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subnauticmods) wrote2015-12-28 01:10 pm
subnauticmods) wrote2015-12-28 01:10 pm
FAQ
   ≡U.R.S.U.L.A. NAVIGATION |
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PREMISE & NAVIGATION ✦ RULES ✦ MOD CONTACT |
Tell me more about the game. Give me the basic idea.
Sure thing! Subnautica is based heavily on the game by the same name about the survivor of a spaceship crash living on an entirely water-based planet. The video game is currently in early access with a lot of room for fleshing out the story and environments in game. While we're using the game as the foundation, we'll be expanding on it in our own ways to make something different from the game while still keeping the heart of Subnautica. We hope to create a unique experience by focusing on adventure and exploration, with players unlocking new areas, discovering strange creatures and pushing the flexible metaplot in different directions based on their actions. Players are the true core of this game and we hope you'll feel the vast potential for your character here. How the game develops will be up to you and your decisions!
As far as genre goes, while the focus is the adventure/exploration element with a science fiction background, we also want to spice things up. By nature of being on an alien world that tends to be hostile to outsiders and living under the ocean, there will be survival elements and psychological horror with some features of body horror as the game goes on. The body horror will be optional. There will also be plenty of room for slice of life hijinks, conflicts between characters with different goals and a metaplot with emphasis on making choices. These choices could result in dark outcomes depending on the characters involved. Consequences will matter.
Day to day life will consist of characters finding their niche and working towards goals suggested by the helpful AI, URSULA. Monthly plots will usually be connected to the goals or special events unlocked by player efforts. Players will be as involved in the plot as they want. A relaxed experience is just as possible as an intense one.
What is the ultimate goal of the game?
URSULA's goal is to create a planet that humans can live on. Your goal, however, is what truly shapes the story and goals. URSULA will become more extreme in her mission and forceful about certain issues that may ultimately damage the planet or even turn it against you. This planet is a living thing that will resist efforts depending on how they are done.
Characters can side with URSULA's methods, encourage even more violent or destructive ones or try to create a more peaceful coexistence. Therefore the endgoal can and will change dependent on player actions. We highly encourage players to test the boundaries and see what happens!
What is the general setting like?
The game takes place on the water planet, Iniidae. The climate is highly tropical with warm, clear waters that generally have a temperature of 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit). Even the deeper waters don't get much colder than 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). Water further north and south however starts to grow cooler; combined with the greatly varying depths of the ocean, this allows for dynamic weather patterns and seasons.
Storms on Iniidae can be fierce. Living underwater makes it somewhat more bearable but storms will rock the base. Several large hurricanes last much of the year and sometimes pass through the area. Underwater mountains sometimes break enough of the surface to deter storms.
As there are no manmade lights to block the sky, the night sky is actually very bright with stars. Two moons give light at night. One moon is roughly the same size and distance as Earth's moon. The other, however, takes up a good portion of the night sky and appears red and dim.
The marine life however is very diverse, from small fish to massive creatures lurking in the deep ocean. Most marine life, including the plants, are also bioluminescent. Many different colours can be seen at night in the water.
Islands are few and far in between, and so most of the action takes place underwater. The Aurora looms large in the distance at all times and the fire never seems to go out entirely. As far as distances go, most biomes span at least several miles, making the ocean a vast place to explore.
URSULA has what she calls "Fun Survival Packs" for everyone. These include:
How will other biomes be opened up?
Through exploration and player driven incentives. What this means in practice is that characters who focus on exploring and charting will be allowed to discover things like hidden cave systems and entirely new areas. Sometimes these may not be huge events beyond expanding the map. Other times, however, it will mark an important point in the plot and trigger an event. Please notify the mods when doing strictly exploration based quests so we can determine if your team will find anything fun!
How do characters get around?
However they enable themselves! Characters are provided with a breathing apparatus that filters oxygen from the water and fits securely in their mouth, as well as goggles that cover the upper portion of their face. A wetsuit is provided that can expand or shrink to fit any body type, even non-human ones. These wetsuits come with straps and pouches attached to put items in. A pair of flippers are also given if needed.
