FAQ

[applesaucemod]

THE BASICS

Who are your mods?
Starting up, the game was created by Kristine and Kathryn. Since then Carrie joined as a mod and Ellis as a mod assistant upkeep person, and Kristine retired. We are generally very friendly and understanding people, so feel free to poke us with questions or concerns!

What are the different communities for?
bigapplesauce is the main game community.
applesaucechat is for in-character communication through the network.
applesaucemod is for your basic game information.
applesauceooc is for players to socialise, plot, make announcements, and the occasional modly update.
applesaucedream is where the Dreaming takes place. It's for sandbox gaming, crack plots, parties, and occasionally things outside game continuity.

Is there an age requirement for joining the game?
No. Our requirements are maturity and writing skill. However, mature subjects will be present in the game, so we trust that if you're under eighteen, you won't click on or participate in threads with explicit ratings.

Do I have to have previous roleplay experience?
No, but keep in mind that you will be held to the same standards of rule-following and literacy as everyone else. Genuine mistakes and misunderstandings are of course forgivable, provided you change your behavior when corrected.

Whoa, this is a lot of information...
Don't worry, it's not that complicated, we just like to be thorough and provide as much information as possible. If anything's unclear, just ask!


SETTING
What's the Rift?
The Rift is a sort of gateway in time and space. It's not really visible or noticeable to most people, though it can be detected with the proper instrumentation. The biggest one is in New York City, though there are also fairly large ones in Chicago and San Francisco. There are others around the world as well, but given they are kept hidden by their respective governments, there's not a lot of common knowledge regarding it.

The Rift also seems to be somewhat sentient, with a personality not unlike that of a dozy elder god. Though often dormant, it's not unusual for the Rift to react to the stimuli provided by its many toys. Those with the temerity to poke it will find it has a tendency to poke back - hard.

What are rifties and natives?
‘Rifties' is our cutesy nickname for any character that arrives through the Rift. Natives are characters who are native to this world when they enter the game.

How does my character arrive?
Basically you just wake up or show up anywhere in the city, unaware of how you got there. If anyone else is present, you'll just seem to pop into existence. Don't worry though, someone will find you and explain the whole deal to you. You're most likely to arrive in lower Central Park and the surrounding area. Check the locations page.

How will my character be affected by the Rift?
That is completely up to you. They don't necessarily have to be affected at all. There can be physical changes (appearance, species, sex), or they may gain (or alter/lose) a power. The changes could be minute, or extreme. See the powers entry for more.

What's the deal with these factions people keep referencing?
There used to be two factions operating in Manhattan: the government-sanctioned ROMAC (Rift Observation, Management, And Containment), and a splinter group known as the Rebels. Both groups had some ostensibly noble intentions and assisted new arrivals. ROMAC's chief objective was to keep the Rift and its activities under wraps, while the Rebels were more interested in full Rifty integration. Unfortunately, their execution often left much to be desired. Both groups imprisoned Rifties deemed dangerous, and neither had any qualms with using - or abusing - those under their not-so-tender care if they thought it would further their own ends. It was only a matter of time before their unsavory practices were exposed, and in the first two weeks of September, 2013, the Rifties dismantled first ROMAC, and then the Rebels. Most of the Rifties present in Manhattan before the faction takedown were affiliated - if only loosely - with one faction or the other, and all were aware of them. Despite their absence, they will certainly be referenced from time to time.

What's the Dreaming?
When characters are asleep or unconscious, they are much more susceptible to the powers of the rift, and sometimes characters may enter a shared dreamstate called simply the Dreaming. Here they may interact with other people in a setting only loosely tied to reality. What happens in the Dreaming (usually) has no bearing on reality, beyond what characters may remember once they wake. Meetings in the Dreaming can be between one two or three people, or dozens gathering together.

Two-three times of month (in game time), the Rift brings loads of minds into a shared dreamspace, even connecting people from other universes. These 'parties' are open for non-members as well, and can be used to test-drive, or just simple, fun interaction with the game characters without actually having to live in the world.

Characters with dream-related powers or superior/telepathic minds will find it possible to change and influence the settings in the Dreaming. Even regular humans will find it possible with some practice, if they're determined enough. However, this will be much harder even for the most accomplished characters during dream parties, when the rift is a lot more involved, and there's a lot more minds present.

What's the Network?
When your character is given a phone, they will find a contact simply labeled 'The Network.' Messaging that number automatically forwards your text, video, or audio to every other Rifty with a phone and Network access. Back when the factions were a thing, new arrivals would find themselves with a directory of everyone else in that faction. Since they fell, all anyone has left are the contacts in their personal folders.

