I've not posted here in a while, but just had a new release. Evennia, the Python MU* creation system, is moving forward, now at version 4.0.0 (we follow semantic versioning).

Release post

Evennia 4.0.0

March 17, 2024

Major release. Check out for backwards-incompatible changes below.

Version updates

• Feature: Support Python 3.12 (Griatch). Currently supporting 3.10,3.11 and 3.12. Note that 3.10 support will be removed in a future release.
• Feature: Update evennia[extra] scipy dependency to 1.12 to support latest Python. Note that this may change which (equivalent) path is being picked when following an xyzgrid contrib pathfinding.
  Backwards incompatible changes
• Feature: Backwards incompatible: DefaultObject.get_numbered_name now gets object's name via .get_display_name for better compatibility with recog systems.
• Feature: Backwards incompatible: Removed the (#dbref) display from DefaultObject.get_display_name, instead using new .get_extra_display_name_info method for getting this info. The Object's display template was extended for optionally adding this information. This makes showing extra object info to admins an explicit action and opens up get_display_name for general use.
• Fix: (partly Backwards incompatible depending on your usage): DefaultObject.get_numbered_name used .name instead of
  .get_display_name before, which broke recog systems.

New features

• Feature: Add ON_DEMAND_HANDLER.set_dt(key, category, dt) and .set_stage(key, category, stage) to allow manual tweaking of task timings, for example for a spell speeding a plant's growth (Griatch)
• Feature: Add ON_DEMAND_HANDLER.get_dt/stages(key,category, **kwargs), where the kwargs are passed into any stage-callable defined with the stages. (Griatch)
• Feature: Add use_assertequal kwarg to the EvenniaCommandTestMixin testing class; this uses django's assertEqual over the default more lenient checker, which can be useful for testing table whitespace (Griatch)
• Feature: New utils.group_objects_by_key_and_desc for grouping a list of objects based on the visible key and desc. Useful for inventory listings (Griatch)
• Feature: Add DefaultObject.get_numbered_name return_string bool kwarg, for only returning singular/plural based on count instead of a tuple with both (Griatch)

Bug and security fixes

• Fix Removed the @reboot alias to @reset to not mislead people into thinking you can do a portal+server reboot from in-game (you cannot) (Griatch)
• Fix: Refactor Clothing contrib's inventory command align with Evennia core's version (michaelfaith84, Griatch)
• Fix: Limiting search by tag didn't take search-string into account (Griatch)
• Fix: SSH connection caused a traceback in protocol (Griatch)
• Fix: Resolve a bug when loading on-demand-handler data from database (Griatch)
• Security: Potential O(n2) regex exploit in rpsystem regex (Griatch)
• Security: Fix potential redirect vulnerability in character page redirect (Griatch)
• Doc fixes (iLPdev, Griatch, CloudKeeper)

Sadly, I have deleted this site from my favorites bar and will no longer be checking here for PMs and such, which was all I'd been coming here for over the past few years, anyway.

For those who wish to contact me, I can be found on Discord as Zombiegenesis on the Ares and MuHaven servers.

@Ghost said in The Case Against Real PBs:

"ridiculous argument about Sporty Spice"

This was posted as I was writing my post. I'll counter a ridiculous argument with another one, did you ask for consent from all the people you jerked off to in high school? Did you tell them you were doing it? No? Did it affect their lives in any way that you were doing it?

@Ghost I can't stand the stance of "if you disagree with me, then..." enter whatever negative thing you think the person doesn't want to be associated with. It's the whole, "anyone who disagrees with this hates puppies." So I'm gonna check out of this discussion because it's clear there's no real attempt at discussion happening here.

I hate to say it, but I might finally be done on this forum. Nothing constructive seems to happen here anymore, and the most active thread in months amounts to "Ghost thinks people who use PBs are creepy weirdos, and if you disagree with that, then you must be one."

It's too bad. I've been part of this forum since, like, 2 incarnations previous, but if this isn't a death throe, I don't know what is.

@Misadventure said in The Case Against Real PBs:

Not doing something you don't like doesn't shield you from others doing it. For a collaborative thing that's going to be a difficulty.

I don't think it is that difficult. Here's the thing about someone's chosen PB, it really only matters to them. Everyone else can ignore it or even replace it in their heads. I think there are very few occasions where strictly adhere to "X is playing my character" affects RP in any significant way.

Ghost in on about a legal or at least reasoned question about PBs.

I don't think that's what Ghost was talking about. In fact, I'm not even sure there was an actual question in his post.

Or are you saying that my feeling that my imagination is overwritten and I don't like it is something I do wrong and should change my experience?

I think this hobby's only "wrong fun" is ruining someone else's RP by being selfish. If using PBs negatively impacts your RP, don't use them. As I said above, it'll not impact RP significantly. Even if they don't have a decently written @desc(and how many of them do?), you know their general appearance. And if there are any specific questions about what they're wearing, you can always ask OOCly.

So far got lots of disagree but not much reasoning shared about the question put out there.

I think plenty of reasons have been shared regarding the original post. I think the issue is there really isn't a "question put out there." As for the legality of certain age groups for PBs, I have been focusing on the original post's content. Which wasn't about the legality of PBs in any way as I understood it.

If I were to run a MU* and decide I didn't want PBs, I would just make that policy and if asked why answer "because that's how I want it."

No other reason is needed. Not enough game runners use this philosophy and end up doing things they don't want to do and wind up with regrets.

I'm going to break my post up into two parts; AI Images vs Actors and my thoughts on this thread as a whole.

AI Images vs Actors
I think AI art is amazing. I pay MJ a yearly sub so I can create images to my heart's content. I think it has a lot of advantages for MUSHing. Being able to create truly unique images for your character that can be tailored to the game theme is a powerful argument for AI art, IMO.

