Legend of the Red Dragon is a relatively easy game to master, though it does have its strategies. The goal of the game is to slay monsters, collect cash and advance to Level 12, where you can defeat the Red Dragon. Along the way, you can interact with other players through romantic mail or the graffiti walls in the Inns. You can also kill them, naturally!
When you start, you will have a choice of 3 paths - thievery, brute strength, or magic. Each path will bestow different combat skills on your character, and yes, you can change your path any time you get to the Inn in the Forest, along with your name and gender.
To start your adventure, go to the Forest and Look for something to kill. You can attack or run if you feel the monster is too hard. With the gold you collect, you can buy healing to restore all of your hitpoints. Unlike Mud, you will pay a different amount at each level for each hitpoint that you have restored. There are also random events in the forest that will refresh you, restoring all of your hitpoints, or give you other cool things like charm points, added strength or even a horse (25% more forest fights for the day). While you are in the forest, you can have a friendly bird take your gold to the bank by pressing B. If you die with your gold on you, you lose it!
There are two special kinds of forest events - the fairys and training. When you come across the fairies, you can try for a fairy or ask for a blessing. Be aware, if you leave the realm, your fairy will fly away. But... if you have a fairy and die, the fairy will restore you to life. You can also catch a fairy and take it to the Inn. Enter live chat and have a dead player enter the game. Release your fairy to restore them. For most classes, you will be answering a question. Get it right, and you add to your class skills. Very simple, really.
During battle, you can invoke your powers. If you look at the screen when you fight, it will tell you how many uses you have of your class skills. This can really make or break you in player-versus-player events or going up against the Red Dragon. I have found that if you don't have the money for decent armor, your class skills can help make a big difference. Guess well, or toss the thieves those gems.. you will need these skills!
Training is done at the Trainer (DUH!). You can ask your trainer if you have enough hitpoints to level, and when you do, you will be attacking him. You can try once per day per level. If your trainer defeats you, your hitpoints are restored to full. Go get better armor and weapons, and try the next day.
Unlike MajorMud, your character stays in the game when you exit, and it can be killed by more aggressive players. Also, unlike MajorMud, the prices you pay for a room at the inn or for healing changes with your level. Figure on 400 gold per level for a night in the Inn. This is generally safer than staying in the forest because players have to bribe the bartender to get into your room to attack you.
You will also learn to do several things before you are done for the day - Flirt, write romantic mail, and trade in your gems. Flirting with Seth or Violet should be high on your list of things to do every single day. You can add to your hitpoints, forest or player fights, charm, or even have your cash in the bank doubled. Of course, you will gain experience.
Romantic mail is also a must - you get experience for flirting as well as for inviting someone up to your room. LORD lets you have a husband or wife, and even have a baby (which adds to your forest fights). Your gems can be traded at the bartender for various potions - hitpoints, strength, vitality. If you are on the path of thievery, do be sure to save some for your class skills!
Chatting live is a way to goof off in the inn, and even kill the other player. When you kill the other player, you get a nice percentage of their experience as well as any cash and gems they have on them. You can also bribe your way into their room at the Inn. There is a cap of one level lower to keep things somewhat in perspective.
At level 12, you have the chance to go after the Red Dragon. Tournament play is often decided on the number of dragon kills. You often do better if you have captured a fairy before going after the dragon. Also remember the bit about losing your cash and gems if you die. After you kill the dragon, you keep your class skills, but are reset back to level 1. You get to climb up the ladder once again.