what is the purpose of the think command? is what I am thinking read by someone or affects my mental state (other than mood) somehow?
It has a few purposes.
I'll list in order of importance (as I see it)
1. It makes your pc more real for you. It adds a dimension. Your pc is less a puppet more a character. They have their own thoughts.
2. It defines your pc's motivations for anyone who can observe those thoughts - like staff
3. If you like to look back at logs it makes the nuances of forgotten scenes clearer.
There's probably more. That's a good start.
Think does a couple things for you:
1. Any staff who are watching you can see what your character is thinking (or feeling), and this will help them to understand your character more deeply, and also what s/he is doing. So if you're doing something weird and they're wondering about that, then the think command may give them insight. E.g. you're talking to another PC and telling a like; throwing off a "think I'm totally fooling him with this lie" tells the staff that you know your PC is lying.
2. Thinking and feeling can help YOU get into your character more. Is your character bored, happy, sad, tired, angry, frustrated? Is your character thinking about their tribeless plight, about how they really need to stab that guy to get his money so they don't starve, about finding a whore? Etc. You will become a better player and understand your own character more deeply if you're using think and feel, especially at times when you are solo-roleplaying.
Primarily, the think command exists because your character has thoughts, and the command is the player's way to express those thoughts. In other words, it's primarily an RP tool.
http://www.armageddon.org/help/view/Think
It's odd. At first using the command feels very awkward. Eventually, you stop noticing that you do it. It becomes organic.
Yeah I did not find myself using the think command for the first couple of years I was playing. When I started using the command in earnest was when I was playing a magicker that primarily talked to himself....got me used to it.
Now I find that if you are really in the zone on your character, the thoughts they would have come to me while I'm playing...and I just type those into a think command immediately, usually, if something sticks out to me. In that, you just have to make sure it's not just your OOC thoughts...because your character may be substantially different than you are and will probably have a way different perception of culture, society, people, races, etc.
And I think once you start using it, it does help you find even more about your character. Who knows what's cooking in everyone's head.
Thankfully you can practice using thinks without disturbing anything, since only imms see them. In that case don't worry if OOC stuff slips out of a think, just don't make a habit of it.
I agree with everything posted above.
At times I have been complimented on my thinks as "appropriate" during scenes I submitted reports for. Other times, I either was scant on the thinks, usually because the opposing parties were moving too fast for me to type it out, or for my own survival I needed to be ready to type in at any moment was too tense to fill the gaps with thinks.
Welcome, and practice using THINK to your heart's content!
Thinks help me immensely when I watch the game. Here's an example:
I see two people hunting together, talking, and enjoying each others company. Then one of them randomly and brutally kills the other. Without think commands, I'm probably going to ask them what the heck that was about because I have no idea why they just did that.
With think commands I would know from the start that they were plotting to kill their companion because they knew their companion had been stealing from them.
I moved some posts with IC sensitive information to Moderation.
Ask yourself: Would a complete stranger to this game, a first time player, know this? If the answer is no, do not post it on the GDB. Thanks.
thank all of you for the information. It is very helpful for me as a newcomer.
Another delightful command that works when you are sleeping or unconscious. Instead of You think its You dream. Fun fun fun.
Also useful when you are sitting in a tavern and have no IC reason to speak to anyone - helps to fill up the time and flesh out your character's personality for yourself and the staff.
Think is one of my very favorite commands. I've attempted to RP in other games in the past, and the lack of think and feel commands kind of kills it for me. Hammering off a rambling inner monologue gets me in character and keeps me active in the game so I don't get bored and log out during lulls. I'm one of those players who can't multitask at all while playing Arm, so think and feel are godsends. :)
I also find myself indulging in more wild character representation and RP using think and feel, which you just can't always do with emotes and talking, so it helps keep things interesting.
Think is a nice command to have. If you are internalizing. However, remember if you get to something that you might want someone else to hear if they have the ability whisper me works for that. Think is a good command to use when solo RPing though. It fills up the time while you're cooking or cleaning or crafting.
Did a quick scan, didn't seem like this angle had been covered...If your character is lying through their teeth, being deceptive or simply not showing their true feelings outwardly (e.g. smiling at someone they hate in a friendly manner), then think is a great way to reveal your characters real intentions and thoughts.
say After what you did, I never want to see you again. Get out of my face!; think Please don't go, I love you.
say You can come on up to my apartment for some tea, I'd love to introduce you to my gal too.; think And my blade. That necklace sure looks expensive.
Because people are complicated.
Also combining semotes (subtle facial expressions, looks, twitches etc) with the thoughts going on in your character's head can be fun. :)