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| So you've never played the game before and you're looking to get started. Sweet. New players are totally awesome and there are a ton of people playing on the servers who love to help you get going. However, even they can't help you if you don't have understanding on how the very basics work. So let's get started on that! | | So you've never played the game before and you're looking to get started. Sweet. New players are totally awesome and there are a ton of people playing on the servers who love to help you get going. However, even they can't help you if you don't have understanding on how the very basics work. So let's get started on that! |
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| <br>'''Step 1: [http://www.byond.com/ Download BYOND]'''.
| | ==Connecting== |
| | '''Step 1: [http://www.byond.com/ Download BYOND]''' |
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| Build Your Own Net Dream (or BYOND for short) is the platform that Space Station 13 runs on. We aren't going to lie - it's pretty bad. It's mostly held together with equal parts duct tape and prayer, and it took numerous attempts to work around the slipshod code to make it so it could be played with minimal latency. You will likely be cursing BYOND at least once. The sooner you get used to this, the better off you'll be. | | Build Your Own Net Dream (or BYOND for short) is the platform that Space Station 13 runs on. We aren't going to lie - it's pretty bad. It's mostly held together with equal parts duct tape and prayer, and it took numerous attempts to work around the slipshod code to make it so it could be played with minimal latency. You will likely be cursing BYOND at least once. The sooner you get used to this, the better off you'll be. |
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| Since the vanilla version of Space Station 13, many servers have branched out in their own ways and developed many different ideas. Many have borrowed code from one another, but most of them are different in some way. To join a server, you can either join by clicking on a server on the [[Main Page]] or [http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3485140 the first post of the SomethingAwful thread], by joining from the page on [http://www.byond.com/games/Exadv1/SpaceStation13 BYOND's site], or by entering the IP into the connect/favorites bar on your BYOND client for easy access. Since you're reading up on Goonserv, you're going to want to look for '''LLJK #1/LLJK #2''', hosted by the '''Galactic Order of Oppressive Neckbeards'''. | | Since the vanilla version of Space Station 13, many servers have branched out in their own ways and developed many different ideas. Many have borrowed code from one another, but most of them are different in some way. To join a server, you can either join by clicking on a server on the [[Main Page]] or [http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3485140 the first post of the SomethingAwful thread], by joining from the page on [http://www.byond.com/games/Exadv1/SpaceStation13 BYOND's site], or by entering the IP into the connect/favorites bar on your BYOND client for easy access. Since you're reading up on Goonserv, you're going to want to look for '''LLJK #1/LLJK #2''', hosted by the '''Galactic Order of Oppressive Neckbeards'''. |
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| | | == Fundamentals == |
| == First Things First == | | === Game Startup === |
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| [[File:SS13_Starting_up.png|200px|thumb|left|Welcome goon sir!]] | | [[File:SS13_Starting_up.png|200px|thumb|left|Welcome goon sir!]] |
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| Successfully connecting to a server will bring you to the screen shown to the left. It's very likely that you'll catch any given server in the middle of a round. The screen for pre-round stuff is mostly the same, and you can often tell when a round has just started or ended by the OOC chat being allowed briefly. In any case, there's two things you need to do first.<br> | | Successfully connecting to a server will bring you to the screen shown to the left. It's very likely that you'll catch any given server in the middle of a round. The menu options when you just join are: |
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| '''Number one - [[Rules|Read the Rules]]. What happens if you don't is your own fault.'''<br> | | '''Declare Ready''' -- Hit this to play. If the round is in the pre-game countdown, you will be assigned a role and placed on the station when the game starts. If the round has already begun, you'll get a popup asking you to pick an available job, and you will begin on the Arrival Shuttle. |
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| Number two - Set up your character. When you log into the server, two windows will pop up in front of the game window - the long vertical one with the postcard at the top is the Changelog, which details what has been added to the game recently. The other is your three pre-game options - Character Setup, Declare Ready, and Observe Round. click on '''Character Setup'''. This will display a menu that is mostly self-explanatory, and allows you to set your job preferences as well as your character's name, whether to randomly generate that name per round, and their age and general appearance. Tweak these settings however you like.
| | '''Setup Character''' -- You default to a random setup but can customize and save your character's name, appearance and such through here. This also allows you to set '''Occupation Preferences''', including whether or not you want to be an antagonist. Until you get a hang of the game you probably don't want to try being one or messing with tricky jobs like Captain, Security Officer, or AI. |
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| If you're new to this game, it's best to check the 'No' option in the bottom-most section, as those are vital roles to the station, which should not be selected until you gain more experience in SS13.
| | '''Observe''' -- You won't play this round, but you get to fly around as a ghost and see everything that's going on. |
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| * '''Name''': Click on the current name to enter a new one, or hit the blue (®) to randomly generate a new one. If you set the second ® to Yes, then you'll have a different random name every round.
| | === The UI === |
| * '''Gender''': Purely cosmetic, and barely even that given how small the sprites are.
| | [[File:SS13_UI_what.png|200px|thumb|left|Take it a bit at a time.]] |
| * '''Age''': Cosmetic again. Runs from 20 to 45.
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| * '''Bank PIN''': Used to set the PIN to your bank account, or hit the blue (®) to randomly generate a new one each round.
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| * '''Occupation Choices''': This is important. You have four levels of priority you can set each job to: unwanted, low priority, medium priority, and favorite. The higher one is, the more likely you are to receive that job.
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| * '''Blood Type''': Has a minor role in forensics, but that's it.
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| * '''Skin Tone''': Runs from 1 to 220, with 1 being albino and 220 being black.
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| * '''Underwear''': If this is set to Yes, you'll wear underpants when naked.
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| * '''Hair''': Choose your hair color, and its style. You'll see what it looks like on the model.
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| * '''Facial''': Choose your facial hair color, and its style. You'll see what it looks like on the model.
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| * '''Eyes''': Choose your eye color. You'll see what it looks like on the model.
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| * '''Be Captain?''': For now, set this to No. You'd put this on if you want to the [[Captain]] of the station.
