My cat, Veronica Mars, passed away Monday night. She was my special little girl for 17 years. My wife and I are devastated. There are no words to express how much we’re going to miss her.

@Faraday For me, it combines aspects of several mediums into one. Specifically, I’m referring to Ares though most of this applies to other MUSH/X platforms.

1. A centralized, persistent world where characters and RP are organized in one place, making it easy to find people and opportunities.

2. Ways to create both public and private scenes that can later be easily shared and logged - keeping track of all the collaborative storytelling.

3. Character profile pages with lots of character information including demographics, backgrounds, sheets, and galleries - all connected to the game world.

4. Integrated dice rolls for games that use RPG systems, without breaking the flow.

5. Easy integration with Discord for OOC communication while keeping IC stuff in the MUSH.

6. Being able to save RP logs to build world and character history.

Those are the big reasons why I prefer MU*s to other forms of online RP. I’ve tried forum RP and discord RP extensively and it just doesn’t hit the same for me. There’s something special about logging into a persistent world where everything you need for good roleplay exists in one connected space.

Looking for feedback on a potential game.

2024 was rough for me, and I’m aiming to make 2025 better by getting back into the MU gaming scene as a GM. While reviewing potential themes, I’ve noticed some of my favorites (particularly Star Trek) might have limited player appeal.

I’ve been considering combining modern Gothic horror with the Storypath System. Think World of Darkness/Chronicles of Darkness style gameplay, but without the associated complexities. It would offer a familiar theme with a fresh mechanical approach.

I’m planning to host this on Ares since traditional MU environments don’t fit my schedule anymore - can’t commit to those lengthy single-session RPs these days. The good news is I’ve already implemented character generation through the web portal. The core mechanics are in place; we just need to develop specific Edges and powers.

One of Storypath’s strengths is its flexibility. Converting WoD/CoD abilities should be straightforward, and we could easily create custom powers too. This would give players extensive character creation options.

The setting and some theme elements are still in development. I’m mainly wondering if this concept would interest people? All the Storypath System information would be readily available on the wiki.

Would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I often struggle on “older” games because there just aren’t many ways for new players to find RP with the established crowd. Cliques have formed, RP circles have popped up, storylines are already rolling…and I find myself stuck trying to break in. I’ll make a character, maybe do one or two random “coffee shop scenes,” and then just stop logging in because nothing clicks.

I really dig games that give newbies a natural in with older, more established characters. Star Trek works great (getting assigned to a ship, base, or Starfleet Academy), school-based games too (Hero High, Supernatural University, etc.), and super-hero games (with their teams or those built-in relationships between FCs we can lean on).

I obviously don’t speak for all new players, but I don’t think I’m some special snowflake here. I bet tons of new players hit these same walls. Maybe this is why so many MUSHes fizzle out after a few months - they don’t solve the “new player integration” problem.

Posting here helps motivate me so here is the Theme file I just finished for the game.

Welcome to Dark City, where reality wears a cracked mirror’s smile.

Beneath the fluorescent glare of modern life lies another world—one where ancient horrors have adapted rather than faded. Here, Gothic spires pierce the sky between glass-and-steel towers, their shadows stretching like grasping fingers across urban sprawl. The sun seems perpetually filtered through a veil of gray, as if something vast and unseen drinks its light.

This is a world where monsters have learned to wear designer suits and send emails. Vampires don’t merely lurk in abandoned mansions—they sit on corporate boards and swipe through dating apps seeking their next meal. Ancient fae bloodlines thread through family trees like poison ivy, their gifts manifesting in board rooms and back alleys alike. In forgotten university basements, forbidden sciences mesh with eldritch sorceries, bringing forth abominations that defy both natural law and modern medicine.

Hell itself has gone digital. Demons no longer need to break through—they slip through the cracks in our technology, turning social media into soul markets and smartphone screens into portals of temptation. The old rituals haven’t died; they’ve evolved, finding power in the patterns of modern life.

Every city has its dark reflection here—a twilight realm where gargoyles peer down from art deco facades, where elevated Metrorail tracks cast serpentine shadows that writhe with whispered curses, where gentrified neighborhoods hide covens in coffee shops. Missing person posters fade on rain-slicked walls while security cameras capture glimpses of impossible things. Blood bonds are sealed with electronic signatures, and ancient prophecies are encrypted in blockchain.

This is a world where the old darkness has learned new tricks, where gothic horror wears modern clothes but its heart beats with ancient malice. In Dark City, every shadow holds secrets, every connection conceals betrayal, and every truth masks a deeper deception.

