Basics

=Common Commands=

Who
Your typical MUSH has more 'list who's logged in' functions than anyone knows what to do with, and TFUMUX is no exception! Most of them can be spammy when a lot of people are logged on, since they are, at heart, simple lists.


 * WHO - This is the hardcoded logged-in list that comes with every MU. It lists all players, how long they've been logged in for, how long they've been idle for (that is, how long they've sat around doing nothing in particular), and a message that they can set. Typing 'DOING' (all caps) gets the same results.
 * +alias - Another list of who's logged on that provides different information.
 * +fwho - A list of those characters in your faction (Autobot, etc)
 * +swho - A list that displays in three columns. Doesn't provide much in the way of useful information, but it's less spammy.

=Talking=

OOC
To speak to the other people in the same room as you, type:

"

This will display your name, the words 'says,' and what you have to say. Typing '"Hello.' will show you:

You say, "Hello."

And everyone else will see,

Guest says, "Hello."

To pose, use ': '.



will display:

Guest dances.

To get rid of that space, use a ; instead of a :. You'll notice that the ; and : work the same as they do on the Guest channel. In fact, most of the methods of communicating on the MU, both in-character and out-of-character, use the ; and : operators to switch from a say to a pose. " on the other hand tends to only be used to talk to people in the same room as you are.

You can also emit messages that don't start with your name using '@emit '. When you do this, gets displayed directly without having your name attached. This is a useful feature when in-character, either because someone is contributing to the environment rather than describing their own actions, or just to allow flexibility in pose-writing when you are describing your own actions. Remember: when using @emit to describe your actions, you want to make sure to include your name in the pose somewhere to keep people from getting confused.

@emit "Hmmm. I see what you're saying," he says, rubbing his chin.

displays:

"Hmmm. I see what you're saying," he says, rubbing his chin.

That's nice and all, but it will leave other people in the room wondering, 'He, who?' Something like the following would be better:

@emit "Hmmm. I see what you're saying," Guest says, rubbing his chin.

Finally, instead of typing out '@emit' all the time, you can use the slash '\'. This works just like '@emit'. You do not need to include a space after a '\'.

IC
The same commands used to talk OOCly can be used ICly, along with a few more!

+ooc
Once you're in-character, in order to speak with everyone in the same room out of character (say, you're trying to determine who's willing to be attacked, are trying to get more detail on another character's location, or something similar), you use the '+ooc' command to talk. This just emits a  in front of anything you say, so that everyone else knows that it's an OOC communication. ';' and ':' both work with +ooc.

Example:

If Red Alert types:

+ooc :wonders if the Decepticons are in sensor range yet?

Everyone in the room will see:

 Red Alert wonders if the Decepticons are in sensor range yet?

And presumably a Decepticon player will let him know if they are or are not. To get more information on +ooc while logged into the MUSH, type '+help +ooc'

Mutter
One odd but potentially useful command for communicating with just one person in the same room is the 'mutter' command. While logged in, type '+help mutter' for more information. This allows for spoken IC communication to, say, someone standing next to your character, but carries with it the chance that some words (or even the whole thing) may be overheard, which is a valid risk anytime someone speaks. To use it, just type 'mutter = '. ':' and ';' work with mutter. When they're used the portions of your pose outside of quotation marks will be shown to everyone, since these are the things other people can see you do without necessarily hearing what you say.

Examples:

mutter Red Alert=Can you loan me thirty Shanix? I'm broke! Nightbeat mutters to Red Alert, "Can... loan... thirty... broke!"

mutter Kup=:frowns. "What a he is!" He shrugs. Nightbeat frowns. He mutters to Kup, "What... cheapskate..." He shrugs.

You'll note the use of the <> brackets around "cheapskate" in the second example above. By putting <> around a word in a mutter, you are guaranteeing that it will be overheard. In this case, Nightbeat wanted others to know he thinks Red Alert is a cheapskate.