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| * '''Be AI?''': For now, set this to No. You'd put this on if you want to the station's [[AI]].
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| * '''Be Changeling?''': For now, set this to No. You'd put this on if you want to a [[Changeling]].
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| * '''Be Syndicate?''': For now, set this to No. You'd put this on if you would want to be an [[Operative]] or a [[Traitor]].
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| * '''Be Wizard?''': For now, set this to No. You'd put this on if you would want to be a [[Wizard]].
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| * '''Be Other Enemies?''': For now, set this to No. You'd put this on if you would want to be a rare antagonist such as a [[Vampire]] or a [[Spy]].
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| * '''Load/Save/Reset''': Got everything sorted? Click Save so you won't have to enter it every time you play.
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| ''Occupation Choices'' is the most important thing here, for the moment. If you don't know how to do anything, enlisting as some form of [[Assistant]] is strongly recommended, and definitely do not sign up for [[antagonist]], Head, or AI roles if you don't know what you're doing. Assistants are essentially free from responsibilities aboard the station and are thus ideal for going around and learning the basics from people.
| | The User Interface is a bit tricky at first. |
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| In any case, once you've configured your character how you like, make sure to save those preferences, and then back out and click '''Declare Ready'''. Pre-round, this will automatically spawn you in your proper place when play starts, and in the middle of a round, it gives you another screen to select your job. Again, if you're clueless and eager to learn, Assistant-level work is recommended strongly.
| | The left side of the screen is the '''game window'''. It is centered on your character. You can move around with the arrow keys (sorry, no WASD). |
| | The right side of the screen is the '''info box''' and '''chat window'''. At the bottom of the screen is a text parser where you can type in what you want to say, or certain commands. |
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| When you select your job mid-round you will spawn in the [[Arrivals]] shuttle, which may add another thing to your plate if you need to get around and find your designated workspace. [[Mentorhelp]] and just plain asking over the radio is strongly advised for stuff like this.
| | *To talk out loud, you '''say "whatever"''' |
| | *To talk over the radio, you '''say ";whatever"''' |
| | *To get help from a mentor, enter '''mentorhelp''' and a popup box will appear. |
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| In any case... | | === Interacting === |
| | In the game window, left clicking is the basic interaction. It's based on your '''hands'''. At the bottom of the screen is your character interface. You have a Right Hand and Left Hand, and the highlighted hand is your current active hand. You can click your other hand slot to switch hands. |
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| == My God, It's Full Of Complexity ==
| | How your character interacts depends on what's in your hands, what you are interacting with, and what your '''intent''' is-- the four small colored hand icons. Clicking something with an empty hand will often try to pick it up (if an object), use it (if machinery), or shake/grab/punch it (if another player or creature). If you have something in your hands you will attempt to use it on whatever you're targeting. Things in the world react differently to different objects, and if nothing else happens, the default action is to simply hit the targeted object with whatever is in your hand. You will get feedback on your actions in the '''chat window'''. |
| [[File:SS13_UI_what.png|200px|thumb|left|Take it a bit at a time.]]
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| '''Try not to panic'''. Seriously. Don't take any hasty actions because Space Station 13 is the sort of game where it is possible for one to kill oneself with ''one's own shoes''. The controls and UI are probably the real reason that you're reading this, anyway. Let's break down the '''User Interface''' first, then, and after that we'll figure out how to avoid attacking random people and ourselves. | | Right-clicking on a thing brings up a menu list of verbs. Common verbs are '''Examine''' (gives a description of whatever), '''Pull''', '''Pick Up''', or '''Drop'''. Verbs may change depending on the object and how close you are to it. |
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| The ''left side of the game window'' is occupied by the actual game itself, showing all the environments and sprites. The ''right side of the window'' is occupied by chat and informational text. Both sides are important. Let's start by looking at the left side first.
| | Next to your hands are the Throw & Drop buttons. Click the drop button to drop whatever is in your active hand. Click the throw button once to highlight it, then click somewhere in the game panel to toss whatever is in your active hand there. |
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| *'''Your Character''' is always in the center of the game screen. Your sprite is mostly determined by what you're wearing and your appearance preferences.
| | === Equipment & Indicators === |
| *'''Other Players''' are represented by very similar-looking sprites in the game. The man in red standing next to my sprite is a fellow player.
| | The row at the bottom of the screen shows your equipment and inventory. You can click the 'INV' button to bring up/close an extension showing equipped clothing. If you click the 'INV' button with something in your active hand, you will automatically equip it, if possible. If there is already an object in the relevant spot it will switch places with whatever is in your active hand. |
| *'''Your Health''' is indicated by a number of boxes that occupy the top-right of the game window. Currently my health is at 100 percent; as one takes damage from any source, it will begin to go down, and the color will change from green to less friendly colors such as orange, and until you hit ''Critical'' state and eventually die. The game will [[Health Indicators|popup windows denoting the sources of damage you're taking]] over time, as opposed to direct injuries or attacks. '''''If you see a source-of-damage box, it's a red flag that you need to leave the area and seek protection from whatever is hurting you'''''.
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| The rest of the in-game UI is occupying most of the bottom of the game window.
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| *'''Equipment Slots''' are generally on the top row of boxes, and denote what your character has on you in some fashion, whether it's a helmet, a breath mask, a radio headset, etc. Clicking on an item occupying this slot will bring it to your ''active hand''. Having a compatible item in your active hand and clicking on an empty slot will equip it, or clicking on ''the green left-most button on the bottom row'', which will automatically attempt to equip your active hand's item and will also ''display or hide the top equipment slots''.
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| *'''Belt, Pockets, and Back''' slots are next to the green INV button and occupy the left half of the bottom row of buttons. These are like the equipment slots, and compatibe items can be put into these slots. Different slots can hold different items, and you will always start with your [[PDA]] in your belt slot and typically a water battle or pen in your pockets. Everybody also starts with a ''backpack'' on their back slot, which can be removed by dragging it to the active hand or opened by ''clicking on it with an empty active hand''.
