One of the things that continues to remind me why I love this hobby tends to happen when I don't expect it. The people I stumble across who really, genuinely make their characters feel like real people completely blow me away, and I'm honestly not sure if there's any other medium that can do it as successfully. When characters don't always try to win, don't always make the best possible decision, and otherwise react in ways that make me reflexively tie them to people I know in real life, I always end up stopping to appreciate it. It's chefs kiss.

Coming from a portion of the hobby that highly rewards competitive players, it's always amazing to run into players who will let me lose gracefully. I love playing bad guys, I love losing, I love facilitating stories that let characters feel like they're playing out a win. But sometimes, if we don't click or there's no communication, playing that out can be less than fun. I love players who keep it collaborative, even when they're super hype for kicking an annoying guy's ass, or realizing the villain they're trying to be.

I also deeply appreciate the players who laugh at my stupid fucking jokes. You know who you are.

I've avoided putting a playlist together for basically no reason other than I'm lazy and was still brand new to MUSHes. But, I have arbitrarily decided that I am not new anymore! My MUSH list is still pretty small, seeing as I started playing RPIs when I was like 13 and stayed with them for the next decade until that portion of the hobby kind of imploded, but I'll list who I remember!

Current:

Arx: Valerius (I played him for a while a little over a year go, someone picked him up briefly in between, and I've been playing him since for the past 7-8 months, roughly)
Spirit Lake: Connor

Past:

San Francisco: Sully
Haven: Sully
Parallel: Roland (the heavily-pierced, something something punk in the Niners)
Atonement: Mickey (his short description resembled: tall, lanky, stubbly, something or other man in the Vultures), Riddle (a vibrantly tattooed, shaven headed young man after the ship left the moon)
nuSOI: Valen (I have no idea what his sdesc was, he was a quiet, kind of shy crafter in the Lodge)
The Inquisition: Legacy: A couple different characters of varying sorts and flavors
Old SOI: Corporal Ash in the Batts, a few other short-lived dudes. They were not good. I was 16. I'm sorry.

There have been a few others that I'm sure I'm forgetting. For a long time I played games that were very deadly, but never played combat characters, so most of my characters lasted a very long time.

hello would anyone be interested in a bunch of pictures of baby bunnies

hahaha jokes on you you better be ready because there are MANY

And my favorite: Groucho Marx

So I think one of the major things about Evennia that's overlooked from the perspective of the people who have some experience working on it, is that a lot of the people interested in using it to develop a game are coming into it with absolutely no coding skills at all. They might have ideas for systems--almost certainly things that they've experienced in games before, or would like to iterate on--but beyond that, they're starting from either zero, or a concept of what coding might be.

To clarify: I mean a lot of the people who might be interested in Evennia have no experience thinking in a way necessary to take what's referenced in the guides and apply it to their own ideas. It's more about coding logic than it is syntax, in my opinion. Learning what a class is can be one thing, but figuring out how to design a piece of code that applies it is totally different.

I know that's certainly out of the scope of what's currently available within Evennia's development, and the easy answer is "Go take a class", but I'm also of the opinion that there's a lot of value in learning to code in the context of MU*s, and even though Evennia isn't currently set up to just pick up and get running (despite the potential ease of use and current library of contribs), figuring out a way to convey the basics in terms that's easy to understand to someone starting completely fresh is hella important.

This definitely isn't the fault of anyone who contributes to it. A) It's not reasonable to ask that they also teach absolute beginners how to code, period, and B) At a certain point it's hard to remember what things are actually completely foreign to beginners.

I have a very, very basic understanding of how to program. I mean I understand how booleans work, and I can write a half-functional if statement. I took a logic class at community college, and I'm taking a coding class here starting in November. Part of the process of me actually applying this class is going to be getting some functional systems onto a fresh install, and I figure while I do that I'll try and document the steps I'm taking to get it working.

If anyone's interested in starting from 0/10 and working towards like, 3 or some shit, hit me up, I'm happy to share whatever I figure out.

@arkandel said in How old are MU* players?:

I'm pleased to see a wider demographic of younger folks than I expected. Not sure how newbies get into MUSHing these days but somehow it's happening.

I have no idea how other people got started, especially seeing as I'm the only one in the 18-24 age bracket, but I know a lot of people my age that play MU* generally start on MUDs, then migrate over to MUSHes afterwards. I know a ton of tabletop players I hang out with who would love MUDs, but getting them to go straight from nothing to pure roleplay without a little bit of mechanical influence first is pretty difficult.

I think there's a huge market to bring younger people of that sort into the hobby, it's all about marketing and offering the right thing, we just haven't yet.

Hey! I'm Sully on SanFran, this is the first time I'm checking the forums for a while here, my bad!

