Please don't be intimidated by the quantity of material on this website. Other than abiding by the Lonewolf Guild Rules and any additional obligations you may have chosen to accept as a result of your Guild Rank, as a Lonewolf Guild Member you are not obliged to do anything other than be respectful and courteous to all other players, to play the game in the way that you want to, and have fun!

These Guidlines are just that: Guidlines.

And, yes, I do know that there's an 'e' missing ;)

Submitted By: Seefar  

When a new member joins the Guild, please take a moment to say hello - via Norrath Express, Private Tell (/tell), or "in person". As it is Guild Policy to ignore Guild Chat (/gu) when you are busy elsewhere, newcomers - especially those familiar with other Guilds that make extensive use of Guild Chat - may otherwise feel left out!

Take a look at the adventure and artisan class of the new Tenderfoot. Consider presenting him or her with relevant items that you may have spare in your own inventory - especially Spell Scrolls and appropriate equipment upgrades.

If you have the time, offer your assistance: with quests, crafting, interface issues, clarifying Guild Objectives and Policies... however you can :D

Submitted By: Seefar  

Spirit of the Wolf totems turn you into a wolf for 30 minutes, and allow you to run like the wind! Each totem has 5 charges: when all of these are used up, the totem disappears. They are invaluable when you need to get somewhere fast!

While of particular benefit to lower level characters (and new players especially), they are also useful to higher level characters in dungeon environments where horses and carpets can't go (thanks for pointing that out, Randdyy!).

These totems have a special place on The Journey is Half the Fun! - talk to Cru Naseto outside the North Qeynos Gate in Antonica: it's a level 50 Heritage Quest (but you only need to be level 15 to start it).

It is an objective of the Lonewolf Guild to endeavour to maintain a constant supply of these totems at a reasonable price, to help the EQ2 Nektulos server community. On several occasions I have visited a broker to buy a few of these only to find that there were none available :(

Spirit of the Wolf totems are free to all Guild Members (in reasonable quantities) - Pups and above can take them from the Guild Bank as needed. Tenderfoots: just ask if you need some!

All Guild Members are requested - but not obliged - to offer Spirit of the Wolf totems for sale, at whatever price(s) you choose, any proceeds for your own use. These totems tend to be popular: you should find that choosing to contribute to this Guild Objective will provide its own reward.

Guild artisans with appropriate crafting ability are requested - but not obliged - to fill all empty Guild Bank slots with these totems. All Members are requested to help maintain the supplies of the requisite raws: tussah roots, briarwood and feyiron clusters (see Guild Bank #2).

The assistance of woodworkers outside the Lonewolf Guild in helping to maintain the supply of these useful totems is warmly welcomed! Thank you all :D

Submitted By: Seefar  

The one-player-one-toon policy is, I know, taken as a trivial joke by many. But it is meant to be one of the defining themes of the Lonewolf Guild.

The reason that Lonewolf exists is to try to forge a team of characters who know each other well. Alts add confusion in an environment that is already jam-packed with endless miscommunication. The Guild's position on alts is that they do not exist - and if you think about it, most of them don't (unless someone is 'n-boxing').

When a Member refers to an alt in Guild chat, it suggests to newcomers to the Guild that talking about alts is acceptable. Well, it isn't. But, this is a game - so here's a suggestion for having a little fun while trying to ensure that the purpose of the Guild doesn't disappear up its own backside...

1. Any Member who uses foul language or who refers to alts in the Guild Hall (guild chat) will be fined 5 (five) Silver Pieces for each offence
2. Fines should be deposited in Guild Bank #4 as soon as possible
3. All Members are requested to police this policy
4. Penalty for failing to pay fines promptly will be the standard pelting with rotten tomatoes :P

Note that Sony's own Play Nice Policy states that it is unacceptable for any players to use foul language in any language.

