theearth: (Default)
Hello and welcome to the interest check and feedback round for a reboot of "Save the Earth", tentatively named "Save our Earth".

What is this?
Save the Earth was a plot-driven DWRP game with elements of (reverse) memloss and AU. In a world that seemed to be just like ours, everyday people developed the ability to access a network connecting them with others who started going through the same experience at the same time: They started regaining memories, abilities, physical and mental traits, and even items from earlier lives that they lived in other worlds than their own. And soon they were pulled into trouble in the city, the country, and finally the world that turned out to be less and less mundane the further the game progressed.

Save our Earth would be a classical reboot: The metaplot and background meta would be revised, all characters would start fresh and the game would tell a different story with some of the same elements (partly because the development of the plot would, again, be reliant on player actions). There would also be a number of changes to the rules.

What would stay the same would be the underlying game mechanics (characters would start out as distinct from their preincarnations and slowly regain and more and more of their preincarnations' lives through so-called "echoes") and the base setting (Earth starts out as the very Earth that we know in the very year the game starts, with roughly the same developments continuing on in the background; only the addition of the city in which the game is centred and some supernatural events would set it apart) as well as the essence of game-play (for example that characters would be embedded in their social contexts and NPC their non-numbered social contacts).

Who are you?
Kira-mod, one of the people in the last and final batch of mods of StE.

When would this happen?
The current tentative launch date is mid-June 2018.

Okay, what do you need feedback on?
Please comment to this post (I'd say or on plurk, but I fear I'll lose your feedback there), answering the following questions (a hand-dandy textbox is provided below).
- Interest! Would you be interested in playing in an all new, rebooted StE? If yes or maybe, why? (I'd love to know what interests people about the game/premise!)
- LOCATION. How important would it be for you that the city that serves as the central location of the game would be situated in America? (The alternative location that I'm considering the most strongly right now would be a fictional city on the southeastern coast of England, somewhere between Brighton and Dover.)
- I'd like to hear any input towards things that you would love to see again from StE's original run, things that you would love to not see again, things that you think might be a cool addition...


Would you need help?
Yes! I'm not totally alone here, but the game would need:
- app mods! Task: Judging and processing apps.
- echo mods! Task: Processing echoes (there will be some minor modifications, but the basic process will remain the same).
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

The echo boundary area includes the 23 special wards of Tokyo, and all of Tokyo bay.

Tokyo is a large city and capitol of Japan. Notable places include The Imperial Palace, Akihabara, and of course,Toyko Tower

The teleporter exit is located in a small Go Parlor in central Tokyo, run by an older gentleman who does not speak English.

Map and The Weather.

FOR VISITORS

While there are those who are sympathetic to the numbered in Tokyo (Some are even excited to see you!), unfortunately nobody has enough room in their house to let all of you stay over. Looks like hostels, hotels, and other “pay your own way” locations are your best bet. May we suggest a Ryokan?
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

The echo zone boundary extends to a large section of the river near Santarém.

The Amazon river is one of the largest rivers in the world. Much of the land surrounding it is rain forest. The river and the rain forest are known for diverse flora and fauna, including anaconda, caimans, and piranha.

Santarém is a minor tourist destination, mostly known for an area to witness the River Tapajós’s blue-green water meeting the Amazon’s brown. It also has an international airport. The primary spoken language is Portuguese, but you will also find those who understand Spanish as well.

The teleporter exit is located in Santarém’s busy fish market.

The Weather.


FOR LOCALS

The echo zone includes Santarém, Pará in Brazil. Locals can have a Brazillian citizenship or residency permit. Job opportunities are centered around tourism of the Amazon river, agriculture, and mining.

Players may make up companies, restaurants, schools and similar things; please do not make up tourist attractions, towns, mountains and things of that nature.

FOR VISITORS

Hotel Beira Rio has three rooms (with one queen sized bed each) that it’s willing to spare for the numbered free of charge. Any more than three of you, and you’ll have to share.
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

The echo boundary area is within and on the M25 motorway, which applies to approximately all 33 boroughs of the Greater London area.

London is a large city and capitol of England and the UK. Notable places include Buckingham Palace, The Tower of London, and the London Eye, as well as other monuments and many museums and theaters.

The teleporter exit is located in the basement of a back alley pub in central London, called “The Cod’s Wallop”

Map and The Weather.


FOR LOCALS

Locals can have a British Citizenship, EU citizenship, or residency permit. London is a large city and has a wide variety of job opportunities. It also has a number of universities.

Players may make up companies, restaurants, schools and similar things; please do not make up tourist attractions, towns, mountains and things of that nature.

FOR VISITORS

While there are those who are sympathetic to the numbered in London, unfortunately nobody has enough room in their house to let all of you stay over. Looks like hostels, hotels, and other “pay your own way” locations are your best bet.
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

The echo boundary area extends to all Islands, the water in between the islands, and several miles of water outside the external island borders.