Characters can choose to focus on travel techonology like better fins, submarines, gliders and other vehicles.
What kinds of things can my character do?
'Anything' is probably too vague, though honestly we are very open to accommodating characters, meaning what projects they want to work on and what they want to do. The world is an open one and while it certainly has its own personality and already has plenty to offer, you don't have to simply live there. You can terraform, create your own islands, tame creatures, work on genetic modifications for your fellow crew members or other creatures, look into farming, build bases, explore the depths and find new creatures, research into the planet, try to solve the mystery of your memories or find even more mysteries and strange occurrences to puzzle out.
These are just some ideas and will be available and often offered outright by URSULA but the limits are only to your creativity. If you want your character to become a fish abomination through genetic mutation or just really want them to die a lot, please feel free. We support fun around here, whatever that means for you.
What do you mean by memory changes?
Strictly speaking, your character has had their memories altered to fit them into the setting for reasons later to be revealed. This does not have to be a massive memory change nor does it have to make them willing or complacent unless that's what you want. Creativity is highly encouraged here. Of course, you're also free to have their memory be something typical of a jamjar game, like waking up suddenly in this strange place. Simple ideas include stowing away on a spaceship, crashing into the planet, signing up for the terraforming mission, strange technology accidents or whatever you can think of.
Memories do not have to be consistent between canonmates. Characters are more than allowed to find it odd that each other's memories or knowledge doesn't match what they know, or they could have their memories altered to accommodate for these situations. How much or little you wish for this to impact their daily lives is up to you. No matter what, though, the memory will feel just as real and solid as the rest of their memories, even if they think very hard on it.
Some progress has been made regarding the crew's mysterious arrival to the planet and their altered memories. It has been discovered that buried deep within the crew members' subconscious are memories of drowning (for those capable of it) and experiencing electric jolts. Once these new memories are remembered, it will feel like the memory of drowning was there all the time and suddenly recalled, similar to when you suddenly remember something you wanted to say or something you were trying to recall earlier. The fake memories will feel more like a dream now, something that came about organically from their own minds. In order to gain these new memories, each crew member will have to go through the process developed in the med bay in order to have them invoked. It is fairly unpleasant.
How do characters arrive in the setting, memory changes aside?
Most characters will wake up ready to start their day - or possibly less than ready - in one of the sleeping rooms of the base. URSULA will fill them in on possible missions if it's the start of the month or just updates on weather, current food supply or mission completions if not. For characters that ask, she will give a tutorial on how to use their device and will try to answer most questions. Anything under the URSULA Functions or Biomes pages are IC knowledge she can tell characters if asked.
Characters can also arrive in different ways depending on the current event going on or what changes players have made. We let characters know how they're arriving on acceptance.
How does the network function? Is there one?
Technically there is. URSULA gives characters a booster shot that genetically alters them, allowing them access to telepathy. It will come second nature as much as talking or walking does. Telepathy has a several mile radius and can send what is being seen as well as thoughts. Private 'channels' between two or more people can also be opened. This also allows for easy communication while swimming around.
In addition, the devices URSULA gives the crew can be used for audio, visual, and text communication. As she cannot use telepathy, it is her primary method of communicating with her crew.
The communicator has had several upgrades for different modes.
What benefit do characters have to pursuing genetic modifications?
Quite a lot! Fighting underwater is hard. But imagine if your character moved with the grace of the same predators they were trying to kill. What if they could breathe underwater without any aid? Being able to see better, having nightvision, enhanced hearing and more could be available to characters who investigate this route. It's also possible to genetically alter the sealife to be more friendly or obey orders or even create something entirely new. The limits of the applications are only with what characters wish to do with them.
Explain more about the pulses.
