applesaucemod

GENERAL

Please be respectful to other players and the mods at all times!
This is a judgement-free place. Racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, fatphobia, transphobia, etc, and in general hate and bashing will not be tolerated. We operate under Dreamwidth's diversity statement.

IC ≠ OOC. That is to say, don't get personally offended if someone else's character is mean to yours. Characters may discriminate and judge based on the aforementioned things, but try to maintain a good tone between players.

If you have any problems with another player, a mod, or anything in the game, please, contact a mod. We would appreciate you coming forward, as long as it's in a respectful manner, and we want to do what we can to make the playing experience better for you. The mods can't be everywhere, so we appreciate your help.

No Godmoding.
You control your characters and yours alone. You may not write out someone else's character doing or saying something, or have your character do something drastic to someone else's character, unless you have permission to do so.

Canon-puncture is okay as long as the other player is okay with it. Don't make someone's character aware of their status as a fictional character unless it's been expressly allowed by the player. (Check their 'permissions' page.)

Fourth-walling (i.e. referring to player/game in narration) is okay as long as the other player is okay with it. (Check their 'permissions' page.)

Use warnings for mature subjects
Please include warnings in the post or start of thread your thread contains mature subjects, as well as the nature of subject, such as sexual activity, excessive violence, gore, body horror, rape, abuse, character death, etc. Please be sensitive and treat these subjects with maturity and the gravity they deserve. While it can be interesting to play, other players may find it very traumatic to stumble upon such subjects.

Swearing is fine; we're all adults, here.

Proper spelling and grammar. Obey the rules of the English language to the best of your ability. Posts should be in third person, present tense, and at least a paragraph or two long. Posts made to the network may reflect your character's writing habits, and include things like bad grammar, chatspeak and emoticons. Check each community's profile page for more details.

Threadjacking is something you ask about before you do. Interrupting someone's scene can be very rude. Always ask before you join an on-going thread, unless the post is marked as open for threadjacking.

Single-thread vs. multi-thread. It can get really confusing if you have multiple characters reacting to the same situation as if the first character to respond doesn't exist. Single-threads are the default, so please include in your post if you are open for multiple threads for a post. If your character is planning to sit in a bar all night, it makes sense that multiple characters might approach them.

Ingame actions have ingame consequences. If your character crosses someone, some form of retaliation can be expected. In situations such as these, we encourage players to discuss expected outcomes with one another, both in order to avoid godmoding and in order to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Please tag posts you participate in with your character name. The mods will create a tag for you when your character has been accepted or when you make your first post. This rule applies to the network and dreaming as well as to the main game.

CHARACTERS, APPLICATIONS, ACTIVITY, PLOTS ETC.

Characters

All characters must be fictional. Fictionalized versions of historic figures from established media can also be acceptable, but at the mods' discretion.

Since we're a small game, we have a four-person cap on characters from any one canon.

OCs are welcome, as are CRAU characters from previous games.

There is no limit on how many characters an individual player can play, so long as they can keep up with them all.

Applications

Applications are always open unless otherwise noted.

If you're brand new to the game: before applying, we ask that you participate in one of our monthly Dream Parties, which can be found under our party post tag. This is a great way to voice-test, get a feel for the group, and see how writing styles and characters gel. Party posts tend to go up at the end of the month and slow down after a couple of weeks. If it's mid-month and you don't want to wait for the next one, drop the mods a line and we'll let everyone know there's a new thread to dogpile. Dream party threads can be used as your writing sample.

Before apping a character with existing canon-mates in the game, talk to the players behind those characters. Our game is riddled with cross-canon CR, long-running character arcs, and ongoing development, so your canon-mates might not be quite the same people your character remembers. It's important to make sure all players are on the same page before introducing an old face from home.

PBs. When you provide a character icon for the cast list, it should preferably be a photorealistic PB (played-by). If your character is from a different medium (comics, animated films, etc.), icons taken from that medium are great.

Powers will be considered on a case by case basis. Excessively powerful characters who can have major effects on the city without much effort will lose some of their powers due to rift activity. Given the wide variety of powers available across different media, it is difficult to provide a set rule on exactly how much power is too much power; if in doubt, ask a mod. Strong technological advantages are considered powers for the purpose of this rule: as an example, Iron Man and Loki of the Marvel canon would be equally unlikely to be allowed to retain their full powers.

In many cases, previously “normal” characters will gain powers or be physically transformed through contact with the rift. If you want your original or canon character to gain a power in this fashion, please detail this in the application. Ridiculous and/or useless powers are encouraged, and powers that in some way reflect your character's personality, goals, or inner self are extra awesome.

Time-sensitive powers, such as monthly were-creature transformations, should be managed in consultation with the in-game calendar. Please be consistent with your character's powers. Powers CAN change over time (or be discovered/developed later), but please discuss this with a mod first.

As a general rule: no one is more powerful than the rift. And if your character gets a little too out of hand, the rift might just knock them down a peg or five.

Applications to play native characters are open to anyone, but keep in mind that native characters should already be familiar with the world and the strange happenings in New York (though they will not necessarily be entirely aware of the underground war between Romac and the rebels).

Native characters can come from anywhere on the Earth on which the game takes place, and can be normal humans or people changed by the rift. Native characters will always be original, not from fandom.

Character death is usually permanent, though there are certain exceptions. Rebooting a character (i.e. playing them as if they've never been in the game) will of course mean they're alive again. Resurrection is not impossible, but will always come with a price. There might be other characters or possibly NPCs who can help. This must always be discussed with a mod, however. Characters with regeneration/immortality abilities may be killed more freely, but if their return to life involves significant character changes, discuss with a mod.

Activity checks are essentially non-existent. We all have lives, and we understand that assorted real-life pressures and distractions can make it difficult to maintain a constant, active presence in the game. Rather than hound anyone for failing to meet a tag quota, the mods will put up periodic 'what are your characters up to' posts in the OOC comm. These will allow players to update one another on what their characters have going on, and brainstorm things to do if they've hit a slow patch and want to pick things up.

Hiatus notices should be posted in the OOC comm, and tagged as 'hiatus', so the mods and other players are aware of what's going on and don't worry that you've died. Plus points for figuring out an in-game reason for your character to be busy/away.

Plots are awesome. Sometimes there might be mod-driven plots, but they're not mandatory and will usually be opt-in. Player-driven plots are what games like this thrive on, so go wild! Just make sure that you discuss them with any players whose characters will be involved, and discuss with the mods if it will have a significant impact on the city/game, or if you require our help through particular NPCs or anything else.

Communication is key, between both players and mods. The OOC comm is a hub for discussions, ideas, plots, socialising, in addition to introductions and game notices, or you can contact us and other players privately. AIM, as old-fashioned as it is, is where most of the action happens. This game has already formed a few friendships, and we'd love it to continue that way!

Any questions or comments should be directed at the FAQ, or in a PM to the mods.

Rules