Basic Controls Guide

This guide covers the essential commands you'll need to navigate, communicate, and interact with the world of Chatsubo. Think of this as your quick reference for day-to-day gameplay.

Navigation Commands

Looking Around

The most important command in any MUD:

look

Aliases: l

This shows you: - The room description - Objects in the room - Characters and NPCs present - Available exits

Pro tip: You can look at specific things:

look bar
look ratz
look table
look me

Moving Between Rooms

Common directions: - north (or n) - south (or s) - east (or e) - west (or w) - up (or u) - down (or d)

Examples:

north
n
east
up

Special exits: Some rooms have named exits like enter, exit, or back. Just type the exit name directly.

Getting Unstuck

stuck

Teleports you to safety when you're stuck or trapped. Has a 10-minute cooldown, so use it only when necessary!

Communication Commands

Speaking

say <message>

Speak out loud in your current room. Everyone there will hear you.

Example:

say Hello, everyone!
say Looking for work. Anyone got a lead?

Emoting (Roleplaying Actions)

emote <action>

Aliases: /me

Describe your character's actions. This is key for roleplay!

Examples:

emote leans against the bar, chrome fingers drumming
emote lights a cigarette, smoke curling in the neon glow
emote nods slowly, eyes narrowing

Pro tip: Use descriptive emotes to bring your character to life. Show, don't tell!

Whispering

whisper <player> = <message>

Speak privately to someone in the same room.

Example:

whisper Alice = Meet me outside. We need to talk.

Private Messaging

page <player> = <message>

Send a private message to any player, anywhere in the game. Use this for OOC (out-of-character) communication or private coordination.

Example:

page Bob = Hey, are you free to run that quest?

Channels

Channels are global communication for specific purposes:

newbie <message>

Ask questions and get help. All players can use this!

occ <message>

Out-of-character general chat. For non-roleplay conversation.

Example:

newbie How do I get to Night City Street from here?
occ Anyone else having lag?

Inventory Management

Checking Your Inventory

inventory

Aliases: inv, i

Shows everything you're carrying.

Picking Up Items

loot <item>

Aliases: take, get

Pick up items from the ground or containers.

Examples:

loot credstick
loot all
take gun

Dropping Items

drop <item>

Remove an item from your inventory and place it in the room.

Example:

drop empty bottle

Destroying Items

destroy <item>

Aliases: trash, delete

Permanently destroy an item. Use this to clean up your inventory.

Example:

destroy broken cyberdeck

Warning: Destroyed items cannot be recovered!

Giving Items

give <item> to <player>

Trade items with other players.

Example:

give medkit to Alice

Information Commands

Getting Help

help

Opens the help system. You can search for specific topics:

help <topic>
help combat
help taxi
help roleplay

Viewing Your Character

score

Shows your character's stats, health, level, XP, and more.

status

Aliases: stat, health

Detailed view of your character's current condition, including health, injuries, and status effects.

Seeing Who's Online

who

Lists all connected players with their roles, locations, and admin groups (color-coded).

View specific player:

who Alice

Viewing Staff

staff

See which staff members are currently online.

Server Rules

rules

Display the server rules and conduct guidelines. Important reading!

Interaction Commands

Talking to NPCs

talk <npc>

Initiate conversation with an NPC. Many NPCs offer quests, sell items, or provide information.

Example:

talk ratz
talk guard

Examining Objects

examine <object>

Aliases: exam, ex

Get detailed information about an object, item, or character.

Example:

examine credstick
examine cyberdeck
examine Alice

Combat Commands (Basics)

Attacking

attack <target>

Initiate combat with an NPC or (with consent) another player.

Example:

attack thug

Fleeing

flee

Attempt to escape from combat. Success depends on your stats and the situation.

Social Commands

Friends List

friends

Manage your friends list. See who's online, add/remove friends, and get notifications.

Useful switches:

friends/add <name>      - Add a friend
friends/remove <name>   - Remove a friend
friends/online          - Show only online friends
friends/notify on|off   - Toggle login/logout notifications

Reputation

rep

View your reputation with various factions (street, corporate, criminal, medical).

Example:

rep
rep street

Quests

Viewing Quests

quests

Show your active quests, objectives, progress, and rewards.

Utility Commands

Time and Date

time

Shows the current in-game time and date.

Quit

quit

Properly disconnect from the game. Always use this instead of just closing your client!

Fast Travel

Taxi System

The HoverTaxi system lets you fast-travel to discovered locations.

taxi

Check for a nearby taxi stand.

taxi list

View all discovered destinations.

taxi <destination>

Travel to a location you've discovered.

Example:

taxi
taxi list
taxi "Night City Street"

Note: You must discover locations before you can taxi to them!

Help and Support

Getting Stuck?

If you're stuck or confused:

1. Use help <topic> for in-game help
2. Ask on the newbie channel
3. Use staff to see who's online
4. Use helpdesk to file a support ticket
5. Check the FAQ online

Learning More

• Tutorial: Type tutorial to access the guided tutorial
• Hints: Use hint in tutorial rooms for progressive help
• Documentation: Visit https://chatsubo.io/docs/ for comprehensive guides

Command Tips

1. Most commands have aliases - look = l, inventory = inv or i
2. Tab completion works - Start typing and press TAB to auto-complete
3. Command history - Use UP/DOWN arrow keys to recall previous commands
4. Commands are case-insensitive - LOOK, look, and Look all work
5. You can stack commands - Use ; to separate multiple commands (e.g., n;look;n)

Quick Reference

Here's a cheat sheet of the most-used commands:

Next Steps

Now that you know the basics, check out:

• Tutorial Walkthrough - Complete the guided tutorial
• Exploration Guide - Discover Night City
• Character Basics - Understand roles, stats, and progression

Practice makes perfect. Don't worry about memorizing everything—you'll learn as you play!

Last Updated: October 2025