Chargen Guide

Welcome to Dark Horizons! So you're ready to create a character? This guide will help you out and walk you through our char gen process. 
==Creating a Character==
Once you've decided to create a character and chosen a name, simply connect to the game and, at the login screen, type create <character name> <password>. Don't worry, you can change their name later if you like!
This will get you set up with a character-object and log you into the game. 
* Be sure to type @chan/on pub and @chan/on new so that you can ask questions or look for help on the <Public> and <Newbies> channels. 
* If you want to use ANSI color (highly recommended!), type @set me=ansi and @set me=color
* Now you have two options - you can either proceed to the tutorial or skip and go straight into inputting your background.
===Tutorial===
If you're new to MUSH and aren't quite sure what you're doing, we suggest checking out the tutorial. It will tell you what we are and what we do and let you know basic MUSH etiquette, as well as how to do basic things like move around, pose, deal with channels and pages, find out who's staff, and read helpfiles.
==Chargen==
Chargen, or 'character generation', consists of several parts. For the most part, you can simply follow the directions on your screen at any given time. 
You can go back to adjust any of this information at any time by typing back and inputting the command again. You can only move forward using next once you have completed a section. 
===OOC Information===
* Set your email address: &email me=<email address>
* If you want others to be able to see it: @set me/email=visual
===Canon===
Dark Horizons wants to be certain that you understand our theme and canon, since so much of the Star Wars universe does not apply here. 
Once you're sure that you do, type +canon <one to four sentence summary of 'news canon'>.
===Basic Information===
Here is where you give the basic details about your character - their name, age, species, description, and homeworld. Use the follow commands to input the information:
*@sex me=<Male or Female>
*+fullname <first and last name>
*+species <your character's species>
*+age <your character's age>
*+homeworld <your character's home planet>
*@desc me=<description>
If you decide you'd like your character's display name to be something different, use @name me=<new name>. For two-word names (such as Anakin Skywalker), put the full name in quotes (@name me="Anakin Skywalker"). You will likely also want to set a short 'alias' by typing @alias me=<alias>.
For help on the multi-descer, where you can store many descs and cycle through them easily, see +desc/help.
===Background===
The background is the meat of your character - who is she? Where is she from? What does she do or want to do for a living? 
====Specials====
On DH, you will choose a 'special' for your character. It's good to know what this is before you start to consider your background too heavily, because it can affect who your character is and what they are capable of.
The specials are:
* Experience - this gives you several extra levels worth of experience to spend on classes, reflecting more training, age, or other experience.
* Property - this gives you a credit boost at start, with which you can make investments or buy property.
* Sensitive - you are Force Sensitive and have the potential to be trained in its use. Note that taking this special does NOT guarantee that you will become a Jedi, Sith, or Rogue Force User. It simply means you have the potential. You must read Jedi Training before taking this special.
Once you have decided on a special, type +special <special> to select it. This cannot be changed once you have left chargen.
====Writing Your Background====
In general, backgrounds should be anywhere from a paragraph to three paragraphs long. They don't need to be crazy in-depth - they just need to give a sense of who your character is and where they're starting from. 
Some things to be careful of:
* Do not include past relationships with or knowledge of Jedi in your history.
* Do not include past relationships with FCs in your history.
* Your character can be Force-sensitive, but they cannot be aware of their ability to use the Force at creation. 
* Don't write resources or money into your history that your character cannot have at creation. 
* Do not give your character a rank or title that they cannot have at creation. For military characters, feel free to contact a faction leader to discuss possibilities - characters may be able to create at a mid-level rank with the appropriate history.
* Be sure that you only incorporate references from our canon - that means no prequels and no EU!
Use the following commands to work on your background:
*+bg -- shows your background.
*+bg/set <text> -- sets your background to <text>.
*+bg/add <text> -- adds to the end of your background.
*+bg/edit <old text>=<new text> -- replaces <old text> with <new text>.
*+bg/clear -- clears your background.
===Almost done!===
In the final room, note that the '+review' command does not yet work. You might want to check your background and stats before you finish. Remember, you can go back and change anything you've done at this point - but once you type 'finish', you've made your final selection.
===Approval!===
Approval is generally very fast, as long as there is a wizard online to read your background. If there is not, it may take anywhere from several hours to a day. If you've waited longer than this, feel free to ask anyone on +staff to ask about your background. 
You cannot choose levels and set your stats until you have been approved. You'll receive a mail with further instructions. Use @mail 1 to read it. 
==Classes and Leveling==
You're approved! Now let's set up your stats. Stats on DH are used in the background of a lot of code to determine the outcome of almost all coded actions, from +shoot to +invest to +repair.
The stat system on DH is a bit opaque, and purposefully so. You won't see numbers when you type +stats - you'll only see word levels that reflect your ability. If you're unsure of what something means, ask! Most people are helpful.
To start setting up your stats, type writer and go into the Writer's Room. Here you can l char to look at the character advancement object. This will always tell you what classes you have available to take. These available classes will occasionally change as you gain higher levels, so check back here!
You want to choose your classes by what is IC for your character. You can find out more about each class by typing news <class> or by visiting the list of classes on the wiki. Once you've selected a class, level up in it by typing +level <class>.
You cannot change or undo the levels you take once you have taken them. There is also no way to track what levels you've taken unless you note them yourself. You can only see the change in word descriptions in your +stats.
Each class costs 100 XP. XP is earned almost entirely through RP. Check out the articles on using +vote, +nom, and +wnom for more information on how that happens. The vote cycle changes every Sunday morning.
To return to this area at any time to level, type +ooc and enter the Writer's Room. +ic will return you to your last IC location.
You might also wish to check out our OOC meeting, Q&A on Classes.
==+finger==
Not everyone uses +finger, and it is not required. However, many find it helpful if you put at least a few public-information type basics, such as your full name, your title or rank, your roughly apparent age, and anything else that people might easily know about you. 
You might also want to include some OOC info, like a link to your wiki page or your general hours of RP availability. 
See +help +finger for information on how to set up your +finger.
==Starting RP!==
You're done! You can start RP on the grid right away. Just exit and then type film to go to the Filming Room. From here, you can exit in the Coruscant Spaceport. If you would like to ICly start somewhere else, just check +staff for a Judge and ask them to tel you to a more appropriate location. 
The best way to find RP is generally to ask around on <Public>. You can also read the wanted board (+bbread 16) and page someone to respond to a job ad, or post an ad yourself, putting yourself out for hire. 
Good luck, and welcome to DH!
==Other==
You may also wish to check out our other basic guides to help you get started:
*Economy Guide
*Spaceflight Guide
Category:Guides