simpathis: (Default)
Empatheias Mods ([personal profile] simpathis) wrote2014-05-25 12:36 am

[ game information ]

— GAME INFORMATION —
» ABOUT THE GAME

Empatheias is a world that is driven by emotions, and it is currently starving for it. Characters who are brought in find their emotions are now on full display for others to see, taking form of various different effects such as change of weather or mild destruction. There are god-like guardian beings called the Arehtei, cities filled with their own culture and problems, and large portions of the world that still need to be restored. All in all, it's a jamjar with a living world that boils down to its key element: emotions.

The game itself is an odd mix of world building, plot based events, and slice of life. When not dealing with large scale emotion inducing events, characters have an opportunity to set out to different locations of the world to explore or help restore different locations. Thus while there is a mod driven plot, we also encourage and invite player action to help build onto the world and its expanding lore.

There is a logging community and a network community, [community profile] empatheias and [community profile] crystalnet, and we have a meme community as well, [community profile] memepatheias. Announcements are posted in [community profile] empatheias_ooc. Our IC:OOC day ratio is 1:1. We run on a rolling application basis and monthly activity checks. CR Memes occur after the applications are processed. We do allow original characters, so please refer to the rules on the OC application page.

» ARRIVING INTO EMPATHEIAS

No one knows how anyone arrives into Empatheias—it just happened one day and it's been a mystery ever since.

Characters are pulled out either near or during a time where they experience "strong feelings" about something. This can be taken loosely, but in general the character should have been in the middle of something rather than just sitting around idly daydreaming (unless it was an emotional daydream). Perhaps this strong burst of emotion attracted the world and pulled them in. Dead characters are also allowed and their arrival is a bit more loose. It could be from the moment of death or a little bit after.

Unless noted otherwise, all characters will arrive somewhere around the main city of Verens, or they can also land just outside of the city. Along with a unique amulet found on their person, they will arrive with their usual clothing and any weapons or particular items players may wish for them to have. That includes any random memento. For information about "sidekick" companions and summoning companions, refer to here. Both an OOC Player Intro post and an IC Character Intro log are created right before applications are processed. These entries are linked within the acceptance notices. While you can create your own introduction post, everyone is encouraged to use these logs so as to reduce clutter and to help players and characters mingle with one another. It should be noted that all characters are referred to as Otherworlders by the local denizens. Very original, we know.

» WORKING TOWARDS

There is no known way home—everyone just pops in and out at random. So until a way is found, there is a general goal that everyone brought in can help work towards, one that may hopefully bring about a definitive way to leave this world (ie, endgame).

The world is a mess and everyone is encouraged to help restore it by one of two ways. The first is simple. Just living in the world itself helps improve things as emotions are released back into the world. Focusing on certain emotions helps certain regions, and this leads to the second way. Active help in restoring specific locations, such as channeling emotions, cleaning it up, or rebuilding, will help the world flourish. The more the world is restored, more clues on the world's history is revealed, and this history will lead them to the answers they seek.

» THE ISLAND & THE WORLD

Empatheias is a large land mass that floats around in the sky... or at least, it used to. As of January 2020, the island is no longer rooted and traveling through the sky once more. The island itself is around 1000 square miles (2590 square kilometers), which is just a little smaller than Long Island, USA. There is only one majorly populated city, Verens, with smaller hamlets and towns scattered around the island. The rest is untamed wilderness and mountains.

There are other main cities outside of the island: the desert city Shaarnath, the artistic mountain city Theasthai, and the pirate city Briarlan. All three can be easily accessed via teleporters located within each area.

As for the surface of the world, many areas look as if the apocalypse occurred, but it's slowly healing and there are notable improvements hear and there. Prior to the characters' arrival, all past expeditions met with death and destruction as the atmosphere was too volatile and toxic in most places without proper protection. Currently, however, although it is still dangerous it is easier for people to take on lengthy expeditions to scout out new areas and explore.

More in-depth information about the various locations can be found in the Locations entry.

» LIVING IN EMPATHEIAS

» Residence.
For the most part characters will be living in the city of Verens. An entire section of the Residential Quarter has been cleared for characters to choose from. They can also choose any other apartments or cottages within or outside the city. There are no real apartment systems—just individual small houses and multi-floored building complexes. Players are free to be creative and make up the home their character claims. Just be mindful that while the initial stay is free, rent will be required after a couple of months. The locals' generosity only goes so far.


» Employment & Task Board.
Everyone is going to be dirt poor at first and the locals will be lenient for a little while, but so long as they work they can earn a pretty good salary quickly. So for those looking for jobs, the best way is taking up various jobs and missions from the Task Center found at the Merchant's Square. This building will have large bulletin boards with various job postings that anyone can take up. They range from simple help for errands to more advanced such as clearing out some monsters harassing neighboring farm lands.

Every month we post a Task Board filled with various tasks that characters can take up. There is no formal sign-up except for those that require it, so players can just pick and choose as they will. Players are free to submit Tasks for us to post onto the Board. Characters are also free to create businesses of their own, either as owners or to work at.

The currencies for each city varies, but for the most part people work with sylvs, the currency used in Verens. Shaarnath uses drasks, Theasthai and Briarlan use a bartering system.


» Culture aesthetic.
Everything is steampunk influenced. From the fashion to the architecture, at first glance it may look similar to Victorian England, but the incorporation of gratuitous leather belts in fashion and clockwork structures in everything else gives that unique "industrial revolution" nuance to the city. There are a lot of variations in terms of the style, so we suggest doing a quick Google image search or visit here to get an idea if you are unfamiliar with steampunk.


» Languages.
Finally, thanks to the amulets every language is automatically translated so everyone can understand each other. This includes text. Huzzah.

» CRYSTAL AMULETS

(Note: the term "crystal" and "amulet" are used interchangeably.)