Welcome to the modern gothic. Welcome to a world where the monsters have adapted, but never truly changed. Welcome to Dark City—where the darkness has always been waiting, and it knows your phone number.

Progress is moving forward, even if it’s not as fast as I’d like. I’ve got two alpha testers helping me refine character generation and develop the powers and abilities system.

I wanted to share the setting file I just completed. I chose Miami as our location - I love the contrast between its sunny, vibrant atmosphere and the dark, Gothic elements we’re weaving in. Plus, having watched Dexter, I already knew the city had potential for the kind of atmosphere I’m going for.

Miami in Shadow

Here, the Magic City takes on a darker kind of sorcery. Neon still bleeds across Ocean Drive, but it illuminates gargoyles perched on Art Deco facades, their wings spread against the subtropical night. Palm trees cast serpentine shadows across streets where colonial-era carriages share lanes with gleaming sports cars, and nineteenth-century Gothic spires rise between modern condominiums like dark teeth against the perpetually storm-threatened sky.

This Miami writhes with impossible architecture. A Romanian castle, transported stone by ancient stone, looms over Brickell’s financial district. Venetian-style canals cut through Coral Gables, their waters black as ink under moonlight, while Little Havana’s streets host processions that blend Santeria with rituals far older and darker. In Coconut Grove, Spanish moss drapes from banyan trees like funeral shrouds, concealing paths to places that shouldn’t exist.

The heat remains oppressive, but now it carries the weight of ancient curses. Hurricanes approach the coast like conscious entities, their eyes holding actual malevolence. The Everglades encroach upon the city’s edges with increasing hunger, its waters concealing more than just alligators. On South Beach, beautiful predators stalk through endless nights of pleasure and horror, while in Wynwood, street art writhes with hidden meanings and graffiti spells.

This Miami’s Cuban coffee is served in cups lined with prophetic grounds, and the cafecito windows sometimes open into other realms. Santeros work true magic in back rooms, while demons negotiate souls in Brickell’s glass towers. Luxury boats in the marina belong to creatures that haven’t been human for centuries, and the cruise ships departing from Government Cut sometimes return with none of their passengers—or worse, with all of them changed.

In this Miami, every neighborhood tells a different horror story. Vizcaya isn’t just a museum but a living monument to dark bargains, its gardens maze-like and hungry after sunset. The Metrorail rattles through the darkness like a ghost train, stopping at stations that appear on no official map. Little Haiti thrums with power that makes colonial vampires tremble, while Overtown’s historical wounds birth new monsters from old injustices.

This is Miami seen through an obsidian mirror—where the subtropical heat bakes ancient cobblestones, where Gothic spires pierce a sky heavy with Caribbean storms, and where the city’s famous diversity encompasses creatures from every dark corner of folklore and nightmare. Welcome to Miami, where the darkness dances salsa and the monsters wear guayaberas, where every sunset might be your last, and every Cuban sandwich might be sealed with a blood oath.

The first round of character generation went well. No hiccups. Got some notes that I’ll work on over the next day or so. Looks good, though. I’m pretty pleased. Thought I’d attach an image of what the character sheet looks like via the web portal.

I know I might be in the minority, but I genuinely enjoy games that focus primarily on social interactions and “bar RP.” In fact, I’ve participated in private games where that was the main activity, and found them incredibly fulfilling.

Don’t misunderstand—I appreciate well-crafted plots and would certainly join global events. However, my personal focus tends toward developing character relationships and running private storylines with my RP partners. For me, having the tools and space to tell these intimate stories matters more than participating in numerous public scenes or global plot arcs.

I find the most enjoyment in those smaller moments between characters: the conversations that reveal backstories, the gradual building of trust, and the organic development of relationships (whether friendly, romantic, or antagonistic). These interactions often create the most memorable RP experiences for me.

As an update, I’ve got a few players who will beta test character generation this week. I continue to work on fleshing out the system, focusing on creating the various supernatural paths(Vampires, Demons, Fae, Reanimated, etc.) and their Dark Gifts. I think things are shaping up rather nicely.

I finalized our mission statement today. I thought I’d post it here so others can gauge their interest in it.

Dark City emerges from a deep love of Gothic horror and its timeless narratives. The atmospheric dread of Dracula, the philosophical depths of Frankenstein, the visual poetry of Nosferatu, and the tragic humanity of the Wolf Man have all shaped this game’s soul. These classics don’t merely inspire Dark City—they infuse its very essence.

