There are a few things you will want to consider or be informed of before you log on to Genesis. First, we'll look at a few "caveat actores", and then we'll consider an important issue.
Genesis is a game of rules. These rules are set down by the Administration to ensure a fair and smoothly-running game. Violation of these rules can and will result in penal action from the Administration. Note that playing Genesis is not a right, it is a privilege. Moreover, your rights as a citizen of your country do not protect you on Genesis. There is no freedom of speech on Genesis. Genesis is not a democracy by any means. The Administration rightly does not guarantee any such rights. Get used to the fact that Genesis is a privilege to you, and treat it as such.
That said, if you conduct yourself lawfully and with dignity, you won't have any problems. Remember that Genesis comes to you through the voluntary efforts of the many creative people who spend their time programming the areas we enjoy. Respect those people and their efforts, respect the other players of the game, and you will have a happy and enjoyable time in Genesis.
Let it be known from the outset: there is no privacy on Genesis. None. Even if you are the only person in the game. This is a simple but oft overlooked point. Genesis has never pretended to ensure the privacy of the players, so don't expect it to. With this in mind, don't discuss RL things in Genesis that you wouldn't feel comfortable posting to a newsgroup. In fact, it may be a good idea not to discuss RL things in Genesis at all, which brings us to the next point...
Genesis takes a medieval fantasy environment as its setting. Therefore many players of Genesis consider themselves to be roleplayers, and will only interact in their roles. There is much to be said for roleplay, and since I'm a roleplay snob (or fascist, as some would have it), I'll write much for it here.
Genesis wizards are required to produce areas, items and creatures that conform to a medieval fantasy theme. Why this requirement hasn't been extended to what players create is beyond my capacity for understanding. What do players create? Why, characters! Well, this isn't entirely true; some players don't create anything but an extension of their own RL personae. One such person even tried to get into a roleplayer's society by claiming "I roleplay myself as I would be if I were in Genesis." Sorry, but that is not roleplay. It requires no effort, no character study, no thought and no imagination.
Fortunately roleplay has become much more common in Genesis in recent years. Recently some of the non-roleplaying characters have begun to speak out against roleplay snobbery, arguing that Genesis is a game and that they come to Genesis to relax. The response seems to be "You have all the rest of your time to be yourself, so why come to a medieval fantasy environment and disturb those of us who want to roleplay in that environment?" As you can see, the dispute won't be settled any time soon.
What you may wish to do is to take some time before you log on and think about what kind of character you want. What race will this person be? What gender? Who were his parents? Does he know them? Where was he born? What was his life like when he grew up? What formative events occurred during his childhood and adolescence? What is he like? Is he pleasant? Is he cruel? Is he frigid? Is he afraid of others? Is he particularly fond or fearful of a certain race, gender or class? Why has he left home? The more questions you answer about your character the more fun you will have playing him, and the easier time you will have deciding how he reacts to other people in Genesis.
Even if you don't plan on becoming a roleplayer in Genesis, I advise that you take a few minutes and decide these things - they may come in handy, especially when applying to guilds.
The naming of one's character is especially important in Genesis. Names have meaning, and a well-chosen name will reflect well on the character. A poorly-chosen name will haunt a character. Be mindful that the administration will refuse requests from mortals to have their names changed.
This is what you will see when you telnet to Genesis:
Connected to host spica3.cs.chalmers.se Welcome to Genesis 3.0, beta phase. You can give your name or 'gameinfo' below. 'gameinfo' is especially useful for beginners and recommended reading for all interested. Log in as 'guest' if you only want to look around. Gamedriver version: CD.04.04 Mudlib version: CD.01.00 Please enter your name:
Where it says Please enter your name: it means your character's name - the name of the persona you want to take on in Genesis. It is not asking you to enter your RL name.
Think carefully before you select a name. Avoid names like "Paintcan" or "Cocacola" or other names that make obvious reference to any thing or notion that was introduced to human society after 1450 A.D. Likewise, avoid names that seem cute or especially clever to you. "Pantsoff" or "Bigjugs" may be funny to you, but they may be quite offensive to others. It may be that the administration decides that it's less trouble to delete the offending character than it is to listen to mortals complain about an offensive name. Finally, don't enter your RL name. It may be a beautiful name and perfectly suited to you, but in Genesis you have a rare chance to go by another name. I advise that you do.
In general, use your common sense. If you think a name might not be a good one, then don't use it. Remember that a poorly chosen name will earn you nothing but headache, and will ensure that you never find a place in any respectable guild.
The following is a conversation I had with a good friend of mine. It illustrates how I feel about stupid names and how you may find yourself treated if you choose one. The names have been changed to protect both the innocent and the guilty.
Patricia says: Have I sked you if you know who an old player named Lunatic? You say: Wow! You say: If you mean Lunatic from about 4 years ago, then yes. Patricia nods. Patricia says: The same. You say: Why? Patricia says: he is back. Patricia says: What can you tell me about him? You say: Not a lot. Patricia says: he is applying to my guild. Patricia says: What I have seen of him so far, I like, You say: Is his name still Lunatic? Patricia nods. You say: Reject him. Patricia says: Why? You say: That's the last thing you need. Patricia says: because of his name? You say: Any fool who takes a preposterous name like that deserves to be in the Gladiators. Patricia laughs. You say: He's obviously not interested in roleplay. You say: And his imagination is clearly limited to simple adjectives. Patricia says: He had another name first, but changed to Lunatic. I suspect sothat old friends would recognizehim. You say: So do you want your guild to be associated with a person named "Lunatic?" You say: How about "Axemurderer?" You say: Or "Crazyman?" You say: If you want your guild to be a quality establishment, then you can't afford to have any stupid names in it.
Want to comment? Be my guest.
©1997 to Michael A. Laux.