How to build genres on Nameless MUCK

What is a genre region?

A genre region is a set of rooms, all descending from a region-parent that share the same over-all genre. A genre does not extend above its parent region room.

The starting region in Nameless MUCK is where guests connect, and where all characters are able to go freely. Its a rather chaotic and freewheeling place. Its also pathetically poorly suited for RP, because there's no real shared vision of what the alternate reality is.

To allow players to congregate in places where reality obeys their ideas, genres are chosen. Nameless MUCK has no upper limit to the number of genres it can support. There can be science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction, modern day intrigue, horror, and any other obscure or not so obscure idea. A genre is implemented in the game by having a single person accept the responsiblity for creating a Genre Region and managing it.

So, the genre region is the set of rooms under which only a single notion of game reality is shared. Anything not in the genre is forbidden (and this can be enforced by the genre region owner).

Cool, how do I own a Genre Region?

First, and foremost, you must have a written and publicly posted (via the WWW) objective description of your genre.

This can't be stressed enough! The worst squabbles come about when people can't agree on what "is real!" in a game context, and the end result is bitter disagreement and religious splintering.

Thus, each genre must have a posted web-page describing it. The rules that are to be abided by (such as no magic, or no zombies, or only zombies, or no profanity, etc.) and the required settings on all characters, including limits or details that are crucial. For instance, if your genre specifies that all characters belong to a list of species, the list must be on the web-site.

The reason for this is to resolve complaints. In the end, the region-owner is always right. But if the region-owner isn't online, and a fight breaks out and someone pages out to a wizard, the wizard is going to enforce the written rules.

Secondly, the genre owner must have an email address that is publicly posted. Genre owners are responsible for not only creating their genre but for running it. They must be reachable by their members, and by the staff and management of the game if need be. A genre owner that is seldom or never on, or non-response, will find themselves a non-genre owner very rapidly.

Thirdly, the genre owner must get approval of this genre by the Chief of Nameless MUCK. The Chief is going to read the website, not for looks and graphics, but for content, and is going to drop email to the genre-owner applicant to make sure that they are reachable.

If the genre-owner is approved, they will have their top-level region converted from a general region to a genre-region (a few flags set, not a major deal).

Um, so I have a genre, now what?

The goal of a genre is to bring people together to have fun. If you want a genre to be a little godling, then you'll have a dead genre... nobody wants to play with little godlings.

If you want a genre to have people join your play, then you have plenty of opportunity and software to bring your world to vibrant life.

Also, you'll need to work with the wizards and staff of Nameless MUCK. Staff won't involve themselves in internal region affairs, but they are technical experts in building and programming, and should be consulted when you aren't sure of how to do something...not for permission, but because if what you want to do isn't easy or clearly avaialble, they will likely want enough details from you on what you want to extend the game for you and the rest.

The staff of Nameless MUCK are not role playing people...they are technical people. They are people who want to see excellent software in the hands of excellent players. Just as regions bring people together to share a genre, so the MUCK itself is meant to draw the technical people to share their work, to learn new clever tricks, and so on. The key to this is the requests of players.

So, if you can't do what you want, or aren't sure how, or find something is in your way, please scream for help to the staff about it! We won't take over your genre, or interfere with your play, but we sure can help you provide the best possible environment for your genre if you take advantage of us.

How much authority do I have in my genre region?

This can't be stressed enough. So long as the region-owner doesn't harm the areas outside the region, or be rude outside the region or OOCly and cause complaints for OOC behavior, any decision they make about what is or isn't IC or legal in their areas, including but not limited to descriptions, choice of characters, choice of building topics, style of building, etc., is final in their space.

Now, any player can create a region... but the region will always be under a genre region (even the default region is a genre... its just a rotten genre with no possible play). The genre region owner is the God, not an individual region owner. So, Genre owner, those who build regions under your region are under your authority. They can't say "You are in my region and so you don't count." If a +genre command shows YOUR region details, then you are God.

Any region-owner can revoke the rights to enter their region to anyone except those whose regions their region is within. This is especially powerful for the genre-owner, because they are expected to have a much wider reach when done. To banish someone from the genre is a serious step, but its necessary to keep harmful elements out.

A region owner can also evict any room or set of rooms from their region. They can do this individually, or by room-owner. The evicted rooms are not destroyed (only a wizard can destroy something, and it would have to be pretty horrific to involve a wizard) but are instead re-parented to a dull region under the general region.

The effect of the eviction and banishment ability is that people are free to control who uses the results of their work, and who they interact with. No over-all control from wizards or staffers is needed to handle problem players; problem players end up outcast, and can either form their own genres and attract people who feel the same way they do, or sit alone in their rooms and rot.

OK, I'm interested, what do I do?

First, you create your region idea and build a website that describes it.

Second, you login to Nameless MUCK and create a region in the general area, and name it your genre. You can build as little or as much as you like, as this is your region, though its not yet genre-flagged.

Thirdly, talk with or send email to Otter<brianj@otterspace.com> and ask to have your genre activated. Be expected to give your web-page URL and an email address and having it verified.

Fourth, Otter or another staffer will help you configure the genre-special settings, for character creation/validation, memberships, ban-lists, etc. This is all technical, be prepared to make copious notes.

That's it...if all goes well, the genre switches will be set, and you're in business. You'll be linked into the genre selection and movement system as part of your activation.

Remember, your goal is a shared-world populated by friends and others who share your desires. So long as you can keep all people on the same shared vision, you will do well. The wizards will provide the materials, and the technical know-how, but its you who make your region a place to spend time in.

Good luck!