| Both sides previous revision
Previous revision
Next revision
|
Previous revision
|
navigating_discord [2021/07/22 12:02]
gm_leah [Discord Channel Histories] |
navigating_discord [2021/07/31 20:44] (current)
gm_sophia |
| ====== Uptime on Discord ====== | ====== Uptime on Discord ====== |
| |
| ===== Discord Channel Histories ===== | This page aims to provide an overview of the way //Emporium// specifically will make use of the Discord format during uptime. For introductory information on how to use Discord, please see [[uptime|Discord Basics]]. You can read more about our accessibility considerations in using the Discord format [[accessibility|here]]. |
| Through the use of [[glossary#roles|Discord roles]], GMs are able to determine whether or not a player is able to read old messages in a channel they have just joined. As players will be moving between [[navigating_discord#physical_location_channels|physical location channels]] during uptime, this will be relevant whenever moving to a new location, even if it is a location that you have been in at a previous point in time. | ===== Discord Bots ===== |
| | //Emporium// will be making use of several [[uptime#discord_bots|Discord bots]] during uptime, including some that have been constructed specifically for this game. Detailed information on how to use these bots, including a list of commands with explanations, will be available on the Discord server for players to consult at any time. This section of the wiki is merely intended to give a brief overview of the way in which we intend to use bots for this game. |
| | ==== Using Commands ==== |
| | A command is a phrase you can type into Discord text channels to elicit an automated response from a bot that has been programmed to 'listen' to that specific command. All commands written for use in //Emporium// must be written at the start of a message and are preceded by an exclamation mark to distinguish them as commands rather than normal messages. These bots are written to interpret commands as generously as possible: for example, typing "!warp grocery", "!warp to the groceries" or !warp [groceries]" will all be interpreted in the same way as "!warp groceries". If you //type// a command incorrectly, for example by including a space between the exclamation mark and the command, it will not be recognised, and you will receive no response, but if you try to //use// a command incorrectly, for example by typing "!warp kitchens and groceries" the bot will tell you why it is unable to execute your command. Commands can be used at any time in any text channel, although you will receive an error from the Albert Interface if you try to use the !warp command while outside of the warp zone. |
| |
| As mystery is a core theme of //Emporium//, players are expected __not to read back physical location channel histories__, since this could result in them reading past interactions that they were not a part of and may lead to metagaming. However, we recognise that players may have difficulty recalling information from past interactions that they //were// a part of, and as it is possible to obtain this information in a digital format, we are keen not to create an access barrier around it. For ease of access, channel histories are by default available to read for any player who has access to a given channel, but we strongly suggest that players turn this permission off using the __!toggle__ command for the most immersive experience of the game. To use the __!toggle__ command, simply type "!toggle" (without quotation marks) in the text box of the relevant channel, and press send as you would for a normal message. If you do need to check something within a channel's history, you can view it at any time by using the __!toggle__ command again. OC channels and non-physical location channel histories will be unaffected by this command. | The three commands //Emporium// makes use of are !map, !warp, and !toggle. Full information on how to use these, including a list of valid locations, and a number of accessibility options, will be provided on the Discord server for all players to view at any time. |
| ===== Movement ===== | |
| |
| During uptime, player movement is represented by switching between [[gm:navigating_discord#physical_location_channels|physical location channels]]. This may be done by a GM changing your location role (and hence which channels you have the permission to see) or by a player using the __!warp__ command to move between locations at will. To do this, type "!warp <location>" (without quotation marks, and replacing <location> with the name of the place you wish to warp to) in your current channel and press send, as you would for a normal message. A list of valid locations will be available to view at all times on the Discord server. You will then lose access to the channel you had been in, and gain access to the channel for the location you have warped to. | * **!map** generates a map, either in text or image format, of the shop floor, indicating how many player characters are currently within each location |