All characters will have a personalized crystal amulet on their person. They can have a customized look on arrival or have it customized later at a local shop. The amulets are important to keep because they serve several functions. Two of the biggest are telepathic communication and protection against the world itself. More information on the "network" use of the crystal amulets can be read here.

» Protection.
As mentioned the world is starving for emotions. Without the crystal the world would drain the emotion energy of people directly and can effectively kill a person after a month. The crystal serves as a ward, "filtering" the user's emotion energy. A portion of it is absorbed into the crystal and the rest is released into the world. This release results in the varying emotion effects.


» Completion.
Crystals are considered complete when they are filled with emotion energy. Natives turn theirs in to collection centers to be used for various means, but characters have the option to either keep theirs or turn them in to their aligned Arehtei. Not only will this benefit the Arehtei, but they have a chance to regain an item from home. OOCly, this is a flat rate of four months being in game. More information on this process can be found here.

If a crystal is completed, lost, or destroyed, it needs to be replaced. Characters can go to the various crystal collection centers around town to pick one up. Once receiving a new crystal, the collection starts all over again.


» Additional tech use.
Crystals are also used in various tech. From powering small appliances to houses and buildings to powerful airships. Different ways of using crystals are constantly being developed, including weaponry. However this is highly regulated as no one wants a repeat of the past.

» TELEPATHIC NETWORK SYSTEM

The crystals can automatically translated everything and everyone, including writing. The game uses a telepathic communication system via the crystal amulets. It works similarly to common network systems, but here are some specifics:

» Image, voice, and text.
Instead of "video" we call it "image" and is the default. Individuals can have mental image representations of their face that can be seen by those they are speaking with. It is possible to display whatever the person is actually seeing, thus using the eyes as a camera. "Voice" remains the same—all the receiver hears is a voice and no additional images. "Text" is also possible. Neither sound nor image will transmit—only actual words will appear to be read. How the text looks is up to the user.


» No caller-id.
Because this is an amulet and not some type of phone, there's no type of "caller identification." It is also possible to alter one's image and voice, and "text messages" have no indicators whatsoever. This actually allows for complete anonymity. However, individuals can learn to recognize those connecting to them, like a sixth sense. This also means there is no contact list, so there is no easy reference as to who is in the world.


» Incoming message notification.
These messages are not "played" automatically. Rather, the intended receiver (or receivers) will hear a distinct "hum" in the back of their mind (like a wavelength) and feel a slight warmth from their amulet. To answer all they have to do is focus. If they know the "caller" they can recognize them through the wavelength. It is also possible to completely ignore the "call," and if they want to call back they just have to remember that wavelength. It works whether they recognize the person or not.


» Post types.
As for the types of network posts, joint, open conference, and private are all possible. By default, there's no threadjacking unless the poster specifies it possible. It's also impossible to "hack" into a conversation.


» Inboxes.
Although we welcome the use of "Journal Inboxes," there's no true "answering machine" due to the nature of telepathy, so characters can't leave telepathic messages behind. Old fashioned letters or messenger birds can be used instead.

» STEAMPUNK & MAGITECH

The technology is best described as early steampunk with traditional fantasy flavors still attached, such as magitech. Modern technology such as computers, cars, advanced modern appliances, telephones, TVs, etc. are not available. Think more 19th century Victorian era, the usual time period steampunk fantasy is based upon. So horse drawn carriages, iron stoves, iceboxes, etc. Basic electricity is available, so characters won't have to rely solely on candlelight and lanterns, but it's more magitech oriented than "normal" electricity.

There have been other small advances in technology, such as polaroid-like cameras, portable radios and radio towers, walkie talkies, and other simple devices. Some of these have been created by players and in general mostly stays within the late 1800s-early 1900s, so feel free to ask if something exists or not.

» Vehicles.
Verens is well known for its airships which are used both for cargo transportation and travel. Shaarnath has motor vehicles designed for the desert and Theasthai has hot air balloons. Other vehicles that have been introduced are early motorcycles and hover bikes.


» Brought in modern tech.
Any modern devices brought in by the character will work for as long as it has its source. If they can find a way to recharge their batteries, awesome. Otherwise it'll become dead and useless, a relic of what could be... That doesn't stop anyone from developing ways to integrate or advance the current game technology.


» Elemental cores.
Elemental cores are special crystallized rock that contains one of four elements: air, fire, water, and earth (only found on the surface). Through these cores, elements can be pulled out and used in their technology, so rather than use electricity or just fire, they can use the fire cores as a source of heat or light energy source. These cores are mined in the distant mountains and can be bought for personal use. For exact details on how they work, refer to this thread.


» Weaponry & Crystal Tech.
In terms of weaponry, firearms have been developed are widely used along with swords and other martial weapons.

There have been recent advancements in crystaltech—technology based on crystals—to further improve technology as a whole. One big focus is technology that can counteract emotion effects, or at least reduce the more destructive effects.

» LAW ENFORCEMENT

The laws of each city are different, but each have a system with their own ruling and punishment system. For the most part, if you get caught, you get punished. A police force exists in Verens called the "Enforcers", but like the real world, pick pockets and a black market do exist—it's not a perfect, pristine city, and neither are the rest.

It's possible for your character to join the Verens' Enforcers, as well as get in trouble with them. The punishment will depend on the crime, with light thievery or extortion carrying a prison sentence, while death may result in a person's crystal being shattered, and therefore slowing killing them. The only instances where leniency will be granted is if the death was for a job, self-defense, or an accident, and it can be proven that it is.

» Murder plots.
Anyone planning murders will want to contact the mods when applicable. We do allow for jail break-outs and for evading and hiding, but if your character is murdering at a high body count or regularly, it may well be noticed. And as player characters are capable of joining police force in Verens, and everyone is the police in Shaarnath, you will want to consider if your characters actions would realistically be noticed, and work in planning that out with the playerbase. There have been crime plots before, and the mods are happy to work with you if you contact us!