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| *'''Your Hands''' are denoted by the middle slots of the bottom row, which have a ''hand background'' on them. You can hold items in your hands, which allows you to use them, or if you hands are empty what you will do by clicking on yourself and others is determined by your ''Intent''. These slots are incredibly important. One hand will always be surrounded by orange, denoting the ''active hand'', which is the one that will act when you click. You can switch active hands with the ''middle mouse button'' or by clicking on the hand slot. '''''Most items in the game will be wielded like weaponry when you click on something, even if your intent is set to Help! Be sure you're not about to bash somebody with the item you're holding; ignorance is no excuse!''''' Many items in the game can be interacted with only if your hand is free.
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| *'''Throw or Drop''' are the next two buttons. ''Throw'' is on the top; when clicked, it will enable you to toss the item in your active hand in whatever direction you click with your mouse like a projectile. When you click the ''Drop'' button, you simply and noiselessly toss whatever was in your active hand to the floor.
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| *'''Intent Settings''' are the next four buttons in the UI; these determine what action you will take when your active hand is empty and you click on another person (or yourself). The four Intent settings are:
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| **''Help'', the green hand. This will cause you to shake a person in an attempt to wake them up from stun or knockdown effects, or, if they're badly hurt, will allow you to attempt CPR. Gear worn on the head such as helmets and masks will block this until removed.
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| **''Disarm'', the yellow hand. This will allow you to attempt to remove something from another person's hands. An unwary attacker is often undone by a single lucky disarm levelling the playing field, and you should always be aware of Disarm's power. '''''Store items that might be used against you in other slots than your hands to keep them safe from theft or worse'''''.
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| **''Grab'', the orange fist. This allows you to grab somebody, and, like Disarming or punching, ''is typically seen as an aggressive action'' except for specific circumstances. Grabbing can lead to strangling by tightening your grip on a target, but if the target is capable of Resisting, it may prove ineffective. Gear on their head will also block strangling just as it does Help. Grabbing can also be used to toss a person, and it has other, more advanced functions. For the new-to-moderately-skilled-player, this is definitely the least common Intent setting.
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| **''Harm'', the red fist. Clicking on somebody, even yourself, with this Intent on will lead you to you punching and swinging away with every click. While it's generally better to wield some sort of weapon, even an improvised one, in an emergency you can ''target punches to vulnerable areas'' such as the ''head'' and ''groin'' This can land a surprise knockdown on your opponent, which can be deadly in a fight due to the [[robust]] combat engine.
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| Intent also governs how you collide with other players; attempting to move into someone else with ''Help'' on will lead to the two of you quickly switching places. Any other Intent will cause your character to ''shove them forward'' to make room for yourself. Excessive shoving is seen as a ''possibly aggressive, and definitely quite annoying, action'', so in crowded areas, having your Intent set to ''Help'' is usually better.
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| *'''Target Settings''' are next, and allow you to aim actions you take towards people by clicking on parts of the body until they are highlighted in red. This is used in special actions as well as simply to aim attacks for important places, ''such as the head or groin''. Aim does not matter for the purposes of disarming, helping, or grabbing, but it does affect where you will try to punch or attack with a weapon.
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| *'''Run/Walk''' is the top-left button of the four remaining on the in-game window. This will determine your ''movement setting''. Typically you want to be moving at a ''run'', and that is the default, but when the floor is wet ahead you want to slow to a walk or you will fall over. ''If you slow to a crawl and you aren't hurt and it's not BYOND lagging, check to see if you've accidentally toggled yourself to walk''.
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| *'''Pull''' is the top-right button on the bottom right side of the bar. It will be ''lit with orange'' around its border if you are currently dragging something, and you can click on it to release the object.
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| *'''Resist''' is the bottom-left button of the bunch, and it has a few specific applications. If somebody is attempting to put a grab on you or remove something from your person, click 'resist' to mess that process up. This is why, to do these things, one must often render a target incapable of resisting. '''''If you are lit on fire and actively burning, you must use Resist as well as Stand/Rest in order to first drop to the ground and then click Resist repeatedly to roll around and extinguish yourself'''''.
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| *'''Rest/Stand''' is the final button on the in-game UI and the final of the four we're looking at. This governs whether you are on the floor, recovering at a slow but steady rate, or on your feet. If you are knocked down for any reason, use this button to attempt to stand. On the other hand, if you need to rest from being drunk or something, use this button. You cannot move while resting.
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| Clear as mud, right? I know it seems that way, but the complexity of the UI will soon become like breathing to you, and you'll be able to work around it with ease.
| | Your backpack, belt, and pockets are extra places to store things, simply click an empty slot with your active hand to stow away whatever you've got (if it will fit). Clicking your backpack with an empty hand will bring up a small window showing everything in it. |
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| The '''right-hand side of the window''' is where the ''chat box'' goes, as well as information on the top-right. All sorts of information can be displayed and is often obvious or can be learned later. Mostly focus on the chat itself for now.
| | At the top right-side corner of the game screen is the '''health indicator'''. You begin at 100 and your indicator will turn red as you take more damage. If you enter critical health you will be knocked unconscious and unable to interact until you recover. Other [[Health Indicators]] may appear adjacent and typically mean that there is something wrong/dangerous about the area you are in. |
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| **''Text spoken normally'' will appear black and unitalicised, and can only be heard by people in the same general area as the speaker. Type say "message" to speak in this manner when you don't feel like broadcasting idle/treasonous chatter to the entire station.
| | === Other Controls === |
| **''Text spoken into the radio'' will appear green and will denote with a symbol whether it came from the headset or intercom, as well the frequency of the channel. To send radio messages, type say ; "message". This will broadcast to all active radios and the AI itself and is the most used method of chatting by far. An AI can click on your name from a radio message to zoom to your location with its cameras. Note that sometimes you may be spoken over if multiple people are trying to talk on the same frequency at the same time. If you need to get a message out, just retype it or copy-and-paste it and try again. Even the AI can be spoken over, which is usually seen when it is trying to recite its laws.
| | The other buttons on your main interface-- |
| ***''Special radio channels'' can be accessed by specialist headsets such as Security, Medical, or Engineering. These appear red, dark blue, or yellow, respectively, and you can send a message on this channel with say :h "message". Note that people standing near enough to you are able to hear your headset.