Sorry for just disappearing randomly, I'm a student and my semester picked up HARD all at once (mostly because I'm a fucking idiot and procrastinated for literal months), and I've been kind of dealing with that so I don't lose my scholarship and get kicked out or some other terrible shit.

Luckily enough, this semester wraps up on the 31st, so hopefully I'll be back about around then, as long as staff's cool with me just showing up again. I love the character, and a lot of the players there are absolutely fucking amazing, so I'm looking forward to it.

In the meantime, feel free to hit me up on Discord at Sab#1239 if you'd like, I'm around often while I cram for my last final on Thursday.

I wasn't sure at first what made the idea of this game pop so immediately for me, but after looking through for a bit now I'm starting to think it's just like, everything. Maybe I'm projecting a bit, but the setting, the system, and the magic lore looks like it's going to work ridiculously well together, and I can say that I am extremely interested.

I am also a huge, huge sucker for scenic small town fantasy and all of the pictures are super pretty so now I'm gonna go look at nature photos and think about char concepts. Fuck me, I guess.

It would also help to know which portion of Phoenix you'll be in, as the different activities can be pretty spread apart. Generally, as long as college kids don't bother you, a lot of the nightlife is going to be in the Tempe area, though you can also check out Downtown Phoenix, Old Town Scottsdale, and the Gilbert area if you're on the southeast side of town. Basically the farther you get from Tempe, the less things there are to do.

A lot of the suggestions above are solid, though one thing that hasn't been mentioned is that we have a ton of little secret parks scattered throughout the city. There's a bunch of local natural art landscaping schools that basically just buy some land usually behind commercial buildings and turn it into cute little parks with waterfalls and ponds and ducks. It's pretty much the only time of year to realistically enjoy these too, so that's a plus.

Most of our malls are pretty standard, but Tempe Marketplace is a cute outdoor shopping center with some decent places to hang and drink, and quality food, including a Portillo's, which is a huge deal restaurant from Chicago. We also have In 'n Out and Cane's (which is a chicken finger joint) which are pretty widely loved, but regional restaurant chains that you can't find across the country.

But, if you're looking for traditional tourist-y stuff, google some local hiking trails and go at them. It's the time of year to do it, just remember to take water. You're not going to die like tourists do when they try to hike here in the summer, probably, but it's never a bad idea.

ETA: I'm also a local, born and raised, so if you're looking for some of the harder to hit stuff, I'd be happy to recommend that too.

@saturna said in Sab's Playlist:

SULLY<3

<-- Opal, currently Auda and Volcica on Arx.

@goblin said in Sab's Playlist:

SULLY! oh man, so glad you're on Arx, I got all unhappy when you disappeared from SF and we actually got all worried about you, a bunch of us (Opal included.) I played Audgrim there, and I play Jyri and Evaristo on Arx, and I'd love to RP with you over there, if we can manage to be online at the same time

Yooooooooo it's super good to hear from you guys! Sorry for just dipping out right when I did, the last bit of my semester was aggressive to say the least, and it went from 0-60 really fast. But I can totally make any RP time work with enough of a heads up, so, just lemme know and we can get something going!

@darinelle said in Sab's Playlist:

@sab AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I saw your post on the MU Things I Love and was about to reply to it about how I had this awesome scene yesterday where the emotional quotient was super high and meaningful and it was awesome and wasn't it just great when people were awesome.

And then there it happened to be that scene was literally with your char. ALRIGHT THEN.

<3333333333333
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it's always super lovely and I stan the fuck out of complex scenes and relationships like that. I am ridiculously flattered, thank you!

As long as I actually have the time RL, I prefer just letting the scene happen naturally. Usually if the scene feels like it's running long, it's running long. Otherwise, I've been in day-long scenes that are entirely welcome and not tiring at all, keeping me engaged the whole time. Really, it just depends on the characters involved and the dynamic presented.

@silverfox

I can confirm they are extremely, extremely fluffy, and their fur is so soft that they basically feel like something between silk and just like, air? It's ridiculous. I love them.

hello would anyone be interested in a bunch of pictures of baby bunnies

hahaha jokes on you you better be ready because there are MANY

And my favorite: Groucho Marx

@three-eyed-crow Yeah, I honestly don't know what the deal is, I just know that Filibertos are everywhere and they don't use lard in their refried beans so I can eat them, while other places require exactly 1 extra step and that's clearly TOO MUCH.

Back on topic: The East Valley (so, around Mesa/Tempe/etc) has some really, really incredible non-American food, and some super dope Americanized versions of other cultural staples. The Dhaba was mentioned, which is an incredible Indian joint in Tempe, though really I haven't found many Indian places in the valley that aren't excellent (except Curry Corner, fuck Curry Corner unless you're 19, super drunk at 5 PM, and want basic-ass food ready in 5 minutes).