In addition, we do stress in-game consequences and we have a mechanic called the "Reaper." More details are written in the "Death" section, but essentially either once the killer has been caught or it's plotted ahead, the Reaper will exact its own punishment. All of this can and will be discussed with us, but this allows to keep things fair as punishments set by the local setting on its own would be inadequate.

» EXPLORATION: EVENTS AND ADVENTURES

Characters can go on grand (or less grand) adventures onto the world's surface. Most of these adventures are mod run, but it is possible for players to make a request and do something on their own.

Some mod-run events will have a specific area that players can explore. With these events there are special missions to help give some guidelines and goals. These usually have a planned intention that can affect either the immediate or distant future events for the game.

Smaller adventures, however, are posted on the Task Board and are localized to specific locations with specific goals. While excursions will provide some opportunities for player influence, adventures are guaranteed to have player actions count. Some types of goals include restoring the area, looking for a particular item, exploring the area, etc. Players can also request a type of adventure via the Task Board.

As to how traveling works for the characters, they will be given the necessary protection and supplies. Protection will take in the form of crystal powered barriers, dunamis, and Arehtei protection charms. Transportation will either be via airship or the use of the teleporters. There are also large land vehicles that can be used in certain locations.

A chart of all expeditions can be found here.

» ABOUT EMOTIONS

Emotions are the core mechanic to the game. No matter how big or small, they can produce varying outward effects and influence the environment immediately around the person. Joy may make the nearby lightbulbs flicker, while despair may wilt the nearby flowers dead. The more intense the emotion, the more intense the effect.

» Positive & Negative.
All emotions are catergorized under "Positive" and "Negative". Joy is a positive, while grief is a negative; being calm is positive, being angry a negative. This refers to how these emotions will typically make your character feel.

However, unhealthy emotions can still fall under "positive" and "negative". Indifference can fall under calm, while a blissful, obsessive love is considered a "positive", even if it may swing towards jealousy, a negative, later on. Positive and Negative emotions aren't considered better or worse than one another, because while some would prefer to be cheerful as opposed to angry, a character's anger can push them forward better than being without it. As they say: sometimes, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. Too must trust will make you poor.

For characters who are more apathetic by nature, they will have much more subdued expression and effects compared to the other emotions. However, if they do express any kind of emotion, it will be stronger, even if it is a minor feeling.


» Filling crystals & Emotion Tracker.
This is worth remembering for when you fill out your character's completed crystal, and also for when game events will bring in use the Emotion Tracker. The Emotion Tracker is a form that will ask you to choose the strength of your character's emotions from 0 to 10: with 10 being incredibly strong, such as a blind, environment destroying rage, and with 0 being that the emotion wasn't experienced at all. (Note: This is different from apathy.) While character actions can and will have an effect on the game, the overall emotions during some events will be crucial as to the outcome.

As for deciding the completed state of your character's crystal, each time your character experiences an emotion, "emotion drops" drips into the crystal amulet on their person. Usually inconspicuous, this is how a character's amulet becomes filled. For more information on the benefits of a filled (or completed crystal), please read here.

» EMOTION EFFECTS

Emotion effects can be small and only affect the immediate area around the individual (flowers wilting or blossoming, lights flickering or brightening) or it can be large and alter the island entirely. The latter would require a large mass of emotions. A more medium and individualistic example would be someone having enough rage that windows suddenly shatter and maybe even a wall breaks. Otherwise, players can be very creative in what the actual effect is.

For apathy, it follows the theme of "emptiness" and "loss." Some examples are loss of color, muted sounds, surface distortion, tiny holes, etc.

These effects serve as a kind of physical mirror of what the individual is feeling. Emotions can even affect a person's home and the home itself can warp and twist to alter to fit the owner’s mood.

However, emotions can be overpowered or countered by another person's, and it would depend on the strength of each person's emotions. This helps maintain the balance.

» APATHY

Apathy is a unique "emotion" in how it works. Aside from slower crystal growth, there's no real punishment because apathetic people exist even for the local Empatheians. They even consider apathy as part of the norm. Apathy will destroy some of the emotion drops contained in the crystal, but to compensate any emotion that they do feel is probably going to actually impact them a lot more than an average person. So even if they just feel a little happy, the effect will be greater and the crystal will fill up more.

In terms of effects, it follows the theme of "emptiness" and "loss." So some examples are loss of color, muted sounds, surface distortion, tiny holes, etc.

» AREHTEI & ALIGNMENT

The Arehtei are mysterious beings sometimes referred to as guardians who are supposed to protect and reflect the health of the world. There are eight Arehtei, each one representing a set of emotion dynamics. However, only seven are currently existing:

  • Aiada: appreciation and envy
  • Daimonia: joy and grief
  • Elios: love and hatred
  • Peromei: hope and despair
  • Piphron: trust and distrust
  • Sosyne: calm and anger
  • Thras: bravery and fear
The eighth Arehtei is known as Simpathis, sympathy and apathy. Her whereabouts are unknown and some believe her to be dead. These beings were once corrupted but have been purified thanks to the emotions gathered over the years.

One of the requirements for the game is to choose an alignment. This is mechanic makes the characters "aligned" to a specific type of emotion and thereby aligned to a specific Arehtei. All types of emotions are still absorbed by the crystal amulet, but the aligned set of emotions will have significantly more weight. Players will have to choose which alignment would best fit the character OR, if the character has no particular dominant emotion, you are free to choose whichever one you think you'll be able to work with most. Additionally, emotions can be forced, and there will be events and situations where this option will be available.