Replies to Network-wide messages are presumed private unless otherwise noted. It's possible to accidentally or deliberately 'reply all,' of course. If the sender receives a reply from someone who is not in their contacts, they will only see that person's phone number, not their name.

Broadly speaking, Network posts can be open to all users, or they can be locked to specific groups of people. Your character may also send private messages and phone/video calls through the Network.

The Network is not completely safe, and may be hacked. People with the right set of skills may be able to see posts that should be locked to them. (Please discuss with a mod and the players involved before doing this.)


CHARACTERS
What kind of characters can I play?
As long as you can play a character well within this setting, you are welcome to play any kind of character at all. Please use your common sense when considering whether to apply as a non-human character who would have difficulty functioning in this setting. Characters of inhuman appearance are more likely to face discrimination from the general populace and will have a harder time concealing themselves, but there are ways for your character to get around this.

Can I play a character from an alternate universe version of their canon? What about a character from an original verse?
Yes. Alternate universe versions of canon characters should be significantly different from the canon version, and players applying to play characters from original stories and universes must write a reasonably substantial account of the character's history and personality.

What if there isn't much canonical information about the character I want to play? Can I still app them, using headcanons to fill the gaps?
Yes. In the absence of canon info on a character, headcanon can be substituted so long as it's reasonably detailed and consistent.

What about original characters from established fandoms?
Original characters from canon universes should not be related to or otherwise reliant upon the main characters of their canon for their backstory (e.g. no best-friend-since-childhood who somehow happened to never get mentioned during the story). Some exceptions may be made if the relevant canon character is already being played and that player agrees to the relationship prior to the new original character's application being submitted.

Can I play a genderswapped character?
AU genderswaps are welcome, as are characters who become genderswapped on arrival thanks to the Rift. Please remember that something as major as changing sex and/or gender should have a significant emotional impact on your character, and that you will need a good in-game reason for a later transformation back to their original form if you change your mind.

Can more than one person play the same character?
As a general rule, only one of each character is permitted. However, one canon version and one AU version of the same character may be played at the same time, and exceptions will be made for cases where multiple versions of the same character exist in canon (such as the Doctor's many incarnations in Doctor Who).

Can I take my character from any point in canon?
Yep. Though we recommend checking in with canon-mates who are already in the game.

Can my character be dead when I bring them in?
Yes. They'd be brought back to life (or possibly made undead, if you're so inclined) by the Rift.

Can my character bring a canonical pet or animal with them?
Yes. If your character canonically has some sort of animal companion, said animal could come through the Rift with them. Bear in mind that any obviously wild- or unusual-looking creatures might need to be hidden or disguised, otherwise the general public might get nervous and/or upload a million cellphone videos to Youtube. If in doubt, ask a mod.

Your character can also adopt a pet post-arrival, with the understanding that they will be responsible for any companion animal's health and happiness. If Daine should get wind that anyone's pet is being mistreated, she will be displeased.

Can I play a character who's been in the game world for a while?
Totally. This takes a certain amount of familiarity with the setting, however, and you will have to cover what they've been doing since they arrived in your application. Please contact the mods if you are interested in starting your character this way.

Can I kill my character?
Character death in Big Applesauce is a serious matter, and any plans to kill your character should be discussed with the mods. In most cases, killing your character means dropping them, and a player may resurrect a killed character only under special circumstances. See the rules for character death.

Can I adopt a character?
Players can apply to play any character who has been dropped from the game. In most cases, the new player will completely reboot the character. Other characters may still recognize the character from having interacted with the previous version, but the rebooted character would not remember any previous interactions. If, on the other hand, a new player wants to adopt a dropped character and continue that character's relationships and personal storyline from where the previous player left off, that new player will be required both to obtain permission from the previous player if they are still part of the game, and to write a summary of what the character has done in the game as part of the character's history.

Can I import character history from a different game?
Probably. The requirements for this is that, firstly, you'd have to detail exactly what you were importing in the application. (If it includes significant change, your character should be apped as AU.) Secondly, the players of any current characters who'd be affected by it would have to approve it. And even then, their characters would not have had the same experiences as your character, and would not necessarily recognise them, which could take an emotional toll on your character. The application would probably be judged more strictly.

