The FAQ
FAQ: Still in Progress
HOW TO RP:
What is the format?
All RP is in first-person format (aka YOU are the character).
Logs are in 3rd person (ie: If you play Greed, you go "Greed growled a little bit before his frown was replaced with a devilish grin", etc. Not "I growled before I grinned")
Can I use actions in my entries?
There are little or no actions in your posts.
(ie: "WHOA! WHAT WAS THAT! AHHH! A DINGO! I GOTTA RUN!" and NOT " *hears something* What's that? *sees a dingo* AHHH!! *runs like hell* )
Not saying you can NEVER use actions, but when an entry is "*looks over shoulder and throws coconut* Heh *watches coconut explode* hee, that was fun. *gets mauled by monkeys* AHHHH GET AWAYYY X____X" or a simple *sigh, looks out to sea*, it's not following the point of an LJ RP. The actions then become more important than what you have to say. The priority should be the exact opposite. Something like that example belongs more in a chat room RP. So basically, do not overuse actions. ONLY use actions when you cannot convey the tone of your reply without an action (ie: "WHAT??!?!?" *slaps*).
Where do I post?
You make your posts to the main community; not your character journal (OOC stuff goes in the OOC community). Please see the info page because you should know that by now. :D;
What about logs?
i_s_l_a_n_dlogs. The instructions on how to insert logs is on its profile.
WHY IS THERE A CHARACTER LIMIT?
This is to insure that people have a better shot at getting a character that they really want and makes people narrow down their choices. Also it keeps our numbers smaller and managable. Seriously, you really can't focus on every character you have if you could get every single character you wanted anyways.
WHY HASN'T MY APPLICATION BEEN LOOKED AT YET??? WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO??????? IS MY APPLICATION REJECTED BECAUSE YOU SKIPPED ME???? T______________T
We don't go in order for several reasons:
1. We are not familiar with the character you applied as. We tend to look at applications in which we know the personality very well and then judge from there. Unfamiliar characters require guesswork as well as analyzing your skill.
2. We felt like skipping around to make looking at a million application more fun.
Your application is not approved or rejected until we write a reply back saying either one.
ALSO REMEMBER THAT BOTH MODS ARE IN COLLEGE AND OUR FREE TIME IS ALWAYS IN FLUX SO WE CAN'T ALWAYS APPROVE 5 MINUTES AFTER YOU APPLY.
I was rejected! Why?
You were rejected usually for one or a combination of the following reasons (in order of importance:
1. You were totally out of character
2. You did not provide enough information about your character so we can't gauge how well you'd play the character and we're not confident that you can play the person IC instead of as a generic-acting character that happens to have a certain character's name. (very true if you already have a character and you play your new character EXACTLY like the other one. Taking new characters is so you have variety and not just names). Usually it's because you focused on the background too much and not really on the sample post.
The sample post is the most important part after character personality so we can know how you will interact.
3. Your character would jeapordize other characters the way you have him set up (ie: WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING) or even the existance of the island itself. Set limits. Your characters cannot overpower other characters.
4. You did not put enough thought into your application (includes spelling and grammar). Please remember to put thought into your applications so we know that you really want to play the character as the unique character that he or she is instead of just nabbing him/her for the sake of playing him/her like a general cookie-cutter person (ie: If your character is a short fuse, what makes him/her different from the other short-tempered characters?, etc). That's the whole reason for having different characters. Applications should be very unique because honestly, after a while, the applications start meshing in together if there doesn't seem to be much thought put into it (and I know the other mods feel the same way). So yes, please spend a little more time than five minutes putting in an application (you know we're slow anyways and that we don't do quick glances. :); ).
We will tell you specifically for what reasons.
What should I do if my application was rejected?
If you really want that character, do more research on him/her/it and reapply, fixing whatever we told you was the reason for your rejection.
I have no plot!
Just post! You don't need to plan things out already. If you really are stuck, ask around on the OOC community for help or offers.
