[Rules] Rules of the Game
rules
❦ general rules
❖ stay in character
This is a roleplay, meaning we want to see the characters. Keep your own bad moods out and let your characters' bad moods in.
If you believe a character to be OOC:
❂ You must approach the player and offer them constructive criticism first.
❂ If after attempts to crit have been shunned or completely disregarded by the player in question, then it is recommended to submit an official complaint in the Confidential Contact post.
❂ Once two (or three) official mod complaints against one individual/character have amassed, we will look into it. OOCness is determined through a vigorous review process. The critiquer's comment alone is not sufficient to determine OOCness. Second and third outside opinions will be sought and the mods will engage in their own canon research. How each issue is handled will be a case-by-case situation. We are also more concerned about anything major, not small, minor problems that have no real bearing on the character him/herself.
❂ If we find that the claims are legitimate and the character is indeed proven to be OOC, then the player will be approached with a warning.
❂ If after a period of time the complaints come up again, we repeat the process. However, instead of a warning, we would approach the player with a two-week mod observation period. During these two weeks, the player must make visible efforts to introduce changes to their playing so it will be more IC. If more time is necessary, we will work something out, but the player must come to us.
Note: We do not expect a complete 180-change and/or perfect character. We just want to see signs of improvement.
❂ If by the end of the observation period no visible effort or improvement has occurred, then the character will be removed from the game.
❖ be nice to other players
Don't flame a player, character, or pairing. If you have a problem with someone, either speak to them about it in a rational and mature manner or take it up with a mod. We want to keep the drama to a minimum.
❖ no god-modding
Your character cannot escape Somarium, manipulate the world, hack the journal network, etc.
Additionally, you cannot include another player's character in something without consulting them first. You can't put words in a character's mouth or say they did something unless their player has said it was okay. This includes stealing things, starting fights, mind-reading, and so forth. When in doubt, ask the player.
Please remember that your character is not invincible. Your character may have incredibly powerful abilities in their canon, but there could be a character from another canon with abilities just as powerful. If you start a fight, talk to the other player about which character would actually win. Also, if your character does happen to be like God, his powers will have to reduced or have some sort of limitations on them to keep things fair for the normal humans of this world. Examples of limitations include having more energy drained, having a limited number of uses, or not even having their powers at all (up to you). The maximum capability for a character should be limited to medium-sized craters in the ground. Knocking down whole buildings is almost always discouraged, and if you plan to unleash destruction on Somarium, please bring it forward to one of the Mods first.
Also, if your character has the power to manipulate other characters, you MUST talk to the player. And the character will not be able to command another character to do something that they would not do OR kill themselves or another player. That is to say, if someone was possessed/controlled to try and kill someone, the character may follow through the plan up until the actual killing action. At that point, the character will regain control of his/her body and will not follow through with the action. The only way such actions can actually follow through is if the whole plan has player consent and it's IC to the characters.
❖ no meta-gaming
OOC knowledge =/= IC knowledge. Characters in-game should not suddenly know what is happening within the game, especially if there are no IC sources for it. The same goes with events. Characters will not automatically know what is happening, though they may be able to eventually figure out or come up with their own theories, whether or not they are right.
❖ be active
We don't expect you to be around every single day, but we do expect you to remain at least somewhat active. Activity checks will be done during the last seven days of every month.
These are the following requirements that you must to pass the Activity Checks (subject to change):
❂ 1 Post + 15 comments. Make a post of any type (Log/Dream/Voice/Video) with the character, and then have threads that total up to 15 comments with at least two different characters made within the specified time period. This can be done in either the main community or in the journals.
❂ 2 Posts + 7 comments. As stated, you can make two different posts of any type and then have a thread that is 7 comments.
❂ 20 comments. A total of 20 comments made with three different characters. This is to help characters/players who thread a lot, but may not make a lot of posts.