| | * **!warp [location]** takes you to whatever location channel you specified (e.g. !warp kitchens), provided that it is within the Warp Zone, and you are currently within the Warp Zone |
| | * **!toggle** toggles your channel history permissions, so that you can easily switch between being able to read a channel's history when you enter it, or having it be a mystery |
| |
| In-universe, warping is the [[gm:emporium#movement|metaphysical ability]] for Entities within Emporium to instantaneously teleport anywhere within the Warp Zone at will. The Warp Zone is defined as the [[shopfloor|shop floor]], excluding the Administration Offices (8. on the map) and the Warehouses. | |
| |
| Some locations may be marked as __Restricted Access Areas__. These represent locations that are made for employees to use, and that Emporium asks customers to stay out of. In practice, customers are perfectly able to warp into these areas (and players are welcome to do so if their character would like to) but should be aware that they are breaking store rules - unless, of course, they have been specifically [[gm:playing_a_customer#customer_interactions_with_employees|invited by an employee]]. | ==== Bots Present in the Server ==== |
| ===== Discord Channel Overview ===== | More bots may be added over the course of the game, but this is the list of bots that will be in use at game start. Full details on how to use each of the features listed here will be provided on the Discord server for all players to consult at any time. |
| |
| ==== OC Channels ==== | * **Accessibility Assistant**: An OC bot written by the GM team to increase the accessibility of the game. |
| At the top of the channel sidebar you will find a list of OC channels. Their intended functions have been detailed below: | * This bot responds to the !toggle command to toggle various accessibility features. |
| * __oc-announcements__: GMs may use this channel to post OC announcements directed at the entire playerbase, such as time-in and time-out, or any reports on technical difficulties | * This bot also has a feature to produce plaintext transcripts of any messages with unicode characters in them that may make them difficult to read. You can access this feature by reacting to the relevant message with a question mark. |
| * __oc-game-introduction__: This channel will be used by GMs to introduce the game to players at the start of session one | * **Albert Interface**: OC, this bot carries out the task of moving players between physical location channels using the !warp command. |
| * __oc-tech-support__: A place for players to alert GMs to any technical difficulties they may be able to resolve, e.g. any issues in a bot's behaviour. Such issues may also be raised privately in [[gm:navigating_discord#player-GM_channels|player-GM channels]] | * IC, this bot represents the Albert Interface, and some error messages are formatted as IC comments. This is for flavour only, as Pluralkit will be used to represent communication with the Albert Interface |
| * __oc-info__: Quick reference for information such as session times, Discord conventions, and safety calls | * **Emporium Security**: OC, this bot handles commands relating to the map. |
| * __oc-guide-to-bots__: Quick reference for the bots operating in the Emporium server and how to interact with them | * IC, this bot represents the security systems governed by the Albert Interface. |
| * __oc-location-reference__: Quick reference for locations, intended to make the OC experience of warping easier. You may assume that the floorplan provided is IC knowledge. | * Use of the !map command in the server represents connecting to the Albert Interface to access a map which shows the density of Entities in each area |
| * __oc-general-chat__: A place to communicate with GMs and players out of character. | * While there are other customers and employees present IC who would be noted on the map, this is not represented in-game as the primary function of the bot is to give you an indication of how full channels are |
| * __oc-quotes__: A place to note down anything amusing or noteworthy that a player or GM has said within the server for posterity | * **Pluralkit**: An OC bot used by the GM team to allow them to use multiple aliases for different NPCs. You can read more about PluralKit on [[https://pluralkit.me/|their website]], as this is not a bot written by the GM team. |
| * __oc-shitposting__: A place to post memes and shitposts related to //Emporium//. | * Since GMs will be using Pluralkit to post messages as NPCs, replying to a message posted by Pluralkit will not notify the relevant GM. Instead, you can react to the message with a bell emoji, which will automatically notify the relevant GM |
