Difference between revisions of "Interface Guide"

Revision as of 03:27, 24 September 2005

Cantr II Basic Interface Guide

Introduction

Welcome to Cantr II. This is a short introductory guide to Cantr II's interface. On the whole, the interface is fairly intuitive, so feel free just to jump in and play - this guide is by no means essential. But for those who, like myself, were a bit confused to start with, this is a gentle introduction about what to click on and why.

If you want an introduction to how the game works in general - go [here] See the general explanation and newbie guide in particular.

Also, take time to read the [FAQs].

Main Page

This is the first page you will see after login. On top is a Player Info section where you have information about yoursef as the player, and a Change button which opens a page where you can change your account details.

Next is the Messages section with important messages from the Cantr Staff. These messages can be removed when you have finished reading them if you choose. The are often included at the top of your Day Report if you need to refer to them.

Next you will see the Characters List which shows all of the characters you have created. Listed are the name of your characters (oldest at the top), their sex, their location and progress indicator(s). P is short for project, T for travel, and D for dragging. The progress for these activities is displayed as the percent finished or traveled. Sometimes you will see two progress indicators for one character. This is usually because your character is working on a project while traveling in a vehicle.

If the name of your character is displayed in white, then some new event(s) has happened. If nothing new has happened it will be displayed in gray. If you click on a particular character's icon http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_char_happy.gif, then you will go to that character's page.

Below is the Player Menu with these buttons:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_newchar.gif - Create new character

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_unsubscribe.gif - Unsubscribe from Cantr (use with caution!)

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_logout.gif - Logout

Character Info Box

At the top of almost all pages when playing Cantr there will be a short summary about your character (just so you don't forget who you're playing) and links to the seven main pages.

The header displays the Cantr time and how many minutes you have left.

Next is the name of your character. (Note: This is the name YOU know your character by - there's nothing to stop you giving different names out or other characters choosing to remember you by a differenty name. You can change this the same way you change any name in the game) Next to your name is a small link to the character description page - explained later.

The character's age, the weight they are carrying and their location are all self-explanatory.

If your character is participating in a project, a short description will appear below the location. Clicking on the project name will bring up details on the project, clicking on the "X" will end your characters's participation in the project. The project will not be lost or deleted - you can go and find it later on the "Activity" page (see below).

Below this there is a row of links to the seven main pages that you will use in Cantr. I'll go through these one by one...

Events Page

The events page is central to playing Cantr. It will be the first page to load when you start to play with a character. It displays everything your character sees and hears.

To say something that will appear on the screen of every character in the same place (though not in buildings if there are any) Type into the box at the top and click Talk to all (talking to an individual character will be covered later)

Below this is the list of things that are happening where you are. This is just a very simple example. A busy town will have much more going on. They are listed with the most recent activities at the top. Each activity is time-stamped with the Cantr day and hour.

Every (living) character that appears on the events page will be displayed in orange. This is a link to the character interaction page, where you can change the name you know them by, talk to them, help them and many other things.

At the bottom left are two options to hide all of the events. and show all of the events (over the past few days)

Inventory Page

This page gives list of all items in your inventory. Different types of objects (notes, envelopes, materials, clothes, tools etc...) will have different icons...

Universal Icons:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_drop.gif - Drop: Drops the item where your character stands. Anyone else in the same area can then pick it up. In the case of materials, you will be asked how many grams you wish to drop.

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_give.gif - Give: Gives the item to another character. In the case of materials, you will be asked how many grams you want to hand over. Then there will be drop down box where you can choose the character to give the item to. (Note: Each character has a limit to how much they can carry - if you try to give something to a character and it is too heavy for them, an error message will say so)

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_use.gif - Use: Use the item on a project or to start a project. You will be presented with a drop down list of all the projects, and, in the case of materials, be asked how many grams you wish to use. Or you will be asked to input the details of the project to be started.

Notes and Envelopes Icons:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_copy.gif - Copy: Make an exact copy of a note

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_envelop.gif - Envelope: Put the note or envelope into another envelope

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_edit.gif - Edit: Edit a note (as long as it has not been stored as uneditable) You can use HTML in notes, but not in note titles

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_read.gif - Read: Read a note

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_seal.gif - Seal: Seals an envelope. The seal will be broken when another character opens it. Your name will also be on the seal, so the character opening the envelope will know who sealed it.

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_empty_envelop.gif - Open: Opens the envelope and lists all the notes and envelopes inside so you can choose which to take out. If the envelope is sealed, you will be asked if you want to break the seal

Materials Icons:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_store.png - Store: Put the material into a storage item. You will be asked how many grams you wish to store. (Note: You will be informed if the amount you wish to store exceeds how much more space there is)

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_eat.gif - Eat: Let's your character consume a healing food. Note: Your character eats to satisfy hunger automatically.

