Goal Solving

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Help Keywords : 'Goal Solving'.
Help Category : Miscellaneous.
Related Helps : Area Quests, Goals, Tasks.
Last Updated  : 2022-04-16 20:42:54.
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Most of the lower level goals walk you through what needs to be completed 
to help you get familiar with goals in general.

As you get to higher levels, some of the goals may be harder to uncover and
the tasks may be harder to solve.  

We have building rules in place that the clues you need *must* be given, 
but they may take some hunting down. They may also be obscure at times, 
that is the nature of scripted quests with a storyline.

If you find yourself completely stuck on a goal, here are a few general
hints for solving them:

* Some mobs aren't as easily detectable. If you struggle trying to
  locate a mob in an area, it simply might be because the mob is flagged
  'invis' and/or 'hidden'. You can correct this with the spells 'detect
  invis' and 'detect hidden'.

* Conversely, many mobs cannot see hidden or invisible creatures. Use 
  of the 'visible' command might be necessary in these situations (you may   
  need to leave the mob's room and reenter once you're visible).

* Because of the way mob resets and repops work, sometimes you need 
  to kill all of the mobs with the same name before a repop will load 
  the item. Some items only have a random chance of spawning as well.

* Every goal on Aardwolf has a helpfile for the area which lists the
  area level range, the goal's recommended level, any kind of minimum or
  maximum requirements as well as a description about the goal and the
  storyline behind it. In some cases, it will give you special notes or
  hints.

* Make sure you read all the descriptions in the area. Many areas
  give the clues you need on room, mob or object descriptions. They may
  also be in extra descriptions in a room. For example, if a room mentions
  a desk, typing 'look desk' may show something.

* Try using 'listen' on all the mobs you can find. Some mobs tell their
  clues when listened to.

* Sometimes, an act or use of a social is needed to trigger the 
  desired result. Also, remember that socials are searchable using
  'social [search phrase]'. For example, if you are trying to get a 
  mob to follow you, use 'socials follow' to find another word for follow
  that might work.

* Mobs very rarely respond to direct tells. If you have to give some
  information, just say it! You'll be a lot more likely to get a response.

* Check your task list regularly since a hint may appear there during
  your attempt to solve the task.   

* Think back on what you've learned in the area. Has it been implied
  that a certain mob may require something, or perhaps that they work for
  gold, etc? 

* There may be times where you simply cannot complete a task because 
  someone has just done it and the area needs to reset first. Most mobs
  that open goals cannot be killed, but mobs needed for specific tasks
  can still be killable.

* Don't assume that everything you need to complete a goal is from
  the same area. In most cases, this does happen to be true, but not
  all.

If all else fails, do something else for a while. There is not a single 
goal that is essential to your ability to progress through the MUD. They 
are optional challenges for people who enjoy solving puzzles.

Please note that Helpers and Advisors may choose to give you general 
hints on a goal, but they are not allowed to give you answers. They are
not being unhelpful, they are just following their rules.
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