Vision

Accursed Lands Vision

This file describes the creative vision of the Accursed Lands(AL) community.  All community members have the opportunity to collaborate on this vision by raising their concerns with the staff. This vision is a contract between all members of the community. All actions of community members must support this vision.  If you are unable to abide by this vision, you have the chance to collaborate on it. If your objections to this vision cannot be reconciled, you do not belong in this community.  If you act intentionally to undermine this vision you may be removed from the community.

**The Game:**

AL is an unfolding story.  Players become both authors and readers, collaborating on its plot and interpretation. Established theme created by a staff of volunteer writers provides the backdrop.  Players bring their characters to life in a world described by the game's mechanics.

**Community:**

All community members are writers in AL.  They are enabled by the game's mechanics.  As they become more involved with the community they may take on different roles:

* Players - Players craft the motivations and actions of their character as if it were a living being in the world of Terrinor.  They are free to build this character as they like.
* Mentors - Mentors are players who have proven themselves worthy of extra responsibility.  A number are selected by staff consensus.  They have special duties regarding new player education.  In addition, they are awarded the chance to control non-player characters at the staff's discretion
* Creators - Creators describe the world that the players inhabit.  This consists of physical environments and the characters that inhabit them.

**Writing:**

All writers describe what is perceived using the game's mechanics.  The world should be described in purely physical terms.  The writing should never force intellectual conclusions on the reader.  Players should feel like the main character in a story they write.

**Collaboration Between Staff and Players:**

The staff and players are writing the same story.  The staff should describe the world in a neutral way and the players should describe their character's emotions and reactions to it. Player characters provide the human aspect to the story.  Staff should ensure the world is fair in the opportunities it provides players to explore their characters. Players should be equipped with the information they need to play their character in a realistic way.  This information should only be released in such a way that it is available to all players.

All community members should work towards creating an environment that is fun.  If staff do not enjoy their work, the world will cease to be developed.  If players cease to enjoy the world, it will be abandoned.  All community members must strive to maintain this pleasant atmosphere.

**Roleplaying:**

Players should control their character as though they are a living being.  The story that evolves around their character should be in response to that character's interpretation of the world.  Players should keep their own thoughts and motivations separate from the motivations of this character. The community should not punish players according to their ability to roleplay.  As long as all players display a willingness to participate and remain in character, they are welcome here.  If they abuse out of character knowledge or have out of character motivations they are not welcome.

All players should be motivated by the prospect of creating a character within our world. All roles should be played out within the confines of the game's code.  All roles should be considered equal in the respect that they each provide equal insight into a character's life.

Roles that require special support from the staff may be available to players if they prove themselves worthy members of the community.  These situations will be decided on an individual basis, governed by open rules which emphasize fairness.

**Rules:**

Rules should be enforced by coded mechanics where possible.  We will attempt to minimize policing that staff perform.  Any rule that they may enforce will be recorded in a help file.

**Code:**

Objects are expected to be designed based on a real-world counterpart if it exists.  Code is expected to be readable, understandable and well documented, and should follow coding best practices suitable to object oriented programming.

**Theme:**

The story is a low gothic fantasy horror.  Magic is generally rare and viewed with superstition and fear.  Some magical artifacts and ruins from times past persist, but few powerful mages still live, and they often keep themselves quite isolated or operate quite subtly.

**Commands:**

Commands should be made intuitive.  All actions should be input using plain English where possible.

**Education:**

AL provides great opportunities for personal development.  We are a community of authors, artists, programmers and role players. There are opportunities to have your writing appreciated by the community.  This is a great chance to develop your creative writing skills in general. There are also many opportunities for staff members to improve their programming and interpersonal skills.  If you are a positive member of the community these opportunities should become more available.

Many of these skills would set apart applicants for a job opportunity. It is important that we maintain AL as a respectable community so that these opportunities don't disappear.  Our many years of history have earned us that respect.  Our continued effort and participation will maintain it.

**Administration:**

Administrators are responsible for holding the community together. They are volunteer staff members who have proved themselves worthy of the extra responsibility. They are mainly responsible for keeping the MUD running and settling disputes between community members. They are expected to be unbiased and reasonable.  They should have a somewhat selfless commitment to the community.  They are collective owners of the game.