A Basic Introduction to Mucks

This is designed for people who have no idea what this muck thing is; if you've visted mucks, mushes, moos, or muds before, you can probably skip it.

So...what IS a muck, anyway?

Good question. A muck is a text based interactive environment, sort of a low budget virtual reality. The text adventure games of the '80s, such as the ones that Infocom made, were similar--but with the differences that multiple players can move around, talking and role playing, and that it's even possible to expand the game universe on your own.

Is a MUCK different from a MUD?

Yes, although the differences aren't very important to a new user. A MUD is a Multi-User Dungeon, and they tend to be more like games than chat or social interaction oriented systems. A MUCK (Multi-User Chat Kingdom) is almost always for people to have social interactions. There are also MUSHes, MOOs, and so on, but again the differences between them and MUCKs aren't likely to be obvious to someone coming in from IRCs.

What do I need to have to use a muck?

You need a computer, a modem, and an ISP. Anyone who can use telnet can visit a muck. If you're reading this, you can visit FictionMuck. (Actually, I've discoverd that WebTV may not support telnet links – so it's at least theoretically possible to be able to read this but not be able to visit a muck.)

Many muckers use TinyFugue, which is a program that allows multiple telnet connections to be used at the same time. It also supports other features such as macros; it is a very powerful program when used fully. (A tutorial can teach you how.) It is freeware, written by Ken Keys (hawkeye@tcp.com) and you can download tf yourself if your site doesn't already have it.

What do I need to know to use a muck?

Well...not a lot, honestly. They're pretty intuitive and self-explanitory for the basic things, and help is available both from tutorial screens and from other users. (Many mucks, including FictionMuck, have helpstaff players who are experienced at solving problems.)

The basic commands are pretty simple; here are the ones that are used most and that a visitor will need. You can read a better guide to mucks for more elaborate explanations.

go (direction)

This takes you from where you are to somewhere else. For example, 'go north' or 'go inside'. The directions you can go are usually clearly listed in the room's description. The word 'go' is actually optional; in the examples above you could type 'north' or 'inside' just as well, and the computer would figure out what you meant.

help

This will give you help on the very basic commands and guide you to learning more.

look

This is pretty self explanitory; this lets you look at things (rooms, exits, people, and objects). Most of the time, looking at something will tell you something interesting. (You automatically look around a room when you enter it.)

pose

This command is for things that are posed, not said, like 'Guest1 nods in agreement.' The syntax for that would be 'pose nods in agreement.' or ':nods in agreement.' (Pose can be abbreviated with a colon, and the muck figures out spacing automatically.) This is the equivalent of '/me nods in agreement.' on IRC.

QUIT

Typing 'QUIT' logs you off of the muck. It must be typed in all caps.

say

This lets you say things--it's probably the most commonly used command of all! It can be abbreviated with a double quote. The end quotes are added automatically. For example: 'say Hello.' and '"Hi, there!' are both good ways to greet someone.

WHO

This gives you a list of who is online at the moment (if you type it in all caps, it tells you who's awake everywhere on the muck; if it's in lowercase, you're told who's in the room with you).

info registration

This tells you how to apply for a regular character!

Go to FictionMuck

Get a beginner's tutorial on using mucks (from FictionMuck)

Go back to the C & C homepage