Difference between revisions of "News Files"

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(Created page with '== News Files == To see the next menu type NEWS <topic> where topic is replaced by the subject listed above. For example, to read the staff listings, type NEWS STAFF. It works …')
 
Line 1: Line 1:
== News Files ==
+
'''News Files'''
 +
 
 +
----
 +
 
  
 
To see the next menu type NEWS <topic> where topic is replaced by
 
To see the next menu type NEWS <topic> where topic is replaced by
Line 8: Line 11:
 
reading at the end of each file.  Enjoy! To start, type NEWS WELCOME.
 
reading at the end of each file.  Enjoy! To start, type NEWS WELCOME.
  
=== Welcome          You're new? Then this is what you need ===
+
 
 +
----
 +
 
 +
 
 +
= Welcome          You're new? Then this is what you need =
 +
        Getting Started How to get off on the right foot.
 +
        Theme          Putting the Dark in World of Darkness.
 +
        Setting        Welcome to Albuquerque, New Mexico!
 +
        Profile        What to expect and what we're about as a game.
 +
        Copyright      Legalese satisfied.
 +
        Wiki            Our online Wiki.
 +
 
 +
=== Theme ===
 +
Remember those old stories you used to tell around the campfire,
 +
trying to scare your friends? Remember the horror films you used
 +
to watch late at night, pretending that you weren't frightened?
 +
You couldn't sleep, shivering under the covers, and when you
 +
finally did drop off, your dreams were filled with twisted,
 +
terrifying shapes from the darkest depths of your unconscious mind.
 +
 
 +
What if all those stories were actually true?
 +
 
 +
The basic premise of White Wolf's "World of Darkness" Storyteller
 +
game systems is that supernatural creatures such as vampires and
 +
werewolves are actually secretly living amongst us, with humanity
 +
none the wiser. To protect themselves, the elders of the Camarilla
 +
came up with the concept of the "Masquerade," essentially doing
 +
everything in their power to convince people that vampires don't
 +
exist. Other supernatural races have other means to conceal their
 +
existence from humanity. But they are all around us: manipulating
 +
us for their own devices, scheming, plotting, fighting great
 +
battles, and more.
 +
 
 +
Masquerade's world of Gothic/punk horror is just like our world;
 +
it's just that all the nightmares are actually real. Tension is
 +
stronger, cops more corrupt, criminals even more firmly in control.
 +
It is not a pretty world, though there will always be moments of
 +
startling beauty, made all the precious by the tarnished setting.
 +
It is a world where any mistake could be your last.
 +
 
 +
'''Theme 2'''
 +
 
 +
Most of you begin play on the game as a mortal, with no knowledge of the
 +
supernatural that lurks just underneath the mundane seeming of the world.
 +
More than likely, you scoff at all those silly stories created by fertile
 +
imaginations to inspire terror and fascination. Vampires and werewolves
 +
are as real to you as the UFOs you read about in the tabloids.
 +
There's no such thing as monsters.
 +
 +
Except some of you ARE the monsters. You have to protect your secret at
 +
all cost and to try to blend in. You're a simple human...
 +
just like everybody else, right?
 +
 
 +
Careful, your fangs are showing...
 +
 
 +
All of you are here to share in a communal storytelling.  Together with
 +
your new friends, you will tell stories of madness and fear, of lust and
 +
redemption... tales of things that go bump in the night... tales of peril,
 +
paranoia, and sinister, shadowy evil. These stories can capture your
 +
imagination far more easily than any play or movie, because you will be
 +
creating the story with others, becoming part of the adventure. At the
 +
heart of these stories is your character, be it mortal, vampire, shifter,
 +
or something stranger still.
 +
 