URSULA only knows that the planet emits strange energy pulses which seem to change in frequency each time. She knows for certain they made the Aurora crash. These pulses could be considering the planet's defense mechanism as well as a way of making its 'voice' be heard. Over the course of the plot, these pulses will play an increasingly important role depending on player actions. They may affect some characters differently than others and there will be plenty of plot opportunities to interact with them.
How does time work in game?
Time runs on a 1:1 ratio. URSULA hasn't made a calendar for Iniidae yet but she does go by a "standardized" Earth calendar. Some dates and holidays may not match up or sound the same given that it's the future. If your character observes a certain holiday, though, URSULA can be told and will alert others of it to celebrate together. She tries hard to be festive.
How do languages work?
URSULA's database contains roughly one million languages, with updates being fed in constantly. Characters will hear people speaking their language, read anything in their language and so on. Lip movements will usually fit, as what's being said will change somewhat to make it look more natural. If the database breaks down, characters have the option of communicating solely through telepathy.
The survival element works for characters with regular diets but mine needs something special. How will that work?
It depends on the dietary needs. If they're a vampire, for example, will fish blood work or can they only consume human blood? In most instances, URSULA will be able to figure out a combination of resources that will equal what your character needs to eat. If it's highly irregular or you're not sure, ask!
What about the horror elements mentioned?
The psychological horror is simple. Imagine living under the ocean of an unknown world, with strange creatures outside and uncharted depths awaiting you. Most of the base is silent except for others talking or the sounds of life outside. In general, it's an isolating feeling and cabin fever is a real problem, while swimming farther out into the ocean might panic some, especially with the monsters that can live out there. There will be other elements generated from within the planet pulses dependent on character actions.
The body horror comes from the genetic modifications. While most of them will be simple affairs that won't change a character too much, those that truly want to adapt may find themselves changing more and more. Some creatures, too, can infest characters with parasites or eggs or even mind control them.
There's also the fact that upon death, characters will be rebuilt from whatever parts are left over. Seeing your friend's torn apart torso being eaten by fish as it tries to regrow can be somewhat horrifying.
Is mature content such as sex allowed?
Yes, as long as it is properly labelled. In fact it's worth noting that one of URSULA's sub-directives involves enticing the crew to stay on the world. You could say you have a shipper on deck. If she notices possible positive tensions between characters she will likely try to put them into situations together to increase the likelihood of them getting together. If you'd like URSULA to notice your hard efforts - or mistake different types of tensions for hilarity - then go ahead and let us know! You might get a fun surprise.
What kind of character can I apply for?
Most characters are welcome! In short order:
Non-human characters will be accommodated! Humanization is not needed, unless you feel the character would be completely unplayable otherwise. Ghosts, for example, will not need oxygen or be effected by depth pressure but may face other challenges from the strange nature of the planet. AI can be given a synthetic human form while retaining some technological capabilities or live in someone's device, though this is not recommended. Robotic characters can be given specialized wetsuits which will allow them to be waterproof and with more modification give buoyancy so that they can swim instead of sink. Anything larger than the average human will have to be shrunk down. If your question hasn't been answered, feel free to ask!
Are there any age limits on characters?
Not at the moment. Just be aware of the dangers and types of situations that could occur and gauge your character appropriately.
What can my character bring with them?
Whatever they're carrying at the canonpoint you choose! Though if they were in a car, for example, they may be able to find the car as a nice, new wreck somewhere in the ocean. Try not to bring anything too large as the base is not very big.
What about bringing pets?
It depends on the situation. If you're a pokemon trainer, for example, only one pokemon will be with them at the time while others will be found in each biome that opens up subsequently. Other pets will be dependent on size due to the size of the base. Be warned that if the base collapses or floods, the character will need a plan for getting the pet to safety as well.
Can I app from an untranslated canon?
If there's no English release, we just need some fan translations or something similar to base the personality and voice off.
Is there a wait time to apply for new canons?
The wait time for new canons is two months after release. If there's no announced English release date, then refer to the previous question.
How many characters can I play at once?
At the moment, the character limit is two. A third is allowed after two months of consistently meeting AC without any hiatuses.
