Builder Team
Building is how we create a dynamic world and provide new content for our players to explore. If you’ve ever wanted to make your mark on the game and assist us in making it new and exciting, then perhaps building is for you.
Please note that you do not have to be an experienced builder. If you can follow instructions and string sentences together in a way that suits the game, then we are willing to devote the time to make an experienced builder out of you.
Still interested? Here are some things to know:
Builder Guidelines
General Writing Guidelines
Builder Application
- We have work to do and plans to follow. The builder port is a place for work and may pull you away from your mortals. Therefore, you will not be able to sign up on conditions that you only work on this or that area, or only build mobs, or only build items. We all have to do everything to get our areas done, and even the most well-written mobs will not make a wire-frame room viable. Each round of building will have a handful of needed areas open, and you will have a choice of one of those.
- We are a team. Since we all have to work together as a team, please do not apply if you cannot do this. If you have personal problems with any of the builders, it is best not to bring them onto the builder port where you will detract more than contribute.
- Building is creative writing. We expect you to have a solid command of spelling and grammar. You may also be told to redo sections of areas, treating your first version like a draft. It is not to say that you are a bad builder, but we want to enforce a certain standard for areas slated to enter into the game for our players. Consequently, creativity and the ability to write many conceptually identical rooms is vital.
- Building draws on your game experience. Many builders are surprised at how much else there is other than writing descriptions. Much of building is specifying flags and dice values for rooms, objects, and mobs. Even if you write excellent descriptions, poor mechanics will break an area and possibly disrupt game balance. You cannot build if you dislike game mechanics and have no desire to learn. Although some basic guidelines are set, it is crucial that you have at least played the game to understand current content. For this reason, we will not accept completely new players on the condition that they only write descriptions.
- The builder port is not a place to cheat. We have plans that we expect you not to reveal to the playerbase. Additionally, do not to sign up in order to stat equipment, find out quests, or build equipment solely for you and your friends. You must be on good standing in the game before you will be considered.
- Everything you build belongs to CoM. Please note that building administrators have the final say in the case of conflicts or needed changes. All builders build on the condition that their area may be changed or removed later in accordance to game direction.
- Have a firm grasp of proper spelling and grammar.
- Active is better than passive. (“A row of birches arcs across the meadow” rather than “A row of birches can be seen on the meadow.”)
- Be able to describe objectively rather than impose feelings on the player. Do not reference the player unless it is in progs. (“A red couch sits against the wall” rather than “A beautiful red couch sits before you.”)
- Avoid redundant and vague terms such as “can be seen” and “seems.” All descriptions describe what is visible, and most cases of something seeming to be here or there can be described with “is.”
- Be concise rather than purple. If you are writing too much detail in a room description, it may be better to make items and then put descriptions on those. Avoid obscure words that most people will not understand without a dictionary and unconventional usages.
- Use sufficient detail; it is more interesting to say “The scraggly grass grows between the crevices of the rocks” than “Grass grows near the rocks.”
Room descriptions:
Name: title case. For example, “A Volcanic Wasteland” or “A Clearing in the Forest”.
Descriptions: must be at least 5 sentences of average length, which are 5-8 lines of 77 characters when formatted. Do not reference history, use “you”, or impose feelings on the viewer. Let the viewers judge for themselves! Describe a room stripped of its major objects and possibly where exits lead. Include details such as location, materials, lighting, smells, conditions, colors, and textures.
Your description should fit within this box (8 lines of 77 characters if your browser is working).
Item descriptions:
Short description: the description of the item, such as “a braided belt”
Long description: the description seen when the item is on the floor. Try to add more to the desc than “A braided belt is here.” This item, for example, has long description “A belt braided from the hairs of various beasts lies here.”
Extended description: a longer description when the item is examined more closely. This is optional and defaults to the long description if the object is on the floor and no extended description is added.
Mob descriptions:
Short description: same as players, for example: a Serian Peacekeeper
Long description (when ‘look’ is used): A Serian Peacekeeper is here, receiving orders.
Extended description: what is seen when players type “look mob.” Should follow close to the same rules as a player description, leaving out emotion, actions, and the word “you”. It is occasionally fine to describe their clothing on them, as it is more practical to save a majority of object slots for things players can use.
Submit to me at iskvarren[at]mdhoria.net:
4 room descs. Create rooms that make logical sense rather than fantastic, surreal rooms:
- Describe a bare hallway of any sort. Avoid large items.
- Describe a room of this desert (courtesy Marc Ryckaert).
- Describe a room adjacent to either of the above.
- A room of your choice.
1 mob desc. Give the short, long, and extended desc of a mob that would fit into one of your rooms.
1 item desc. Give the short, long, and an extended desc of an object that might be found in one of your rooms.
1 edited desc. Edit this room description to fit the guidelines. You may add or remove details as long as you keep the basic idea:
As you enter the cave, you suddenly fall to your knees as you are hit
with a painful feeling of loss. As you slowly get back on your feet, you
notive the bareness of the cave. The cave walls are unnaturally smooth.
The stone floor is immacuately clean, as if no dirt has ever touched the
floor. In the center of the cave stands a black stone altar that seems to
draw in the light from the room, making it darker than it should be. You
have never felt more alone in your entire life.
Tell me: How would you go about describing 60 rooms of ocean surface so that the area is interesting? In your answer, do not discuss objects or mobs; simply address how room descriptions for each room would be constructed.
Your info. How I can contact you, which character(s) you play, and anything else you feel may be relevant to your application.
