Well, this isn't a question that should be being asked right now all that much, as this page is accessed mainly from the MR message board. But for the sake of posterity:
Monster Rancher is a monster raising simulation game for the Playstation console. It is also a TV show. It has been compared to Pokemon, but is more like a Tamagachi, in that the emphasis is on breeding and raising monsters, rather than collecting and fighting them.
All of the monsters in this game are taken from the Monster Rancher game. (legal info is on the front page) If you've never played Monster Rancher, you may want to know the meaning of the six stats which define a monster. These stats can be "trained" in the game, and they higher you get them, the better your monster will be able to fight.
There are two other stats specific to this RPG system that the player should know about. They are:
You will have to contact someone who can add you. Right now, there are two “wizards” who are able to add players, Fade, and Guyman. Their email addresses are dtigerc@hotmail.com, and RChicken98@hotmail.com. Please send both the name and the password that you would like to use to log onto the game. You don’t have to indicate what kind of monster you want to play, but DO tell him if you want to be a trainer. (And you can even suggest a monster for your Disk Stone, if you like) The wizard will send you back an email when he has added you.
Once you have been added to the game, you log on using the name and password you sent to the person who added you. The first time you log on, a special script called the "character creator" will start and allow you to select a monster or trainer to play. Keep reading this FAQ, it'll help you when you do get added.
At this time, I am relying on the wizard who adds you to give trainers their free Disk Stone. For this reason, if you want to play a trainer, you should say so in the first email. If you change your mind and select to be a monster when you log on, you will NOT be able to unlock the Stone, so DON’T CHANGE YOUR MIND!!! Later on trainers will be able to get a free monster from the Market, so you won’t have to tell the wizard whether you want to play a trainer any more.
Well, that is up to the individual player's choice. There is no "best monster", all have strengths and weaknesses, and some can do things in the RPG (like fly) that can't be done in the game. You may also wish to play a monster trainer, so that you can raise a number of monsters, instead of being "stuck" with one.
To help you decide on a monster (either to play or as a breeder) I have found that it is helpful to understand the basic five types of monsters. All monsters have abilities which define how well they do in battle (that will be covered later) but some excel at being smart and fast, while others are slow but very powerful.
Centaur, Beaclon, Golem, Zuum, Durahan, Baku, Zilla, Gaboo, Monol, Worm
Pixie, Henger, Tiger, Hopper, Kato, Mew, Phoenix, Ghost, Ducken
Dragon, Hare, Gali, Bajarl, Jill, Joker, Naga
Pandora, Arrowhead, Mocchi, Jell, Niton, Plant
Wracky, Metalner, Suezo, Undine, Mock, Ape
Just as in the Monster Rancher game, you can choose to play a cross of any two of the monsters above. You will start with an average of the stats of the two types, which is probably better than you would get in the actual game. You will also get 80 extra points that you may distribute as you wish among your starting stats. (The character creator will handle this for you)
If you choose to play a purebred or rare, on the other hand, you will gain 100 extra points, instead of 80. You will also start with an extra attack besides your basic two.
To balance this advantage of purebreds, crosses will get a "sub specific" attack, chosen at random from those available to the sub, some time during their career. This extra attack can make your monster more unique.
You can choose to be any cross, even one that isn't allowed in the actual game. You can also make up your own rare types, if you choose to be a rare. The only thing that cannot be played is a made up monster, or one from another game. (like Pokemon)
Well, the advantage of being a trainer is that you can train and send into battle other monsters that you have raised. Monsters are "unlocked" from Disk Stones, and only trainers have the ability to unlock monsters. So trainers (and only trainers) can create non-player monsters that they can control.
Non-player monsters are controlled by using the "tell" command in the game. If you want your monster (say, named Mocchi) to follow you, you say, "tell Mocchi to follow me". "Follow me" is a command in the game, and Mocchi will execute it just as if he were a player. You can tell non-player monsters that you do not own to do things, but they will not always react immediately. (Your message will be sent to their owner, who will decide whether they want their monster to do that)
Disk Stones are unlocked in special buildings called Shrines. There will always be one near where you start the game. As a trainer, you will start the game with one Disk Stone. You can find more in the game. You can also ask player monsters to join you.