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| **''Whispering'' is a special ultra-short range version of 'regular talk' that is black and italicized and only understandable from a short number of tiles away. Those father away may catch garbled snippets of the message. To whisper, type whisper "message".
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| **''Machinetalk'' is a special form of communication only available to the AI, its Cyborgs, and anybody with a Machine Translation Implant. Messages can be sent this way with say :s "Message". Although it is unlikely you will encounter this at this stage, know that it is black and italiciized, and it gives no indication you are communicating at all to outsiders, unlike radio broadcasts.
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| **''Updates from CentComm'' will appear with a large title and red text and generally be very obvious. These can either be canned messages denoting specific or random events in the game, or messages straight from the [[Admin]]s. In any case, it is frequently bad news and definitely to be attended to.
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| **''Event Messages'' can be black, blue, or red, with the red ones typically demanding the most attention, since they can be potentially or overtly hostile actions. Not all red-text events are hostile, though; context matters. Red-texted event messages are rarely smart to ignore.
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| **''Deadchat'' is only available if you are dead or spectating, and denotes messages from other players in a similiar situation. Speak as you would normally speak, with say "message". Except for in very rare instances, deadchat cannot be seen by the living and is a safe place to discuss and spectate about the events of the match or talk about '''what happened''' without getting into trouble like you would for doing that in OOC.
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| **''OOC'' is a special chat channel that is often disabled during the rounds proper and enabled before and after each round. BYOND usernames instead of character names are used and there is no expectation of RP or anything other than just an internet chatroom at all. In some cases, an admin will turn on OOC during the round. '''''Broadcasting in-Character information (IC) over OOC during a match is forbidden and will often end up getting OOC disabled and yourself punished for your attempt to metagame and break the rules. Don't even try this.'''''.
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| **''Goonsay'' is a special chat channel reserved for verified members of the Something Awful forums, that is, goons. It's the only thing you get for verifying you are a goon. Treat this like a different OOC channel for most respects.
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| Something that may be helpful is '''[[Terminology]]''' - Terms used ingame which may confuse new players.
| | *'''Intent Settings''' determine what you will do when you interact with another person or creature and have an empty active hand. The green hand is '''Help''', which will shake someone up or attempt CPR. The yellow hand is '''Disarm''', which tries to knock something out of someone's hands. The orange hand is '''Grab''', which is aggressive and can lead to choking someone. The red fist is '''Harm''', which will punch or kick someone. |
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| Okay! So that's the chat information. Now you are capable of communication across a range of mediums and methods, although it will take some getting used to. Now that you know about the UI, let's move on to...
| | *The small picture of a person is '''Target Settings''', click part of it to choose what part of the body you want to target when you are interacting with another player. You don't really need to worry about this if you're just starting out. |
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| == How Does Walk? What's a 'HoP'? ==
| | *'''Run/Walk''' toggles between movement speeds; you generally want to stick with Run. |
| | *'''Pull''' is the top-right button on the bottom right side of the bar. It will be ''lit with orange'' around its border if you are currently dragging something, and you can click on it to release the object. |
| | *'''Resist''' is the bottom-left button of the bunch, and it has a few specific applications. |
| | *'''Rest/Stand''' toggles between standing up or lying down. There's a small delay between hitting the button and your character doing it. |
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| So at this point you are officially into the world of the game and have either appeared at your designated workspace, or more likely mid-round on the Arrivals shuttle in the northwest corner of the station. In either case, the first thing you have to do is understand how to move and interact with the world around you. '''The arrow keys, and not wasd''', govern your character's movement. The '''number pad''' can also be used for diagonal movements. Things such as what you're wearing as well as server lag can affect the rate of speed your character moves at, and in a straightaway a crewman can build up some real speed. Practice moving about whatever room you're in until you're comfortable with that. It shouldn't take too long.
| | == Gameplay == |
| | === Getting Around === |
| | When you join the game you will either be at your workspace (depending on whatever job you've been assigned) or appearing on the Arrival Shuttle. You don't have to worry about doing your job or anything like that. The AI, Security Officers, and the Captain have some obligations to be aware of, but otherwise you're free to wander around exploring at your leisure. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the station [[Location_Repository|map]]. There are maps printed on the walls of the station here and there you can also interact with. In the Arrival Hallway is '''Murray''', a friendly robot who can give a guided tour of the station. |
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| You can't even begin to learn a profession or trade yet, however, until you come to grips with the controls. The way your character interacts the most with the world is, well, through their hands. An ''empty active hand'' is very often required to operate machinery, open and close lockers, work computer terminals, or pick anything up. When trying to pick up an object, ''if you have anything at all in your hand already'', your character will decide to try and smash the objects together like an idiot. Clear space by dropping the already-held item or clicking on your backpack or pocket slots to stow it away. '''As mentioned above, clicking on a person with anything in your hand, until you are sure of what it does, is a really bad idea''', as well. Most times it will turn out that, even with your intent on help, you just attacked somebody, and in this game that means that ''somebody is going to respond in kind''. If you're lucky, and explain your error, they might relent.
