A Beginner's Guide to MUSH

Introduction - what is a MUSH?
Some Basic Concepts - important ideas and terms
The Basic Commands
    Communication - how to talk with others
    Movement - how to navigate the MUSH "world"
    Items and Money - manipulating objects
    General - other useful starting commands
    Information Commands - how to learn more
Terms and Abbreviations - MUSH jargon explained
Getting Started - your first MUSH session

An Introduction to MUSH

The basic function of a MUSH is to allow a group of people to connect to the same site so they can communicate with one another in real time - like a conference phone call, or International Relay Chat (IRC) for those that are familiar with it. MUSH does more than that, though! It also allows for the creation of detailed worlds with landscapes and buildings you can explore, and items and people you can interact with.

The world of a MUSH is completely text-based - you don't need a large program or fancy graphics capability to play. The game world is presented in a similar way to the old Infocom games like Zork or Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Unlike those games, however, you are able to interact with other real people, and expand the game environment itself.

The originators of worlds built on MUSH tend to create one of two types of games. One type are social games. People use these games to chat with one another and relax in a casual environment. The other type are role-playing games. On these, the purpose is to portray a realistic character that is part of a specific world. For example, on a Star Trek MUSH, people might portray crew members on a Federation starship and play out their adventures.

A number of MUSH and MUD lists exist to help people find the types of games that they're most interested in playing.

As with any software program, MUSH has its own commands and concepts. This document introduces the basic concepts and commands that you need to know to begin participating on a MUSH.

Some Basic Concepts

What's What

1. The character that you play is known as a PLAYER object to the MUSH program. Most games allow one individual to play more than one character if she or he wishes to. In conversation, people generally use "character" to refer to the onscreen persona and "player" to refer to the real life person portraying the persona, but when the MUSH commands or help files refer to a PLAYER, they mean the character object.

2. The framework of the MUSH environment is created with ROOM objects. Characters and things occupy ROOMS, which make up the buildings and landscapes of the game. A ROOM on a MUSH can be anything that fits its environment - a tavern, a bedroom, a forest, a planet, the ocean floor, etc.

3. Rooms are connected to one another through objects called EXITS. Characters use EXITS to move from one room area to another. An EXIT might appear as a door, window, road, staircase, pathway, etc.

4. The final type of object is the THING, sometimes called object or item. THINGS can be picked up, carried and dropped by players, moved through exits, left in rooms, or placed within other THINGS.

   The THING is the most flexible type of MUSH object. A THING might appear as a wagon or sleeping bag that players can get inside of, a vase or a statue to decorate a room, or a pet dog. People THINGS can also be part of the world, like a bartender or taxi driver. THING people are "scenery;" they can't interact with you like player objects controlled by real people.

Regardless of type, all objects on a MUSH share two things in common:

• Every object on the game has a name. The names of player objects must be unique - there can only be one character named Bob on the game. The names of rooms, exits and things do not need to be unique. There can be any number of rooms named Kitchen or multiple exits named Road. The name of an object is selected by its creator.

  There are two general-use names that are used with common commands. The term me refers to your character. The term here refers to your current location.

• The MUSH also designates each object by a number. This is referred to as the dbref# (data base reference number). The number of each object is unique to that object, so if there are two things named Car, you can use the dbref# in a command to make sure the game knows which one you're referring to. The number of the object is displayed next to its name.

  You will always see the number of objects you control, including your character. You will only see the number of objects you don't own if they have certain properties set on them, but that's not something you need to worry about when starting out, as you can use the name of an object to refer to it in almost all commands.

Who's Who

The wizards are responsible for the game as a whole. They provide the computer resources and Internet connection the game needs to run. They create and enforce the rules of the game, resolve disputes between people, and help answer questions that people have.

Some games have additional levels of administration beneath the wizards. These might include staff, judges, helpers and similar roles. These people are also available to help answer people's questions.

Command Types

1. Built-In Commands

   The most fundamental and commonly-used commands are built-into the MUSH server itself. These commands will be found on every TinyMUSH, and are the same on every TinyMUSH. The commands discussed in this document are built-in commands, so they will work on any MUSH game you try.

2. Global Commands

   Global commands are commands that are unique to a particular MUSH. They work anywhere on that MUSH, but may not be found on another MUSH. These have been added to the game by its administration. Most globals are very useful for play on that game, but aren't essential to know when starting out. These commands vary from game to game, so this document cannot provide detailed information about them, but it will tell you where to find out more about globals.