There will be an Activity Check post posted in somarium_ooc with all the details, and is open for one week. If you do not meet the requirements before the AC rolls around, you have that one week to meet the quota.
We also have a strike system. If you comment with an incomplete AC, you are given one strike and must meet the following AC. It's basically a "second chance," but it's the only one. Otherwise, the character will have to be dropped.
❖ no OC's allowed
Sorry, we do not allow original characters in this RP. You may apply for any published character in anime/manga, video games, movies, TV shows, or books, but you may not create your own characters.
❖ no character AU's
Not only are fanon!alternate universe characters not allowed, you may only apply for original versions of a character. By "original", we mean the main version of the character you see throughout the series.
An example would be Neku from "Tin Pin World" in The World Ends With You. Tin Pin World is an AU setting of the main game and is akin to a oneshot. Therefore, TPW!Neku would not be applicable into the game. Now, if TPW had it's own official game, then TPW!Neku would be applicable. However, it's more of a oneshot spinoff and therefore does not count.
Characters must also come from somewhere within the main storyline. This means a character cannot be taken from before the canon starts. This includes any younger versions of established characters that are referenced or briefly shown in flashbacks.
Exceptions to this are canons that turn into more like series and have individual prequels and/or sequels that all share the same story, but have an expanded timeline. In this case, characters may come in at any time from any age. For example, Phoenix Wright. There is option of either "normal" Phoenix from the original three games, or Hobo!Feenie from Apollo Justice. Another example would be Star Wars. It is possible to app Obi-Wan from the prequels rather than the original movies. Or Anakin rather than Darth Vader.
Another exception is for any canon that deals with time travel.
Any canons that have characters interact with another version of him/herself -- such as from the future or past -- and those different time versions have a large or recurring appearance within the main canon as a whole can have both the original/main version of the character and any of the different time versions. One example is Sailor Moon. Both her normal self and future selves -- such as Sailor Moon -- could be applied for. Though it wasn't possible for them to exist in their canon world, it is possible in Somarium. We also allow all incarnations of The Doctor from Doctor Who.
The mods are open to discussion about this, so if you have any questions about a character you want to apply for, please contact us and we'll try to work something out.
❖ cross-canon characters are allowed
We DO allow characters who are canonly represented in different series so long as they are distinctive from one another. For example, someone could app as Link from Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, and another person could app as Link from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Another example would be the characters from CLAMP's Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE series. One person could app as Sakura or Syaoran from TRC and another could still app as Sakura or Syaoran from Card Captor Sakura. While they share the same name and some characteristics, they are both from distinctively different canons. Any of the Final Fantasy cameos from Kingdom Hearts and then their main canon are also applicable.
Another example would be canons who have different media made and they are vastly different from each other. For example, a drama series that takes the main premise of the anime/manga, but the plot and even the character development is taken in a different direction. Please keep in mind they must be radically different from the original or main series. An anime or TV adaption that only has minor differences, but otherwise follows the original storyline, would not be considered as eligible for the cross-canon exception.
An example of what is not allowed would be Subaru. If a Subaru from X already exists, then one CANNOT app Subaru from Tokyo Babylon as they are actually canonly connected, just under different titles. HOWEVER one could app Subaru from TRC and then X OR Tokyo Babylon. The same applies with Yuuko from xXxHOLIC and TRC. They are the same character and thus could not be applied as separate.
❖ keep mature content out of the main comm.
We have no problems if your characters want to have sex: straight, gay, threesome, orgy, whatever. However, please keep all mature content in a character journal as opposed to the main Somarium community. If a thread in the main community starts out rated G and starts to head towards R, please make a new post in your journal, put a link to it in the current thread, and continue in your journal post.
Characters should not be involved in sexual activity if either the character or the player is under the age of 15. No child porn, please.
No pregnancies. Assume that Somarium magically gives all characters 100% pregnancy protection.
Journal posts containing mature content should be friends-locked, but please do not flag them.
