+Breeinfo files.

=========================== BREEHELP FILES Ver 2.3 ==========================
This is the comprehensive help system of the Breefolk +culture of ElendorMUSH. For more information on a subject, and for a great deal of subtopics and subcategories, please type +breeinfo <topicname>. The capitalized portions of the file names can be used for your convenience.

NEWcomers: Name, Desc, Towns, Families
CHARacter-development: History, Job, +wardrobe
COMMands: Mushwide and Breespecific commands
THEME: Travel, Combat, Government, Outsiders
ADMINistration: Website, Features, Policies, Essays, Awards
RolePlay: Tips on Role-playing

While comprehensive, these files aren't complete. If you have any questions or ideas for additional files, feel free to contact any of the local admins.
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========================== Bree Info System: AWARDS ===========================
In the Breefolk culture, we reward great roleplay! For newbies and oldbies and middlebies alike, we have the Roleplayer of the Month Award. This person gets his/her name on the Roleplaying Wall of Fame and is smiled upon happily by all his/her peers.

Vote for RPotM in the +booc. We will also consult with +brate and the +greeters and LAs to determine this prestigious winner. Winners of RPotM in the past have gone on to accomplish such admirable feats and obtain such honorable positions as Head of Towne Council, Captain of the Guard, +Greeter, Local-Administrator, +Ruler, and EVEN earning the coveted BOOK_FEATURE flag.

Take the time to vote each month when votes are called for, and please remember to use +brate after each RP session you participate in.

For more information about the administration, please type +breeinfo admin
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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========================== Bree Info System: ESSAYS ===========================
The oldest, wisest beings ever to have lived in Bree have contributed little pieces of their eternal wisdom for the betterment of the culture. For some rambling thoughts on any of the following topics, please type +breeinfo <essayname>.

E-Econ: Some thoughts about how to use the economy during RP for your own good
and that of others
E-Help: Ways you can be of assistance to your hard-working public servants, the
Local-Admins.

More topics to come! If you'd like to compose an Essay for +breeinfo, let BAD know your thoughts and we'll take it from there.

To return to the administrative menu, type +breeinfo admin
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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========================= Bree Info System: FEATURES ==========================
The Features available to players in Bree are as follows:
*Barliman Butterbur
Bill Ferny
*Harry Goatleaf
*Bob
Nob
Mr. Mugwort
Rowlie Appledore
Tom Pickthorne
Mat Heathertoes
Willie Banks
(Ones with an asterisk by the name are currently being played.)

Also, the following non-Book Features are currently being played in Bree:
*Willem Black
*Gerthan Greenbriar
*Randel Rushfield
*Filby Pott

See +features <featurename> for a blurb about each feature being played.
Also see +breeinfo promoted for other Promoted Positions in Bree.
For more information about the administration, please type +breeinfo admin
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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*** +FEATURES BARLIMAN *******************************************************

NAME: Barliman
ALIASES: Butterbur
SEX: Male
RACE: Human
CULTURE: Breefolk
TITLE: Innkeeper of Bree

Barliman Butterbur, Keeper of the Prancing Pony, spends most of his time entertaining guests and forgetting messages he is charged to pass along.

Played features in his culture:
Aleswyn Bob Filby Gerthan Harry Randel Willem

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*** +FEATURES HARRY **********************************************************

NAME: Harry
ALIASES: Harry_Goatleaf
SEX: Male
RACE: Human
CULTURE: Breefolk
TITLE: Keeper of the Gate;BSHG

Gatekeeper of Bree. "Whatever they says about me is lies, all of it, I never done nuthin'! Jest opened the gate and shut the gate... like they told me I's s'posed to."

Played features in his culture:
Aleswyn Barliman Bob Filby Gerthan Randel Willem

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*** +FEATURES BOB ************************************************************

NAME: Bob
SEX: Male
RACE: Human
CULTURE: Breefolk
TITLE: Stable Boy of the Pony

In the employ of Mr Butterbur, Bob toils faithfully in the Stables, ensuring the quality of care provided to the steeds of the Pony's patrons equals the treatment given those with two feet.

