The Parts of a Description
The description command shows you your current description. A description
has four parts:
- an extra description, seen when someone looks at you.
- a short description, which is seen every time you speak, use socials or
use skills. Your short should be manageably short to prevent spam;
we recommend a practical length of 40 characters or less.
- a long description, which is seen when others look in a room. It is a
complete sentence (with a verb) and cannot be more than one line in length,
i.e. 79 characters.
- keywords, determined by your long and short, are used to interact with you
The extra description is set by you via the menus you see after logging
in or after renting.
The short, long, and keywords are all set at the same time, by an imm
after you have reached level 2 or higher.
Your description must follow these rules:
- Be level 2.
- Be descriptive. State what you physically look like to others.
- Be human -- no fantasy or D&D type descriptions. No gods, goddesses,
mermaids, centaurs, elves, gnomes, giants, dwarves, robots, animals,
etc. If you want to use a non-human word to describe yourself, the
rest of the description must be explicitly human.
- Be consistent. The short and long should have some apparent connection
or obvious relation. You cannot be a druid in one and a hunter in the
other even if you are a hunter who is a druid.
- Be original. The desc cannot be like a mob's or another player's.
We have many people with descriptions using phrases like "a dark
figure" and "peering from the shadows" -- avoid asking for this
type of desc, it will only be refused.
- Be concise. Your short should be manageably short to prevent spam;
we recommend a practical length of 40 characters or less. A long
description is a complete sentence (with a verb) and cannot be more
than 79 characters in length.
- Nicknames are allowed, but you can't use a desc to change your name.
If your name is Fireball, you can be 'Fireball' Jones or Joe 'Fireball'
Jones, but you can't be Joe Jones.
- Do not deliberately mislead (no sorcerers from London, for example)
- Use appropriate language. Don't be gross or sexually explicit.
- No color.
Write your choices for both short and long descriptions on a note (your
keywords will be determined by the immortals), and then tell to an Admin or PR imm for it to be checked. If you are unsure of who the PR or Admin
immortals are you may see a list of all active immortals by typing wizlist.
The WHOIMM command will show you the imms online.
If your description was turned down, you may not keep going to other immorts
to try to get it approved. Correct the problem(s) with it and resubmit.
- Consider non-standard nouns. Be a dreamer, a loafer, a scofflaw, a student,
a weaver, an alchemist, or a lumberjack. If you choose man, woman,
warrior, etc. you will get misdirected actions.
- Use evocative adjectives. Have sapphire-blue eyes, wizened cheeks, grubby
fingers, bandy legs, or a chest as thick as a barrel.
- Choose a vivid verb. Your long desc is a complete sentence, so use the
'is standing here' component creatively. Don't just stand there...
lounge, pose, peer, seethe, or shiver.
Following is an example of a description. The first is a short description
while the second is a long description. Last are the keywords a description
like this might have.
Short:
a large, bald stenographer
Long:
Peering around with one good eye, a balding secretary stops to stare at you.
The immortal doing your description will choose keywords for you based on
your approved desc. A desc like the above might have these keywords: peering
stenographer balding secretary bald large.
Note that if you already have a registered description and wish to have
it changed, you should contact the editor of the LT. All changes require
a submission to the LT giving a reason for the change.
