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Frequently Asked Questions
The Basics:
Handy Commands:
Your character:
Communication:
Impressions, Dragonrider Stuff and Such:
Other Stuff:
What is a MUSH?
MUSH stands for 'Multi-User Shared Hallucination', implying simply that we're all taking part in the same fantasy, in the same game of make-believe. Unlike many traditional roleplaying games, there are no points or stats or the related battles. Instead, we focus on creative writing, character development and coordinated plots.
What is NorConMUSH?
NorConMUSH is a game based on the universe of Anne McCaffery's Dragonriders of Pern series. It is set on the northern continent of Pern, during the 10th interval.
How can I learn more about Pern?
The very best way to learn about Pern is to read one of the books. Keep in mind, however, that game canon is not always an exact match with what is described in the books. Aside from reading the books, we encourage everyone to read the news files on the game. Just type 'news' to get started and explore!
What is Thread?
The following is lifted from Wikipedia:
"Threads are thin silver filaments of a space-borne mycorrhizoid spore that devours all organic matter that it touches. Pern periodically experiences Threadfalls where this deadly organism rains down from the sky."
"Thread remains dormant in inner-system space as a small, icy ovoid, but is reactivated by passage through the atmosphere. Heat and atmospheric friction burn off the outer shell, releasing 'thread-like' strings which float down to the surface in sheets, tangles and clumps."
"Contact with Thread results in 'Threadscore,' similar to a chemical burn."
"A small clump of Thread can devour a fully-grown cow in moments. Feeding Thread grows rapidly, pulsing with sickly grey and green colors as it consumes."
"Water drowns Thread quickly, leaving a 'soggy, bubbling mess'."
"Thread has no brain and is not sentient. The majority of Thread dies after landing, due to starvation. However, if Thread survives to begin its feeding cycle on the organic component of soil, the result is a burrow that multiplies extremely rapidly. A single burrow can devastate multiple square miles of land before perishing."
What do IC and OOC mean? What does RL stand for?
IC stands for 'in character' and OOC stands for 'out of character'.
Basically, IC refers to your character as opposed to you, the player. If something happens IC, it is occurring in the made-up world, involving characters either on camera (something actually roleplayed) or off camera (something assumed to have happened between your scenes). If something happens OOC, it concerns the players, pages between and/or the structure of the game itself.
RL stands for Real Life. Hopefully this needs no further explanation. ;)
How do I see who is online?
There are a number of commands that will show you who is currently online.
Both 'WHO' and '+who' will show you a complete list of who is connected.
'+rwho isw' will show you a list of which Istans are currently connected. The '+rwho' command can be used for any knot. For more information on knots, check the section on knots below.
How do I learn more about a person?
The easiest way to learn more about a person is to use the +finger command. '+finger <name>' will show you their alias (a short hand for paging them), gender, what knots they belong to, their position (see below), location, if they have unread +mail, when they were last on, if they are currently connected to the game and possibly other tidbits like their email or webpages.
You may note that the 'position' section cuts off. When this occurs, you can use '+pos/long name' to see the whole thing. Watch out! It can be spammy. Some people only include the most pertinent information such as their character's position and perhaps a relationship of note. Others can go on to include other details and often-random silliness. To set your own information, use:
&pos me=<your position information here>
What are +details and how do I use them?
+Details are sidenote descriptions that can be set on your character. Often, these include age (more on age below), knots, wing badges, jewelry of note, scars or any other little detail you might like to include.
To set a +detail on yourself use:
&detail_<item name> me=<description>
Please note that no spaces can be in the item name. Use an underscore (_) or dash (-) instead.
To see what +details might be set on another person use:
+detail Jose
To see a specific item, use:
+detail jose's <item_name>
How do I find out more about an area?
There are a few ways to learn more about an area. We recommend checking out the news files ('news') to get an overview. In addition, each area has +lhelp files. +Lhelp is local news that often contains more detail and more up-to-date information on who to contact if you have questions. +Lhelp can only be accessed in a room owned or parented to that area's builder. The quickest and easiest way to get to these rooms is view +go, described below.
You can also scan the +rwho of each area's knot (more on knots below) to get an idea of who is around, what positions they hold and how active the area is.
And, of course, you can always page the leaders (or other players) or a particular area if you have further questions.
What is +watch?