Can my character get pregnant?
Yes, though this requires mod approval and a lot of forethought. It will, after all, probably result in a baby. Your character may get an abortion, but remember that this isn't an easy way out, as there will be emotional and physical consequences, possibly traumatic. Please treat such situations with the respect and gravity they deserve. It's also worth noting that with a 4:1 date ratio, a nine-month pregnancy in the game will last three years in the real world. You might want to consider some Rift-induced acceleration of the process.

What happens to my character if I go on hiatus?
If you're not on hiatus for too long IG, it can be hand-waved as vague 'business as usual.' If it's a longer hiatus and you anticipate (or end up) missing major events, you could say the Rift gobbled them up for a little while and displace them in time, so that no time has passed for your character by the time you get back, even though the rest of the world has moved on. Backdating is always allowed and strongly encouraged, so if you miss an event and want to retroactively get in on it, let us know and we can probably make it happen.

Can I drop my character?
Yes. If you're not feeling a character anymore, or if playing them has started to become a chore, we don't want you to feel obligated to keep them around (especially if there's another character you'd much rather be playing). Constantly switching out characters is frowned upon - bear in mind that other players' characters are going to feel the loss of yours - but at the end of the day, we want our players to be happy and engaged with who they're playing.


DAILY LIFE
How does time pass?
For every four days that pass in real time, one day passes in game time. Any new post defaults to taking place on whatever game date on which it was posted (see the game calendar to find out what game date we're on at any given time). Backdating is always permitted so long as backdated threads do not conflict with established game events; simply specify in your post header that the thread is backdated and to when.

How does my character integrate with the world?
Without the factions to streamline this process, your character is going to have to find another Rifty to help them get settled. The good news is that this shouldn't be too difficult; many of our current Rifties get around, and with the factions so recently destroyed, they'll be inclined to help hapless new arrivals. If you like, your character can also decide to go it alone, though this won't be an easy road. Manhattan isn't cheap.

Where does my character live?
Anywhere in Manhattan, provided they can afford it. If they don't have an income, there's housing available in what used to be the Rebel and ROMAC apartment buildings. Both buildings are now unaffiliated, but they are full of other Rifties and their existence is common knowledge. A fellow Rifty will be able to get your character in touch with the right people. Check the locations page.

How do they get money, then?
Things are a little shaky given the recent faction loss, but if you let them, your fellow Rifties will do a pretty good job of keeping a roof over your head and food in your pantry. How much spending money your character has is a bit more nebulous. If you want a guaranteed income, your character will have to earn it. We don't track your character's money use, but try to keep it reasonable. There are many ways of getting money, both legal and illegal.

Where can they go?
Basically anywhere in Manhattan is fair game, but the Rift will make it difficult - if not impossible - for anyone to leave the island entirely. If you're playing a native character, ask a mod if you'd like to live somewhere outside of Manhattan. Natives can live wherever they want. Rifties are effectively stuck on the island, though, and should they try to leave, the Rift's methods of stopping them will probably not be gentle. Once again, check the locations page.

But I don't know what Manhattan looks like!
Not to fret! Mostly you can just keep things vague, and not worry too much about geography. We also suggest checking out the Manhattan travel guide, where you can get an overview of what the different districts are like, as well as other helpful info. Also check out the locations post for game-specific places in the city and more information about them. And then there's googlemaps.

Can my character start a company?
Absolutely, though they'll probably need some help from their fellows to pull it off. Anything from a small café, to a law firm, to an underground business selling supernatural weapons, are just some of the things your character can run. You can also recruit/employ other characters. Talk to a mod about your idea, and we'll help you out, as well as add your business to the locations page.


PLOTS
What if I don't want to take part in a plot?
Then don't, simple as that. All plots are by choice and opt-in. They tend to be a lot of fun, though, so it would be nice if you participated in some now and then. Also, while you may not be an active participant in plots, your character is unlikely to be completely ignorant of things going on. If there's a sudden zombie apocalypse going on outside, you'd notice.

I have an idea for a plot!
Awesome! If it's something huge and game-wide, please contact a mod with your idea. If it's something smaller that won't affect the game at large, you only need to discuss it with the players involved, and/or post about it to the OOC comm. If you want to, say, host a party with lots of people invited, just go ahead. If you want to have an epic showdown that's going to demolish a few warehouses, you might want to check with a mod. The general rule of thumb is that if it would make the 6 o'clock news, it should be run by the mods, first.


OTHER STUFF
This sounds familiar...
We have taken a good helping of inspiration from the lovely game called Beyond The Rift and games like it, as well as from the Doctor Who universe.





If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, etc, please comment to this post and we'll happily get back to you!