Here is the text for an ingame help system (replacement for /help) I suggested a while ago. I’m aware of the fact that “many noobs don’t read”, but that doesn’t mean there should be no propper ingame help system for people who do. It basically tells the things that other players teach hundreds of times, so it’s also a thing to refer to instead of typing it over and over on your official or unofficial “helper”.
The help text should be in standard font and size to make it convenient to read (larger than the /help now, because that’s hard and annoying to decipher), still in green to make it distinguishable. You may also want to add a random server message that says “Check the /help commands to learn about many useful aspects of the mod. (Also a good pass-time while trading)”. The /helppower command can also be mentioned in the “incompatible technology detected” message.
Please share any thoughts and suggestions you have to improve it.
/help
Type these commands for help on the subjects:
/helpstart - Getting started
/helpchat – The chat system
/helproleplay – Advice for role-playing
/helpmine – Mining ore, gas, or scrap
/helptrade – Hints for trading
/helpcash - Transfer credits to ships/characters
/helprep – Reputations with NPC factions
/helppower – Keep your power core working
/helpcombat – Advice for combat
/helpall – List of all console commands
Visit the Help & Tutorials section at discoverygc.com for in-depth explanations, questions, or suggestions.
/helpstart
Welcome to the Discovery Community!
Before you explore the mysteries of the Sirius sector, fight the “good” fight, or become a notorious pirate, you need a decent ship. Credits are earned by taking missions in bars, trading, smuggling, mining, or by working for wealthy players.
Type /helpcash to transfer credits between ships. What gear you can use depends on your reputation, ship, and ID (type /helprep for info). The /restart command restarts your ship affiliated with factions (type /showrestarts to see all options).
Learn about roleplay by typing /helproleplay. You can enter a non-roleplay system to train combat and find helpful players by typing /conn while docked with empty cargo hold./return brings you back to the role-play universe.
Please choose a name that doesn't break immersion in the Freelancer universe. Don’t use l33tspeak, memes, or names from universes like Star Wars or Star Trek. You can rename with the /renameme command. /helchat shows chat options.
/helpchat
Local chat (dark blue text) is seen by players within your radar range. It's invisible to others when docked.
/l – Local chat
/s – System (light blue) seen by all players in the system
/t – Private Message (PM, green) the your target
/r – PM the player that last sent you a PM
/pm <name> - Send PM (mail if player is offline)
/mail – Read your mail. /maildel empties your inbox.
/g – Group chat (pink)
/fm <tag> - Send (pink) message to everyone with <tag> in name
/set chatfont – Set font for messages
/invite <name> – Invite a player into a chat/missions group
/fi <tag> – Invite everyone who has <tag> in name
/join – Accept a group invitation
/leave – Leave your group (also fixes mission bug)
/marktarget - Assign your target to the entire group
/ignore <name> - Ignore messages from <name> (/ignored lists ignored players, /delignore clears list)
/[1-9] – Send a preset message (can be combined as /l[1-9], /g[1-9], t[1-9])
/setmsg – Save preset message
/showmsgs – Shows preset messages
/helproleplay
Roleplay improves the game experience by creating an immersive universe and lets players entertain through creativity.
To roleplay means you act as a fictional character living in Sirius, with their own biography and motivations. Their personality may differ largely from your own. Be a hero, anti-hero, leader, disciple, back-stabbing crook, gung-ho soldier, artificial intelligence, money-groping capitalist, weirdo, multi-faceted and complex, or simple-minded. If you roleplay personalities similar to Han Solo, Jean-Luc Piccard, or Orillion, please use different names to stay immersive.
Roleplay consists of words and weapons. Be tolerant of players enjoying either the story-telling or the space combat aspects more than you. If you favor talking over shooting, it’s up to you to avoid situations where you’re destined to explode. If you enjoy combat, it’s up to you to respect the required roleplay context and server rules. Space is both fascinating, and dangerous.
/helptrade
Trading is a straight-forward method to increase wealth. Most players have one or more trade ships they transfer credits to other ship from (/helpcash for info). Ships with larger holds bring larger profits, but have less maneuverability and therefore more vulnerability to pirates.
Armed escorts and scouts can protect you against parasites, but if you are still robbed of credits or cargo, quench your thirst for revenge by placing a bounty (see Bounty Boards on discoverygc.com). At times, sweet-talking yourself out of a stick-up or paying the pirate are cheaper alternatives. Attempting to warp out of this dimension by disconnecting from the server is the worst choice because it angers the gods, and they will punish you severely.
Trade runs are a great time to chat with potential business partners, read all /help pages, or use LEFT-TAB + RETURN for windowed mode and visit discoverygc.com (works best if you set a resolution lower than your desktop resolution in the game launcher).
/helpmine
Shooting the moving asteroids with mining lasers in areas marked yellow by the navmap's pickax symbol will transfer mineral ore to cargo holds. Gas is mined by shooting moving particles in the exhaust of gas mining facilities. Using mining lasers on a mining ship with mining IDs will boost efficiency and generate more ore per hit.
If you target another player ship within 1k distance while mining, ore is automatically transferred to that ship’s cargo hold (unless your IDs are incompatible). Working as a miner/hauler team with one miner and one large transport is the most time-efficient way to make credits.
Ore drop rates also depend on the individual ID and field characteristics. Check discoverygc.com or ask experienced miners for more information.
/helprep
Your reputation affects whether bases let your dock and buy equipment, bar characters talk to you, NPCs attack you, contact colors, and your own Identify Friend-Foe tag. Other players see your IFF tag in front of your name when targeting you.
View your reputation using the the man-shaped symbol in the top right corner or the F8 key. Killing NPCs (not players) lowers your rep with their faction, while fulfilling missions for them raises it. Grouping with players while they accomplish missions affects your rep even if you don’t actively partake. Raising rep with a faction also raises it with their allies and lowers it with enemies.
A very friendly rep is needed to join a faction by buying its ID. Mounting a faction-ID will force the rep of its enemies/allies to friendly/hostile. You'll adopt a faction’s IFF when friendliest to them. Its name will then flash yellow in the list, and players will see you as affiliated with it. Type /droprep to get rid of your current IFF by losing rep.
/helppower
When you buy equipment or ships that don’t match your ID, your power core will lose efficiency. This is done to uphold variety and realism, so pirates don’t fly the same ship setups as the police. Check the Tech Chart at discoverygc.com or mount/unmount equipment to find out working combinations.