=Channels= To see a full list of the ones available to you, type '@clist'. You might get something like this:

*** Channel      Owner           Description --- Anime        Typhoon         No description. P-- Autobot      Typhoon         Autobot IC Channel P-- Bot-OOC      Typhoon         No description. --- Bot-RP       Stormwind       No description. P-- Broadband    Typhoon         No description. PL- Connect      Primus          No description. --- Cybertron    Typhoon         No description. --- Discussions  Typhoon         No description. P-- Earth        Typhoon         No description. --- EDC          Blaster         No description. P-- Gaming       Typhoon         No description. P-- Guests       Garak           No description. --- Human        Stormwind       No description. P-- Human-OOC    Stormwind       No description. P-S Internet     Stormwind       IC Internet Chat Room. --- KNUJ         Stormwind       No description. --- Mobage       Typhoon         No description. P-- Newbie       Typhoon         No description. P-- Public       Garak           No description. P-- RP           Stormwind       No description. P-- Sci-Fi       Stormwind       No description. P-- TV-Broadcasts Typhoon        No description. -- End of list of Channels --

To join any channel, type 'addcom ='. Then, to talk on the channel, type '+ '. They all work just like the Guests channel did for you when you were a Guest. You only need enough of the channel's name for the game to tell which one you want to talk to.


 *  who - This lists who is on a select channel.
 * comtitle =  - This sets the title that can appear before your name on a channel. See Color to set colors.
 * @clist - This lists available channels

Most of the channels above are out of character channels for OOC discussion. Some are in-character radio channels, useful for in-character broadcasts. At the very least, you should make sure to join the channel for your own faction if you haven't already.

For more information on how to use the channels, type 'help comlist'.

OOC
There are a lot of OOC channels, some dedicated to specific subjects. The following is not an extensive list of all OOC channels, but rather a quick listing of the major ones most players would want to be aware of:


 *  - The primary OOC chat channel, used for general socializing.
 *  - For coordinating role-play. If you are on no other OOC channel, you should be on this one. When scenes are about to go down, or people are just looking for trouble, this is the best place to look.
 *  - You remember this one! Now that you're a full fledged player, you can help other newlings into the game.
 * The OOC-Faction Channels - Each faction has its own OOC chat channel: , , etc. These are both for general chat and socializing within the faction, and are also useful for dealing with faction-specific matters OOCly. I would say the OOC faction channels are second to  in importance.


 *  - This isn't a constant porn channel, but it is the MUX's unrated channel. Join at your own risk, and if you do join, don't be shocked by foul language.

IC
The significant in-character channels are as follows:
 *  - The in-character Autobot channel. All Autobots and Autobot allies will want to be on this channel.
 *  - The in-character Decepticon channel. All Decepticons and Decepticon allies will want to be on this one.
 *  - The EDC faction channel.
 * <Junkion> - The Junkion faction channel.

All of the faction channels are prone to periodic encryption, but if a channel is not encrypted, characters should assume that they're probably being listened in on. The next group of In Character channels are for common broadcasts. It's a good idea to keep these on, as sometimes significant plot information is passed through them, but they're less critical than the faction channels, and you should feel free to shut one off if it becomes filled with nothing but, say, the Dinobots and Terrorcons yelling at each other and trying to figure out which subgroup is stupider.


 * <Broadband> - Broadcast is usually reserved for large-scale broadband communication such as radio or news broadcasts, distress signals, or other sorts of TP-related transmission.
 * <Cybertron> - Cybertron specific broadcast channel.
 * <Earth> - Earth specific broadcast channel.
 * <KNUJ> - The radio/TV station run by the Junkions, typically reserved for transmissions and not for conversations.

Be aware: using any of the in-character channels is considered an in-character activity, and angering the wrong person on them can lead to IC consequences. You do not have to mention speaking on the channel via the radio in your pose if you are playing a Transformer, although some prefer to. You should probably mention muttering into the radio if you are a human.

=Bulletins= Firstly, enter +help bb in-game for quick commands.

The bulletin boards, like the channels, can be used for both OOC and IC communication. There's a lot to cover here, from what boards are important to keep up with, what boards can be ignored, and how to actually make a post. As a result, this section is divided into two categories: Reading and Posting.