It is possible to change alignments, and information on that process can be found here. A chart on the current alignment spread can be viewed here.

Those who are aligned will also resonate with their Arehtei and have more opportunities and priority access to that Arehtei and events revolving around them. Characters can also make "appointments" and personally communicate with the Arehtei. Refer to the Arehtei Scheduler to make an appointment. These can be handwaved or threaded out.

» DIFFERENT EMOTION BASED TECHNIQUES

While the people of Verens don't do anything special with emotions other than trying to keep it under general control, the other cities have developed their own kind of "technique" in using their emotional energy.

» Dunamis.
Also known as "emotion magic," this technique was developed in Shaarnath. Similar to the concept of using one's "chi," dunamis is the practice of controlling and using one's emotions so that it doesn't disperse into the environment as "violently" as it does normally. That is to say, emotional effects are more controlled and subtle. It has also been proven that dunamis can fulfill almost every aspect of living, from replacing the need of actual appliances to medical care. To put it in perspective, where Verens is a place of technology and a bit of magical elements, Shaarnath is more pure "magic" with their use of emotions.

In terms of gameplay, it is possible for any character to learn dunamis and have it augment or add to their own abilities. Those who have no magical ability at all can now begin to learn something similar. Additionally, players can use dunamis to help replace or alter certain canon abilities that would otherwise needed to be nerfed. For example, a canon ability to blow up an entire building in one shot would need to be nerfed. However, in-game development with dunamis could restore that ability to perform in a similar manner. Of course such an action would still need to be reasonable, but it's at least more doable.

As mentioned, anyone is capable of learning dunamis, but it does require time and practice. No one should be a master in the first month; it should take several with repeated trial and error. Fuller details can be read here.


» Performancy.
Theasthai also has their own technique, called performancy. Similar to dunamis in concept, it focuses more on creating special effects for theatre, and so less useful in day-to-day activities, or battle. However, if your character loves to put on a show and wants to create the best real life CGI effects, to mask their appearance or to learn to go unseen until the right moment, then the Thespian's skills can't be ignored.

» GENERAL CHARACTER QUALITIES

Any canon or original character is allowed in the game. For more specifics, refer to the Rules.

» Non-humans.
We do not require characters to be humanized. They can maintain their original form. The only change we do require is for gigantic non-humans to be downsized to a maximum of 8 feet. This is actually more for practical purposes than any other reason. If they were any bigger, they would have a really hard time getting around the city! If the character does not have a set body, it is possible for one to be created. Players can use a canon analogue, humanize the character, or talk with us with whatever idea you may have.


» Character/Species/Canon specific characteristics.
If your character has a peculiar quality or ability that requires some canon mechanic, such as an item, to work or even live, there are alternatives to keep this trait. One alternative is to use the emotions in place of that mechanic. For example, if the character requires a special serum or song to keep them from going berserk, positive emotions can be used as a substitute. Feel free to ask us if you have any question about this and if you have an idea, shoot it at us!

We've had some character/canon specific questions, so here are some links to some various solutions we've had so far: sources of power (soul gems); consuming emotions; mmo anime avatars


» Character doubles+possession.
Characters who are possessed or share a body with another soul or sentient being can be tricky to apply for. By default, a player will always have the ability to control both. However, under certain circumstances, it is possible to separate the two so that both could co-exist in the game as separate entities. This will highly depend on the canon and the character(s) in question. Some in-depth answers we've given on this matter can be found here and here. When in doubt, feel free to ask us with information as to the character and canon in question.


» Disabilities & Illnesses.
If a character has some kind of disability, like a missing limb or damaged organs, then it will carry over. However, if it’s an illness then it’s up to the player whether that illness carries over. If it is carried over, attempts for a cure can be made. If the player wants a cure, then we can grant permission for it somehow happening. This would have to be worked at, but it could be done.

Such things can also be inflicted upon characters. Unless there are healer type characters, the road back to health will be a long one as the medical technology is not modern at all. In fact X-rays are the most advanced medical equipment Empatheias has.

» ABILITY NERFS

For the most characters can retain most of their original abilities. Only the super game breaking god tiered abilities are nerfed. They can either be done away completely or be weakened. Your character won't be able to move mountains or destroy buildings in one hit, but they can still do decent damage (maybe make a giant crater in the street or knock out an entire wall). The same goes for weapons. Weapons can be brought with the character, but if there's something game breaking about it, that ability needs to be altered or removed entirely. Any other abilities can be left as is, but if you have a question feel free to ask us.

In terms of how abilities that utilize specific canon world energy, such as a world's mana type, that is all automatically converted/transferred to use Empatheias's emotion energy. Magic users may notice a slight difference in the feel of it, but they should be able to use their abilities without much issue. This also includes characters from canons based off MMOs, like Sword Art Online or .hack. Rather than there being a system dictating what and how skills and abilities are used, they are translated to be like "natural" magical abilities. So no energy point costs, just actual physical energy and stamina used.

» SIDEKICKS, PETS, AND SUMMONS

Characters that have pets can bring them along into the game. This rule also applies to characters who could arguably have another player play the partner, but the chances of finding that player are extremely low. If you do this, you will have to include the sidekick character in your application and make any notes about its personality. The caveat is that while you can play both characters, you cannot thread exclusively with yourself. If the sidekick is present, you'll have to write "joint" tags if you wish to include the sidekick's presence. So for example, Digimon characters. It is possible for an applicant to apply for their main character and bring the Digimon partner with them. Note: This is only applicable to characters with a sidekick. This would not apply to "pair" characters, like twins. They must be apped as separate characters and by different players to comply with the Playercest rule.

If a character is able to summon certain spirits or creatures, those beings can also be brought along with them. Ability nerfs will apply. Pokemon also fall into this category. There is a limit as to how many can be brought: five (5).