Played features in his culture:
Aleswyn Barliman Filby Gerthan Harry Randel Willem

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========================= Bree Info System: PROMOTED ==========================
Certain positions within the town are not considered feature roles (although they may be held by an FC). These ones are the high-ranking jobs such as Head of the Towne Council, Head Breeguard, Master Merchant, etc. If a job title holds a certain amount of stature, chances are it will require some work to attain. Since responsibility goes hand-in-hand with the role, we would prefer that they be given to players who have demonstrated some dedication to their character.

If you would like to have a position like this and the role is unfilled, consider thinking of a plot for your character. For example, if you wanted to be the head of the council, suggest running an election TP. In all cases, promotion must have some IC reason behind it. Talk to BAD if you would like more details. Additionally, BAD will talk to you if they consider you a good candidate for such a role.

For more information on Bree Jobs, please type +breeinfo job-faq
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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========================= Bree Info System: HOMEPAGE ==========================
BAD maintains the Breefolks' web page. Our 'Official' website is located at:
http://bree.elendor.net

If you have any suggestions for the web page, please send them to BAD and her.

Want your picture posted? Mail to katran@its.caltech.edu (Wilbur). The photo gallery is at http://www.magary.com/kaz/breepix

If you have RP logs for the web page, please upload them at http://manager.elendor.net and tell BAD so an LA can approve your log.

For more information about the administration, please type +breeinfo admin
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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========================== Bree Info System: POLICY ===========================
The following files contain policies set forth by BAD which are used to OOCly govern Bree. All Breefolk are responsible for knowing the policies and abiding by them.

Tempalt

For more info on these topics, type +breeinfo <policyname>
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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============================ Bree Info System: RP =============================
We're all here, hopefully, for the same reason. Roleplay is the basis for this MUSH, and although some folks sadly seem to have fallen into a pattern of sticking up only for the enjoyment of others, Roleplay remains the focus of each player's activity while they are here.

In Bree, we'd like to think we are a Roleplay-oriented culture. We want roleplay here to be enjoyable as well as excellent. We have the potential to be one of the most dynamic and exciting cultures in the entire world, and it is up to our creative genius and willingness to use it to make it so. This section is designed to help out Roleplayers of varying levels of talent and experience.

If everyone who roleplays here practices the skills in each of the subtopics below, we will become the greatest RP culture Elendor has. To learn more about any of the following, please type +breeinfo <topicname>.

Basic - Beginner-level roleplay tactics and strategies
Intermediate - For the somewhat-experienced roleplayer who wishes improvement.
Advanced - Feature characters use these tactics to captive audiences.
Setting - Scene-Setting techniques for the ever-improving
Closing - How to smoothly shut down your presence in an IC situation

There is also a basic RP guide located on our website at http://bree.elendor.net/a.htm.
For a concise list of RP-specific commands, please type +breeinfo rpcoms
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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=========================== Bree Info System: BASIC ===========================
Use " to have your character speak words. No action at all - only the speech of your character. This is a 'say.'
For example, if Gail typed "Hi Barliman. Can I have some wine?, it would say:
Gail says, "Hi Barliman. Can I have some wine?"

Use : to do action. This is a 'pose.' You can incorporate speech into poses as well.
For example, if James typed :smiles and waves at Jill., it would say:
James smiles and waves at Jill.
Or, if James typed :smiles at Jill, saying, "Good morning, lass." it would say:
James smiles at Jill, saying, "Good morning, lass."

Use backslash to emit. This is the most versatile RP tool. Emitting allows you to write your RP as if you were narrating a story.
For instance, if Jim typed \The night in Bree is dark and gloomy as Jim strides across the dusty street toward the Prancing Pony., it would say:
The night in Bree is dark and gloomy as Jim strides across the dusty street toward the Prancing Pony.
Emit allows you to incorporate your environment much easier into your RP. If you have questions about this information or how to use, please ask a BAD member.

For more RP tips, please type +breeinfo intermediate
For the RP Topics menu, type +breeinfo rp
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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======================= Bree Info System: INTERMEDIATE ========================
Continually improving

*Don't pose thoughts. Remember, RP is what you can see, hear, smell, or touch. We can't see what your character is thinking, so if you catch yourself typing something like: "Ted wondered frantically which way home was," try replacing it with: "Ted shivered and looked frantically around the dark pathless woods."