All trainers have 100 in all stats, and they cannot train. They cannot fight, either, unless they find a weapon or other object in the game that gives them an attack. Trainers usually do not enter battles, preferring to direct their monsters against their opponents.
If you’ve never played Monster Rancher before, choose to play a trainer. That way you will be able to learn about the different types of monsters while you are playing.
The character creator gives your character a generic description based on your type. You will probably want a more unique description. Plus, there are some additional "status" messages you can set on your character to give it more... well, character.
The description of your character will be seen whenever someone "looks" at you. Your type is just that, what type of monster or trainer you are. If you choose to be a monster, your main and subtype, in parenthesis, are listed, but you may want to type in the type name from the MR game. Your nature is whether you are Good or Evil, and this will determine the attacks you get. Make sure you type in "Good", "Best", "Bad" or "Worst" if you want to get Good or Evil attacks.
The last two messages need to be explained. Whenever your character is knocked out, that fact will be indicated both to the person who knocked you out (who will be playing the game at that time) and everyone else in the room. Because the person who knocked you out will be playing, the first message you enter will be displayed on the screen to him. This message will appear word for word as you type it, so if you type "Steppenwolf collapses with a snarl", that's what he will see.
The second message, however, needs to indicate to those watching who knocked you out. You can't know this ahead of time, so it puts the name of the person playing in front of what you type. So, if I enter "has knocked out Steppenwolf", and Ralph knocks me out, the message "Ralph has knocked out Steppenwolf" will be logged to the room. (And everyone logging on subsequently will see that message if they are in the room)
If you're unconscious, you will not be able to log on until you wake up. The game will let you know that you're unconscious as long as you cannot log on. When you wake up, you will have only one health point, so you will need to get to a place where you can heal as quickly as you can. (Unless a friend already carried you there)
The reason why the character creator didn't just go directly into the editor is because the editor can be called any time during the game. You can change your description as your character grows and evolves. You can also use the "edit" command to edit anything else you own, including your non-player monsters, if you are a trainer. Non-player monsters cannot change their nature, but you have two additional messages you can set, for when the monster obeys you, and when it refuses to obey you. (In other words, you can make it say, "Yes, Sir", "No way, you jerk!" or whatever you want it to say.)
The most useful command in the game is "help". Typing "help me" will usually give you a quick idea of what to do next. But here is a more detailed guide:
The most important thing you can do is "talk" to the other players in the game. You do this by either typing "say" and what you want to say, or just "talk". "Talk" will open a dialog that will allow you to type in whatever you want to say. Make sure that someone is in the room when you talk, and log off after you send the message, so that the player has time to respond. When you log on, you will see any messages that were posted by the other players while you were logged off. If you see no messages, log off and wait a while more.
If you're a monster, you will want to train and gain attacks. A good place to start is the Training Grounds. You may have to ask around or check a map, but once you find it, the Training Grounds will likely be crowded with monsters. The Training Grounds is a public place where "wild" monsters come to train, and you can probably ask them about training, fighting in the Arena, and so on.
If you don't want to stay with the "wild" monsters, you might want to seek out a trainer. Taverns, Shops, and other places where trainers gather is a good place to meet a trainer. When you join a trainer, you are trading your protection and some of the money you make in the Arena for training on his Ranch. The trainer will show you where his Ranch is, and how to train on it.
If you're a trainer, you will want a Ranch. Locate IMa Headquarters. Again, unless the person who added you put you there, you may need to ask around. Once you've found IMa Headquarters, you will be able to buy a Ranch. Ranches cost 5000G, which is half of what a trainer starts with, but without a Ranch your monsters will have to pay for training just like wild monsters do.
