NEWS General

This is a rewrite of the general material from the NEWS files. Some tidying up and updating, and an attempt to make the staff application files less brutally intimidating.

& mush & introduction ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] This MUSH is an interactive role-playing environment where you can roleplay with people from all over the world by all connecting to the same machine. The word MUSH is an acronym meaning Multi-User Shared Hallucination. The name is derived from the fact that the world around you isn't really there: it exists only in your imagination. All of us are imagining essentially the same thing - hence the name.

There are a few abbreviations we will use in this brief discussion, which you need to be familiar with. RP is shorthand for role-playing. PC is short for player-character (a character played by a player such as yourself). IC is shorthand for in-character. And OOC is shorthand for out-of-character.

The primary goal of a role-playing game is similar to acting in a movie or a play. The admins are like screen writers and directors. We construct background scenery and set up situations that provide in-game stimuli for your character. The players are like the actors. They make up a character, define the PC's personality and background, and then act out the PC's role in much the way Arnold Schwarzenegger acts out the role of a Terminator.

continues in NEWS INTRODUCTION 2 --

& introduction 2 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] One difference of course, is that for an actor, the entire story is scripted. In a role-playing game (RPG), the admins might provide you with the backbone of a plot, but YOU decide what your character's lines/actions/decisions will be. This makes it both more challenging and more fun, in many ways, than conventional acting.

Traditionally, RPGs were played in your living room, with you and a few friends. One person acts as the GameMaster (GM) and makes up a plot for the others. The rest take on the parts of hero characters. In a MUSH, we are all in different parts of the world, and people do not necessarily meet at any one time. Players log in, play for a while, then quit when the real world calls to them. Because of this, there is more than one GM (the admins act as a group of GMs, and all players are encouraged to run scenes and plots when they feel confident with doing so), and often the plots of a MUSH (traditionally called TinyPlots or TPs) tend to be more dynamic and free-form. Don't worry if it sounds confusing. The rest of us are here to help you. And anyway, it's easy. You'll catch on in no time.

continued in NEWS INTRODUCTION 3 --

& hero games & introduction 3 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Champions MUSH is based on the game originally called CHAMPIONS, created by Steve Peterson and George McDonald, and produced by Hero Games. Hero Games has an excellent web-page, with lots of great information and very active forums. You can also direct-order any of their products from the website. The game is now the "Hero System" and exists in its 6th edition.

If you intend to be a serious Champions gamer, even just online, we highly recommend the purchase of the rulebooks. It will make playing here easier. But even without the rulebooks you can play on the MUSH. We have a number of pre-generated characters, so you don't have to know how to create a character, and both staff and players (same thing really) help out anyone new to the rules system.

The address of Hero Games on the web is: http://www.herogames.com

We have a Wiki now: http://www.championsmush.com/wiki/Main_Page

Check it out. Updating of the Wiki is a bit sporadic but there are many old scene logs, archived +media articles and general articles which will help you catch up on what's been happening in the game world.

continued in NEWS INTRODUCTION 4 --

& introduction 4 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] We have a lot of information available for new players. Not all of it in the correct place. Not always up to date. Think of it as an adventure. I promise we're working on improving the situation. We have been for years but: we're rather be playing and running plots than typing up text files.

There are many online text files. These are grouped into collections by their function.

NEWS    -  General Policies, Acceptable Use Policy, this Introduction. RULES   -  The MUSH House Rules and Character Creation Guide. THEME   -  (Currently empty: Events files will go here when updated) EVENTS  -  The MUSH Game World details and history. +HELP   -  User's manual for the MUSH's coded commands and systems.

The Wiki - http://www.championsmush.com/wiki/Main_Page Website -  http://tangent.dune.net/~champsmush

(The website has been under construction for several years. If you    are a web designer and want our eternal gratitude (guaranteed for six weeks, exceptions may apply) please speak to any of the staff.)

further reading: NEWS CHAMPIONS - The history of the game rules. NEWS RPGS      - An brief introduction to Roleplaying. --

& champions ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Champions MUSH is based on the game CHAMPIONS (the SUPER role-playing game) by Hero Games. CHAMPIONS was first published in 1981 by Hero Games, created by Steve Peterson and George MacDonald, perhaps the two greatest geniuses in the history of 20th Century RPGs. The system was fairly simple back then (the whole rulebook fit into about 80 pages) and there were a lot of things it couldn't do. Then in 1989, several editions later, the classic 4th Edition CHAMPIONS rulebook was published, unifying the entire body of work that had been produced throughout the decade by Hero Games: Champions, Super Agents, Star Hero, Fantasy Hero, etc., into one complete system called the Hero Rules System (Champions and the Hero System are tm and copyright by Hero Games: see NEWS DISCLAIMER for details).