Submitted By: Seefar  

When you are in a group:

1. Concentrate on the group and its objectives.
   • If someone sends you a /tell while you're grouped and you don't really have time to respond, use a simple /reply "sorry, in group atm", most people will understand.
2. Stay with the group.
   • Many buffs (and mentoring bonuses) have an area effect.
   • A group that stays together stays alive!
3. If you're trying to recruit help for the group: go on autofollow to another group member.
   • Trying to chat and run at the same time is very dangerous!
   • Make sure the teammate you're following knows that you are on follow, or you may end up stuck on a fence, or dropped into lava!
4. Resist the urge to loot during combat.
   • Distraction can mean deaths!
   • Triggering a trap during a combat can only be bad news...
   • If you have a good disarm trap ability, it's probably a Good Idea to use it if you are near a chest even during combat, on the off-chance that someone else might try to open it.
5. If a group member goes LD (linkdead), wait a few minutes in case s/he returns.
   • fight to clear the nearby area or
   • find a safe spot to
     • rest up
     • take a bio break
     • manage your inventory
     • explore your QJ (quest journal)
     • whatever. You would want the team to do the same for you, right?
6. If you should die, try to resist the auto-revive reflex. Wait for instructions from the Group Leader before reviving.
   • It is possible that someone in the group may be able to resurrect ("rez") you.
   • If there are no time pressures, organising a rescue party to raise a downed comrade can be fun!
   • Being dead can be a good time to get away from the computer for a few minutes - stretch! :D
7. On those occasions when you gain a level while in a group, consider waiting to examine your new spells and abilities until you are in a safe place to take the time to do so.
8. If you do need to leave the group for whatever reason, please do not give "I'm going to help a guildie" as the reason - and never as an excuse.
   • These words can come across as making us sound as though we are a self-serving organisation, which is decidedly NOT the intent.

The Guild Forum contains a thread explaining how to set up a separate chat window for Guild Chat. If you do this, it allows you to easily ignore the guild's inane ramblings :)

When in a raid group:

1. Raid chat (/r) should only be used by group leaders, or for urgent information relevant to all in the raid. Please try to keep it clear of chatter, it's hard enough for a raid leader as it is!
2. Use /gsay or /say depending on whether your comment is relevant to the group or everyone nearby.
3. ALT+r is the default toggle for the raid window. This window (if unlocked) can be resized to clear screen space.
4. Please be as patient as you can. Setting up a raid can take a while... by all means ask 'how long is this likely to take?' even though sometimes this isn't easy to answer. If you can't wait, make your excuses and leave earlier rather than later, to free up your slot for someone else. There is nothing more frustrating than to get everything almost organised, only to fail because of rushing. Much like IRL really :)

Submitted By: Seefar  

There are three ways to reach a place:

• Sneaking
• Training
• Fighting

Of these three it has always been my own preference to get somewhere by fighting to it. The Journey is Half the Fun!

'Sneaking' - using invisibility - can be a viable way to make progress. But it can easily mean a group wipe if invisibility breaks. Those who have group invisibility spells may themselves be fully aware of when it is safe to use, and when it is not: but those without that expertise can easily make a mistake that breaks the invisibility (for instance, I once tried to sprint to catch up with the team, not realising that this would break the spell!). And if even a single beastie on the route has True Sight, there goes the ball game!

Training smacks of sauve qui peut: "Every man for himself!", "I'm all right, Jack". If someone falls behind and gets into trouble, the popular view is that it's their own silly fault. People sometimes have to pause to answer the door IRL (and going on autofollow is a sure way to end up dumped off a cliff or into lava); maybe they cannot see the leader's path clearly because the sun is shining on the screen. Watching the Tank vanish into the next zone to save himself does not promote team-building.

I'm not suggesting taking on every single monster on the way - quite the opposite. It's possible to make very good progress just by choosing your path to avoid unnecessary baddies - maybe selecting a few to clear a way through. If a member of the party DOES get ambushed then they should stop to deal with it - and the rest of the group stops too, in case help is needed. This gives everyone an incentive to avoid as much aggro as possible.

