IRC

From Tel'Laerad Wiki

IRC, or Internet Relay Chat, is a standard for servers allowing real-time chat online, both directly between users, and between multiple users in a 'channel'.

The Tel'Laerad IRC Network, at irc.TelLearad.net, provides this as a place for general chat and discussion, text-based games, and roleplaying in realtime. Our list of servers can be seen on the IRC Servers page.

Our Features

The base IRC server is InspIRCd 1.2, and our services are Anope 1.9, but our IRC network provides a number of additional features and extensions to this software and over other IRC servers, chosen carefully to suit the network. The primary extensions are listed below, although a large number of minor additional commands and modes, some of which have been shared with other networks, exist.

Roleplaying and Gaming

This is the area in which we have the most custom capacity, including features that to our knowledge, no other locale possesses.

Most notably, it provides the roleplay module, allowing gamemasters to use the NPC and NPCA commands to make NPCs, non-existent users, 'speak' in their IRC channels, and use the SCENE command to display text from the =Scene= user, describing the setting, events, and the players' surroundings.

Additionally, we provide a dice rolling service by the name of RPGServ, which can be used to roll dice and perform calculations in an IRC channel, with the results visible to everyone present, assisting in tabletop roleplaying over IRC. It allows full mathematical expressions to be used, with full support for parenthesis and order of precedence, allowing any calculations to be performed with (or without) the results of a dice roll. This service can be invoked via IRC server-side commands in any channel.

Furthermore, we have the chanlink module, allowing messages from one or more channels to be displayed in any number of other channels in another to create observer and commentary channels, with the list of links set in a channel visible to any user inside. This works with the roleplay and dice rolling services as one would expect.

Finally, we have the Scribe service, which once set up by a GM, allows gaming sessions to be logged by the service for instant display on the website, without needing to remove irrelevant parts, joins, and other spam from typical IRC client logs. This service also allows you to upload any plaintext logs; for more information, click on the "Scribe" link in the menu above.

Reliablity and Redundancy

Our IRC network aims for the highest reliability, and in addition to our selective and continually reviewed choice of servers, implements features to improve this further, and ensure that if we're down, we're not down long.

Regardless of any servers which are offline, our IRC network will automatically relink together, even without staff intervention, in as optimum an arrangement as possible, ensuring that all up servers are linked to each other, and no running servers are split for longer than a couple of minutes, with no single points of failure.

Additionally, our services databases are automatically mirrored to read-only backup copies of services on each server, ensuring that nickname and channel ownership, and our additional services such as our dice rolling service, are never down long; in the event of any continued outage, the staff simply start up a backup copy within minutes.

We feel being prepared for when disaster strikes, in addition to selecting reliable servers to begin with, provides our users with an improved ability to rely on us being there, however they use our network.

Using IRC

Connecting to the Tel'Laerad IRC Network

In order to partake in the many services that Tel'Laerad's IRC network offers it's users, one must be "connected" to the network. To connect to an IRC Network, such as Tel'Laerad, or any other, a link between one's computer and the network must be established. This link, as known as the connection, will be via either a standalone IRC client or a web-based IRC client.

We include guides here for connecting using Mibbit, our provided web-based IRC client, and mIRC, the most popular Windows standalone IRC client. Any other IRC client can be used, but you will need to check its documentation to learn how to connect to an IRC network using it.

Connecting via the Web Client

We provide our own web-based client at http://webchat.tellaerad.net, based on QWebIRC with some of our own customisations. It's relatively simple to use, and has a nice array of features. Unlike most web-based clients, it does not require Java. It supports /LIST, so you can connect and enter "/list" to view all the channels to join on the network, and their topics.

1. First you must click the "IRC" selection on the website, or simply visit this link: http://webchat.tellaerad.net
2. Type any desired nickname you wish to have in the box next to "Nickname". If you are an existing member and are registered on the network, tick "Identify to NickServ" and then type the password for your nickname next to "Password".
3. Enter the channel you want to join in the channel box. If you want to join more than one, separate them by commas. If you've never visited before, enter #TelLaerad to join our lobby and meet other people on the network. Entering none will connect without joining any channels, perfect if you just want to enter /LIST.
4. Click the Connect button.
5. You will immediately see the client start connecting to the server, and after a short time, it will have joined the channel(s) you entered in the channel box, each getting a tab at the top of the client, with the last one active.
6. The input box in which you type is at the bottom of your now connected page.

Connecting with mIRC

While there are many standalone clients, mIRC is easily the most popular of Windows clients. It may be downloaded from www.mirc.com, if you wish to have a client separate from your browser, or with features that Mibbit does not provide, such as scripting. For full information on using mIRC and its features, you should read its own documentation, which is very complete.

To connect using mIRC...

1. Execute mIRC.exe and run the program.
2. Once the program has started, you will see your "Status" screen. A popup will appear on the "Status" screen labeled "mIRC Options". Filling in the fields of "Full Name" and "E-Mail Address" are optional. If you wish to fill them in, then fill them in now.
3. Filling in the field of "Nickname" is a must do. Fill in this field with any desired nickname that you wish to have on the network. Filling in the field of "Alternate Nickname" is not necessary, but useful. This field is your secondary default if your primary nickname is taken. Fill these in now.
4. In the "mIRC Options" popup, look to the left side. There is a heading called "Category". The first category is "Connect"; There will be a "+" next to the category, indicating that there are subcategories within this category. Click the "+" to expand the categories.
5. Once expanded, click on "Options" to highlight it. Once it is highlighted, this is the screen in the "mIRC Options" that is now viewable. Just below the check boxes and above the three buttons, there is a space that says "Default Port". Make sure that this reads 6667.
6. Once the port is verified, click the "Ok" button at the very bottom of the popup. This will exit the popup and verify the fields you entered information into.
7. Now you are met with the blank "Status" screen. This is your main screen which will show you things that are going on with your connection. Click your mouse in the white box that is separated from the bottom of your "Status" screen by a gray highlight. To connect to Tel'Laerad, type: /server irc.TelLaerad.net and then hit the enter button.
8. Once you hit enter, you will be connected, almost instantly to the network.