Is there an application cap?
Not at the moment, however the player cap is currently set at 55. This may change in the future.
What is the application cycle?
We are now operating a rolling application system. More is explained on the application page!
How do powers work in this game?
For the most part, powers are not capped. This isn't to say that all powers are allowed however. Anything gamebreaking will be interfered with for the majority of the game. At endgame, depending on player actions, that could change, allowing for free reign over the planet—or perhaps the course of events will set down more restrictions.
For the majority of the game, however, characters will have almost total access to their powers. Characters like Lapis Lazuli from Steven Universe wouldn't be able to drain the entire ocean, but they would be able to manipulate the water in useful and major ways. If you aren't sure if a power is too gamebreaking, you can err on the side of caution or ask.
In addition, we offer another solution if you only want to disable powers or certain abilities during crucial moments. The planet regularly sends out strange energy pulses. These pulses can cause characters to lose control of their powers or lose access to them entirely for a period of time determined by you.
tl;dr Don't break the game and you can keep everything! If you use the powers to powergame or break the game setting without clearing it with other players and the mods, then the powers will be removed and a strike may be issued.
It should also be noted characters with elemental powers or nature-based powers may on occasion receive a special surprise.
How does death work?
URSULA has some simple programs built into her supply of nanomachines. One of them is a resurrection program. It takes whatever is left from the body of the dead character and rebuilds from there. The process can take several days or longer depending on how much was leftover and if there are interruptions to the process. It's best to take the remains of your dead friends far away from possible scavengers if you can. Characters will remember everything up until the moment they fell unconscious (or died if that was the same moment).
It is also possible to awaken during the resurrection process if most of the character's body has been rebuilt. It is highly recommended they continue to rest until they're fully put back together.
If nothing is really left of the character to rebuild from, fear not! The remaining nanomachines will do what can basically be considered a system restore, rebuilding the character from scratch after a few weeks from their last restore point, which could have been anytime from the day of death to two weeks prior to it.
How will canon updates work?
While out in the ocean and alone, characters will hear a song that is inviting and familiar. What happens after they hear the song is a blur but when they come back to, their memories will include the canon update and they will be back in the same spot as they last remember. However, in game, a week would have passed by.
How will hiatuses and drops work?
A hiatus can be done however you want. A regular immunity booster could have a negative effect and send your character into a coma. They could disappear into the depths only to reappear later with no memory of their time gone. Autopilot is also an option.
Drops can work in different ways as well. They can be killed and the nanomachines fail to restore them. They could simply not return from exploring one day. If you have other preferred methods, run them by us! It might be fun to work in somewhere. If you drop a character, you cannot reapp the same character again for the next two months. Another person, however, will be free to pick up that character.
What are the activity requirements?
Activity runs on a monthly basis. What counts for activity is:
Please note that contribution to the game doesn't have to be positive, nor does it have to be large. Did you sabotage all the weapons people built to protect the sealife? That is contributing. Did you take up all the cooking duties for the crew? That is contributing. Did you organize and play out a scavenging party? That is contributing. Did you kill a massive creature? Also contributing. Don't worry about it too much. If you think it counts, it is 99% likely to count.
The monthly AC post is used for mods to gather information for updates to base and biome pages and to let everyone know what's going on! It's a small base, after all. We do our best to keep everyone in the loop!
December will be a free AC month. Test drive threads can also count for your contribution thread for tagging a new character.
Sure thing! Subnautica is based heavily on the game by the same name about the survivor of a spaceship crash living on an entirely water-based planet. The video game is currently in early access with a lot of room for fleshing out the story and environments in game. While we're using the game as the foundation, we'll be expanding on it in our own ways to make something different from the game while still keeping the heart of Subnautica. We hope to create a unique experience by focusing on adventure and exploration, with players unlocking new areas, discovering strange creatures and pushing the flexible metaplot in different directions based on their actions. Players are the true core of this game and we hope you'll feel the vast potential for your character here. How the game develops will be up to you and your decisions!
