[Home]MudTerminology

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ADVENTURING
Participating in a RPG style game
BUILDING
Designing objects for the MOO. Programming.
CHARACTER
The manifestation of a player that the other players will see and interact with. This is YOU in the virtual world.
COMMAND
See verb.
HACKER
Slang for a computer programmer.
HOME
The room where a character sleeps when the player is not logged in.
IDLE
When a character has been inactive for a while it is considered to be idle.
INTERNET
The computer network that hooks a large portion of the world's computers together.
IRL (or just RL)
Abbreviation for In Real Life
LAG
The time differential between when a command is entered into the computer and when it is executed. During times when there are a lot of people logged on at once or when there are other computer problems, lag can be quite bad and can cause communication problems.
LOGGING IN/OUT
The process by which you connect into a computer system is referred to as logging in. Leaving the system is logging-out.
MAIL
There is a mail-system on the MOO by which players can send messages to other players who aren't necessarily logged on. Basically equivalent to mail in the real world.
MESSAGES
Most actions (verbs) on the MOO cause things to happen that other characters will see. What the other character's see is referred to as a message.
MOBILE
A sentient being, usually controlled by the MUD.
MORPHING
The ability of a character to transform itself from one pre-set description to another. Example: A werewolf has a human form and a wolf form. (Although there is not necessarily a limit of two forms on the MOO) A character who morphs can change almost everything about itself, including its name, sex, and description; everything but it's object number.
MUD
Multi-User Dungeon (or sometimes Multi-User Dimension)
NETSEX
A form of interaction in which the players involved perform and say sexually-explicit actions so as to act out sex through the computer.
NEWBIE
A player who is new to the MOO and may not be familiar with many of its intricacies.
OBJECT
Everything in the MOO world is an object: characters, rooms, devices. Every object has a unique object number by which it can be referred and manipulated.
OBJECT NUMBER
See object
PLAYER
A person who logs into the MOO and manipulates characters is referred to as a player.
PROGRAMMER
Players with the ability to verbs (computer programs) on objects that will allow the object to do something or manipulate something in the MOO world.
PUPPETS
Special objects in the MOO that act like separate characters but which are actually controlled by another character. They can perform actions and speak the way normal characters can and can also transmit everything they see to the controlling character. Puppets cannot create new objects or program.
QUOTA
The maximum number of objects a character can own at any time. The purpose of a quota is to keep the database as small as possible.
RECYCLE
To remove all descriptions, properties, and verbs from an object. Destruction or annihilation of an object.
REGISTRATION
A means to control who may login to the MOO and who can't be requiring people to present a form of ID (normally an email address) before they are granted permission to enter the MOO.
REGULAR
A player who frequents the MOO on a regular basis as opposed to someone who may log on once or twice then never return.
ROOM
A location within the MUD where characters can interact with each other. Rooms are normally connected to each other and can be traversed through standard directions such as east, north, and up.
RPG
Role-Playing Game. Refers to the classic 'Dungeons & Dragons' style game whereby characters start at a low level and gradually gain skills through experience.
SITE
The local computer system from which a player logs into the MOO.
SITE-LOCKING
A wizardly function by which they may prevent anyone from a given computer site from logging on. Normally only used in drastic situations.
SLEEP
A character who's player is not logged on is said to be sleeping.
SMILEYS
A form of computer symbolism by which people can communicate feelings and emotions. They are common computer characters that, when put together and looked at sideways, appear to look like smiling faces (or frowns). Examples: :-) :) :') ;) :( 8) ;-() :0 =O
SPOOF
(Definition directly from 'Help Manners') Spoofing is loosely defined as `causing misleading output to be printed to other players.' For example, it would be spoofing for anyone but Munchkin to print out a message like `Munchkin sticks out his tongue at Potrzebie.' This makes it look like Munchkin is unhappy with Potrzebie even though that may not be the case at all.
TECHNOBABBLE
Refers to complex computer programming talk which non programmers (and even many programmers) cannot understand or follow.
TELEPORT
A method from moving from any one room to another on the MOO instantly, instead of traveling by more standard means such as walking.
TELNET
A command by which a person may connect one computer to another.
TINYSCENERY
An object in the MOO which does nothing. It may have a fancy description, but otherwise serves no useful purpose.
TINYSEXER
A person on the MOO whose main interest for being on the MOO is netsex.
TOADING
A wizardly function by which an object is destroyed by the wizard, normally by some offense to the standards of conduct that have been instituted on the MOO.
VERB
A computer program that has been assigned to a specific object in the MOO and that will do something interesting (hopefully) when run.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Life in the MOO as opposed to real life outside the computer. Anything that is perceived to happen or exist in the MOO is considered to be part of the character's virtual reality.
WIZARD
Programmers with special abilities on the MOO. It is they who run and maintain the MOO, keep civil order (as it were), and oversee the general activities and functions of the MOO. They are gods, judges, and police all rolled into one. They're also, for the most part, quite friendly and easy going and willing to help people who ask.

March 16, 1992, "Virtual Reality: Reflections of Life, Dreams, and Technology An Ethnography of a Computer Society" by Michael S. Rosenberg (msr@casbah.acns.nwu.edu) -- PhilipAndersen?


Thanks Phillip, especially for sourcing this. I think there's a special tag for definitions here which might format this better. -- JonLambert


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Edited April 18, 2004 3:54 pm by Xeon (diff)
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