| * __oc-bot-commands__: A place to post bot commands such as !warp and !map if you would prefer not to do so in your player-GM channel for whatever reason. We recommend you mute this channel by right-clicking the name and selecting "Mute Channel > Until I turn it back on", and ask that players don't read each other's bot commands in order to metagame! | ==== Accessibility of Discord Bots==== |
| ==== The Albert Interface ==== | |
| The channels under this category heading represent communication with Albert, the Implement at the head of Emporium. In-character, every aisle is equipped with an interface by which they can be reached. | |
| |
| * __ic-rules__: A list of in-character rules that apply in the store. While employees and customers are expected to follow the store rules, players may choose for their characters to break them. | Our Discord bots are intended to be easy to use, and full information on their [[navigating_discord#using_commands|commands]] will be provided on the Discord server, alongside a tech support channel where you can direct and tech-related questions to GMs. If, for whatever reason, you are having trouble or would prefer not to use a particular bot, please let your GM know, and they will be able to take over the bot's actions for you. |
| * __ic-announcements__: This channel represents Emporium's PA systems, over which Albert (or others) may speak from time to time. For accessibility reasons, all announcements made over the PA system will be represented over text channels by transcripts, and optionally by audio recordings. | |
| * __ask-albert__: Albert encourages you to ask them any questions you may have! Please bear in mind that, depending on the nature of your question, GMs may take some time to respond. | |
| |
| ==== The Collective Consciousness ==== | Our Accessibility Assistant bot has been created specifically for //Emporium// to aid in the accessibility of the game. Players will be able to use it to hide and unhide channel histories, access plaintext versions of the store map, and request autogenerated plaintext transcripts of messages with zalgo characters or unicode fonts. Additional functionality may be able to be added on request, depending on whether or not we know how to implement it - players are welcome to direct any bot-related queries to [[gm_sophia@emporium.oxfordrpg.com|our head GM]], who has written most of the code for //Emporium//'s custom bots. |
| The Collective Consciousness is a psychic network that operates throughout the entirety of Emporium. The Collective Consciousness is represented over Discord by three distinct channels, two of which have slow-mode enabled at different rates, such that the frequency players at which can post messages in them is restricted. Unlike physical location channels, these are available for all players to read and write in at any time. | |
| ==== Physical Location Channels ==== | |
| The Emporium Discord server features a vast array of __physical location channels__. As a general rule, only one of these should be visible to an individual player at any given time, as Entities are not able to manifest omnipresently in Emporium. | |
| |
| You can move between most location channels within the [[gm:shopfloor|shop floor]] by [[gm:navigating_discord#movement|warping]]. Any locations that cannot be accessed in this manner will be accessible with the help of a GM, and may be discovered and explored by players over the course of uptime. | ==== Troubleshooting Discord Bots ==== |
| ==== Psychic Connections ==== | All player-facing Discord bots have been written and tested primarily by [[gms_npcs|our head GM]], and are dependent on her internet connection. If a bot goes offline temporarily, you will not be able to use its associated commands until it is back online. This is most likely due to Sophia's internet cutting out, and should be resolved as soon as it has been re-established. You should not assume that the [[navigating_discord#albert_interface|Albert Interface]] or the [[navigating_discord#emporium_security|Emporium Security]] have gone down IC if their associated OC bots are offline. If you notice any other issues with any of the Emporium bots, please tag Sophia in a message in #oc-tech-support to let her know, and she'll get back to you about it as soon as possible! |
| Entities with the Psychic Anchor quirk may establish psychic connections to other characters. If such a connection is made between a PC and an NPC, it may be easier for GMs to represent it via existing player-GM channels, but if it is made between two or more PCs, a private channel will be created for them to communicate in. | |
| |
