I was playing a little while ago, and I got a message that said 'You feel a divine influence leading you on to new found experiences,' (or something to that effect) and gained like 500 xp. I assume an IMM must have done it, but I'm wondering what the usual reason for that is. Was it because of something I actually did, or were they just having a good day or what?

Also, should tells be considered IC, or is it okay to talk about things like levels and loggign out and such?

And btw, you guys have got a great game here. I just joined a couple of days ago, but it's been a long time since I've had this much fun on a Mud. I just wish I had more time to play.

Thanks for the quick response and all the suggestions, everyone.

I guess it must have been for either my role or description, because I haven't really had much chance to RP yet. My problem isn't so much that I don't have any time to play, it's that at the moment the time I do have is subject to constant interruption. At least right now I'm kind of reluctant to get involved in any kind of group or lengthy conversation because I might have to log off or go afk in the middle of it; that's one of the reasons I was asking about tells.

But hopefully this is just temporary and I'll have more time in the future, and in the meantime I guess can just solo for a little while if I have to; it'd be IC anyway.

>I was playing a little while ago, and I got a message that
>said 'You feel a divine influence leading you on to new found
>experiences,' (or something to that effect) and gained like
>500 xp. I assume an IMM must have done it, but I'm wondering
>what the usual reason for that is. Was it because of something
>I actually did, or were they just having a good day or what?

Because of something you did that an immortal noticed. Some examples of things I've personally given such rewards for include: good roleplay, a good role (as implemented in the ROLE command), a good description on a very low level character (i.e., before we begin policing them), or a quest reward. Good roleplay is the most common of these.

>I was playing a little while ago, and I got a message that
>said 'You feel a divine influence leading you on to new found
>experiences,' (or something to that effect) and gained like
>500 xp. I assume an IMM must have done it, but I'm wondering
>what the usual reason for that is. Was it because of something
>I actually did, or were they just having a good day or what?

A good role, good description, and good RP are all candidates. Take it to mean that they're watching, and appreciate whatever effore you're putting forth. Keep it up, and other goodies (more bonus exp, lastname, titles, Immteractions, etc.) may find their way to you. But don't RP only when you think they're watching, because *peer* they're always watching.

>Also, should tells be considered IC, or is it okay to talk
>about things like levels and loggign out and such?

Everything is IC, unless (as was said below) it's the newbie channel, or certain chats with the Imms, specifically if they tell you it's an OOC talk, or if you're reporting a typo (help typo) or rules (help rules) violation.

As far as discussing logging out and levels, there are way to talk about them IC. Gaining ranks, learning, pleasing your guildmaster, etc, are all things you hear regarding levels (or, like, "...that warrior of the fifteenth title/rank"). Talking about going to sleep, going home, or simply "it's time I take my leave," etc are good ways to log out. The best advice I can give is to listen around, and see what everyone else does. You'll find your own style soon enough.

>And btw, you guys have got a great game here. I just joined a
>couple of days ago, but it's been a long time since I've had
>this much fun on a Mud. I just wish I had more time to play.
>

Isn't CF just the best? I think I speak for most when I say kudos for asking these sorts of questions, especially in this manner. You'll appreciate your experience more if you go into it with a good understanding of the world you're walking through. Take it at your own pace - not everyone has oodles of hours a day to devote to playing. And that's what's great about it - you don't have to. So long as you're enjoying yourself, that's all that matters.

-----
"In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women, and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri."

A quick cheatsheet:

logging in: Waking up, entering thera
logging out: taking my rest, leaving thera, going to sleep
logging out for a short time: take a quick nap
group: Traveling party, partners, learning
experience points: knowledge
if you need to regain mana: I need to rest my head, I'm getting a headache, etcetera
lag: my head is slow, I'm feeling groggy, etcetera,
low movement points: my legs are tired, going to collapse, etcetera
crash/reboot: the world falling

Most of this and more you should be able to pick up from listening to Characters talk in-game. To come up with ideas of your own? Think about how OOC conditions affect your char IC... you lose link, nothing is controlling your char's body... you could say you fainted or something like that. That sort of thing.

Splntrd

I try to tie these into my role.

Taking the first example:

>logging in: Waking up, entering thera

When I played a paladin who grew up on a farm northeast of the ruined city (which was not ruined back then), I would return to the farm to help with the harvest, or to check if the livestock needed healing. So when I logged back in, I was usually returning.

When I played a necromancer, it was usually that I had to go and check on the progress of an experiment, or to work on some dark ritual. So when I logged back in, I had just been working on whatever it was. Or, since I was a tribunal, when I was reassigned to another city, I had to leave to check that all my furniture etc had arrived for my new residence.

>logging out: taking my rest, leaving thera, going to sleep

See above.

>logging out for a short time: take a quick nap

And again. Generally speaking, whilst the majority use the "nap" speak, I am not as keen on it because a nap is actually something else in Thera already, but I still use it now and then. People will know what you mean and it beats "My dad is calling me to dinner".

>group: Traveling party, partners, learning

Companions, gaining fame etc also work.

>experience points: knowledge

or even just "experience" if you don't mention the points bit. I tend to use the pleasing the guildmasters etc.

>if you need to regain mana: I need to rest my head, I'm
>getting a headache, etcetera

yep. But if you, for example, wanted to pretend that you'd drained all the mana from the surrounding ether, instead of your own resources, and that you needed to wait for it to be replenished by your dreams, there is no reason you couldn't.

>lag: my head is slow, I'm feeling groggy, etcetera,

yep. Usually people will say something that you would associate with slow thoughts.

>low movement points: my legs are tired, going to collapse,

There is also the REP command, which gives a report on your condition to anyone awake in the room.

>etcetera
>crash/reboot: the world falling
>

This one is probably the hardest, and you probably won't hear anything that stands out as better than the above.

>Most of this and more you should be able to pick up from
>listening to Characters talk in-game. To come up with ideas of
>your own? Think about how OOC conditions affect your char
>IC... you lose link, nothing is controlling your char's
>body... you could say you fainted or something like that. That
>sort of thing.

Or, to turn this around, how does your role affect your character. I mean, it isn't unlikely that as a paladin he might have to go and do a quest for his guild in a distant land etc. Gives you the perfect excuse to leave.

dotdotdot

Splntrd

I've always been somewhat hesitant to use it IC, because the impression I get in game is that other players tend not to use it. However, to me it seems like it could be a perfectly good, everyday Theran word to describe one's "mind/mental energy/power/stamina/focus" or whatever. Some characters mostly use this mental strength to cast spells, others to call upon the power of their deity, or just for concentration on any of the more "mundane" skills. But the "source", if you will, is still the same. Mana is such a nice, compact word to describe all this, and gets the point across immediately. So would any imms comment on the (non-?)appropriateness of mana as an IC term?

Help mana quote:

"Mana is the amount of energy one can put to use with their mind, in the casting of spells, communing of supplications, or calling of powers. It also entails the ability to focus your mind to prepare. To regain mental stamina, it is helpful to rest the mind by rest or sleep."

Was it because of something
>I actually did, or were they just having a good day or what?
Mine always seems to come while I am RP'ing well.

>Also, should tells be considered IC, or is it okay to talk
>about things like levels and loggign out and such?
IC IC IC. The only time to be OOC is the newbie channel, and if you are speaking to an Imm about a game issue that requires it.

>And btw, you guys have got a great game here. I just joined a
>couple of days ago, but it's been a long time since I've had
>this much fun on a Mud. I just wish I had more time to play.
Everyone plays at their own pace. Do what you enjoy with the time you have. As you're times change, you may put more effort into other things, but the most important thing is to just have fun.

-Cassman-