💬 IRC & Bot Guide

Everything you need to chat, play, and get help from the bots

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🔌 How to Connect

1

No login, just chat

Easiest option — works in any browser, no account needed.

Go to mellorsfamily.com/ircchat/, pick a nickname, and you're in #mellors.

2

Phone app (recommended for regulars)

Install Revolution IRC (Android, Play Store or F-Droid).

Server: mellorsfamily.com
Port: 6697 (check "Use SSL/TLS")

3

Any IRC client

HexChat, WeeChat, irssi, etc. also work fine.

Same server/port as above. On home WiFi, use 192.168.1.183 instead (see Troubleshooting).

Tip: the site's floating chat bubble (bottom-right, when logged in) connects you to the same #mellors conversation without needing any of the above.

📺 Channels

ChannelWhat it's for
#mellorsMain family channel — general chat, bridged to the website chat and the Minecraft server
#xSecondary/overflow channel
#gamesLive game-room announcements, leaderboards, GameBot commands
#mathMathBot — algebra, trig, calculus calculator
#scienceScienceBot — periodic table, physics constants, unit conversions

👤 Your Account

You don't need an account to chat, but registering your nickname stops anyone else from using it, and unlocks vhosts and other extras.

CommandWhat it does
/msg NickServ REGISTER <password> <email>Claim your current nickname
/msg NickServ IDENTIFY <password>Log in on a new connection
/msg ChanServ REGISTER #channelRegister a new channel (you become founder)

Shortcuts — these all work as typed, no /msg needed:

/nsNickServ
/csChanServ
/osOperServ
/msMemoServ
/bsBotServ
/hsHostServ
Example: /ns register MyPassword123 me@example.com

🎉 FunBot #mellors & #x

CommandExampleWhat it does
!flowers <name>!flowers KarenGives someone flowers
!hug [name]!hugHugs someone (or you)
!highfive [name]Same idea
!poke <name>Pokes someone
!slap <name>Classic trout slap
!ship <n1> <n2>!ship Steve KarenCompatibility %
!rps <choice>!rps rockRock/paper/scissors vs the bot
!choose a, b, c!choose pizza, tacosRandom picker
!compliment [name]Nice compliment
!fight <n1> <n2>Simulated battle
!slotsEmoji slot machine
!wyrWould-you-rather prompt
!rainbow <text>Colored text
name++ / name--Steve++Karma tracking (just type it, no !)
!karma <name>Check someone's karma (also earned by winning games, or a jukebox song you added finishing)
!roll [NdN]!roll 2d6Dice roll (default 1d6)
!flipCoin flip
!8ball <question>Magic 8-ball
!joke / !fortuneRandom one-liners
!weatherLive outdoor temp + forecast
!bg / !glucoseLatest glucose reading
!funhelpThis list, sent to you privately

🎂 BdayBot #mellors & #x

CommandWhat it does
!bday or !nextbdayNext 3 upcoming birthdays
!bday <name>Look up a specific person's birthday

Also automatically announces in the channel on the actual day of someone's birthday. Reads from the same data as the Birthday Calendar page — add birthdays there.

🎮 GameBot #games (also announces to #mellors + the website)

CommandExampleWhat it does
!gamesLists categories (multiplayer/kids/carnival/casino/arcade)
!games <category>!games multiplayerLists games in that category with direct links
!tablesLists open (joinable) room-code tables across every multiplayer game
!tables <game>!tables chessOpen tables for just that game, with room codes
!leaderWho currently holds the most trophies (wins) site-wide
!trophiesTop 5 trophy holders across all room-code games
!trophies <game>!trophies dominoesTop 5 trophy holders for just that game
!badgesMost Trophies, Most Active, Best Win Rate, Most Games Tried
!leaderboardLists games with tracked arcade high scores
!leaderboard <game>!leaderboard whackamoleTop 5 arcade high scores for that game
!gameshelpCommand list, sent privately

GameBot also automatically announces new high scores, when someone starts a room, and when someone else joins that room's lobby, in Bingo, Battleship, Blackjack, Uno, Connect Four, Texas Hold'em, Roulette, Craps, Yahtzee, War, Go Fish, Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Slapjack, The Wall, Chain Reaction, Deal Race, Plinko Duel, Spin & Solve, Chess, Checkers, Othello, Dominoes, or Press Your Luck at the Games Hub — with the room code so you can jump in.