3. User-Defined Commands

   MUSH allows its players to create their own commands. These may be set on a thing, a room or a player. These commands will only work when you are in the immediate vicinity of the thing, room or player. These commands can be anything their owner creates them to be. It is not necessary for you to know much about user-defined commands to begin play on a MUSH.

The Basic Commands

Notation Guide:

command

Command phrases appear in text like this. That denotes a command you can type on the MUSH exactly as it appears. All command phrases are followed by a return/enter. Hitting the return key sends your command to the MUSH.

<variable>

Variables are indicated <like this>. Where you see <>, you would insert your own text. There are examples with the commands to show you exactly how it works.

Communication Commands

The say command allows you to talk to other players in the same room as you are. " is a short-form for say.

you type: "Hello, everyone.
you see: You say, "Hello, everyone."
others see: Suzy says, "Hello, everyone."

pose <text>
or
:<text>

When role-playing, it's nice to be able to have your character make gestures as well as statements. The pose command allows you to do that. The pose command can be shortened to :.

you type: :takes off his hat and bows with a flourish.
you see: Bob takes off his hat and bows with a flourish.
others see: Bob takes off his hat and bows with a flourish.

;<text>

Sometimes you might want to pose without a space following your name, the ; lets you do that.

you type: ;'s eyes flash in anger.
you see: Alia's eyes flash in anger.
others see: Alia's eyes flash in anger.

page <name>=<text>
or
p <name>=<text>

Sometimes the person you want to talk to is on the MUSH, but not in the same room as you are. The page command lets you talk to someone else no matter where else they are on the MUSH. This is especially useful when you're starting out and you need to ask someone for help.

you type: page steve=Hi, could you help me with something?
you see: You page Steve, 'Hi, could you help me with something?'
Steve sees: From afar, Mary pages, "Hi, could you help me with something?"
others see: nothing

You can use the pose command with the page command, if you want to make a gesture in your page.

you type: page sajeev=:waves. "Hi!"
you see: Long distance to Sajeev: Juanita waves, "Hi!"
Sajeev sees: From afar, Juanita waves. "Hi!"
others see: nothing

whisper <name>=<text>
or
w <name>=<text>

The whisper command allows you to communicate privately with someone in the same location as you. As with page, you can use the pose commands to make gestures in whispers.

you type: w marie=:winks at you when no one's looking.
you see: Marie senses "Olav winks at you when no one's looking."
Marie sees: You sense Olav winks at you when no one's looking.
others see: nothing

Movement Commands

Typing the name of an exit moves you through that exit and into the area it connects to. Most exits have a short form name, or "alias" so you don't have to type the whole name.

Example: Your character is in the following room:

Kitchen
  A stove stands against one wall, a fridge against the other.
  Cupboards and counters line the other walls.
Obvious exits:
Dining Room

@tel me=#<number>

The @tel (teleport) command instantly transports you to the indicated room. The @tel command doesn't care if the two rooms are joined by an exit or not, or whether the two rooms are at opposite ends of the MUSH's landscape.

Only certain rooms are set to allow you to do this. The @tel command requires the number of the destination room, it doesn't work with the room name. (There might be 100 rooms named Bedroom on the game, and it has no way to tell which one you want to go to.)

This type of movement is not realistic on most role-playing games. For instance, if you're playing a game set in Medieval France, there are no teleportation devices in Medieval times. Many role-playing games discourage excessive use of @tel to keep things believable. Most games don't mind if new players use @tel to explore the game world a little, however.

home

The home command is a short form for @tel me=home. Typing this command moves you to the room designated as your "home" by the MUSH. All player and thing objects have a home room. It is possible to set a new home for yourself, but that's not something you need to worry about when you first begin play.

The home command is very useful to remember! If you get lost, or get stuck somewhere odd, the home command will always bring you to your home room.

enter <object>

Some thing objects on a MUSH are set up to allow you to go inside of them. For example, a Wagon or Bus. Also, you can always enter things that you own.

To go inside of an object, use the enter <object> command. Sometimes the object will have an alias or shortform you can use to enter it. For example, the Bus might have an alias of board bus to get inside of it. The enter <object> command will always work, unless the object isn't one set up to allow people inside of it, or if it's locked so that only specific people can go inside it.

leave

The leave command allows you to leave an object you've entered. So if you were on the Bus, you would type leave when you wanted to get off of it. Objects may also have aliases for leaving them. For instance, the Bus might have an alias of get off bus that works in the same way as the leave command.