I have a suggestion for a theme week that involves everyone! Can I do it if everyone loves it?
No. Every suggestion needs to get approved by a mod before going into action (SO IM US BEFORE YOU POST IT UP). We do not want to get overloaded with theme weeks as fun as they are because that is very limiting and sometimes can prove TOO cracky and for those who want plots to develop, it hampers their progress if everyone. Also, such weeks should be optional so those who really don't want to participate do not have to.
So don't get your hopes up about theme weeks. They are not going to be very frequent and we are picky about them.
What is godmodding?
Godmodding is playing someone else's character for them without their knowledge and/or permission. This includes fights; you can't automatically say that your character made a super awesome move and broke the other person's arm. Godmodding usually pisses the actual player off.
Put simply, godmodding is doing something major without consulting the other player so that their character can react approprietly and especially without previous actions building up to it. Don't do it.
How often are we required to post?
Roughly once a week. It could be a simple "a coconut fell on my head", but we just want to know if you're alive. If you have to go on hiatus, let the mods know about how long. If it is very long, we might contact you about it. We understand real life trumps roleplaying every time, but it's not fun if others are depending on your character and you are away for too long.
What happens if I drop a character?
YOU DIE. Naw. They just kind of wander off to another part of the island chain or something.
Dropping a character means that the character is free for anyone to pick up again.
What are the conditions if I want to pick up a dropped character?
Technically, there are little conditions. Usually people don't mind if you start the character from scratch unless that character's been deeply involved with other characters and the universe would blow up if there were any chances. So it's best to see how to fit back in if that's the case. :)
How do I know if my character is too perfect?
If your character is living comfortably with no challanges whatsoever (come on, building a tree house is HARD.) or is solving problems too easily (ie: suddenly finding a boat full of food/puppies/gold when he/she is hungry/lonely/poor) too often, chances are that your character is too perfect. Also refers to OOCness.
What is classified as OOC (Out Of Character)?
When your character is perfect or too different in personality from canon. We know that a lot of roleplaying is up to interpretation (very gray area so we aren't THAT nitpicky) but if Sepheroth is now kissing puppies and singing them to sleep, we have a problem. Sexualty is a gray area (interpretation) so we're letting that slide a little since the subject can be ambiguous.
Characters can and will develop and thus, change, but they won't change overnight . Character developement is A-OK. Suddenly deciding that Anthy is really a psycho killer who injects Sepheroth's puppies with AIDS is not.
We're allowed canon powers? Are there limits?
Yes, and yes. You can have your character and his/her powers too. However, we cannot have you killing each other off for good nor can we have 23948324 villians trying to take over everything. It's like personal rights. Your rights end in the space before your fist meets my face. Also, they cannot be used to make your character extremely higher than everyone else; it will upset the balance between characters with no powers and those with. That is why characters and their moves have their weaknesses. Even if you have Edward Elric, you can't keep transmuting things if there's nothing to transmute. If you're Uryu Ishida, you are bound to get tired shooting quincy arrows, etc. As Superman teaches, "with great power comes great responsiblity". So. Yeah. Naraku, this is not the time to be taking over the island.
Not sure if you are overstepping bounds with canon powers? Ask us. :)
Also for characters learning canon powers outside their series is not going to happen for a VERY long time so mastery is out of the question simply because series's powers and abilities conflict. Unless you're Ichigo and naturally have some sort of magic powers already, humans learning superhuman powers is not going to happen.
Can we die?
Um...well, if you really wanted to? There's the Great Will of the Macrocausm (think Excel Saga; she can reset time and thus bring people back alive). But don't keep bothering her. It gets annoying. :D;
Can we blow things up?
To a certain extent. Just don't...blow up the mountain or anything. Gebus, people. You're trying to survive off the land, not destroy it. o_O;
I'm still confused. Who do I contact?
Contact the mods via AIM.