!trophies/!leader/!badges are tallied from the nickname typed in at each table, not logins — most play is anonymous here, so two people who happen to type the same nickname will share one trophy count, and one person switching nicknames between games will split into several.

🧮 MathBot #math

CommandExampleWhat it does
!calc <expr>!calc sqrt(2)*piNumeric evaluation
!solve <equation>!solve x**2 - 4 = 0Solves for the variable → x = -2, 2
!diff <expr> [var]!diff x**2 * sin(x)Derivative
!integrate <expr> [var]!integrate x**2Indefinite integral
!integrate <expr> from a to b!integrate x**2 from 0 to 3Definite integral → 9
!limit <expr>, <var>, <point>!limit sin(x)/x, x, 0Limit → 1
!series <expr>, <var>, <pt>, <order>!series sin(x), x, 0, 6Taylor series expansion
!simplify <expr>!simplify sin(x)**2+cos(x)**2Simplifies → 1
!expand <expr>!expand (x+1)**3Expands a polynomial
!factor <expr>!factor x**2 - 4Factors → (x - 2)*(x + 2)
!mathhelpCommand list, sent privately

Syntax: use ** or ^ for exponents. Implicit multiplication works (2x = 2*x). Variables: x y z t n a b c k m. Functions: sin cos tan asin acos atan sinh cosh tanh exp log sqrt, plus pi and e.

MathBot computes the correct answer using real symbolic math (SymPy) — it shows the problem and the result clearly, though not a full step-by-step tutor-style derivation.

🔬 ScienceBot #science

CommandExampleWhat it does
!element <symbol/name/#>!element FePeriodic table lookup — atomic number, mass, density
!constant <search>!constant speed of lightOfficial physics constants (CODATA)
!molarmass <formula>!molarmass C6H12O6Molar mass of a chemical formula
!convert <val> <unit> to <unit>!convert 100 celsius to fahrenheitUnit conversion
!sciencehelpCommand list, sent privately

All answers come from real reference data (periodic table, official physics constants, proper unit conversion libraries) — not guesses.

⚙️ OpsBot #mellors & #x

CommandWho can use itWhat it does
!statusAnyoneStatus of all monitored services
!uptime / !disk / !mem / !cpuAnyoneSystem health
!servicesAnyoneLists watched/controllable services
!restart/!start/!stop <service>Admin onlyControls specific services
!log <service> [lines]Admin onlyTails recent logs
!opshelpAnyoneCommand list, sent privately

This is the server-admin bot — most people will only ever need !status.

📁 XdccBot #mellors & #x

CommandWhat it does
!xdcc list (or !list)Shows available files to download
!xdcc send #NDownloads file number N — your IRC client will prompt you to accept the transfer

🌉 Chat Bridges

These don't take commands — they quietly connect different chats together so you don't have to be in two places at once:

BridgeConnects
WebBridgeThe website's live chat ↔ #mellors — one shared conversation
McBridgeThe Minecraft server's in-game chat ↔ #mellors

Individual game tables (Bingo, Battleship, etc.) have their own private in-game chat that stays just between the players at that table — it isn't bridged anywhere.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Can't connect from home WiFi? Use 192.168.1.183 instead of mellorsfamily.com as the server address while on home WiFi (port 6667 plain, or 6697 with "accept invalid certificate" enabled). This is a known quirk of the home router — works fine on cellular data with the normal domain name.
A bot isn't responding? Double check you're in the right channel for that bot (see the Channels section above) and that your command starts with !. If it's still stuck, let Steve know.
Nickname already registered / can't use my usual name? Someone (maybe you, on another device) already registered it. Try /ns identify <password> if it's yours, or pick a different nickname.