Player Biography (Character Profiles)

View detailed character profiles including stats, titles, accomplishments, and personal bios. Check player status, send mail, and stalk—er, research your fellow students.

What Is a Player Biography?

Every witch and wizard at Hogwarts Live has a public character biography accessible to all students - a comprehensive profile displaying their stats, accomplishments, House membership, current status, and personal description. Think of it as a magical resume meets social media profile meets stalker's dream come true. Access bio pages by clicking player names from the Player List, or navigate directly to bio.php?char=loginname if you're feeling technically inclined.

Bios serve multiple purposes: researching potential PvP targets (checking their level before you embarrass yourself), learning about characters for roleplay purposes (so you know if they're a brooding half-vampire or cheerful Hufflepuff), tracking player activity (when were they last online?), and sending quick Owl Post via the convenient scroll icon. They're also home to the Recent Accomplishments feed - a scrolling chronicle of every forest fight, level gain, death, and resurrection that defines the player's journey through Hogwarts.

Biography Header

Top Section Elements:

Page Title:

Display: "Biography for [Character Name]" in purple
Character Name: Uses display name (colorful name), not login
Format: "`^Biography for %s`^."

Write Mail Icon:

Display: Small scroll image (newscroll.GIF)
Function: Click to open Owl Post compose window
Popup: Opens in popup window (or new tab if popups blocked)
Pre-Addressed: Recipient automatically filled with player's login name
Only When Logged In: Anonymous viewers don't see mail icon

Public Profile Link:

Display: "View [login]'s Public Profile »"
Links To: user_profile.php (separate public-facing profile system)
Opens: New tab/window (target="_blank")
Clean URL: Uses SEO-friendly URL format
Purpose: More detailed profile system with additional social features

House Membership Display

Common Room Affiliation:

If Player Is in a House:

Display Format: "[Name] is [rank] [House Name]"
Example: "Harry Potter is a member of Dumbledore's Army"
Color: Green for player name and House name
Shows Only If: clanname is set AND Config::allowclans is enabled

Rank Descriptions:

Newly Sorted: "newly sorted member of" (CLAN_APPLICANT)
Member: "a member of" (CLAN_MEMBER)
Prefect: "a prefect of" (CLAN_OFFICER)
Senior Member: "a senior member of" (CLAN_LEADER)
Head of House: "the Head of" (rank 40)
Module Hook: Custom ranks can be added via "clanranks" hook

If Not in a House:

Display: Nothing (section omitted entirely)
Indicates: Player hasn't joined a player-created House (Common Room)

Character Statistics

Core Stats Display:

Username (Login Name):

Display: "`^Username: `@[login]"
Purpose: Unique account identifier for sending mail, adding friends
Colors: Purple label, green value
Differs From: Display name (which can have color codes and special characters)

Title:

Display: "`^Title: `@[title]"
Examples: "First Year Student", "Skilled Wizard", "Dragon Slayer"
Progression: Changes based on Voldemort Encounters (VE)
Custom Titles: Donors may have special custom titles

Level:

Display: "`^Level: `@[number]"
Range: Typically 1-20+ depending on experience
Importance: Major indicator of character power and progression
PvP Relevance: Check before attacking to avoid embarrassing mismatches

Status (Online/Offline):

Online Display: "`#Online`0" (green)
Offline Display: "`$Offline`0" (brown/gold)
Calculation: Online if loggedin=true AND laston within Config::LOGINTIMEOUT seconds
Real-Time: Updates based on player's last activity
Use Case: Check before sending important mail (will they respond quickly?)

Resurrections:

Display: "`^Resurrections: `@[number]"
Counts: Total number of times player has died and been resurrected
Badge of Honor: High resurrections indicate active combat participation (or poor survival skills)
Zero: Either very skilled at staying alive or very new

Race:

Display: "`^Race: `@[race name]"
Examples: "Human", "Half-Giant", "Werewolf", "Goblin"
Unknown: Shows "Unknown" if player hasn't selected a race
Bonuses: Each race provides different stat bonuses/penalties
RP Importance: Affects character roleplay and interactions

Pronouns:

Display: "`^Pronouns: `@[pronouns]"
Options: He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, or custom
Custom Pronouns: Players selecting "Other" can enter custom pronouns
Storage: Custom pronouns stored in profiles table
Respect: Use these when referring to players in communication

Specialty:

