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F.A.Q. + CALENDAR.
QUICK NAVIGATION. 🌅 FULL NAVIGATION.
COMMUNITIES 🌅 logs. 🔆 network. 🔆 ooc. 🔆 memes.
PAGES 🌅 setting. 🔆 rules. 🔆 f.a.q. 🔆 mod contact. 🔆 player contact. 🔆 taken. 🔆 in-game calendar. 🔆 interactions.
COMMUNITIES 🌅 logs. 🔆 network. 🔆 ooc. 🔆 memes.
PAGES 🌅 setting. 🔆 rules. 🔆 f.a.q. 🔆 mod contact. 🔆 player contact. 🔆 taken. 🔆 in-game calendar. 🔆 interactions.
PLOT / PREMISE. 🌅 MECHANICS (OOC) 🌅 MECHANICS (IC) 🌅 APPLICATIONS 🌅 DROP / HIATUS 🌅 CALENDAR
PLOT / PREMISE.
What's the premise?
Characters find themselves accidentally brought in by NODICE while they’re working out the kinks of the teleportation projection project. Looks like instead of the simple physical realm, their teleported can access multiple dimensional realms and bring individuals inside.
Fear not, misplaced individuals! It looks like the group will be taking you in as their Head of Operations & Command, Laura Costol, feels pretty responsible for accidentally dragging you all here. Your characters will be staying in their home city/base of operations, free of charge, as they figure the kinks out and get you back home.
For the meantime, your characters are free to explore Dust Tumbles to their hearts’ content, going on projects and missions to pass the time if they so desire. There’s something rumbling beneath the surface of the idyllic desert city in the wake of your character’s arrival but it’s their choice on whether they wish to engage said rumbling or not.
Is there a set ending/plot to the game?
In the most basic sense? Yes! The characters should be going home within a year or so. There are also planned major events/occasions that will occur throughout the year, with consequences attached to them depending what do and doesn’t occur. What happens between then and now is up to the players’ actions and the characters’ choices.
Sometimes the journey is the destination.
How will the game work?
Every month, there will be a major event and a minor event happening.
A Major Event, happens around usually the second or third week of that month and will last for a week. Usually mission- or adventure-oriented, this will affect the cast as a whole. The event post itself will be posted three days before the actual date, so players can writeup their top-levels ahead of time with knowledge of what to expect.
A Minor Event is more focused on slice-of-life activities or player-caused events. This can affect the game as a whole or a select few depending on the conditions. This can happen spontaneously, depending on what the characters have done or has been planned in advance.
And while there is an overarching plot running in the background, we won’t be forcing players to participate in it should that not be their thing. If they want their characters to get some much needed sun and ride a few circuithorses, they’re free to do so.
What will the characters do while in Dust Tumbles?
Anything they want, honestly. They can kickback and relax in the city and enjoy the activities and free stuff. They can go to school or classes to learn some new skills. They can finally see a therapist to safely decompartmentalise their crazy adventures over the years.
If you’re hoping for more adventure and structure, the characters can officially join NODICE to join on their monthly missions of helping people and resolving conflict that could happen in their territory of the Old Farmland region. They’re always looking for more recruits to help them with their busy jobs and the skills and talents the characters? Quite appealing to the Head of Operations & Command. She promises to make it worth you’re while if you sign-up for a job or three.
Does that mean my character/s help in the teleportation project? Will them joining it make the project go faster?
They can! If they join NODICE and are assigned the Department of Research & Development, they could have a chance to aid in the project directly.
That said, it won’t mean they’ll automatically fix the thing and end the game early. There’s still a lot of obstacles standing in the way of them and home: Getting approval for their suggestions of improvement. Acquiring the funding needing to gather the materials in order to create said improvements. Testing out the jumps into new worlds to see if the stability is possible. Major and, sometimes, Minor Events will provide the characters chances to get these.
What is Dust Tumbles, the place, exactly?
It's a prosperous and idyllic desert city located in the Old Farmland sector. It's home to the original base of NODICE — more on them later, in the MECHANICS (IC) section! — and the totally famous Mr. Darrison's Malt Mill. Once a dying mining town, it has bloomed over the centuries and is a desert jewel in the year 2119.