Reading
The Bulletin Board system is pretty handy and pretty expansive, containing a lot of information both in character and out of character. Your best friend when you first get a new character is going to be '+bbcatchup'. No one expects any new player to read every single post already on the board, and by typing '+bbcatchup ', a player can mark every post on a board 'read,' so that in the future they can just focus on the current events. Once you're caught up on all the boards you intend to follow (more on that below), you'll probably want to add '+bbscan' to your @aconnect, so you receive an automatic notice as to whether or not a particular board has any unread posts. To do this, type '@aconnect me=+bbscan'.

To help you decide which boards you want to pay attention to (and which ones you /need/ to pay attention to), here's a list of public and faction-based boards with their purpose. To get the full list of boards you can access while logged in, type '+bblist'. This will also tell you whether or not you are a member of a particular board. If you do not wish to follow a board, simply leave it by typing '+bbleave '. If you change your mind later on, you can rejoin a board by typing '+bbjoin '. In fact, if you're playing a FC, the first time you log on with your FC you'll want to check the boards you're on, to make sure the previous player hadn't quit any boards you'd rather follow.


 * 1 Public - Public is the primary OOC board. It's used for general OOC announcements, to list the current admin under review, by people introducing themselves to the MUSH or announcing a new player to a specific FC, and any number of other things. Not everything posted on the Public board is vitally important, but enough is that all players should follow this board. When you first join, it wouldn't hurt to read the most recent couple of posts on this board. To do this, type '+bbread 1' to list all posts on the Public board. Look at the number for the last post, then type '+bbread 1/ '. If any of the other posts catch your interest, just replace with their number.


 * 2 Suggestions - Suggestions for code, suggestions for the MUSH. Some of the posts here are general policy suggestions, in which case players may want to read them to provide feedback on what they think over the proposed changes. The code suggestions are really more for a wizard to deal with. Following this board is not essential for most players, but knowing it's there when they have a suggestion to make is.


 * 3 Code Change Announcements - It is suggested that all players keep up to date on this board, although reading old posts generally isn't necessary, since this information eventually gets folded into +help anyway.


 * 4 Autobot - If you play an Autobot, you should keep up to date on this board, and may want to read the most recent post or two when you first join.


 * 5 Decepticon - This board is, for the most part, an in character board for the Decepticons. Occasionally, faction-specific OOC information will be posted here, marked as OOC. If you play a Decepticon, you should keep up to date on this board. Also, if you play a Decepticon, you may want to read the most recent post or two when you join, as with the Public board.


 * 6 G.I. Joe - To G.I. Joe players what Decepticon is to Decepticons and Autobot is to Autobots. If you play a G.I. Joe, you'll want to keep up with this board.


 * 7 Cobra - If you play a Cobra, you'll want to keep up with this board.


 * 8 Junkion - The mostly IC Junkion board. Junkion players will want to follow this board, and may want to read up on the most recent postings when they first get their character.


 * 6 Announcements - What major MUSH-affecting announcements don't go on the Public board go here instead. All players should keep up to date on this board, and as with the Public board, they may want to read the most recent posts made.


 * 9 Rumors - This is an In Character board that offers things that might be overheard through unofficial channels. While not strictly necessary, players of characters who like to keep on top of matters will want to follow this board. That, and it sometimes offers interesting hints of things to come.


 * 10 Reports - This is general In Character information that comes through official channels. As with rumors, sometimes it offers a hint of things to come... and sometimes it just lets you know what your enemy stole yesterday. Most players will want to follow this board to keep up to date on IC happenings.


 * 13 TP Suggestions - One method of suggesting TPs. Most people page a TP staffer or just run something small spur of the moment. Not essential at all.


 * 14 Discussions - For extended OOC discussions on matters not appropriate to the Public board. MUX policy often gets debated here. Again, not essential, but recommended. As a warning, this board occasionally gets a little heated, although things generally remain very polite.


 * 15 On Vacation - A means of letting the player base know a particular character/group of characters isn't going to be around for a while. Not essential, but useful.


