What's up with Racing
Racing

One of the great things about There is exploring in vehicles.  Have you tried racing in a track?  Have you run into problems?  You may be wondering what's up with racing?
 
Well here it is!  Racing is one of many environments in There in which we have to share space.  Sometimes two players want to do things that are in exact opposition, and that causes problems.  Here are some things you can keep in mind to have a good time racing and to let those around you have a good time as well.
 
What you can do at a race track:
  • Practice.  Racers call this lapping.  To practice your lap times, just go through the start gate and follow the green arrows.  You will be timed, and the best ten lap times for the track are recorded by the software.  You can get your name on the best lap time board with a little practice.  
  • Practice some more.  The best racers in There have learned to do it well.  This doesn't usually happen overnight.  Work at driving as fast as you can with turbo down as much as you can manage.  Practice pays off.  You can do it!  How to turbo?  Right mouse click is turbo.
  • Race.  If you are in a track where others are racing, you can join by clicking This Place and Join Race.  To do this, you must be in a buggy and it must be when a race is not currently running.  If a race has been started, you have until the counter reaches about 21 seconds to get your buggy out and join in.
  • Listen.  Find out what's going on by paying attention to the Zone IM window.  If there is a host, he may be giving instructions or trying to communicate with you.  Keep your window open, and pay attention to what is said there.
  • Learn.  Chat with others There and ask them for advice on racing.  Also check the zones for books or signs which give tips on racing.
What you should NOT do at a track
  • Don't use your buggy to annoy.  Griefing and harassing are against the There TOS. 
  • Don't interrupt racers working on their lap times.  Notice what others are doing.  If other racers are lapping without racing, they may be working hard on improving their lap times.  You may want to practice that way as well. 
  • Don't start a race with lappers without a warning.  If you see racers lapping the track, but you want to start a race, announce in the Zone IM box that you want to start a race in two minutes.  A two-minute warning gives lappers a chance to complete their laps before they are interrupted by a race.
  • Don't ram buggies at the start of a race.  When the race begins, you will be lined up with other buggies.  When the start sounds, you will want to go fast, but you must wait for the buggy in front of you to move.  You may think he's slow, but we have various connection speeds and we all need to be patient. You can't drive through him anyway.  Just wait till you can go. 
  • Do not use the Zone IM window improperly.  It's not the place for arguments, bad language, or voice chat.
  • Do not block the track with chat groups of buggies.  Allow those who want to race to do so.
  • Do not use a vehicle in a zone that it was not meant for.  For example, zones that say "Buggy Only" are meant for buggies only.  If you don't have one, ask for a loan.
I host races at Dune Valley, and you are welcomed to come.  However, I will be expecting you to follow the rules.
Dealing with Spades

spades

 
When you are in the mood for a relaxing game with a few friends, Spades may be just what you are looking for.  Spades is the only card game introduced into There up until now.  Fortunately, it is quite easy to learn to play; yet the variety of the game keeps it challenging.
 
Spades Preliminaries
  • Playing spades requires a game table, but there are many spades clubhouses in There with open tables around the clock.
  • Spades requires a full table of four players.  You may luck up and stumble into a game with spots available.  You may also want to join a spades clubs to get invitations and to find other spades players online.  One such club is  Need a Fourth for Spades Invites.
  • A game of spades is played until one team reaches as score of 500.  This may require several hands and can take from 30 minutes to an hour.
Basics of the Game
 
Each player is dealt 13 cards at the beginning of a round.  There will be 13 tricks in which each of the four players will place a card on the table.  The player to the dealer's left will play first.  The suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades) he plays is called the lead suit.  Each person must play the lead suit if they have a card of that suit.  If they do not, they can play any card they wish.  Only the lead suit or spades can win.  Spades will beat any other suit.
 
Players sitting across from each other are partners.
 
Bidding
 
What is a bid?  At the start of a round, each player is asked to make a bid.  A bid is a guess at the number of tricks you think you will win. 
 
What should you bid?  One of the things you will master as you play spades is how to make a good bid.  In the beginning,  you will not know what to bid.  The number of Aces and Kings you have is a reasonable bid to make.  A common bid is 3.  If you bid a very high number, such as 13, you have doomed you and your partner to lose.  Also, if the table bids a total greater than 13, someone will go set for sure. The total number of tricks won at a table will always be 13.
 
What is a Nil bid?  A nil bid is a special case that occurs when one player bids 0.  In this case, that player must make 0, or he and his partner will lose 100 points.  If he makes his nil, he and his partner win 100 points automatically.  When a person bids nil, it's important that his partner try to cover him, that is, make sure he loses each trick if possible.
 
Scoring
  • Partners work together to make the total they bid.  If the partners make the amount they bid, they get ten points for each number bid. 
  • If they do not make their bid, the go set and lose ten for each number bid. 
  • If they make more than their bid, they only get 1 point for each extra, called a bag. If the partners accumulate ten bags they lose 100 points.
 