» OTHER RESTRICTIONS

Those who can fly or teleport may try to leave the island and there have been attempts to leave the island via airships and other flying mechanisms. However, the farther away one travels from the island, the weaker the protection. Even with a full amulet, if someone were to try and fly away from the island, it will not be enough to protect them from the world. The world will break the amulet, absorb all of that fluid, and then proceed to absorb from the person, effectively killing them.

If one wants to travel away from the island, they would need to use the means provided for the exploration crews or somehow devise enough suitable protection to go on their own.

For characters who already know telepathy, they can use their own telepathic powers to communicate and can bypass all of the restrictions that amulet users have, except for "hacking." They can't eavesdrop on a conversation.

» DEATH IN-GAME

Death is possible and normally permanent, but for whatever reason, characters do not stay dead. At least in general. If someone wants to drop a character through death, that is totally possible (adds more plot twists). Upon dying, the amulet will crack and shatter, the character disappearing along with it. From a few days to a week, they will later respawn at the edge of Empatheias with a brand new amulet. They will be severely weakened and will need to be treated.

There is a being known as the "Reaper" who watches over the passing of souls. Those who die may catch a glimpse or hear its voice without much consequence. However, if a character dies under dubious circumstances, such as from a convicted death penalty or with a murder or two in their recent history, the Reaper may give them a more personal visit while in hell. Murderers of all kinds will not only get a visit, but they will also receive an additional punishment fit for the crime. We will of course discuss it with the player as the Reaper's punishments have a more "reformative" or "lesson teaching" type quality to it. Life is important, dammit! These punishments are still designed to be as punitive as possible so that the character ICly learns from it and potentially they and others will be dissuaded. So if a death plot of some kind is to happen, there should be substance and good reason behind it.

Another constant consequence is to their amulet. It doesn't matter how much was in it before, it's been completely reset. Even though it will automatically reaccumulate liquid from current and pre-existing relationships, it will be much less as it won't have any that was gained through other personal accomplishments.

There is also something like a penalty, as if the world used some of those emotions to help "recreate" the individual. Thus about a fourth of the liquid will always be taken away. This penalty actually stacks. This means if a character dies again, another fourth is taken. Thus a second death would result in half of the liquid gone no matter what. A third is three-fourths, and four and beyond is the entire amount. Even if there are pre-existing relationships, there's no sudden boost. It's all zero and they have to build it back up. The rebuilding will be faster with existing relationships, but it will still take time.

» HIATUS

There are two options for when a player goes on hiatus. You can either have the character just handwaved that they're bustling about the town and gathering a couple of emotion drops here and there. The other option is to have the character crystalized. Yes that's right. For the entire time you are on hiatus, the character is a crystal statue. There is no penalty in terms of emotion drops for this, but it will probably freak out a few people (and give them some emotion drops). When you return, the crystal will shatter and free the character. For the hiatused character, it will have been as if time had stopped, though they will have a vague sense they were stuck in that crystal.

In terms of Activity Check, hiatuses that last at least 2 weeks will require half the proofs. Hiatuses that are 3+ weeks are completely exempt.

» DROPPING A CHARACTER

When a character is dropped, they simply disappear. In addition, their name will appear on a wall in a room ("Wall of Names")in the Calinede Temple ruines, and a crystal will also appear around one of the shrines dedicated to the Arehtei. Currently it is assumed that the crystal is theirs though there is no in-game proof of it.

OOCly, we post a list of all the characters that were dropped or removed after the Activity Check, and this list would be the same list that is ICly posted in the Residential area at the beginning of the month so characters can see who has disappeared.

If the character is reapplied for, either by the old player or a new one, they will restart from scratch. This applies even if the character remembers everything from their previous stay.

» CANON UPDATE

For characters that are canon updated during their stay, the character disappears but the amulet is neither full nor broken. It remains a strange translucent state until the character returns. The character will reappear either in the exact spot the amulet currently is or somewhere near it in case the amulet is in a place like a drawer. Unlike the death scenario, there is no loss of emotion drops so the character can pick it up right where they left off. In addition, the character's name does not appear on the Wall of Names. The form for canon updating can be found here.

Still have a question? Then just comment to this entry and we'll answer it ASAP! Just double check and view the top level comments to see if anyone has touched on it yet. If we feel that it's an important one, we'll add it to the actual entry. If you wish to contact us in private, you can either use the Confidential Contact or send a message to the journal.
namesaquestion: (Default)

[personal profile] namesaquestion 2018-07-25 07:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey. So. If he manages to get the Pokecast's help, would it be possible for Silver's pokemon to grow in levels and be able to learn moves that they'd logically get in either gen two or gen one, either by level up or TM?

If yes, I'm thinking it'd be at a really slow rate of like, two levels a month, if that.
lighthousekeeper: (Default)

[personal profile] lighthousekeeper 2018-07-26 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
Is it alright if my character creates an airship or fix up an old one? She's known for being a nerdy mechanic and builds complex robots, etc.
lionhandler: (It's hard okay.)

[personal profile] lionhandler 2018-07-27 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
So, a quick check on spoiler rules! The first episode of Voltron's next season was shown at SDCC last week, and it included Important Backstory Details that actually probably should've come up in game before now if I'd known these details before. Now, obviously, I don't intend to do anything with these details until after the new season actually drops for everybody (I sure wasn't at SDCC so I haven't even seen the episode in question myself, just read some summaries), but because these details are so Important, I do know that I'm going to want at least one heavily backdated thread addressing it when the time comes.

So, because these backstory things are spoilers, but they're backstory and thus not directly affected by the one month rule for canon updates/new apps, is it OK to put this backdated private shit on the main comms (behind a cut and heavily marked with spoiler warnings, of course), or should I sequester that kind of thing in IC inboxes and such until the one month mark has passed?
vainfeathers: (Default)

[personal profile] vainfeathers 2018-07-29 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
Diaval has no native shape-shifting ability, he's always been changed by Maleficent to be whatever she needs. He's a raven, but he's been turned into a man, a wolf, a horse, and a dragon.

