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The above menu mirrors the information accessible via the "news" files from within the game.
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ROLEPLAY
(Originally written and posted to the Global Bulletin Board by Wizard 9 on
August 22, 1997. Edited and revised by her on February 14, 1998. Any questions
or comments can be forwarded to her through Wizard 1.)
Roleplaying on Brak Sector MUX can be quite a fulfilling experience, not to
mention a fun one - particularly as our characters develop over time. To
further the enjoyment, one can follow several basic 'guidelines' to improve
upon his or her roleplay style.
This guide is intended to help you improve upon your current technique.
Hopefully, this will assist you in earning several more +noms per IC period;
but more importantly, following these guidelines and tips will help to make
your Star Wars life more surrealistic and detailed.
NEVER USE THE 'SAY' COMMAND
The pose is the cornerstone of every successful in-character MUX, for the
simple reason that it allows a great deal of detail to be implemented into an
otherwise limited situation. On the other hand, the 'say' command, while
certainly useful for simple chatting, should ideally be the least-used command
on the MUX because it allows almost no outside interpretation. Here's an
example:
(a) Bill Jackson says, "My family was killed by the Empire."
(b) Bill Jackson frowns deeply, biting his lip as tears start to well up in his
eyes. "My family was killed by the Empire," he says, his voice momentarily
cracking from remorse.
Recognize the added detail found in pose (b). This kind of description isn't
possible under the 'say' command, and for this reason, it is in our best
interests to always use 'pose' instead.
NOTE: While most language-using MU*'s require the use of 'say' to effectively
implement the 'parsing' of languages, Brak Sector is fortunate to have a system
in which words in poses enclosed in quotes (") will also be parsed.
Thus, we need not worry about our language-based roleplay being exploited
because of posing as opposed to saying. (See '+help speak2')
SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION
Unfortunately, there's an exponentially-increasing trend in the Internet
populace to not take the time to spell or punctuate properly. We don't
necessarily encourage you to earn doctorates in the English language, but
trying your best to utilize it properly would be in everyone's, including your
own, best interests.
(a) George Lucas slides a pen behind his ear freeing up his hands so he can
read his script. he turns the page and begins to scim it, his eyes moving at
great speeds. "hmm" he thinks to himself "luke is a cool guy" he grins to
himself and takes out the pen agin then starts writing about princess leia
(b) George Lucas slides a pen behind his ear, freeing up his hands so he can
read his newly-written script. He turns the page and begins to skim it, his
eyes moving at a rapid pace. "Hmm," he thinks to himself aloud, "Luke is a
cool guy!" He grins to himself and takes out the pen again, then starts
writing about Princess Leia.
NEVER USE SHORTENED WORDS
Another increasingly popular trend in terms of netiquette seems to be the
rampant use of over-abbreviated abbreviations like 'k' (instead of 'Okay' or
even 'Ok'), '4' (instead of 'for'), or '2' (instead of to or too). Here are
some examples to cast a gander at:
(a) Jabba the Hutt finishes chomping down on what remains of his tasty,
crunchy (albeit gooey) snack and looks up @ Han Solo. "Ho ho ho," he
chortles, "What's up w/ u, Solo? U okay? What can I do 4 u?"
(b) Jabba the Hutt finishes chomping down on what remains of his tasty, crunchy
(albeit gooey) snack and looks up at Han Solo. "Ho ho ho," he chortles, "What's
up with you, Solo? You okay? What can I do for you?"
While keying 'w/' as opposed to 'with' may shave as much as a half-second off
of your typing time, it certainly isn't encouraged. The use of full words in
itself will be representative of your well thought-out poses and your
character's actions.
SHOW, DON'T TELL
It's important to remember that, unfortunately, MUXes are limited to text.
Because of this, it's very useful and more realistic to everyone when a player
doesn't tell people what happens with his character; instead, he shows people
what's going on. Showing, loosely defined, is illustrating exactly what a
character does instead of simply stating an emotion or other action. For
instance:
(a) Bill Jackson gets angry at Ted. "Why are you so dumb?"
(b) Bill Jackson's hands clench into fists as his face turns red. He grits his
teeth and narrows his eyes toward Ted. "Why are you so dumb?" he growls, his
voice low and rough as he levels a shaky finger towards Ted threateningly.
Pose (b) is preferable to pose (a), because it makes a point of showing how
another character might see Bill's growing anger. It is also far more
descriptive and more objective, leaving some room for player interpretation.
ONLY POSE WHAT OTHER CHARACTERS CAN SEE
This is an especially important rule: You should only pose what people can see.
The following is how Han Solo might have posed had he been controlled by an
avid MUXer.
(a) Han Solo smiles casually at Greedo across the table, his left hand rising a
bit toward the ceiling as he drops his right hand below the table to draw his
blaster. "I have the money, Greedo... really!"
(b) Han Solo smiles casually at Greedo across the table, his left hand rising a
bit toward the ceiling as his right hand drops to his side. "I have the money,
Greedo... really!"
