Sacred:World Discovered
No mods/attributes/skills will directly influence the percentage of world discovered. Fog of War is affected by night/day cycle but, as explained below, has no direct bearing itself upon WD%. Also having a high WD% appears to have no effect on other mods/attributes/skills such as Experience and damage caused by characters. The only thing that will affect WD% is being thorough while attempting to cover the whole map. Walk very close to all edges.
GRIDS
Sacred WD% is based upon a grid format. Each time a grid is entered, the WD% will increase. It is not necessary to uncover the entire grid, simply entering any portion of it will give full WD%. Each grid is 64 x 64 (in X/Y coordinate points). See the note below about edges and proximity as it is possible to attain credit for exploring a boundary grid without actually entering it.
ACCESSIBLE GRIDS
This is a grid you can enter (your X/Y coordinates are inside the grid's X/Y coordinates), such as in the middle of an open space or one that overlaps an edge. You only get credit for this type of grid by actually entering it.
BOUNDARY GRIDS
This is a grid you cannot enter but its X/Y coordinates are within several points of your own. You can get credit for a boundary grid if you can get close enough (approx. 3-7 coordinate points). The amount of WD credit for a boundary grid is less than for an accessible grid.
GRIDS OUT OF BOUNDS
This is a grid that is beyond the normal reach of any class and cannot be explored by normal means. Only the Dark Elf, using the Mongoose trick below, can access grids out of bounds.
X/Y COORDINATES
Pressing 'Ctrl + F' will bring up X/Y coordinates. Each grid border is a multiple of 64. So for instance you have an X/Y of 1600/3200. You would be at the exact corner of a grid box. While it is easier to locate grid borders via the Main Map, coordinates can be useful in caves and at map edges.
MAIN MAP
This is the best indicator of in-game progress. When first entering the game, press 'M' before moving. You will notice that your character (indicated by an 'x') is inside a box made of red dots. The red dots equal one grid section. As you move about you will see the grid lines expand. Note: The grid lines reset each time you leave the game, it is therefore a good idea to thoroughly search an entire area before exiting. Sometimes the grids will be 'open-ended' which means that one side of the grid box contains no red dots. This means you reached a boundary grid and no further WD will be awarded in the direction of the open side. Note: Some areas of the Dryad Forest and Valley of Tears do not display grids on Main Map correctly.
MAP EDGES AND PROXIMITY
Testing near edges has determined that boundary grids are activated by proximity (approx. 3-7 coordinate points). Walking very close to walls and edges is very important. In Closed, WD% credit for boundary grids can only be seen by exiting and re-entering.
CAVES
You will be unable to see grid lines for caves on the main map. This is where the x/y coordinates come in handy. You'll be able to tell as you explore cave edges whether or not you're near a grid edge. If you are, take some time and go back and forth along the edge. Most are uneven and sometimes you'll find a spot where you can move just a little more in the desired direction.
CAVE ICONS ON MINI-MAP
Cave icons will appear on the mini-map (Tab button) if you have removed the Fog of War from that spot. The cave icons will only appear in the original Sacred area. ALL Underworld caves do not have an icon on mini-map. It is very easy to miss caves in the Underworld area, thorough exploration is required.
FOG OF WAR
While Fog of War is useful in tracking overall exploration, do not use it as an indication of actual WD% progress. It is used mainly as a visual reminder of where one has explored already. When in game, try to explore an entire area before leaving (as main map grid lines reset when you exit). Turning off "mini-map fog of war" in the option screen is useful as it lets you see map features(i.e. cave entrances) you might otherwise miss.
JUMPING CA'S AND FOG OF WAR
As just stated, fog of war is no indication of WD% progress. Therefore, the fact that jumping clears more fog than walking means nothing for WD% progress too. The only jumping that has an effect is the Dark Elf's Mongoose Trick explained below.
