Graal:The Journey Through Knowledge
 

This is really an updated version, or version 2, to the thread i made in about august of 04'
(can be found here: http://forums.graalonline.com/forums...ad.php?t=55056).

Please take note: I may say some of the same concepts/ideas as my old thread, but this is just an updated and very more useful guide, then my previous one. Just read and you'll see what I mean.

Purpose of this thread: To make a few things on Graal clear to everyone. Whether its the returning veterans, that play the game each year and enjoy their stay, or whether its the new recruits, which have just started and know nothing of the game. I am just trying to help out, and hopefully this is useful to everyone.

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Table Of Contents:

I. Downloading the client
II. Running setup.exe
III. Newfeatures.txt
IV. Creating an account.
. Account types/Benefits of each.
V. Graal Level Editor Mode
VI. Different Server Tabs
. Job Descriptions (Local Only)
VII. Staff Jobs (Local Only)
VIII. Remote Control
IX. Note From Author

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I. Downloading the client

The graal main website is either

http://www.graalonline.com or http://www.graal2001.com

I recommend using http://www.graal2001.com since it has been updated more recently then http://www.graalonline.com

Anyways, when you first get into the website, you will see a lot of information. Basically, the front page of the site is the news section. All recently posted news, is shown on the front page of the site. At the top of the page, you will see the beautiful Graal Online banner. The banner on http://www.graal2001.com is animated, and the banner on http://www.graalonline.com is not.

Anyways, if you are using http://www.graalonline.com, then what you want to look for is the "About Graal" section of the banner.



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/1492/graal14wn.png


If you are using http://www.graal2001.com, then what you want to look for is the "What Is Graal" section of the banner.



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/5595/graal24rw.png



After looking for the "About Graal" section of the banner, while using http://www.graalonline.com you should then click the "About Graal" sign which will then give you a list of sublinks to choose from. You should really read every link in the site if you're just starting, but for now, just go to the "download game client" section as indicated in the following:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/7229/graal31qv.png



After looking for the "What Is Graal" section of the banner, while using http://www.graal2001.com you should then click the "What Is Graal" sign which will then give you a list of sublinks to choose from. You should really read every link in the site if you're just starting, but for now, just go to the "download game client" section as indicated in the following:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/7091/graal44wc.png



When you click on the "download game client" section, while using http://www.graalonline.com you will see three downloadable setups. Their are three downloadable setups, because each setup is for a different user. What i mean by user, is that Graal runs on Windows, Linux, and MacOSX. Choose the appropriate download which corresponds with your current computer settings. All requirements for downloading the setup are right next to the setup download link:

For Windows:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/9461/graal51ju.png



For Linux:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/1715/graal68at.png



For MacOSX:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/6640/graal74vg.png



When you click on the "download game client" section, while using http://www.graal2001.com you will see three downloadable setups. Their are three downloadable setups, because each setup is for a different user. What i mean by user, is that Graal runs on Windows, Linux, and MacOSX. Choose the appropriate download which corresponds with your current computer settings. All requirements for downloading the setup are right next to the setup download link:

For Windows:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/5913/graal84va.png



For Linux:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/6021/graal99bw.png



For MacOSX:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/81/graal101ga.png



If you want to run Graal lag free and without problems, then you should probably buy yourself a new computer if you dont meet the requirements and you wish to play Graal.

After selecting the proper setup for you, click on the link, save the setup to any file directory in your computer which you choose, and run the setup.

II. Running setup.exe

Find the directory path in which you downloaded setup.exe. Once you locate that directory, double click srtup.exe, and you should see a window that looks like the following:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/3233/graal119tg.png


Basically, there are a few functions you could choose from already. Everything is self explanatory, except the "Install For" function may confuse you. This option is always automatically set as "Just For Me", but if you're running on a computer with, for example, Windows XP, and you have more then one user account on your computer which you want to have Graal installed in, then you should click "All Users", so that Graal is installed into every user account on your computer.