LJ-cuts and warnings. Please put any potential graphic or trigger inducing content under an LJ-cut with a warning. Other than what has already been explicitly stated, we do not have any rule against such content existing, particularly within dream posts. However, for the courtesy of other players who may feel uncomfortable about mature-rating content, we ask that such content be placed under a cut with a warning. Examples are anything involving rape, pregnancy, detailed murder, graphic illustrations of diseases, explicit sexual content, etc. If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact one of the mods.
❖ no playercest
While you may have more than one character, your characters may not interact with each other. This would essentially be talking to yourself and missing the point of the RP. If for some reason you think playercest is necessary, please contact a mod and we'll try to work something out.
Minimal interaction is acceptable. It is perfectly fine if two characters you play have some knowledge of each other, allude to brief offscreen interaction between the two, or participate in a thread together provided there is at least one other character in the thread controlled by a different player. What we don't want is for people to be making huge threads or formulating plots all by themselves. The point of the RP is to interact with the other players, and "playing with yourself" is missing that point.
❖ limited fourth-wall breakage
We realize that there are canons with characters who would see and recognize some of the current cast as fictional characters, such as Konata from Lucky Star. While they are allowed to make note of them and even tell the character him/herself, it is required that such actions must be player approved before anything drastically revealing is told to that character.
❖ keep OOC notes to a minimum.
If you have to discuss something with another player, we'd prefer you contact them via instant messenger, e-mail, or private message. If you must include an OOC note in a post/comment, make sure it is obvious that it is OOC and try to keep it as unobtrusive as possible.
❖ limit journal confusion
You may use a character journal that you are currently also using at another RP, provided that that RP does not require you to post in said journal. You will have to post in your character journal for Somarium, and it would get very confusing very quickly if posts related to another RP appeared on Somarium friends lists. In general, we prefer if you use only one journal rather than other accounts. Only exception we'll allow is if a character is under some kind of alternate influence via card. Otherwise, please refrain from using multiple accounts just for icons. This could cause confusion for other players.
❖ partner/animal pets characters allowed
As of June 1, 2010. If your character canonly has a pet or some kind of sidekick/partner, it is possible to bring them along into the game. However, they must meet the following stipulations:
Examples of characters that would fit into this rule are Repede, Pikachu, Boota, etc. Weapon partners can also be included, such as "living" puppets. Summons are still not allowed. If you are unsure if your character would be able to bring a potential pet/partner, feel free to contact one of us mods and we'll be happy to help!
Characters are still free to adopt one of the many creatures that inhabit Somarium as one of their own pets.
❖ animal/robot characters are allowed
If they are major characters in and of themselves, animals and robot characters are allowed. Examples are any of the major Disney animal characters like Simba from The Lion King or any major game characters like Spyro the Dragon. Any of the Transformers could also be applied for since they are their own entity.
❖ language consistencies
Through the super awesome magic of Somarium, everyone understands each other. For the most part, a character will hear everyone else speaking in their native language. However, since Dreamberry and Somarium-world translators are imperfect, there are exceptions:
❂ If the character is deliberately talking in their own language so that the other person does not understand what they are saying, it does not translate. All other characters would hear the foreign language and wonder what the hell is going on.
❂ All honorifics and suffixes do not translate unless the player opts to not use them. Example, "-san", "-chan", "Señor", "Monsieur", "Frau", etc. These can stay as they are. So "Suoh-san" would not automatically translate into "Mr. Suoh", unless the player opts to have it translated.
❂ "Non-Native" speakers would hear an accent in speech (i.e., when a Japanese character speaks to a French character, the French character would hear a light Japanese accent in the other's voice).
In the first case, if you type out the actual language either from your own knowledge of the language or through the use of a translator like Google Translator, you MUST include an OOC translation so the other player will know what's going on. Please keep in mind that the other character will not be able to understand, unless they are also knowledgeable and somewhat versed in the language. If the other character would be able to understand, then they will be able to understand and hear it as the native language, not the translated version.