| | Your job determines your access level, which determines what doors will or won't open for you. If you get trapped somewhere, you can ask the AI for help over the radio. |
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| Whether you started as an Assistant or not, then, once you are proficient enough to walk around and pick up items, your first task is to become at least passingly familiar with the station's layout. The map is changed every so often, but the Goonstation servers stay on a map a pretty long time, definitely enough to learn it by heart. Run around, check things out, perhaps even ask for directions in person or via radio. The station AI will probably be happy to assist if it's able. The [[Head of Personnel]], whose workspace is near [[Arrivals]] anyway, may be used to fielding basic questions as well. As any flavor of Assistant you are essentially invisible until you start causing trouble (''don't do this until you know what kinds of trouble won't get you reported to the admins''). As a personal goal, you should in your first round be able to find the [[Arrival Shuttle]] and [[Customs]] Checkpoint, which are in the far west of the station, the [[Bar]], which is on the north side of the station, [[Engineering]], which is denoted by yellow stripes when you get close and yellow airlocks, and [[Medical]], which is west of Engineering and denoted by blue stripes near the walls when you approach. Look around for a Station Map posted up on the wall. This will help you navigate with ease. These are where the average joes of the station are, for the most part, and house a majority of the jobs.
| | *'''say ";AI, please open this door!"''' |
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| The world won't sit and wait for you to get ready, however; that's one of the overarching themes of this game. Things happen. If you find yourself in a combat situation before you're prepared, then the best course of action would be to attempt to disengage, flee, and call for help. Giving your location would be best, but if there is a functional AI present they can trace you if you just start yelling for 'HELP' in caps. Stopping to speak may let whoever's chasing you catch up, however, so get moving. Generally, going to an area like the Bar to escape is a bad idea; try to head for the Medbay. If you aren't hitting back and somebody's trying to hurt you, the Doctors and Medical staff there will flip out and come to your aid. They hate violence in their workplace for understandable reasons.
| | === What's Going On Here??? === |
| | The average goonstation round goes as follows: |
| | * Players are assigned their jobs. |
| | * Some players are assigned to be [[antagonist|antagonists]]. There is a variety of them, including stealthy traitors, spell-flinging wizards, DNA stealing changelings, and nuclear operatives trying to blow everyone up. |
| | * Players do.. whatever. They might do their jobs. They might wander off and explore space. They might mess around and build stuff. They might run gimmicks. |
| | * Antagonists do.. whatever. They might work on their objectives. Or they might just cause chaos. They're free to do whatever, including harming/killing other players. |
| | * At some point usually the emergency shuttle will be called to evacuate the station. Once it leaves, the round is over. |
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| Alternately, the best way to sharpen your robust combat skills is to have at them! ''Toolboxes, fire extinguishers, and crowbars'' are plentiful and prove effective if targeted correctly, such as for the head. They can knock an opponent down if you can land a few hits and from there things get much easier. If you're being attacked by somebody with a weapon, try to disarm them if possible, and use their own weapon on them! I promise they'll realize the irony. If it's a regular member of the crew who attacked you, '''don't try to kill them''' generally; leave it for [[Security Officer]]s when they show up or more experienced crew. Obvious antagonists can usually be killed safely, although, again, you should defer to more experienced players. Some enemies are tougher to kill than others.
| | ===Hazards=== |
| | Even as you're getting used to the basics, shit may be going down. You may deal with environmental hazards, like gas leaks, fires, hull breaches or whatnot, or hazards from other players. Security may hassle you for wandering into a restricted area, other players may react violently if you barge into their workplace, and there are plenty of antagonists around causing mayhem. Until you have an idea how you should act, you should generally just try to run away, call for help, and don't worry too much. The worst thing that can happen is you die-- but even so, you can still observe the round, chat with other dead players, and play once the next round starts. |
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| (''As a final note on this , if some random person does try or succeed in killing you or steal some essential tool of your job like the Singularity Engine, or if they're just set out to grief you, '''adminhelp it'''. No, seriously. If they're a traitor or something they obviously won't get punished, but a regular person wrecking your shit like that, unprovoked, especially against a new person, '''is a shitty thing to do and the admins will help you'''.'')
| | *If you are trapped somewhere and want to just give up, you can use the '''suicide''' command. If you are in critical health and want to hurry up and die already, use the '''succumb''' command. |
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| Once you can navigate through the station layout, it's advisable to head to a specialized workplace, ask for permission to enter, and simply tell them that you're blindingly new to the game and ask if they would mentor you a bit. More often than not you'll get a positive reply and at least some help, although note that if you start thirty minutes into the round a black hole or space weeds may be eating the station and the professionals may be too busy to help you. For that matter, you may spawn in Arrivals and be trapped by bolted doors or decompression; don't worry, this is just the game's way of helping you come to grips with how vulnerable you are. There are many, many ways to meet your end in Space Station 13, and never feel bad for dying.
| | When you're ready to start figuring out what you should actually be doing, you have some resources: |
| | * Experimenting (may result in disaster) |
| | * This wiki |
| | * Talking to other folks in your department |
| | * Asking for help over the radio |
| | * Asking for help using '''mentorhelp'''. Mentors are there to answer whatever gameplay questions you've got. |
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| Heed advice given via radio, from the AI, using the helpful '''mentorhelp''' verb, or given in-person. If you can really listen, understand, and internalize advice, then you'll be up and [[robust]]ing people in no time.
| | If you're being griefed or killed unjustly you can ask for help with '''adminhelp'''. Admins won't tell you straight-up if the person who is hurting you is an antagonist or not but check to see if it's justified. |
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| == Job Prospects == | | == Job Prospects == |
| | Good jobs to start out as: |
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| Here's a rough summary of jobs on the station and how difficult they would be for a new person to learn and master successfully.
| | *[[Staff Assistant]] - You have no responsibilities or obligations whatsoever. You're also generally ignored. |
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| *[[Staff Assistant]] - Staff Assistant is ''blindingly easy'' because you have basically no responsibilities or duties, nobody expects anything from you, and you are effectively ignored. Even the optional crew goals are always wacky or strange. The only reason somebody would pick this job instead of at least something else is to learn a more advanced job, avoid responsibilities, or if they join an hour in and there are literally no other slots available. | |
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| *[[Barman]]/[[Chef]]/[[Chaplain]] - These jobs are civilian-sector occupations and overall are ''quite easy'', since they also aren't really expected to contribute to the station overall. It's a good chance to socialize, learn basic mechanics, and have some fun with making food, getting people drunk, or shouting religious messages at the AI.
