Maddock MUX exists through of the hard work of ordinary players who live for enjoyable roleplay opportunities. In creating this environment, the staff has attempted to be consistent with the social and political atmosphere of the times, to help provide a proper 'period' feel for roleplay.
    Maddock is a fictional town in Montana, set in the latter part of the 19th century. The Civil War is over, gold has been found in various parts of the west, and a general expansion of the country is taking place as people move westward.
    We encourage you to do some reading about this time period. A base level of 'period' knowledge is expected.
    The 'news' and '+help' files are provided to help answer your questions and address your concerns. Please check 'news' and '+help' when you have questions, as many of the answers are in there. By making yourself familiar with the contents of these files, you can ask any remaining questions of the staff more specifically -- and you will more likely get the answer you're looking for, as opposed to "Please read 'news building.'"
    The staff will be glad to answer your questions, but answering the same question again and again when 'news' or '+help' is available is not the staff's favorite pastime.
    The main, and most important, goal of Maddock is to have some fun by creating an environment which is conducive to hours and hours of spontaneous roleplay. There are many people who contribute their time, money, and ideas so Maddock can exist. Please keep in mind that this is their home, a home that they are welcoming new players into. Take the time to read through this guide and learn how you can become one of those players who makes Maddock an enjoyable place to play.

Maddock MUX is a themed roleplay environment. The players who log into Maddock do so because they enjoy this environment. Following are some general guidelines to which both staff and players are expected to adhere.
    The MUX has a predetermined and developed theme. Your character, objects you create, and the way you portray your character must be consistent with that theme. One of the staff's primary functions is to ensure that this policy is followed. No one enjoys getting heavily into roleplaying a western theme and then having a character pull out a light saber.
    If you have a character with an unusual background, history, extensive training or unusual skills, it is recommended that you submit your background to a staff member for review before implementing it. It's extremely unlikely that a creative character concept will be denied out of hand if you take the time to explain how your persona came into such unusual circumstances. This is providing that their history is consistent with the basic scope of the timeline. Generally, it does not hurt to submit a summary regardless, so that the staff know what resources they have to draw upon when designing tinyplots.
    Explore Maddock as a guest, or as a visiting character, before putting a lot of work or thought into creating a character of your own. Ask around. Get a feel for the existing characters and the sorts of personalities that are needed and would enhance the population.

There is no long list of conduct guidelines for players here on Maddock. Our guidelines boil down to one simple wish -- respect other players. Without players, there is no roleplay, and enjoyable roleplay is why we are here.
    There is no Right Style of roleplay. Some players are very expressive with their poses, while others seem to have never learned the pose command. All players, from the newbie who's still learning to the veteran who has a style all his own, are entitled to receive respect with regard to how they roleplay. There are no Grand Masters of Roleplay, and if you truly believe you are one, this MUX is probably not for you.
    With that said, let's look at two things which detract from enjoyable roleplay, and which should be avoided: Power-playing and super-characters.
    Power-playing: This is a topic that Maddock staff is quite likely to be anal about. The policy is simple -- Don't Do It. Power-playing is posing your character's actions in a way that forces the result onto another player's character against their will. An example is "Jill throws a snowball at Jack and hits him squarely in the face." This is a power-play because Jill forces Jack to be hit by the snowball, regardless of any possibility that he might duck out of the way. Dictating the results of your character's actions defeats the interactivity which is the whole basis of roleplaying. A better pose might be "Jill scoops up a handful of snow and hurls it at Jack, aiming for his face." In this case, Jack has the option of choosing to be hit or ducking, depending on his knowledge of his character and his willingness to have his character smacked with a snowball.
    The combination of not power-playing and being true to your character's abilities is key to good roleplaying. Even a pose like "Jack grabs Jill's arm and pulls her into the next room" is still power-playing, though to a lesser degree. No matter the pose, you can always find a way to phrase it so the other player has a choice of action. Good roleplay dictates that the recipient of the action will not duck every snowball or dodge every hit, etc. (See 'Super-characters' below.)
    As you become more familiar with the other players here, you will most likely develop an understanding with others as to what kind of liberties your character might take with theirs, as well as prearrange some types of action through out-of-character conversation. The staff recognizes this, and will assume this is the case when viewing such events as spectators. If you have not prearranged such a pose, it is strictly within the other player's rights to countermand your forced action or ignore it outright. It is preferable for the offending and offended players work this out between themselves, but a staff member can be asked to intervene if necessary.
    Super-characters: A super-character is a character who is an expert in every skill, who is always right, and who has no weaknesses. (Kryptonite doesn't count.) These characters successfully avoid anything that is thrown at them, from drunk punches to snowballs to speeding bullets. They're never injured or sick, they never lose a game of chance, etc. These omnipotent characters aren't realistic, and they aren't interesting. Very often, others don't want to play with them, precisely because their perfection makes them flat, dull and boring.
    Please, don't create a super-character. There are no winners and no losers in roleplay, and the goal is not to be a hero. The goal is just to have fun.

Staff Coordination - One of the facets of an Admin Coordinator's position on Maddock is to 'coordinate' tinyplot events for the public enjoyment of the population. It is encouraged that non staff members also contribute and develop such events. (In other words, please invent your own plots -- they add to roleplay!) Due to the nature of their job, it is generally helpful to keep the local staff informed of large tinyplots that you are coordinating. This helps them plan plots in conjunction with existing events, reducing conflict.
    Participation - Often, a lot of planning, including an expected outcome, can go into developing an interesting tinyplot. One of the grandest elements of interactive roleplay is what is affectionately referred to as 'throwing wrenches,' or an unexpected twist in a story due to intervention by a character. Wrenches of this type can potentially stop a tinyplot in its tracks, though, much to the chagrin of the planner. Once again, communication is very important. Portraying your character to come in and save the day will usually get you a lot of glares. Open a discussion with whoever is coordinating the tinyplot prior to taking any such actions.

We recognize that there are times when folks just like to chat OOC (Out Of Character) with one another, rather than being strictly IC (In Character). There are also times during roleplay when OOC comments are needed to clarify a situation or correct a misunderstanding. We ask in these circumstances that all players please clearly indicate when a statement is OOC. There are a variety of ways to do this -- use whichever style you prefer, so long as it is clear to other players.
 
Examples:
    Jane OOC hehe that was a great pose, Jack
    Jack * I love it when you hurl things at me, Jane ;)
 
    Likewise, the middle of the saloon or restaurant is no place for a discussion of the World Series. People who come to Maddock come for the purpose of roleplaying, and starting an OOC conversation in the middle of roleplay is disruptive to others and can ruin their fun. That's what the OOC Room is for. Please be courteous to other players and either move to the OOC Room, talk via pages, or just move to a private room to continue the discussion.

It is important to note that public roleplay is potentially subject to logging (recording). This may be for posterity, or to send along to another player who could not be on due to real life schedule conflicts. Some of the key gathering spots that are most subject to this logging are the saloon, beer hall, and restaurant. Apart from these blatantly public places, it will be expected that you tell people when you are logging a more private event. Doing so not only is courteous, but upholds the implied and inferred trust among the players here.

The purpose of this document is to ensure the continued enjoyment of those who play here. Stepping into Maddock after reading this guide implies an acceptance of these policies as well as those found in the news files. If this type of gaming environment is new to you, do not feel daunted. It is hardly the staff and player population's intent to promote exclusivity, or intimidate new players. Rather, we want to insure that, as in all games, the rules have been read and understood. Blatant disregard for the information explained in this guide is a sure-fire way to earn a retraction of the welcome we all extend to you. With that said, Welcome, and we do hope you enjoy the place we call home.