That said, getting consistent images of a singular character can be very difficult. I think that might change in the upcoming months with MJ, but for now, it can be very difficult and is reliant more on luck than prompting.

I think actors have a place for PBs as well. I often base my portrayal of a character on the actor I'm using to play them. It can affect how they act, how they talk, and how they react to things. I often hear their voice when I write dialogue or imagine how they might act in my writing scene. I wouldn't say it overwrites the imagination at all. For me, a good PB can fuel my imagination.

Also, you can often find dozens(if not hundreds) of suitable images for your character, especially on games set in a modern setting.

My Thoughts On This Thread

A while ago, there was a discussion about "Why aren't there more MU discussions here?". I think this post is emblematic of why activity has dropped here so much. To me, it very much comes across as, "This is why I think you're a creepy weirdo for Sex Reasons."

I think there is certainly a discussion to be had for a game using only AI imagery instead of PBs. I think it could absolutely be a good alternative. I also think there are plenty of reasons to keep using PBs as they've been used since I got into MUing in 1995, and they don't need to include Creepy Sex Reasons.

The problem is, I didn't get the impression that's what this post was really about at all. To me, it very much came across as a judgemental post meant to shame people who do enjoy using PBs, for whatever reason.

And I think that's the primary problem with the MU community as a whole. A lot of people are much more interested in judging others than they are in coming together to tell cool stories.

I agree. Season 2 has been fantastic. I've also been enjoying Monarch Legacy of Monsters and Netflix recently got Tacoma FD(a sitcom done by some of the people from Broken Lizard).

If I understand the question correctly, many systems do this very thing. Take the many and varied PbtA games, for instance. For this very reason, my group used a variant of City of Mist for quite some time. Instead of a binary pass/fail or chip away at an arbitrary number of "points," it uses a much more descriptive system that encourages drama and creativity. At least, that's how we felt.

We have recently returned to using the classic D6 system, which utilizes difficulty numbers and "points" for various things. It was nothing against City of Mist. Thanks to a really nice Ares plugin, It became more convenient to use the D6 system. I don't think the enjoyment of the players on those games has diminished at all because of it.

The system is just a tool. How useful it is comes down to the players. There are a number of ways that a player can achieve a goal and, in the end, I think the ultimate goal is "to have fun." The problem is there is a large number of players out there who are concerned solely with their own fun. They give very little consideration to how someone else may be enjoying a scene.

That goes well beyond any system. It's one of the reasons I've left the superhero MU space. I got tired of everything being a fight about how OP someone wanted their character to be. It doesn't help that this seems to be the current trend in comics: all characters are "alpha mutants" or whatever. Explaining to them that we have to balance things based on the player base as a whole meant nothing to them. Worse, you'd then see it reflected in their RP. There are players out there who will see any game as "<My Character> MUSH" and no system will fix that.

If the question is, why do we track points that are just a track to inevitable success? Then the answer is that it doesn't need to be a track to inevitable success. Failure can advance RP and drama, too(often more than success). I think the issue comes back to people not wanting their character to fail. Ever. At anything. This can be frustrating to other players for a number of reasons.

First, some players may like a little failure to spice up their RP. Not everything has to be rainbows and roses. Second, in order for Character A to be the success hero they want them to be, other characters need to fail. Often, they need to fail a lot. This can make them feel like secondary characters, which is no fun. Third, these players who cannot fathom their character failing often can't fathom YOUR character succeeding, and they have no problem explaining that fact to you.

Regardless, I think it all boils down to this: the system is a tool, and bad players ruin it for people.

Recently, a brilliant and generous person created a D6 plugin for Ares. This is something I've actually wanted for quite some time. I even started a project to build on myself but just didn't have the time to dedicate to it. So, this was a godsend for me as it has opened the door to do something I've wanted to do for a long time, open a Star Wars game using Ares.

This project is very much 'in development' and I'm just starting to get things put together. I'm posting here fishing for anyone who might be interested in helping out in some way. I've got a good idea for a time period and theme but even those are fluid at the moment. Here's what I'm thinking.

Time Period: Roughly 4,000 years BBY. I put it here because we can easily fudge things. We're not going to be restricted by canon, we're very much going to be our own thing. To that end, I'm fudging things a bit and will be having the Sith War and Mandalorian War be essentially back to back. The galaxy has been in a state of war for 20 years.

Setting: The galaxy. We will likely have some hot spots like Coruscant, Corellia, and some other places, but I don't see the need to limit the game to one specific location.

Factions: Republic, Jedi Order, Sith, and Fringe. I'm hoping to be pretty open with things.

System: D6. It's a bit customized using some of D6 Space and some of the old WEG Star Wars system. Mostly we've combined the Mechanical and Technical skills into one and added Presence. I'm also in the process of simplifying how the Force works basing it more off of the D6 Space metaphysics system. It has full web integration including character generation, a dice roller for scenes, and dice rolling for jobs. It's really slick. I've also added the Traits plugin so people can record other things they may have(starships, equipment, companions, etc).

What I'm looking for: Mostly people who want to contribute in some way to get the game up and running and, once we're open, keep it operating smoothly. Like I said, we're customizing the system a bit so feedback on how that feels will be nice. Getting opinions on the theme and setting will be very helpful. And, once we're open, appstaff and plot runners would be great.

So, if you're interested feel free to drop me a message here. Or if you know anyone that's interested. I'm pretty excited but I'd very much like to have at least some sort of a staff base if I'm ever going to open it to the public.

@Misadventure For elaborate things, I've used +jobs, but I usually create a tabbed box on the game wiki. The first tab has the prompts that should be used for the scene. Another tab has the "reveal". This could also be multiple tabs if there are potentially multiple results.