Located on the Equator, the Galápagos Islands are home to its famous giant tortoises, and other exotic wildlife. It is one of the few places in the world without an indigenous population, but most of its residents are of Ecuadorian descent. The primary language spoken is Spanish. It's capitol is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

The teleporter exit is located inside a unisex rest room on a hiking trail at Tortuga Bay. It's a 15-20 minute walk from the teleporter to Puerto Ayora, on Isla Santa Cruz.

Map of the Islands and The Weather.


FOR LOCALS

Locals can have an Ecuadorian citizenship, or residency permit. Aside from the capitol, other main settlements are Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz, and and Puerto Villamil, on Isla Isabela. The job opportunities here center around tourism, particularly the national park, but also including diving instructors, and conservation workers.

Players may make up companies, restaurants, schools and similar things; please do not make up tourist attractions, towns, mountains and things of that nature.

FOR VISITORS

Casa tres Iguanas in Puerto Ayora is a motel that was recently scheduled to be bulldozed and rebuilt due to its shoddy state, but it currently tied up in paperwork. The owner's grown son, José Estrada Jr., is sympathetic to the numbered and will let the numbered use the hotel property until a date can get set on bulldozing and reconstruction. Make no mistake - these aren't five star accommodations. Not all bathrooms are fully functional, and with no housekeeping, a drained pool, and closed kitchens you can forget about any concept of "service."
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

The echo boundary area is the size of the island itself. Notable features include a large National Park which makes up 63% of the island, which is on the tropical side. Most people speak English, but both Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken in some communities. Christmas Island is also known for it's red crab migration. The main migration of crabs is predicted to start between December 17th to 19th, and should last for about two weeks. Around late January or early February you might find bitty baby crabs on the beach.

The teleporter exit is located a half kilometer outside the "Island Crab Campground" on a large tree. Watch out for the crabs if they're in season.

Remember! The Christmas Islands are located in the southern hemisphere, which means that the seasons are inverted - Summer in December and Winter in July.

Basic Island Map and The Weather.


FOR LOCALS

Locals can have Australian citizenship, or residency permits. The population is primarily Chinese-Australian. Flying-Fish Cove or "The Settlement" hosts one-third of the Island's residents. The job opportunities here center around tourism, particularly the national park, but also including diving instructors, and dock workers for the Yachts that tourists often rent.

Players may make up companies, restaurants, schools and similar things; please do not make up tourist attractions, towns, mountains and things of that nature.

You may add a comment about both made-up locations and real life locations below; just drop a small note of it in the appropriate section of the comments. It's only for the purpose of allowing players to coordinate elements together. For example, how many of the school age characters go to the same school? Does someone work at another's favourite pizza joint? If your character works/goes to school/is a member of/etc a place on the list, you can comment to the top level comment of that place. Changes to the places should also be added by way of a comment to the place comment. Example (which is an actual part of the map of Locke City). You may also include links in the general description.

LOCATIONS


Educational facilities
Public services
Food can be acquired here!
Entertainment
Stores
Other


FOR VISITORS

Near to Flying-fish Cove there is the "Island Crab Campground" affectionately called "The Crabby Camp" by locals due it's proximity to a red crab migration path. There are various tents for roughing it, and a few simple cabins. The crabs themselves largely ignore the place, but a stray one might wander in. Kitchen and bathroom facilities are shared in a central location. The owner, Kevin Zhāng, is sympathetic to the numbered and will allow them to stay at the older and less popular area of the campground, which has five tents and three cabins.
theearth: (Default)
These locations are locations that, while they will remain open indefinitely and can indefinitely be used as starting points for characters, exist for specific plot purposes and will see a lot less mod plot than Locke City, Las Vegas and the Neuschwanstein Area.

They are:
Lapland, Finland [24/12/14]
Christmas Island, Australia [25/12/2014]
The Galapagos Islands [1/4/1015]
London, England [25/2/2015]
The Amazonas and Santarém, Pará [15/3/2015]
Tokyo, Japan [10/4/2015]
↬ The moon is a serpent that can wrap around the world. The Vikings were kind of right. [15/4/2015]
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

This echo boundary is by far the largest: It covers all of Finnish Lapland plus a tiny part of Russia (the entire 20 km radius around Korvatunturi mountain). Large parts of this area are north of the polar cycle, so there are days of the year when the sun never rises/never sinks. Winters are cold and have ample amounts of snow, summers are warm and have ample amounts of mosquitoes. Most people speak Finnish and a good amount of English, some speak Sami languages and a select few Swedish. The population density is low (for Europe, anyway).

