FuroticaMUCK

- How To Connect to FuroticaMUCK -

• Connecting and MUCK Clients
• Basic Commands and Movement
• Introduction to How a MUCK Works

Connecting and MUCK Clients

     In order to use FuroticaMUCK, you will need an internet connection and a client. We'll assume that you either have an internet connection, or know how to get one established. But in order to connect to the MUCK and interact with it, you will need a client, a software application that handles the protocols and manipulation of the data between you and the MUCK. It allows you to type text in for the MUCK to process in the form of commands, the MUCK responds by sending output to your client for you to see. This is the basic method in which you will interact with the MUCK and it's users.
     The basic internet protocol used to communicate with a MUCK is called telnet. This is a text-based standard for interactive input and output between two computers on the internet. Most computers with internet access have a simple telnet program installed as part of the base system, which can be used to connect to the MUCK. However, although telnet is the priniciple which MUCK communications are based on, MUCKs are more complex than simple telnet communications, and therefore can be better facilitated using a client specifically designed for MUCKs and other multi-user gaming systems on the internet. And now that we've bored you to death with a lecture, we'll get to the heart of using some various methods for connecting to the system.

Raw Telnet (Windows95, Windows98, WindowsNT, Macintosh, UNIX)

     Raw telnet is the use of standard, simple telnet programs to connect to and interact with a MUCK. We strongly recommend that you use a MUCK-specific client, however, raw telnet programs are the most widely available and are on most internet-capable computer systems. It's built into Win95, Win98, WinNT, Mac and UNIX systems. The problem that arises when you use a raw telnet program is that input and output are not seperated. When you are typing a command and input is recieved from the MUCK, it will interject itself into your command as you are typing it, though it will not replace any of your output. Yes, very confusing. You can avoid that by turning off 'local echo' on some raw telnet programs, but then you will not see what you're typing at all, only the output from the MUCK itself.
     Using raw telnet in Win95, Win98 or WinNT: There are many ways in which you can initiate a connection to the MUCK in the Microsoft family of Windows systems, but we're only going to cover the simple one. Click on the Start Menu and choose Run. In the dialog box, type in: telnet muck.furo.net 6969 - Then click the 'Okay' button or hit Enter. This will open a telnet window, and attempt to connect to the FuroticaMUCK server. Once you see the login screen, type the connect command as directed, and you're in!
     Using raw telnet in UNIX: From a command prompt or shell login, type: telnet muck.furo.net 6969 - Hit Enter and the telnet client should start trying to connect you. Once you get the login screen, type the connect command as directed and you should be all set.
     Using raw telnet in Macintosh: We honestly don't know how to do this, folks. If anyone out there does, please send us mail!

Phoca / Phoca95 (Windows 3.1 / Windows95, Windows98, WindowsNT)

     Phoca95 (which is what we'll refer to it as) is a very powerful, yet easy to use, 32-bit MUCK client designed for use in Windows platforms. If you are running Windows 3.1, you will most likely require the 16-bit version of Phoca, which is also available on their website but is no longer updated. This is the most highly recommended MUCK client for use on FuroticaMUCK for Windows operating systems. Please be aware that Phoca is crippleware/shareware, you can use it for free, but the more advanced functions are only available in the registered version. For more information and downloading of Phoca/Phoca95, please see their website at: www.phocat.com
     Using Phoca95 in Windows: Phoca is pretty self-explanatory. You click on the 'Create New World' icon under the File menu and fill in the necessary information in the pop-up dialog box. Save the info, connect, and login, it's too simple.

TinyFugue (UNIX)

     TinyFugue is undoubtedly the most powerful tool ever designed for playing multi-user games on the internet. However, it's only built for UNIX-based machines and operating systems. We are unaware if there are any websites for TinyFugue at present, but if you run UNIX of some sort, it is most likely available as a package or module for your flavor. There is way too much involved in using TinyFugue to even scratch the surface of here, we know that if you use UNIX, you can most likely figure it out quite simply.

Other Recommended MUCK Clients (Primarily Windows)

• ZMUD (Shareware; Another highly recommended MUCK client, very powerful!)
• MUD Sock (Shareware; This is a popular Windows-based MUCK client, esp among furry users.)

Basic Commands and Movement

     More to come soon...

Introduction to How a MUCK Works

     More to come soon...