Important Commands to Remember
/emote TEXT, /me TEXT , or simply : TEXT (a colon)
These will give you the writing where TEXT is an action which your character
performs.
/tell name TEXT
This command sends the TEXT to that name only, not the room in general. This is
referred to as a PM, or Private Message.
/think TEXT
This command will bring up a thought bubble with the text you enter as the
thought. Please do not use this command for out of character comments.
You can use the interface in the bottom bar to assign a description to your charater and to look at other people's descriptions. If you would rather use a whole page to allow you to do so then you can simply click on the "Open Utility Bar in New Window" link in the bottom right.
Introducing a New Character: A Walkthrough
Develop a Persona
First, have a basic idea on your character's persona - who they are, how they are likely to react in certain circumstances and to certain things. Is your character outgoing, shy, paranoid, helpful? Knowing such a thing will be an indication of how your character will be interacting with people. Second, write yourself up a description for your character and enter it into the appropriate section on your username (using the command /describe edit). Third, consider your characters history. This may indicate your characters behavior in certain situations or toward a specific group of people. When this is done, you are ready to begin.
Entering
It helps to let people know that you are not merely lurking in the room if you declare that you enter. An example of this would be:
Gabriel strolls in humming a merry tune to himself.
You could do something simple like "/emote walks in and sits." Or you could so something to really "show" what your character is doing. For example:
"/me enters the Bazaar through the west gates and move through the crowd, stopping at the Gargoyle Fountain and sitting down on the retaining wall."
Another example would be:
"/me slips in through the door and waits for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting of the Tavern." Entrances like that give people the general idea of what is going on with your character.
Please remember to allow someone to enter before interacting with them. If you are not certain someone is lurking or not, try a /tell message to ask them if they are playing within the room or merely observing.
Another thing you can do is having your character looking at the surroundings. An example:
"/me looks at the nice cobblestone pathway and the gargoyle fountain, and then over at the vendor stands."
The main objective is to do something that makes people notice you. You want someone to say "How interesting" or What's that person's story." (For example,) your character has had a problem with elves and you begin to shake or look around with fear when approached by an elf. People will wonder why and someone is likely to ask your story or interact with you in another fashion.
Talking to Others
At times the ISRP rooms are quite busy, so it lessens confusion to use direct speech and actions toward a specific person if they are occurring so. An example of this is:
"Trelian > How are you today?"
This is also a handy way of getting someone's attention.
Spend some time in the room, interacting with the setting, the Magi's, and trying to involve other patrons. For ideas on things to do, read on.
Tips and Guidelines
The Think Command
Just because you are able to read the text does not mean your character is able to read the person's mind. Please do not react to thoughts unless your character is able to read minds. Since there are those that are able, be prepared for others to comment. By using the thought bubble, it is assumed you accept that telepathic characters in the room may decide to pick up on these thoughts. If you truly want to say something that is telepathic and have it be heard by others that are not, precede the text with TP, for telepathy. That way people know it's not heard but thought of in their minds.
All Caps
The use of all capitol letters is considered shouting and looked upon as bad manners. A less intrusive way to "shout" is:
Siani shouts "Hear Ye, Hear YE, The Crossroads Tavern is Now Open for Business!"
Net Speak and Grammar
In general, please avoid the use of net speak. With the intensive text environment it lessens the impact and the seriousness with which you and your character will be taken. The more effort you put in with grammar and spelling, the better your character looks and sounds.
Make an effort, especially with simple things like capitalization, but also with proper punctuation. Punctuation helps to clarify what your character is trying to say. If no punctuation is used, it is far easier to misunderstand what a person is trying to say. An exception for spelling would be to try and phonetically indicate an accent.
Please avoid using terms such as "BRB" and "AFK", instead you can use commands /brb and /away to indicate that you are not available in the room listing. You can also use the drop down menu above the text box.
Declaring Actions
Always remember that the player of the character decides the outcome of the action taken toward that character. Compare: 1) Ka'yn flicks a peanut at Gabriel, striking him in the eye. 2) Ka'yn flicks a nut toward Gabriel, sending it dangerously close to his eye. The second way is the correct way of doing so; it allows Gabriel to decide what happens to his character.
Setting
Use the setting to help place yourself and attract attention to yourself and gain people's interest in your character.
Be Aware of Others
Look at character's descriptions. Sometimes there may be something unusual; or noteworthy in the character description that would give you a reason to approach that character or a way to interact with that person.
Also, be a people watcher. Watch people, see what they are doing; i.e. you see "Pounamu sits sewing on a cloth" and then you can react to those things; i.e. walk over and inquire "What are you sewing, Pounamu?" She shows you, and then a conversation is started - if your character (or player) knows anything about sewing. It's really a matter of watching and saying to yourself: "what can my character do?" I have seen people enter the area and do something out of the ordinary, i.e., "Joey looks around with wide eyes at the sites." I can either start a conversation on that, or on something else; a person's attitudes, clothing, etc. If you are observant and think as your persona and not as yourself, there is almost always something for you to comment upon.
Approaching people in character
At times it is best to send a person a /tell message to see if they are there or if they are busy and willing to talk with you. If you can see a host is in the room; try approaching them. If you do not get a reaction to your approach; try doing a /tell message to the host. We will be more than happy to interact with you; and even introduce you to a few folks.
Most Importantly...
Be patient. Sometimes it just takes time. Don't get discouraged. Believe it or not we've all been there at some point in time.