Build on Valheru

Introduction

Builders on Valheru MUD are players who write and submit new content to be added to the world. Some builders are masters at authoring vivid room descriptions and epic quests, and others are skilled at constructing the code and programs needed to add it to the game and make the world interactive. All types of builders are welcome and many find teaming up a great way to bring ideas to life.

The Basics

Regardless of how you contribute it helps to understand the basic concepts of adding to the world. There are a couple of basic building blocks each with their own skills to develop if needed.

Zones

A zone is commonly a small unique area of the MUD, like a castle, town or forest containing quests or NPCs good for gaining experience. The more technical meaning though is a file in a particular format that contains a collection of MUD elements (units) like rooms, NPCs, objects and programs (DIL). In some special cases a zone has no units and exists just to provide some programs or game mechanic. In either case loading a zone using the game's engine is how content is how new elements are added to the world.

DIL

Database Interpreted Language (DIL) is a powerful custom programming language understood by the game engine. Other aspects of zone files define the structure and content of an area, but without DIL that content would be quite boring and static. DIL brings interactivity and life into the world - shops, guards that patrol, NPCs that give quests, and spells with unique effects. DIL programs (or just 'DIL') are added throguh zone files, but due to its complexity it has its own manual and is generally more difficult to learn than the simple 'declarative' structure of the other zone content.

Getting Started

Manuals

Use the resources below to learn how to build:

  • Zone Manual - Start here for authoring a zone
  • DIL Manual - Learn DIL once familiar with zones and the engine

Testing Your Zones

When you have started to write your zone and need to check your work for errors there are two resources:

Singularity Builder Portal

The builder portal is used to 'compile' your zone and check for any errors output. Once it works it gets added to 'Singularity', the test MUD.

To request access to the builder portal speak to an immortal or submit a petition in game. You should include your character name as the builder portal login, and the zone name you would like added for testing.

At the same time you should also create and save your char on the test MUD below so that it can be given access to builder commands on the test MUD.

Once your account is created you can access the builder portal at https://build.valheru.com/build/

Singularity Test MUD

Once uploaded through the portal you can see your live zone on the test MUD.

To create your builder character before requesting a test zone account you can connect to the test MUD here:

  • Address:

    build.valheru.com

  • Port (telnet):

    5656

Please be respectful of other builders and their privacy when using the test MUD.