Next, after selecting a file directory to install Graal to (I recommend you use the custom file directory, which is C:/graal2001). Press the Next button.

In this new screen, you will notice something different. The "Back" function is now available.



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/5439/graal120nl.png



Basically, If you pressed the wrong button, or messed up while editing some functions/directory files, you can always use the "Back" function to go back to your previous setup installation settings and edit them with the correct/fixed information.

Now, back to the new setup installation settings page. The page is basically self explanatory, just read the information at the top, and after you've picked a directory, or kept the current one, just press next.

The next setup installation settings page should look like this



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/9897/graal133nc.png



I just noticed, that at the top their is a typo. It reads "Graal setup, Choose your Internet setings", when it should read "Graal setup, Choose your Internet settings", well, this is another self explanatory page. Choose your internet settings and press "next".

The next setup page is the site where you wish to download graal from. Normally, http://www.graalonline.com is the only site in the list and is highlighted. I recommend that you download Graal via the official site, or you might be downloading an virus infected version or a non working version filled with bugs. After that, press next and you will see the most important page in the setup:



http://img142.exs.cx/img142/1104/graal143xw.png



Here is a scroll menu of exactly what you wish to install. Everything next to "Keep" is what you are installing, and everything next to "Skip", is what you're not installing. You should review everything that has "Skip", to see if you actually want to download anything. After that, just click next, and let the files install to your computer.

When the files are done installing, Graal should automatically open, leaving you with this window:



http://img237.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img2...graal153qb.png



Close it for now, and go to the file directory in which you installed graal. Once you're there, open the Graal2001 folder.

III. Newfeatures.txt

When you open the Graal2001 folder, you should search for all of the text files that begin with "newfeatures". Usually its titled "newfeatures" and then after the word 'features' comes the year (Example: newfeatures2004). I highly recommend you read each and everyone of these text files, because they state every single new feature added to the Graal client. After that, go back to the Graal2001 folder, locate graal.exe, and execute the program (run the program).

IV. Creating an account

Once again, you should be looking at something that looks like the following:

http://img237.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img2...graal151fw.png

Click on the icon that says "Get an account", and a new box should open, that looks like the following:

http://img142.exs.cx/img142/9826/graal168tl.png

Press "open" and an internet explorer box should appear redirecting you to the account registration forum in the http://www.graal2001.com directory. It automatically directs you to that directory instead of http://www.graalonline.com so please dont be alarmed or concerned if you used http://www.graalonline.com to do everything, because it really doesnt matter. One site just has a different template/skin then the other one does. All the information is the same. Anyways, fill out all of the information required in the registration form. Please note, you shouldnt lie about your age, the age limit was set for your Privacy Protection. Im sure their are a lot of players that have lied about their age, but I dont encourage you to do so. If you arent 13 or older yet, then why lie about it? Nothing wrong with being young. Just act mature, and have patience. The age of 13 comes by and goes by faster then you may think.

Once you've filled out all of the information, press the "Submit Registration!" button. If everything was filled out correctly, well, congradulations, you now have a trial account!

V. Account types/Benefits of each.

In graal, there are currently a total of 4 account types.

. Trial
. P2P
. Gold
. VIP

A trial account, you could say, is like a "demo" account. I mean it's a "demo" account because a trial account, just like demo's, have limitations. A trial account is a "free" account, in other words, you dont have to pay for one. While using a trial account the only servers you can get on are Classic Tab Servers. Many of the players on graal usually hang around the Classic Tab servers so some people might think, "wow, i get to play in some pretty neat servers in which most of graal players....for free!?", well, sorry to burst your bubble. While it's true you can get on classic tab servers, theres also some flaws to it. When playing graal, everything you do is saved under your account. Sort of like an automatic save function, but, on trial accounts, when you get off a server and come back, you are automatically reset. This means that everything you did would be reset and you would have to do it all over again. Trial accounts are free of charge, but its not really worth it since you cant save any progress you might make.