I'd like to work up to him discovering that all the residual fey magic he's been hit with over the last couple decades has left him with the ability to shape shift on his own, so he can be autonomous. Would that be possible for him to do in-game? If I did app him I'd plan on having him come in as a raven.
lightofchaldea: (Default)

[personal profile] lightofchaldea 2018-08-19 08:27 am (UTC)(link)
Hello! I have a couple of questions pertaining to a character I'm thinking of apping!

First of all, where on the spectrum of canon characters vs OCs do visual novel-style protags fall? Or is this a case by case thing?

Specifically, I'm wondering about the protagonist of the mobile game Fate/Grand Order, when taken solely from the game and not one of the various anime or manga adaptations. The story sections of the game are somewhat visual novel style, where the protagonist's dialogue comes in the form of occasional choices you get in response to what's going on. However, with a few special exceptions, this doesn't affect gameplay, and typically both choices are quite similar in the first place. There is definitely a clear characterization to the protagonist that's consistent throughout the story, we're given indications of actions the protag takes at times thanks to the reactions and comments of the other characters, and there's definitely character development over the course of the story as well. But on the other hand, the player gets only limited glimpses into this characterization, presumably to facilitate being able to self-insert oneself into that role.

So would this be a canon character, or would it fall under the blank slate protagonist OC rules?


The other thing I'm wondering about is a powers-related matter. Specifically, in the game you're able to set up a team of Servants to battle for you, but the ones you have in your party aren't necessarily present in the story sections of a chapter. This eventually got explained in one chapter as the Servants used by the protagonist in combat are just temporarily summoned for that purpose; a character calls it "instant summoning" in the sense of the summoning only lasting for an instant before the Servants vanish again, and another remarks that said Servants are like "shadows" of the original/real thing. (The latter comment seems to invoke parallels with a game mechanic of enemy "Shadow Servants" that are something like lesser copies of various Servants.)

Without any further explanation/word of god on the matter, this seems to mean that the Servants the protagonist summons are only called upon temporarily, and aren't truly fully present. As in, a Servant summoned this way will obey commands in battle, but can't hang around and hold a conversation. This is mere speculation on my part, but based on what info is known (e.g. Servants require massive amounts of magical energy, the protag only seems to be able to summon when there's at least one Servant or such combatant already present, etc) it seems reasonable to assume that this summoning is difficult enough to be anywhere from impractical to impossible outside of combat, and that most fights themselves probably are finished within an extremely short time (seconds, to maybe minutes for extremely powerful enemies) thus for all practical purposes it simply isn't possible for the protag to do outside of those specific circumstances, for that brief span of time.

With all of that said, my question boils down to this: I know there's the rule for being limited to five summons, which actually fits given that in FGO your party consists of five anyway (well, plus one "support" from outside your team). However, would that mean only being limited to the same five servants? Or would it be possible to shuffle things around occasionally? I especially wonder since there are already two FGO servants here in the game, and it's possible that others could be apped; technically it shouldn't be impossible for one of the "shadows" of the Servants summoned to duplicate a Servant already in-game here, but it seems that could be... potentially awkward to explain away (ICly or otherwise). But even picking five that aren't dupes of Servants already here, there'd always be the possibility/risk of someone apping one of the ones chosen later.

That and it'd just be nice to have a definitive answer so I know what I'm working with.

Anyway uhhh I THINK THAT IS ALL sorry for the super-long thing and let me know if you need any clarification or such. :|b

(no subject)

[personal profile] lightofchaldea - 2018-08-22 04:05 (UTC) - Expand
brohairetic: (Default)

[personal profile] brohairetic 2018-08-22 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
sup mods! i'm interested in the game and am eyeing that TDM, but had a few character/canon-specific questions that i didn't spy in the top-levels that i'm pretty curious about.

RE: canon (Homestuck)
  1. characters have a kind of technology similar to hammerspace, called a sylladex, to store and eject objects, according to specific rules and allocated storage space (not limitless). it's pretty integrated into their reality and doesn't require an external power source. would that kinda thing be cool in the land?

  2. characters also like to use colored text to identify themselves. because teenagers. but would colored formatting translate over to telepathic textual communications? (dirk's is one of the less obnoxious ones, but if yes, would absolutely include an opt-out to spare folks one-on-one)

RE: character (Dirk Strider)
  1. suppose a dude wears a rad pair of shades that double as a stand-alone telepathic computing device (with camera/mic input). also suppose that same dude created an AI clone of his 13-year-old brain and stuck it in those shades, and they both now gotta deal with his/their terrible decision-making. this rad pair of shades is pretty (in)famous for standing out as his own character and could potentially be appable, but since he's pretty much permanently stuck to dirk's face, they tend to antagonistically co-exist hand-in-hand. would he be able to come with?
    • and if he can tag along: hacking the network is a no-go, but if the shades are connected to dirk telepathically, and dirk is connected to the network telepathically-ish (crystal magi-science), would he eventually be able to figure out a way to piggyback onto dirk's conversations and interject his own robo-thoughts? initiate his own convos, with/without dirk knowing?
    • and would robro's emotions register like a real boy?
fairbrook: hermonthis; art © solid&etc; (♕ Shut the fuck up;)

[personal profile] fairbrook 2018-08-29 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
I didn't see anything about this in the FAQ, but if you've been in the game before and are reapplying with the same character, what would be the standard procedure for going about that?