Our vision builds upon the foundation laid by games like World of Darkness and Chronicles of Darkness. As someone who has played Vampire since its 1991 debut, I deeply respect these games’ legacy. However, Dark City charts its own course. While WoD veterans will find familiar shadows to explore, they’ll discover fresh horrors and new possibilities lurking in these streets.

Accessibility stands as a cornerstone of Dark City’s design. Where other games layer complexity upon complexity, we strip away the unnecessary while preserving the essential. A vampire in Dark City is simply that—a creature of the night, free to be shaped by the player’s imagination rather than confined by predetermined clans or covenants. This philosophy extends throughout the game, offering a low barrier to entry while maintaining rich possibilities for character development.

Dark City embraces its mature nature. Created with adult players in mind, it provides a space where complex themes can be explored without compromise. Love, betrayal, violence, desire, friendship, and loss—all find their place in these shadowed streets. This is a game that acknowledges the sophisticated tastes of its audience while establishing clear boundaries through our Rules section.

At its core, Dark City exists to tell stories that haunt the imagination, challenge the heart, and explore the darkness that lies within us all. Whether you’re a veteran of Gothic horror gaming or taking your first steps into the night, Dark City welcomes you to its shadows.

@Tapewyrm

I can only speak for myself and a select few like-minded players, but here’s my perspective on this topic: While I genuinely enjoy private roleplay and developing personal storylines with my RP partners, I’m certainly not opposed to staff-run plots. They add depth and context to the world we’re playing in—I just don’t require them as my primary source of enjoyment.

Being a storyteller and plot-runner is undoubtedly a thankless job, which is why I try to make staff members’ lives easier when possible. My expectations are actually quite modest: run perhaps one scene a week to keep the world moving forward, and I’m perfectly content! I’ll happily fill in the other days with my own character-driven stories alongside my RP partners.

In my experience, most active and engaged players share this mindset. What I’ve consistently observed over years of roleplaying is that the very people who complain “there’s nothing to do” on a game are typically the same ones who rarely attend planned scenes when they are offered. They’re waiting for entertainment rather than creating it.

I believe there’s a productive middle ground here. Setting reasonable guidelines for sandbox RP so players don’t inadvertently break ongoing plots seems entirely fair. This doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. If you provide people with the tools and framework to tell their own stories—including clear boundaries about what limits they must respect—I strongly believe those same players will show up for staff-run scenes as well, appreciating the broader context they provide.

The most successful RP environments I’ve experienced have this balance: staff who create a vibrant, evolving world with occasional significant events, and players who feel empowered to develop their own stories within that framework. Neither needs to exclude the other, and both contribute to a richer overall experience.

@Jennkryst If it wasn’t for SNW, I’d say Lower Decks was the best Trek out there since TNG to be honest. It is weird because it’s a cartoon and I’m not sure on its continuity but it is really good. Not hating on Lower Decks at all.

@RedRocket I love both Evil and Strange New Worlds. I’m a huge Trekkie and, for me, SNW the best Trek they’ve put out since TNG.

I know I might be in the minority, but I genuinely enjoy games that focus primarily on social interactions and “bar RP.” In fact, I’ve participated in private games where that was the main activity, and found them incredibly fulfilling.

Don’t misunderstand—I appreciate well-crafted plots and would certainly join global events. However, my personal focus tends toward developing character relationships and running private storylines with my RP partners. For me, having the tools and space to tell these intimate stories matters more than participating in numerous public scenes or global plot arcs.

I find the most enjoyment in those smaller moments between characters: the conversations that reveal backstories, the gradual building of trust, and the organic development of relationships (whether friendly, romantic, or antagonistic). These interactions often create the most memorable RP experiences for me.

I often struggle on “older” games because there just aren’t many ways for new players to find RP with the established crowd. Cliques have formed, RP circles have popped up, storylines are already rolling…and I find myself stuck trying to break in. I’ll make a character, maybe do one or two random “coffee shop scenes,” and then just stop logging in because nothing clicks.

I really dig games that give newbies a natural in with older, more established characters. Star Trek works great (getting assigned to a ship, base, or Starfleet Academy), school-based games too (Hero High, Supernatural University, etc.), and super-hero games (with their teams or those built-in relationships between FCs we can lean on).

I obviously don’t speak for all new players, but I don’t think I’m some special snowflake here. I bet tons of new players hit these same walls. Maybe this is why so many MUSHes fizzle out after a few months - they don’t solve the “new player integration” problem.