 * 16 Humor - A joke board for posting comments made by other players that just don't sound right when taken out of their proper context. Not essential at all, but fun!


 * 13 MUSH Advertisements - Advertisements for other MUSHes go here. People usually ask permission before posting an advertisement, and staff pretty much always says 'yes.' A completely optional board.


 * 14 Stuff - A board for, uhm, stuff. Usually unofficial and unconnected to the MUSH. Completely optional.


 * 17 - Theme - Important changes to the Theme of the MUX. Highly recommended.


 * 20 Bug Reports  - For reporting system bugs. It is more important for most players to know how to post here than to really keep up to date on it, although it is still recommended that players follow this board in case a reported bug affects them.


 * 23 Char-Info - 'FCs Available' posts go here, as do closing date announcements and recruitment posts for particular characters/factions/special groups. Not strictly essential, but recommended.


 * 24 TP Announcements - What is says on the tin. Announcement related to ongoing plots.


 * 25 Announcements - More general announcements from the Admin.


 * 27 Shattered Glass - The IC and bio-board for the Shattered Glass plot. At this point, this board may be an interesting read, but has absolutely no relevancy to any ongoing plots or events, although that may change.


 * 30 - 34 Alt-Us, etc. - Boards for the various alternate universes. Only useful during TPs.  Skippable.


 * 35 'OtherMU Announcements - Advertising other MUs and events taking place on them.


 * 36 Dominicon - Faction channel for the Dominicons.


 * 37 OOC Reports - Short posts about what's going on that characters would know about. Absolutely essential.


 * 38 Links to Logs - When players post a log of roleplay to the wiki (or anywhere), they will post a link on this board. While occasionally useful, this board isn't really essential.


 * 39 EDC - The IC EDC board. All EDC players will want to keep up to date on this board, and may want to read the most recent posts when they first get their characters.


 * 40 Kudos - Think someone did a great job on something? This is the place to let them know! Not essential, but still a nice board to keep tabs on.

Posting
We've learned how to list the boards, how to read them, how to leave and join them, and how to catch up on them. We also know which boards are which. Now we need to learn how to post on them.

The full details can be found by logging in and typing '+help bbpost', and we won't go through everything here, but there should be enough to get you started.

There are two methods of posting - enter the edit mode, or quick-posting. The edit mode is a bit more complex, and won't be covered. If you want to know how, check '+help bbpost'. The quick-posting method is pretty simple:

+bbpost <board #>/<Subject>=<Body>

That's most of all there is to it! Now, because bboard posts can be fairly long, it's common for people to actually write them up in an external text editor and just cut and paste the full command when they're done. Also remember that in order to use formatting elements, you have to use the escape characters. The two most common are '%t', to post a tab, and '%r' acts as a line break. If you wish to post a space between paragraphs (which makes posts easier to read), you'd use '%r%r'.

Example:

+bbpost 14/Sample Post=%tThis is a sample post, created so I can cut and paste it into the New Player's Guide on the wiki.%r%r%tPlease look the other way.%r%r%tThis post does not really exist. If you are reading it, it is just your imagination playing a trick on you.%r%r%tThat is all.

Typing the above will give you the following post on the Discussions board (except that you, and not Typhoon, would be the Author, the date would be whatever date you are posting it on, and the message number might be a bit different):

=================================== Discussions ==================================== Message: 14/2                     Posted        Author Sample Post                       Sat Feb 07    Typhoon --        This is a sample post, created so I can cut and paste it into the New Player's Guide on the wiki.

Please look the other way.

This post does not really exist. If you are reading it, it is just your imagination playing a trick on you.

That is all.

=
=================================================================

If you need to correct something you posted, you have two options to fix it. First, you can edit using the '+bbedit' command (see '+help bbpost' for details on how that command words). Second, you can just delete your old post using '+bbremove / ' and re-copy and paste it, with corrections, from wherever you were typing it up. The second method is the lazy method, and tends to spam everyone logged in with messages that you are making a post. Most people use the lazy method.