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| *[[Janitor]] - The custodian role is an ''easy'' one for the most part. The only time people notice you really is when you start wetting floors, which causes people to slip. Make sure to put up your wet floor signs when, not if, this happens; it may make all the difference between complaints over the radio and a lynch mob at your door. Otherwise this job is similar to other civilians ones. Basically just clean up horrible bloody messes when they happen.
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| *[[Botanist]] - Of all the 'technical' roles aboard the station, the Botanist is arguably the ''easiest''. Hydroponics is one of the departments that aren't really expected to contribute useful products during an average round, so you can play around, see what the seeds do, and tend your crops. The real action on the station rarely occurs at [[Hydroponics]] so it's a relatively safe workplace.
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| *[[Medical Doctor]] - Almost certainly the ''easiest'' of the Medsci professions, the MD's overall usefulness to the station is a subject of heated debate, but in a pinch you can be a literal lifesaver. Ask what the drugs do, talk to fellow doctors, roam the stations, inject hurt people with the right stuff to make them feel better. The learning curve is gentler and people will rarely blame you for losing a patient, although injecting them with the wrong stuff may get somebody on your case. Learn how to be efficient with your Med supplies because getting more can be tough.
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| *[[Cyborg]] - Subordinate to the [[AI]] and crew, you are expected to be a busy little worker bee. This job can be ''easy to medium'' difficulty depending on what you're asked to do and what you arleady know of the game. Learning the ropes by starting as a Cyborg and having the AI's guidance isn't a horrible idea, though, and although limited and shackled, Cyborgs can do amazing things. Remember, the AI's laws are your laws and you are effectively answerable to it as your boss.
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| *[[Quartermaster]] - Techincally this is an Engineering-sector job, but really it's not, and it's ''not terribly hard to learn''. Your duty is essentially to guard your cargo bay, earn money by gathering things from other station departments or purchasing it and then reselling it to CentCom for a profit, and answering supply requests from the crew. As the QM, you decide which requests go through. It can be boring if you prefer running about and hitting people, though.
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| *[[Scientist]] - The bog-standard scientist job is really a ''medium challenge'' profession, and there's several different fields you can choose to focus on, such as [[Artifact Research]] [medium], [[Telescience]] [''quite hard''], and [[Chemistry]]. [medium to hard but fun]. When you're ready to move up and really get into how things work, this is a good specialist job to apply for. You'll often get it and get to mess around with some of the most fun mechanics and tools in the game.
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| *[[Detective]] - Of all the jobs with Security access and duties, probably the ''easiest to start with'' is the Detective, as it's only about ''medium difficulty''. You are '''not''' a [[Security Officer]], and for somebody just looking to get into the Sec/Command fields, that's a good thing. You can learn and observe from the regulars as well as play around with the gimmicks and cool toys at your disposal. Practice your robust technique on perpetrators and antagonists with other Security support.
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| *[[Engineer]] - A job that isn't as daunting as it may first appear; ''medium difficulty'' at best, although much that is expected of you revolves around starting up the [[Singularity]] properly. Learning an Engineering profession is often best when you just jump in as a regular rank-and-file Engineer and ask how to do things. More often than not, like in all jobs, people will be willing to teach you. If you can set up the Thermo-Electric engine in a timely fashion, then you're set for the round pretty much and can practice construction/repairs/hacking at your leisure.
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| *[[Mechanic]] - A specialized form of Engineering job, Mechanic work is definitely in the ''medium'' range and requires a good grasp of game fundamentals. Your tasks as a Mechanic are often more complicated or obscure, such as building computers, replicating important devices, and monitoring and repairing the wiring. Ask for help if you don't understand something and just have fun trying to copy the really important stuff. This is another good job to practice your hacking skills.
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| *[[AI]] - The station's AI is saddled with responsibility and servitude, but you also have great power if you know how to use it. The baseline requirements for an AI are ''medium-level''; you must be able to track people with cameras, open doors for them, bolt doors shut on demand, observe and communicate events around the station clearly, remember and follow your laws, and optimally learn how to find and set the solars. Mainly being an AI means you can't take five or ten minutes off for a break; you must be alert, ready to respond to situations within moments. The entire station counts on you, and the job is more demanding on reflexes and diligence than esoteric or technical knowledge.
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| *[[Roboticist]] - You are one of the two professions capable of bringing the dead back to life, by turning them into [[Cyborg]]s, and this job is ''medium to advanced'' in some respects. Learning how to construct robot frames and perform basic brain surgery isn't all that complicated, however, and with a little practice you can find yourself proficient. Robotics offers a lot to those willing to learn it, and it might be worth a try if you think you'd be into it.
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| *[[Research Director]] - Of all the Head-level officers aboard the station, the RD's job and responsibilities are definitely the most laid-back. If you're looking to get into command-level work and want to try being a Head, this is the job for you. You're in charge of Research and effectively Medical too, which means you can go to those workspaces and observe. Although an RD mentoring under a Scientist might sound funny it's perfectly acceptable. Basically you're just a super scientist in any case. You have access to the Bridge, but are rarely called upon to fulfill leadership roles or anything of that nature.
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| *[[Miner]] - Miners have it rough in many ways; the work is ''demanding, technical, complex, and time-consuming''. Mining is not expected to produce anything on the average shift, but if they do, the benefits could be enormous. Being a Miner means you must be able to suit up for hard vacuum, equip your tools quickly, head out into the asteroid field without getting lost, mine appropriate or requested ores, teleport them back to the station in crates, and do all of it promptly, or else your work will be too late and the crises will already be piling up back home. Miners are also isolated; their base is on an entirely separate level and Security never responds to your calls.
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| *[[Geneticist]] - This is the other job capable of reviving dead people, although you clone them instead of turning them into robots, which may often be preferred. The cloning work itself is ''medium challenge'' at best and not terribly hard, although this job as a whole can be quite remarkably boring. To spice it up, you have ''advanced-level'' potential to research and unlock DNA and give people disabilities or superpowers if you study enough. Don't expect to master this all in one shift, though. You must also be prepared to be flooded and overworked or really bored depending on whether everybody's dying at the moment.