Because we all have different quests, if you know what your own are and see a beastie that you need... if it's on the way and time is not an issue: ATTACK! The group is there to help you deal with it. But - try not to get sidetracked, the important goal is the group's objective. If the team knows each other well, it often doesn't matter who 'pulls aggro', whether intentionally or not.

Fighting to the objective has, in my opinion, several advantages, which include:

• team building - especially useful in Pick-Up Groups (PUGs) where the characters may not know each other well enough to coordinate well. Leaping to immediately tackle a named is unwise!
• buff tweaking - for instance, as a troubador it helps for me to know whether the group really needs me to use some of my precious concentration on the group anti-hate song, or whether I can safely play another song instead
• additional buffs from completing Heroic Opportunities against the lesser foes are always useful before tackling the tougher beasties
• XP en-route - especially valuable for those players who may not have much playtime spare (and who may not know it in advance)
• improves knowledge of the terrain (it's difficult to learn the lie of the land at speed!)
• no untidy trains dumped onto other players!
• no group wipes due to broken group invisibility!
• more immersive
• more FUN!

At the end of the day, although progress is sometimes a little slower, it can be a lot quicker than half a team getting to the objective and having to wait for the other half, those who died en route and so have to do the entire journey again.

The idea is to pick an objective, make sure that everyone knows what the objective is, and then everyone fights together to try to gain the objective - in the knowledge and understanding that, for whatever reason, the objective may not be achieved... until next time, maybe :D

Submitted By: Seefar  

You don't have to kill lots of monsters to earn lots of XP. Successfully completing quests will generate XP too. I can't promise you that it will always generate more XP than going around in circles killing the same old giants over and over again... but in some cases I suspect that it might do. For instance, many of those who I have helped complete the Heritage Quest The Journey is Half the Fun have been astonished by the amount of XP they have earnt along the way.

Taking a pause from the slaughter is also good for the vitality. Some quest rewards are pretty good, too!

A less tangible benefit is that completing quests provides a sense of achievement, of progress.

Maintaining control of your Quest Journal (QJ) is probably the most crucial element of EverquestII. As The Makers proved when they increased the size of the QJ from 50 to 75 slots some time ago: it doesn't matter how big the bucket is, if it's never emptied it will soon overflow.

Tackling the Fulljournalmonster

It can be frustrating to be shown around a dungeon by someone who knows where all the quest starters are, only to keep getting the 'your journal is full' message. Some of these quest starters are hidden in innocuous places that you may never find again on your own...

On many occasions I have chosen to pass up on new quests simply because the alternative was to delay the group while going through my QJ and deciding which quest to delete to be able to accept the new one. More than once, while helping someone complete a quest of theirs, I have realised that I used to have the same quest - but I deleted it to make room for another one! Nowadays, instead of deleting quests, I aim to complete as many as possible to free up space. It's really not so different from managing your inventory so that you always have room for loot - except that you can't buy bigger bags :)

The Group Quest Journal

When in a group, open your Quest Journal and hit the 'Group' tab. You should see a 'Shared' section: this details which quests are common to two or more group members. If stuck for a plan, this is a good place to start: it's always better to work towards common goals to keep everyone happy!

A couple of caveats:

• When examining the 'Shared' section of the Group Quest Journal, be aware that the quest 'step' detailed is the one that YOUR character is on. It is, unfortunately, necessary to navigate the journal 'tree' to the same quest in each party member's section of the journal to see the steps that each player is currently on.
• Sometimes the [+] signs in the Group Quest Journal will disappear. This bug often arises when members of the group zone. As far as I am aware it is currently curable only by disbanding and reforming the group. [edit: might have been fixed, haven't seen this for a while.]

The Main Quest (MQ)

I think it's a Good Idea to pick your own personal Main Quest ('MQ' for short), and to try do things that move this along, even if only in small steps. You'll inevitably get sidetracked, but if you know where you're heading then you'll get there in the end: and if you don't know where you're going, no wind is favourable.