Joining a Channel

Joining an IRC channel is normally the first thing you want to do after connecting, and is the same in both Mibbit, mIRC, and most other clients. Simply type "/join #channel", where #channel is the name of the channel. For example, to join the help channel, type "/join #help". All IRC channels on Tel'Laerad have a name beginning with #.

Mibbit automatically joins you to the network lobby, #TelLaerad, on connect, but still leaves you to join any others you may want to join yourself.

If you are using mIRC or another standalone client, you can get a list of channels by entering /list. In mIRC, you can also join channels by simply double-clicking them in the list.

Services

IRC Services provide nickname and channel registration and ownership on Tel'Laerad, in addition to memos between users, announcements, dice rolls and calculations for gaming and roleplaying systems, and other miscellaneous 'services'.

Services on Tel'Laerad can be accessed by sending PMs to them, as well as via in-channel aliases. They are provided by Anope IRC Services, using a variety of custom modules.

NickServ

This service allows users to register and manage nicknames. "/ns register password email", while using the desired nickname will register a nickname for you, reserving it. Every time you connect after, you must enter "/ns identify password" to prove your ownership of the nick, or have your name changed. As other people cannot know your password, this prevents them from using it. Having a registered nick allows the following, amongst other things:

• Killing ghost sessions left over from disconnects so you can use your nickname again.
• Killing other users using your nick, who have not yet been stopped by NickServ.
• Holding a level of access in an IRC channel.
• Adjusting of how services communicates with you, allowing you to select PRIVMSG over NOTICE.

NickServ commands can be issued in a channel by entering them in the form "#n <command>". Remember that any commands issued this way are visible to anyone in the channel.

ChanServ

This service allows users to register and manage channels. You need to have your nickname registered through NickServ before you can use any of ChanServ's features. Once you have, you can register a channel by entering "/cs register channel password description", where the password given allows someone control of the channel. Once you have a registered channel, you can do things like:

• Assign channel ops who will receive whatever mode you wish on entry.
• Keep the channel topic even if the channel empties.
• Set service controlled automatic kickbans on certain users/hosts, which persist even if the channel empties.

ChanServ commands can be issued in a channel by entering them in the form "#c <command>". The channel part of the command will be automatically filled in for you, if you use it this way. This is only done for ChanServ commands. Remember that any commands issued this way are visible to anyone in the channel.

BotServ

This service allows you to add a services bot to a registered channel, enable service's own in-channel fantasy commands, and make a bot on your channel 'speak'.

BotServ commands can be issued in a channel by entering them in the form "#b <command>". Remember that any commands issued this way are visible to anyone in the channel.

MemoServ

This service allows you to send and receive memos from users and channels.

MemoServ commands can be issued in a channel by entering them in the form "#m <command>". Remember that any commands issued this way are visible to anyone in the channel.

AnnounceServ

This service allows users to submit announcements. Once your announcement is approved by an operator, it will be broadcast to the entire network. Great for advertising roleplays and channels.

AnnounceServ commands can be issued in a channel by entering them in the form "#a <command>". There is also a shortcut for sending announcements in the form "#announce <announcement>". Remember that any commands issued this way are visible to anyone in the channel.

RPGServ

RPGServ provides generic dice rolls and calculations, in addition to built-in functions for a variety of roll for common systems, such as D&D and Shadowrun. It is usually used by entering #roll <roll> or #calc <calculation> in a channel, allowing everyone in the channel to see the results of your roll or calculation.

The rolls and calculations can both evaluate a long series of operations, allowing things such as '#roll 1d4*2+7' or '#roll 6[3d6]', which will perform the roll inside the square brackets six times.

In addition to the above in-channel aliases, you can issue any command to RPGServ in a channel by entering it in the form "#r <command>". Note that the channel will not automatically filled in and any rolls sent to the channel if they are entered this way. Again, remember that any commands issued this way are visible to anyone in the channel.

OperServ

This is a service that IRC Operators and other Tel'Laerad staff use to preform various functions behind the scenes. If you're a normal user, you won't need to worry about OperServ.

Official Channels

Official channels are those with "TelLaerad" as the listed owner, and "[Official]" at the start of the topic. They are owned by the Tel'Laerad staff, and all IRC network staff are automatically staff on any listed channel, regardless of whether they are on the access list or not; they may place themselves on the access list when needed. Note that this does not mean that everyone with access in these channels is automatically a member of network staff.

This is a list of the most important official channels. It does not include IRC game channels, which are named on the Games page.

• #help - Official Tel'Laerad IRC help channel. Come here to get help on anything Tel'Laerad related. Please be patient when asking for help, we're not always immediately available. Ask once, and your question will be answered as soon as possible.
• #TelLaerad - The network lobby and a general chat channel.