Display: "`^Specialty: `@[specialty name]"
Examples: "Dark Arts Expert", "Auror", "Healer", "Enchanter"
Default: "Unspecified" if player hasn't chosen specialty
Hook System: Module hook "specialtynames" allows custom specialties
Gameplay Effect: Provides unique abilities and stat bonuses

Mount:

Display: "`^Mount: `@[mount name]"
Examples: "Hippogriff", "Thestral", "Dragon"
None: Shows "`iNone`i" (italicized) if no mount
Permanent Buff: Mounts provide permanent stat bonuses
Module Hook: "bio-mount" hook can modify mount display

Voldemort Encounters:

Display: "`^Voldemort Encounters: `@[number]"
Only Shows If: dragonkills > 0 (doesn't display for first-years)
Progression Metric: Primary measure of character advancement
Unlocks Content: VE gates access to locations, features, equipment
Prestige: High VE = veteran player, low VE = newer or inactive
Correct Terminology: Always "Voldemort Encounters", never "Dragon Kills"

Personal Bio Text

Character Description:

Bio Field:

Display: "`^Bio: `@[bio text]"
Only Shows If: Player has written bio text (bio > "")
Sanitization: Runs through soap() function for safety
Purpose: Player-written character description, backstory, personality
Color Codes: Supports LoGD color formatting (backtick codes)
No Length Limit: Can be as short or long as player desires

What Players Write:

Physical Description: Appearance, clothing, distinctive features
Personality Traits: Character quirks, temperament, behavior
Backstory: Character history, family, motivations
RP Preferences: How they prefer to interact, RP style
OOC Info: Sometimes timezone, availability, contact preferences
Humor: Many players use snarky, witty, or self-aware descriptions

Editing Your Own Bio:

Access: Edit bio via character settings or profile editor
Changes: Updates appear immediately on bio page
Public: All bio text is public - don't include private information
Guidelines: Follow game rules - no offensive content, no real-world contact info

Module Hooks & Custom Content

Extensibility System:

biotop Hook:

Fires: After header, before main bio display
Purpose: Modules can add content to top of bio
Receives: $target array (all player data)

biostat Hook:

Fires: After mount display, before Voldemort Encounters
Purpose: Add custom statistics to bio display
Examples: Companion stats, special achievements, custom fields

bioinfo Hook:

Fires: After bio text, before mute status
Purpose: Additional informational content
Use Case: Display module-specific player information

bioend Hook:

Fires: After entire bio, before page footer
Purpose: Final opportunity for modules to add content
Navigation: Can add custom navigation links

Recent Accomplishments Feed

Activity Log:

News Feed Display:

Header: "Recent accomplishments (and defeats) of [Name]" (purple)
Source: Pulls from news table (last 100 entries)
Sorting: ORDER BY newsdate DESC, newsid ASC (newest first)
Date Headers: Bold green date headers group entries by day
Date Format: "Day, Mon dd" (e.g., "Mon, Dec 27")
Entry Color: Green for most entries

What Appears in Feed:

Forest Fights: "Defeated a [creature name] in the Forbidden Forest"
Deaths: "Was slain by [creature/player name]"
Resurrections: "Was resurrected by [method]"
Level Gains: "Advanced to level [X]"
Voldemort Encounters: "Defeated Voldemort in an epic encounter!"
Achievements: Module-specific accomplishments
Special Events: Holiday events, competitions, etc.

Translation System:

Translatable: All news entries use translation schema
Arguments: Serialized arguments allow dynamic sprintf formatting
Schema Switching: Each entry can use different translation schema
Multilingual: Supports multiple languages if configured

Activity Stalking:

See Recent Activity: Check what player has been doing lately
Gauge Power: Lots of forest kills = active player
Death Frequency: Many deaths might indicate aggressive but reckless play
Inactivity Check: No recent entries = dormant account

Donation Feature

Donate on Behalf of Player:

PayPal Integration:

Only Shows When: Viewing someone else's bio (not your own)
Display: Large centered section with yellow "Donate via PayPal" button
Header: "Donate on Behalf of [login]"
Description: "Click on the yellow Donate via PayPal button below to give [login] points:"
Item Name: "Hogwarts Live Donation for [name] from [your name] for Donator Points (Virtual Goods)"

How It Works:

Opens PayPal: New tab/window to PayPal donation page
Recipient Gets Points: Donated amount converted to site points for target player
Gifting: Way to support friends or favorite players
Recognition: Donor name included in transaction record
Virtual Goods: Points can be spent on in-game perks, items, features