The teleporter exit in Lapland is located in a backroom of Santa's Post Office in Santa Claus Village near the state's largest city Rovaniemi.

The weather.


FOR LOCALS

Residents of Lapland will likely be ethnic white Finns, Sami (Nordic natives) or immigrants. Being a state with fairly little in terms of educational facilities and complicated industries, characters that are not children or teenagers are likely to either work in the services industry/retail or have to do with logging, mining or reindeer.

Players may make up companies, restaurants, hotels, farms, schools and similar things; please do not make up major tourist attractions.

You may add a comment about both made-up locations and real life locations below; just drop a small note of it in the appropriate section of the comments. It's only for the purpose of allowing players to coordinate elements together. For example, how many of the school age characters go to the same school? Does someone work at another's favourite pizza joint? If your character works/goes to school/is a member of/etc a place on the list, you can comment to the top level comment of that place. Changes to the places should also be added by way of a comment to the place comment. Example (which is an actual part of the map of Locke City). You may also include links in the general description.

LOCATIONS


Educational facilities
Public services
Food can be acquired here!
Entertainment
Stores
Other


FOR VISITORS

David Graibiger's aunt, after a rather spectacular escape through half of Europe ended up in northern Finland in the 1940ies and married a silviculturist there. Her family stayed, and one of his cousins and her husband (Raakel and Paavo Virtanen with their younger children Arvo and Armo (m, 18) and Minttu (f, 6)) still live on their parents farm roughly an hour to the northeast from Rovaniemi. The farm is large enough to house up to twelve numbered at once if people sleep on the floor, has a sauna and three snowmobiles that can be borrowed, and two of the children can drive and will volunteer to pick people up from Santa Village or the airport.

The eldest daughter, Sara, owns a small apartment in the city that can host up to three numbered for a limited number of days, put people will absolutely have to sleep on the floor/couch.
theearth: (Default)
Conventionally

Reincarnates can travel between echo boundaries as every other person. They will however lose their echoes to a degree: Memories will become fuzzy, sometimes seeming as if they were just a dream, physical alterations will be heavily diminished and echoed abilities and powers will be much weaker. This effect grows stronger the further they are away from the next echo boundary, and recedes once they get closer to one again. Upon entering another or re-entering the same boundary, everything will be as it was.


By Teleporter

Since the night of the 10th/11th of August 2014, the reincarnate-run Espresso Yourself in Locke now houses a teleportation device. The teleporter main terminal is located in the basement of the former Willow Ridge Boarding Academy. The machine is comprised of a metal booth roughly the size of a shower stall and a touchpad interface which displays a monochrome map of the world. All echo boundaries that are currently active are shown in colour. If a reincarnate touches Locke on the map, nothing will happen. If they touch one of the other areas, the area will light up and a glowing sigil will appear on the floor of the metal booth. The sigils are only outlines and no details can be seen. They look like this:

(drawing by [plurk.com profile] joysweeper)
*Las Vegas shows the sigil of a lobster-crab-like being.
*The Neuschwanstein Area shows the sigil of a two-headed-swan-like being.
*Lapland shows the sigil of a humanoid figure with horns and horse hooves.
*The Christmas Islands show the sigil of a mushroom.
*London shows a sigil that resembles a cloud or a hairball.
*The Santarem Area shows a dragonfly.
*Tokyo shows up as a kappa.
*The Galapagos Islands show up as a very strange fish that looks like a mix of a shark and a whale.

If a reincarnate steps onto the symbol, they will disappear in a flash of pink light and find themselves touching a glowing sigil of the same shape in the other location. The sigils can only be seen by reincarnates; touching them will transport the person to Locke. After using the teleporter, the individual will have to wait four hours before they can use it again.
- In Vegas, the sigil is located at the bottom of a pool, though if a bright mind checks the ceiling of the room below the pool, they'll find it there as well.
- In the Neuschwanstein area, the sigil is located halfway up the Pöllatschlucht Gorge below Neuschwanstein Castle.
- In Lapland, the sigil is located in the back of Santa Claus's Post Office.
- On the Christmas Islands, the sigil is located on a tree near FLying Fish Cove.
- On the Galapagos Islands, the sigil is located inside a unisex rest room on a hiking trail at Tortuga Bay. It's a 15-20 minute walk from the teleporter to Puerto Ayora, on Isla Santa Cruz.
- In London, the sigil is located in the basement of a back alley pub in central London, called “The Cod’s Wallop”
- In Santarem, the sigil is located at the busy fish market.
- In Tokyo, the teleporter exit is located in a small Go Parlor in central Tokyo, run by an older gentleman who does not speak English.

Only numbered and inanimate things can be transported with the teleporter. There are, at the moment, two exceptions: Echoed living beings and wolpertinger that travel with a numbered person.