In the second case, if a player opts to not use native honorifics or words and instead translates, then it can be assumed that character just had a better translating device on their Dreamberry.
❖ in case of problems...
We want our players to be able to have fun in an environment where issues can be resolved in a mature manner, i.e. to the player's face. If you have an issue with someone that you don't think they'll respond to you, please ask the mods for assistance instead of resorting to anonymous wank. You can either contact us through IM, e-mail, or through the Mod Confidential Contact.
We realize some wank will happen. We just want to try and prevent it because it's really not worth it.
❦ application rules
✦ You must be at least 13 years old to apply to this RP.
✦ We would prefer that characters under the age of 10 not be applied for. This is for both plot-related and moral reasons, and has more to do with the character's maturity than actual age. If there's a character under the age of 10 that you'd like to apply for, and you feel they would be mature enough to deal with possible violence, sexual content, large scary monsters, or other possible trauma, please explain somewhere in your application what exactly makes this character so mature. We will assess this on a case-by-case basis. (This especially applies to characters from Japanese fandoms who act much older than their age anyway.)
Acceptable child characters would include people like Sunny from Metal Gear Solid and most of the cast of Card Captor Sakura. Unacceptable child characters would include people like Yael from Gundam 00 or Elysia from Fullmetal Alchemist. An explanation of why this character is more mature than their age would indicate is necessary even if we have listed them as "acceptable."
✦You may have a maximum of six (6) characters. HOWEVER. You must have mod approval for the sixth character. If we see that you have been capable of handling all of your other five characters, then you are most likely eligible. But talk to the mods first.
✦ If you are a new player coming into the game, you may only apply for one character for your first cycle.
If you are a current player and already have at least one character in the game from the previous round, you may apply a maximum of two characters at once per cycle.
✦ You may only have two characters from the same canon at any time. To prevent playercest, you should apply for characters that would not be required to interact with each other.
HOWEVER there are some exceptions to this rule. For series in which characters may have minor cameos from a different series in an overall canon, such as the Nippon Ichi universe, or those with extreme prequels/sequels like Metal Gear Solid (3 and PO) and .hack, it is possible to apply for a technical third character of the canon so long as there is mod approval and you have discussed it with us. If there are other possibilities, you must talk it over with us before we can determine if that character would fit under this rule. Note: All Final Fantasy and Tales of games are considered separate canons. Therefore, while it is possible for someone to play just from the FF or just from Tales of series, it's not really recommended and a possible cap could be made if it gets out of hand.
✦ About application challenges: It is possible to apply for a character that has already been reserved, however, reservations have first priority. We will only look at the application either after the application is sent in or applications close. This is also true for any pending applications without a reserve. If there are two (or more) applications for an unreserved character, they will be processed at the same time.
✦ You must wait until your application has been accepted before your character can join the game.
✦ If your application is accepted, you have one week to do all of the required steps given in your acceptance notice. If you do not complete those steps within a week, your character will not be considered part of the RP and you will have to reapply. NOTE: If you are on hiatus when your application is accepted, you are exempt from this rule. You will be expected to complete the acceptance steps upon your return, however.
✦ If your application is asked for a revision, you have one week to make the requested revisions to your application. If you do not submit the revisions by then, your application will be considered dropped. You will not receive a Declined notice if this happens.
✦ Two revision requests = deny. If your application is asked for a revision and you submit the requested revisions, your application will be declined if we don't feel that your revisions adequately fix all of the original issues.
✦ If your application is declined, you have to wait until the next cycle before you may reapply for that character. You are still welcome to apply for other characters in the same cycle.
❦ general rules
❖ stay in character
This is a roleplay, meaning we want to see the characters. Keep your own bad moods out and let your characters' bad moods in.
If you believe a character to be OOC:
❂ You must approach the player and offer them constructive criticism first.
❂ If after attempts to crit have been shunned or completely disregarded by the player in question, then it is recommended to submit an official complaint in the Confidential Contact post.