It's more important to pose as shown in (b) for a number of reasons. First,
it'd be in your interests to not tip the other character off insofar as your
intentions, particularly when they're decidedly hostile. Secondly, it simply
isn't realistic and can cause confusion among your comrades. This can
especially be important when wearing disguises. If you're wearing a mask, don't
pose: 'Bill Jackson smiles.' Perhaps 'Bill Jackson's mask shifts momentarily as
the face underneath presumably contorts.' Likewise, @descs should only show
what other people can tell; if you have a concealed weapon, don't give it away
in your description.
ALLOW PEOPLE TO INTERPRET FOR THEMSELVES
This is also quite important. Leave your poses objective, and please remember
NOT to tell people what to think. Different characters can interpret the same
situation differently. For instance:
(a) Lucy Hall walks into the main street. You think she doesn't know how to get
to Gimm Street.
(b) Lucy Hall walks into the main street. She looks at a street sign because
she doesn't know how to get to Gimm Street.
(c) Lucy Hall walks into the main street and glances at a street sign with a
pondering expression, maybe wondering how to get somewhere.
(d) Lucy Hall walks into the main street, her expression one of bewilderment
and frustrated fear. Her eyes find their way to a street sign, at which she
stares in a long moment of apparent confusion.
In this case, Pose (a) isn't a good idea, because you really don't have the
authority to tell someone what they're thinking. Pose (b), while less obvious a
violation, still goes out of its way to tell others what she's thinking without
letting them decide for themselves. Poses (c) and (d) are both acceptable
because they allow for player interpretation. Note, though, that (c) does
mildly offer a suggestion - this is fine, because it assists in describing what
kind of expression, exactly, Lucy wears.
DON'T LET PEOPLE SEE WHAT YOUR CHARACTER IS THINKING
If one shouldn't pose what other characters wouldn't be able to see, they most
certainly shouldn't pose what they're thinking. It is decidedly impossible to
see exactly what another person is thinking, though you could certainly guess.
Once again, it all comes down to showing and not telling.
(a) Bill Jackson walks into the bar and runs into people, thinking that they
should watch their step. He wanders to the bar, wondering what kind of ale they
serve here.
(b) Bill Jackson walks into the bar and frowns distastefully down at some
aliens who run into him. "Watch it," he growls, shoving them aside. His eyes
flick toward the bar, scanning the 'drinks' section of the menu posted behind
it thoughtfully.
Pose (b) utilizes many more descriptive qualities that are quite preferred over
pose (a). It allows much more for player interpretation and is much more
objective.
DO-IT-YOURSELF RP
No, I don't mean to say that RP should be a one-person job. But when the
roleplay around you is seriously lacking, don't /wait/ for RP to come to you.
If someone else is in the room, you can start something with them yourself!
Consider the following ideas:
(1) You mistake the other person for a long-lost friend.
(2) You decide you like the person's shoes an awful lot, and decide to ask her
where she bought them.
(3) Discuss something found in 'rumors'. That's what they're there for.
(4) Mistake the other person for a celebrity. (I've seen this used excellently
several times.)
(5) Pose something silly (like tripping over your shoelaces, or accidentally
bumping into someone). Who knows, you might even run into someone important.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO JUMP RIGHT IN
One of the most divisive barriers I've found that keeps people from good
roleplay is the kind of character concept that's quite anti-social. While
roleplaying the tough, lone-ranger type of character (you know the type; like
Boba Fett) sure is cool, it won't give you much RP.
What works, on the other hand, is a character who is willing to talk to people.
Some would argue that this wouldn't be IC, because, especially on crimeworlds
like Genesia, what kind of a moron would approach a complete stranger and start
a conversation? To these people, I ask for you to consider this: while it
wouldn't be entirely realistic to start conversations with everyone you see,
what would happen if everyone thought this way? Most likely, nobody will ever
meet anybody else, no conflicts will start, no friendships will be made - in
short, nothing will happen. Boring. Which brings me to a rule of thumb I like
to use:
"Never let IC compromise the fun."
This isn't to say that you should throw your character concept out the window
for the sake of making a beneficial change in your character. Rather, just bend
the rules where appropriate to keep things exciting for you.
OTHER GUIDELINES
This just about wraps up my discussion of good roleplay technique and overall
etiquette. However, I do have a list of other guidelines for you to follow,
just for reference.
1. Don't be afraid to ask others for help.
2. The best roleplay is often not combat-related.
3. Roleplay, don't rollplay. Whenever possible, refrain from
+checking to solve disputes. If you need help discerning
+checkworthy situations from the rest, feel free to contact
an administrator.
4. Start an occasional conflict. This doesn't have to mean a
lightsaber duel with your local Emperor. It could be something
as simple as an argument over whether velcro or shoelaces
allow your feet to "breathe."
5. Be open to constructive advice from others about how to improve
your roleplay.
6. Don't hesitate to page someone and praise them for good roleplay.
There's nothing more inspirational than acknowledgement of
roleplay well done.
7. Above all, have fun.
This information is also available in-game via the "news consent" command.
See also: news policy, news combat
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