Survival Guide - Dust Settles' Main Screen: Bottom Bar

Table of Contents:

Purpose:

The bottom bar contains some of the final tools that you will be using during the game. Here you will find your messenger and alliance tools as well as your profile page, the second end-turn button and some basic game links. Below the actual bar you will find the copyright information and information about the game's player numbers.

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Messenger Tools:

When you get ready to assign messengers or send messages or aid to another camp, you will use these tools on the bottom bar.

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Mailbox:

This is where all of the messages that you have received during the game will be stored. If you decide that you want to re-read an old message or read a new message you can click this link.

Send Mail:

You can get directly to a blank message form through this link. You will be able to select the recipient camp and send your message. Your sent messages are not saved, though.

Aid a Camp:

If you and a friend are playing the game or you decide to help out someone else by sending them some resources, you will use the Aid page. You can aid people you are not allied with at a price, but you can aid allies with few limitations.

Exchange Center:

This is the CEP Exchange that the Neutral Exchange Camp offers. You must have messengers assigned to use this trade action.

Messengers:

In order to participate in any of the trade options available through the Neutral Exchange Camp, you will have to have at least one messenger assigned. The more messengers that you assign, the more trade actions you can perform.

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Alliance Tools:

Once you have validated your account and built your first communication facility, you will have the option of joining an existing alliance or creating your own. Your alliance tools will be found on the bottom bar and will look like one of the images above, depending on your circumstances.

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Join:

You will use this option to look through the alliances in existence and send a join request to the alliance leader. If the alliance owner agrees, he or she will finish adding you to the alliance.

Create:

If no alliances exist or if you just want to make your own, you will use the Create link to make one.

Messages:

This is where you will check alliance messages and post your own. You will be able to pass information back and forth for the entire alliance rather than having to send out multiple private messages.

Attacks:

This shows the results of alliance attacks.

Our Alliance:

On this page you will either be able to see the details about your alliance, flag, motto, etc. or see and change them. This is basically your alliances profile page.

Others:

By clicking this link you will be able to see the basic profile details about the other alliances, friend, foe, or neutral.

Escort Army:

Because aiding alliance members can be hazardous due to enemy alliances and random marauders that will attack your caravans, your alliance will want to keep a pool of well-armed soldiers that will escort your aid from one camp to another. Use this link to donate some of your troops and weapons to the pool.

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Game Information:

If you ever need a quick check during gameplay, you can find links to the rules of the game and this manual on the bottom bar. Both the rules and the manual will open in new windows so you can continue playing while you read and check for the information you are looking for.

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News:

Though you can click the notifier text to get to the news, you can also see a notice (the bold red news link in the right picture) when new news is posted. You can use this link to get to the news as well.

Profile:

In this page you can set some basic details about yourself and your camp. Here you can upload your own flag or choose from one of the flags in the drop-down menu and set a motto. You can set your gender, whether you want your e-mail to show, and, most importantly, you will set your account to using the SpeedPack (a downloadable set of images to make loading faster) if you decide to use that tool.

Bug Report :

If you stumble across a bug, typo, or other issue in the game during play, click the Bug Report link on the bottom bar to get to the bug form. In the form, choose whether what you're reporting is a bug or typo, what priority you feel it deserves, what time you noticed the issue, what turn you noticed the issue on, the page the issue is primarily found on, a description of the issue, whether or not you can replicate the problem, and the major topic (such as Aid or Manual) that the issue relates to.

This is the ONLY valid method for reporting bugs, errors, typos, or other mistakes within this game.

This is not to be used to make suggestions or to report portions of gameplay you believe should be changed. "Balance" issues are matters of opinion and belong in the forums. This is not to be used for questions. Please use forums or In-Game Messages for advice or functionality questions.

Multiple submissions, purposely false submissions, over-use of "critical" priority, and similar activity will constitute reporting abuse and your ability to post using this service will be banned.

Purchase:

This is just another spot where you can spend a few extra dollars for CEP, spies, or scribes if you so desire.

The End Turn Button:

The original End Turn Button, this just gives you another option for progressing through the game. This button is especially useful when looking through the longer pages of the game that leave you near the bottom bar anyway.

Game Statistics:

As you play you can check below the bottom bar to see some basic copyright info, when the game ends, and the total number of players. Beside this number, you can also see how many players on online at the same time that you are.

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