Roleplaying Tips

Our theme is somewhat different than that of most other MUDs, and we have different expectations for our players.  Many of these are outlined in other files, but some particularly important tricks of roleplaying, and quirks of our setting, deserve to be listed here.

* If your character is inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's work, your favorite Dungeons and Dragons setting, popular fiction, or pretty much anything else besides the contents of your own head, he shouldn't be immediately recognizable as such.  People come here for a unique roleplaying environment; being forced to interact with carbon copies of various well-known fantasy characters can be quite annoying to people attempting to play an original role.

* Make sure your speech is appropriate to the game's period.  Accursed Lands is set in a period largely equivalent to Earth's mid-to-late Dark Ages, from about AD 800 to AD 1000; since Old English would be unintelligible to most players, proper speech is mainly a matter of avoiding obvious anachronisms.  Speaking in Elizabethan English (you might know it as "high style" or something similar) is a bad idea, as are excessively modern or slangy terms; if you come across sounding as if you've just returned from a day at the mall or the RenFaire, it's probably time to reconsider your speech patterns.  The speech of the NPCs in your native town can be a good starting point, but more obscure speech patterns are certainly acceptable as long as they fit with your character concept.

* When in doubt, however, use everyday language.  While it can be productive to limit your vocabulary while dealing with an unfamiliar language, or to refrain from using obscure terms while playing an uneducated race, this should be done with caution; all too often, it can be more silly than helpful.  It is almost never a good idea to try to expand your natural vocabulary to play a well-educated character, and a caveman-level vocabulary is always a mistake unless you're playing a semi-moronic character by the standards of any race.

* Name your characters well.  Uncommon or obscure RL names, such as "Yuri" or "Leda", can fit well with Accursed Lands' setting, but more common ones such as "Jack" or "Cindy" usually do not.  It's also a good idea to consider the theme of your race and starting region when choosing a name; it's somewhat incongruous to find a man with an obviously Japanese-influenced name living in a Germanic-tinged logging village.  Our naming system allows for several aliases; you don't have to give out your character's real name if you don't want to.

* Consider the setting carefully with regard to your character's actions. With a couple exceptions, our races are still very much stuck in the Dark Ages; concepts such as racial equality, freedom of speech, a fair judicial system, and nearly all currently accepted "human rights" are unknown or likely to be laughed right out of any serious discussion (gender relations, however, tend to be more or less egalitarian, for a variety of reasons).  Attempting to start a new religion is likely to get you burned or run out of town as a cultist or heretic, and non-violence is usually completely out of the question.  Terrinor is not, however, completely dog-eat-dog; the strong may indeed rule, but bear in mind that the authorities in any city are (at least collectively) stronger than any individual player.

* Think about what race to choose before choosing one.  Accursed Lands' races are much more than just collections of stats; the deepest differences between them lie in their philosophies towards life.   Almost any player will be able to find a race fitting their playing style, but if you choose according to perceived combat ability (for example), the race you pick is almost certain to be unsatisfactory.   If you want to go against the grain with a race, you're welcome to do so, but think carefully beforehand; it's certain to be much more difficult than creating a more conventional character, especially from a roleplaying perspective.  This is especially true with regard to magic, as most of Terrinor's people would think nothing of stoning a suspected wizard to death in the town square.

* Accursed Lands is NOT oriented around combat.  You don't need to go around murdering helpless animals or innocent civilians to get better at anything.  If you want to learn to fight, get ahold of a friend, grab a couple of staves or another relatively inoffensive weapon, and spar a bit, using defensive styles to avoid serious injury.  Similarly, it's usually best to keep weapons sheathed when they're not in use; it's very intimidating to see people running around with weapons drawn all the time.

See also: anachronisms, roleplay, OOC, IC