The basic premise behind Champions is that, with the system, you can describe ANYTHING in terms of points and dice. For points, the system uses Character Points. Each item you purchase costs a specific number of Character Points per unit of the item. For instance, the units of the Power Energy Blast are Dice, and you get 1 Die of damage per 5 points you spend.

continued in NEWS CHAMPIONS 2 --

& champions 2 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Like most RPGs, Champions uses randomly generated numbers to determine stuff like whether you succeed at using a skill, or whether you hit your opponent, or how much damage you do. The random number generator used in Champions is the six-sided die (abbreviated D6). When you roll more than one D6, the number of D6 you roll prefixes it. Thus, if you are to roll three dice, it is usually abbreviated as 3D6. The concept is that EVERYTHING in the game can be described by a combination of Points and Dice, and that all points are equal in all ways (thus, you can spend the same Character Points you have on Strength or on Energy Blast, or on Flight) is at the heart of Champions.

The other breakthrough CHAMPIONS made, in addition to making the points the same for everything and thus the entire system unified and standard, was the concept of the Special Effect. This means that the Powers and Talents are standardized for simplicity and unity, but you can have them represent different things by combining Powers with Special Effects.

continued in NEWS CHAMPIONS 3 --

&champions 3 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Thus, for instance, an Energy Blast is simply a ranged attack that does 1D6 of damage per 5 points spent. You can *define* that Energy Blast as anything you want: a bolt of fire, a blast of heat, a rubber bullet, a giant ping-pong ball, a lemon-meringue pie, etc. Similarly, Armor is simply a defensive Power that gives you +2 points of defense for every 3 points you spend. You can define the Armor as a flak jacket of kevlar, or a suit of chain mail worn by a medieval knight, or even dense flesh. What the Armor looks like, and how it feels to the touch, i.e. what its Special Effect (SFX) is, is completely up to the player.

Because of this combination of points, many Powers and modifiers to those Powers, and flexibility of Special Effects, I've often stated the following: you can make up *anything* in Champions. This doesn't mean it will necessarily be *allowable* by the admins (a character with enough power to blow up the world would be rejected, I guarantee you). But it's entirely possible to do it.

continued in NEWS CHAMPIONS 4 --

&champions 4 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] One drawback to Champions is that, because it's so broadly general and yet so flexible, it's often a bit complex and difficult to understand. We admins realize this, and we're all here to help you as you embark on the creation of your first Player Character (PC). Feel free to ask for help at any time on the Newbie channel (use +new ), or by paging any one of us (page = ). We've done our best to make the system as user-friendly as possible, but we're always happy to help.

I'd like to point out at this juncture that this is probably a very different superhero MUSH than any you've played before (if you have played one before). Most of them use either very simple points systems or, more commonly, text-based verbally written powers and simple consent role-play. While consent is a very important part of Champions this game is based ENTIRELY on the Champions RPG. It is designed to be run and played in this fashion. Therefore, we play by the Champions rules. Everything in Champions costs points, and must be purchased either at the time of character creation, or by using Experience Points. That's how the game system works, and that's what this MUSH is all about.

So now get out there, and Be A Hero! --

& rpg ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] A role-playing game (RPG) is different from most other types of games. In most games, the other players are your opponents, and you strive to "defeat" them. In RPGs, there are no "opponents". Instead, the goal of the game is to take on the part of a character and act it out, and if everyone does that together, we're all, in a sense, "winners" - i.e., we all have an enjoyable time.

