Character development is the process of improving your character over time. For the most part, this simply means using character development points that you have gained in the course of play to improve your abilities or learn new ones.

The primary means of gaining additional points is through player voting. The +vote (syntax +vote ) command is used to cast votes to recognize superior roleplay. The voting program has a number of configurable parameters, but in general you will be given a specified number of votes to cast during a specified time period or `voting interval', or will be able to cast an unlimited number of votes, but may only vote for someone once per voting interval. You may not vote for yourself, and the program does attempt to detect instances where people are using alternate characters to vote for themselves. Such instances are logged. The policy on alt-character voting and all other voting matters is determined by the MUCK's staff: consult +man, news, bulletin boards or staff.

Typing +vote by itself shows your current voting statistics: how many votes you have, how many you need before getting a development point, how many votes you have used this voting interval, and the currently configured voting interval length.

Depending on system settings, you may also get points automatically. If the system parameter auto_xp is set to `yes' (which it is by default), you have a chance to improve your skills through the use of skills, spells, and psionics. Whenever you get a critical success in an IC area occupied by other, non-idle players, a roll is made to see if you have the `presence of mind' to learn from what you did (that is, a roll is made against the average of your Presence and Intelligence). If you make this roll, 10 points are put into a pool of experience points. When the number of accrued experience points reaches 100, you receive a character development point.

When you do get a development point in the course of play, it will appear on your character sheet under `Available Points'. At that time, you may allocate it to current or new abilities, with the following restrictions:

• You will probably need to go to a designated setup room to use the chargen commands required to make the change (+stats, +skills, etc.)
• You may not acquire new advantages or disadvantages after your character is approved and you have entered play.
• After character approval, raising a stat 1 point costs three character development points, rather than one, as during chargen. (Skills may still be purchased at the initial price of one point per level.) Because of this, it may be necessary to `save up' points before you use them.