Item and Money Commands

The inventory command displays a list of all the items that you are carrying, and the amount of MUSH money your character possesses. You are paid more money each day you log onto the MUSH. MUSH money is charged for the use of certain commands (but not any of the commands listed here). You don't have to worry about MUSH money unless you build or code a lot. The name of MUSH money varies from game to game. On a role-playing game, money may also be used in role-played economic exchanges between players.

You type: i
You see:

You are carrying:
Newspaper
Briefcase
You have 200 dollars.

The take command allows you to pick up an object and carry it in your inventory. For instance, you could pick up a newspaper by typing take newspaper. Sometimes the game will not allow you to pick up an object. If this happens, the object is "locked" so that only certain people are allowed to pick it up.

NOTE: It is considered rude on most games to wander around picking up objects that don't belong to you. If you aren't sure, don't pick it up.

take <name>'s name

If an object is within another item, you won't be able to pick it up with the standard take command, you'd have to use the above. For instance, you could get your keys out of your backpack with the command take backpack's keys.

drop <name>

The drop command allows you to put down an object that you're carrying in your inventory. The object is deposited within your current location.

give <name>=<object>

The give command allows you to transfer an object from your inventory to <name>. <Name> can be an item or a person. For example, to put your keys into your backpack, you'd type give backpack=keys, and to give the flower you're carrying to Juanita, you'd type give juanita=flower.

give <name>=<amount>

You can also use the give command to transfer some of your MUSH money to a character or item. For instance, to buy a sandwich from Olav, you might type give olav=2.

Other Useful Commands

The look command shows you the description of your current location and a list of the other people and objects within it. If your current location is a room, you'll also see the name of the exits leading out of that room. The game displays the description of a location when you first enter it, as well. The look command can be abbreviated to l.

look <name>
or
l <name>

You can also use the look command to see the description of exits, things and characters. You could look me to see what your character looks like, look painting to see what an object named Painting looks like, or look road to see what the exit Road looks like, and where it leads. The look command only works on objects in your immediate vicinity. Reading the descriptions of the people, places and things on a MUSH helps you visualize the world of the game.

look <name>'s <name>

When you look at a player or thing object, you may see a list of items contained inside of it. Because these items aren't in your immediate vicinity, the standard look command won't work on them, but the look <name>'s <name> command will show you their description. For example, if Karl is carrying a briefcase, you can look karl's briefcase to see what it looks like.

WHO

The WHO command shows you a list of all the people currently connected to the MUSH. The command is case sensitive (you have to type it in capital letters). The list also indicates how long each person has been "idle" (how long its been since that person last typed a command on the game).

you type: WHO
you see:

    
    Player Name           On For   Idle   Doing
            Sue            00:15    45s   New, please be gentle.
            Tom            01:33    6m    To be, or not to be...
         Saidar            03:29    2m    Wizard, page if you need help.

You may see a short message next to some of the names on the WHO list. This is called a "doing" or @do. You can set a message next to your name on the WHO by typing @doing <text>. Doing messages are a useful way to give a message to everyone on the MUSH, since almost everyone looks at the WHO from time to time.

@listmotd

MOTD stands for "message of the day". The @listmotd displays important announcements from the MUSH's administrators. These may include scheduled events on role-playing MUSHes, notices about new commands, etc. It's a good idea to look at the @listmotd each day you log on.

QUIT

To log off the MUSH, use the QUIT command. This command is case sensitive.

Information Commands

help

The MUSH server has built-in help files to remind you of how to use certain commands and help you learn about new ones. Type help for some useful general information about using the help system.

help <command or topic>

Typing help <command> displays the help file for a particular command. The help page will explain how to use the command, and show you some examples of how it might be used. Try it out with some of the commands mentioned in this guide to get a feel for how it works.

Examples: help look, help @listmotd, help give.

help commands
help topics

These two commands will display lists of all the commands and topics the help files contain information about. A lot of these may seem confusing when you're first starting out. You do not need to learn all these commands and topics to play on a MUSH! Many of them are related to coding with the programming language built-into MUSH, and you do not need to know coding to play on a MUSH.

+help

The +help command is similar to the help command. It displays a list of global commands, or globals. These are commands that are specific to a particular MUSH. Each of the listed commands or topics has its own +help information page.

+help <command or topic>

The +help <command or topic> command displays a help page for the named global command or topic and explains how to use it. Global commands vary from game to game. Virtually all games have a +finger command, so you can test the +help out with that:

Example: +help finger

Notice that the command didn't include the + in front of +finger. On most games, you don't include the + when you look up topics in the +help.