 +
Welcome to your nightmare. Welcome to the Masquerade!
 +
 
 +
=== Setting (1/2) ===
 +
Surrounded by the towering Sandia mountain range to the east, the Manzano
 +
mountains to the southeast, and a high volcanic mesa to the west,
 +
Albuquerque sits astride the nurturing Rio Grande River. Dizzying views
 +
unfold over sweeping vistas across a truly magical landscape, filled
 +
with a myriad natural wonders.  If New Mexico is truly the "Land of
 +
Enchantment," then, surely, Albuquerque must be its gateway!
 +
 +
Founded in 1706  by Spanish settlers, the town was named after the Duke
 +
of Alburquerque; while the first "r" in the spelling was later dropped,
 +
Albuquerque is still referred to as "Duke City."  Ancient Indian Pueblo
 +
culture and the influence of the Spanish settlers combine into a rich and
 +
unique cultural history which makes Albuquerque, one of the nation's
 +
oldest inland communities,  an eclectic mix of the past and the present.
 +
The lure of open space continues to draw people to this fast-growing
 +
community which still retains a "small-town" feel.
 +
 
 +
'''Setting 2'''
 +
 
 +
In our online version of the city, set in the recent past, Albuquerque
 +
has a somewhat darker reality (see NEWS THEME). However, many of the
 +
surface things remain the same. The grandeur of the natural setting is
 +
unparalleled; unforgettable sunsets continue to spread out across the
 +
vast sky. Albuquerque remains a home to the arts, traditional and
 +
contemporary... it is home to some of the nation's finest high-tech
 +
research facilities... it houses a nationally ranked University... and
 +
so much more. Albuquerque continues to be a choice visitor destination
 +
and a great place to live! Welcome to our Albuquerque!
 +
 
 +
Quick Facts:
 +
 
 +
* Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico, with approximately
 +
  700,000 residents in the greater metropolitan area.
 +
 
 +
* Most people assume that Albuquerque is a desert. In fact, although some
 +
  of the environment is xeric, the city's elevation of 5,314 feet above
 +
  sea level makes it the highest metropolitan city in the United States.
 +
  While Albuquerque does enjoy low humidity and warm temperatures around
 +
  the year, it does, indeed, snow here.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
=== Profile ===
 +
One of the greatest things about Masq has always been its enduring
 +
sense of community. After the game closed in 2007, former players
 +
and staff continued to stay in touch and many sought to have the
 +
game reopen.  We are grateful for your continued support.
 +
 
 +
We believe that all of us, players and staff alike, are here to
 +
have a good time.  As staff, however, we know that we have an
 +
additional responsibility to create a fun and interesting
 +
storytelling  environment for our players. We fully acknowledge
 +
that a game is nothing without its players and we welcome your
 +
feedback. We are here to help you. You may not always get exactly
 +
what you want, but we will always treat you with the utmost respect
 +
and consideration.
 +
 
 +
We expect the same sort of adult behavior from our players. We hope
 +
that you will always treat one another (and staff) with politeness
 +
and courtesy. We encourage all Masq players to get involved in our
 +
plots, to tell their own stories, and to generate RP for others.
 +
We value your enthusiasm and creativity!
 +
 
 +
To paraphrase Bill & Ted: be excellent to each other, and RP on, dudes!
 +
 
 +
This is what we are about. We really do believe that this is a
 +
community -- one that can grow and thrive. We look forward to this
 +
next phase of Masq's evolution. Let's go out there and have some fun!
 +
 
 +
-Masquerade staff
 +
 
 +
=== Copyright Notice ===
 +
"Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse are copyright (c)
 +
1991-2010 by White Wolf.  All material herein is used with permission
 +
from the publisher, and may not be reproduced in any way without permission."
 +
 
 +
All items created for the MUSH shall remain copyrighted by the original
 +
builder or coder. However, MASQ retains the right to keep all publicly
 +
used buildings or code after the original author has left.  In English,
 +
if you make a building or code, the copyright is yours and you can take
 +
it to other games or do as you wish. However, when you leave, we
 +
reserve the right to keep using your stuff and to modify it as we need.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
 +
= Rules            Masq's OOC Rules and Discipline Policy =
 +
In order to maintain a friendly and orderly environment, the
 +
staff has composed the following regulations.  We expect players and
 +
staff to abide by these rules and to treat one another with courtesy and respect.
 +
 +
        AUP          Masq's Acceptable Use Policy.
 +
        Conflicts    When you just can't get along with someone.
 +
        Discipline    What happens when you break the rules.
 +
        Non-Consent  Just like real life, bad things will happen.
 +
        Retirement    When you feel it's time to let go.
 +
        Housekeeping  Character purges. Don't stay away too long!
 +
                    ** indicates new information!
 +
 