In character posts happen on the in character board as a means of keeping other people up to date on the IC events. They come in a number of formats. Most posts are actually roleplayed out, as though your character were sitting in front of a camera, recording their report. A few will be marked as audible only or text only. A few samples will be included below, but really, the best way to get a hang of it is to read a few current ones when you get a character. As a note, if you need to make an out of character post on an in character board (say, a faction-specific out of character post), you should include "OOC" in the subject line, and probably in the post itself.

Some examples of in character bboard posts. The first post is an example of how a player might want to announce an update to an ongoing TP. It uses the 'video' format.

================================= Decepticon ================================= Message: 5/78                     Posted        Author Eureka! Wed Jul 24   Miasma -- Decepticon Spinny

Miasma appears on screen, "I have most favorable news to report! Thanks to the intelligence stolen from the Autobots, I've learned that they extrapolate off of their tiny organic allies...Allies that get sick. Human. Germs. The missing link has been filled, and and I am positive that this time-accellerated chemical I've developed will rot away all Nucleon derivative molecules within a Decepticon within an astrohour. Of course there'll be a need for a full flush, but victory is here. Let us retrieve the two oldest infected, and use the Autobot as the initial test subject before our Spymaster is returned to us!"

=
=================================================================

The following post is an example of how players sometimes use bulletin board posts as a means of interacting with each other, as this post was done in response to a previous one.

================================= Decepticon ================================= Message: 5/68                     Posted        Author Re:Chemical Expert                Fri Jun 28    Venom -- Mixmaster, you prove once again the forgetfulless-ess of the Decepticonnsss. I have the facilitiesss necessary to analyzzze and research thisss pathogen, and with my Inseticonsss sservicess we will sssee that Megatron getss the resulttsss he desiress.

=
=================================================================

Here is an example of orders given via a post as a means of spurring roleplay and suggesting scene ideas for players that might not have an idea on their own. It uses the video format.

================================= Decepticon ================================= Message: 5/77                     Posted        Author Triumph Is At Hand! Wed Jul 17   Megatron -- Megatron sits in the throne room of his castle in Kaon. Decepticon flags are unfurled behind him and his fusion cannon is shined and ready for use. Settling back, he narrow his optics and rasps, "Cyclonus! Retoris is our access to Iacon. They rely too much on their ridiculous wall as a defense. A team of your caliber should be able to breach it. Eliminate Emirate Xaaron if necessary and sabotage their power grid. With Retoris weakened Iacon will be ours!"

"Deathsaurus - as you prepare your Fallen Attack Squad, you will demonstrate the power of your other resources as well. Trypticon has intercepted recent activity on the Autobots’ Moonbase Four. Use your Warworld and wipe their pathetic hovel off Luna 4 completely -- I find it unsightly when I gaze into my night sky. Then continue your gladiatorial contests. The arena is the perfect place to hone the abilities of our mightiest warriors!

"Constructicons - your efforts, as always, are impressive. Continue to improve our fortifications across Cybertron. Miasma, welcome to the Decepticons. You are to continue your research towards finding a cure for Nucleosis - BEFORE the Autobots accomplish the same task. I suspect their efforts may run into a snag very soon," Megatron predicts with a cruel sneer. "Your progress thus far is a testament to the skill of yourself and your division. Do not fail me.

"Banshee, you have made great strides in your Cityspeaker training, and as we have discussed, I am making you commander of Decepticon City and placing the direction of Trypticon in your hands. Prepare him for strikes on Autobot military targets - you will be given new orders soon. Additionally, you are to assist Deathsaurus and Starscream in our diplomatic efforts. We will bring the planet and the galaxy to heel using every method necessary. Even," he chuckles, "negotiation."

Megatron straightens up slightly. "The rest of you - prepare for further engagement against our Autobot foes. While they chase ghosts from the past we will take command of this world for the future. All divisions are to be ready to strike at a moment’s notice! Our hour is at hand, Decepticons. Together we will bring peace to Cybertron and beyond through benevolent tyranny. For the Decepticons!" Megatron raises his cannon in preemptive triumph and the transmission ends.

=
=================================================================

Here is an example of a post that's assumed to be in text format.