The most important thing you need to be able to RP is a CHARACTER. Now, by this I don't mean all of the stats, skills, and items that your character has. What I mean by character is the personality, motivations, loves, fears, goals, and desires of your character. Role-playing is like a complex form of acting. When you RP, you are trying to act out your character as you think he or she would act given the situation at hand. Many people choose to make up a character just like themselves. This is common but is NOT a requirement. In fact, the most fun I have ever had is RPing characters that are NOTHING like me. It gives you a chance to be someone else for a little while, and can be enormously rewarding. continued in NEWS RPG 2 --

& rpg 2 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] When you RP, you should keep an eye out for things your character would say and do. For instance, where is he from? Is she a street urchin turned into a golden-hearted thief? If so, she would have a much different way of speaking and acting from that of a mayor or a businessman. If your character IS a mayor, then you should play him as such. He need not be snooty and look down his nose at people, but he probably will be inclined to order folks around without even thinking about it. He CERTAINLY wouldn't be likely to, for instance, pick up a pen he drops, at least not if there are underlings around to do it for him! On the other hand, the thief would probably never even think of asking someone to pick up a pen she dropped. Keep these sorts of things in mind when you are RP'ing. continued in NEWS RPG 3 --

& rpg 3 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Another thing to keep in mind is the difference between being IC and OOC. When an actor is deeply into a role, so that it is hard to tell the difference between the actor and the character he or she is playing, we often say that the actor is "in character". Examples of actors who did outstanding jobs, to the point where it was hard to tell them apart from their character, are Jean Stapleton from the 1970s TV show "All in the Family," and Jack Nicholson in almost any movie he has ever done. However, while Jack Nicholson may have convinced people everywhere that he was the crazed killer Joker in the Batman movie, no one thinks he is a killer in real life. He is playing the part... but when he does so, he is absolutely convincing. continued in NEWS RPG 4 --

& rpg 4 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Now we come to one of the more common problems, especially with people new to RP. Sometimes a person will make up a character who is a nasty person, even though the player himself is nice. Other players will be playing nice characters who are similar to themselves. And occasionally, people mix up IC with OOC behavior. That is, if I play a jerk, it often happens that the other players come to dislike ME, and not merely my character. Of course, I MAY be a jerk in real life (RL). However, just because someone is playing a bombastic boor ICly does not mean you have to dislike him OOCly. Remember to keep things separate. For instance, Jack Nicholson is not considered to be a homicidal maniac just because he has acted the part of one a few times. It is understood that he is ACTING. Remember that when you are interacting with people ICly. continued in NEWS RPG 5 --

& rpg 5 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Extremely important in the ability to play an interesting and believable character are the background, and the motivations, which often stem from the background. Before you enter the Character Generation rooms to make up your character and pick his powers and skills, ask yourself: WHERE did this character get his powers? What, in his past, made him want to become a hero? And how does that past affect his current motivations and goals?

When I make up a character, I first envision what kind of personality I want to play, and then design a background with events in it that lead logically to that personality. Therefore, I suggest that you take a few minutes to scribble down a list of personality traits and motivations for your character, and perhaps write a paragraph describing his/her background before doing anything else. Then you'll be ready to enter the Character Generation process. Good Luck! --

& disclaimer ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] This MUSH is not associated with with Hero Games or the publishers of Hero products (DOJ Inc) and we do not intend to infringe on copyright material. We readily acknowledge all features of the game system (as well as special Champions campaign material such as VIPER, UNTIL, etc.) to be the property of Hero Games and its publishers. Our MUSH is a work created by FANS of the game who wish to play it online in addition to in their own homes. CM is a hobby of those fans, and is provided on the internet free of charge.

Permission has been obtained from Steve Peterson at Hero Games for us to conduct an online Internet Champions game in this fashion. --

& gms ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Plot runners (GMs) do a HUGE amount of work. Many of you have spent hours and hours just on your ONE character. GMs have to do that for each of the NPCs in their plots (though admittedly they aren't as thorough as you would be for your only PC). With a good GM, for every detail seen by your character there's a half dozen or more interconnecting threads waiting to be discovered by the heroes which ties everything happening in the plot into a logical coherent package.

If the GM is going to do all that work, then he or she has not only the right, but also a duty on behalf of the all other players, to exclude any characters who, probably due to powers or skills they possess, can bypass or shortcut much of the body of the plotline. As an example, take a character with a highly placed very loyal Mafia contact. If the plot revolves around investigating which of the local Mafia families killed a crusading judge, that character can just ask his contact: not really much fun for anyone. So GMs have the right to deny any character admission to their plot. Likewise, any player may decline to take part in a plot, or drop out of a plot, when the plot isn't going to be enjoyable for them. -- & gm styles ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Not all GMs are equal. Each has his or her own style when running a scene or plot. Some will set up the situation and then follow the rules exactly while players work their way through the obstacles confronting them. With another GM the storyline may be the driving factor, with the rules taking second place to dramatic tension and group enjoyment.