Strategies
 
  • Work with your partner to make your bid and to minimize bags.
  • Only bid Nil if you are reasonably sure that you can play the round without making any tricks.
  • Try to cover your partner if he/she bids Nil.
  • If you plan to take a trick with a King, don't play that King until the Ace in that suit has been played.  Otherwise you might lose your King to the Ace.
  • If you have a suit with fewer than 3 cards, a short suit, you can try to get rid of those cards quickly and then play a spade ( trump),  when that suit is played again.
 
Spades is easily learned and a fun challenge to master.  Most players are patient with beginners.  I often put out spades tables at the end of my parties, and you can contact Petal or June_URUtmp if you want to get personal instruction.
Questions About Questing
Quest
You may have stumbled across some quest clues as you explore?  Have you been wondering what that's all about?  Here's the scoop.
 
What is a quest kit?  Quest kits are a connected set of 10 (in some cases 20) There Documents that members have written to create a game for you.  The game may be in the form of a story, puzzle, or series of questions.  Each of the individual documents (buoys) will contain one question, piece of information, or chapter of the story.  The buoys are usually placed in various settings around the world to illustrate the story.  Your quest consists of finding the clues and answering the questions.  The buoys may appear to be locked chests, sealed bottles, journals, balloons, or even invisible.
 
How do you start a quest?  If you find a quest kit in your travels, it will offer you a link to the start of the quest.  You must begin at the beginning and answer the first question.  Most quests are designed so that you have to input an answer after some input on the first page.  If you answer correctly, you advance to the second page where you usually have information to help you find the second clue.  You can check your progress at the link at the bottom of the first page.
 
What kinds of quests are there?  The quest kits are used to make stories, puzzles, trivia questions, and picture quests.  In a story quests and trivia quests, you will be asked to answer a question.  Puzzle quests will ask you to solve a piece of the puzzle.  Picture quests may or may not ask a question, but a picture is provided on a link.  You use the picture to find your next buoy.
 
How can you learn to quest better?  The Adventure Quest club at the Sea Shanty on Kantana Point always has quests ready to go.  There is a questing tutorial there, and a new quest meant to help players understand some of the various kinds of puzzle quests.  You can also find a board to sign up for help, and there is another sign linking to various quests around There.  Some additional information may be found at this link. There Care on Quests
 
How can you do a quest?  You can purchase quest kits from Shop Central.  The only quest kits currently available for sale have invisible buoys.  You will need to drop the buoys at landmarks you can describe to the questers.
 
What other tools are useful?
  • The There compass and map
  • The WhereAmI link (available in Adventure Quest club)
  • A hoverpack (Try-It machine available in Adventure Quest club)
Getting Around in There
boat

Are you finding your way around There?  One of the best things about our world is the huge planet we have to explore.  At first, it may seem a bit overwhelming to you.  Here are some ways you can get around in There.

On your own:   The world is a bit large to walk around, so you may want to acquire a vehicle. 
  • You are born with a hoverboard in your inventory.  Check the My Things button, take out the Old School Board, click the blue Action Tag to climb aboard, and use your arrows to steer. 
  • You may prefer to borrow a hoverpack, hoverboat, or buggy.  There is a Try-It Machine in the Sea Shanty at Kantana point, or visit Loaners4U or SteveMack's garage to pick up a means of transport. 
Useful tip:  When you take a buggy out of your inventory, it will always point northward

Teleport tour websites:   Try one of these websites to assist you in your travels.
Home, Clubhouse, and Funzone searches:  If you click the Places button and then click Find a Place,  you will see a search engine that may be used to find homes, clubhouses, and funzones.  Each location has a link to visit.

Neighborhood links:   If you click the There button and then There Central you will see a link to all neighborhoods.  Many of these are on the remote islands of New Kansas, Comet, and Frosty Island.  The neighborhoods are often themed communities and fascinating places to visit.  I highly recommend you check out the list and visit the ones that pique your interest.

Save Favorite Spots:   When you upgrade to Premium, you will automatically get the Explorer Pack.  This allows you to save spots to your favorite places and then teleport to them whenever you wish.  This feature also allows you to summon people.  Explorer Pack comes with a compass too!  To upgrade, look at your profile and click the link that says Upgrade Now.
 
How Can I Get ThereBucks?
tft/shopjo2.png

Have you been wondering where to get the bux for some new threads and wheels?  For Basic members, the only way to get Therebux is to purchase them.  At the bottom of your screen, you will find a 'Shop' button with an option to 'Buy More Therebucks.'  The usual exchange rate is $5 for 9000 bux. 

Is a credit card required?  No, there are other methods of purchase.  You can contact billing@there.com to find other ways to buy, including money orders and PayPal.

What if you don't want to pay at all?  The software will not allow the giving of tbux or items to Basic members.  Your friends may lend you vehicles, but clothing cannot be lent or given.  You can enjoy your free membership by chatting, playing, or exploring, but you won't be able to own new clothing or to engage in trades.

Once you upgrade to a Premium account, you may want to investigate designing and trading.  When you upgrade, you will find some nice options to get some tbux at a special rate, as well.  Click your profile and follow the 'Upgrade Now' link.