By Ghost Zone

Since the 16th of September 2014, portals to the ghost zone have started to show up everywhere within all echo boundaries, though not outside of them. They can show up to remain for days, weeks or months. They can have any shape or form and appear in any location, and they all lead to the Ghost zone - basically a parallel dimension that's just green as far as the eye can see, filled with floating doors that can be exits but also can lead to ghosts' "lairs" and sometimes rocks that may or may not have stuff on them. While there are no ghosts in the zone when it shows up, reincarnates are not the only ones who will be able to enter it... and everyone who is not a reincarnate that does will be turned into a ghost, and all except for humans will remain one even after leaving it. This includes the beings from Oublie and other echoed locations as well as Vermini, Vermedi and Vermaxi, but also random animals...

Distance there works differently. If you enter the Ghost Zone in Locke, go five feet, and exit back into the human world, you may well end up in another echo boundary, but definitely not five feet away. If you figure out how to navigate it, it could be handy. Or you could just end up stuck in the middle of a lake, or two hundred feet above ground in thin air.
theearth: (Default)
In preparation for the next ATP, whenever it comes around, and doubling up as a Wanted Characters post, please give us your castmates/character/etc wishes here. This post will also be linked on the ATP post to enable people to talk directly to those that wished for their character. Feedback on this format is highly encouraged!

Anyway, use one of the two forms below:






REQUESTED
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

The echo boundary area is roughly 50x30 km large. It covers the area between Halblech, Roßhaupten and Kempten in Bavaria, Germany and Weißenbach am Lech in Tyrol, Austria. Due to the Schengen Treaty there are no border controls. Notable features include Neuschwanstein Castle and skiing opportunities. Notable municipalities include Kempten, Nesselwang, Füssen, Halblech, Reutte.

Right on the border, north of Vils, an Orbital Elevator has shown up as the echo boundary was created. Farms and other houses that were standing in the area are now located inside the ground level of the elevator, including some of their fields and a few forests.

An approximate map of the echo boundaries and the weather.


FOR LOCALS

Locals can have Austrian, German or a foreign citizenship, since the boundary crosses a border. Note that EU citizens will have an easier time moving and living there than those from non-EU countries. There is a university in Kempten and all kinds of vocational training are open to youngsters in the echo boundaries. During wintertime, working as skiing instructors is a wide-spread job especially with younger adults. Employment is possible in all sectors, though all kinds of touristic and related ones are likely; the area is also known for its violin-makers, small companies and small-scale agriculture.

Players may make up companies, restaurants, schools and similar things; please do not make up skiing resorts, tourist attractions, towns, mountains and similar things.

You may add a comment about both made-up locations and real life locations below; just drop a small note of it in the appropriate section of the comments. It's only for the purpose of allowing players to coordinate elements together. For example, how many of the school age characters go to the same school? Does someone work at another's favourite pizza joint? If your character works/goes to school/is a member of/etc a place on the list, you can comment to the top level comment of that place. Changes to the places should also be added by way of a comment to the place comment. Example (which is an actual part of the map of Locke City). You may also include links in the general description.

LOCATIONS


Educational facilities
Public services
Food can be acquired here!
Entertainment
Stores
Other


FOR VISITORS

In gratitude for her rescuing by reincarnates, Petunia Bonbright will help out with the stay of visitors. She has completely booked the Hotel Lilie in Reutte and also takes care of there being cars for the reincarnates. Her daughter Rose, who currently lives in Innsbruck, will drop in every once in a while to check that really only numbered people are taking up the offer.

Please keep in mind that the echo boundary crosses country borders and your character might need visa for Austria and/or Germany due to their nationality.
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

Massive changes have been taking place starting on the 24th all the way through the 28th of August, 2014. A mountain has risen up insider the echo boundaries... And then, starting on the 26th and lasting through the end of August, the area west of the echo boundaries dropped as if there was suddenly a hole under it, first single buildings or parts of streets cracking down and then larger parts, at the same time as the lower areas both there and inside the echo boundaries started to flood. While the rise of the mountain mysteriously protected the buildings on top of it, the structures adapting to the changed ground, the areas affected by the flooding were destroyed and evacuated. There is a dwarf kingdom inside the mountain; the currently only entrance is a converted air vent, hidden from the non-numbered.

As of October 2014, the strip is being rebuilt on the top of the mountain and down the lakeside slopes of it, while new residential areas are built on the rest of it. A fountain even grater than the one that was there before is being erected on the very top of it. The air traffic that formerly went through Mc Carran Airport has been redirected to either North Las Vegas Airport or airports further away.

Not all of Las Vegas is within the echo boundaries. It is indeed a rather limited area, bordered by St Decatour Boulevard, Highway 95 and Highway 692. The flooded areas and roughly five feet of land at its shores are also within the echo boundaries, that means that the echo boundaries have yet again expanded.