Not all players are equal. Everyone has his or her own preferences when roleplaying. The style used by one GM may not fit comfortably with your preference for RP, while another player may honestly believe that same GM is undeniably the best scene runner on the Mush.

When you roleplay in scenes on the Mush you'll get to know which GMs have styles that suit you and which don't. There no point in making a complaint about the GMs who run unenjoyable (to you) scenes. Its just a matter of your personal preference. So just decide if the enjoyment of roleplaying with other characters in that scene will compensate for the mismatch in roleplaying styles, and if the answer is no then don't join the scene. --

& admins & staff ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Ever wondered what's involved in being one of the staff? You have. Okay, let me tell you then. Being staff means there's always some job waiting to be done when you log on. It means missing out on roleplay to help out a new player or get an overdue review finished. It means your behaviour and characters have to be good examples for what's expected on the Mush.

So why would anyone in their right mind want to be staff? Assuming that staff are in their right minds to start with. The answer is that without the staff this Mush wouldn't exist. Our little online community wouldn't exist. We are staff because we love this Mush of ours and are willing to work for its survival.

There is NO staff-player divide. Everyone is a player. Some players are also staff. Pity them.

You don't have to be staff to help out. Probably the single worst issue with being staff is that administration work gets in the way of running scenes. However anyone can run scenes. While plots that could result in long lasting effects to the Mush Theme do have to be approved in advance, everyone is encouraged to run ad-hoc scenes. --

& admin application & staff application ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] So you want to be on the staff? Go take a look at NEWS ADMINS. You still want to be on staff? Read on...

Champions MUSH is always looking for good people to be on the staff -- the more we have, the more options open for our players. We hope to have many teams and many campaigns for people to participate in. After playing here for a while, maybe you can be a member of the staff. If you are interested in being a part of the staff of Champions MUSH, you can do the following:

1. Make sure you are reasonably well-known to at least a few staffers here. If we don't know you, no matter how wonderful an admin you'd   make we can't possibly make a fair determination of your potential quality as a staff member.

continued in NEWS ADMIN APPLICATION 2 --

& admin application 2 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] 2. Send @mail to any one of the staff (he or she will forward it to all  other staff members). It's going to be helpful when we look over the application if you include the following information:

a. How much Hero Games playing experience you have had b. How much Hero Games GMing experience you have had c. How much experience you have had GMing other games d. How much MUSH/MUX/MOO experience you have had e. How much MUSH/MUX/MOO admin experience you have had f. If you have done MUSH coding or building elsewhere

Send @mail once only (exception: if you don't hear anything after a few weeks send a reminder. Your application may have been lost in the @mail system, which has happened a couple of times). We'll send you @mail in reply to let you know that we received your application.

If you get a reply back informing you that your application was received then please DO NOT inquire about it or send follow-up @mails. Any further inquiry will almost certainly negatively influence your application. This is subject to reasonable implementation. If you haven't received a formal reply after a month or so it's worth asking what's happening.

continued in NEWS ADMIN APPLICATION 3 --

& admin application 3 ---[ Champions MUSH 2.0 News ] Don't be intimidated by all of the experience we asked about in the previous file (a - f). You don't have to have done ALL of them (though it goes without saying that you need to have at least some experience in at least one or two of them before you will be able to be an admin of any sort). If your application is declined on the grounds of a lack of experience you can apply again after six months.

Sometimes we are in the fortunate position that we don't have a need *at* this time for additional staff. There is an optimal number for the staff. Below this number and the current staff are overworked. Above this number coordination becomes difficult. So you may be fully qualified but we can't accept any applications at this time. In this case your application will automatically be renewed whenever a vacancy occurs.

We welcome applications by any player. However, remember, we do need to know you before we can even consider you. Your experience with many of those things we asked about will increase with time, so you're better off waiting until we know you somewhat, and you've established yourself as a solid, regular player here, before you apply for an admin spot.