Step Five: Getting a Character

Now you've got a client, some basic information on the MUSH, and an interest to find out more. It's time for the fun part--character generation. If you're already signed on as guest, you'll have to log off now to get to the login screen again, otherwise just reconnect to Chiaroscuro, as before. To create your character, type in "Create ". For instance, let's say I want to create a character with the name Nylas Trout. First I navigate to the login screen.

-> create nylas mypass138 OtherVerse Main Lobby

This will create a character with the name Nylas--but I wanted one with the name Nylas Trout. I couldn't do it from creation, because that would have created a character with the name Nylas and the password Trout--mypass138 would have been dropped altogether. Instead, once Nylas is created, I have to rename him. The syntax for this is "@name me= "

-> @name me="Nylas Trout" Name set.

The quotes around Nylas Trout are necessary, this time, or it would drop the Trout half of it and he'd still be named Nylas--not the outcome I was looking for.

Now that you're at the Main Lobby with whatever name you've chosen for yourself, continue through the Chiaroscuro gate. You do not need to answer the questions now. I know it says "answer the questions" in the room description, but if you'll notice at the bottom, it also tells you newbies to Chiaroscuro are not required to answer them. You'll answer different questions later on--answering them now would only mean hassle for you when you have to answer some of the same ones a second time.

Follow the instructions through RarGen, and be sure to read the room descs. They contain a lot of useful information you'll find you need later, and explain in detail what you're supposed to do at each place. If you have any questions, ask them on the newbie channel, or page someone. The people marked as staffers and minions on the wholist, which you can see simply by typing "who", are especially good people to ask. The syntax to page one of these people is "page = ". For instance:

-> page Kavi=Can you help me? You paged Kavi with 'Can you help me?'

Biographies and Descriptions
You will be asked to present the staff with a biography via a +staffrequest late in RarGen, and when you do, we will also double-check your description, and the replies to those questions you answered earlier. At this point, we're looking for you to prove to us that yes, you've read a little into the game, and yes, you have a basic understanding of the theme. We're not asking you to read the whole wiki--if you want to, that's great. Awesome. But it's huge, with a lot of information there, and we're not about to ask you to do that. Just knowing that you've read some of it and know what the heck you're talking about when you say "Chiaroscuro" is enough. If you haven't, it'll show, and we'll be forced to deny your biography--but don't panic! It's not hard at all to write a passable bio. Below are some tips to help you out.

- Use proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. You don't have to be Charles Dickens or Herman Melville, but if ur bio lookz lik diz, we'll have to deny it. You got me? :)

- Use paragraph breaks. %r will make a return, and %t produces a tab. It's much easier on the eyes of whatever staff member is looking over your bio.

- Keep it thematic. Show us you've browsed the wiki and read room descs. Where was your character born? Who were his/her parents? What's their birthday? That sort of thing.

- Make it realistic. You're not half wildling, and you didn't come from some obscure city that isn't actually on the grid--even worse, you're not from another country, or across the sea. You're just not.

- Write it in third person. "He did this" and "she said that" are perfectly acceptable, while "I felt the other" is not.

- Be specific. Just as much as we want to know that you understand our theme, it's equally important that you know your own. Where's your character going? What're his/her morals like? Goals? Relationship with the family? What events made him/her like s/he is today? If your backwoods farmer has Mad Sword Skillz, that's fine. Great. But be sure to tell us why, and where he got them from.

- Keep it simple. Especially for your first character. There will be plenty of time after you're on the grid to have adventures, and to grow, without stuffing it all into your biography. Also, a simple bio generally has a much higher chance of getting approved.

- And above all, ask questions. When in doubt, just ask, and someone will be happy to help.

As a final note, Chiaroscuro employs a "three strike" policy--if your bio gets denied three times, in other words, you'll have to start over with a completely new character concept. It isn't very common that we have to do that, though, and chances are you won't have that kind of difficulty. Anytime a bio is denied, the staff is sure to send it back with notes telling you exactly what's wrong with it, and friendly suggestions for how to fix it. We're usually willing to help you with the rewrite, too, if you need it.

Return to Chiaroscuro: The Walkthrough

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