Once you pay IMa for a Ranch, they will give you instructions on what to do next. You will go to your Ranch and claim it, and then you can set its description, just like you can set your own, to let everyone know that it is yours. Then you will want to go to the Shrine and unlock your monster. Bring the monster back to the Ranch and begin training it, and you will be ready to enter it in tournaments in the Arena.
Whether you are a monster or a trainer, your life in the game will probably revolve around the Arena. The biggest building in the city (you can see it from just about everywhere) it is where monsters come to fight. I or the other players in charge of the game will organize tournaments, where monsters of various levels can compete. By winning in a tournament, you get money, which you can use to continue the training of your monsters.
Because this RPG is turn based, you need to log off of the game and give the other players a chance to respond. The game forces you to do this by only giving you a certain amount of energy.
When you return to the game later, you will find that some of your energy has regenerated. This amount averages about 10 points per day. (Which is the amount for trainers) Monsters gain energy at the following rates:
Note that monsters with high recovery rates will be able to do more, including train more. However, those with low recovery rates usually will gain better stats at training.
All monsters attack one another with special actions, named after the attacks that that type has in the game. Thus, for instance, a Tiger would start with two attacks, "Bite" and "Scratch". To attack an opponent, you simply type "Bite <name of opponent>".
It gets more complicated than that, however. First of all, all attacks have ranges. Unlike in the game, there are only two ranges, but you must be at the correct range to use your attacks. Most starting attacks are Short range, so you must be "near" your opponent to use them. To move next to an opponent, you use the "go" command, so you would type "go <name of opponent>".
If you have a Long range attack, or don't want the opponent to use a Short range attack against you, you back away, using the "back" command. You can just type "back" if you're the one near the opponent, or "back" and the opponent's name to make him back away. You should be aware, however, that your opponent may try to prevent you from moving closer. If that case, your move will be wasted, and you will have to enter it again.
If you try to attack from the wrong range, you will be told when you try to type in the attack, and you won't lose any energy. If you successfully attack, however, whether you hit or not, you will spend energy. Eventually you will have to log off of the game and let your opponent counterattack.
How fast you will recover your energy depends on where you are. Normally, you will recover energy at the rate above. At this rate, however, it can take weeks for a combat to take place. In the Arena, however, a special location specifically for tournaments, your energy recovery rate will be increased, and you will gain energy faster. How fast depends on how long the folks in charge of the tournament intend for the combat to last. (Twice normal rate would give a length of a week for an average battle, while five times would decrease the time to three days... but of course those involved in the battle will have to log on much more often)
After the battle, you will have to recover from your wounds. If you have been knocked out, your opponent may pick you up and carry you to the Infirmary. Otherwise, you can go there yourself. This special room, near the Arena, allows you to heal at an accellerated rate, just as energy regenerates faster in the Arena. Note that you cannot heal in the Arena, though.
The character is a Non-Player Character, or NPC. NPC’s are usually monsters controlled by player trainers, but they may also be placed there by a wizard for an adventure, or just to lend some atmosphere. You can talk to an NPC just like you can any character. The owner of the NPC will hear the message, and can direct his henchman to respond, although in some cases an NPC may actually be “programmed” to respond immediately to a request. For instance, if you ask a shopkeeper to sell you something, he will usually do it automatically, without your having to log off.
Make sure you always end your game session with "quit". If you don't, there's a chance that some of your changes will not be saved. The game does save at regular intervals, so if the game locks up, or your computer crashes, don't panic. Chances are, you will be right where you where when you quit. In fact, if you log right back on, the game will actually welcome you back, and update any information it lost!
Yes, and it is right here. Please note, though, that at the time of this writing much of the map has yet to actually be added to the game.
This is a work in progress. I cannot set a firm date for any new development, and in fact new features may not work completely when they are first introduced. I am trying to bring the game along as quickly as I can, but there is a lot of work to be done before this game is as good as some of those commertial sites out there.