 +
=== Acceptable Use Policy ===
 +
This AUP is a guideline and not a comprehensive list of prohibited behaviors.
 +
Conduct that is not expressly defined may be deemed by staff to be in
 +
violation of the spirit of a particular policy. Staff reserves the right
 +
to add or modify the AUP at any time; however, changes to the AUP must
 +
be approved by all of staff.
 +
 
 +
The following are currently sections of the AUP:
 +
        Alts       
 +
        Character Death
 +
        Database
 +
        Harassment 
 +
        Public Forums
 +
        Spoofing       
 +
        Spying
 +
 
 +
If you have questions or want clarification of any rule, please feel free to contact staff.
 +
 
 +
====ALTS====
 +
While you are allowed to have alts (alternate characters), you may not:
 +
  *+xp/vote for your own alts
 +
  *Hire your alt as an employee or have your alts living together
 +
  *Create an alt to benefit an existing alt
 +
  *Fight in the same combat with multiple characters
 +
  *Share SK or other knowledge between alts
 +
  *Create an alt to avenge or investigate the death of another alt
 +
  *Be in a relationship with your own alt (that's playing with yourself
 +
  - you'll go blind!)
 +
Basically, your alts should not do anything which might bring them
 +
into close IC contact or conflict.
 +
 
 +
====CHARACTER DEATH====
 +
* Any character investigating the death or disappearance of a PC must
 +
  have been created prior to the PC's death.
 +
  In other words, no one can make a new character to investigate the death
 +
  of a character... only existing characters can investigate.
 +
* IC Wills and "notes to be opened in case of my death" must be approved
 +
  by RP Staff PRIOR TO the character's death.
 +
 
 +
====DATABASE====
 +
The following will be treated as grounds for immediate expulsion from the game:
 +
  *Deliberate malicious tampering with MUSH code
 +
  *Any attempt to crash the MUSH, destroy the database, or gain unauthorized
 +
  powers
 +
  *Attempting to "hack" into someone else's character (aka "identity theft")
 +
 
 +
====HARASSMENT====
 +
  * All Masq players have the right to an environment free of harassment.
 +
    In this instance, harassment is defined as offensive, belittling,
 +
    stalking, or threatening behavior directed at an individual player
 +
    or group of players. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.
 +
  * Deliberately hurting feelings or insulting another player with the
 +
    intent to cause harm is not allowed.  This includes direct verbal
 +
    abuse and defamation. The player need not be logged in if said abuse
 +
    occurs in a public forum.
 +
  * Verbal abuse can include obscene, profane, and vulgar language directed
 +
    at another player. While different people have different definitions of
 +
    "obscene," the language must be stopped immediately if requested by the
 +
    other player.
 +
  * Harassment of another player via email or other electronic means shall
 +
    be considered a violation of MUSH policy. If you take your harassment
 +
    off the MUSH and into another forum you will still be subject to the
 +
    MUSH disciplinary procedure.  {Proof such as the email in question must
 +
    be provided to establish guilt.}
 +
 
 +
====PUBLIC FORUMS (+bboards, etc.)====
 +
  * No prejudicial statements are allowed in public forums regarding race,
 +
    religion, gender, occupation, sexual orientation, intelligence, or other
 +
    personal attributes.
 +
  * Obscenity is not permitted in our public forums.  Obscene rants / flames
 +
    will be removed at staff discretion.
 +
 
 +
====SPOOFING====
 +
  * Malicious spoofing is not allowed. In this instance, we define
 +
    'malicious spoofing' as using @emit or @pemit to anonymously make nasty
 +
    statements or pose questionable actions (or make it look like someone
 +
    else did it) for the purpose of causing trouble.
 +
 
 +
====SPYING====
 +
Spying by player characters using the DARK flag or puppet code
 +
on other player characters is a sensitive and easily abused matter, as
 +
the OOC privacy of players must be balanced against the need for
 +
characters to be able to gather information in a covert fashion. Because
 +
of this, there are strict guidelines of which all players should be aware
 +
so that both spying and spied-upon characters know their privileges and
 +
obligations.
 +
   
