Here are some MUSH terms you might encounter.
Admin - The administrators who run the game. They are like the producers and directors of a TV show. Also known as Wizards or Staff.
Away from the Keyboard (AFK) - When the player needs to step away for a bit, usually due to real life.
Alt - It is usually possible to have multiple characters on a single game. Traditionally you would have one ‘main’ character and several ‘alternate’ characters (or ‘alts’). Most games limit the number of alts you can have, and impose rules on how they are allowed to interact. Using one alt to unfairly benefit another can be considered cheating.
Backscene - A scene that takes place in the past. Players will often arrange backscenes to roleplay important events that were missed because the players couldn’t be online at the appropriate time. See also IC Time.
Command - The text you send to a MUSH to make it do something. Posing, connecting, seeing who’s online - these are all commands.
Consent - Whether other characters can do things to your character without your permission. This is usually in reference to bad things like illness, injury or death. Most games strive for a happy middle ground between pure consent and non-consent, encouraging players to cooperate while also providing rules to help players resolve conflicts fairly (and not necessarily with your consent). See also ICA=ICC.
Fade To Black (FTB) - Used to end a scene with a ‘fade out’ like one would see in a TV show or movie. It is often used to gloss over activities that a player is uncomfortable with, or that are unsuitable for the game’s rating. See also TS.
In Character (IC) - Things that happen in the fictional game world. See also OOC.
IC Actions = IC Consequences (ICA=ICC) - This is a common mantra to illustrate that if you have your character take some IC action, then you are obliged to deal with the consequences of that action. See also Consent.
IC Time - MUSHes operate 24/7, and most have a 1:1 time ratio compared to real life. That means that for every day that passes in the real world, a day passes in the in-game world as well. If you want your character to have a baby, you’re going to have to wait 9 real life months. See also Backscene.
Idle - When a character is logged in but the player isn’t actually doing anything. Alternately, it could refer to a character who hasn’t logged in for a long time. Characters who disappear may be killed off, given to other players, or otherwise written out of the story. See also AFK.
MU* - Refers to the family of multi-user text-based games, which includes MUSH, MUD, MUX and more.
Non-Player Character (NPC) - A guest star or extra in the game world. They typically do not have avatars and don’t go through Chargen. You just incorporate their actions into the background of your poses, like posing the NPC bartender giving your character a drink. See also PC.
Off-Camera - Things that happen to your character while you’re offline. Remember, your character inhabits the game world 24/7 even when you can’t be there to play them. They have a life when you’re not looking. See also Backscene.
Out of Character (OOC) - Things that affect the players and real life, as opposed to the characters. See also IC.
Player Character (PC) - A character in the game world who has gone through Chargen, has an avatar object in the game, and is run by a player. You can think of them as the main cast. See also NPC.
Roleplay (RP) - The act of writing scenes on the game.
Theme - The game’s setting.
Tinyplot (TP) - A plotline in the game’s story.
Tinysex (TS) - The act of roleplaying scenes of an explicit nature. May or may not be permitted on some games. An alternative for games that do not permit such activity or players who do not wish to engage in it is to cut the scene off at the point where it ceases to be PG-rated. See also Fade to Black.
Experience Points (XP) - Your character may earn these as a way to improve their skills and stats over time.