New players on older servers

[Brinwen 1]

I'm new to the game and would really like go somewhere with or around other new people. At the same time though, I'm not sure I like the idea of forever being stuck on the new server and not being able to travel to and explore the old ones. I was wondering if there were any new people going to start out on the old servers?

[Jotz 469]

Independence is always a good option, could try Xanadu (though quite laggy there.)

[Etherdrifter 2,518]

Xanadu is generally a good place to settle if you have a group.

 

The lag has been very bad recently though...

[Nomadikhan 2,196]

Xanadu while quite large, is just not a good example of wurm's servers.. it's lagged since day one, lagged after every fix to fix the lag, and lags after migrating multiple times to new hosts, and  stil lags on the newest host.

 

Celebration has a lot of free land and some very nice places, has a quaint community of good people that enjoy helping newer folk!

[Tristanc 570]

I agree that Independance is a good option.  Haven's Landing, the starter town there, is very nicely laid out and has all the options a new player needs to mine iron and cut trees in a safe environment.

There are active groups of players in that area who can help out and invite you to be a part of their community, and Independance has never had a lag problem to the degree that Xanadu has.

 

[Angelklaine 4,266]

"I'd say any of the small servers are great when it comes to starting, but nothing can beat Independence in the sense that you can start at Heaven's Landing and work on your skills until you find a group to join. 

 

The old servers are wrecked when it comes to land. Land has been terraformed and changed so many times by old players that outside of Xanadu its hard to find a pristine inch of land anywhere. However if you are willing to put in a little work, the old servers might be your best option because you will always find groups of players willing to lend a hand, an already established economy, and an unique experience you won't find in the new servers. 

 

If any new players are willing to give it a try, go ahead. You will not be dissapointed.

[Jaz 2,665]

Even small servers have quite some almost untouched land. Worth travel them all - there is a reason I have at least one deed on all the old freedom servers.

[Platyna 521]

I live in R20 Ind, there is a space to sleep, and I can give you some starting items. If you like some non-extreme terraforming, you can even join us (I am looking for the people who will help to build their city). 🙂 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Platyna

[Pandalet 1,848]

Any of the servers are good - my choice would be Pristine or Release, but it's more personal preference than anything else.  You will generally need to travel further from the spawn to find a clear spot to settle than on a brand new server, but on the flip side, there will be roads and guard towers and things to make that travelling easier.  Also player-made maps, if you like having a better idea of what's out there. 

 

Good luck!

[TheTrickster 2,284]

I'm gonna say I didn't enjoy Indy as a newbie.  Obviously extensively developed, it was still difficult for me to find active players.  I felt like I was going through ghost town after ghost town.  On the main island I met a total of ONE other player.  In my whole time on that server, I interacted with a grand total of 6 other players, and that includes one who just waved at me as they sailed past.

 

I have enjoyed Release much more, but I think any of the smaller servers would perhaps provide the same concentrating of population.

[Amata 400]

7 hours ago, TheTrickster said:

I'm gonna say I didn't enjoy Indy as a newbie.  Obviously extensively developed, it was still difficult for me to find active players

I'm really sorry to hear that Trickster. I know that Indy has a *lot* more to offer, even if a lot of us are a bit of a mix of hermit and far-flung explorer types. It does take a bit of time on an island to figure out who is who, and which communities are bustling, and how to get to them. Honestly, I think that's true of any island, and fate or luck or magic helps you find the place that is "right" for you. 

Personally, I ADORED my time in Haven's Landing... so much that I ended up settling in with the community that lives around South Haven Lake! I think one of the big differences for me was that I am a timid person with anxiety, and having a place like Haven's Landing, full of freebies specifically for newbies, was a comfortable way to "ease in" to the world, the game mechanics, the skill system, and the social dynamics. Since there is no time limit on how long you can stay in Haven's Landing, it is a very opportune area to use to get your core skills up, start earning sleep bonus, and start crafting and stockpiling your "starting" resources. 

Here are some key aspects of Haven's Landing, on Independence island, that might be worth considering for a player new to Wurm: 

 

• the Freedom Apartments..... whole building full of free beds for new players to sleep (log off) in - this helps you start earning sleep bonus, a great buff for gaining skills! 

