for the game.
Character basics
Every action in the game costs some AP. There are different costs for various actions. When your AP reach zero you cannot do anything until at least 1 point has recharged. AP recharge at a rate of one every 20 minutes up to a maximum of 75 (or 80 for Scouts and Explorers). New characters get a larger one-time pool of AP.
There are decimal fractions that are not shown on the User interface, they are counted by the server nonetheless (e.g. talking costs 0.1 AP).
- Hit Points (HP) and death.
They show how much damage your character can take before dying. You can restore your own HP by eating, drinking or using medical supplies to heal yourself. Healing herbs (natives) and first aid kits (outsiders) also allow you to heal other players. When your HPs reach zero your character dies and enters the spirit world. From there you can be returned to life by one of the island's NPC Shaman or continue your existence as a spirit and haunt the living. Death is a rather common occurrence in Shartak but is merely an inconvenience.
Take a look at tips for staying alive later.
Some actions like healing or inflicting damage earn you experience points. Earned XP may be expended to purchase new skills that reflect the growth of your character.
More information on the sources of XP.
Creating a character
There are some choices you will have to make when registering a new character.
Natives and outsiders
These are the two main factions of the game. By choosing a character class you automatically pick one of the sides since there are no neutral classes. The two factions have different settlements, specific skills and items. You can not understand the language of the opposing faction and are unable to use some of their items without acquiring special abilities. There is no automatic recognition of their players either.
Outsiders have better scientific knowledge, they can use GPS for navigation. Scientists among them have good healing abilities. Natives are more familiar with the wilderness and the spirit world. They can distinguish between poisonous and edible berries, experienced shamans are able to summon or exorcise spirits.
There is no big ongoing war between the two factions and there are some friendly characters on both sides. Some of them also spill a lot of blood among their kin instead. However, generally one should expect more hostility from the other faction.
There is no way to switch sides later in the game.
Character classes
Each player belongs to a certain class. The main differences are in Hit points (HP) and a few class-specific skills that are exclusive to that group (very rough description in brackets).
Native classes:
- Warrior (can effectivelly use ranged weapons)
- Scout (best at moving through dense jungle)
- Villager (finds more items, can be a decent healer, hunter or trader)
- Shaman (can manipulate the spirits)
- Cannibal (can refill their health quickly, very tough and hard to kill)
Outsider classes:
- Soldier (can effectivelly use powerful weapons)
- Explorer (best at moving through dense jungle)
- Settler (finds more items, can be a decent healer, hunter or trader)
- Scientist (best at healing)
- Pirate (can plunder other settlements).
This is a permanent decision and it will determine what you will be able to do in the game, choose wisely.
Home camp
Depending on your class you might have a choice of your home camp. Respawning there is always the most effective way to come back after the death. It costs the least Action points (AP). You do not have to spend most of your time at the home settlement but it is probably a good idea to check the town pages before choosing one.
Pirates always start in Shipwreck, other outsiders might pick Durham, York or Derby.
Cannibals live only in Rakmogak, other native classes can choose from Raktam, Wiksik and Dalpok.
Also, take a look at Settlements.
Tutorial
You will be presented with an option to follow an in-game tutorial. It might seem boring but is actually a very short and useful way to get familiar with the game. It will also grant you a good amount of Experience points (XP).
Skills and leveling up
There are two things you need to consider when buying your skills. Eventually you will be able to get them all but at lower levels it is important to plan ahead and establish your priorities.
- Your playstyle
There are many guides with "mandatory" skill lists but it actually comes down to what do you want to do in the game. Peaceful healers might not hurry with buying combat skills, characters that stay at home camps might want to ignore the exploration skills for some time. Think about how you would like to spend at least the early days in the game and plan accordingly.
- Effectiveness
Or, a good future XP income. Costs of leveling up increase with each level. Some skills give you abilities that further grant XP, some bring other benefits. It is important to distinguish between the two types. Some of the more effective ways include combat against players or NPC animals (ranged weapon skills for Soldiers and Warriors, melee for other classes), healing, visiting trading posts. Spirit and shaman skills might also bring decent amounts of XP.
Your inventory
Every player starts with some items in his inventory. By default you have 70 slots that can be expanded to 100 if you buy a backpack.
How to allocate this space and what things to carry is entirely up to you. Obviously, a soldier would want to have some spare rifles and loads of bullets, a kind native would prefer to have a lot of healing herbs and a juicer would probably carry around lots of empty gourds. There are some items that come in handy for many types of players, here is a rough list.
Recommended items:
- 2-3 machetes or cutlasses (if you wander out in the jungle)
They can help you to cut down the vegetation, sometimes the jungle gets so thick it is almost impossible to pass without chopping. - 1 sharpening stone
Blades can get blunt and they become next to useless in that case. - Knife or a dagger
These are used to carve text on huts and trees. Will come in handy. - Some spare weapons (if you engage in combat often)
Every single weapon in the game has a chance to break. - Healing supplies
The more you can afford, the better. The island has some dangerous animals and angry players. - Some spare gourds or bottles.
They can be used to juice fruit and carry around fresh water, both are used for healing oneself. - GPS. (not available to natives from the start)
A very convenient gadget to find your way around the island. - Some gold coins
You can sell unnecessary items at the trader's hut. Gold does not take up any space so it is always a good idea to convert some of the junk into coins.
Settlements
Settlements or camps play a major role in Shartak. They are generally the centers of roleplaying activity and also have resource and trading posts, primary sources for supplies. Each camp also has an NPC shaman that provides easy respawns for the members of the settlement.
Settlement fixtures
All six settlements are rather similar except for the shipwreck which is somewhat different. It should be noted that huts cannot be destroyed but they can be hidden by thick jungle vegetation.
- Empty huts
The most common type of hut. They can be found both in the jungle or at any settlement except the Shipwreck. Some may be occupied by players now. Many clans and players have laid claim to certain huts as their territory. However, most of them do not particularly mind a friendly and polite visitor. - Medical huts
These huts can be searched for medical supplies. They are the best places to look for first aid kits (in outsider settlements) and healing herbs (in native settlements). - Ammunition huts
Vital for Soldiers and Warriors. They provide both the blowpipes (native) and rifles (outsider), also their ammunition. - Trader's hut
These can be found in every single settlement. Here, one can barter for supplies or trade for gold. Searching is useless in this hut. Visiting the same trader too frequently will result in worsened prices. Additionally, prices fluctuate a bit according to supply and demand. - NPC Shaman
There is no way to interact with settlement shamans other than being revived by them in your home camp.
Shipwreck
Unlike other settlements, the shipwreck site holds only two structures. One is a regular trading post, the other one is the ship itself. The shipwreck has five rooms. Each room supplies different items. Cutlasses can be found in the armory or the large hold. First aid kits can be obtained in the large hold, albeit with far worse search rates than in other settlements.
Community
- Shartak Wiki: You are reading it now. It is the primary source for any information about Shartak , maintained and updated by the volunteer players. Not every corner of it can keep up with the latest changes but it is still the best "manual" for the game available.
- Clans: There are many of them in Shartak, usually with their own specific agendas. Quite a few are happy to help the newcomers settle in.
- Official Forum: For saying hello to other players, discussions, major events and more. A good place to ask for questions if you can not find an answer in the wiki pages.
- IRC channel: Real-time chatting.
Helpful Links
These links should help answer any questions you might have:
The following more detailed class-specific gameplay and skill guides are written specifically for newcomers:
- The Native Path (for natives)
- Outsider Ingenuity (for outsiders)
- A Pirate's Life (for pirates)