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| *[[Chief Engineer]] - The ''second most laid-back'' Head officer on the station, the CE is basically a super engineer the same way the RD is a super scientist. They have access to special gear and are often expected to know a lot about the Singularity, Construction, building computers, etc. If you feel comfortable and capable doing Engineering work and want to step up to a role of greater importance and responsibility, this job is for you. | | *[[Barman]]/[[Chef]]/[[Chaplain]]/[[Janitor]] - These jobs are all simple and few (if any) will mind if you don't have a clue what you're doing. |
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| *[[Head of Personnel]] - The HoP is a very interesting job. Relatively little is expected of him, and the work can be ''downright boring'', yet a smart HoP is capable of so much. He is the one who makes IDs, granting access levels and security clearance, to himself as well as others. He is ''next in the line of succession'' after the Captain in the chain of command, although if there's an active Head of Security they will often take ''de facto'' charge of things. Being the HoP means being able to work with people, understand your capabilities, and act reasonably. (If somebody wants all-access, ask them why they want that. Answer reasonable requests. Make up fun job names.) So it's less about technical challenge and more about requiring reason and judgement.
| | Eventually you might want to be: |
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| *[[Security Officer]] - Work as a serving Security officer is often considered ''soul-crushing'', both in terms of the work itself and its requirements and the constant scruinty you're under due to shitty Security in the past. It's basically being a cop, with all of the responsibilities, constant danger, physical combat, and complete disrespect and disregard from the general public sometimes. You must have both good temper, judgement, a good grasp on game mechanics and the robust combat engine, and a working understanding of most of the jobs on the station, to be able to spot suspicious or abnormal behavior. Follow your orders, follow Space Law, exercise caution, and protect the crew. Good luck. | | *[[Captain]] - Surprisingly you don't have to be really competent to do this. Your only real obligation is to protect the nuclear authorization disc in your pocket. Don't be an officious jerk cause no one likes those. |
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| *[[Head of Security]] - Some people may not like that the job is still application-only, but there's definitely a reason why things are this way. You're in charge of Security, and that work ranges from ''advanced to jesus-what-the-fuck-help-me'' depending on the situation and how good your Security team and fellow Heads are. You are the direct commander of Security, so keep your guards in check, make sure prisoners are treated humanely, deal with deadly threats, and keep things under control as best you can. | | *[[Cyborg]] - You get lots of access but your interface is different than normal and you're expected to follow the [[AI Laws]], meaning you can't hurt anyone, even if they're attacking you! |
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| *[[Captain]] - The commanding officer of the station. He can go absolutely anywhere aside from the HoS' office and do absolutely anything he feels like, for the most part. Being the Captain is often a ''difficult to advanced'' level occupation, although that varies from round to round. Keep a grasp on the situation aboard your station, help the crew, manage the AI and borgs, and oversee Security efforts, especially since you will often have no HoS and must personally direct that department. Be ready to perform basically any job if it's really needed, since you can, and know how to work at least the communications terminal in case you need to manually call for evacuation. | | Jobs you should avoid for now: |
| | *[[AI]] - AIs have a lot of annoying restrictions and if you don't know what you're doing expect everyone to scream & hurl abuse at you. |
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| | *[[Security Officer]] - The job that invites the most scrutiny, is often in the most danger, and really sucks for everyone if you are terrible or don't really get the "mood" of Goonstation. |
| ---- | | ---- |
| [[Category:Tutorial]] | | [[Category:Tutorial]] |
So you've never played the game before and you're looking to get started. Sweet. New players are totally awesome and there are a ton of people playing on the servers who love to help you get going. However, even they can't help you if you don't have understanding on how the very basics work. So let's get started on that!
Connecting
Step 1: Download BYOND
Build Your Own Net Dream (or BYOND for short) is the platform that Space Station 13 runs on. We aren't going to lie - it's pretty bad. It's mostly held together with equal parts duct tape and prayer, and it took numerous attempts to work around the slipshod code to make it so it could be played with minimal latency. You will likely be cursing BYOND at least once. The sooner you get used to this, the better off you'll be.
Step 2: Find the appropriate server
Since the vanilla version of Space Station 13, many servers have branched out in their own ways and developed many different ideas. Many have borrowed code from one another, but most of them are different in some way. To join a server, you can either join by clicking on a server on the Main Page or the first post of the SomethingAwful thread, by joining from the page on BYOND's site, or by entering the IP into the connect/favorites bar on your BYOND client for easy access. Since you're reading up on Goonserv, you're going to want to look for LLJK #1/LLJK #2, hosted by the Galactic Order of Oppressive Neckbeards.
Fundamentals
Game Startup
Successfully connecting to a server will bring you to the screen shown to the left. It's very likely that you'll catch any given server in the middle of a round. The menu options when you just join are:
Declare Ready -- Hit this to play. If the round is in the pre-game countdown, you will be assigned a role and placed on the station when the game starts. If the round has already begun, you'll get a popup asking you to pick an available job, and you will begin on the Arrival Shuttle.
Setup Character -- You default to a random setup but can customize and save your character's name, appearance and such through here. This also allows you to set Occupation Preferences, including whether or not you want to be an antagonist. Until you get a hang of the game you probably don't want to try being one or messing with tricky jobs like Captain, Security Officer, or AI.
Observe -- You won't play this round, but you get to fly around as a ghost and see everything that's going on.
The UI
The User Interface is a bit tricky at first.
The left side of the screen is the game window. It is centered on your character. You can move around with the arrow keys (sorry, no WASD).
The right side of the screen is the info box and chat window. At the bottom of the screen is a text parser where you can type in what you want to say, or certain commands.
- To talk out loud, you say "whatever"
- To talk over the radio, you say ";whatever"
- To get help from a mentor, enter mentorhelp and a popup box will appear.