❂ Once two (or three) official mod complaints against one individual/character have amassed, we will look into it. OOCness is determined through a vigorous review process. The critiquer's comment alone is not sufficient to determine OOCness. Second and third outside opinions will be sought and the mods will engage in their own canon research. How each issue is handled will be a case-by-case situation. We are also more concerned about anything major, not small, minor problems that have no real bearing on the character him/herself.
❂ If we find that the claims are legitimate and the character is indeed proven to be OOC, then the player will be approached with a warning.
❂ If after a period of time the complaints come up again, we repeat the process. However, instead of a warning, we would approach the player with a two-week mod observation period. During these two weeks, the player must make visible efforts to introduce changes to their playing so it will be more IC. If more time is necessary, we will work something out, but the player must come to us.
Note: We do not expect a complete 180-change and/or perfect character. We just want to see signs of improvement.
❂ If by the end of the observation period no visible effort or improvement has occurred, then the character will be removed from the game.
❖ be nice to other players
Don't flame a player, character, or pairing. If you have a problem with someone, either speak to them about it in a rational and mature manner or take it up with a mod. We want to keep the drama to a minimum.
❖ no god-modding
Your character cannot escape Somarium, manipulate the world, hack the journal network, etc.
Additionally, you cannot include another player's character in something without consulting them first. You can't put words in a character's mouth or say they did something unless their player has said it was okay. This includes stealing things, starting fights, mind-reading, and so forth. When in doubt, ask the player.
Please remember that your character is not invincible. Your character may have incredibly powerful abilities in their canon, but there could be a character from another canon with abilities just as powerful. If you start a fight, talk to the other player about which character would actually win. Also, if your character does happen to be like God, his powers will have to reduced or have some sort of limitations on them to keep things fair for the normal humans of this world. Examples of limitations include having more energy drained, having a limited number of uses, or not even having their powers at all (up to you). The maximum capability for a character should be limited to medium-sized craters in the ground. Knocking down whole buildings is almost always discouraged, and if you plan to unleash destruction on Somarium, please bring it forward to one of the Mods first.
Also, if your character has the power to manipulate other characters, you MUST talk to the player. And the character will not be able to command another character to do something that they would not do OR kill themselves or another player. That is to say, if someone was possessed/controlled to try and kill someone, the character may follow through the plan up until the actual killing action. At that point, the character will regain control of his/her body and will not follow through with the action. The only way such actions can actually follow through is if the whole plan has player consent and it's IC to the characters.
❖ no meta-gaming
OOC knowledge =/= IC knowledge. Characters in-game should not suddenly know what is happening within the game, especially if there are no IC sources for it. The same goes with events. Characters will not automatically know what is happening, though they may be able to eventually figure out or come up with their own theories, whether or not they are right.
❖ be active
We don't expect you to be around every single day, but we do expect you to remain at least somewhat active. Activity checks will be done during the last seven days of every month.
These are the following requirements that you must to pass the Activity Checks (subject to change):
❂ 1 Post + 15 comments. Make a post of any type (Log/Dream/Voice/Video) with the character, and then have threads that total up to 15 comments with at least two different characters made within the specified time period. This can be done in either the main community or in the journals.
❂ 2 Posts + 7 comments. As stated, you can make two different posts of any type and then have a thread that is 7 comments.
❂ 20 comments. A total of 20 comments made with three different characters. This is to help characters/players who thread a lot, but may not make a lot of posts.
There will be an Activity Check post posted in somarium_ooc with all the details, and is open for one week. If you do not meet the requirements before the AC rolls around, you have that one week to meet the quota.
We also have a strike system. If you comment with an incomplete AC, you are given one strike and must meet the following AC. It's basically a "second chance," but it's the only one. Otherwise, the character will have to be dropped.
❖ no OC's allowed
Sorry, we do not allow original characters in this RP. You may apply for any published character in anime/manga, video games, movies, TV shows, or books, but you may not create your own characters.
