Game basics

In *Heroes of Ardania*, the player controls individual heroes in a browser-based role playing game. The general goal is to build up a hero by defeating monsters and obtaining items. The player's hero may visit and explore a variety of different locations throughout the *Majesty* world known as Ardania.

## Getting started

New players must create a hero from one of 16 different classes. The classes are not intended to be equally challenging or easy to play. Players may create multiple heroes all linked to the same login account.

New heroes begin in Valmorgen. Players generally must utilize the shops available there to purchase a token set of equipment to enable them to venture into the city sewers to seek combat to gain experience and level up. Eventually, the player may leave Valmorgen, generally by completing the The Trial of Venn's Spire, which becomes available at level 7.

### Related articles

* Picking a hero class
* Getting started guide (early game strategy)

## Game interface

*Main article: Game interface*
*Heroes of Ardania* is a text-based game played within a web browser. To learn more about the game's user interface, please see the article linked above. When adventuring in explorable areas, players may use the keyboard key "**E**" to **explore** and the keyboard key "**A**" to **attack**.

## Combat

*Main article: Combat system*
Combat is implemented in the form of a round-by-round simulation of combat actions. The outcome of a battle depends on the stats of the hero, as well as those of the hero's opponents.

### Related articles

* Attributes – Attributes are the core stats of a hero or creature. Basic attributes include strength, intelligence, vitality, willpower, and artifice. Combat attributes include hand-to-hand, ranged, parry, dodge, damage, armor, and magic resist.
* Abilities – Abilities are special skills of a hero or creature. Abilities may enable heroes to perform certain actions inside or outside of combat.
* Spells – Spells are part of the assets of a hero or creatures. Spells may be used inside or outside of combat, to a wide range of effects depending on the specific spell.
* Followers – Followers are support characters that a hero may hire to provide assistance in combat.

## Turns system

The turns system is used to control rate at which certain elements of the game progress. Turns are used up in certain gameplay elements such as exploring areas, traveling between distant areas, and stopping to rest at a location. Turns approximately simulate the time it takes for heroes to perform actions. However, while turns play a large role in the flow of the game, many actions can be accomplished without using turns, such as visiting various locations within a city and purchasing items.

Each hero receives one turn per hour, which may accumulate over time without limit. Currently, there is no way to receive more turns than one per hour. However, the player may register multiple heroes, all of which accumulate turns simultaneously at the standard rate.

Turns are also lost upon death, the exact number being dependent on the hero's level, or by being incarcerated after a failed stealing attempt, where the number is depends on the difficulty of the store. Due to these, or turn-loss during exploration, there is a possibility for the hero to have a negative number of turns; in such a case the hero is unable to spend further turns until the figure reaches a positive value again.

Having an encumbrance higher than 100% can also quickly expend turns as exploration becomes more turn-expensive.

## Game progression

Heroes level up by gaining experience. Experience (XP) is gained by defeating monsters or by performing special actions that reward XP. The process of gaining XP is explained more in-depth in the "Gaining XP" Article. Leveling up improves the hero's health and attributes. For certain classes, leveling up may also unlock abilities or spells.

Items also play a large role in character progression. As heroes travel to new areas, they will discover new and more powerful items that improve their combat prowess. Some items are crafted or improved through the use of schematics. During the course of the game, heroes will interact with various non-player characters. Some of these characters may provide quests or rumours.

## See also

* Locations
* Bestiary
* Quests