*To help create and maintain IC reality, remember not to pose anything that contradicts what has been set, or is non-thematic. You can add anything else to a scene; as long as it fits into the room desc and what has already been posed.

*Pose length. Some people like to pose enormously spammy paragraphs. Other people get by with one or two lines. As a general rule, try to stay somewhere in between these two extremes. However, it's good to be guided by the scene. If everyone is posing quite short, it's good to try and keep your own short also. If the other players are typing up long poses, feel free to make yours longer also. But only if you want to. :) Don't feel pressured or intimidated into trying something you are not happy with just because others are doing it.

For more tips, type +breeinfo intermediate2
To return to the RP menu, type +breeinfo RP
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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======================= Bree Info System: INTERMEDIATE2 =======================
Continued...

*Have a goal. Having a goal, both for your character over the long-term, and for each RP session, can help you keep from ending up just standing around posing staring at each other. (Now that I've said that, I want to add this also. Please do not ever think that you MUST have a goal for each scene before you can RP. Also, don't be afraid to drop your goal in favor of something else, if it seems like the scene isn't heading that way. It's much better to be flexible, than to try and force RP.)

*Know your environment. It's fundamental that you know the weather, the general time of day, and where you are.

*Prepare a story or a song. It doesn't need to be long or complicated, but Middle Earth cultures use them a LOT. Be ready. :)

*If you're thinking of a complicated action pose, get up and act it out. Trust me, it can be a great help to getting things straight.

To return to the RP menu, type +breeinfo RP.
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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========================= Bree Info System: ADVANCED ==========================
"This is what I think makes up exceptional RP: a sense of time and place, a deep knowledge of character, true interaction with those you are playing with, and a certain spark of life."

Heading Towards Feature-Level RP.

Everyone RPs differently. Style, length of posing, use of language.. these vary from person to person. But there are a few things that characterize almost all high-level RP.

1. Remember the world around you.
Every scene, whether it is played this way or not, is set in the middle of a living, active world. Picture yourself in this world and write as if you are part of it, not the sole focus of the action. This can include adding small snippets of background color to your poses; bringing in NPCs; or even posing separate emits to add atmosphere. Don't go overboard on this either, but don't back away from it either.

Be detailed.
*Use lots of descriptive adjectives in order to portray not only the physical aspect of your RP, but the emotional and mental side of it as well.
*Watch yourself as you go about your daily business, and see what kinds of habits you have that you might throw in for added realism.
*Show, don't tell. Use body language. Don't always just say, "Bob frowns." Instead, consider, "Bob's eyebrows snap together and his face turns red."

or more, type +breeinfo advanced2
To return to RP tips, type +breeinfo RP
Main menu: +breeinfo
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========================= Bree Info System: ADVANCED2 =========================
2. Draw other players into the scene.
When you're writing your wonderfully rich, descriptive poses, don't leave other people out. :) RP is interaction. Give people something to respond to in your poses. This is a hook. Draw them into the scene and give them something they can play off of. If your char and Bob's char ICly would never speak to each other, this does not mean you can't RP together. Bring in some NPCs. Use body language. The people who are the most fun to play with find some way to bring everyone, newbie and oldbie, into the scene; even if they play grumpy, anti-social characters.

Another thing that fits under this heading is interaction. Don't be so focused on what you want out of a scene, that you forget to pay attention to what the other characters are doing and saying. No one should overpower the scene (unless they ICly are a king ;). A good player will know when to drop their own agenda and go along with someone else's. A great player can often merge the two; being flexible enough to go where the other players are leading, yet able still to accomplish what they want.

For more, type +breeinfo advanced3
To return to RP tips, type +breeinfo RP
Main menu: +breeinfo
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========================= Bree Info System: ADVANCED3 =========================
3. Use NPCs.
Bree is full of people. There are far more people ICly living in the area than are being played. It is very unlikely that you would be in the market place alone, or that no one else from town would be in the Pony at the same time as you. We often put these sorts of crowds into sets, but don't forget them during the scene either. They add interest, variety, and above all, reality to your poses. There are farmers, bakers, cart-men, children, housewives, guards, shepherds... Use them to give life to your scenes.

