Blood Dusk Helpfiles

alter

Usage
alter
alter mydesc <description>
alter room [title | brief | descr] <description>
Description
The alter interface allows you to change text descriptions of your character and your real estate, if you have any. To change your character's description (displayed whenever anyone looks at you), use mydesc as the first argument and then type your description exactly as you want it to appear.

You can only change the description of a room when you are holding the deed in your inventory. Then you can submit alter requests for the three text items on a room: the title (e.g., "Library"), the brief description (shown when a character using brief mode enters), and the full description (shown when looking at the room).

In all cases, your description must be well-formatted, with proper punctation and capitalization. The word "you" may not be used at all. The room title should just be a few words, all capitalized, the describes the room as simply as possible. Brief descriptions must be 77 characters or less, and full descriptions should be no more than four or five sentences.

Example of a BAD character description:
"As you look at Trok's big muscles, you feel a sense of awe come over you! He is some awesome!!!"
Example of a GOOD character description:
"Trok is a huge man, with mighty thews built from years of swinging a battle-axe. Steel-grey eyes beneath a thick brow suggest a slow wit but extremely quick anger."

It should go without saying that the description should actually be accurate. If you mention mighty thews and your character has a strength of 14, you will need to rewrite. Please take a look at existing game descriptions (NPCs and locations) for examples of how to write appropriately. Room alterations should generally be submitted in threes, as your new title should
match your new descriptions. An exception is if you are re-wording one of the text items without changing any major details about the location.

It is recommended that you compose your alter request in an external editor, and then cut-n-paste the text as one line into your telnet client.

Once an alter request has been submitted, it should be reviewed by the administration within a few days. If your description is appropriate and well-written, it will be approved with an experience cost. You can then use enact to make the description active assuming you have enough experience. If your description does not meet the proper criteria, it will be rejected with brief reason why. Rewrite your description, mindful of the rejection reason, and submit it again.

The exp cost is assigned according to the complexity and ego level of the description. If request a description along the lines of "Dressed in plain clothes, this gentle-faced young man bears a shy smile..." the exp cost will be very low, perhaps even zero. If you request the more popular type of description, ala "Trok is a powerful and agile warrior of incredible skill and dazzling bravery...", expect to pay quite a bit for the privilege of displaying your ego this way. Also taken into account is the strength of writing and uniqueness of the description. If it is interesting and unique, expect a break. If it is trite and conventional, expect to pay more.

Typing alter by itself will show you a list of your current alter requests.

Examples
alter mydesc A beautiful woman of refined breeding, Kyeel moves with the grace of an aristocrat. The tell-tale callouses on her strumming fingers reveal her chosen vocation: bard.
alter room title Library
alter room brief The cozy confines of the chamber is brimming with book-laden shelves.
alter room descr The cozy chamber is quite small and confined, but manages to be welcoming nonetheless. A roaring fire burns on the hearth. All of the walls are lined with book-laden shelves made of fine oak.

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