 +
1) Any IC conversation in a public or private area may be eavesdropped
 +
  upon.
 +
2) While OOC conversations taking place via observable means in public
 +
  places may be observed, OOC conversations taking place via observable
 +
  means in private rooms are considered private. Spying upon them is
 +
  a violation of this policy.  Please note that an OOC conversation is
 +
  denoted by use of the OOC speak command.
 +
3) Any DARK object used for spying must be approved by the staff, and
 +
  must be used in a manner that the staff deems appropriate. There are
 +
  no exceptions to this rule.
 +
 
 +
Players who violate this policy will have all of their characters
 +
disciplined, with punishment up to and including the removal of said
 +
characters. Players should be aware that their conversations may be
 +
monitored; because of this, staff strongly recommends that all private
 +
OOC conversations take place over pages, which are not subject to any
 +
kind of eavesdropping.
 +
 
 +
 
 +
 
  
  
  
  
=== Rules            Masq's OOC Rules and Discipline Policy ===
 
  
  
=== Apps            How to get that character you've been wanting ===
+
= Apps            How to get that character you've been wanting =
  
  
  
=== In-Game          Experience, Superknowledge, and more! ===
+
= In-Game          Experience, Superknowledge, and more! =
  
  
=== Building        Building and Housing ===
+
= Building        Building and Housing =
  
  
=== Staff            A listing of staff by rank and by department ===
+
= Staff            A listing of staff by rank and by department =
  
  
=== All              A list of all news topics. ===
+
= All              A list of all news topics. =

Revision as of 20:56, 4 March 2010

News Files



To see the next menu type NEWS <topic> where topic is replaced by the subject listed above. For example, to read the staff listings, type NEWS STAFF. It works this way through all of the menus. To read all of our news files (which you are responsible for knowing the contents of), just start at the beginning and follow the suggested reading at the end of each file. Enjoy! To start, type NEWS WELCOME.




Contents

Welcome You're new? Then this is what you need

       Getting Started How to get off on the right foot.
       Theme           Putting the Dark in World of Darkness.
       Setting         Welcome to Albuquerque, New Mexico!
       Profile         What to expect and what we're about as a game.
       Copyright       Legalese satisfied.
       Wiki            Our online Wiki.

Theme

Remember those old stories you used to tell around the campfire, trying to scare your friends? Remember the horror films you used to watch late at night, pretending that you weren't frightened? You couldn't sleep, shivering under the covers, and when you finally did drop off, your dreams were filled with twisted, terrifying shapes from the darkest depths of your unconscious mind.

What if all those stories were actually true?

The basic premise of White Wolf's "World of Darkness" Storyteller game systems is that supernatural creatures such as vampires and werewolves are actually secretly living amongst us, with humanity none the wiser. To protect themselves, the elders of the Camarilla came up with the concept of the "Masquerade," essentially doing everything in their power to convince people that vampires don't exist. Other supernatural races have other means to conceal their existence from humanity. But they are all around us: manipulating us for their own devices, scheming, plotting, fighting great battles, and more.

Masquerade's world of Gothic/punk horror is just like our world; it's just that all the nightmares are actually real. Tension is stronger, cops more corrupt, criminals even more firmly in control. It is not a pretty world, though there will always be moments of startling beauty, made all the precious by the tarnished setting. It is a world where any mistake could be your last.

Theme 2

Most of you begin play on the game as a mortal, with no knowledge of the supernatural that lurks just underneath the mundane seeming of the world. More than likely, you scoff at all those silly stories created by fertile imaginations to inspire terror and fascination. Vampires and werewolves are as real to you as the UFOs you read about in the tabloids. There's no such thing as monsters.

Except some of you ARE the monsters. You have to protect your secret at all cost and to try to blend in. You're a simple human... just like everybody else, right?

Careful, your fangs are showing...