As far as genre goes, while the focus is the adventure/exploration element with a science fiction background, we also want to spice things up. By nature of being on an alien world that tends to be hostile to outsiders and living under the ocean, there will be survival elements and psychological horror with some features of body horror as the game goes on. The body horror will be optional. There will also be plenty of room for slice of life hijinks, conflicts between characters with different goals and a metaplot with emphasis on making choices. These choices could result in dark outcomes depending on the characters involved. Consequences will matter.
Day to day life will consist of characters finding their niche and working towards goals suggested by the helpful AI, URSULA. Monthly plots will usually be connected to the goals or special events unlocked by player efforts. Players will be as involved in the plot as they want. A relaxed experience is just as possible as an intense one.
What is the ultimate goal of the game?
URSULA's goal is to create a planet that humans can live on. Your goal, however, is what truly shapes the story and goals. URSULA will become more extreme in her mission and forceful about certain issues that may ultimately damage the planet or even turn it against you. This planet is a living thing that will resist efforts depending on how they are done.
Characters can side with URSULA's methods, encourage even more violent or destructive ones or try to create a more peaceful coexistence. Therefore the endgoal can and will change dependent on player actions. We highly encourage players to test the boundaries and see what happens!
What is the general setting like?
The game takes place on the water planet, Iniidae. The climate is highly tropical with warm, clear waters that generally have a temperature of 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit). Even the deeper waters don't get much colder than 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). Water further north and south however starts to grow cooler; combined with the greatly varying depths of the ocean, this allows for dynamic weather patterns and seasons.
Storms on Iniidae can be fierce. Living underwater makes it somewhat more bearable but storms will rock the base. Several large hurricanes last much of the year and sometimes pass through the area. Underwater mountains sometimes break enough of the surface to deter storms.
As there are no manmade lights to block the sky, the night sky is actually very bright with stars. Two moons give light at night. One moon is roughly the same size and distance as Earth's moon. The other, however, takes up a good portion of the night sky and appears red and dim.
The marine life however is very diverse, from small fish to massive creatures lurking in the deep ocean. Most marine life, including the plants, are also bioluminescent. Many different colours can be seen at night in the water.
Islands are few and far in between, and so most of the action takes place underwater. The Aurora looms large in the distance at all times and the fire never seems to go out entirely. As far as distances go, most biomes span at least several miles, making the ocean a vast place to explore.
MORE SETTING INFO:What will my character be given upon arrival to the base?
One of our wonderful players has set up a shared document HERE containing information handed out monthly for missions or questions but that we don't add to the Base/Biome pages for the sake of saving space. This document is player-maintained and we encourage everyone to help out!
URSULA has what she calls "Fun Survival Packs" for everyone. These include:
- Breathing Apparatus
- Goggles
- Customization Wetsuit with Harnesses and Pouches [Fits any body type]
- Self-inflating Air Mattress [Sea Green or Ocean Blue]
- Small Pillow
- Warm Blanket
- Survivial Knife [Comes with compass built into the handle]
How will other biomes be opened up?
Through exploration and player driven incentives. What this means in practice is that characters who focus on exploring and charting will be allowed to discover things like hidden cave systems and entirely new areas. Sometimes these may not be huge events beyond expanding the map. Other times, however, it will mark an important point in the plot and trigger an event. Please notify the mods when doing strictly exploration based quests so we can determine if your team will find anything fun!
How do characters get around?
However they enable themselves! Characters are provided with a breathing apparatus that filters oxygen from the water and fits securely in their mouth, as well as goggles that cover the upper portion of their face. A wetsuit is provided that can expand or shrink to fit any body type, even non-human ones. These wetsuits come with straps and pouches attached to put items in. A pair of flippers are also given if needed.
Characters can choose to focus on travel techonology like better fins, submarines, gliders and other vehicles.
What kinds of things can my character do?
