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What in the world are we talking about? Multiplayer interactive fiction games have their own vocabulary. This glossary is intended as a guide to some of the terms on this web site that you may not understand.
Computer Non Player Character
Abreviated CNPC. This is a character in one of our games that is played by the computer.
Consent
Hey! Don’t do that! The Skotos consent system allows players to accept or reject actions by other players that would invade their own "personal space", such as hugging, kissing, or even just sitting too close.
Detail
Most "things" in our games are objects. For example, The Ballroom could be an object, as could Filbert the Fighting Bard. Details describe parts of those objects. For example, the marble floor might be a detail of The Ballroom and a blonde, waxed mustache might be a detail of Filbert the Fighting Bard. See also Distant Detail, Object.
Distant Detail
A special detail designed to be seen from another room, usually through a window, doorway, or scrying device. Distant Details do not allow closer examination; i.e., you cannot look at a person in the next room, then further closely examine the buttons on their coat. See also Detail.
Environments
See Rooms
Evocation
A verb that allows for vocalization: say, shout, scream, tell, question, etc.
Gait
A verb that allows for a specific type of movement: crawl, run, walk, saunter, trot, fly, swim, etc.
Garble
Due to inability to speak a language, or due to ambient sound, information in speech can be lost. The garble system attempts to represent this corruption of information.
Grand Theatre
Social venues that are built on already existing plots and characterization. They can last for years. Castle Marrach is the first Skotos Grand Theatre.
Object
All things are objects; rooms, people, tables, animals, mugs, etc. Absolutely everything is an object. See also Details.
Non Player Character
Abreviated NPC. A persona that is not played by character in a game. This can either by a CNPC or a StoryTeller Character. See also CNPC, StoryTeller Character.
Persistence
A quality of a game world that allows continuity. A persistent world does not "reset." Changes made to the environment by StoryPlayers remain.
Pose
A verb that sets a continuous physical posture that has nothing to do with the environment: contemplate, pout, think, etc. See also: Stance.
Proximity
Abreviated prox. Proximity defines objects' positions relevant to one another. i.e., the book is on the table, Marcy is near the fireplace, the dog is next to the bed, etc. With Skotos’ prox system it is possible for a player to be near a door, sit at a table, pray before the altar, or kneel in front of his bride.
Role
The persona that a player takes in a game.
Room
An area defined in a game; both outside and inside environments are called rooms. For example, a Great Hall or The North Meadow.
Stages
Stages are small-scale locales designed specifically for StoryTellers. They're scenes that should be fun for short-term games. A medieval inn; an old, spooky castle; a doomed ocean liner; and a far future casino are all examples of Stages that could be created. Most stages are not persistent, and most do not continue to run without the moderation of a StoryTeller.
Stance
A verb that sets a continuous physical posture that is related to the environment: leaning on a wall, sitting at a table, lying on a bed, etc. Most of these are related to proxes. See also Pose, Proximity.
Story
The interactive fiction environments designed by a StoryTellers and StoryBuilders and played in by StoryPlayers.
StoryBuilder
A game developer who creates persistent game systems, similar to the Skotos flagship games. These games are intended to be computer moderated, and accessible 24 hours a day without the developer's supervision.
StoryBuilder Toolkit
This is the full game development system used by StoryBuilders. It contains nearly all of the tools used to create Skotos' flagship games.
StoryPlayer
Participant in Skotos on-line stories. A player.
StoryTeller
A member of the Skotos community that tells stories in existing Stages. Includes Guides, who help StoryPlayers out in games and Hosts, who take on the roles of StoryTeller Characters in games.
StoryTeller Character
A non-player character in a game that is run by a live Host. StoryTeller characters usually help direct plots in Grand Theatres and Stages.
Volitional
An object that has the ability to move, and/or talk. Usually it refers to humans, and other sentient and sub-sentient races, but it could also refer to a talking statue or a walking enchanted table
Worlds
Worlds are big games in which most events are already built-in and there's much less need for live StoryTelling; StoryBuilders did most of the work in advance, when creating the game.
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