How to MUX!
This is a basic "how to" guide to starting up on a MU* type role-playing game.
First Steps
Windows
Download MUSHclient at http://www.mushclient.com
Mac
Download Atlantis at http://www.riverdark.net/atlantis/
MUSHclient (for Windows) and Atlantis (for Mac) are what's known as a client. This is a program specifically tailored for use with the MU* family of games. MU*s are text-based role-playing games that are usually free to play.
Specific Types of MU*s
MUX – Multi-User Xperience – Typically free-form role-playing experience, one of the most accessible codebases around.
MUSH – Multi-User Shared Home/Hallucination – Essentially similar to MUXes.
MUD – Multi-User Dungeon – Stat-oriented game that can include AI enemies/monsters, levels, experience points, and more.
MOO – MUD, Object-Oriented – Perhaps the most diverse and unpredictable of the MU* family, MOOs often boast an array of coded commands and toys and can be similar to any other codebase or wildly different.
MUCK – Multi-User Construction Kit – Typically closer to MUSHes and MUXes, the MUCK is yet another codebase with different commands. MUCKs tend to share many fundamentals with MUSHes and MUXes however, chiefest of which is the tendency to avoid strict stats or experience points.
Setting Up
MUSHclient
MUSHclient opens with some dismissable dialog boxes.
Since this is your first world, here’s what to do:
- Go to Connection|Quick Connect.
- World Name is Mythara: At the Crossroards.
TCP/IP Address is mythara.com and Port Number is 9900.
- Click OK and you will be connected.
- Type the following as directed: connect guest
You will connect as a Guest character and be able to interact with people connected to the MUX.
- Once you do get a character, you can enter that information into the appropriate fields by going to Game|Configure|All Configuration or pressing Alt+Enter.
- Click on Connecting to enter your character name and password. When you’re done, click the Save button to save your world setup. This will enable you to connect easily next time by simply loading your saved world file.
Atlantis
Atlantis opens to the Address Book. This is a collection of games you have connected to and characters you have connected to in those games.
Since this is your first original addition, here’s what to do:
- Click the + button below the listings.
- World Name is Mythara: At the Crossroards.
Hostname mythara.com and Port is 9900.
- You don’t have a character yet, so just click Connect.
- Type the following as directed: connect guest
You will connect as a Guest character and be able to interact with people connected to the MUX.
- Once you do get a character, click Open Address Book from the Address Book icon. Click once on the MUX’s name and, below the listings, click Char +. Enter the information into the Character/Login as and Password fields.
- After this is entered, in future you can just run Atlantis, click the Address Book icon, and select the character you would like to play.
Beginnings
You may create your character from the login screen by typing create "Character Name" PASSWORD".
Please read the starting rooms once you’ve connected. They will guide you through setup.
Here are the essential commands, separated by what you type vs. what happens.
| say Hi! | You say, "Hi!" (You can use " just the same way, like "Hi!) |
| pose flexes his muscles. | (Your character’s name) flexes his muscles. (You can use : just the same way, like : flexes his muscles.) |
| p Angel=Hi! | You page Angel with, "Hi!" |
| @clist | Lists chat channels on the game |
| addcom <alias>=<channel> | Joins <channel name> from @clist. Set <alias> to whatever you want to type use the channel. See the example below for the Public channel, aliased to "pub" (addcom pub=Public): |
| pub Hi! | (on Public channel) (Your character’s name) says, "Hi!" |
| pub on | Join a channel (Public channel, in this case) |
| pub off | Leave a channel (Public channel, in this case) |
| pub who | See who's on a channel (Public channel, in this case) |
| @emit It was a dark and stormy night. | Displays to the room you're in "It was a dark and stormy night." |
| spoof It was a dark and stormy night. | Same as @emit. |
| WHO | Returns a list of characters online and some other details. |
You can go to any open room by typing the exit alias between the < > signs. For example, if you see <HH> - Hyperion Hotel in a room, you can type HH and press enter, and your character will go in that direction, into the Hyperion Hotel.
L or look will allow you to look at the description of the place you are in. If you want to look at a person, type l followed by their name. For example, if you wanted to look at Derek Hale, you would type l Derek Hale. (You could also try a shorter version of the name, like l Derek.)
QUIT (in all caps) allows you to disconnect from the game.
The commands you will use the most of will be say, pose, @emit, and p. They’re easy to learn, so once you learn them, you should have no problem playing on a MUX!
Once you’ve accepted the terms of the MUX, you’ll be taken to the OOC Lounge. OOC means Out of Character. IC means In-Character.
When you have completed setup and your character is approved, go through the IC exit in the lounge to initialize your character. Once you have done that, you can type +ooc to return to the OOC Lounge, and then when you’re ready, you can type +ic to return to the last place you were on the IC grid. The IC grid is the world of persistent locations and worlds in which you can roleplay.
Setting Up
Once you’ve decided who you want to be and received a login, you’ll need to set your character up! Login, accept the terms of use, and then head to Character Generation (CharGen). This series of rooms will instruct you on exactly how to set your character up.
Of course, if you have any questions, just page one of the helpful people online!
Credits
Wilde Adventures MUX contributed significantly to creating this guide.