All of you are here to share in a communal storytelling. Together with your new friends, you will tell stories of madness and fear, of lust and redemption... tales of things that go bump in the night... tales of peril, paranoia, and sinister, shadowy evil. These stories can capture your imagination far more easily than any play or movie, because you will be creating the story with others, becoming part of the adventure. At the heart of these stories is your character, be it mortal, vampire, shifter, or something stranger still.

Welcome to your nightmare. Welcome to the Masquerade!

Setting (1/2)

Surrounded by the towering Sandia mountain range to the east, the Manzano mountains to the southeast, and a high volcanic mesa to the west, Albuquerque sits astride the nurturing Rio Grande River. Dizzying views unfold over sweeping vistas across a truly magical landscape, filled with a myriad natural wonders. If New Mexico is truly the "Land of Enchantment," then, surely, Albuquerque must be its gateway!

Founded in 1706 by Spanish settlers, the town was named after the Duke of Alburquerque; while the first "r" in the spelling was later dropped, Albuquerque is still referred to as "Duke City." Ancient Indian Pueblo culture and the influence of the Spanish settlers combine into a rich and unique cultural history which makes Albuquerque, one of the nation's oldest inland communities, an eclectic mix of the past and the present. The lure of open space continues to draw people to this fast-growing community which still retains a "small-town" feel.

Setting 2

In our online version of the city, set in the recent past, Albuquerque has a somewhat darker reality (see NEWS THEME). However, many of the surface things remain the same. The grandeur of the natural setting is unparalleled; unforgettable sunsets continue to spread out across the vast sky. Albuquerque remains a home to the arts, traditional and contemporary... it is home to some of the nation's finest high-tech research facilities... it houses a nationally ranked University... and so much more. Albuquerque continues to be a choice visitor destination and a great place to live! Welcome to our Albuquerque!

Quick Facts:

  • Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico, with approximately
 700,000 residents in the greater metropolitan area.
  • Most people assume that Albuquerque is a desert. In fact, although some
 of the environment is xeric, the city's elevation of 5,314 feet above
 sea level makes it the highest metropolitan city in the United States.
 While Albuquerque does enjoy low humidity and warm temperatures around
 the year, it does, indeed, snow here.


Profile

One of the greatest things about Masq has always been its enduring sense of community. After the game closed in 2007, former players and staff continued to stay in touch and many sought to have the game reopen. We are grateful for your continued support.

We believe that all of us, players and staff alike, are here to have a good time. As staff, however, we know that we have an additional responsibility to create a fun and interesting storytelling environment for our players. We fully acknowledge that a game is nothing without its players and we welcome your feedback. We are here to help you. You may not always get exactly what you want, but we will always treat you with the utmost respect and consideration.

We expect the same sort of adult behavior from our players. We hope that you will always treat one another (and staff) with politeness and courtesy. We encourage all Masq players to get involved in our plots, to tell their own stories, and to generate RP for others. We value your enthusiasm and creativity!

To paraphrase Bill & Ted: be excellent to each other, and RP on, dudes!

This is what we are about. We really do believe that this is a community -- one that can grow and thrive. We look forward to this next phase of Masq's evolution. Let's go out there and have some fun!

-Masquerade staff

Copyright Notice

"Vampire: The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse are copyright (c) 1991-2010 by White Wolf. All material herein is used with permission from the publisher, and may not be reproduced in any way without permission."

All items created for the MUSH shall remain copyrighted by the original builder or coder. However, MASQ retains the right to keep all publicly used buildings or code after the original author has left. In English, if you make a building or code, the copyright is yours and you can take it to other games or do as you wish. However, when you leave, we reserve the right to keep using your stuff and to modify it as we need.


Rules Masq's OOC Rules and Discipline Policy

In order to maintain a friendly and orderly environment, the staff has composed the following regulations. We expect players and staff to abide by these rules and to treat one another with courtesy and respect.

       AUP           Masq's Acceptable Use Policy.
       Conflicts     When you just can't get along with someone.
       Discipline    What happens when you break the rules.
       Non-Consent   Just like real life, bad things will happen.
       Retirement    When you feel it's time to let go.
       Housekeeping  Character purges. Don't stay away too long!
                   ** indicates new information!

