DC Universe Online MMO News, Guides, and Features at Ten Ton Hammer

Every game has a learning curve but some games are definitely a little worse than others. For new players looking to jump into DC Universe Online, you may find yourself a little lost in this non-traditional MMOG format. Rather than work the newbie ropes the hard way, we have the ultimate New Player Survival Guide that will put you in the know with the basics and save you endless frustration. Be sure to keep this guide on hand for your first days in DCUO for a quick reference to all things newbie and share with your DCUO friends, in game and out.

User Interface

Nothing is the same! Yeah, I know. For most MMOG players, the UI will seem very different. DCUO is an action game first, a MMO second and this is very clear with the interface. Don’t panic, it will take some getting used to but here are some quick shortcuts that will make things easier.

Combat 

Why walk when you can fly? Use your super travel!

• Shift or R key blocks incoming attacks and releases crowd control effects. Block plus a movement to the right or left gives you a rolling strafe.
• Keys 1-6 are skill hotkeys. Hit K to see what you have or change loadouts. Use the T key post level 10 to switch loadouts when not in combat.
• Key 7 is your consumable. Equip your colas like you equip gear by hitting I for inventory and dropping it into your consumable slot.
• Key 8 is for a trinket which is a slot also located in your inventory.
• Right and Left mouse clicks are your basic weapon damage. Hit K to view your weapon skills and review mouse button combos for each skill.
• Using mouse click weapon skills builds your power for hotkeyed powers.
• Hit Tab to target or re-target. It is important to target ranged enemies otherwise you might miss.

Getting Around

• Want to head back to your base but are a little lost? Spot the green light in the sky that indicates the location of your safehouse or find the house symbol on your map.
• Hit the M key to open your map. Locations and districts on the map can be selected to guide you to that destination.
• Activate missions found via the J key to find mission locations.
• Press your Num Lock key to auto-run.
• Use your travel power! Getting around is much faster with it. Press F to activate your flight, acrobatics, or super speed.
• Spacebar to jump.
• There are Warp actions on your map. These are very helpful if you get lost or stuck.

Chat and General

• Hold E key or click both mouse buttons simultaneously to use items, zone, speak with NPCs, etc.
• Hit the / or O key to bring up the social window.
• /s or /say to talk in current general area.
• /g, /groupsay, /p, or /party to talk to your current group.
• /t or /tell charactername for private chat.
• /r or /reply to respond to last private tell.
• /invite charactername to invite player to group.
• F2 brings up a menu of canned chat message just in case you are too busy to type.
• F4 brings up the emotes menu.
• Hit the Enter key to activate the chat box. Type to chat, Tab to scroll through chat tabs, and Page Up and Page Down or use mouse scroll wheel to scroll through chat lines.
• F9 takes screenshots and automatically removes UI from shot.
• F11 switches the game into windowed mode.

Main Menu

To see your main menu, press your Esc key. Along with the options list, you will also see icons at the bottom of the screen.

• Utility belt icon takes you to your inventory.
• Mask icon takes you to your costume management. Change styles and colors for your gear items here.
• Book icon takes you to your mission journal.
• Body icon takes you to your traits, powers, and skills.
• Trophy icon takes you to your feats and other cool stuff you have done.
• World icon takes you to your map.
• Fist icon takes you to the menu for PvP, Alerts, Duos, and Raids. These all have level requirements to participate in.
• Chat bubble icon takes you to the chat menu.
• Cog icon takes you to the game options menu.
• Shopping cart icon takes you to the DCUO marketplace.