Mute Status Display

Chat Restriction Notices:

If Player Is Muted:

Display: Mute status message in special color (likely red/orange)
Temp Mute: Shows time remaining (e.g., "Muted for 3 more hours")
Perm Mute: "Muted forever" or similar message
Location: After bio text, before accomplishments feed
Public Warning: Visible to all players as deterrent/warning

Mute Types:

Temporary Mute: 1+ hour duration, can be extended by staff
Permanent Mute: Indefinite chat ban until unmuted by staff
Reason: May display reason for mute
Duration Tracking: Stored in mutes table with timestamp

Superuser Options

Admin Controls (Staff Only):

Moderation Tools:

Temp Mute: Mute player for 1 hour (extendable)
Perm Mute: Permanently mute player's chat
Unmute: Remove mute status
Extend Mute: Add 1 more hour to temp mute
Block/Unblock: Block player from editing bio

Technical Tools:

Fix User Navs: Clear stuck navigation/output for player
Kill Player: Instantly send player to Shades (set alive=0, HP=0)
Grant Newday: Give player fresh forest fights immediately
Edit User: Jump to full user editor (user.php)

System Mail:

Mute Notifications: Auto-sends system mail when muted/unmuted
Includes Reason: Mute reason included in notification
Warning Message: Reminds players to follow rules

Navigation & Return Links

Getting Back:

Return Navigation:

Default: "Return to Hogwarts Students" (links to list.php)
From list.php: Always returns to player list
Custom Return: Can specify ?ret=pagename.php to return elsewhere
Go Back: Generic return link if ret parameter set to non-list page
Translation Ready: Uses tlschema("nav") for multilingual support

Strategy & Tips

Bio Page Mastery

Pre-PvP Research: Check level, resurrections, recent activity before attacking
RP Preparation: Read bio text to learn character personality before interaction
Pronouns Matter: Always check pronouns before referring to players
Activity Check: Online/Offline status + recent accomplishments = activity level
House Membership: See which Common Room they belong to for alliance/rivalry info
Quick Mail: Use scroll icon instead of navigating to mail manually
VE Comparison: Compare Voldemort Encounters to gauge relative progression
Mount Envy: See what mounts other players have collected
Death Frequency: Many recent deaths = active but vulnerable target
Specialty Scouting: Know opponents' specialty before PvP (counters/weaknesses)
Race Bonuses: Different races have different stat distributions
Public Profile Link: Check extended profile for more social/RP information
Accomplishment Stalking: 100-entry feed shows detailed recent activity
Login Name Copy: Get exact login name for mail/friend adds
Donation Gifts: Surprise friends with donated points via PayPal button
Resurrection Count: High count = either combat enthusiast or terrible at survival
No Bio = Newbie: Empty bio often indicates new/inactive player
Color Code Creativity: Use color codes in your own bio for visual appeal

Technical Details

Behind the Scenes:

Database Queries:

Player Data: Pulls from accounts table by acctid or login
Custom Pronouns: Separate query to profiles table if sex=3
Mount Data: Cached query to mounts table (1 hour cache)
News Feed: Last 100 entries from news table for accountid
Mute Status: Check mutes table for active mutes

Caching System:

Mount Data: db_query_cached() with 3600 second TTL
Pronouns: Cached for 3600 seconds to reduce database load
Cache Key Format: "mountdata-{mountid}", "pronounsdata-{acctid}"

Security:

Bio Sanitization: soap() function cleans bio text
HTML Entities: htmlentities() for PayPal form to prevent injection
Return URL: cmd_sanitize() on ret parameter
Access Control: check_su_access() for admin functions

Player Bio Summary: Access via bio.php?char=[login] or click names from Player List. Header shows "Biography for [Name]" with Write Mail scroll icon and Public Profile link. House membership displays rank (newly sorted/member/prefect/senior member/Head of House). Stats: Username, Title, Level, Status (Online/Offline), Resurrections, Race, Pronouns (He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, custom), Specialty, Mount, Voldemort Encounters (if > 0), Bio text. Module hooks: biotop, biostat, bioinfo, bioend. Recent accomplishments feed shows last 100 news entries grouped by date. Donate via PayPal section (when viewing others). Mute status if applicable. Superuser options for staff. Return navigation to Hogwarts Students (list.php) or custom ret parameter.

Hogwarts Live Player's Guide