WD% RECALCULATION ON EXIT/RE-ENTRY
In both Closed and Open, if you have activated boundary grids, you will not see the credit until you exit/re-enter. In Closed, if you have activated Grids out of bounds, you will lose that credit when you exit/re-enter. This loss of Grids out of bounds credit is why the Mongoose Trick (see below) will only work in Open/LAN/SP.
Using Enemies die on sight
For those mainly interested in WD% and not character development, Consider making an Enemies die on sight (EDOS) character. EDOS (Enemies die on sight mod) will significantly alleviate the challenge of having to fight while exploring. Level a character normally until about lvl 50-55. It is unnecessary to make a a very powerful one, just one strong enough to make it to lvl 50. Attempt to save as many runes possible. When the character has reached level 50, bring in a lvl 60 (preferably Dwarf) Trader and go shopping for Die On Sight rings/ammies and gear with the maximum number of sockets. You will need to shop in Gold since this is where +5 DOS rings first appear. If you get DOS high enough, you will kill enemies higher than you Kills about 75% of all creatures. There are some that are immune, examples are Sakkara Demons, Cerebropods, Dragons and almost all Champions/Bosses.
QUESTS
Some quests need to be done in order to maximize WD%.
...are just some examples.
Patience
It is important to take your time. Expect to invest over 50 hours while searching the entire map. Be very careful along edges and make sure you have explored all the caves in an area, as missing caves can happen easily. Walk all along the edges and then use a 220 speed horse to uncover the middle area.
CLOSED VS OPEN
Due to how characters are saved, WD% in Closed is less for all classes than in Open/LAN/SP (by about 2.5% based on normal exploring). This difference in how characters are saved is most noticeable on the DE using the Mongoose Trick since credit for GOOB's in Closed is lost on exit/re-entry.
WHICH CLASS DOES BEST?
- In Closed servers the Daemon will have the highest WD% totals.
- Next will be the Dark Elf. In Open, the DE is easily the best. With a distant 2nd going to the Daemon.
- All other classes are basically equal to each other in terms of WD%.
SOARING DAEMONS
By flying, the demon can access areas that other classes cannot normally reach. This includes several areas of water and the black sky patches in Hells Ridge. Some areas are too big to fly back to solid ground before the timer runs out(unless your Soaring lvl is over 150+). This is where being in a multiplayer game is helpful as a party member can stand in a safe place and the daemon can teleport back before time expires.
THE DARK ELF AND THE MONGOOSE TRICK
In SP/LAN/Open, the DE has a huge advantage. This is due to a bug with Mongoose. The game thinks you have jumped and calculates distance and fog cleared before deciding whether or not the jump is allowable. The trick is to 'jump' into inaccessible areas like forests, water and cliffs. What you need to do is move the DE close to an edge (for example, say Khorad shoreline facing the water) Have Mongoose as your active CA and place the cursor in the direction you want to make jump. For best results make sure the cursor is between your character and outside edge of it's life circle. Then press down the middle mouse button/wheel (the mini-map will display) and right click. You should see some Fog of War clear in the direction you were aiming. You can click multiple times while the middle mouse button is depressed while slowly moving mouse back and forth. You should see the fog being removed as you move/right click.
The level of Mongoose is very important. If you wish to attain over 90% you will need to go over each area at least twice. For the first time through, set up combos of lvl 20, 40 ,60 and 80 Mongoose with the last slot being the regular Combat Art at lvl 100. On your second time through, increase combo levels to 120, 140, 160, 180 with normal Combat Arts at level 200. After that, you will need to increase combo's/Combat Arts yet again to clear some of the more difficult spots. But with Mongoose up to level 200 you will clear over 90%. As the distance increases it get more difficult to 'jump' in the direction you want. Just the slightest mouse movement can mean a big difference in direction at the other end. Be patient and take your time. Jump during the day as it is easier to see fog being removed. Jumping also applies in caves and the black area surrounding them. You can use this trick there too. In fact if you do not, it is doubtful you will get to 80-85%.
