We realize this is a lot of text, but stick with us. You are entering a very complex world. Better help files are coming, so stay tuned...

Neveron is the most complex multiplayer strategy game available. There are so many options, and so many ways to play, that it can seem overwhelming at first. Take it one step at a time and you'll quickly get the hang of it. The game is centered on a semi-realtime tactical-level combat sytem where you can control the movements and firing orders of every unit in your empire on a 100x100 hex map representing the terrain of the world. However some people never even load a battle map and still enjoy the game to the fullest. You can fight in arenas (highly recommended for new players) to earn cash in a balanced controlled combat environment. Some players build cities and expand into unclaimed territory. Others will research various technology and strive to produce the several hundred types of infantry, vehicles, and mechs that are used to fight wars, and countless weapons and spare parts to keep them running. There is a dynamic player-driven marketplace supported by a complex production model where various resource types must be mined or bought off the open market to produce those items you are able to build. You can remain an obscure loner or join any of hundreds of factions which are competing for dominance, supplying their members with access to repair bays, cheap equipment, and most importantly fighting at your side in battle.

The Neveron help system is outdated, confusing, and largely unavailable. The best way to get answers quickly if you are confused is to enter the chat room and ask a veteran player. Failing that, the forums can provide useful information and posting a message to your starting faction, the newbie faction, will often be helpful as well. If you look hard enough you can often find answers to some common questions on the various pages of Neveron, or in any of the multiple help systems. We are working on a comprehensive up-to-date player-driven help system currently, and with luck it will be online sometime soon.

Until then, the best approach to learning the game will inevitably be trial and error. Don't be scared to experiment and if your empire is soon beyond all hope, simply abandon it and start a new one. You may have up to 5 empires at a time, although it is not recommended that you have more than one once you pass the initial stages of the game, as even a single mid-level empire can monopolize your time. The most important thing for a new player to do is to become familiar with the combat system. This is best done in the arenas. If you can figure out how to attack or create an arena you are well on your way to learning the game, although be prepared for a lot of confusion in your first battle. The key to manipulating units in battle, once you have set your browser settings, is to click on the button representing your person on the top left bar to activate his unit. Once activated, moving entails clicking adjacent hexes on the map (up to your movement points, or MP) while firing entails clicking on a target and selecting your weapons. Again, experimentation will be your best learning tool.

Creating units is certainly one of the most important activities in the game. You can purchase equipment on the marketplace. The only things that matter to low level empires are infantry and vehicles, or if you save/earn/donate for enough money, mechs. While mechs will instantly appear in your units list when purchased, infantry and vehicles have a transit time. "Nevtime" is 10 times faster than "real time." That is, if there is a 10 nevhour transit time on purchased equipment, it will arrive in 1 actual hour. When infantry weapons or vehicles arrive they will appear in your armoury under the appropriate heading. To create a vehicle unit you must hire enough crew members from the main marketplace page and then commission the unit from the armoury. To create an infantry unit you need 28 identical infantry weapons (matching weapon type and movement type) and at least 1 available soldier. Again if you have this stuff in your armoury, you create the unit there. All empires begin with 112 assault rifles (movement type: foot), enough to create 4 units. Hire soldiers in the main marketplace, at least 1 per infantry unit.

For most new players the "meat" of the game is war. To attack your neighbors you must follow several important steps. First, you need at least 1 unit. You start with 4 jeeps and, as mentioned, enough assault rifles to equip 4 additional platoons (the term for a unit of infantry). In order to attack your neighbors you must mobilize the unit(s) you will be using. On the units page, click the name of the unit you wish to mobilize. When the unit data page loads you will see a mobilization button near the top right corner, click that to mobilize your unit. Next, you need to move the unit to a zone adjacent your enemies. Go to the Map section. If there are green squares near you they are unclaimed and you can annex them for $200,000 each. If you claim a zone (or start with one) next to another empire (which will appear red - for the adventurous player click the enemies name in the data panel (lower right) and you'll see obscure instructions on how to color each empire) you may attack from that zone. To move your units to this "staging zone" (the one adjacent the enemy) you have to click on your zone with units, then click the "units" link (its in that same data panel to the right of the big map). Follow the instructions on that page, that is, click the circle next to a unit and then click on the destination zone and confirm the move. To see if it worked, refresh your browser. In fact, whenever you're in doubt of anything, refresh your browser! If it looks like any action you submitted did not work, refreshing will usually fix it. You may need to wait a few minutes while your units are travelling to the staging zone. When they arrive, click the enemy zone, click "attack zone," select your attacking force, and away you go. If you have any questions or problems at all, enter the chat room and ask for help. People are always eager to help new players who are starting a war. Oh, by the way, you probably want to set your surrender rate as high as possible (50%) too, if you're attacking right off the bat. Do this in the Wars section of the War Room.

Once you've learned how to buy equipment, commission units, mobilize them, move them, and attack with them, the rest of the game will start to make some sense to you. Explore all your options and decide on a strategy that will work best for you. Some players will prefer to grow exclusively through combat while others will want to build cities or make money by dueling in the arenas. Remember that your first empire will probably fail and do not be afraid to start over if things are not going well for you. Understanding battle is the most important - and most difficult - part of the game. It is highly recommended that you start a war, if not with your "real" empire, at least with a "throw away" empire for the experience, as its only a matter of time before you are attacked and learning how to move units around your empire and attack with them is critical. Fighting in arenas is also a good learning experience for larger wars later on. It is important to realize, however, that while abandoned units in arenas will invariably die at the hands of your opponent, in a real war the computer will automatically resolve abandoned fights after 30 minutes of time, so even if you are having troubles detecting your enemies on the battlefield (since beginning units have few or no sensors) you might still win battles by letting the computer fight them for you.

This information can be viewed again by clicking the "Login Help" link from the Neveron home page. Good luck and enjoy the game!