It has a dry and clear climate for most of the weather though the summers are known to be painfully sweltering and the winters to be brutally cold. It’s also (in)famous for its dustbowl season — Something the characters will find out in due time...
Wait... 2119?
Yep! Your character is in the far flung future of Earth. Or in the relative past. Depends on what your character’s setting and canon point is when they got dragged in.
How will the citizens of Dust Tumbles react to my character?
Those who live in this once sleepy little town have been through a lot of things so they barely bat an eye. Are you a giant mechanoid who floats through the air? Hey there, buddy! Are you made of living flame. Welcome to the city, just keep your distance when interacting with kids. Are you made of a mass of slime and many whispering eyes? That’s… That’s a little more jarring but, by dust and rust, are these citizens used to the weird nonsense that goes down. Keep Dust Tumbles Weird!
What's keeping me from having my character leave for somewhere else?
Dust Tumbles is one of the few intergalactic cities that is open to the characters since their arrival, more or less used to the strange ongoings happening at the moment. Other cities and towns in the surrounding area? Not so much. They'll be informed that in the wake of being notified what happened, cities' councils and leaders have informed NODICE that they will not be accepting ‘out-of-Earthers’ out of distrust people from Earth have to aliens and non-Earth humans.
What's keeping me from having my character killing everyone/destroying the town?
Yourself, really. While we encourage people to explore to their heart's content and make changes to the setting for their and others' amusement, we’ll also direct you to our rules that state you must be considerate of others. Running about, having your character murder everyone they come across, isn’t what we believe is a considerate thing to you. If you can't perceive your character working well in this setting — be it adapting to it quickly or making the most of it, in their own way — than this game probably isn't for you.
MECHANICS (OOC).
Are there caps?
Yes. The game cap is 30 players. The cast cap is 50. Players are allowed to play up to two characters if they choose to pick another character up.
What is the game's ratio?
The game will run on a 1:1 ratio.
What timezone will the game use?
GMT +8 because two of the three moderators live in this timezone. Emmy, the only moderator who lives in a reasonable timezone, is as distraught by this choice as you are.
What's the activity check requirements?
One (1) proof of either the following:
Five (5) action/log comments.
Five (5) text/action comments.
Five (5) text/action comments.
The activity check will run for the last week of the month, Monday to Sunday, with the first Tuesday of the new month having us posting the activity results. We do not do reminders or warning lists so if you do not remember to post your activity during the week, you will be swept.
We'll have an optional section in the activity check, allowing you to highlight anything of note your character has done during the month. We'll do our best to take your characters' actions into account and have it possibly affect the game setting, the event's circumstances, and more if possible.
Are we allowed to take an AC strike?
Yes. You must make it known before the end of the activity check or you will be swept away. If you take a strike, the following is what to expect:
We'll ask you to make double of the activity check requirements. We'll also ask you to fulfil a special requirement too. When the activity check official results have been posted, we'll and present to you a selection of three (3) special requirements you can choose to fulfil.
How are language barriers dealt with?
When using the network, it will automatically translate your text and words into a universal language that is understood by everone who is registered on the network. If speaking to someone in person, the character/s can use their tablet as a translator of sorts as they have their back-and-forth.
Outside of using the tablet... the characters will need to figure that out themselves! Dust Tumbles is a melting pot of cultures, human and alien-like, so hopefully someone may have a passing understanding of your character’s language. There is a rumour of their Head of Research & Development is working on something that will address the issue but, hm, it looks like he's out of the sector for a holiday. You'll need to hold on tight until then or find a way to reach out to him and have him come back from his vacation early.
Are powers going to be nerfed in this game?
Due to the varied citizens of the town and the (very) weird experiences the organization has faced, NODICE created a nullification core that can be found stationed in the heart of the city. It’s been built into a statue/memorial to some long-ago battle the city once had.