(If you get an error message when you type +help finger, the game you're playing may not have the +finger command. Type +help for a list of the globals it does have, and try out the command with one of the globals listed.)

news

The news files are an extremely important source of information on any MUSH. The name is actually something of a misnomer. The news files are not generally where you go to find out the latest character gossip or game news. That information exists, but is found in other places. (One of those places is the @listmotd.)

What you will find in the news files is a library of information on the game's policies and rules, hints and tips for playing that game, and background information on the setting of that game. While the other commands we've discussed so far are the same on any MUSH, the news files on each game are specific to that MUSH, so you need to read the news on every new MUSH you try.

Typing news will show you a list of the news topics on any game.

news <topic>

To read the information in a particular news section, type news <topic>. You can get a list of topics by typing news alone.

All players on a MUSH are expected to read the news files, make note of the rules of the game, and follow them. You don't have to read all of the news as soon as you log on, but it's important to read any rules-related news items during your first few sessions on the game.

If you disagree with most of the rules on a particular game, or don't feel you can follow them, you should log off that game and try another. Each game has its own rules, and you might like those of another game better. It's of no advantage to you or anyone else to ignore the rules or deliberately break them. If you do, you'll find that you annoy the other players of the game, and they probably won't want to interact with you.

Terms and Abbreviations - A Guide to MUSH Jargon

coding

The MUSH server allows all players to create their own commands on thing, room or player objects that they own. People do this by using the programming language that is built-into the MUSH server. When people use the term coding on a MUSH, they're referring to programming on the game using that language. For instance, someone can create a dog that barks whenever someone comes near it, or a bartender that serves drinks to customers.

building

The MUSH server also allows all players to create their own rooms and exits and add to the game's landscape. Those who do so are building. For instance, most games allow people to create homes for their characters.

idle

People who are "idle" are not currently active on the the game. They probably aren't watching their screens, so they won't immediately respond to any actions or statements that you make, although they'll be able to read them all when they return to the game. If you are inactive too long (more than one hour on most games), you will be automatically disconnected from the game

IC

In-character - speaking and acting as a fictional character rather than as the real life player.

OOC

Out-of-character - speaking as the real life player rather than a fictional character

RP

Role-playing - portraying the actions and statements of a character in the fictional world of the MUSH.

VR

Virtual reality - the MUSH world. Sometimes used for the Net world in general.

RL

Real life, the world outside of the Net and MUSH worlds.

AFK

Away from keyboard - the person is going to be idle a bit.

BBS

Be back soon - the person may be going idle for a short while, or he or she is logging off, but plans to log back in soon.

BBL

Be back later - the person is logging off and saying goodbye for now.

LOL

Laughing out loud - the person is amused.

ROTFL

Rolling on the floor laughing - the person is extremely amused.

BTW

By the way.

OTOH

On the other hand.

IMHO

In my humble opinion - a variation is IMNSHO - in my not-so-humble opinion.

Getting Started - Your First Session on a MUSH

The address of Tales of Ta'veren MUSH is used as an example in this guide. There are a number of MUSH lists available that you can use to find the address of a game you're interested in if Tales of Ta'veren isn't to your taste.

Preparing to Connect

• Telnet or MU* Client Program

  Start up your telnet or MU* client program. How to do this will depend on your operating system and the program itself.

  Input the address: tales.ta-veren.org 1998

  Note that some programs require you to set the port number in a separate section from the main address. Look for a box named port or service. If you see one, the port number must go there. The port number for Tales of Ta'veren is the 1998 section of the address above.

  If you get an error message to the effect of "host not found", try using the IP address instead: 216.122.4.128 1998

  If you find the above confusing, you may want to start with the introduction of the How to Connect to a MU* guide. Information on telnet and client programs for a variety of systems is also available. Telnet programs tend to be simpler to use, but do not offer as many features.

• Connect Through Your Web Browser

  Start your Web browser, and select one of the links below. Both go to Tales of Ta'veren MUSH. The first uses the word address, the second the IP address. If the first one doesn't work for you, the second one probably will.

  tales.ta-veren.org 1998
  or
  216.122.4.128 1998

  You can also input the address into your browser rather than using a link. To do so, you would type the following in the same way you enter a Web page URL.

  telnet://tales.ta-veren.org:1998
  or
  telnet://216.122.4.128:1998

  If your browser gives you an error like "application not found" when you try either of the above, it means you do not have a telnet program set up on your system.

