Overview:

          Many SolSysters have requested an introduction to the vocabulary of commands used in this MUD.
This suite of pages intends to provide that tutorial, (and to supplement the on-line HELP, discussed below).

          There is an excellent tutorial on the USE of these commands, in regards exits at least, behind the DOORS. Take a peak. While in the neighborhood, make note of the 17 associated Workshops.

          This introduction presents the commands grouped by function, e.g Communicating, Moving About, etc. and these groups are presented in order of increasing complexity.

          KEY: Each entry provides an example for using the command.
                   The essential part of each command is presented in bold,
                        for instance 'look', and typing the remainder -the 'ook' part- is optional.
                  Most of the commands operate like verbs, and require an 'object' that you, the player, must fill in.
                    In the examples, italics will indicate where you 'fill in text here'.
                       So, if you type: l thing, the program will respond by showing you, by printing the description of
                       the thing you named to look at.
                    Terms presented between [ __ | __ ] are optional, and the symbol '|' is read as 'or'.

Getting Connected
      connect, @desc me, @set me, @lock me

• Getting Oriented
        who, WHO, where, look, examine,
        HELP, HOME, QUIT
  
• Communicating
        say | " , whisper, mutter, yell | "" , page
        pose | : , emote, spoof | ; , the pedagogical ' , the pedagogical '' ,
        blocking, @wall, @gripe
  
• Moving About
        exits, compass directions
• Getting, and Getting Rid of, Things
        get | take, drop | throw, credits, @recycle
• Mail
        messages, parcelpost
• Building
        @dig, @open, @link, @unlink, exits; strings: @succ, @osucc, @fail, @ofail; Pronoun substitution; @lock; @set here = home;
• 
  
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  Getting Connected
      It's likely you will use this group of commands very infrequently, like once - when you first log in.

• using your client
        You client will 'ask' you to enter your playername and password, also the name of the host machine, dragonmud.org
        and the port number 4567 . (Also see: Connectivity.)
• connect name password
        When your client makes contact with the MUD, you will be asked for this connect command.
        Some clients will execute this command automatically for you, others require you to type it each time
        you connect to the MUD.
• @describe me = what another player sees when s/he looks at you
        This program allows you about five lines of text, if you need that much.
• @set me = male | female | neuter sets your gender
• @lock me = me
        This command protects your autonomy and prevents your being treated like an object, including other people putting you into arbitrary groups. Locks and groups will be discussed later.

• who
        This command calls up a list of all players logged on.
• WHO
        This comand calls up a more detailed list of all players logged on; compare the two.
• where
        This commands calls up a list of where each active player is.
• look name | #nnn of thing ; the 'what?' command
        This command shows you the @desc of any player, object, room, exit, or group.
• examine name | #nnn of thing
        This command shows you some other information about the thing; compare the two.
• @find name [=option]
        Displays the location of anything you control whose name matches name.
  
        Options include:
  •   =g to show groups
  •   =r to show rooms
  •   =p to show players
  •   =o to show objects
  •   =e to show exits
  •   =n to show newbie players that never returned.
  
        Wizards and Gods can search the entire database.
        It is strongly recommended that they be careful to specify name.
  
        see also: control, locate, whereis

• when - /will be defined later/
• HELP
        Our server has an on-line HELP system; just ask.
• HOME
        This command transports you to the room that you have @set here = home.
• QUIT
        This disconnects you from the MUD.

Communicating

• say | " your utterance here
        Everyone in the room can 'hear' what you 'say', or see what you type.
• whisper playername = your whisper here
        ... so only the player(s) named, and in the room, can hear your whisper.
• mutter player = message
        Mutters message to everyone in the same room EXCEPT player.
        For example: Dyle types --> mut Jopsy = This is a test. This is a test.
                  ...and people see: You mutter "This is a test. This is a test." to everyone except Jopsy.
• yell | "" your outrage here
        Your yell will be heard in adjacent rooms if they are @set here = windy.
• page playernames(s) = your message here
        This mode will reach your person(s) anywhere.
• pose | : your action here
        You type " :drops the anvil on his foot." and everyone in the rooms sees "Dyle drops the anvil on his foot."
• emote playername(s) = as you describe
        The recipient, anywhere, reads, "You sense that (sender/you) as you describe, a private 'POSE' to someone
        wherever they are...   e.g. "You sense that Dyle has just dropped the stone on his foot."
• spoof | ; Begining ... = conclusion (optional)
        Inserts YOUR name where the '=' sign is; let's you imbed your name in the pose/spoof.
        e.g. Everyone in the room sees "The spectrograph falls slowly toward Dyle's other foot."
• the pedagogical '
        Begin a line of typing with a ' , and everyone in the room will see exactly what you type; great for teaching on-line.
        e.g. You see: "Dyle types --> @set me = Dark."
• the pedagogical ''
        Echoes command to all players in the same room before performing it.
        '' also echoes the entire command output to the other players in the room.
        The player using the '' will see "Everyone looks over your shoulder for a moment" as a reminder.
  
• blocking communication directed at you - /Watch this space./
• @wall = your announcement
        Administrators can use this to 'page' everone on-line.
• gripe your complaint here
        This command registers a complaint; please limit its use to technical matters. Gripes are logged and emailed nightly to most of the admins. If player #1 is connected he will receive the gripe as it's made, otherwise allow several days before receiving a reply to your gripe. If your gripe is regarding one of the admins, E-mail the DrR directly at Reed.Riner@nau.edu.