The nullification core regularly sends out a pulse of energy that is, somehow, able to weaken the effects of powers of individuals who are enhanced or powered. Some things should be noted: Magical or powered items are not affected. The nullification core's range only extends far as the legally recognised boundaries of Dust Tumbles. Once your character has passed through the Winding Wilde or passed Lilith’s Trek, your character's powers will come back to full force.
How will canon updates work?
Canon updates is not possible due to the premise and nature of the game. Once your character is in the game, they cannot change their canon point. The only way to do that is if you drop them and reapp them from a different point in time. This comes with a caveat: This is character is considered a different version altogether and will not remember their time while in Dust Tumbles for the first time around.
MECHANICS (IC).
What is the IC date?
For the sake of simplicity, we’ll be using the month and date of our time. As previously stated in the F.A.Q. the in-game year is 2119.
What/Who is NODICE?
Short for Neutral Organization Dedicated to Intergalactic Conflicts and Emergencies (yes, they know), this organization’s mission is to provide security and safety for individuals both on Earth and in space through diplomatic and logistical assistance, often stepping in to help with disasters, tense political situations, and more. They’ll be the ones who will be looking after the characters during the year-long stay in this universe since, well, they’re the reason why the characters are here in the first place.
Does this mean we can interact with the NPCs? The setting?
Yes! We have a specific page for that: NPC & SETTING INTERACTIONS. Meet the crew (you can currently interact with) in this page! (Also please go over the information that’s been laid out before requesting an NPC or a setting-action.)
What exactly happens when my character enters the game?
When they exit the teleporter pad, the characters will experience a severe case of nausea, exhaustion, and cramps due to being teleported to a whole new universe without being prepared for it beforehand. For the next forty-eight (48) hours, the characters will be undergoing supervision in NODICE’s medical bay until they’re declared fit for release. They’ll be housed with the rest of the characters who came in with them, getting a chance to know one another. This will be the monthly intro log’s consistent backdrop.
The characters will go through something called the Screening Process during the waiting period: A basic 101 on what to expect for both parties. Characters are ‘strongly advised’ to stay within Dust Tumbles since there’s currently a kerfuffle over their presence in this world. They’ll be interviewed by clerks from the Departments of Communication & Information and Relations & Media, who will be asking them where they were from, what their names are, what they were doing before their arrival and so on. If asked why they’re being asked this, the clerks will explains the information is being compiled so the Heads of Command have a reference to work with the new faces.
Characters are encouraged to ask questions in return if they’re courious about where they are, what’s happening, and son. The clerks do their best to answer the questions in great detail— Because of this, all information on the pages is IC knowledge so your character is currently up-to-date on what they need to know.
After that, when they’ve declared fit for release, the characters will be given a tablet to keep in contact with each other and so NODICE can keep a track of their whereabouts. They’ll also receive a Welcome Kit that consists of money to spend around the city, a notecard and key to a house/apartment/habsuite they’ll selected during the Screening Process, a map of the city, and ‘Sorry We Accidentally Transported You To a New Universe :)’ card.
Is there a network? How will it work?
When your character is given their tablet and be asked to fill in the username and the additional information field. Their userpic is automatically uploaded since the network will immediately take a picture of the user when they open the network app so make sure you have your winning side at the ready!
It supports text and voice but, for some reason, video and pictures are not supported.
Besides the network, the following apps can be found on the tablet:
A calendar and clock.
An office suite app that contains several apps focused on productivity: Document, sticky notes, spreadsheet, and slides.
A couple of in-world popular game apps.
A music player that already has been uploaded with several songs and playlists.
A private messaging system that will be your character’s inbox post.
An office suite app that contains several apps focused on productivity: Document, sticky notes, spreadsheet, and slides.
A couple of in-world popular game apps.
A music player that already has been uploaded with several songs and playlists.
A private messaging system that will be your character’s inbox post.
APPLICATIONS.
What characters will you accept and not accept in the game?
ACCEPTED.
Malleable canon characters.
This includes silent/malleable protagonists (like the Protagonists from the Persona series or Hawke and Inquisitor from the Dragon Age series) that have demonstrated enough personality in canon through choices and actions in their media. We ask that you list the choices and actions down in your application or somewhere in your journal that can be easily looked up.