@MisterBoring IMO, a successful MUSH is one where people had fun. I don’t think you can measure success by time alone. I’ve been on games that languished for years with little to no activity - very little fun was had. I’ve also been on others that only lasted a few weeks, but we all had a blast and still talk about RP from those games to this day. I’d say those shorter games were actually more successful.

@Faraday For me, it combines aspects of several mediums into one. Specifically, I’m referring to Ares though most of this applies to other MUSH/X platforms.

1. A centralized, persistent world where characters and RP are organized in one place, making it easy to find people and opportunities.

2. Ways to create both public and private scenes that can later be easily shared and logged - keeping track of all the collaborative storytelling.

3. Character profile pages with lots of character information including demographics, backgrounds, sheets, and galleries - all connected to the game world.

4. Integrated dice rolls for games that use RPG systems, without breaking the flow.

5. Easy integration with Discord for OOC communication while keeping IC stuff in the MUSH.

6. Being able to save RP logs to build world and character history.

Those are the big reasons why I prefer MU*s to other forms of online RP. I’ve tried forum RP and discord RP extensively and it just doesn’t hit the same for me. There’s something special about logging into a persistent world where everything you need for good roleplay exists in one connected space.

@MisterBoring I created more Advantages, Drawbacks, and supernatural abilities. Other than that, not much. In my opinion, almost any system can work on a MUSH under the right circumstances.

I went with Stranger Stuff with the following ideas in mind:

1. Minimal advancement. Players aren’t hoarding XP and slowly (or not so slowly) growing their character sheet to super-heroic proportions. Your character is what it is when you create it. Over time, as RP dictates, you can apply for changes to your sheet, but there’s not really any advancement.

As an aside, this is one of the things I really enjoy about the Star Trek RPG. You’re not gunning for advancement and XP. Your character is your character, fully formed and at the peak of their abilities. Changes that do happen are often lateral instead of upwards.

2. I wanted something that you could use without even thinking about numbers. One of the cool things about Stranger Stuff is that it’s trait-based, so a character can look something like “A local fisherman who is Athletic, Connected, Insightful, and has a Bad Back.” There are mechanical systems behind all of those traits but, even without using them, this character sheet tells you a lot about a character.

3. Fast paced. The system is fast-paced for those who choose to rely on it. There aren’t a ton of mechanics to learn or crunch to slow RP down.

And that’s it really. I wanted a system that could support RP without getting in the way of it but also one that had enough heft to be meaningful when people did want to use it. Hope that helps answer your question!

I wanted to share an update on the game I’ve been working on. After much consideration, I’ve made some significant changes to the original concept.

While developing the Storypath system was enjoyable, it ultimately proved too ambitious. I was concerned about the learning curve for new players since, despite having familiar mechanics, everything else was homebrewed. This would have required everyone to learn an entirely new system.

Several other factors influenced my decision to pivot:

• I wasn’t confident I could properly support the original setting
• I had reservations about maintaining the WoD-lite theme long-term

The game has transformed considerably:

• The setting is now Misty Harbor, a fictional coastal town in Maine that I feel more comfortable developing
• I’ve shifted to a 1980s timeframe, drawing inspiration from properties like Stranger Things
• The theme leans more toward horror than WoD-gothic soap opera (though those elements are still present in some ways)
• I’ve adopted the Stranger Stuff system, which is simpler but very effective and narrative-focused—ideal for a MUSH environment, in my opinion

I’m still uncertain whether I’ll make the game publicly available. Horror isn’t my usual genre (I typically run Star Trek or superhero games), but the project does exist with a small player base. For now, I’m considering an invite-only approach.

For those who expressed interest in my original concept, I wanted to provide this update. If you’re curious about the new direction, feel free to message me directly or let me know if you’d like me to start a new thread about it.

Thanks for your support!

@Faraday I think I get what you’re saying and I agree with that perspective. Rolls should not be a crutch to make up for not being able to play a concept properly. They can help drive RP and perhaps point you in directions you hadn’t considered, but they definitely can’t make fundamentally poor roleplay enjoyable.

And yes, someone shouldn’t be able to play a character poorly but then fall back on “But my +roll says yes” as if that overrides everything else. There’s definitely some murky water where playing poorly because someone doesn’t care (and isn’t even trying) crosses over with someone who is genuinely doing their best to play the concept well but might need some mechanical support.

I think the ideal is when dice mechanics enhance good-faith roleplay efforts rather than replacing them. A player genuinely trying to portray a brilliant tactician might benefit from dice mechanics that help bridge the gap, while someone just going through the motions and expecting the dice to do all the heavy lifting is missing the point of collaborative storytelling.