Sephy (sephtastic_sama): buchou no seme
Val (sv_chan): silver8514
Ren (ren_wren: rukia sama
PLEASE DON'T ASK US ABOUT OBVIOUS THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY COVERED IN BOTH THE INFO AND FAQ. YOU are responsible for reading and understanding the terms and format of the RP. WE ARE NOT GOING TO SIMPLIFY IT EVEN FURTHER.
SPECIFICS (if you have further questions, ask Val. She's still semi-designing the place. The general features of it. XD; ):
Where is this island?
Who knows. Who cares. It really doesn't matter. But it's a group of six main islands with a bunch of tiny ones that aren't on the map.
Main Island? What?
This is the island that everyone lands on at first. It's five miles wide in diameter so there's plenty of space. Since we're uncreative. It's just called that. :D;
What's on these islands?
We're still debating but there will be definate characteristics to be listed soon as the characters start wandering around and discover stuff. For now, we're sure there's a (fresh water!)river that ends in a waterfall on the east side of the Main Island that pours into a small bay with lots of fish and a bunch of palm trees nearby. Oh, and there's a large mountain(how else is there a waterfall?).
The islands are anywhere from one mile to twelve miles apart. So yes, it will take effort to go to the other islands.
Quickly drawn map of how the islands are situated.
What are we doing here?
You are trying to survive (think of Lost). But you can make friendships and rivalries left and right. Discover new things, cut down palmtrees, almost die from poison. Use your imagination. You just can't suddenly decide to take over the islands or find some magical way to get back home. You are stuck here with no escape. Make the best of it! :D
Are there treehouses/bathrooms/spas/restaurants/7-11s here?
NOPE! No civilization whatsoever. You have to start from scratch, people. Yeah, we're evil.
Dangerous animals?
There's a small pack of wild dingos in the south of the Main Island. No one knows if there's anything living in the mountain. They might raid your food if you don't keep it safe. Oh, and there's Hollows here. Where's a shinigami where you need one?
What types of plants are here?
Lots of palm trees for sure. There's a great variety of plants to be identified! Use your imagination!
HOW TO RP:
What is the format?
All RP is in first-person format (aka YOU are the character).
Logs are in 3rd person (ie: If you play Greed, you go "Greed growled a little bit before his frown was replaced with a devilish grin", etc. Not "I growled before I grinned")
Can I use actions in my entries?
There are little or no actions in your posts.
(ie: "WHOA! WHAT WAS THAT! AHHH! A DINGO! I GOTTA RUN!" and NOT " *hears something* What's that? *sees a dingo* AHHH!! *runs like hell* )
Not saying you can NEVER use actions, but when an entry is "*looks over shoulder and throws coconut* Heh *watches coconut explode* hee, that was fun. *gets mauled by monkeys* AHHHH GET AWAYYY X____X" or a simple *sigh, looks out to sea*, it's not following the point of an LJ RP. The actions then become more important than what you have to say. The priority should be the exact opposite. Something like that example belongs more in a chat room RP. So basically, do not overuse actions. ONLY use actions when you cannot convey the tone of your reply without an action (ie: "WHAT??!?!?" *slaps*).
Where do I post?
You make your posts to the main community; not your character journal (OOC stuff goes in the OOC community). Please see the info page because you should know that by now. :D;
What about logs?
i_s_l_a_n_dlogs. The instructions on how to insert logs is on its profile.
WHY IS THERE A CHARACTER LIMIT?
This is to insure that people have a better shot at getting a character that they really want and makes people narrow down their choices. Also it keeps our numbers smaller and managable. Seriously, you really can't focus on every character you have if you could get every single character you wanted anyways.
WHY HASN'T MY APPLICATION BEEN LOOKED AT YET??? WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO??????? IS MY APPLICATION REJECTED BECAUSE YOU SKIPPED ME???? T______________T
We don't go in order for several reasons:
1. We are not familiar with the character you applied as. We tend to look at applications in which we know the personality very well and then judge from there. Unfamiliar characters require guesswork as well as analyzing your skill.