=================================== GI Joe =================================== Message: 6/32                     Posted        Author Update on Lt. Henshaw             Thu Jul 11    Lori -- To: G.I. Joe Command Staff (Rank 7+) Cc: Doc From: Remedy(Greenshirt Medic) Subject: Chrysalis Update

On Doc’s orders, I’ve been occasionally making my way down to the Brig, specifically to the cell from which we initially retrieved First Lt. Henshaw’s chrysalis, so we could keep an eye on it over and above the cameras within the brig cell itself. We’re entering week eight of the chrysalis, and most people would probably say there’s nothing to report. The cameras, at least, don’t pick up anything out of the ordinary.

But lately, something hasn’t felt right to me, and recent readings had me scratching my head; to confirm what I was seeing, I grabbed one of the R&D folks – I know Lt. Henshaw hasn’t trusted them, but at this point the R&D crew has been vetted and cleared via Doc’s alien-detector, so I grabbed Geekspeak and brought him with me. He’s got a primary specialty in organic chemistry, so it seemed prudent to have him come along. What we discovered is somewhat concerning.

The chrysalis started out at roughly four feet in height, due partially to its’ formation around Lt. Henshaw while she was in a fetal position, and it also incorporated the corner of the brig cell – both the wall and floor. But apparently it’s been busier than we thought, because it’s grown: the chrysalis has doubled in size in eight weeks, and from all indications it’s still growing. In addition, it seems the chrysalis is assimilating the entire corner segment that the chrysalis had originally attached to, in order to fuel this growth. It’s also spreading across the floor around the chrysalis and doing the same. The best estimates we have is that, if you took all the material Lt. Henshaw’s chrysalis has assimilated into itself, it should be larger still than it is. I can’t begin to hazard a guess as to how that’s possible, and neither can Geek.

Much as we wish we could give you all answers, Geek and I are at a loss. However, Geek did mention that Lt. Henshaw had seen both First Aid and Brainstorm from the Autobots in the initial days after she had escaped from the rogue Decepticon scientist who had kidnapped and experimented upon her eight years ago. Perhaps we should consider asking them to take a look and see what they think? Just a thought.

=
=================================================================

Here is a text format post that hints at upcoming plot points without specifying any particular time or providing exact orders.

=================================== GI Joe =================================== Message: 6/22                     Posted        Author Alien Detector                    Tue Feb 19    Doc -- To: Hawk CC: Flint, Duke From: Doc Subj: Threat Detection

I’ve developed a device that may help us detect possible alien or genetically-altered infiltrators. What it does is take small amounts of DNA from subjects and analyses it for human chromosomes. Right now it’s not powerful enough to identify specific individuals (although I’m working on it). However, if something alien does try to come through security, no matter how good their disguise, my detector should identify them.

I’ll work up some prototypes and get them into the hands of our security forces as quickly as I can. If possible, I’d like if you could provide a random sampling of troops for me to test this on and make sure there are no bugs before it goes into full production.

Dr. Carla "Doc" Greer, MD Captain, US Army

=
=================================================================

Here we have an example of a new player introduction post. These are fairly common when new players take over old characters, and are simply a way of alerting the other members of the faction that the character is now occupied and ready for roleplay, while developing an explanation for why the character hasn't been seen around lately. They are by no means mandatory, but they can be fun.

================================== Autobot =================================== Message: 4/46                     Posted        Author Back On Duty                      Fri Apr 05    Ironhide -- Ironhide's usual gruffy visage graces the screen.

"Ah bet you all thought Ah was on the scrapheap fer good this time. Ha! Ah've survived through null and frag ten times over if not more, it's gonna take more than some tincan with a funky sword to do it. Megutron's li'l toy robot ninja just got a lucky hit in, that's all. This ol' warhoss still got plenty of buck left in him!"

Long pause.

".. One of ya punks is gonna have to fill me in on what Ah've missed though. Faster to get the gist from some field soldier's vocalize than bother siftin' through all the paperwork, and faster Ah get to makin' up fer lost time on kickin' Decepticans! Ironhide out."