'Anything' is probably too vague, though honestly we are very open to accommodating characters, meaning what projects they want to work on and what they want to do. The world is an open one and while it certainly has its own personality and already has plenty to offer, you don't have to simply live there. You can terraform, create your own islands, tame creatures, work on genetic modifications for your fellow crew members or other creatures, look into farming, build bases, explore the depths and find new creatures, research into the planet, try to solve the mystery of your memories or find even more mysteries and strange occurrences to puzzle out.
These are just some ideas and will be available and often offered outright by URSULA but the limits are only to your creativity. If you want your character to become a fish abomination through genetic mutation or just really want them to die a lot, please feel free. We support fun around here, whatever that means for you.
What do you mean by memory changes?
Strictly speaking, your character has had their memories altered to fit them into the setting for reasons later to be revealed. This does not have to be a massive memory change nor does it have to make them willing or complacent unless that's what you want. Creativity is highly encouraged here. Of course, you're also free to have their memory be something typical of a jamjar game, like waking up suddenly in this strange place. Simple ideas include stowing away on a spaceship, crashing into the planet, signing up for the terraforming mission, strange technology accidents or whatever you can think of.
Memories do not have to be consistent between canonmates. Characters are more than allowed to find it odd that each other's memories or knowledge doesn't match what they know, or they could have their memories altered to accommodate for these situations. How much or little you wish for this to impact their daily lives is up to you. No matter what, though, the memory will feel just as real and solid as the rest of their memories, even if they think very hard on it.
Some progress has been made regarding the crew's mysterious arrival to the planet and their altered memories. It has been discovered that buried deep within the crew members' subconscious are memories of drowning (for those capable of it) and experiencing electric jolts. Once these new memories are remembered, it will feel like the memory of drowning was there all the time and suddenly recalled, similar to when you suddenly remember something you wanted to say or something you were trying to recall earlier. The fake memories will feel more like a dream now, something that came about organically from their own minds. In order to gain these new memories, each crew member will have to go through the process developed in the med bay in order to have them invoked. It is fairly unpleasant.
How do characters arrive in the setting, memory changes aside?
Most characters will wake up ready to start their day - or possibly less than ready - in one of the sleeping rooms of the base. URSULA will fill them in on possible missions if it's the start of the month or just updates on weather, current food supply or mission completions if not. For characters that ask, she will give a tutorial on how to use their device and will try to answer most questions. Anything under the URSULA Functions or Biomes pages are IC knowledge she can tell characters if asked.
Characters can also arrive in different ways depending on the current event going on or what changes players have made. We let characters know how they're arriving on acceptance.
How does the network function? Is there one?
Technically there is. URSULA gives characters a booster shot that genetically alters them, allowing them access to telepathy. It will come second nature as much as talking or walking does. Telepathy has a several mile radius and can send what is being seen as well as thoughts. Private 'channels' between two or more people can also be opened. This also allows for easy communication while swimming around.
In addition, the devices URSULA gives the crew can be used for audio, visual, and text communication. As she cannot use telepathy, it is her primary method of communicating with her crew.
The communicator has had several upgrades for different modes.
- Meme Mode (spams 1950s videos and memes randomly)
- Report Card Mode (gives a map, profiles of those you exchange names with, an egg-hatching and pet caring game)
- Naoko’s Catsume (a game where you lure cats to your island)
- Creepvine (an app for sharing short videos)
- Instaclam (an app for sharing images)
- D.vision (a streaming program that allows subscriptions to different channels)
What benefit do characters have to pursuing genetic modifications?
Quite a lot! Fighting underwater is hard. But imagine if your character moved with the grace of the same predators they were trying to kill. What if they could breathe underwater without any aid? Being able to see better, having nightvision, enhanced hearing and more could be available to characters who investigate this route. It's also possible to genetically alter the sealife to be more friendly or obey orders or even create something entirely new. The limits of the applications are only with what characters wish to do with them.
Explain more about the pulses.