❖ no character AU's
Not only are fanon!alternate universe characters not allowed, you may only apply for original versions of a character. By "original", we mean the main version of the character you see throughout the series.
An example would be Neku from "Tin Pin World" in The World Ends With You. Tin Pin World is an AU setting of the main game and is akin to a oneshot. Therefore, TPW!Neku would not be applicable into the game. Now, if TPW had it's own official game, then TPW!Neku would be applicable. However, it's more of a oneshot spinoff and therefore does not count.
Characters must also come from somewhere within the main storyline. This means a character cannot be taken from before the canon starts. This includes any younger versions of established characters that are referenced or briefly shown in flashbacks.
Exceptions to this are canons that turn into more like series and have individual prequels and/or sequels that all share the same story, but have an expanded timeline. In this case, characters may come in at any time from any age. For example, Phoenix Wright. There is option of either "normal" Phoenix from the original three games, or Hobo!Feenie from Apollo Justice. Another example would be Star Wars. It is possible to app Obi-Wan from the prequels rather than the original movies. Or Anakin rather than Darth Vader.
Another exception is for any canon that deals with time travel.
Any canons that have characters interact with another version of him/herself -- such as from the future or past -- and those different time versions have a large or recurring appearance within the main canon as a whole can have both the original/main version of the character and any of the different time versions. One example is Sailor Moon. Both her normal self and future selves -- such as Sailor Moon -- could be applied for. Though it wasn't possible for them to exist in their canon world, it is possible in Somarium. We also allow all incarnations of The Doctor from Doctor Who.
The mods are open to discussion about this, so if you have any questions about a character you want to apply for, please contact us and we'll try to work something out.
❖ cross-canon characters are allowed
We DO allow characters who are canonly represented in different series so long as they are distinctive from one another. For example, someone could app as Link from Legend of Zelda: Windwaker, and another person could app as Link from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Another example would be the characters from CLAMP's Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE series. One person could app as Sakura or Syaoran from TRC and another could still app as Sakura or Syaoran from Card Captor Sakura. While they share the same name and some characteristics, they are both from distinctively different canons. Any of the Final Fantasy cameos from Kingdom Hearts and then their main canon are also applicable.
Another example would be canons who have different media made and they are vastly different from each other. For example, a drama series that takes the main premise of the anime/manga, but the plot and even the character development is taken in a different direction. Please keep in mind they must be radically different from the original or main series. An anime or TV adaption that only has minor differences, but otherwise follows the original storyline, would not be considered as eligible for the cross-canon exception.
An example of what is not allowed would be Subaru. If a Subaru from X already exists, then one CANNOT app Subaru from Tokyo Babylon as they are actually canonly connected, just under different titles. HOWEVER one could app Subaru from TRC and then X OR Tokyo Babylon. The same applies with Yuuko from xXxHOLIC and TRC. They are the same character and thus could not be applied as separate.
❖ keep mature content out of the main comm.
We have no problems if your characters want to have sex: straight, gay, threesome, orgy, whatever. However, please keep all mature content in a character journal as opposed to the main Somarium community. If a thread in the main community starts out rated G and starts to head towards R, please make a new post in your journal, put a link to it in the current thread, and continue in your journal post.
Characters should not be involved in sexual activity if either the character or the player is under the age of 15. No child porn, please.
No pregnancies. Assume that Somarium magically gives all characters 100% pregnancy protection.
Journal posts containing mature content should be friends-locked, but please do not flag them.
LJ-cuts and warnings. Please put any potential graphic or trigger inducing content under an LJ-cut with a warning. Other than what has already been explicitly stated, we do not have any rule against such content existing, particularly within dream posts. However, for the courtesy of other players who may feel uncomfortable about mature-rating content, we ask that such content be placed under a cut with a warning. Examples are anything involving rape, pregnancy, detailed murder, graphic illustrations of diseases, explicit sexual content, etc. If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact one of the mods.
