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1. Quick Start

This section is designed to get you into EverQuest as quickly as possible and show you the basics.

1.1. Installing the Game

System Requirements
Before you install the game make sure that your system meets the EverQuest for the Macintosh system requirements.

Installing the Game
Insert the EverQuest for the Macintosh CD into your CD-ROM drive. Be sure to install onto a Macintosh disk volume ("Mac OS Extended" format) and not a Unix volume ("UFS" format). Most likely, your disk drive is formatted as a Macintosh disk. Start the installation by double clicking on the EverQuest for the Macintosh disk icon to the right hand side of your desktop, then clicking on the "Install Everquest" icon that appears. Follow the instructions within the setup program to complete the installation. After the game is fully installed, an EverQuest shortcut will be added to your desktop.

For greater details, see Installation Steps in the Getting Started section.

1.2. Starting the Game

In order to play, you must first set up an EverQuest account.

To do this, do the following:

***IMPORTANT NOTE***

    Occasionally you will see references to a right-click operation in these instructions. If you have a multi-button mouse hooked up to your Macintosh, you should use it as normally and EverQuest will recognize the extra buttons and use them appropriately.
    If you have a single button mouse, when instructions refer to a "right-click", simply press and hold the control (Ctrl) button on the keyboard before pressing the mouse button. This is equivalent to a right-click operation.

Patch Now -- Check screen to the right, or click "Patch Information," for updated infor-mation on patches, then click "Patch Now" if any patches to the game are required.
NOTE: During a lengthy patch, you may "minimize" or "hide" the launchpad window. The launchpad icon in the OS X "dock" will contain a progress bar showing the status of the patch operation

Game Options -- Provides a list of settings to tune your system for the best performance

Model Options -- Allows you to select which character models you'd like to display in detail

Support -- Provides information on ways to obtain further support playing EverQuest

News -- Provides latest news on EverQuest for the MacIntosh

1.3. Arriving in Norrath

You begin the game in your starting city with these items
(press "i" or click the inventory button on the Window Selector):

Next, read the scroll (right-click on it) and follow the instructions. Usually it will ask you to give your message scroll to your Guild Master. He or she will then give you a basic item of clothing and more information about what to do next.

To equip the new item:

The central area of your inventory screen is an auto-equip area. Dropping an item into the auto equip area will equip the item, provided there is nothing in the slot the item goes in and your class, race, and deity can wear or use it. If the item cannot be worn it will automatically go to one of the main inventory slots. If those are full, the item will go into the first container, starting in the upper left-most portion of your inventory. If all main inventory slots and containers are full, the item will drop to the ground. Be aware that some merchants and NPCs are greedy and might pick up items they see lying on the ground. This also can be said about other players as well.

1.4. Moving Around

The keyboard is your main control for movement in EverQuest for the Macintosh, while the mouse controls the cursor and your current point of view.

Running and Walking
To walk forward and backward, press the arrow keys on the keyboard or the Number pad keys.

Other helpful movement keys:

Note: hitting forward or backward movement keys (arrows) will also end AutoRun

Looking around using the mouse or number pad keys to change your current point of view:

Right-click-and-drag mouse to look around

Numpad "9", "3" to pan view up, down

Numpad "5" to re-center view

Numpad "7", "1" to zoom view in, out

Swimming
Most cities in Norrath are conveniently located near ponds or large bodies of water, and some even have fountains and underwater aqueduct systems. You can swim in water for a short period of time. The better you are at swimming, the longer you can hold your breath.

To swim:

Note: You can swim with your head above water by panning the view up slightly.

1.5. Communicating

EverQuest for the Macintosh provides an ongoing source of social interaction. You can chat with fellow players on message boards, or talk to NPCs and other players within the game.

In general, whenever you send a message all players in the immediate vicinity "hear" you, and whatever you typed appears in the scrolling text portion of their screens (their Main Chat window). However, you can also send private messages.

You send messages using the chat bar (at the bottom of the Main Chat window), and all communications from all characters show up as text in the Main Chat window.

To send messages to characters in the game:

Note: This assumes that your chat is set to use /say as the default mode, which is the default setting.

To talk to a non-player character (such as a shopkeeper NPC):

Note: You should see your character hail the NPC in your Main Chat window.

Note: However you choose to communicate, please refrain from using inappropriate language.

1.6. Attacking with Weapons

Once you've got a target, you can simply press "a" (or whichever key you've remapped this function to), and your character will automatically make the attack. Your main task at that point is to stay close enough to hit the target.

During melee combat, you must be standing fairly close to your opponent. If you're not near enough, you'll see a message in your Main Chat window that says, "Your target is too far away." Be sure to remain facing your target. Ranged attacks can be made from as far away as the weapon will allow. Creatures usually rush toward you, however, once you hit them.

The text display also shows you whether your blow landed or missed, and whether or not your opponent has hit you. If you've taken or applied damage, you can see that as well. The amount of damage you can deliver to an opponent is an automatic function of your physical strength, the weapon you use and weapon skills. Your ability to evade blows or withstand blows is based on your combat skills and your armor.

See Health, Damage and Dying for information on how damage affects you.

1.7. Using Magic

Some classes start out with one or more spells.

To learn (scribe and memorize) a spell:

Scribed spells are permanently recorded in your spell book. But you can't cast every spell in your book. You must first choose to memorize spells. Characters can only memorize eight spells, so at higher levels it becomes a tactical decision as to which spells to keep 'in-mind'.

To cast a spell:

1.8. Skills

Your character possesses a few basic skills at the start of the game. Everyone can Beg, Fish, use Sense Heading and Bind Wounds. Some skills (like Elvish or Pick Lock) are only originally known to those of a specific race or class, while others that you don't originally know can be learned over time (such as Meditation if you are a spell caster).

In order to use a skill you'll want to place it on an easily accessed hot key button.

To do this:

Open your inventory ("i") and click Skills to see how proficient you are in any given skill. The more you use a skill, the better you become at it. When your skills improve messages appear in your chat window.

1.9. Acquiring, Selling and Buying Items

The most common method of acquiring items is to defeat monsters in battle and take their stuff. It is important to note that you can only loot an NPC corpse if the damage you and/or your group did to that NPC was greater than anyone else or their group. It is considered good etiquette not to interfere in a combat unless asked (or you ask if the person needs aid and they say yes).

To loot the corpse of a monster or player you've killed:

Note: Because you can't drop a No Drop item once you pick it up, a confirmation box will appear when you try to loot such an item.

or you can use the shortcut method:

To buy/sell an item:

Note that the merchant will tell you if you don't have enough money to buy an item or if he is not interested in purchasing something you wish to sell after you click the Purchase or Sell button.

FYI: 1 platinum = 10 gold = 100 silver = 1000 copper

To give away/drop/destroy an item:

If you accidentally drop an item, you can pick it up:

Note: Items dropped to the ground may be picked up by greedy NPCs or other Player Characters. Do not consider the ground a safe place to store any items.

1.10. Exiting the Game

Your character does not require food, drink or rest whenever you're not playing. The next time you start the game, your character's previous condition is restored. (For example, if you were tired and hungry, you'll still be tired and hungry when you resume playing.)

To exit the game, sit down and set up camp in a safe area. Click Sit (or "Ctrl" + "s") on the Main tab in the Actions window, then Camp (or "Ctrl" + "c"). This takes approximately 30 seconds.

When you return to the game later your character will be where you left him. Keep that in mind when choosing your campsite.

 

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