Ready for Action

It is up to you which, and how many, training missions you complete. Once you have trained enough, you can venture out on your first real missions on Silan. You can get these from the counselor at the Kami Enclave, from the communications officer at the Karavan Embassy, and from Chiang the Strong.

The missions of the Kami and the Karavan take you to the Blight Zone, an area contaminated with the little-researched substance Goo. It seeps up from the interior of the planet, destroys the land and makes the animals go crazy. The Kami give you the task of rendering some of these contaminated animals harmless. As a reward, you will receive plenty of Dapper, and your reputation with the Kami will grow. The Karavan sends you out to collect various Goo samples, which you either find by searching for resources around the Blight Zone or take from animals you have killed around the Blight Zone. Again, you will receive plenty of Dappers, and your reputation with the Karavan will increase.

It makes sense to embark on the missions that Chiang the Strong has in store for you at the end of your training because they mark the transition from the end of your time in Silan to your departure to the mainland. The first mission Chiang gives you is: "The bandits have a secret. Discover it." In detail, this very broadly worded mission means that you need to search for and take out a bandit with special skills in the area between the Blight Zone and the Sparkling Lake near the Rendor herd. You capture a Goo extractor from them and deliver it to Chiang.

Your next mission is to show the device to the four camp leaders of the four nations, which you do in a quick tour of the camp. From now on, you can use the Karavan teleporter, which will save you a lot of running around, because it will take you from the Ranger camp directly to the Karavan outpost in the north near Sparkling Lake.

The next mission takes you to the Kami outpost at the lake southeast of Sparkling Lake. After all the running around, you are again given a real task there: To take out Reitzak, the leader of the Chlorogoo bandits (Figure 9). The bandits' camp is located north of Sparkling Lake. It is a good idea to form a team to complete this mission because there are other bandits in the camp who will defend their leader in case of a direct attack. But if you are alone, wait until Reitzak steps to the edge of the camp and attack her with magic. She will run after you and leave the camp while her protectors stay behind. As a reward, Chiang will give you a generous helping of experience points.

Figure 9: One of the missions Chiang the Strong gives you means that you have to face Reitzak, the leader of the Chlorogoo bandits, whose camp is located north of Sparkling Lake.

The last mission Chiang the Strong sends you on sees you face the Kitin for the first time. You swim into the Kitin Jungle through a cave southwest of Sparkling Lake. When you get there, you collect sap from the abundant sources of raw materials and kill a number of the Kitin. Your final opponent here is a Kirosta (Figure 10). Again, the easiest way to defeat it is to work together as a team. But it can be done alone, if you have sufficient training. As a reward, Chiang will give you a full set of ranger armor. This means that you have completed all your missions on Silan and are ready to make your way to the mainland.

Figure 10: The most powerful enemy on Silan is the Kirosta, found in the Kitin Jungle.

Off to the Mainland

Silan is primarily for training and developing your character. Once you have learned enough, talk to Chiang the Strong, who will show you the way to the mainland. He first sends you to the camp leaders of the four nations and then to the Kami enclave, from where you are teleported to one of the four capitals of the nations. You are free to choose a city.

Make your selection wisely. The cities are interconnected, but the route from each city to the others is long and dangerous, so you can't easily change your choice. It is best to travel to your own nation's capital first. The traders and the other non-player characters will be more friendly to you (Figure 11). Theoretically, you can leave at any time, but you will want to complete all the missions on Silan up front in order to be best prepared for the adventures that await you.

Figure 11: Once you have learned enough on Silan, you are ready to leave for one of the four capitals of the four nations. Here, a newcomer to the ZoraÔ capital first talks to the city's welcomer, who explains what needs to be done next.

It's really hard to believe that you can play such an elaborately designed MMORPG like Ryzom for free. The background story is imaginative, the missions are exciting across the board, and the developers have put a great deal of TLC into the graphics. Ryzom is a clear recommendation from us. But watch out: It's addictive.