Original characters.
This includes original characters from media (like tabletop RPGS or MMOs) that have malleable protagonists or fully customizable characters. Like silent/malleable protagonists, we’ll be asking you to list down any significant actions and choices in your application or somewhere in your journal.
Immortal/Undead characters
Vampires, sentient zombies, and so on are allowed in the game. If your character has special dietary needs that need to be addressed, it will be taken care by NODICE who will have their Department of Research & Development and Department of Resources work together to create a passable substitute to sustain them. Please feel to assume your character’s needs are being met.
But only if your character informs them of this during the Screening Process. If your character would withhold this information and try to figure out the situation by themselves or work something out later down the line, you’re welcomed to do that as well.
Sentient characters with nonstandard design.
Robots and monsters and can come in without needing to be humanised! You do have the option for humanisation — it'll be handwaved with 'oh man this teleporter is weird' — but it's not a requirement. If you'd like to have your One Piece character or your Transformers character come in with their jaw-dropping height feel free! If you want to bring in an eldritch abomination with more tentacles and eyes than should be allowed on a body, feel free but do understand you may make a poor intern throw up in horror.
NOT ACCEPTED.
Dead characters.
The difference between the immortal/undead characters is that the immortal/undead is still active in some way, making movement and doing actions. Your character, if dead, is not going to be registered by the teleporter. Your character can come in from the brink of death and scare the living daylights out of the crew and staff but coming in dead as a door nail is not an option.
Doubles.
This is mainly due to the limited cast size we have implemented. This rule may be subject to change over the course of the game’s time.
Real historical characters.
To be blunt: This is a can of worms that the moderators do not want to approach, let alone open. This includes the stage persona of a celebrity (Daft Punk’s Guy and Thomas, as they are the alter egos of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter) and interpretations of real historical individuals, no matter how grounded or over-the-top the depiction is (such as Alexander Hamilton from the musical Hamilton and Abraham Lincoln from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter).
Characters with little-to-no screentime.
If there’s little canon information for the moderators to review than they cannot be applied here. Rule of thumb if you’re wondering whether or not your character falls under this: If the history and personality of the character is made up of more than fifty percent (50%) headcanon to fill in the gaps, they fall under this category and, thus, cannot be apped.
Malleable canon characters.
This includes silent/malleable protagonists (like the Protagonists from the Persona series or Hawke and Inquisitor from the Dragon Age series) that have demonstrated enough personality in canon through choices and actions in their media. We ask that you list the choices and actions down in your application or somewhere in your journal that can be easily looked up.
Original characters.
This includes original characters from media (like tabletop RPGS or MMOs) that have malleable protagonists or fully customizable characters. Like silent/malleable protagonists, we’ll be asking you to list down any significant actions and choices in your application or somewhere in your journal.
Immortal/Undead characters
Vampires, sentient zombies, and so on are allowed in the game. If your character has special dietary needs that need to be addressed, it will be taken care by NODICE who will have their Department of Research & Development and Department of Resources work together to create a passable substitute to sustain them. Please feel to assume your character’s needs are being met.
But only if your character informs them of this during the Screening Process. If your character would withhold this information and try to figure out the situation by themselves or work something out later down the line, you’re welcomed to do that as well.
Sentient characters with nonstandard design.
Robots and monsters and can come in without needing to be humanised! You do have the option for humanisation — it'll be handwaved with 'oh man this teleporter is weird' — but it's not a requirement. If you'd like to have your One Piece character or your Transformers character come in with their jaw-dropping height feel free! If you want to bring in an eldritch abomination with more tentacles and eyes than should be allowed on a body, feel free but do understand you may make a poor intern throw up in horror.
NOT ACCEPTED.
Dead characters.
The difference between the immortal/undead characters is that the immortal/undead is still active in some way, making movement and doing actions. Your character, if dead, is not going to be registered by the teleporter. Your character can come in from the brink of death and scare the living daylights out of the crew and staff but coming in dead as a door nail is not an option.