Interacting
In the game window, left clicking is the basic interaction. It's based on your hands. At the bottom of the screen is your character interface. You have a Right Hand and Left Hand, and the highlighted hand is your current active hand. You can click your other hand slot to switch hands.
How your character interacts depends on what's in your hands, what you are interacting with, and what your intent is-- the four small colored hand icons. Clicking something with an empty hand will often try to pick it up (if an object), use it (if machinery), or shake/grab/punch it (if another player or creature). If you have something in your hands you will attempt to use it on whatever you're targeting. Things in the world react differently to different objects, and if nothing else happens, the default action is to simply hit the targeted object with whatever is in your hand. You will get feedback on your actions in the chat window.
Right-clicking on a thing brings up a menu list of verbs. Common verbs are Examine (gives a description of whatever), Pull, Pick Up, or Drop. Verbs may change depending on the object and how close you are to it.
Next to your hands are the Throw & Drop buttons. Click the drop button to drop whatever is in your active hand. Click the throw button once to highlight it, then click somewhere in the game panel to toss whatever is in your active hand there.
Equipment & Indicators
The row at the bottom of the screen shows your equipment and inventory. You can click the 'INV' button to bring up/close an extension showing equipped clothing. If you click the 'INV' button with something in your active hand, you will automatically equip it, if possible. If there is already an object in the relevant spot it will switch places with whatever is in your active hand.
Your backpack, belt, and pockets are extra places to store things, simply click an empty slot with your active hand to stow away whatever you've got (if it will fit). Clicking your backpack with an empty hand will bring up a small window showing everything in it.
At the top right-side corner of the game screen is the health indicator. You begin at 100 and your indicator will turn red as you take more damage. If you enter critical health you will be knocked unconscious and unable to interact until you recover. Other Health Indicators may appear adjacent and typically mean that there is something wrong/dangerous about the area you are in.
Other Controls
The other buttons on your main interface--
- Intent Settings determine what you will do when you interact with another person or creature and have an empty active hand. The green hand is Help, which will shake someone up or attempt CPR. The yellow hand is Disarm, which tries to knock something out of someone's hands. The orange hand is Grab, which is aggressive and can lead to choking someone. The red fist is Harm, which will punch or kick someone.
- The small picture of a person is Target Settings, click part of it to choose what part of the body you want to target when you are interacting with another player. You don't really need to worry about this if you're just starting out.
- Run/Walk toggles between movement speeds; you generally want to stick with Run.
- Pull is the top-right button on the bottom right side of the bar. It will be lit with orange around its border if you are currently dragging something, and you can click on it to release the object.
- Resist is the bottom-left button of the bunch, and it has a few specific applications.
- Rest/Stand toggles between standing up or lying down. There's a small delay between hitting the button and your character doing it.
Gameplay
Getting Around
When you join the game you will either be at your workspace (depending on whatever job you've been assigned) or appearing on the Arrival Shuttle. You don't have to worry about doing your job or anything like that. The AI, Security Officers, and the Captain have some obligations to be aware of, but otherwise you're free to wander around exploring at your leisure. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the station map. There are maps printed on the walls of the station here and there you can also interact with. In the Arrival Hallway is Murray, a friendly robot who can give a guided tour of the station.
Your job determines your access level, which determines what doors will or won't open for you. If you get trapped somewhere, you can ask the AI for help over the radio.
- say ";AI, please open this door!"
What's Going On Here???
The average goonstation round goes as follows:
- Players are assigned their jobs.
- Some players are assigned to be antagonists. There is a variety of them, including stealthy traitors, spell-flinging wizards, DNA stealing changelings, and nuclear operatives trying to blow everyone up.
- Players do.. whatever. They might do their jobs. They might wander off and explore space. They might mess around and build stuff. They might run gimmicks.
- Antagonists do.. whatever. They might work on their objectives. Or they might just cause chaos. They're free to do whatever, including harming/killing other players.
- At some point usually the emergency shuttle will be called to evacuate the station. Once it leaves, the round is over.
Hazards
Even as you're getting used to the basics, shit may be going down. You may deal with environmental hazards, like gas leaks, fires, hull breaches or whatnot, or hazards from other players. Security may hassle you for wandering into a restricted area, other players may react violently if you barge into their workplace, and there are plenty of antagonists around causing mayhem. Until you have an idea how you should act, you should generally just try to run away, call for help, and don't worry too much. The worst thing that can happen is you die-- but even so, you can still observe the round, chat with other dead players, and play once the next round starts.
- If you are trapped somewhere and want to just give up, you can use the suicide command. If you are in critical health and want to hurry up and die already, use the succumb command.
When you're ready to start figuring out what you should actually be doing, you have some resources:
- Experimenting (may result in disaster)
- This wiki
- Talking to other folks in your department
- Asking for help over the radio
- Asking for help using mentorhelp. Mentors are there to answer whatever gameplay questions you've got.
If you're being griefed or killed unjustly you can ask for help with adminhelp. Admins won't tell you straight-up if the person who is hurting you is an antagonist or not but check to see if it's justified.
Job Prospects
Good jobs to start out as:
- Staff Assistant - You have no responsibilities or obligations whatsoever. You're also generally ignored.
- Barman/Chef/Chaplain/Janitor - These jobs are all simple and few (if any) will mind if you don't have a clue what you're doing.
Eventually you might want to be:
- Captain - Surprisingly you don't have to be really competent to do this. Your only real obligation is to protect the nuclear authorization disc in your pocket. Don't be an officious jerk cause no one likes those.
- Cyborg - You get lots of access but your interface is different than normal and you're expected to follow the AI Laws, meaning you can't hurt anyone, even if they're attacking you!
Jobs you should avoid for now:
- AI - AIs have a lot of annoying restrictions and if you don't know what you're doing expect everyone to scream & hurl abuse at you.
- Security Officer - The job that invites the most scrutiny, is often in the most danger, and really sucks for everyone if you are terrible or don't really get the "mood" of Goonstation.