 

• Newbie Square ... the square with the settlement token in the middle (aka "Newbie Square) is full of free, basically unlimited resources. South from the Square is a public iron mine with forges and firewood available to anyone. Rock and Iron are the best places to start leveling up your mining - plus you'll end up forging a bunch of iron pieces for starting stuff, like a small cart or a large cart or your first set of "real" tools. from the Square to the west is a public forest, usually stocked with a variety of the wood types that live in Wurm. Best part is that all the trees in that forest have a super fast respawn rate. There will always be enough wood for you. To the east from the Square is a digging area. I dunno if the dirt is infinite, but it really seems that way, lol. You can practice digging, not just to raise your skill, but also to get practical experience with the terraforming mechanics. (You're gonna need them).
 

• Farming & Seeds.... head north out of Newbie Square and on your left you'll pass by the first of 2 public farm fields. This one is the smaller one. Both fields are open to public use - generally if you harvest something, it is polite to replant that thing (for you or the next person). You can keep yourself fed, start collecting cotton & wemp, and start collecting your "starter seeds" for then day you have a farm of your own! By the time I left HL I had actually farmed enough that I had built a food storage bin to keep everything from decaying!! I had gathered enough seeds to start my own farm off with about 45-50 tiles worth of crops. From the smaller field, you will be facing another little plaza area, the Samling Manor in front of you and to the left, a textile house with free access to weaving and tailoring tools. On your right will be the Haven Stronghold building - a good place for general purpose & meeting players & RP if that's your thing. In front and to the right (across the "intersection") are the Freedom Apartments I already mentioned.... Take a right (Apartments on your left & Stronghold on your right) and then at the fountain, take a left around the Apartments... further down that road, you should find the Bigger of the public farm fields on your right. If you don't see what you want to farm, gather seeds by going out about the area & forage/botanize grass tiles to collect more seeds. 

• Merchant's Row.... If you hadn't turned left around the Apartments, and had instead continued east past that fountain, you would have followed the road to where it intersects with Silver Mountain Highway. The end of the road there (aka "Merchant's Row") is typically full of merchants kept stocked for newbies & for communities in the area who come up to HL to do their "shopping." You can (1) sell items to the settlement token in Newbie Square, or (2) forage all over the place to earn some coin. It's not a lot at first, but it will get you going. You'll get bigger coin from foraging, but it's a random lucky chance; selling things to the token guarantees coin, but it will be lower amounts.

• Silver Mountain Highway .... runs north-south, and connects many of the Southern Independence deeds and communities. The only other big north-south highway in the area is the East Crystal Highway, and boy the ECH is a *big* one - the ECH will take you from the southern parts of eastern Independence the whole way up to Misty Road and the areas way up north. The ECH also connects you to other east-west highways that can get you over to the western parts of Independence. But as a newbie, most of what you need - trees, foraging, clay, sand, etc. can be found around the Silver Mountain Highway. 

• Haven Market Docks Highway ... from Market Road, if you take a left onto the Silver Mountain Highway (heading north), the next intersection you come to is where the Silver Mt Hwy crosses the Haven Market Docks Highway. Turn left for a ton of great spots to know about. HMD Hwy has another public mine off to the right (there are signs and paths). There's usually some open land to forage & botanize. Some weeks, you get lucky and the magic materials man who grants wishes to new folk will have visited - look for a random pile of crates, chests, barrels, and maybe even a cart pulled by two bulls. There will be signs point out the loot - the containers should be unlocked & you never know what free things will be inside! Follow the Haven Market Docks Highway west out of Haven's Landing to the "perimeter lands" where newer players like you sometimes build temporary shelters and sheds and pastures for animals. Perimeter lands are free & as long as you aren't building stuff right on top of somebody else's area, you are free to start working on your carpentry and masonry skills. You'll pass by the Drop Inn Tavern which sometimes has a visiting merchant or two. If any mean creatures try to attack you, there's a guard tower a little further west down the highway (don't forget to say "help" in local chat or the guards won't hear you). And finally, HMD Hwy will take you out to the shores of Crystal Lake, and Haven Market Docks. Keep following the roadway northwest around the docks and you'll dead-end at CLUB Market. Here you will find merchants, animals, and bulk items for sale! Take your time at the Market & figure out the banner-color-key-system that is frequently used in most markets all over Wurm lands. 

Your time as a new player in Haven's Landing is supposed to last for weeks, if not months. There is absolutely no rush to get "out there." There's freebies and plenty of resources in the areas to really skill up and prepare your resources before you strike out - either by land or by sea. Generally I find that the players who don't have a good experience with Haven's Landing are the ones who blew through it fast, or happen to prioritize the social aspects of Wurm in their game play. It's not for everyone - but don't dismiss Haven's Landing without checking it out first 💜