An OLC Building Guide for RoT 3.0a
Original DikuMUD by Hans Staerfeldt, Katja Nyboe, Tom Madsen, Michael Seifert, and Sebastian Hammer Based on MERC 2.1 code by Hatchet, Furey, and Kahn ROM 2.4 copyright (c) 1993-1998 Russ Taylor WoT 0.2 copyright (c) 1996-1998 Gary McNickle RoT 3.0 copyright (c) 1996-2001 Russ Walsh RoT 3.0a brought to you by Larry Cook and Staff
Part I - Writing
On the topic of writing....
OLC, or, Online Creation, is the set of commands we use to build the worlds that players explore in ROM, RoT and WoT games. These commands are fairly straightforward, with some artistic delineation. When building an area, there are a few matters worth consideration. Hopefully these notes will aid you in your quest to build an exciting realm that you, as a player, would love to explore and game in.
Conflicts/Plots - Setting the theme for an area should occur first and foremost. This includes writing quests, history, and npc biographies.
love in the face of opposition
change in alignments
natural disaster
promotions and demotions
family issues
competition
a villain with a heart
breakdown in society
mutation of race
peer judgements (status, manner, ideals, appearance)
military strategies
(flammable substances, recon, t formation: entice with weak
center and attack at sides)
depletion of resources
coming of age
oppression
unrewarded work
plagiarism
betrayal
rumor mill
injustice
love triangles
power trips
infidelity
loveless marriage
Loss:
1. of loved ones
2. of life
3. of balance
4. of material wealth
5. of job
6. of self
the death of a dream
failed experiments
insufficient resources
banishment from community
abandonment
confusion
lies
rumors
sadness
rage
jealousy
apathy
fear
frustration
cruelty
insanity
When describing a person, place, or thing, it is important to consider the following:
Visual Perspectives
1. up
altitude,position,weather patterns
2. down
terrain,water,void in one location
3. level
terrain,water,void over distance
4. objects
surface,material,design,construct,distribution
History/Provenance
1. Who? :optimist,pessimist,naturalist,scientist,religious, :nurturer,martyr,teacher,noble,rebel,angry,violent, :insecure,confident,dependent,independent,dishonest, :meddlesome,social,solitary,inquisitive,apathetic, :sympathetic,empathic,flexible,stubborn,afraid, :decisive,indecisive,bipolar,balanced,organized, :disorganized,stressed,vengeful,productive,destructive (r),(c),(s),(m) I call this the ricsim scale. I use this when I write my own characters: relatively,considerably,severely,fanatical(mental)
2. What?
person,place,mineral,chemical,animal, thing
3. Where?
physical location, conception,past,current,future(inference)
4. When?
moment,day,year,season,cycle
5. Why?
environmental,accidental,agenda,function
6. How?
natural,supernatural,constructed,magical,holy
SENSES OF PERCEPTION can illuminate a game with animation just as it does books. (variable with each race, use wisely)
1. smell
food,flowers,chemical,soil,smoke,death,life
2. sight
depth,color,sharpness,highlight and shadow
3. sound
weather,animal,geology
4. taste
chemical,food,flowers,soil,smoke,death,life
5. touch
wet,dry,hard,soft,coarse,smooth,silky,sharp,dull
Remember to watch spelling, grammar, and length when building. A room typically should have three to five sentences depending on length and content. The things you create will not make all players feel a certain way. For example, a dark and foreboding tunnel might be scary for one player, boring for some, and a comfortable niche for others. Therefore, avoid trying to tell a player how he or she may feel in your area. The above examples are only for the sake of brainstorming ideas. Sometimes reproducing cliches can be done so well, that it is worth the time and effort a player might invest, but a good mud will always have original content. In the following information, remember that it is not necessary to use every option and every flag an item might have available, but knowledge of these and the selective use can animate a region beautifully.