There's an innocuous little button in the QJ labelled 'hide'. This allows you to selectively hide quests from the view of others in the group. However, when I tried using it (some months ago) it didn't seem to be at all reliable; and with up to 75 quests to individually toggle, I found it a laborious process, and decided that it really wasn't worth the effort. Maybe you'll disagree; and perhaps the bugs have been addressed since last I looked at it. As for me, I would consider using this tool again if there were options to 'hide all' and 'unhide all', as this would make the concept a LOT easier to use. In theory, you could publicise your MQ by hiding all except that one :)

If you need a group to help achieve your MQ, just let your friends know what your objective is. As Spock said: "It is difficult to answer when one does not understand the question". Your friends can only help you to do something if they know that you're trying to do it!

Kill Two (or more!) Birds with One Stone

If you plan your next Adventure with an eye on what is in your Quest Journal, you can often find that you can get from A to B and update a half a dozen quests en route :)

Here's a tip:

EQII Options > Controls > Command Keys > Last Updated Quest

Assign a key (I used F12) to this function... then, every time you press that key, the Quest Journal Helper will cycle through your most recently updated quests. So when you get an update and you don't know what it was (happens to me all the time) it's a bit easier to find out! Note: as at the time of writing, this feature sadly seems less than 100% reliable - but when it does work, it's very useful!

Quest Journal Management Policy

1. Identify your own personal Main Quest (MQ)
2. Aim not to delete any quests
3. Endeavour to keep at least a handful of quest slots free, by completing quests where you can
4. Consider ignoring new quests rather than holding up the group while you decide which ones to delete, if you are faced with the Fulljournalmonster.
5. Use the Group Quest Journal to try to keep all the people happy all of the time :)
6. If the baddies you have to beat up for a quest become grey: seek out those who have the same quest. You only need one person for whom the quest is not grey for EVERYONE to get XP! Naturally, this would mean using mentoring... ;)
7. Try not to fret if a quest gives you trouble... you will complete it, one day!

Submitted By: Seefar  

Heroic Opportunities, or "HOs", offer a variety of benefits in combat. Successfully completing a HO results in either extra damage, or useful individual or group buffs. In the preliminary fights leading up to the Final Battle against that tough Named, completing as many different HOs as you can will provide your group with an extra edge that may just mean the difference between winning and wiping.

The most important thing about HOs, to my mind, is not to worry about completing them. If it happens, it happens: if you concentrate too much on trying to make sure that you do "your" part of every single HO that comes along, you probably won't see the wandering monster that jumps you from behind! I view learning HOs as akin to learning how to juggle: if you worry too much about catching the balls as they fall, you will never get the hang of it.

If you know nothing at all about Heroic Opportunities, the first step is to experiment with your own solo ones. I only really know the scout ones: I have three, one of which is rare ("Bravo's Dance"). I suspect the same will be true for your character.

Scouts have a special ability: they can sometimes use abilities to switch the HO to a different one. But since the actual HO that arises is random, this doesn't provide as much control as some may think. One important aspect of this ability is that it is sometimes possible for a scout to 'refresh' the HO if it looks like the timer is going to expire.

In groups, you can make a useful contribution to HOs simply by firing off your own "HO starter" in those gaps when nobody else seems to be inclined to use their own. If you intend to use your own Solo HO, complete it as quickly as you can to clear the opportunity for others: but don't be afraid to "leave it hanging" for someone else to pick up. If you have made a mistake, it's easy enough for another character to override your starter with their own... and you may just find that you have unleashed an unstoppable juggernaut :D

Even after all this time, I still don't know specifically what each HO does, except for the solo scout ones. That doesn't worry me: all I know for sure is that they are all very, very useful, especially in combination. I know that there is information on the Web that would provide me with the fine details about them all, but those who know me will know that I'm not too fussed about the numbers. I just want to play! :D

1. Learn your own Solo Heroic Opportunities
2. If no one in your group is using HOs, pop your own HO starter and leave it hanging to see what happens
3. If you intend to complete a Solo HO while in a group, try to do it quickly
4. Aim to complete as many different HOs as possible
5. Don't worry about completing HOs: if it happens, it happens

Submitted By: Seefar