If you can make your way out to Chandler, near the Chandler Mall, Tott's Asian Diner is like, the Chinese American restaurant in Phoenix. I've known people who make a ritual of stopping there whenever they come to the city. Their orange chicken is ridiculous. They also deliver on grubhub, if you're close enough.

A non-standard suggestion for the Mesa area, too. If you've a fleeting religious interest, we have a huge Mormon Temple that's pretty neat to look at if you're architecturally inclined. You won't be able to go in unless you're Mormon, but it's cute.

Mesa's Art District is super, super nice, despite always forgetting it exists. There's tons of little specialty shops and street art and exhibits set up in random buildings. It's right off the light rail too, IIRC, so it's not a bad jumping off point if you want to head down to Mill Ave or Downtown Phoenix after, too.

Also, as @Jeshin mentioned, there are many really quality Hookah Lounges in the valley, though ymmv if you've never smoked hookah before.

@three-eyed-crow said in Phoenix, Arizona:

If you like Indian food, The Dhaba in Tempe is a Best Thing, and walking distance from a light rail stop, so easy to get to. Also pretty much any hole-in-the-wall taqueria around the Valley that isn't a chain. The -berto knock-offs keep me sustained.

In general, if you have time, I'd use the light rail corridor to explore Tempe and Downtown Phoenix. It goes to Mill Ave and the urban center downtown. The Mesa Arts Center (which is quite lovely and has I think some gallery exhibitions) is on it as well, as far as a Mesa thing goes.

I am vegan and I can confirm that Filibertos is love, Filibertos is life, and if you're in mesa anywhere near Mesa Community College the location there has straight up the best veggie burrito I've ever had.

It would also help to know which portion of Phoenix you'll be in, as the different activities can be pretty spread apart. Generally, as long as college kids don't bother you, a lot of the nightlife is going to be in the Tempe area, though you can also check out Downtown Phoenix, Old Town Scottsdale, and the Gilbert area if you're on the southeast side of town. Basically the farther you get from Tempe, the less things there are to do.

A lot of the suggestions above are solid, though one thing that hasn't been mentioned is that we have a ton of little secret parks scattered throughout the city. There's a bunch of local natural art landscaping schools that basically just buy some land usually behind commercial buildings and turn it into cute little parks with waterfalls and ponds and ducks. It's pretty much the only time of year to realistically enjoy these too, so that's a plus.

Most of our malls are pretty standard, but Tempe Marketplace is a cute outdoor shopping center with some decent places to hang and drink, and quality food, including a Portillo's, which is a huge deal restaurant from Chicago. We also have In 'n Out and Cane's (which is a chicken finger joint) which are pretty widely loved, but regional restaurant chains that you can't find across the country.

But, if you're looking for traditional tourist-y stuff, google some local hiking trails and go at them. It's the time of year to do it, just remember to take water. You're not going to die like tourists do when they try to hike here in the summer, probably, but it's never a bad idea.

ETA: I'm also a local, born and raised, so if you're looking for some of the harder to hit stuff, I'd be happy to recommend that too.

@tinuviel Oh, yeah, I mean I guess I used that on the first MUD I played back when I was like, literally a child. Though, for the most part, when something ended it would throw out a line so we'd just set up a trigger to run a macro when the poison ran out or we could heal or attack again or whatever. I genuinely don't know how I played those games for so long given that I got overwhelmed by the scrolling 100% of the time, but I'm going to give it to zMUD for that one.

@tinuviel said in What's your favorite MU* client?:

@sab said in What's your favorite MU* client?:

Like what do they all do.

Three of them just reset the ticker clock.
What's that for, you ask?

YOU YOUNG MOTHERTRUCKER, I exclaim.

That was obviously for when people used to hook up bombs to the clients and if you went more than 15 minutes without posing during TS it would go off, right?

Seriously, though, it's literally never occurred to me to set up spawns and notifications. I genuinely don't know how.

TIL that, after playing these games for 11 years, I have been grossly underusing clients.

There's just so many buttons, you guys. Like what do they all do.

@arkandel Unless they picked development back up, nah, I don't think so. It was quickly approaching abandonware when I was a teen in favor of cMUD, but AFAIK they're both pretty dead. It's been a while since I've checked, though.

I used zMUD for something like 8 years, starting with a cracked copy someone linked me when I was like, 13. Ostensibly the reason was because it had extensive trigger support which was useful for PK-heavy affliction-based RP games, but seeing as I was literally a child with no coding knowledge, it might as well have been a shitty telnet client with some fancy features.

I'm super curious to see what I could play with now, a decade after, but I'm not even sure if I'd be able to find a copy anywhere.