Object Flags

Object flags are independent boolean properties on database objects. Native code stores each flag in a has_<name>_flag field and in a matching SQLite column. There is no packed flag word and no reserved legacy bits.

Flags are displayed after the object type as compact letters. A script or administrator should use the full flag name when issuing a command because ANSI and XCODE both use X:

@set <object>=<flag>
@set <object>=!<flag>

The mux Lua package does not currently expose direct flag getter or setter functions. Lua logic can invoke an appropriate native command with mux.command; queued commands run as God after the current callback finishes.

Flag summary

Flag	Letter	Stored field and column	Native purpose
`ANSI`	`X`	`has_ansi_flag`	Enables ANSI color and formatting, including BattleTech map displays, for a player.
`AUDIBLE`	`a`	`has_audible_flag`	Allows sound to propagate through the object or an audible exit.
`AUDITORIUM`	`b`	`has_auditorium_flag`	Requires speakers in the location to pass its speech lock.
`BLIND`	`(`	`has_blind_flag`	Stored marker with no native consumer; available for game policy.
`CONNECTED`	`c`	`has_connected_flag`	Records an active player connection.
`DARK`	`D`	`has_dark_flag`	Hides objects from ordinary visibility; see below.
`FLOATING`	`F`	`has_floating_flag`	Prevents consistency cleanup from moving an improperly located object home.
`GAGGED`	`j`	`has_gagged_flag`	Prevents non-Wizard speech and participates in BattleTech OOC rules.
`GOING`	`G`	`has_going_flag`	Marks an object as pending destruction or unavailable for normal processing.
`HALTED`	`h`	`has_halted_flag`	Stops queued command dispatch for the object.
`IN_CHARACTER`	`#`	`has_in_character_flag`	Marks BattleTech objects and locations as participating in IC play.
`LIGHT`	`l`	`has_light_flag`	Makes a non-DARK object visible inside a DARK location.
`MONITOR`	`M`	`has_monitor_flag`	Subscribes a player to server monitor broadcasts.
`NO_COMMAND`	`n`	`has_no_command_flag`	Excludes commands stored on the object from command matching.
`QUIET`	`Q`	`has_quiet_flag`	Suppresses routine confirmations and many movement or management messages.
`SAFE`	`s`	`has_safe_flag`	Protects a non-player object from normal destruction.
`SUSPECT`	`u`	`has_suspect_flag`	Reports the player’s connections and commands to monitoring staff and blocks commands that disallow suspect users.
`TRANSPARENT`	`t`	`has_transparent_flag`	Exposes contents through native `look` presentation.
`WIZARD`	`W`	`has_wizard_flag`	Grants Wizard status and native Wizard control.
`XCODE`	`X`	`has_xcode_flag`	Marks a BattleTech special object managed by XCode.
`ZOMBIE`	`z`	`has_zombie_flag`	Marks an inactive BattleTech special object for selected validation and containment behavior.

Visibility flags

DARK, LIGHT, and TRANSPARENT affect native presentation. A DARK object is normally omitted from its location’s contents. In a DARK location, only LIGHT objects that are not also DARK remain visible. DARK only hides a player when that player is a Wizard. TRANSPARENT changes native look output so a location or thing can expose its contents.

An object’s Lua internal_appearance or external_appearance function can replace the corresponding native presentation completely. These flags remain available to native visibility, matching, movement, connection, and channel logic outside those appearance callbacks.

Status and lifecycle flags

CONNECTED is live connection state maintained by the server. Code should use it only with player objects; the connected-player APIs are generally a better interface for Lua.

GOING is lifecycle state used while objects are being destroyed and while database structures are cleaned. Normal logic should treat a GOING object as unavailable. FLOATING changes one consistency-repair behavior, while SAFE protects non-player objects from ordinary destruction. Players are always treated as safe regardless of their SAFE field.

HALTED prevents queued commands from running. NO_COMMAND instead prevents the object’s attached command scope from participating in command matching; it does not describe queue state.

BattleTech flags

ANSI controls color in BattleTech map displays. IN_CHARACTER, XCODE, and ZOMBIE are consulted throughout the BattleTech subsystem. IN_CHARACTER gates combat, damage, movement, economy, and related behavior. XCODE identifies a native special object. ZOMBIE marks selected special objects as inactive.

Native command restrictions

The normal control check applies before a flag handler runs. Native flag handlers add these restrictions:

Flag	Additional restriction
`CONNECTED`	Only God may change it through the flag command.
`DARK`	Only Wizards or God may change it.
`GAGGED`	Only Wizards or God may change it.
`GOING`	God may set or clear it. An already-GOING non-player object may also have it cleared without this extra restriction.
`IN_CHARACTER`	Only Wizards or God may change it.
`MONITOR`	Only Wizards or God may change it.
`SUSPECT`	Only Wizards or God may change it.
`WIZARD`	Only God may change it, and God cannot remove it from themself.
`XCODE`	Wizards or God may set it; only God may clear it once set.
`ZOMBIE`	Only Wizards or God may change it.

Flags not listed in this table have no additional flag-specific restriction. Native control is still role-only: God controls everyone and everything, while Wizards control themselves and non-Wizards but cannot control God or another Wizard.