Pink = Old echo boundary
Blue = Flooded areas. Some of those are quite deep and keep sinking, in others the tops of the buildings can still be seen.
Grey = Areas that rose. On top of the lower elevation to the south, the ruins of a city can be found; houses that formerly stood here are now located on the sides of the rock that it is located on. The green area north of it are The gates in the back of this picture.


For the weather, please see Las Vegas, NV; however, again, this is not a strict rule and may be bent for the purposes of plotting.

Don't forget! State law dictates you must be 21 years or older to gamble.

Additionally, reincarnates with especially flashy powers may be approached by various hotels with performances to guest star in existing shows or put on a show of their own! Reincarnates under 18 require their parent’s permission. Alternatively, they can put on street shows!

The original information for the location is located here.


FOR LOCALS

Please use the establishments that are already located in the area. Players may make up general stores, restaurants, bars, apartments, small schools, small companies and so on; but please do not make up new hotels, casinos, and other establishments of similar public scale, particularly in the Strip.

You may add a comment about both made-up locations and real life locations below; just drop a small note of it in the appropriate section of the comments. It's only for the purpose of allowing players to coordinate elements together. For example, how many of the school age characters go to the same school? Does someone work at another's favourite pizza joint? If your character works/goes to school/is a member of/etc a place on the list, you can comment to the top level comment of that place. Changes to the places should also be added by way of a comment to the place comment. Example (which is an actual part of the map of Locke City). You may also include links in the general description.

LOCATIONS


Educational facilities
Public services
Food can be acquired here!
Entertainment
Stores
Other

FOR VISITORS

One of the many normal folk enamored by the existence of the reincarnates is Petunia Bonbright, hotel manager of Marriott’s Grand Chateau right off The Strip. After the pink light shot up from Vegas, Bonbright sent out a public message on the internet saying she’d set aside a few villas for the reincarnates to stay in if they decide to visit, free of charge. The invitation was briefly covered by national news, too.

The catch? Reincarnates need to prove they’re actually a super-powered person to either Bonbright or her secretary, Emily Thompson.

Please announce your stay complete with starting and end date here. One villa will be filled up before the other is opened, though there is wiggle room for OOC concerns.

Here are some reference links:
- Official site
- A review on a 2-bedroom villa (CTRL+F See all photos)
- Photo references for the 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom villas (CTRL+F Marriott Grand Chateau)
- Floor plans

While shelter is provided, characters still need to book their flights, manage vacation time, and anything else that comes with leaving their obligations in Locke City behind.

Network

Jul. 11th, 2014 10:21 am
theearth: (Default)
THE NETWORK - ICLY

When a character receives their first Echo they become unable to forget a long string of numbers. This number is used to connect to an otherworldly communication network, which does not exist on the internet or in any physical form. Ordinary humans cannot perceive the the network at all. They will only be able to sense the original string of numbers.

I.

Almost anything can be used to establish a connection, so long as the number can be applied to it. Examples are paper, phones, word processors, reflective surfaces, internet browsers, toys, and even (disturbances made in containers of) water. Be imaginative. Content on the Network cannot be changed by anything or anyone other than the reincarnates. A computer program, even if written by a reincarnate, cannot alter content on the Network.

Content is only accessible/visible when a Network connection is open. Once the connection is closed, Network content will no longer be there. For instance, if a reincarnate is using a word processor to access the Network, once they close their connection, everything that was on the Network will no longer be visible in their word processor. Likewise, a notebook filled with Network communication will once again be blank once the connection is cut. In other words, Network content does not linger.

Additionally, Network content cannot be moved off of the Network. It can be transcribed manually – for example, if a reincarnate were to type out the content of a post into a regular word document, then that transcription would remain – but it cannot be directly copied and pasted elsewhere. This goes for videos, screen captures, and similar as well; any direct recording of Network content would either prove impossible to take in the first place or show as blank after the fact.

It is possible to link to items that are off-network in network posts/comments, but it is not possible to do the reverse.

II.

Identification on the Network varies by medium and individual. For example, if a reincarnate is connecting by writing or typing their Number onto a surface and anything on that surface would be transmitted, then their Number will also be transmitted. If the method of connection doesn’t have their Number visible (ex. audio, possibly video), then their Number will not show. For example, making a phone call or striking a surface.

The above is a general rule of thumb. It is flexible. If you want your character’s Number/name to show up, then it will. If you don’t want your character’s Number/name to show up, then it won’t.
Using one's own number connects to the general network which is available for all to see. Using someone else's number sends the message directly to that person, but they still need to connect to the network themselves and therefore an ordinary phone would be better for emergencies. This also means accidental posts are nearly impossible.

III.