Acceptable Use Policy

This AUP is a guideline and not a comprehensive list of prohibited behaviors. Conduct that is not expressly defined may be deemed by staff to be in violation of the spirit of a particular policy. Staff reserves the right to add or modify the AUP at any time; however, changes to the AUP must be approved by all of staff.

The following are currently sections of the AUP:

       Alts         
       Character Death
       Database
       Harassment   
       Public Forums
       Spoofing         
       Spying

If you have questions or want clarification of any rule, please feel free to contact staff.

ALTS

While you are allowed to have alts (alternate characters), you may not:

 *+xp/vote for your own alts
 *Hire your alt as an employee or have your alts living together
 *Create an alt to benefit an existing alt
 *Fight in the same combat with multiple characters
 *Share SK or other knowledge between alts
 *Create an alt to avenge or investigate the death of another alt
 *Be in a relationship with your own alt (that's playing with yourself
  - you'll go blind!)

Basically, your alts should not do anything which might bring them into close IC contact or conflict.

CHARACTER DEATH

  • Any character investigating the death or disappearance of a PC must
 have been created prior to the PC's death.
 In other words, no one can make a new character to investigate the death
 of a character... only existing characters can investigate.
  • IC Wills and "notes to be opened in case of my death" must be approved
 by RP Staff PRIOR TO the character's death.

DATABASE

The following will be treated as grounds for immediate expulsion from the game:

 *Deliberate malicious tampering with MUSH code
 *Any attempt to crash the MUSH, destroy the database, or gain unauthorized
  powers
 *Attempting to "hack" into someone else's character (aka "identity theft")

HARASSMENT

 * All Masq players have the right to an environment free of harassment.
   In this instance, harassment is defined as offensive, belittling,
   stalking, or threatening behavior directed at an individual player
   or group of players. Harassment of any kind will not be tolerated.
 * Deliberately hurting feelings or insulting another player with the
   intent to cause harm is not allowed.  This includes direct verbal
   abuse and defamation. The player need not be logged in if said abuse
   occurs in a public forum.
 * Verbal abuse can include obscene, profane, and vulgar language directed
   at another player. While different people have different definitions of
   "obscene," the language must be stopped immediately if requested by the
   other player.
 * Harassment of another player via email or other electronic means shall
   be considered a violation of MUSH policy. If you take your harassment
   off the MUSH and into another forum you will still be subject to the
   MUSH disciplinary procedure.  {Proof such as the email in question must
   be provided to establish guilt.}

PUBLIC FORUMS (+bboards, etc.)

 * No prejudicial statements are allowed in public forums regarding race,
   religion, gender, occupation, sexual orientation, intelligence, or other
   personal attributes.
 * Obscenity is not permitted in our public forums.  Obscene rants / flames
   will be removed at staff discretion.

SPOOFING

 * Malicious spoofing is not allowed. In this instance, we define
   'malicious spoofing' as using @emit or @pemit to anonymously make nasty
   statements or pose questionable actions (or make it look like someone
   else did it) for the purpose of causing trouble.

SPYING

Spying by player characters using the DARK flag or puppet code on other player characters is a sensitive and easily abused matter, as the OOC privacy of players must be balanced against the need for characters to be able to gather information in a covert fashion. Because of this, there are strict guidelines of which all players should be aware so that both spying and spied-upon characters know their privileges and obligations.

1) Any IC conversation in a public or private area may be eavesdropped

  upon.

2) While OOC conversations taking place via observable means in public

  places may be observed, OOC conversations taking place via observable
  means in private rooms are considered private. Spying upon them is
  a violation of this policy.  Please note that an OOC conversation is
  denoted by use of the OOC speak command.

3) Any DARK object used for spying must be approved by the staff, and

  must be used in a manner that the staff deems appropriate. There are
  no exceptions to this rule.
  

Players who violate this policy will have all of their characters disciplined, with punishment up to and including the removal of said characters. Players should be aware that their conversations may be monitored; because of this, staff strongly recommends that all private OOC conversations take place over pages, which are not subject to any kind of eavesdropping.





Apps How to get that character you've been wanting

In-Game Experience, Superknowledge, and more!

Building Building and Housing

Staff A listing of staff by rank and by department

All A list of all news topics.