+Watch is a way to remotely watch what is happening in a number of public rooms throughout the game. While more information is found in '+help watch', here are some of the basic commands.
'+watch/list' will give you a list of +watchable rooms.
'+watch/on <room name>' will allow you to watch that room.
'+watch/off <room name>' will turn off the function.
How do I post a note to the bulletin board?
You will find that '+help bb' has plenty of information to help you navigate our bulletin board system. To find a list of the current bboards, use '+bblist'. If you're looking for a quick example of how to post a message to Ista's +bb:
+bbpost 6/<your title here>=<your message here>
ie.
+bbpost 6/Vacation=I'm heading off to the beach for a week and as there is no internet connection on the sandy shores, I will just have to miss you all terribly. Please assume that SallyJo is around and going about her usual business.
We encourage people to make +bbposts for the following:
-You are just joining the area and would like to post an introduction for your character.
-You are going to be away for an extended period of time (a week or more)
-You are advertising for an event or TP that you are running in that area (party, flight, firelizard hatching) Please note that this is not a space to advertise for other games you may be on. There is a specific board for that. (+bblist)
-You are posting the results of an event of TP and thanking people for their involvement.
-Something of extreme note has happened to your character ie. Giving birth, transfer, death.
For the juicy tidbits that makes up the rest of your character's life (did they get sick? Did they get a new weyrmate? Did they get in a fight?), we recommend using +gossip. Use '+help gossip' to learn more.
How do I pose where it doesn't start with my name first?
To pose without your name at the beginning is called an emit. You can read more about emits on the game's help file. Just type: help @emit
There is also a shorthand way to accomplish the same thing using two backslashes.
Ex.
@emit There's a big smile on Bob's face.
\\There's a big smile on Bob's face.
The result:
There's a big smile on Bob's face.
What is an aconnect? What should be in mine?
An aconnect is a list of commands executed every time you connect to the game. This is a handy way to help you check all the things you'd like to check.
To set your aconnect use:
@aconnect me=<list of things, separated by semi-colons (;)>
We recommend putting the following in your aconnect:
+skim (This will show your +mail inbox. More on +mail here.)
+bbread <num>/u (This will show you unread +bbmessages. More on bulletin boards here.)
Ex.
@aconnect me=+skim;+bbread 1/u;+bbread 2/u;+bbread 6/u
How do I create a character?
Check out our Character Creation page to learn how to make a character and join us!
How do I set my character's age?
Read '+help age' for details about setting your character's age.
What sort of background do you recommend?
The easiest way to keep your character's history canon and believable is to keep is simple. A character does not have to come from great drama or conflict to be a complex and well-rounded. Consider having your character be a local, on relatively good terms with his or her family and possessing a useful skill. These histories would be readily acceptable and generally require less explanation, giving you more time to figure out the details.
What are the duties of a resident?
Residents of the Weyr serve as support staff for the dragons and riders who protect Pern. They tend to have specific, if widely varied, jobs, a list of which can be found here. Residents do all the cooking, cleaning, tending and mending for the riders and themselves.
What is a good position for my character?
Coming Soon!
What are knots?
The word 'knot' is used in two different ways. Icly, a knot is similar to a badge as it denotes a character's rank and to which area they belong. It is generally described as a collection of cords worn at the shoulder in the official colors of a specific area. Ista's colors are orange and black. The more complex the loops and knots of the cords, the higher the rank.
OOC, the knot is a communication channel used to coordinate RP and to foster a sense of community among people. Each area has its own knot.
A list of all available knots can be found by typing '+knots'. Knots are generaly known and used by their three letter alias.
Once you belong to the knot, you can use the following commands.
'=isw <Hello!>' appears as <Ista> Jose says, "Hello!"
'=isw :waves.' appears as <Ista> Jose waves.
There are also lists available on each knot.
'isw .templates' will show the list of lists.
'isw .who <list name>' will show the list.
If you do not belong to the knot, you can use '+rwho <three letter alias> to see who is currently connected, or '+rwho/all <alias>' to see everyone who belongs to that knot.
How do I become a member of a area/knot?
To become a member of a knot, you'll have to contact the area leaders. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell who these people are, but never fear! '+knots' will show you a complete list of all the knots on the game. And '+rwho ' will show you who is online on any of those knots.