Clothes Icons:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_wear.gif - Wear: Your character will wear the item of clothing, and other characters will see it when they look at your character description. (It can be taken off by going to the description of your own character)

Items Icons:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_repair.gif - Repair: Repair an item

Location Page

This page gives some details about where your character is.

The map on the left is a small representation of the local area. In the center is a list of all the raw materials available. Clicking on the icon next to the materials will take you to a page where you can start a project to gather it.

To the right is a small image that does nothing much but just look pretty...

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_animals.gif - This button in the center is a link to a list of animals in that location. Currently the only interaction available with animals is to attack them.

At the bottom of the page is a list of the roads out of the location. Next to each path there are three icons:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_pointat.png - Point: Will make your character point the path, so other characters will see that

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_follow.gif - Travel: will make your character follow the path (not an option if your character is in the middle of a project - stop your participation first)

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_improve.gif - Improve: Will start a road improvement project to improve the type of road

Buildings & Vehicles Page

This gives lists of vehicles and buildings in the same location (if any). There is name of vehicle/building, type of it in brackets and a few pretty obvious icons...

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_pointat.png - Point: Point this building or vehicle

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_enter.gif - Enter: Go into building or get into vehicle. Not possible if building/vehicle is locked or if your character is in the middle of a project - stop your participation first

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_knock.gif - Knock: Your character will knock on the door. This will be visible on the events page for all characters outside and inside the building/room

People Page

This gives a list of every character in the same location. It is also the same page that will appear when you click on a character's orange link from the events page (but only for that character or those characters in the exchange)

The icons are as follow:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_char_happy.gif - Description: Will take you to a description of the person, with some vital statistics (you get to see less about another character than you do your own) You can also change the name you know the character by after clicking this icon.

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_talk.gif - Talk: Will allow you to talk to a person. What you say will only be heard by that character (but other characters in the same location will see you saying something to that particular character)

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_pointat.png - Point: Every character in the same place will see you point at that particular character

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_help.gif - Help: Your character will participate in the project that character is currently working on (if any) (not an option if your character is in the middle of a project - stop your participation first).

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_drag.gif - Drag: Choose a location (building or vehicle) and you will start to drag that character there (not an option if your character is in the middle of a project - stop your participation first).

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_hit.gif - Hit: Choose a weapon and how much force you want to use and your character will attack that character

Objects Page

This page is similar to the inventory page, except that it lists everything 'on the ground' where your character is, including machines. Icons are the same as in the inventory page except for a few:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_take.gif - Take: Your character will take the item. For materials, you will be asked how many grams you wish to take

pull - Pull/Push: After choosing which building, your character will push the note or envelope into a building

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_bury.gif - Bury: Your character will start a project to bury the dead body

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_use.gif - Use: If there are any machines, you can use this button to start a project. In most cases this will bring up a form where the details for the project can be entered.

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_retrieve.gif - Retrieve: If there are any containers, you can use this button to retrieve resources from it

Activity Page

This page is a list of all activites in the area your character is in. Because there are often many unfinished projects, it takes a long time to load them all. Instead, there is a search field, so you can search for specific types of projects. Leaving the field blank will load all activities. Projects started by your character are listed automatically.

An individual project will look similar to this:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_info.gif http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_join.gif http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_small_end.gif farming to get rice (a woman in her thirties, 1015-1)

The first icon gives details on the projects. Clicking the second icon will make your character participate in that project. The cross will cancel the project (only possible if no progress has been made and no materials have been used if required)

The character in brackets is the character who originally started the project if they are still in the same place (not necessarily the character working on the project) and is a link to the character details as usual. After that is a Cantr time stamp of when the project was started.

Projects are listed in three colours:

• Dark grey - Has no one working on the project
• Light grey - Has other characters working on the project
• White - Is the project your character is working on

Character and Player Menus

Finally, at the bottom of most pages are two menus.

Character Menu:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_note.gif - Will create a new note for editing - will appear in your character's inventory

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_envelop.gif - Will create an envelope in your character's inventory

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_build.gif - Opens the build menu, where you can start projects to build tools, machines, vehicles etc...

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_clothes.gif - Opens the menu for clothes and accessories, similar to the build menu

Player Menu:

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_back2.gif - Go back to the player page (the list of your characters)

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_help.gif - More details/help

http://www.cantr.net/graphics/cantr/pictures/button_logout.gif - Logout