Burglar/spy stuff
I can't really help you that much with this aspect of the game, partly due to the whole find out IC thing, but mainly due to my own lack of knowledge regarding the role. It might be worth getting in touch with either a noble or merchant house. Consider joining up as something legitimate (crafter, guard, aide etc), but drop a few hints that you'd be open to performing more illicit activities. The degree of subtlety should probably match both your character's personality and the area you're in. Failing that, mug PCs, try to raid a travelling party (if you can somehow convince others to come along with you). Hell, you could always join the militia. That's where the real criminals are generally at :p
Backgrounds and open ended character concept stuff
There are many ways to play an 'outsider' character so I'll just toss out a few examples off the top of my head. Some of these will be a bit cliché, but they became so for a reason and there's no shame in using them while getting to grips with the game.
1. An amnesiac. Your character got hit on the head, suffered some great emotional trauma or anything else you care to think up. Whatever the cause, they can't remember a thing.
2. You've recently moved from a smaller town (Menos is often used for Allanaki PCs) and are seeking your fortune in the Highlord's/Sun King's city. The language/accent code makes Allanaki - Tuluki (or vice versa) immigrants a bit awkward as a concept, and this bypasses that nicely. Alternatively, start in either Allanak or Tuluk and use some of your starting money to hire the T'zai Byn to escort you to the other. You'll make a few contacts and maybe be able to flesh your character out a little on the way.
3. This is one I've adapted for a few MUDs, and generally use for my first character. A fairly young person who was brought up by abusive parents. Maybe you've spent most of your life locked in a room and just managed to escape? Maybe your mother forced you into prostitution/theft/spice dealing and you just slit her throat and ran for it?
Hopefully these might give you a few ideas to work with
I have no idea what my skills are or how to view them. It seems every single thing has a command and none of the commands are listed. There's the "help" command, which brings up a list several hundred long and thus useless, and you can "help steal" to get info about stealing, but if you're not aware of the name of the command you want then you can't search for it. There's a lot of info on the main site about the world and how to make a character, but no playing guide.
You can type 'skills' to see your skills and their levels.
Here is a list of basic commands, with links to the relevant help files. I think I posted this already, but
Mansa's newbie guide is absolutely excellent and really helped me as a noob.
...I've been avoiding this topic for fear of wanting to play it, and I might give in. It'll take time away from my other MU*s, and the fiancee might be annoyed by the time I spend online, but it might be worth the fun.
The more the merrier
Merchant stuff
I'd highly recommend you join a merchant house if you decide to go the crafter route. Not having to worry about where your next meal/drink is coming from can be quite nice. As is having a load of readily available materials to work with. If you'd prefer to go the independent route things will be tougher, especially at first. Hire a few hunters or grebbers to go find you some materials then sell them for a profit or make something more expensive out of them. Rinse and repeat. Also, develop an expensive habit or five, with any luck you'll be able to afford it
IMO, the most interesting races and classes are available to you right from the start. The unlockable ones require a lot more patience and time and are often more roleplay limited.
No argument here. I've tried playing a couple of magickers and while the power is definitely cool, the isolation and prejudice can make it a really tough role to play. Give me the starving beggar or the fascist warrior any day of the week!
how does "score" make sense to view your stats? Doesn't "stats" make sense to view your stats?
Score and
stat are separate commands that show you different information.