| ==== Player-GM Channels ==== | In the event that a bot is offline, or if a player is unable to use it for whatever reason, GMs will be able to move players between locations and toggle their channel history permissions in such an event. Of course, you can always ask a GM to provide a transcript for any zalgo text or unicode fonts, whether the accessibility assistant is currently offline, or has failed to transcribe a message accurately. Unfortunately, GMs will not be able to mimic the Emporium Security Bot's map functions, but they //can// tell you how many players are currently within a specified location channel. Finally, please be mindful that GMs are juggling many different things behind the scenes and may take a while to respond - we are here to help, but may need a moment! |
| Finally, every player will have access to a private channel accessible only by them and the GM team. This channel will be presided over primarily by the GM assigned to you, who may ask that you tag them in your messages so that they will be notified (GMs have an extremely large number of channels to moderate!). This is a good place to... | |
| * __Ask GM questions__ that may otherwise get lost in an OC channel, or that you don't want other players to see. | |
| * __Roleplay private interactions between PCs and NPCs__ to eliminate the need for excess text channels. | |
| * __Use bot commands__ such as !warp and !map without spamming public channels or revealing where you are warping | |
| If you attempt to use an Emporium bot and it encounters an error, it will notify the head GM in this channel. | |
| ===== Using Discord Bots ===== | |
| On the user sidebar, you may notice some users with a 'BOT' icon. These are not players or GMs but Discord bots programmed to automate tasks within the server. //Emporium// will be making use of several Discord bots to enable a smoother and more interactive experience. | |
| |
| Some bots, such as PluralKit, which allows GMs to post under different aliases for different NPCs, are for GM use only, whereas others, such as the Emporium bots, which automate tasks like warping to free up GM time, may be used by players to interact with the game. The use of bots is designed to be intuitive and requires no prior knowledge as instructions will be provided on the Discord server. If, for whatever reason, you would prefer not to use a particular bot, please let your GM know, and they will be able to take over the bot's actions for you. | ===== Discord Channels ===== |
| ==== The Most Important Commands ==== | |
| Commands are phrases you can type into a Discord channel to generate a response from a bot. Below are a list of all the most important ones for you to know, and what they do. More options may be listed under each bot's own headline. A full list of commands will be available for players to consult at any time on the Discord server. | |
| |
| * __!map__ generates a map, either in text or image format, of the shop floor, indicating how many player characters are currently within each location | ==== Discord Channel Histories ==== |
| * __!warp <location>__ takes you to whatever location channel you specified, provided that it is within the Warp Zone, and you are currently within the Warp Zone | |
| * __!toggle__ toggles your channel history permissions, so that you can easily switch between being able to read a channel's history when you enter it, or having it be a mystery | |
| |
| ==== Accessibility Assistant ==== | Through the use of [[glossary#roles|Discord roles]], GMs are able to determine whether or not a player is able to read old messages in a channel they have just joined. As players will be moving between [[navigating_discord#physical_location_channels|physical location channels]] during uptime, this will be relevant whenever moving to a new location, even if it is a location that you have been in at a previous point in time. |
| This is an OC bot written by the GM team to increase the accessibility of the game. | |
| |
| The __!toggle__ command is used to toggle accessibility features. It can be entered into any channel on the server by any player at any time to edit their individual accessibility preferences, although we recommend using [[gm:navigating_discord#oc_channels|#oc-bot-commands]] or [[gm:navigating_discord#player-gm_channels|your GM channel]] to avoid clutter in public channels. | As mystery is a core theme of //Emporium//, players are expected **not to read back channel histories** (except in the case of OC channels and IC info channels) since this could result in them reading past interactions that they were not a part of and may lead to metagaming. However, we recognise that players may have difficulty recalling information from past interactions that they //were// a part of, and as it is possible to obtain this information in a digital format, we are keen not to create an access barrier around it. For ease of access, channel histories are by default available to read for any player who has access to a given channel, but we strongly suggest that players turn this permission off using the **!toggle** command for the most immersive experience of the game. To use the **!toggle** command, simply type "!toggle" (without quotation marks) in any channel, and press send as you would for a normal message. If you do need to check something within a channel's history, you can view it at any time by using the **!toggle** command again. OC channels and non-physical location channel histories will be unaffected by this command. |