❖ no playercest
While you may have more than one character, your characters may not interact with each other. This would essentially be talking to yourself and missing the point of the RP. If for some reason you think playercest is necessary, please contact a mod and we'll try to work something out.
Minimal interaction is acceptable. It is perfectly fine if two characters you play have some knowledge of each other, allude to brief offscreen interaction between the two, or participate in a thread together provided there is at least one other character in the thread controlled by a different player. What we don't want is for people to be making huge threads or formulating plots all by themselves. The point of the RP is to interact with the other players, and "playing with yourself" is missing that point.
❖ limited fourth-wall breakage
We realize that there are canons with characters who would see and recognize some of the current cast as fictional characters, such as Konata from Lucky Star. While they are allowed to make note of them and even tell the character him/herself, it is required that such actions must be player approved before anything drastically revealing is told to that character.
❖ keep OOC notes to a minimum.
If you have to discuss something with another player, we'd prefer you contact them via instant messenger, e-mail, or private message. If you must include an OOC note in a post/comment, make sure it is obvious that it is OOC and try to keep it as unobtrusive as possible.
❖ limit journal confusion
You may use a character journal that you are currently also using at another RP, provided that that RP does not require you to post in said journal. You will have to post in your character journal for Somarium, and it would get very confusing very quickly if posts related to another RP appeared on Somarium friends lists. In general, we prefer if you use only one journal rather than other accounts. Only exception we'll allow is if a character is under some kind of alternate influence via card. Otherwise, please refrain from using multiple accounts just for icons. This could cause confusion for other players.
❖ partner/animal pets characters allowed
As of June 1, 2010. If your character canonly has a pet or some kind of sidekick/partner, it is possible to bring them along into the game. However, they must meet the following stipulations:
- Mechs not allowed. Sorry, mechs are still not allowed in the game!
- Cannot be playable by another person. There might be case-by-case scenarios, but in short, the pets or partners would be the kind where it would be near impossible for someone else to play them.
- Must include reasons why they are included and how they will be played in the application. This doesn't have to be lengthy, and no additional information about the pet/partner would be needed. We would just need to know who and what they are, why they are included, and how the pet is related to the character and would be played.
- NPC-like. Essentially, any pets/partners brought into Somarium would behave more or less like NPCs, so all actions would be included with the original character's tags. No separate journals allowed.
- Abilities powered down. Just like normal characters, pets will also have their powers limited to fit the game setting.
Examples of characters that would fit into this rule are Repede, Pikachu, Boota, etc. Weapon partners can also be included, such as "living" puppets. Summons are still not allowed. If you are unsure if your character would be able to bring a potential pet/partner, feel free to contact one of us mods and we'll be happy to help!
Characters are still free to adopt one of the many creatures that inhabit Somarium as one of their own pets.
❖ animal/robot characters are allowed
If they are major characters in and of themselves, animals and robot characters are allowed. Examples are any of the major Disney animal characters like Simba from The Lion King or any major game characters like Spyro the Dragon. Any of the Transformers could also be applied for since they are their own entity.
❖ language consistencies
Through the super awesome magic of Somarium, everyone understands each other. For the most part, a character will hear everyone else speaking in their native language. However, since Dreamberry and Somarium-world translators are imperfect, there are exceptions:
❂ If the character is deliberately talking in their own language so that the other person does not understand what they are saying, it does not translate. All other characters would hear the foreign language and wonder what the hell is going on.
❂ All honorifics and suffixes do not translate unless the player opts to not use them. Example, "-san", "-chan", "Señor", "Monsieur", "Frau", etc. These can stay as they are. So "Suoh-san" would not automatically translate into "Mr. Suoh", unless the player opts to have it translated.
❂ "Non-Native" speakers would hear an accent in speech (i.e., when a Japanese character speaks to a French character, the French character would hear a light Japanese accent in the other's voice).
