AGN now has an official IRC chatroom, located on the Bladerock server! For those who already have IRC clients, simply point them towards #AGN on the server "irc.bladerock.org". For those who do not, simply click the "Chat" button in the toolbar at the top, or click here. All you've got to do is select your nick (chat username) and click go (or press "enter" on your keyboard), and you will be immediately connected to the chatroom through the free service "Mibbit." And now, for your convenience, a list of a few commands that might be helpful to newcomers:
- /nick *newname* - For changing your nick while in a channel. If your nick is "Bob" and you wish to change to "Jim," type "/nick Jim" and your name will be changed. Remember: IRC nicks do not support spaces or special characters.
- /msg nickserv register *password* *email* - For registering your nick. Registering your nick has a few benefits, such as being able to register channels, be added to a channel's access list, or to prevent someone from stealing your username.
- /msg nickserv identify *password* - Once your nick is registered, you will have to "identify" every time you select it. This allows you to access the benefits a registered nick offers. Tip: It is suggested that you type this in the status window (the "Bladerock" tab) instead of in a channel, should you accidentally mistype the command and send it to the channel. This will prevent your password from being inadvertently leaked.
- /msg nickserv ghost *username* *password* - If someone is using your nick but you have registered it, you can type this to "ghost" the user, forcibly disconnecting them from the server so that you can reclaim your nick. Useful for when someone is impersonating you or trying to prevent you from claiming your primary identity.
- /msg nickserv group *username* *password* - This allows you to connect several nicks to your primary nick so that you do not need to register them individually. For example, if you want "Jim" to be linked to "Bob," simply type "/msg nickserv group Bob thisismypassworddonotsteal" and the job is done.
- /join #*channel* - Used to join channels apart from #AGN, such as #lobby.
- /part #*channel* - Used to leave the designated channel.
- /quit *quit message* - Allows you to disconnect from the server with a custom message attached.
(Asterisks denote a custom field that you must supply yourself, though you must remove the asterisks when typing in these commands.)
For a list of other helpful commands (including some listed above): Click here.
Mibbit is not the only way to access chat. It's a good introduction, but there are other clients out there that offer far more variety and options in using IRC. Below you will be presented with two tutorials for the more well-known IRC clients: mIRC and X-Chat. Either client provides much smoother management of IRC, as well as more comprehensive features that make your chatting experience a much more enjoyable one, but we won't get into those here.
And so, without further ado...