  Telnet is not a feature standard to Web browsers. However, many browsers can be configured to launch a telnet program when you select a telnet:// link like the ones above. You will need to set up a telnet program for this to work. Note that telnet is completely separate from the Web, once you have a telnet program, you can use it without starting up your Web browser.

  Information on where to obtain telnet programs for a variety of systems is available. There is also a guide to configuring the Netscape Web browser to launch your telnet program when you select a telnet:// link.

Connection Established

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Use create <name> <password> to create a new character.
Use connect <name> <password> to connect to your existing character.
Use connect guest guest if you'd just like to look around.
Use QUIT to logout.
Use WHO to find out who is online currently.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes people see the following, and wonder why they aren't able to login:

login:
password:

If you see that, you're connecting to the right machine, but not the right portion of that machine. It means you've connected to the default port, port 23. That is the login port to connect to a user account on a host. Since you don't have a user account on the host machine, you won't be able to connect. To reach the MUSH, you need to go to port number, which is 1998 in the case of Tales of Ta'veren. The machine name is like a street name, and the port number is like the number of the house you want to visit.

There are two common causes of this problem. The first is if you're either not entering the port number (so your program uses the default of 23), or you're inputting it incorrectly for your telnet program. Some programs require you to enter the port number in a separate box or area.

The other cause is if your telnet program does not accept non-standard port numbers. That means it will only connect you to port 23. Most MUSHes use non-standard port numbers, so if this is the case, you won't be able to use that program to play the majority of MUSHes, or other MU* games.

Information on telnet and client programs for a variety of systems is available if you find you need to try another program.

Logging In

Here's what you'd type to log on to the Guest character:

connect guest guest

Once you have a character, you use your unique character name and password to log onto the game:

connect <name> <password>

If your character is named Sue, and your password is PinkPoodle, you'd type the following to connect to Sue:

connect Sue PinkPoodle

Creating a Character on an Open MUSH

create <name> <password>

For example, to create a character named Bob with a password of GoJays!, type:

create Bob GoJays!

Sometimes when you try to create a character, the MUSH will give you this message:

Either there is already a player with that name, or that name is illegal.

Creating a Character on a Registration MUSH

If you don't see any instructions on how to obtain a character at the welcome screen, log on to the game as a Guest character and ask an administrator or player how to get a character.

Once the administrators receive your request (or accept your application), they will email you the name and password of your character, and you can log on using the connect command.

Tales of Ta'veren is a registration MUSH. To obtain a character, simply mail to chars@ta-veren.org and request one. More information about setting up a character on Tales is available on the Character page.

Now What?

If you're using the Guest character, you'll probably be in an area set aside as a home for guests. From there, you can explore the game world, read the news files, and learn more about the MUSH.

If you connected to your own character, you will be at the starting room of the MUSH. Where you go from here depends on the MUSH you're playing. There are a few things you might want to set on your character before you start exploring, however:

• You will probably want to set a gender for your character. Your character does not have to have the same gender that you do. To set your character's gender, type the following:

  @sex me=female
  or
  @sex me=male

• The next thing you'll you probably want to set up is your character's description, so the other players on the MUSH know what he or she looks like:

  @desc me=<text>

  Example: @desc me=Andrea is of average height, and looks to be in her late twenties. She has curly brown hair, and dark eyes.

  Your character's description should fit in with the theme of the game you're playing - if you're playing a game set in outer space, a description for a barbarian probably won't fit. Some games have rules about what your character can and can't be. These will be in the news files. If you aren't sure what the game is like yet, describe your character as a generic human and leave out specific details about clothing style.

  Once you know more about the game and you've finalized your character concept, or whenever you want to change or embellish your description, you can rewrite it by typing the command again:

  @desc me=<new description>

  The How to Describe Your Character page has some tips for writing a good character description.

• The last thing you should do before starting to explore is to lock your character. Locking your character sets it so no one can pick up your character and carry him or her around like an object. The following command will lock your character so no one can pick him or her up:

  @lock me=me

• If you want to change your character name, you can do so using the following command:

  @name me=<new name>
  ** Remember your new name for next time you log on! **

• You can also change your password at any time. Your password should be something you'll find easy to remember, but would be hard for another to guess. Do not make your password the same as your character name! That is the first password someone trying to "hack into" someone else's character will try. Use the following command to change your password:

  @password <old password>=<new password>

Role-Playing