(Anonymous) 2018-08-31 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
I have questions regarding one of your game rules. Does "rated T" content include violence? To clarify, will we be able to lock the journal on the community, or must it be moved to a personal journal? Will any of this adult content be applicable for A/C? Thanks!
hadthehighground: (well R2...)

[personal profile] hadthehighground 2018-09-06 02:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I've noticed a couple Arehtei mention something about bonding recently and I was curious about that. What exactly do they mean? Do Arehtei form bonds with specific people? Would that be something along the lines of what the representatives in the old system did? How does one become bonded to an Arehtei?
exponere: (Default)

[personal profile] exponere 2018-09-07 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
hello, mods! just a really silly and unimportant question but is there a taxi-like service for the horse-drawn carriages? and is it possible for otherworlders to get a job as a taxi-carriage driver?

(no subject)

[personal profile] exponere - 2018-09-08 16:58 (UTC) - Expand
capsulecorps: capsulecorps. (pic#12485182)

[personal profile] capsulecorps 2018-09-09 08:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello, mods!

I have a regain question.

I'm wondering if Trunks' pal Giru (little robot dude in icon) qualifies as a regain?? He's a little robot who kinda ate their dragon radar and is capable of communicating, warning of danger, and even fight a little with his tiny missles. I know Anakin has R2-D2 as his non-human buddy so I was wondering if Giru falls into that same category or not.

Thank you either way! o/
caduceusangel: mercy looking at some data (this is my work)

[personal profile] caduceusangel 2018-09-16 03:06 am (UTC)(link)
I'm assuming there aren't any wars happening in this world, but what about NPC gang violence or feuds, anything like that going on?

Also, I think I've seen mention of slums, though I can't remember where, and I don't see it in these FAQ here... Does such an area exist anywhere in the world, and if so, are things bad enough there that a "Doctors Without Borders"-like effort be helpful to the NPCs there?
lightofchaldea: (just spell it F G O)

[personal profile] lightofchaldea 2018-09-23 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Out of curiosity, if characters (at least, the ones who can pass for normal/average humans) adopt the local fashions and such, how easy/difficult would it be for natives to recognize them as otherworlders? Particularly in light of recent events and current attitudes.
roseheartz: (Still this is the final frontier)

[personal profile] roseheartz 2018-09-28 11:03 am (UTC)(link)
I have some questions on behalf of a character I'm interested in apping, but one of them also pertains to Rose Quartz.

1a) Say a character has flight powers, this character would not be bothered by extremely high altitudes and they can even survive in outer space... What would happen if they were to try and fly away from the planet? I'm sure there's some sort of failsafe in place, but what exactly is it? Is there a barrier around the planet, or perhaps some sort of emotional illness would strike if they stray too far from the surface?
1b) How far out can they go? Can they still make it to, say, the moon? (Empatheias has a moon, right?)

2) So Whis from the Dragon Ball series has a staff that holds a pocket dimension inside it. It functions as something similar to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He can store items inside it, but also people. (time flows differently inside the dimensional space of the staff.) It also works as a communication device and can store images. Just how much of these functions does it still retain in Emp?

3) Whis has the ability to mess with time. Most notably, he can turn back time three whole minutes and only those who are near him remain aware of the future as it once was, while anyone else is oblivious to what happened. Is this entire ability stripped from him in Emp, or is does it just have certain restrictions?

(no subject)

[personal profile] exqwhisite - 2018-10-03 11:16 (UTC) - Expand
pactfulfilled: (• Butterfly)

[personal profile] pactfulfilled 2018-10-02 03:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Hi mods,

I had a question about regains (mostly asking because Asbel would want to try it even if it does not work at all). Would it be possible for a character or group to send an item they obtained/created in Empatheias to one of their own worlds instead? (Or! Could such a thing be attempted and fail miserably?)

Asbel would want to try and send something from Empatheias to his world so that it might in theory find its way to or be given to a friend. (Specifically: trying to send a piece of artwork or a sword.)
inheirence: (eight.)

[personal profile] inheirence 2018-10-09 02:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello mods! I'm sorry if there's already info on this and I missed it, but a quick question about alcohol in Verens: is it possible to buy some at like, a grocery store (or are the stalls in the market it as far as food goes?) or somewhere else outside of a bar? Thank you in advance!

(no subject)

[personal profile] inheirence - 2018-10-10 20:51 (UTC) - Expand
justpastdawn: (okay but how about murder though)

[personal profile] justpastdawn 2018-10-12 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello! I am wondering how likely it is that a couple of sword-toting boyfriends might see a meteorite fall while out camping somewhere, find it and discover that it's easy to infuse with emotions, and then decide to make matchy-matchy transforming magic boyfriend swords out of it.

...it doesn't need to be a meteorite, we were just amused at the idea of our non-modern characters getting excited about weirdo "sky iron", but I thought I'd better check. No adventures or plot things are necessary either, we are tired. If this isn't feasible we'll make up something else!
lightofchaldea: (just spell it F G O)

[personal profile] lightofchaldea 2018-10-25 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
Dunamis questions!

1. It's mentioned that emotional effects don't release as strongly, does this (typically) apply to all emotions of someone who's learned dunamis, as sort of a trained reflex sort of thing, or just when they're actively focusing on it?

2. Would it be safe to assume that even someone who's learned dunamis, if they end up in a state of major emotional upheaval, could essentially temporarily find it more difficult to impossible to use it until they've sorted themselves out again? Like if someone got stressed or upset or such to the point where they start failing to keep control of their emotional effects, sort of thing.

I totally don't have a germ of possible terrible long-term character plot ideas going, noooo whatever would give you that idea....
showmystar: (I'm no longer fit to be married...)