2. We felt like skipping around to make looking at a million application more fun.
Your application is not approved or rejected until we write a reply back saying either one.
ALSO REMEMBER THAT BOTH MODS ARE IN COLLEGE AND OUR FREE TIME IS ALWAYS IN FLUX SO WE CAN'T ALWAYS APPROVE 5 MINUTES AFTER YOU APPLY.
I was rejected! Why?
You were rejected usually for one or a combination of the following reasons (in order of importance:
1. You were totally out of character
2. You did not provide enough information about your character so we can't gauge how well you'd play the character and we're not confident that you can play the person IC instead of as a generic-acting character that happens to have a certain character's name. (very true if you already have a character and you play your new character EXACTLY like the other one. Taking new characters is so you have variety and not just names). Usually it's because you focused on the background too much and not really on the sample post.
The sample post is the most important part after character personality so we can know how you will interact.
3. Your character would jeapordize other characters the way you have him set up (ie: WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING) or even the existance of the island itself. Set limits. Your characters cannot overpower other characters.
4. You did not put enough thought into your application (includes spelling and grammar). Please remember to put thought into your applications so we know that you really want to play the character as the unique character that he or she is instead of just nabbing him/her for the sake of playing him/her like a general cookie-cutter person (ie: If your character is a short fuse, what makes him/her different from the other short-tempered characters?, etc). That's the whole reason for having different characters. Applications should be very unique because honestly, after a while, the applications start meshing in together if there doesn't seem to be much thought put into it (and I know the other mods feel the same way). So yes, please spend a little more time than five minutes putting in an application (you know we're slow anyways and that we don't do quick glances. :); ).
We will tell you specifically for what reasons.
What should I do if my application was rejected?
If you really want that character, do more research on him/her/it and reapply, fixing whatever we told you was the reason for your rejection.
I have no plot!
Just post! You don't need to plan things out already. If you really are stuck, ask around on the OOC community for help or offers.
I have a suggestion for a theme week that involves everyone! Can I do it if everyone loves it?
No. Every suggestion needs to get approved by a mod before going into action (SO IM US BEFORE YOU POST IT UP). We do not want to get overloaded with theme weeks as fun as they are because that is very limiting and sometimes can prove TOO cracky and for those who want plots to develop, it hampers their progress if everyone. Also, such weeks should be optional so those who really don't want to participate do not have to.
So don't get your hopes up about theme weeks. They are not going to be very frequent and we are picky about them.
What is godmodding?
Godmodding is playing someone else's character for them without their knowledge and/or permission. This includes fights; you can't automatically say that your character made a super awesome move and broke the other person's arm. Godmodding usually pisses the actual player off.
Put simply, godmodding is doing something major without consulting the other player so that their character can react approprietly and especially without previous actions building up to it. Don't do it.
How often are we required to post?
Roughly once a week. It could be a simple "a coconut fell on my head", but we just want to know if you're alive. If you have to go on hiatus, let the mods know about how long. If it is very long, we might contact you about it. We understand real life trumps roleplaying every time, but it's not fun if others are depending on your character and you are away for too long.
What happens if I drop a character?
YOU DIE. Naw. They just kind of wander off to another part of the island chain or something.
Dropping a character means that the character is free for anyone to pick up again.
What are the conditions if I want to pick up a dropped character?
Technically, there are little conditions. Usually people don't mind if you start the character from scratch unless that character's been deeply involved with other characters and the universe would blow up if there were any chances. So it's best to see how to fit back in if that's the case. :)
How do I know if my character is too perfect?
If your character is living comfortably with no challanges whatsoever (come on, building a tree house is HARD.) or is solving problems too easily (ie: suddenly finding a boat full of food/puppies/gold when he/she is hungry/lonely/poor) too often, chances are that your character is too perfect. Also refers to OOCness.
What is classified as OOC (Out Of Character)?
