From the Cradle was created, from the beginning, with a long-term story arc in mind: a series of events to steer the game along and provide the players with an exciting environment to roleplay in. The arc is down on virtual paper and the administration plans to move down that road so far as possible.

That said, the great thing about MUSHing is that it's not just one man's story, but a group of players coming together to create something that none of them could have created alone. An administrator forcing a game down his pre-determined path isn't gaming: it's writing a novel with a bunch of unpaid "players" doing the actual gruntwork. And it is utterly distasteful to anybody who loves roleplaying as an interactive medium. You're not here to write my novel, you're here to have fun.

Therefore, although there is an arc, the storyline is -very- broad. Events on a small scale are not planned out to any extent beyond what it takes to get them going. Events may be resolved in manners the admin didn't foresee or they may not be truly resolved at all. If the players do anything unexpected that twists the course of the story, then it is the story that will twist, not the players. This story is not being told to the players, it is being told by them.

This clarification was prompted by, over the years, hearing people complain about "sandboxes" and dissatisfaction at being forced down a road by inept administrators. This file is supposed to make it immediately clear that this is not the staff's intention, and if any players have any questions or problems, please let an admin know.