NOTES:
- 1
Once Mongoose is over lvl 100, you will not be able to see the Fog of War being cleared on the Mini-Map while jumping (at this point you'll need to look at Main Map often after jumping to see how you did). It is best to master the 'Click and Sweep' method while Mongoose is still at low levels. Use the jumping trick described above and slowly move the cursor while right clicking and you will see the FoW being cleared in the direction the cursor is going. This is the best way for you to get a feel of how clearing fog works in OOB (OOB=Out of Bounds) areas.
- 2
Once Mongoose is very high you might find that your Dark Elf actually starts jumping. Usually just into whatever OOB edge you're facing. The most likely cause is that the end destination is an actual valid spot. For example, if you are on the river trail west of Mascarell (the trail with the dragon at end) and if you are jumping to the north, you could actually be hitting one of the trails or side trails leading to Tyr-Fasul.
- 3
When clearing Fog Of War, start with lowest level Mongoose and 'jump' until all accessible Fog Of War is gone from where you are standing. Then go to the next level Mongoose and jump again . Repeat for each level of Mongoose. Then move a bit and repeat the entire procedure. This applies to caves and dungeons as well. While you will not see any Fog of War being cleared while in caves, you need to 'jump' at all outside edges.
- 4
Be careful of where you are jumping from. Do not move as close to an edge as possible. Leave a few feet between you and a cliff/wall/forest edge etc or any other spot that is considered OOB. What happens is when you try to 'jump', a part of your life circle will be OOB and any clicks in that area won't register. Also any objects like trees/rocks/chests are considered OOB in regards to 'jumping'. Some regular in-bounds areas act the same way. Usually it is a darker (or lighter) patch of ground or floor as compared with rest of immediate area. One way to see if you're in an OOB non-clickable area is to watch and see if your DE moves when clicking a different spot. For example, if your character is pointing north and if you then click on the right of your Dark Elf, if he is not facing east after clicking, you have hit a dead spot and need to move a little bit. This can happen often in underground areas. You should notice this when above ground and Mongoose is still under lvl 100. You will find an area where the Fog of War will not clear or perhaps seems to be erratic. This is the best time to observe both your Dark Elf direction and Fog of War uncovered and how moving a few feet in a particular direction either helps or hinders his progress.
- 5
While it has been said that Fog of War is not a direct indication of WD% progress, if you plan on making an Open/LAN/SP DE then only by clearing FOW in the OOB areas will you know that you have jumped successfully in that particular direction.
- 6
With a high lvl Mongoose try 'jumping' into the black areas above the northern edge of the Valley of Tears. You can very often be surprised at what can be uncovered in this way.
- 7
It is possible to see Fog of War in while in caves and in the 'black sky' in Hell's Ridge. You will need to set Map Transparency in the Options Menu for about 50%. You will be able to see Fog of War beyond cave edges and see the actual cave map borders. Most caves are laid out in a square or rectangular grid pattern, but not all. Also Fog of War in these areas can be difficult to see. Make sure you are fully zoomed in and positioned in a well lighted section of cave. If you are in a darkened spot, it's almost impossible to see Fog of War along outside edges. By having transparency at 50% you will be able to see Dark Elf and mini-map at the same time. This will help a lot in seeing if your Dark Elf is following the mouse clicks. If he is not, it is a dead spot (as described in note 4) and you will need to move a little.
- 8
If you can find a full Ethan Rhys set, the process is even easier. With the Water Form mod (invisibility) you do not have to worry about fighting unless you're actively jumping. (note: for some reason (perhaps a game bug?) Undead will notice you if you are on a horse). Enemies will notice you when jumping. Simply stop and/or perform a 'fake jump'. Fake jumping means to right click Mongoose then quickly left click. You will cancel the jump and it will not reset the regeneration timer but the enemies will see you for a split second and come after you. This can be done a few times to lead them away from where you want to jump.