A P2P account is an account type which just like a trial account, only has access to the Classic Tab servers, BUT, a P2P account member has the special automatic save feature i was talking about. If you have a P2P account, and you get on a server and do a lot, when you get off and return, everything you did would be saved and you dont have to start over. The two main differences that differ a Trial account to a P2P account is that the P2P account has the special automatic save feature, and you have to pay for a P2P account.

A Gold account, is an account type in which you have access to the Gold Tab, Classic Tab, and the Hosted Tab. A gold account member, can get on the special gold server "Graal Kingdoms", they can also access the Hosted Tab. A gold account member has that special automatic save feature on every server they visit, and they can also visit Private Playerworlds. You also have to pay to get a Gold account.

The last account type on the list is a VIP account. A VIP member has a few interesting features. A VIP member can access Private Playerworlds, Hosted Tab Playerworlds, and Classic Tab Playerworlds. A long with access to these server tabs, when you subscribe to become a VIP member, you get a special (VIP) tag. You also get a graal.net webspace and a lot of other things you might find interesting. A VIP member has the same features as a Gold account except a VIP member cant access the Gold tab.


NOTE: Once you buy any of the paid account types, your "Classic" status never expires. Gold and VIP may run out, but you'll never go back all the way to Trial.

VI. Graal Level Editor Mode

Open the graal.exe program, and this window should appear:

http://img237.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img2...graal151fw.png

Now, you are probably wondering what the "Editor" icon means, well, click it, and I'll explain. When you click the editor icon, another window will appear. What you are looking at is basically your own way of creating your own graal playerworlds. In this new window, you can script NPC's (Non-Player Characters), or make levels. In this new window, you can create whatever you want, whenever you want, and the best part is, that you can access Editor mode while offline. The only downside to Editor mode, is that there is no NPC-Server, so scripting offline is not as accurate as scripting online.

VII. Different Server Tabs

. Classic Tab

The Classic Tab carries all of the "public" servers. Every server in the Classic Tab is public to every account type. Most players on Graal play servers on the Classic Tab.

The Classic Tab servers include:

Unholy Nation
Valikorlia
Delteria
Graal The Adventure (Also known as "Classic")
Era
N-Pulse
Maloria
Shaded Legend
Atlantis

All of those servers are public to everyone, and each include different events, different npc's, different game play, and a different enviornment and background. Each server has it's own unique "something" about it, and no one should judge a server until they've played it to the fullest extent.

. Hosted Tab

The Hosted Tab is a Tab of servers which have a decent amount of levels and player activities (I.E Events, Npc's, etc), but just aren't ready to go to the Classic Tab. When a Private Playerworld has enough levels, and player activities to keep players entertained and not bored senseless, they are moved to the Hosted Tab so that players can test, and enjoy the server before they finish it up and possibly head to the Classic Tab (a.k.a go public).

The Hosted Tab servers include:

Aeon
Zenkou
Eden
Doomsday
Elemental Kingdoms

. Gold Tab

The Gold Tab is a Tab of currently only two "public" servers. These servers are only "public" to the users which have a Gold Type Account. P2P type users have the ability to get on the "public" gold servers called "Graal Kingdoms", and "Zone", but if they log off and get back on, then they will be reset. So, in other words, P2P and VIP type accounts can get on Graal Kingdoms, and/or Zone, but they act as if they were trial accounts. Another benefit of VIP type accounts is that VIP type accounts act like Gold type accounts on saturdays and sometimes sundays. To make things a bit clear, VIP type accounts only get the "automatic save" feature on Graal Kingdoms, and/or Zone on the weekends. There are also some other servers in the Gold Tab but they can only be accessed if given proper access by Stefan or unixmad.

Some Private Gold Servers would Include:

Debug
ScriptDev

. Private Playerworlds

Private Playerworlds are "hidden" servers which are currently under heavy development. Private Playerworlds can be purchased, but you have to form a team to build the server yourself. A player can only access Private Playerworlds if they have a Gold type account, VIP type account, or both. If you dont have a Gold or VIP type account and you try to access a Private Playerworld, then you will get an error box with the message "You need to register an account." Private Playerworlds are not listed anywhere, so to find out their names, you would need to run the Remote-Control program, which shows a complete list of every server. The servers with Gold next to them are obviously Gold Tab servers. The servers with nothing next to them are Classic Tab servers, and the servers with a red triangle next to them are private or hosted playerworlds.

etc...