URSULA only knows that the planet emits strange energy pulses which seem to change in frequency each time. She knows for certain they made the Aurora crash. These pulses could be considering the planet's defense mechanism as well as a way of making its 'voice' be heard. Over the course of the plot, these pulses will play an increasingly important role depending on player actions. They may affect some characters differently than others and there will be plenty of plot opportunities to interact with them.
How does time work in game?
Time runs on a 1:1 ratio. URSULA hasn't made a calendar for Iniidae yet but she does go by a "standardized" Earth calendar. Some dates and holidays may not match up or sound the same given that it's the future. If your character observes a certain holiday, though, URSULA can be told and will alert others of it to celebrate together. She tries hard to be festive.
How do languages work?
URSULA's database contains roughly one million languages, with updates being fed in constantly. Characters will hear people speaking their language, read anything in their language and so on. Lip movements will usually fit, as what's being said will change somewhat to make it look more natural. If the database breaks down, characters have the option of communicating solely through telepathy.
The survival element works for characters with regular diets but mine needs something special. How will that work?
It depends on the dietary needs. If they're a vampire, for example, will fish blood work or can they only consume human blood? In most instances, URSULA will be able to figure out a combination of resources that will equal what your character needs to eat. If it's highly irregular or you're not sure, ask!
What about the horror elements mentioned?
The psychological horror is simple. Imagine living under the ocean of an unknown world, with strange creatures outside and uncharted depths awaiting you. Most of the base is silent except for others talking or the sounds of life outside. In general, it's an isolating feeling and cabin fever is a real problem, while swimming farther out into the ocean might panic some, especially with the monsters that can live out there. There will be other elements generated from within the planet pulses dependent on character actions.
The body horror comes from the genetic modifications. While most of them will be simple affairs that won't change a character too much, those that truly want to adapt may find themselves changing more and more. Some creatures, too, can infest characters with parasites or eggs or even mind control them.
There's also the fact that upon death, characters will be rebuilt from whatever parts are left over. Seeing your friend's torn apart torso being eaten by fish as it tries to regrow can be somewhat horrifying.
Is mature content such as sex allowed?
Yes, as long as it is properly labelled. In fact it's worth noting that one of URSULA's sub-directives involves enticing the crew to stay on the world. You could say you have a shipper on deck. If she notices possible positive tensions between characters she will likely try to put them into situations together to increase the likelihood of them getting together. If you'd like URSULA to notice your hard efforts - or mistake different types of tensions for hilarity - then go ahead and let us know! You might get a fun surprise.
What kind of character can I apply for?
Most characters are welcome! In short order:
- Fandom characters
- Original characters
- Silent Protagonists (such as Minato from Persona 3) as long as a solid personality can be shown and explained
- Choice Dependent Characters (such as The Inquisitor from Dragon Age Inquisition) as long as a solid personality with major choices selected can be shown and explained
- Minor Characters (as long as a solid personality and voice can be shown and explained)
- Canon AUs (These will not take up the canon version's spot)
- Original Fandom Characters (Such as a player character from FFXIV)
Non-human characters will be accommodated! Humanization is not needed, unless you feel the character would be completely unplayable otherwise. Ghosts, for example, will not need oxygen or be effected by depth pressure but may face other challenges from the strange nature of the planet. AI can be given a synthetic human form while retaining some technological capabilities or live in someone's device, though this is not recommended. Robotic characters can be given specialized wetsuits which will allow them to be waterproof and with more modification give buoyancy so that they can swim instead of sink. Anything larger than the average human will have to be shrunk down. If your question hasn't been answered, feel free to ask!
Are there any age limits on characters?
Not at the moment. Just be aware of the dangers and types of situations that could occur and gauge your character appropriately.
What can my character bring with them?
Whatever they're carrying at the canonpoint you choose! Though if they were in a car, for example, they may be able to find the car as a nice, new wreck somewhere in the ocean. Try not to bring anything too large as the base is not very big.
What about bringing pets?
It depends on the situation. If you're a pokemon trainer, for example, only one pokemon will be with them at the time while others will be found in each biome that opens up subsequently. Other pets will be dependent on size due to the size of the base. Be warned that if the base collapses or floods, the character will need a plan for getting the pet to safety as well.