=
=================================================================

This last report is actually the most common type: a summary report for an event or encounter that happened recently, made so that players in the faction can get a quick run down on what they might have missed, while passing along the in character knowledge other people might need to know about the event. Sometimes they get much longer than this.

================================== Autobot =================================== Message: 4/63                     Posted        Author U.S. Liberated By G.I. Joe        Sat Jul 20    Spike --
 * Spike's face appears on the screen. His eyes look a bit puffy - 2 hours of sleep will do that to a human* Autobots, as those who follow human newscasts have probably already gauged, The United States was liberated last night by G.I. Joe. I happened to be in D.C. at the time, talking about the Autobots to a few House members. The Joes cleared the hotel I was staying at just a few hours ago. I ran into General Hawk. He relayed the following requests: In general, unless there is a REQUESTED need, continue to keep out of the occupied cities for the next two weeks. They are still concerned about sleeper Cobra agents who may be remaining, and they want to do some thorough sweeps of all occupied cities. HOWEVER, he did request any senior-level Autobots, as well as any Autobots who are part of engineering and security to come in and help with the effort. These cities have been occupied for a long time. There's no determining what has been booby-traped, looted, or ransacked. If you have any questions, please relay them either to me or Marissa Faireborn. Spike out *screen fades to black*

=
================================================================= =Radio and Paging=

OOC
If you want to have a private conversation with someone else who is logged in but not in the same room as you are, you'll want to page them. You do this by typing 'p = '. An 'alias' is something a player can set on themselves to make them easier to page. This is especially useful to people with two word names, since those sometimes cause problems with the system. For example, if Red Alert wants to make it easier for someone to contact him OOCly, he might set his alias to 'ra' by typing '@alias me=ra'. Then someone can contact him simply by typing 'p ra=Heya!' or whatever other message they want to use to replace 'heya'. The : and ; operators work with page just like they do with the channels. Also, you can page multiple people at once just by listing all their names with spaces in between. Typing,

p Nightshade Lori Cog Impulse Cyc=Hi! I'm new to this place. Do you think you could help me with something?

Will contact Nightshade, Guardian, Incognito, Impulse, and Cyclonus with the message above. However, page only works with someone who's logged in, which is why we taught you the commands for checking to see who's logged on first.

IC
The radio command works a bit like the page command in that it allows players to privately communicate while in different rooms. The difference is that it's completely IC and can only be used on the grid. You can only radio another character if you're on the same planet, unless you have the Extended-Radio ability. If you aren't in speaking range of someone else, you can try to radio them. If they are in range and their radio isn't being jammed or off, they will receive your transmission.

Turn your IC radio on or off with +radio/on and +radio/off.


 * +radio =  - Sends an IC transmission if in range.

=Mail= The '@mail' function is primarily used for out of character communications with people not currently logged in. However, it can also be used for in-character report making. Because the default assumption with @mail is that it's out of character, when you want to use it in character you should include make sure to specify 'IC' somewhere.

To @mail someone, type '@mail <recipient(s)>= / '. In order to send to multiple players, just replace '<recipient(s)>' with the list of players you are trying to contact separated by spaces. If you want to send a message to someone with a two-word name, you'll either have to use an alias or put their name between quotes.

Example @mail nightbeat "red alert" pcp kup=IC: Help!/You receive a brief IC radio transmission as follows, which gets recorded in your inboxes:%r%r"They're after me! I don't know who to turn to! Somebody please, help me!"

The above example will send an in character message to Nightbeat, Red Alert, Punch, and Kup. Because Red Alert's name has a space in it, he needed to have quotation marks around it. In Punch's case, the player used an alias ('pcp' instead of 'Punch') just in case, for some strange reason, Punch's name isn't 'Punch' at the moment the mail is being sent.

In order to read your @mail, type '@mail <message #>'. To see your full list of @mail messages, type '@mail'. You should get an alert as to how many unread messages you have when you get logged in.

@mail has quite a few other functions. To learn more about them, type 'help @mail'.


 * This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Transformers: 2005 Wiki