• exit names
        The names of exits appear at the bottom of a room's description; typing the name of the exit
        will move you through that exit.
        The name of the exit may be written with aliases, e.g. Red Door;red;door;RD;rd; , only the first term will
        be visible, but typing any of the aliases will move you through the exit.
  
  
• compass directions
        Exits may be named with compass directions, N, NE, E, etc., and up and down.
  

• get | take object
        You Pick up the object. The object can be a thing or an unlinked exit.
  
        Successfully picking up a thing displays its @SUCCESS message.
        Other players in the same room see the thing's @OSUCCESS message.
        If the thing is locked, and the player attempts to pick it up but can't,
            then they receive the thing's FAIL message or a default "You can't do that." if no @FAIL is defined.
        Other players in the same room see the thing's @OFAIL message.
  
  
• drop | throw object
        Drops object.
  
       Puts the object down in the room as the player.
       Object can be either a (thing) or an (exit).
        The dropped object immediately returns to its home, IF:
  
  
  1. it's STICKY object,
  2. it's COPY object, or
  3. dropped in a temple (ie: the wishing well),
  4. dropped in a room with a Drop-To.
           (If the room with the drop-to is sticky, the object goes home when the last player leaves.)
     
  
       You can only drop unlinked exits in rooms you control.
       You can only drop dark objects in rooms you control.
  
  
• credits
  
  
• @RECycle object
  
            If you control the object, @RECycle turns the object into garbage.
       @RECycle on a thing/exit removes the object from where it is.
       @RECycling a room sends its contents HOME if possible; if not, to #0.
       @RECycle recycles all of the room's entrances and exits.
       Players and Owner-Groups can not be recycled as they own objects.
            They must be @TOADed first which turns them into objects.
  
        see also: @find, @owned, @purge,

• messages
• parcels

• @dig roomname
        Creates a new room with the specified name and displays the new room's number. Only builders may dig rooms.

        see also: @link, @recycle, exits, targets

• @open direction [; direction; direction] [= #nnn]
        Creates an exit in the specified direction(s).
  
        If #nnn is specified, it is automatically @LINKed to that room.
        Otherwise, the exit is created unlinked.
        Anyone may use the @LINK command to specify where the unlinked exit leads.
  
  
• @link object|direction = #nnn|HERE|HOME|BACK|RETURN
        Links an object to a room or links a direction to a destination.
  
       For things and players, sets the 'home' room.
       For rooms, sets the 'drop-to' room.
       For exits, sets the destination room;
             exits must be unlinked and you must control the target room or it must be link_ok.
  
       Wizards can link objects in other rooms using #nnn or *player.
  
       see also: back, costs, drop-to, here, home, link_ok, return, targets, there

• @UNLInk ( (exit) | HERE | #nnnn )

  If a room is specified, @unlink removes the drop-to, otherwise it removes (exit)'s destination, making the exit unusable. Unlinked exits can be picked up and carried off by builders.

  Anyone can link an unlinked exit to a destination and doing so @chowns the exit to the player that linked it.

  see also: @link, @open

  Topic: Exits      Exits are created with @OPEN.      Exits are given destinations with @LINK.      Exits have the following attributes:            name, description, succ, fail, osucc, ofail,            use-lock, see-lock,            cost (in crowns), groups to toggle, and destination.       The following flags are meaningful on exits:             bot, dark, hush, quell, sticky, tattle, unwanted      (Direction) shows up on the room's [Commands:] or [Exits:] line,             depending on its destination, @LOCKs and DARK flag.      Exits can be linked to Rooms, or the keywords HERE, BACK, HOME or RETURN.       Sticky exits are actually groups; the group-members are players who've used it. see also: groups, bogus, locks, targets, visibility, dark, flags

  
  CONVENTIONS for Naming Exits:

       North to the (Destination Room);north;nor;no;n;(destination)
       (ie: North into the Closet;north;nor;no;n;closet;cl)
  
       East through the (type of exit);east;ea;e;(type of exit)
       (ie: East through the Red Door;east;ea;e;red door;red;rd)
  
       (Verb) (target) with (object);(Enough to make it unique);(unique abbv)
        Sit on the Chair;sit;chair;sitchair1
        The 'Unique Abbv' comes in handy with multiple identical actions.

  see also: bogus, costs, exits, @link
  
  

• The command is @set here = HOME
• strings:
        In addition to the name, @name and description, @desc, every item - player, object, room, exit, and group - may also have the following, which show the consequences of a user's attemp to use it ...
  
  
  • @success = message you see when you use, or take, the thing
  • @osuccess = message others see when you use, or take, the thing
  • @fail = message you see when you are blocked from using, or taking, the thing
  • @ofail message others see when you are blocked from using, or taking, the thing
  
  see also: bogus, costs, exits, @link
  
  
• Topic: Pronoun Substitutions

            @osuccess and @ofail messages may contain %-substitutions, which evaluate to gender-specific pronouns if the player's gender is set. They are:

  • %s (subjective) = Name, he, she, it
  • %o (objective) = Name, him, her, it
  • %p (possessive) = Name's, his, her, its
  • %n (player's name) = Name.
  Capitalized pronouns are also available with %S, %O, and %P.
  If you need a '%', use %%.
  For example, '@ofail teapot=burns %p hand on the hot teapot.'
  see also: gender, @osuccess, @ofail

last updated 03.02.01

This page is maintained by:
Reed D. Riner
Prof / Anthro
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff -- on Rt66

  email: Reed.Riner@NAU.edu