Can I app from an untranslated canon?
If there's no English release, we just need some fan translations or something similar to base the personality and voice off.
Is there a wait time to apply for new canons?
The wait time for new canons is two months after release. If there's no announced English release date, then refer to the previous question.
How many characters can I play at once?
At the moment, the character limit is two. A third is allowed after two months of consistently meeting AC without any hiatuses.
Is there an application cap?
Not at the moment, however the player cap is currently set at 55. This may change in the future.
What is the application cycle?
We are now operating a rolling application system. More is explained on the application page!
How do powers work in this game?
For the most part, powers are not capped. This isn't to say that all powers are allowed however. Anything gamebreaking will be interfered with for the majority of the game. At endgame, depending on player actions, that could change, allowing for free reign over the planet—or perhaps the course of events will set down more restrictions.
For the majority of the game, however, characters will have almost total access to their powers. Characters like Lapis Lazuli from Steven Universe wouldn't be able to drain the entire ocean, but they would be able to manipulate the water in useful and major ways. If you aren't sure if a power is too gamebreaking, you can err on the side of caution or ask.
In addition, we offer another solution if you only want to disable powers or certain abilities during crucial moments. The planet regularly sends out strange energy pulses. These pulses can cause characters to lose control of their powers or lose access to them entirely for a period of time determined by you.
tl;dr Don't break the game and you can keep everything! If you use the powers to powergame or break the game setting without clearing it with other players and the mods, then the powers will be removed and a strike may be issued.
It should also be noted characters with elemental powers or nature-based powers may on occasion receive a special surprise.
How does death work?
URSULA has some simple programs built into her supply of nanomachines. One of them is a resurrection program. It takes whatever is left from the body of the dead character and rebuilds from there. The process can take several days or longer depending on how much was leftover and if there are interruptions to the process. It's best to take the remains of your dead friends far away from possible scavengers if you can. Characters will remember everything up until the moment they fell unconscious (or died if that was the same moment).
It is also possible to awaken during the resurrection process if most of the character's body has been rebuilt. It is highly recommended they continue to rest until they're fully put back together.
If nothing is really left of the character to rebuild from, fear not! The remaining nanomachines will do what can basically be considered a system restore, rebuilding the character from scratch after a few weeks from their last restore point, which could have been anytime from the day of death to two weeks prior to it.
How will canon updates work?
While out in the ocean and alone, characters will hear a song that is inviting and familiar. What happens after they hear the song is a blur but when they come back to, their memories will include the canon update and they will be back in the same spot as they last remember. However, in game, a week would have passed by.
How will hiatuses and drops work?
A hiatus can be done however you want. A regular immunity booster could have a negative effect and send your character into a coma. They could disappear into the depths only to reappear later with no memory of their time gone. Autopilot is also an option.
Drops can work in different ways as well. They can be killed and the nanomachines fail to restore them. They could simply not return from exploring one day. If you have other preferred methods, run them by us! It might be fun to work in somewhere. If you drop a character, you cannot reapp the same character again for the next two months. Another person, however, will be free to pick up that character.
What are the activity requirements?
Activity runs on a monthly basis. What counts for activity is:
- One post with at least ten comments (five if prose) or
- Fifteen comments which can be spread between two threads
Please note that contribution to the game doesn't have to be positive, nor does it have to be large. Did you sabotage all the weapons people built to protect the sealife? That is contributing. Did you take up all the cooking duties for the crew? That is contributing. Did you organize and play out a scavenging party? That is contributing. Did you kill a massive creature? Also contributing. Don't worry about it too much. If you think it counts, it is 99% likely to count.
The monthly AC post is used for mods to gather information for updates to base and biome pages and to let everyone know what's going on! It's a small base, after all. We do our best to keep everyone in the loop!
December will be a free AC month. Test drive threads can also count for your contribution thread for tagging a new character.
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