| |
| | ==== OC Channels ==== |
| | The //Emporium// Discord server will feature a list of clearly marked OC channels for out of character information and communication. This will include full instructions on the use of bots, a tech support channel, a general OC chat, and a place to post bot commands so as to avoid spamming other channels (we recommend muting this by right-clicking the channel and selecting 'Mute Channel > Until I turn it back on'!) OC channels will remain visible to players at all times, and will be the topmost channels in the channel sidebar so as to be the most easily accessible. |
| | ==== Physical Location Channels ==== |
| |
| - __!toggle permissions__ toggles whether or not you are able to read [[gm:navigating_discord#physical_location_channels|physical location]] [[gm:navigating_discord#channel_histories|channel histories]] | During uptime, player movement is represented by switching between physical location channels. This may be done by a GM changing your location role (and hence which channels you have the permission to see) or by a player using the !warp command to move between locations at will. Generally, you will only be able to view one location channel at a time, since you can only be in one place at once. The !warp command can only be used within the [[emporium#movement|warp zone]], as this is intended for easy movement between locations Emporium might expect its customers and employees to access frequently. To explore an area of the store outside of the warp zone, or to re-enter it once you are outside it, please tag a GM to request to move! |
| - __!toggle map__ toggles your default map display preferences when using the [[gm:navigating_discord#emporium_security|Emporium Security Bot]] between plain text and visual | ==== Psychic Channels ==== |
| | Some channels represent [[emporium#psychic_networks|psychic communication]]. This includes Collective Consciousness - a psychic network accessible to all customers and employees within Emporium, which is represented during Uptime by three Discord text channels with different speeds of slowmode enabled for different 'frequencies of thought' - and any psychic networks established between characters using the [[quirks#psychic_anchor|Psychic Anchor Quirk]]. |
| |
| Simply typing __!toggle__ will default to changing your channel history persmissions. | |
| |
| |
| ---- | |
| |
| Another thing the accessibility bot is in charge of is providing plaintext transcripts for unicode characters. While we do not intend for zalgo text and unicode fonts to be a big feature during uptime on Discord, they may be used occasionally for stylistic effect. To aid in the readability of these messages, the Accessibility Assistant automatically scans incoming messages on the Discord server for zalgo or [[unicode_sheet|unicode characters it recognises]], and will react to any messages containing them with a question mark emoji. If you press this question mark, the Accessibility Assistant will send you a direct message with an auto-generated plaintext version of the message's contents, and remove your reaction for purposes of anonymity. As this is handled by a bot, transcripts may be imperfect and the bot may not catch every relevant message, but we hope that it will make the player experience a bit more accessible, encourage players to get in touch with the head GM regarding any issues with the bot. | |
| ==== Albert Interface ==== | ==== Albert Interface ==== |
| OC, this bot carries out the task of moving players between physical location channels. IC, this bot represents the Albert Interface. | The [[emporium#the_albert_interface|Albert Interface]] is a combined security system, catalogue, information point, and customer service AI that operates throughout the supermarket, and can be accessed either psychically or with the help of computer screens in most areas of the store. In addition to the [[navigating_discord#bots_present_in_the_server|Albert Interface bot]] and the NPC profile GMs will be using to play the AI, the Albert Interface is represented over Discord by a group of text channels. This includes an IC rules channel, an IC announcement channel to represent PA announcements, a channel in which to ask Albert questions, and the [[taskboard|employee taskboard channels.]] |
| |
| You can type __!warp <location>__, where <location> is the name of the location you are warping to (e.g. kitchen, groceries) anywhere in the server to instantaneously move to said location. Your current location and desired destination must both be within the warp zone in order for this to work. | ==== Player-GM Channels ==== |