[personal profile] showmystar 2018-11-01 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
Hey there! Bit of an odd question for the "Character/Species/Canon specific characteristics" section. This kid here has a left arm made of Innocence, a holy weapon with the sole purpose of destroying Akuma, the series' evil entities made of Darkness. (Insert Kingdom Hearts joke here.) In the one example we have in canon of Allen not destroying an Akuma for a long time, he was without his left arm; his cursed eye went berserk, keeping him up at night as it tried to get him to destroy Akuma, even though he physically couldn't. Later, there are instances where his Innocence literally moved his broken body in order to continue fighting so he could kill an Akuma.

Would there be a way for him to appease his Innocence by destroying dark creatures so he doesn't go berserko later on? Or would there be some other kind of supplement provided for him?

(Alternatively I have a plot planned for his Innocence to go berserk and start attacking people with dark-related elements so either way it works out for me.)

(no subject)

[personal profile] showmystar - 2018-11-03 21:47 (UTC) - Expand
notintehkitchen: (Winking with fire)

[personal profile] notintehkitchen 2018-11-02 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
Hello there! Would you consider the Team Fortress 2 playable characters to be blank slate protags? I'm unsure how you would place them as they have introduction videos for each character and very simple backgrounds. A good example is the Pyro, they have about two sentences of canon lore. There is also an official comic on the Team Fortress 2 website and while I'm mainly interested in apping Pyro if possible it doesn't necessary expand on the character enough that I would be lead to believe they are anything but a blank slate protag. I also have a second question regarding if Pyro would be appable. If I am able to play them is it possible to reveal their identity and play them unmasked at times despite never being shown in canon? Hope these links help to ease the answering process! Thanks in advance. :)
lightofchaldea: (it'll be an adventure)

[personal profile] lightofchaldea 2018-11-05 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
Two completely unrelated questions!

The first is something I should have asked before but didn't think of, but would it be possible for Ritsuka to use command spells to summon one of her servants to her location (with said servant's player's permission of course) in game? As in it would require actually consuming a command spell and presumably only summoning one servant per command spell. This is not something that's ever been done precisely in FGO canon (there's... similar-ish situations, but those usually seem more like the "instant summon" scenario I asked about previously) however, pretty much everything else about command spells in other Fate/ installments has been replicated or referenced as being possible, so it's probably not too much of a stretch.

On the other hand I could see it potentially being seen as a bit OP (especially given that Chaldea's command spells regenerate themselves over time instead of being consumed permanently) even as something that would only ICly be used in a true emergency, so I wanted to ask!


ANYWAY my other question is much simpler: what sort of media can be found in the setting? Books obviously, but do comics exist? And what sort of genres can be found? (e.g. are publications usually novels or more like serialized pulp fiction, would stuff be written similarly to modern-style works or is it more like Dickens and other Victorian era writers, etc...)

(no subject)

[personal profile] lightofchaldea - 2018-11-11 03:54 (UTC) - Expand
implanta: (pigtails and smile)

[personal profile] implanta 2018-11-05 12:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm gonna err on the side of caution here in regards to this and keep my post as a draft until I get an answer on this so I know for sure :D

With Thras biting the dust, I mentioned it on my plurk that Cloche would absolutely lose her mind from negative emotions backwash into her and have an IPD outbreak which I thhhhink I brushed upon in my expanding info on her app? It's visible in her trying to keep her cool while talking to Thras at the moment as well! It entails her going into a berserk reyvateil mode and attacking people and getting nice woodland creatures going crazy with her. It's implied in the games that the IPDs can destroy or really mess things up, but with a dampening of her power from the game setting and her own emotional effects, there wouldn't be large-scale destruction and no need for a ton of people trying to stop her.

THAT SAID, since it would be like, patchy fires in a field/almost foresty area outside of Verens with her negative emotions causing localized small areas of a downpour of rain to stem the fires from going wildly out of control and in some cases put out the fires she started herself, should I put in a player plot request? Since it's just affecting Cloche and she'd only attack anyone who wants to respond it wouldn't be a large-scale thing - she can be stopped by becoming incapacitated and there's at least one person that she's casually mentioned to just knock her out - but otherwise it would be a minor thing, she'd just be outside of the city for people to run into and run away from until she was stopped.

I mainly wanted to cover my bases to make sure that I didn't just post something when I should have put in for a player plot, and I'd rather be safe than sorry. Thanks mods!

(no subject)

[personal profile] implanta - 2018-11-11 00:18 (UTC) - Expand
ghostmuster: (从长计议)

[personal profile] ghostmuster 2018-11-08 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Question: When Wuxian got accepted it mentioned he couldn't communicate with or affect the dead, outside of talking to ghosts--so if he has a compass that points out the direction of evil spirits, would it still work? In canon it's most likely affected by the ghosts' resentful energy, so maybe in Emp it's affected by people/creatures emanating strong negative emotions?

(Anonymous) 2018-11-12 12:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello, I was wondering if the game is planning on moving toward more/more active NPCs? I'd like to know now since I didn't sign up for that and I'd rather leave now than have to make the choice later when I've got CR that will make me want to stay even if I hate a game element.
homeecspacecop: (3)

[personal profile] homeecspacecop 2018-11-18 05:02 pm (UTC)(link)
2-in-1 character question! (a boy and his symbiotic alien mascot character)

I'm interested in playing Chuuta and Drew from ēlDLIVE. Basically, Chuuta is a human with an alien (Drew) symbiotically attached to him. They've been connected to each other for Chuuta's entire life and their personalities are strongly shaped by each other. They are at one point separated in canon, but it's the separation is extremely traumatic and personality-altering, and do I would rather not play Chuuta without Drew.

In terms of how they interact in canon, Drew is a voice in Chuuta's head that no one else can hear (and Chuuta responds to out loud), and Drew does take a physical form (attached to Chuuta).

Would I be able to play both of them together?

(no subject)

[personal profile] homeecspacecop - 2018-11-19 01:31 (UTC) - Expand

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