PART 6 - SIMPLE MISTAKES MAKE FOR FRUSTRATING ERRORS, SO AVOID THEM!
Have you ever made a simple oversight, not recognized it, and the error was so obvious...yet...you missed it, and you end up smacking your own forehead afterwards saying to yourself "Man, how did I make that mistake"? Well, that can happen all the time as you learn your Bloodlines HUD and Equipment. There are some basic mistakes to watch out for, and paying attention to these easy to make mistakes will help you to avoid them and add to your professionalism when interacting with your friends and minions. I've listed them in the form of principles to follow, with an example of how a mistake could trip you up in game.
1. Always wear your HUD and your Fangs or Claws.
This one is pretty simple. If you don't have your HUD on, you can't use it's features. If you don't have your fangs or claws on, you can't get the HUD to recognize the action you're wishing to take. A good practice is to just keep them on at all times. That way, you don't need to search for them and waste valuable time trying to find them. Fangs and claws can both be set to hidden on the HUD, which makes them not visible on your avatar, and even in "hidden" mode they still function normally as if they were exposed. Just, bottom line, keep them both on all the time. Imagine if you will that you have found a Fresh Victim that desires to allow you to bite them. You have on your HUD, so you think all is fine and dandy. You attempt to send them a bite request, and for some strange reason after you've selected the avatar to bite.....they get no Accept Box to approve the bite. You stand there, and try again. Nothing happens. So politely tell them that you're sorry, your stuff isn't working, and you try again. It doesn't take many attempts before the person that had agreed to your role play will lose interest, and you'll appear that you don't know your own game. Later, when you realize you didn't have your teeth in, it's already too late to call them back.
2. Don't walk around completely full on Blood or Lumens.
I keep myself hovering at just above 4 Liters of Vital Blood, and 40 Units of Vital Lumens. I rarely allow my avatar to exceed that, and certainly do not stay full if I achieve that amount. This is because you cannot bite or scratch another player unless you have room in your avatar to take the Blood or Lumens from the other player during the attack. You must have room to take. Once the gas tank on your car is full, you're not getting more gas down that nozzle. Same principle applies in Bloodlines as it pertains to Blood or Lumens. Think back to the previous scenario regarding your teeth. Now imagine your frustration when you have your HUD and Fangs or Claws on, but still can't bite your victim. The results will be similar. No bite or scratch will happen, but this time simply because you don't have room to collect the Blood or Lumens. And the fact that you're full might be the last thing you consider as you attempt to troubleshoot your avatar. If you find you're getting somewhat full, go to the family casks and drain off a bit. You can drain very small or very large quantities as you wish. Just make sure you don't drain completely and become destroyed. If you're at 5 full units of blood, drain off 1 Liter to the family cask by left clicking the cask, then choosing "Fill", and then choosing "1". This will make enough room for you to attack at least 4 other avatars before needing to drain again.
3. Don't try to attack an avatar that's less than 15 days old.
Simply put, you can't. It's built into the system. The only way to bite an avatar that's less than 15 days old is to get them the HUD and ask them to wear it first. It's designed that way to ensure new avatars have a chance to understand Second Life a while before agreeing to something when they do not understand the ramifications. Interestingly also is that you cannot "Gift Purchase" the HUD for someone under 15 days of age either. You must bring them in person and pass them the Lindens, and they have to buy it themselves. This will force a consent to Terms of Service prior to the purchase. These restrictions may seem silly at first, however, if you think about it they are making an effort to protect the new players in world. That alone is commendable. You don't even have to try to imagine the scenario I'm about to describe. I've seen it so many times in my Bloodlines Life it's become routine. You meet an avatar that's fairly seasoned and get to know them. You know from scanning them that their soul is in Limbo. They've been bitten in the past and never wore the HUD. When the topic comes up and you tell them of this, they're shocked! They had no idea they had ever agreed to such a thing. They get angry, and their disgust for ALL Vampires and Lycans is suddenly magnified by emotion. To avoid this, just never bite someone under 15 days old, and by all means ensure that anyone you do bite is fully advised of what's happening. Remember, full disclosure up front pays long term peace dividends down the road.
Always keep learning, never allow a new found experience go unshared, and just have fun everyone! :)
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