Ruins & Riches is a single or multi-player adventure game that was liberally assembled and organized by Djeryv for almost a decade. The world consists of elements from various sources of ideas, graphics, maps, and animations, as well as some created by Djeryv. The overall scripting is based on RunUO, but heavily modified by Djeryv to create a new and unique experience. Although built off of the Age of Shadows era, the mechanics have been altered to provide new ways of doing things. Some skills that were previously useless now have a purpose. Some unused spells were brought back to life or made to work in a single-player environment. Character class archetypes have been enhanced, providing new ways to play and enjoy the game. The landscape has been changed to provide players a huge area to explore.
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This is Djeryv’s official version of the game. It was branded as “Ruins & Riches” to pay homage to games like classic TSR Dungeons & Dragons, from which much of the methodology originates. The game takes place in an alternate universe based off of Richard Garriott’s game, shortly after the events of his third game in 1983. You can create a character that tries to make their way through many lands. You will have to find a way to feed yourself, and acquire equipment to explore your way around. Everything you need to know can be learned within the virtual environment. Knowledge can be acquired by talking to the citizens of the land, or you may find a book or scroll with clues and other information. There are also some commands you can use to bring up additional information.
The game Is designed for characters to adventure alone. You can even craft items from your home, and have them purchased by the Merchants Guild if you choose to make your living that way. Your default health, mana, and stamina are valued at double the associated attribute. So if you have a strength of 50, your health will be 100. You can change this behavior in the settings file if you wish. You can also obtain the title of grandmaster in 10 different skills (1,000 skill points), which should allow you to create a character archetype of your choice (like a wizard, fighter, thief, assassin, etc.). There are other play options that have different skill levels, benefits, and detriments as well.
This game is designed around older MUD methodologies and rules based on early 1970’s Dungeons & Dragons games. There is also an abundance of randomness inspired by Rogue-like games of the 1970’s. The spirit of this game is simply an experience of exploration and discovery, with the open sandbox feel of an enormous virtual world. The realm consists of 9 different lands, about 20 cities and villages, and over 100 dungeons to explore. Settlements sell their own goods and may change from time to time, but the merchants can be helpful in repairing or identifying items. Death brings with it penalties upon resurrection, either in the form of negative character effects or the parting of gold as tribute to the gods that bring your life back.
Dungeons are filled with many hideous monsters, but they contain much treasure. They can be filled with many hidden traps with varying effects. Some may harm you with fire, lightning, or poison. Others may curse one of your items or simply make it vanish. You could trip over a well-placed wire, breaking your potion bottles or arrows. You could even be hit with a magical force that turns all of your coins into lead. Traps can perhaps be avoided by those skilled in such things, have magic that protects them from traps, or even have luck on their side altogether. Some even carry a ten-foot pole to set off traps safely.
Like the games of yesteryear, this will have you slaying rabbits and deer as you work your combat skills to brave further into the wilderness. The further you can explore, and the more dangerous the area, the better the rewards. This is about finding treasure of a monetary and magical nature to aid you in your chosen path. It is also about resource management, as you need a supply of food and drink if you plan to be gone for long periods of time. You will also be faced with dilemmas on how you will carry all of your found riches from the dungeons. Treasure is just not found in gold coins. You may find copper and silver coins, which can fill your pouches quickly. You may find exotic furs, rare kegs of ale, unusual carpets, strange books, or finely crafted statues...all of which can either decorate a home or be given to people in town in exchange for gold which can be aided if you can identify the item.
There are random quests in place that will have you traveling far and wide. Along with that, there is also a large quest inspired by the old computer role-playing game "The Bard’s Tale". Garriott’s lore has been incorporated into the game, but morphed to fit within this potentially multiplayer environment. You can take on quests to defeat the Shadow Lords and create a gem of immortality. You can also defeat the Banes and bring the Serpents of Chaos and Order back into balance. You can even work toward becoming the Titan of Ether. There are also many characters from Garriott that may give you quests, in which the rewards will be custom artifacts.
Player versus player mode is enabled on for the game in case you decide to play this in a multi-player environment. This will add danger as your friend may cast fire field to stop some monsters and you accidentally walk into it as well. You may also decide to kill each other’s characters. Along with this, there are areas called "public areas". These are small areas that have no player versus player mode and they are centralized to the world. So, as an example, if you go into the bank and do your business you will go to the same bank that every other player character goes into (no matter the town they are in). So if you play this in a multi-player environment, you may see your friends from time to time in these areas. When you leave the bank, you will be back in the town you entered from. The other public areas are the Wizards Guild, the Thieves Guild, the Black Magic Guild, the Inn, the Tavern, and a few others. Because Ruins & Riches is widely expansive, these areas simply provide a way to run into other players.
Some dungeons have difficulty levels, and you will be notified on how difficult a dungeon is. So a skeletal knight in an easy dungeon will be much harder within a deadly dungeon. Treasure is scaled dependent on the dungeon difficulty. The dungeons in Sosaria are of normal difficulty, as this is the main world most characters begin.
There are many other different elements that you will have to discover on your own. If you enjoyed tales of Conan, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. If you played older D&D games where characters were in constant danger. If you like Garriott’s epic role-playing series, and want to play a game where you simply exist in a fantasy world, then go ahead and give this a try. It was designed to play many different types of character classes, instead of the common ones most people play. You can be a very effective adventurer being a necromancer, alchemist, bard, thief, or assassin. You will get the most out of this game if you try different professions and see how you can navigate the dangers with them. There are a ton of things to do so you just need to pick a path and go as the only goal of the game is what you set for yourself.