| | Finally, every player will have access to a private channel accessible only by them and the GM team. This channel will be presided over primarily by the GM assigned to you, who may ask that you tag them in your messages so that they will be notified (GMs have an extremely large number of channels to moderate!). This is a good place to... |
| | * **Ask GM questions** that may otherwise get lost in an OC channel, or that you don't want other players to see. |
| | * **Roleplay private interactions between PCs and NPCs** to eliminate the need for excess text channels. |
| | * **Use bot commands** such as !warp and !map without spamming public channels or revealing where you are warping |
| | If you attempt to use an Emporium bot and it encounters an error, it will notify the head GM in this channel. |
| |
| A full list of locations you can warp between will be available at all times on the Discord server. | |
| |
| ==== Emporium Security ==== | ===== Discord Roles ===== |
| OC, this bot handles commands relating to the map. IC, this bot represents the security systems governed by the Albert Interface. | //Emporium// will be making use of Discord roles for a variety of uses, including moving players around physical location channels, accessing accessibility features, and distinguishing customers from employees. For the most part, this is strictly OC information, and should not be used to gain IC information about other characters' whereabouts, alliances or abilities. |
| |
| You can type the __!map__ command anywhere within the server to receive an update of every PC's current position on the map, provided that they are within the Warp Zone. The bot will post a message with the map in your GM channel so as not to create clutter in public channels, and ping you so that you can easily find it. IC, this is equivalent to your character connecting to the Albert Interface to view the shop map. While the map would IC display non-PC characters as well, this is not the case OC, and the map function is intended primarily to give players a quick overview of which channels they may want to warp to based on how much activity there seems to be in each of them. | We will be making use of an 'employee uniform' role to change the colour of employee characters' usernames. This represents the fact that they are wearing a uniform, and may hence be interpreted as IC information. If you would like to take off your uniform, or have a uniform to put on, let a GM know so that they can edit this role for you. |
| |
| By default, the __!map__ command will generate a visual map, but you can change your individual preferences between visual and written formats by typing __!toggle map__ anywhere at any time. | Players and GMs may also use @employees and @customers to draw the attention of employees and customers. IC, these words have the metaphysical ability to draw a character's particular attention if Emporium has employed them or invited them as a customer respectively, and hence have an effect regardless of whether or not an individual is wearing an employee uniform. |
| | |
| Alternatively, you can override your default format by writing __!map text__ for a plaintext map and __!map image__ for a visual map. | |
| | |
| ==== PluralKit ==== | |
| This is an OC bot used by the GM team to allow them to use multiple aliases for different NPCs. You can read more about PluralKit on [[https://pluralkit.me/|their website]]. | |
| | |
| | |
| ===== Troubleshooting Discord Bots ===== | |
| All player-facing Discord bots have been written and tested primarily by [[gm:gms_npcs|our head GM]], and are dependent on her internet connection. __If a bot goes offline temporarily, you will not be able to use its associated commands until it is back online. This is most likely due to Sophia's internet cutting out, and should be resolved as soon as it has been re-established. You should not assume that the [[gm:navigating_discord#albert_interface|Albert Interface]] or the [[gm:navigating_discord#emporium_security|Emporium Security]] have gone down IC if their associated OC bots are offline. If you notice any other issues with any of the Emporium bots, please tag Sophia in a message in #oc-tech-support to let her know, and she'll get back to you about it as soon as possible! | |
| | |
| In the event that a bot is offline, or if a player is unable to use it for whatever reason, GMs will be able to move players between locations and toggle their channel history permissions in such an event. Of course, you can always ask a GM to provide a transcript for any zalgo text or unicode fonts, whether the accessibility assistant is currently offline, or has failed to transcribe a message accurately. Unfortunately, GMs will not be able to mimic the Emporium Security Bot's map functions, but they //can// tell you how many players are currently within a specified location channel. Finally, please be mindful that GMs are juggling many different things behind the scenes and may take a while to respond - we are here to help, but may need a moment! | |