VIII. Staff Jobs (Local Only)

There are currently five (5) common local staff positions:

Events Team
FAQ Team
NAT
LAT
GAT

. Job Descriptions (Local Only)

Events Team - The Events Team is the source of entertainment on the servers. Most servers (although I believe all servers should have these), have a set of fun levels called "Events". Events are basically several player competitions, which the winners earn prizes. The people who host these events, are called the Events Team. Think of them as the sports recreation advisors, just dont take the word "sports" so literal.

FAQ Team - FAQ means "Frequently Asked Questions". Basically, this is a team of individuals, that are experts on the server. They work on guiding new players, into knowing the server like the back of their hands. When you are lost on a server, or dont understand something, you ask these individuals, and I'm sure they will be more then happy to assist you.

NAT - NAT means "NPC Administration Team". The NAT Team, deals with all scripting on the server. They script things to make the server more fun for the players, and well, without scripters, servers would just be a bunch of levels with no excitement.

LAT - LAT means "Levels Administration Team:. The LAT Team, deals with all level making on the server. They make levels to make the server more exciting for the players, and well, without level makers, servers would just be a bunch of scripts with no scene.

GAT - GAT means "Graphics Administration Team". The GAT Team, deals with all graphics on the server. They create graphics to make the server look better, and to give images to every npc. Without graphic makers, servers would be filled with a bunch of pictureless images.

NOTE: There are other positions, but these are the most common and easiest to get hired to.

IX. Remote Control

On Graal, most staff when hired, are allowed Remote Control (RC) access to the server. While on RC, staff can upload things directly to the server, which allow the players to access your work. Without RC, uploading your work to the server would be impossible. To access remotecontrol.exe, you should simply go to your graal folder, and search for remotecontrol.exe, and viola.

NOTE: When you have RC access on a server, and you log onto RC on that server, you will be able to wear the (RC) tag.

Example:

My current name on RC is: *Gambet

If I wanted, I can go to the image on RC (it differs on the type of RC skin you have) that allows you to change your nickname, and I would add (RC) next to my name and close that little window. When I get back, my new name on RC would be:

*Gambet (RC)

X. Note From Author

For those who didnt read the purpose of this thread, I guess I'll restate it:

To make a few things on Graal clear to everyone. Whether its the returning veterans, that play the game each year and enjoy their stay, or whether its the new recruits, which have just started and know nothing of the game. I am just trying to help out, and hopefully this is useful to everyone.

I hope this helps out anyone who had/has trouble with starting off Graal. I wish everyone a happy time on Graal, and I wish they would enjoy their stay. I know Graal can be a bit complicated at first, but this thread is just a step closer to making things less complicated.

Good Luck, and Have Fun!

-Gambet

Looks pretty good. Some of the writing could be improved (there are a couple of mispellings and some parts don't read naturally), but it's a nice introduction.

Wow

"yo thats reel cool"

Laugh out loud.

Kaimetsu, can I make a bet with you to see if you can restrain yourself from correcting someone's grammar for twenty-four hours >_< . hehe.

Why do you think I correct grammar all the time? :\ I didn't even do it in this case, I just mentioned that there are linguistic errors to fix up.

I didnt know how to word it. >_<

Graal could do with an in-game help thing, like this.
I am going to start a creation of solutions to common problems.

It would also be good if the in-game help can be linked to the support center and prompt information required to help people so that all information is given - for a faster solution.

It's a good start (finally)

Maybe also make this thread sticky or something. :)

If people can find the forums, then great.

I think a resource guide like this would be better located on the website.

If you need the assistance, then I could help out. I enjoy doing things like these, so its no hassle. I'm glad you all like it. I'm just giving a helping hand :).