Basic Roleplay

If you've gotten this far, you probably already have an idea of what roleplaying is. However, if your gaming experience is more Godwars than Dark Sun, we want to make sure that you fit in with the rest of the players; feel free to skip the next couple of paragraphs if you're already familiar with the basic concept, but please read if you don't have much experience or haven't roleplayed for a while. It never hurts to refresh your memory, after all.

As the name may suggest, roleplaying is simply putting yourself into the shoes of your character, reacting as he (or she, or it) would to any given situations. This is similar to acting a role in a play (or film, if you're so lucky), except that there is rarely a script; you'll have to ad-lib just about everything. While it may seem intimidating, all it really takes is practice, determination, and (probably most importantly) a good character concept. Don't worry about being perfect with your first character, just try your best; the other players will probably forgive a few minor slips.
Remember that although this game is meant to be fun, other people much like yourself are also playing it. Situations that are intense, terrifying, or saddening are acceptable and even encouraged (our theme is rather dark, after all), but if the only reason you cause such situations is to annoy other people, abuse the rules, or power-trip, both other players and the Eternals of Terrinor are likely to view your actions in a rather dim light. There is a difference between playing a carefully developed character who happens to be a murdering psychopath and killing other player characters for your own personal kicks; don't assume that others can't see that difference.

As for how to roleplay, start with a basic concept, then flesh it out as needed. You can have just as much fun with a character you thought up in five minutes on the subway as one you've developed for hours; the idea is to pretend to be someone else, not win a Pulitzer. Think about how they would act in certain situations, how they dress, what they like to eat. Develop their hobbies, their habits, and their quirks. Try to stay away from grand designs and ambitions; it's the little things that make characters fun and believable.
(If you're familiar with roleplaying already, now would be a good time to start reading.)

Our theme is somewhat different than that of most other MUDs, and we have different expectations for our players. Most of those are outlined in various other files, but a few of the more important ones deserve to be listed here. This doesn't mean you shouldn't read those other files; in fact, you should do so as soon as you're done with this one. But, if you find that you only have enough room in your brain for a small number of guidelines, remember these.

First, if your character is inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's work, D&D, popular fiction, or pretty much anything else besides the contents of your own head, he had better not be immediately recognizable as such. People come here for a unique roleplaying environment; they don't want to see carbon copies of well-known fantasy characters running around.

Second, avoid anachronisms, particularly with respect to names and speech. Modern but uncommon or unusual (to the average player) names such as "Patrick" or "Yuri" are acceptable, but commonly known ones such as "Joe" or "Nick" are not. Names lifted or inspired by modern fiction are likewise out; do not name your character after someone from Dragonball Z or we'll point and laugh. Making sure your name fits your location's theme is also a good idea; it's not a good thing to assign blatantly Japanese names to people from a Germanic-tinged logging village. As to the rest, the MUD is set primarily in the mid-to-late Dark Ages, approximately AD 800 to 1000, so speaking in Elizabethan language (you might know it as "high style" or something similar) is out, as are excessively modern or slangy terms. Saying that a certain area "sucks" in character is just as distracting as the "thees" and "thous"; if you come across sounding as if you've just returned from a day at the mall or the RenFaire, it's probably time to reconsider your speech patterns. It's also a good idea to follow the speech patterns of your native town (that's how the NPCs speak, and your starting accent usually approximates it) but using another is certainly acceptable as long as it fits with your character concept. If you're stuck for a name or want examples, consider rereading the race files on the webpage, as some sample names are usually included.

Thirdly, consider the setting carefully with regard to your character's actions. With a couple exceptions, our races are still very much stuck in the Dark Ages; concepts such as racial equality, freedom of speech, a fair judicial system, and nearly all of the currently accepted "human rights" are unknown or likely to be laughed right out of any serious discussion (gender relations, however, tend to be more or less egalitarian, as anything else would likely cause legal trouble). Attempting to start a new religion is likely to get you burned or run out of town as a cultist or heretic, and non-violence is usually completely out of the question. This is not, however, an endorsement of an "anything goes" policy; the strong may indeed rule, but bear in mind that the guards in almost any city are (at least collectively) stronger than any individual player, so wanton murder is not a good idea. If you don't feel like paying at least lip service to the laws of the land, you can always take up a lucrative, fulfilling career in banditry.

Lastly, consider the possible races carefully before choosing one. The races are much more than just collections of stats; the deepest differences between them lie in their philosophies towards life. At least one of our races will fit almost all playing styles, but if you choose according to your perception of what their combat ability (for example) will be, you're almost assured to pick one that will fail to satisfy you. If you want to go against the grain with a race, you're welcome to do so, but think carefully beforehand; it's certain to be much more difficult than creating a more conventional character, especially from a roleplaying perspective. This is especially true with regard to magic, as most societies in the game would think nothing of stoning a suspected wizard to death in the town square.