Tutorial: Getting Started/Introduction

THE COUNCIL Left you a comment: We welcome you to the Darkside. The key to this game is UNDERSTANDING how to play. This is not a standard clicking through missions game to get to where you want to go. The Darkside is about combat, skill point allocation and learning about utilizing your bloodline to its fullest potential. For additional in-depth information and to ask gameplay questions- you will find our official group button on your in game home page. Join Us at the Sanctuary of Knowledge and ask questions. We love to help! 

Introduction: What is VDS and what is it about?  Vampires The Darkside (VDS) is a vampire-themed game you play as an application on Facebook.  You must have a Facebook profile to play it.  (It's taboo to discuss this, but the fact is that many players have a dedicated Facebook profile for VDS and/or other games.  This is, of course, not necessary, and, in fact, Facebook frowns upon it, but it's fair for you to be aware of this option prior to your beginning a game such as VDS.)  The goal of the game is to build a strong, fierce - and, in my opinion, well-regarded, respected, and/or feared - vampire.  Your vampire is built by earning experience points (XP) by doing Missions and participating in Fights against other players' vampires, strategically placing your skill points as you level, strategically and intelligently buying Slaves (which will provide you with blood, which is currency in the game) and Powers (which strengthen your vampire, but might cost blood to maintain, referred to as their cost of "upkeep"), managing your bloodflow, building a strong clan (your network of other real-life-players whose vampires you can ally with), and more.  Apart from the many layers of strategy in game-play, much of the appeal of VDS in my opinion is also the fun, (mostly) friendly, and interesting community of players that has arisen around the game.  This social element can be very rewarding!


Before You Begin:  If you get a chance to, you might want to choose your sire. Your "sire" is the player who first invites you or brings you into the game (in vampire mythos, the term refers to the vampire who first bites you and turns you into a vampire!).  You will be known as that person's "childe."  Ideally, you want a sire who knows the game fairly well and is able/willing to assist and advise you.  If you enter the game without having been "invited" by a player, you will be assigned a "Trinity" sire - Lilith, Andilaveris, or Caine.  These are not "real" players.  However, stress not!  If you end up with a disinterested or unhelpful sire, or with a Trinity sire, many players will often volunteer to help or even "adopt" you!  Also note that you will be the bloodline your sire is; you cannot change it (without leaving the game entirely from the Council page and coming back in as a new vamp with a new sire).  If your sire is a member of a sub-bloodline (there are presently only two, the House of Letalis, and the House of Northman), you will be of that sub-bloodline as well.   

For example, if you want to become my childe (hint hint!), I would be your sire, and you would be of the Varaco bloodline and of the House of Northman like me. 

Remember, you must be a "VDS virgin" (i.e. have never entered the application) and have cleared out and deleted any VDS invites from others you've received (or, as mentioned, have deleted any previous VDS account you've made via the Council page) to choose a sire.

Basic Tips for Beginners:

• When you first join, you can choose (and, later, you can change) your "sect" - it dictates which "meter" refills the fastest - your rage, energy, or blood.  To change it costs 15 FP (see my page on the Council).  (There can be some element of strategy to choosing/changing your sect at various levels or points in the game, depending on your short- or long-term goals.)
• Learn about the strategy of applying your skill points early on!  You cannot re-allocate them later!!! 
• "Clan" is the number of Facebook friends you have who play VDS and whose VDS vampires have teamed up with yours in the game. When you first begin, VDS gives you 250 essentially-imaginary clan.  One of your primary goals in the first 20 or so levels in the game should be to get 501 real clan - actual flesh-and-blood players who can assist you (in various ways) as you play.  Make this a priority early on.
• Right away, start some of your longer term goals.  
• Choose a Trinity alignment and begin filling your black blood vials.  See my Trinity/Black Blood Tutorial.
• Focus your Essence.  See my Essence tutorial.
• Bank your blood often!  You can Bank in Town.  Banking costs 10% of your blood, but it means that you won't lose blood in fights.  Make sure you bank before trying to Attack an opponent you might lose against (and definitely bank before attacking the Trinity; again, see my other post for info on the Trinity). 
• Buy your first slaves as soon as you can to start building your bloodflow.  Always buy slaves in units of 10, because their price increases as you buy.  (Beyond 50-60 of each kind of slave, you might find them no longer really worth buying more of, due to their high cost at that point.)  New and better slaves are unlocked every 7 levels.
  
• Info on Symbols 
• Info on Powers Calculation  (Many people have their sire, or adopted sire, or another experienced player, perform these "powers calculations" for them until they learn to do them themselves!  Check your powers at least at levels 13, 20, 25, 30, 35, 45, 55, 60, 65, and 70.  I am happy to personally help House of Northman players with their powers checks.)
• How to make those pretty icons/symbols in your Sanctum message or in Sanctum comments.
• FYI, if you accidentally block someone from writing on your sanctum wall in VDS, the only way to fix it (as of this writing) is to send an email to support@kwaaisoftware.com appraising them of the situation.