Private messages between reincarnates can be done by using their respective Numbers. PMs can only be sent individually and are absolutely private. They cannot be hacked nor configured to have a security level.

Due to the way "private" lines are established, posts can not be filtered to or away from a certain group; as soon as the original character puts in their own number and then that of another, it opens a line directly to that other character. If one wants to send a particular message to a number of people, it must be done one by one, and recipients will neither know that more have been sent nor be able to see the others. Private messages will never be visible to anyone except the two the connection is between. Thus reincarnates cannot "filter" content against select reincarnates, they can only "filter" content to select reincarnates (via individual private messages).

IV.

The action of accessing the Network cannot be perceived by non-reincarnates, either in person or by other means (ex. audio/visual recording). People currently engaged in accessing the Network would be seen by others as doing nothing more than the mundane version of their method of Network access (such as thoughtfully regarding a blank text message, flipping through their notebook, or idly surfing the internet).


THE NETWORK - OOCLY

When posting, both the initial poster and repliers' tags are to be formatted as CANON: Character's Canon Name. Additionally, the tags for +location, for type of post (#action or #network), and if applicable the !open tag should be applied.

Please also specify how the post was made in the subject line, such as if it was from a phone, computer, written in blood on the floor, etc.

Setting

Jul. 11th, 2014 10:02 am
theearth: (Default)
SETTING

The game's location is ordinary and familiar, planet Earth in the year 2014. The world's human history will be completely identical to the real world with the exception of game events and the existence of the city which acts as the early focal point of gameplay. As time progresses, the setting will expand to a completely global setting and characters will be allowed (and plot will encourage) them to go elsewhere. Nothing supernatural exists, although certainly lots of the unusual. It's a place which contains all the things that make up a world. Nature, mankind, peace, war, love, hate. But it has nothing special. It's just the same as the real 21st century Earth.

With just two differences. The first is that the planet itself is alive and sentient, a cosmic entity that guides the development of life on Earth very loosely by deciding which soul to place in which body. The second is that a mysterious entity that appears to be from another reality attempted to encroach on the planet in its ancient past. The sentient life force of the planet realised it was in danger and had no adequate form of defence. In response it used the breach the entity created to gather the 'souls' of dead beings from destroyed universes and implanted them into new born lifeforms. Now when dangerous breaches occur, these people are slowly reformatted to match their old lives in an attempt to act as the world's guardians, whenever they get involved in the unfolding conflict. However, their souls were not chosen for reincarnation by any method further than being from dimensions beyond; the people they might find themselves becoming may not be the most obvious choices for the Earth's protectors.

The characters won't know this for a long time. They will probably be more focused on keeping themselves alive, as the game will have a lot of dangerous events that will largely revolve around the previously mentioned entity attempting to take a foothold in this reality through a series of schemes. There will be no self resolving events. Players will have to be proactive in dealing with what is occurring.

The story begins in Locke City, NJ, USA. It's a particularly massive city on the coast of New Jersey, USA, and contains everything you'd expect a city to contain: slums, business and industrial districts, suburbs, hotels, schools. The city has a very strong multicultural make-up, and features an equivalent to a 'Little Italy' or 'China Town' for every culture you can think of. The exact contents of the city and its surroundings are left to the players and the requirements of the plot. In other words, world building is a community effort. For further information about Locke and to add to the city's geography and to see the contributions of others, go to the Locke City Location page.

A second location is Las Vegas, NV, USA. This location is smaller, with the echo boundaries only including a part of the urban area. The real world make-up of the city is subject to changes that are brought on by plot and player actions; most significantly there is currently a mountain rising up from under the city while parts of it have been flooded. More information about it and a place for player contributions can be found on the Las Vegas Location's page.

A third location that will open up shortly is an area at the southern slopes of the alps including Füssen, Bavaria, Germany and Reutte, Tyrol, Austria as well as the fairytale castle Neuschwanstein. The real world make-up of the city is subject to changes that are brought on by plot and player actions. Most significantly, there is an Orbital Tower on the border. More information about it and a place for player contributions can be found on the Neuschwanstein Area Location's page.

A fourth location is the whole state of Lapland, Finland. The real world make-up of the state is subject to changes that are brought on by plot and player actions. More information about it and a place for player contributions can be found on the Lapland Location's page.

A fifth location is the Christmas Island, which belongs to Australia and is located a good distance off the coast of Java, Indonesia. The real world make-up of the island is subject to changes that are brought on by plot and player actions. More information about it and a place for player contributions can be found on the the Christmas Island Location's page.

Whilst it has already been decided the game will undergo 'seasons' and 'arcs' where when one ends the setting changes, much of what will occur with the plot will be a response to the player's actions. The only NPCs will be normal humans, monsters and the enemy (and their minions) with no untouchable NPCs that are in control of the setting.