Don't forget animals, too. I'm not saying you need to invent a number of pets and haul them with you everywhere to play with; but there are birds, bugs, mosquitoes, flies, frogs, dogs, raccoons, squirrels, bats, etc that live in the world with us. Use them.

4. Know your character.
Get into your character's head and stay there. You don't need to know in advance what he or she would do in every situation - in fact, it's often better if you don't. But know their heart and mind. Know what motivates them, what frightens them, what they love and hate. Know who they are - then you will pose believably and consistently. If your char would act a certain way, pose that; even if you yourself know a better thing to do. But don't feel your characters can't grow and change. They will; they are real people, and the events of life will have an effect on them.

On a related note: Just because your char is stupid doesn't mean you have to be. Save the gorgeous words for your poses, instead of his conversations - but don't not use them! More on this in the next section.

For more, type +breeinfo advanced4
To return to RP tips, type +breeinfo RP
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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========================= Bree Info System: ADVANCED4 =========================
5. Improve your English.
The better your English skills are, the more fluid your RP will be.
*Use a thesaurus. Don't always use the same words to describe the same thing in every pose; the English language has synonyms for nearly everything. But do this in moderation. People aren't likely to want to wait 30 minutes or more for each pose while you look up every word you type. Logging your RP and then reading the logs later on can help you catch places where you repeat the same phrases over and over.
*Read good books. Especially read The Books. The more you are exposed to excellent prose, the better your own writing will become.
*Don't forget the importance of decent grammar and punctuation. Nobody's perfect, but glaring inaccuracies and mistakes can ruin the mood of an RP, just by jerking people out of the scene to try and decipher a pose.

To return to RP tips, type +breeinfo RP
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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========================= Bree Info System: SETTING2 ==========================
Setting the scene

The set is how you begin any scene. It gives the weather, the time of day, and any other pertinant information to everyone else who poses in. Once the scene has started, it is perfectly ok to add your own details to what's happening; just as long as you do not contradict what is in the set.

Don't be intimidated by setting; instead, think of it as your opportunity to impose your idea of the surroundings on everyone else. Also, it's really very simple. It doesn't need to be long, or flowery; it just needs to include the basics that everyone else will want to know in order to begin RPing: weather, general timeframe, where you are, and if anyone else is about.

"Bob sits in the middle of the lawn, staring up at the millions of stars that stud the midnight sky." That is a set. It's perfectly adequate: we are told where, who, weather (clear and probably not too cold), and time (midnight). But if we add to that, we can not only make the scene more interesting, we can give everyone more to pose off of. Think details. Why is Bob on the lawn at midnight? What is he wearing? It's midnight, but is it warm? Cold? Windy?

"Bob sits in the middle of the lawn, staring up at the millions of stars that glitter in the midnight sky. A slight frown mars his smooth features and once, his shoulders heave in a sigh. A warm breeze ruffles the curly hair at his temples and dashes through dry leaves, setting them to dancing with a rustle that sounds loudly in the quiet air." This says essentially the same thing as the previous set did, but it gives everyone a lot clearer idea of what's going on. And it gives them some hooks to play off of.

For tips on how to close a scene, type +breeinfo Closing
To return to RP tips, type +breeinfo RP
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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========================== Bree Info System: CLOSING ==========================
In the same way that you are not ICly in a scene until you have posed yourself in, you have not left a scene until you pose out. There are occasions when all of us have to leave immediately and cannot pose ourselves out; people will understand this. But please do not make a habit out of it.

At its most basic, posing out simply involves your character leaving the IC scene. You can leave the actual room: "George waves goodbye and heads outside, shutting the door behind him."; leave the scene: "George's face loses its smile and he stomps over to a nearby table, sulking into his ale and refusing to look at his friends."; or OOCly leave the RP, while your char is still there: "George's eyes roll up into his head and he slumps down onto the floor, unconcious."

The important part is that you get your character to a place where the other players don't need to RP awkwardly around him or her, waiting for a response that will never come, as you are not there to provide it.

To return to the RP menu, type: +breeinfo RP
Main Menu: +breeinfo
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