Object Powers

Object powers are independent boolean privileges stored on database objects. They are separate from object flags: flags describe object state and presentation, while powers grant an exception to normal server behavior. Native code stores each power in a has_<name>_power field and in a matching SQLite column.

IDLE is the complete set of powers currently registered by the MUX server. Historical MUX and BattleTech power names are not accepted.

Power summary

IDLE

The IDLE power prevents the maintenance timer from disconnecting a connected player when the descriptor’s inactivity timeout expires. It is meaningful only on a player with an active connection; setting it on another object type has no native effect.

Wizards and God receive the same inactivity-timeout exemption implicitly, whether or not their has_idle_power field is set. IDLE does not mark a connection active, change the interval at which idle connections are checked, or exempt an unauthenticated connection from the login timeout.

The relevant [mux] configuration values are idle_interval, which controls how often the server checks connected players, and idle_timeout, which is the default per-connection inactivity limit.

Managing powers

Only Wizards and God may use @power. The normal control check also applies to the target:

@power <object>=<power>
@power <object>=!<power>

The first form grants a power and the second removes it. Power names are case-insensitive for @power.

Wizards can use the following native commands to discover and inspect powers:

@list powers
@examine <object>
@search power=idle

@list powers displays every registered power. @examine includes a Powers: line for the target. @search power=idle finds objects with the stored IDLE power; the power name in this search form must currently be lowercase.

The mux Lua package does not currently expose direct power getter or setter functions. Privileged Lua logic can queue the native @power command with mux.command; queued commands run as God after the current callback finishes.