Something like a memory loss game and something like an AU game, the idea is that you do not play your character but their reincarnation from their canon in this game's setting. They will have lived their whole life there as an ordinary human being, with the player creating an AU history and personality. Players will be allowed a few major deviations (and lots of minor deviations) from the canon character's personality to make them logically fit into their AU life, but as they spend time in game they will have parts of their previous life returned to them as memories, personality traits, powers, appearance changes and be given items etc. that link them to their past selves. This process is called an Echo. For more detail on Echoes, see this page. Upon receiving their first echo, characters will also receive a number that grants them access to the network.




Season specific information

The game is currently in the second season. This means that the existence of the numbered and the existence of the supernatural is public knowledge. Current and in-detail information can be found in the plot posts and media posts.

The atmosphere in the three echo boundaries is developing very differently and almost independently of each other, as does the atmosphere in the various affected and unaffected countries:
Locke: Hostile. This is to large parts due to Albero's influence, but there are also other factors. Numbered actions in the city are more likely to influence the national and international opinion of the numbered than the local one. Right now, everything is unsure and up in the air.
Vegas: Ever-changing and highly dependent on local developments. All kinds of opinions exist at all times, and it depends on the current mood which ones manifest themselves; the situation in Las Vegas is characterized by massive mood swings and extremes. Player actions may thus have a significant impact on the public opinion.
Neuschwanstein: Cautiously positive. The situation in Locke is regarded as highly condemnable, and for the most part people do not consider the numbered particularly dangerous or as having brought them trouble. Numbered actions will have an impact on the public opinion, but there is a general disinclination to jump to conclusions.
Outside of the boundaries: It is of note that while in the US the public opinion is leaning towards the negative, it leans the further to the positive the further east you go from there, and the further to the neutral the further south you go.
theearth: (Default)
BASICS

Locke City a particularly massive city on the coast of New Jersey, USA, and contains everything you'd expect a city to contain: slums, business and industrial districts, suburbs, hotels, schools. The city has a very strong multicultural make-up, and features an equivalent to a 'Little Italy' or 'China Town' for every culture you can think of. The city was hit by two earthquakes and a supernatural attack in the first half of 2014, causing destruction mostly in the city centre and business district and bringing it into national headlines. The repairs are still ongoing.

The city does not have a predefined geography. It is instead primarily left indistinct for the purpose of allowing the players and the plot to add what they need when they need it. For a general idea of the current weather, please see Ocean City, NJ; however, again, this is not a strict rule and may be bent for the purposes of plotting.

If you add something to the city geography beyond the generic, just drop a small note of it in the appropriate section of the comments. It's only for the purpose of building up the city's contents and perhaps allowing players to coordinate elements together. For example, how many of the school age characters go to the same school? Does someone work at another's favourite pizza joint? For the same reason, if your character works/goes to school/is a member of/etc a place on the list, you can comment to the top level comment of that place. Changes to the places should also be added by way of a comment to the place comment. Example (which is an actual part of the map, too). You may also include links in the general description.

The city contains the obvious for a real world developed city in the USA. Within the surrounding area (and in range of the player characters, yet partly outside of the echo boundaries) is an agricultural hub, taking advantage of a particularly fertile stretch of ground. Similarly a few large woods and forests are in range. Locations of note include:

BUSINESS DISTRICT

This area suffered the most damage in the earthquake and subsequent snake attack on March 9th. The roads have been mostly fixed by now and dangerously unstable buildings have been torn down, but there is still some substantial damage to be seen in the streets.
The Tuning Towers are located in the very centre of the business district The third tallest building in the USA, it stands at 1,350ft tall. Tuning Towers is known for its design that resembles a tuning fork, a combined base but split into two separate towers higher up. It was commissioned by the industrialist Harry Tunings, who had the design made to reference his name and not the other way round.

DEAD DISTRICT

Not officially known as such, the Dead District is the nickname for a large area of long abandoned buildings, that due to legal issues have been left standing to dilapidate. Although the expense is minimal in purchasing the land, every few years someone does and gives up on achieving anything with it quickly. The area spans several blocks and is inhabited by a small society of the homeless population. The name stuck after the then mayor claimed the entire district had dropped dead overnight.
Thunder corp has built a large compound here, housing a pentagon-shaped building.

FORT TURNER

A military installation just about in the range of the player characters. Fort Turner is a US Army base famous during the Revolutionary War for changing hands between the British and American forces an extremely high number of times. The base houses a small military museum within its boundaries, which is separated from the main installation.

HARBOUR

Locke City has, as a coastal city, a harbour. It is used for both commercial and private ships, and trade towards many harbours around the Atlantic goes through it. But not only container ships can be seen there, also the odd cruise ship and many smaller or larger private boats, motorized and with sails, can be found. A decently sized area of storage houses and offices is located in the harbour area, and it's not supposed to be the best neighbourhood in Locke.