When your character is perfect or too different in personality from canon. We know that a lot of roleplaying is up to interpretation (very gray area so we aren't THAT nitpicky) but if Sepheroth is now kissing puppies and singing them to sleep, we have a problem. Sexualty is a gray area (interpretation) so we're letting that slide a little since the subject can be ambiguous.
Characters can and will develop and thus, change, but they won't change overnight . Character developement is A-OK. Suddenly deciding that Anthy is really a psycho killer who injects Sepheroth's puppies with AIDS is not.
We're allowed canon powers? Are there limits?
Yes, and yes. You can have your character and his/her powers too. However, we cannot have you killing each other off for good nor can we have 23948324 villians trying to take over everything. It's like personal rights. Your rights end in the space before your fist meets my face. Also, they cannot be used to make your character extremely higher than everyone else; it will upset the balance between characters with no powers and those with. That is why characters and their moves have their weaknesses. Even if you have Edward Elric, you can't keep transmuting things if there's nothing to transmute. If you're Uryu Ishida, you are bound to get tired shooting quincy arrows, etc. As Superman teaches, "with great power comes great responsiblity". So. Yeah. Naraku, this is not the time to be taking over the island.
Not sure if you are overstepping bounds with canon powers? Ask us. :)
Also for characters learning canon powers outside their series is not going to happen for a VERY long time so mastery is out of the question simply because series's powers and abilities conflict. Unless you're Ichigo and naturally have some sort of magic powers already, humans learning superhuman powers is not going to happen.
Can we die?
Um...well, if you really wanted to? There's the Great Will of the Macrocausm (think Excel Saga; she can reset time and thus bring people back alive). But don't keep bothering her. It gets annoying. :D;
Can we blow things up?
To a certain extent. Just don't...blow up the mountain or anything. Gebus, people. You're trying to survive off the land, not destroy it. o_O;
I'm still confused. Who do I contact?
Contact the mods via AIM.
Sephy (sephtastic_sama): buchou no seme
Val (sv_chan): silver8514
Ren (ren_wren: rukia sama
PLEASE DON'T ASK US ABOUT OBVIOUS THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY COVERED IN BOTH THE INFO AND FAQ. YOU are responsible for reading and understanding the terms and format of the RP. WE ARE NOT GOING TO SIMPLIFY IT EVEN FURTHER.
SPECIFICS (if you have further questions, ask Val. She's still semi-designing the place. The general features of it. XD; ):
Where is this island?
Who knows. Who cares. It really doesn't matter. But it's a group of six main islands with a bunch of tiny ones that aren't on the map.
Main Island? What?
This is the island that everyone lands on at first. It's five miles wide in diameter so there's plenty of space. Since we're uncreative. It's just called that. :D;
What's on these islands?
We're still debating but there will be definate characteristics to be listed soon as the characters start wandering around and discover stuff. For now, we're sure there's a (fresh water!)river that ends in a waterfall on the east side of the Main Island that pours into a small bay with lots of fish and a bunch of palm trees nearby. Oh, and there's a large mountain(how else is there a waterfall?).
The islands are anywhere from one mile to twelve miles apart. So yes, it will take effort to go to the other islands.
Quickly drawn map of how the islands are situated.
What are we doing here?
You are trying to survive (think of Lost). But you can make friendships and rivalries left and right. Discover new things, cut down palmtrees, almost die from poison. Use your imagination. You just can't suddenly decide to take over the islands or find some magical way to get back home. You are stuck here with no escape. Make the best of it! :D
Are there treehouses/bathrooms/spas/restaurants/7-11s here?
NOPE! No civilization whatsoever. You have to start from scratch, people. Yeah, we're evil.
Dangerous animals?
There's a small pack of wild dingos in the south of the Main Island. No one knows if there's anything living in the mountain. They might raid your food if you don't keep it safe. Oh, and there's Hollows here. Where's a shinigami where you need one?
What types of plants are here?
Lots of palm trees for sure. There's a great variety of plants to be identified! Use your imagination!