Doubles.
This is mainly due to the limited cast size we have implemented. This rule may be subject to change over the course of the game’s time.
Real historical characters.
To be blunt: This is a can of worms that the moderators do not want to approach, let alone open. This includes the stage persona of a celebrity (Daft Punk’s Guy and Thomas, as they are the alter egos of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter) and interpretations of real historical individuals, no matter how grounded or over-the-top the depiction is (such as Alexander Hamilton from the musical Hamilton and Abraham Lincoln from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter).
Characters with little-to-no screentime.
If there’s little canon information for the moderators to review than they cannot be applied here. Rule of thumb if you’re wondering whether or not your character falls under this: If the history and personality of the character is made up of more than fifty percent (50%) headcanon to fill in the gaps, they fall under this category and, thus, cannot be apped.
Can we re-app a character that was dropped previously?
You can re-app a character that was dropped but your character will not remember their experience from the game.
Can we re-app after being swept?
You can but you must wait for two (2) months.
What's the rule on new canons?
You must wait for (1) month before applying with a character from this new character.
Are there any cast caps?
Yes. A total of three characters per cast.
How many characters can one player app in the same month?
One (1) character a month.
Will you allow app challenges?
No. It’s first come, first served.
Can my character bring a pet or items from their homeworld?
Items are allowed though NODICE will ask to first examine your characters’ weapons before giving them back after cataloguing it. Pets are not unless they are necessary/vital for the character's existence.
DROPS / HIATUS.
How are drops and hiatuses dealt with ICly?
With hiatuses, we’ll be leaving that up to the player. Are they on autopilot? Sick and hiding in their bed? Got caught up on a screenbinge and holed up in their residence for days on end? We’ll allow the player to decide what happens to their character during their hiatus.
With drops, it’ll be handwaved as the teleporter projection getting worked up as the Departments assigned to it do a test run. Character are supposedly returned back to their universe, the exact moment they left. Supposedly. No one is certain.
How long can we hiatus a character?
Up to a month. If you need to extend the hiatus for longer than that, please inform us and we'll work it out with you.
We will be keeping an eye out for possible attempts to abuse our system. We understand real life, especially now, can be weird but a game thrives on activity and action.
How will a hiatus be handled after its end?
If you take a hiatus, the following is what to expect:
We'll ask you to make half of the activity check requirements for the next activity check so you can ease back into the game. We'll also ask you to fulfil a special requirement, giving you a selection of three (3) special requirements you can choose to fulfil. If you're having issue fulfilling that requirement but fulfilled another requirement by accident, you're more than welcomed to alert us and request to switch over to that one.
APPLICATION CYCLE.
🔆 Applications open every last week of the month, lasting for five (5) days.
🔆 Applications will be reviewed as they come in.
🔆 Applications' acceptances/revisions/rejections will be sent out after one (1) day of the applications closing.
EVENT CYCLE.
🔆 Will occur every second or third week. The finer details will be made known on the OOC plotting post.
🔆 The event post itself will be posted three days (3) before the event's actual date.
ACTIVITY CHECK CYCLE.
🔆 Activity check will occur on the last week of the month.
🔆 Activity check will run for the entire week, Monday to Sunday. Activity will be reviewed as they come in.
🔆 After the activity check has closed, announcements of the results will be posted on the first Tuesday of the new month.
🔆 Applications open every last week of the month, lasting for five (5) days.
🔆 Applications will be reviewed as they come in.
🔆 Applications' acceptances/revisions/rejections will be sent out after one (1) day of the applications closing.
EVENT CYCLE.
🔆 Will occur every second or third week. The finer details will be made known on the OOC plotting post.
🔆 The event post itself will be posted three days (3) before the event's actual date.
ACTIVITY CHECK CYCLE.
🔆 Activity check will occur on the last week of the month.
🔆 Activity check will run for the entire week, Monday to Sunday. Activity will be reviewed as they come in.
🔆 After the activity check has closed, announcements of the results will be posted on the first Tuesday of the new month.