In the first case, if you type out the actual language either from your own knowledge of the language or through the use of a translator like Google Translator, you MUST include an OOC translation so the other player will know what's going on. Please keep in mind that the other character will not be able to understand, unless they are also knowledgeable and somewhat versed in the language. If the other character would be able to understand, then they will be able to understand and hear it as the native language, not the translated version.
In the second case, if a player opts to not use native honorifics or words and instead translates, then it can be assumed that character just had a better translating device on their Dreamberry.
❖ in case of problems...
We want our players to be able to have fun in an environment where issues can be resolved in a mature manner, i.e. to the player's face. If you have an issue with someone that you don't think they'll respond to you, please ask the mods for assistance instead of resorting to anonymous wank. You can either contact us through IM, e-mail, or through the Mod Confidential Contact.
We realize some wank will happen. We just want to try and prevent it because it's really not worth it.
❦ application rules
✦ You must be at least 13 years old to apply to this RP.
✦ We would prefer that characters under the age of 10 not be applied for. This is for both plot-related and moral reasons, and has more to do with the character's maturity than actual age. If there's a character under the age of 10 that you'd like to apply for, and you feel they would be mature enough to deal with possible violence, sexual content, large scary monsters, or other possible trauma, please explain somewhere in your application what exactly makes this character so mature. We will assess this on a case-by-case basis. (This especially applies to characters from Japanese fandoms who act much older than their age anyway.)
Acceptable child characters would include people like Sunny from Metal Gear Solid and most of the cast of Card Captor Sakura. Unacceptable child characters would include people like Yael from Gundam 00 or Elysia from Fullmetal Alchemist. An explanation of why this character is more mature than their age would indicate is necessary even if we have listed them as "acceptable."
✦You may have a maximum of six (6) characters. HOWEVER. You must have mod approval for the sixth character. If we see that you have been capable of handling all of your other five characters, then you are most likely eligible. But talk to the mods first.
✦ If you are a new player coming into the game, you may only apply for one character for your first cycle.
If you are a current player and already have at least one character in the game from the previous round, you may apply a maximum of two characters at once per cycle.
✦ You may only have two characters from the same canon at any time. To prevent playercest, you should apply for characters that would not be required to interact with each other.
HOWEVER there are some exceptions to this rule. For series in which characters may have minor cameos from a different series in an overall canon, such as the Nippon Ichi universe, or those with extreme prequels/sequels like Metal Gear Solid (3 and PO) and .hack, it is possible to apply for a technical third character of the canon so long as there is mod approval and you have discussed it with us. If there are other possibilities, you must talk it over with us before we can determine if that character would fit under this rule. Note: All Final Fantasy and Tales of games are considered separate canons. Therefore, while it is possible for someone to play just from the FF or just from Tales of series, it's not really recommended and a possible cap could be made if it gets out of hand.
✦ About application challenges: It is possible to apply for a character that has already been reserved, however, reservations have first priority. We will only look at the application either after the application is sent in or applications close. This is also true for any pending applications without a reserve. If there are two (or more) applications for an unreserved character, they will be processed at the same time.
✦ You must wait until your application has been accepted before your character can join the game.
✦ If your application is accepted, you have one week to do all of the required steps given in your acceptance notice. If you do not complete those steps within a week, your character will not be considered part of the RP and you will have to reapply. NOTE: If you are on hiatus when your application is accepted, you are exempt from this rule. You will be expected to complete the acceptance steps upon your return, however.
✦ If your application is asked for a revision, you have one week to make the requested revisions to your application. If you do not submit the revisions by then, your application will be considered dropped. You will not receive a Declined notice if this happens.
✦ Two revision requests = deny. If your application is asked for a revision and you submit the requested revisions, your application will be declined if we don't feel that your revisions adequately fix all of the original issues.
✦ If your application is declined, you have to wait until the next cycle before you may reapply for that character. You are still welcome to apply for other characters in the same cycle.