LOCKE CITY UNIVERSITY

Abbreviated LCU, Locke City University is a moderately well-known and longstanding institution of higher learning with a considerable population of both full-time and part-time students. While the colleges and degree programs offered are varied, there is a particular focus on history, engineering, Asian studies, and a pretty decent medical program, complete with a teaching hospital adjacent to campus. Their school colors are red, green, and white, with a polar bear mascot named "Bliz" - a source of either embarrassment or fierce defensiveness depending on who you talk to, as well as various controversies over the years due to the claimed "Christmassy" theme in a place that's not even very North Pole-like.

PLAYER CREATED LOCATIONS


Educational facilities
Public services
Food can be acquired here!
Entertainment
Stores
Other
theearth: (Default)
A quick guide to what we look for in an StE application, section by section:

Basic Info:
• If a character doesn't have a full name or a definite age in canon, then you don't need to provide them for their pre-incarnation. For stats/reference purposes, however, we do ask that their reincarnation has both (if applicable - an animal character doesn't need a full name, for example) - you're free to make them up yourself, after all!
If a character's canon has multiple versions that are technically not the same canon (an original and spinoff/reboot, a book version and a film version, etc.), we do ask that it's clear which version you're using!
• A character's re-incarnation may look as similar to their pre-incarnation as you like, within reason, in that a reincarnated character's appearance must be plausible on Earth. For example, if a character's original had violet hair, you may write that they now have hair of a plainer color and/or note that they dye it. Physical features that are unusual by Earth standards can, of course, be Echoed later on!

Pre-Incarnated History:
• You can either write a history wholesale (preferably covering not only events directly concerning your character but a brief explanation of any jargon relevant to them), or link a resource and provide enough notes or summary of your character's history to show how you understand their role in canon in your own words.
• You may link or write information that draws from alternate versions/adaptations of your character's canon if it doesn't contradict the version of canon that you've stated you'll be drawing them from - if you specify that you'll be using it as headcanon!
• If your character is from a canon which includes player/reader choice, please include what route/version of events you'll be treating as "canon" for their past life.

Reincarnated History:
• You don't need to give the unabridged story of their life here, but do note any key points or influences here that shaped who they are today or otherwise give a sense of what kind of life they've lived/are living here! Do they have family, and how do they get along with them? What is their job, and if it's a real career, why did they choose it? Etc.
• Characters are normal people and animals living on normal Earth! Again, you don't need to be extensive with the details, but a character's history needs to line up with real-life plausibility. We may check or ask you to double-check research or facts brought up in what you have in mind for your character. For example, if your character is in their late twenties but you mention that they have a degree which a person isn't ordinarily able to obtain until their late thirties, we'll ask you to explain how they obtained it at their age, or if you're willing to move things around.

First Echo:
• Naturally, we will need the trigger and what was gained - but if the trigger was a "reminder" of your character's past life, the relationship between it and the gain needs to be clear!

Pre-Incarnated Personality:
• What sort of person do you understand a character's pre-incarnation to be? How did they influence or react to events in their canon, and how might their canon circumstances have influenced them? Please do make reference to their behavior and/or other facts in canon to describe who they were at their "core"!

Reincarnated Personality:
• As with above, we're looking for a sense of who your character is both by inclination and due to circumstances. If you're having trouble thinking of reincarnated differences, get creative thinking about the latter - how might being from an entirely different line of work/family/species/culture/setting/time period have shaped them?
• This section should additionally touch on not only what living a different life took away from their pre-incarnated persona, but what it added on. For example, if a character spent most of their original life as a soldier and their reincarnation has been living a peaceful life on a family farm, it should mention not only how not being a soldier has changed them but how specifically living an idyllic life did.

Abilities:
• Touch on understanding of limitations and ways that a character canonically gets creative with them! If a character has a load of abilities or ways that their abilities can manifest, the bare basics/categories of abilities/whatever measure of depth you find manageable followed by a detailed link is acceptable.

Samples:
• We'll be looking for a certain amount of personal introspection and/or behaviors in the third-person sample and a distinguishable "voice" in their network sample. The contents/setup for both should also ideally not be too similar (for example, a character being excited about their newly-acquired pyrokinetic powers in the third-person sample and them showing those powers off in the network sample).
• We accept linked samples - but request that at least one sample is set in the StE-verse and thus is specifically written for their StE-incarnation, and that any samples are not more than a year old.


Sample Applications:

Impmon ("Stephen Bean") | Yoko Usami ("Yoko Aznable") | Sample application requiring revisions for Nico Minoru

If you have any more questions with regards to preparing a character for reincarnation or writing your application, please feel free to ask it on the F.A.Q. and/or get ahold of a mod!