For example: +rwho isw
If you don't see a leader on that list, page someone who is connected and ask them. They'll know or be able to help you find that information. If you check a few times and never see anyone on, that area is probably inactive and you should check with the wizards to learn more about getting involved.
Remember, you can always +mail the leader if they are not currently online. Check here to find out how!
If you'd like to become a member of Ista's knot, just check out our residency questions!
Does NorConMUSH have an OOC channel or knot?
Yes, NorConMush does have a public channel available to everyone. Just use '=pub Hi!' to talk on it.
How do I use +mail?
A detailed account of +mail and its uses and functions are available in '+help mail'. To see what +mail you might have, use +skim. To read a message, try '+read #" where # is the number of the message you would like to see.
To write +mail, follow the example below. If you're new to +mail, we recommend sending a message to yourself to test it out.
Example:
+mail Jose=Let's Rp!
(This begins your message to Jose, with the subject 'Let's Rp!')
-Hi Jose. I would love to RP with you. When might you be free?
(Text is added to your message when you start with '-'. Including %t will give you a 'tab' space. Including %r will give you a return carriage.)
+proof
(This will show you what you have written and allow you to check over what will be sent.)
+send
(This sends your +mail)
How do I page multiple people at once?
To page multiple people at the same time, simply list all of their names with the page command.
For example:
p bob sally joe=Hi guys!
How do I page everyone in the room without typing each name?
'ooc <whatever you'd like to say>' will emit an OOC comment to the room. As with pages and with talking on the knot, using a ':' will have the emit show up like a pose.
Please use your judgment when using this command. If a room is already very busy or 'spammy', using 'ooc' repeatedly will make the spam worse.
What are firelizards? How do I get one?
Firelizards are like miniature dragons, the largest being about the size of a grown man's arm including their neck and tail. They do not speak as dragons do and communicate only senses of emotion. They are not particularly intelligent, though some can be trained, depending on their personality and the dedication of the person they've impressed to.
The best way to get a firelizard is to impress on at an on camera hatching. Keep an eye on +bbposts for upcoming hatchings.
What is Impression? What is this Search I keep hearing about?
The dragons on Pern impress at hatching to candidates chosen for such purpose. Impression is a telepathic and empathic bond, permanently linking the dragon and rider.
On NC, a Search Committee is gathered to accept and review applications for candidacy and impression. This process called a search cycle. The five Weyrs rotate with each Weyr's cycle lasting approximately two months.
In brief, after a gold dragon's mating flight, the search committee accepts applications for characters interested in being candidates. If accepted, those characters will be sought out or 'searched' through RP after the gold has clutched her eggs. Candidates then spend a few weeks getting to know each other and the weyr while the search committee further evaluates their applications and how well they fit with the weyr based on activity, ability to get involved and roleplay. They then make a decision as to who will impress the eight dragons we are allowed to give out each cycle. Each dragon is written and tailored to the impressee. These decisions are revealed during RP at the hatching.
For more details, please visit our Search pages, where we have gobs of information for those interested in applying.
What is an Insta-Rider?
Nearly all dragonriders on NC have impressed via the search process and on camera. Alternatively, an older character may be created who has already impressed. These characters are called Insta Riders, as they bypass the process.
InstaRiders are infrequent and generally go to experienced players. For more information, please contact the weyrleaders.
I'm currently a rider at another Weyr. What are your policies on transfers?
If you would like to transfer to Ista, we recommend speaking to both your area leaders and Ista's Weyrwoman and/or Weyrleader. To make an official request, you must contact us via +mail.
What are the duties of a rider?
Aside from fighting Thread, a rider's duties include the care of his or her dragon, the practice of Threadfighting techniques during drills with their wing, physical training, serving as transport for non-riders, goods or messages, riding reconnaissance sweeps over the beholden areas to keep an eye on things and watch for Thread and/or posting at local holds and halls to serve as a watchrider for the same purposes.
Do I have to be a rider to be at Ista Weyr?
Not at all! Residents and crafters are welcome!
How do I hold an event or a TP?
We have some handy-dandy guides for people interesting in holding an event (a single scene) or a tiny plot, aka TP (an on-going story arc often involving a number of events).
I'm having trouble with another player. What should I do?
Talk to your area leaders! We are happy to act as a sounding board, offer advice, mediate or whatever else you might need!
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