Magic Markers - use them

## Magic Marker: adding magic to your builds

Being able to create your own playable virtual environment can be a great deal of fun, but it can also be challenging to figure out how to use the tools. Once you get the hang of it, however, the Magic Marker is the tool that helps a player builder create an entertaining experience.

What the marker does, primarily, is alter how rooms are experienced by the user. Basic aspects like room name and room description are an important part of how any room is perceived, but the marker goes another layer deeper.

## Link Labels

By default, a link seen from the origin room speaks the room name of the linked destination room. The marker lets you edit how that room name appears. A builder can obscure the linked room's name to create mystery, or make the link be more detailed in its meaning. How that link is labeled is up to the builder.

As an example, a link label might be set to "a waterfall", with the room beyond being a hidden room named "the way out". The link will be spoken as "To the East, there is a waterfall". Moving farther past the hidden room, that room name would be seen as "the way out".

Note: Editing the link label in the origin room does not edit the name of the destination room, so don't be surprised when the default link name is identical to the actual room name.

## Traverse Messages

When players move between rooms, that is a traverse event. The marker lets builders assign a message to be spoken when a player moves from an origin room to a destination room. Each link, passing in just the 1 direction, may have a traverse message. Although a common door automatically links in both directions, a traverse message only triggers in 1 direction. This lets builders define a specific message for each direction of any link.

As an example, going East might say "You enter the house" but going West would say "You leave the house".

By default, links have "null" as a traverse message. Those messages are ignored. To remove a traverse message, set it to "null".

## Location Name

The magic Marker also goes a layer of detail higher, by allowing builders to edit how their build appears out on the world map. The location name appears when a player uses the "look" command to see where they are in the world. Being the initial contact players have with a build, this is what makes that all important first impression.

For example, "tower of cake" will be spoken as "There is a tower of cake here".

## Room Encounters

Beyond appearance, the Magic Marker also lets builders control where, at what difficulty level, and which opponents might be encountered within a build. Rooms can be assigned specific types of creatures to be encountered, and details for the opponent group will be generated automatically.

For example, a maze of tunnels might be configured to generate low level opponents at the entry level and each level lower in the maze would be assigned more deadly creatures. An especially dangerous opponent would be placed in a special location, to be the boss.

## Location Hostility

The entire build location can also be toggled to generate encounters or not, allowing builders to avoid bothersome encounters while they work. Remember to toggle on the monsters.

See Also:

* Category:Build Guides