. (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} lifesong_mod) wrote,@ 2008-01-25 11:32:00 |
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Gameplay Basics & FAQ
The game takes place all around the world, but for now we'll focus on these cities:
New York, NY, USA
Los Angeles, CA, USA
London, England
Paris, France
Coming Soon, as the game expands...
Berlin, Germany
Dublin, Ireland
Madrid, Spain
Melbourne, Australia
Tokyo, Japan
Toronto, Canada
Vancouver, Canada
Characters are natives, visitors, exchange students, newly arrived, and returning to their roots -- it's real life. People traveling, going home, leaving the nest for the first time. Anything is possible!
Players may play any character, in any of the currently available cities, at any time. Three years in the future? Totally okay -- just be sure to back up your plotting with current threads, and keep in mind that whatever happens in the future cannot be changed. Be careful with your storylines and where you wish them to go. You may feel more comfortable keeping up with all of your characters and threads in one place, so that you may easily figure out your own timelines.
Players are allowed an initial limit of three characters, with one Lifesong and one Lovesong per character. Not all characters are required to have both songs -- one may have just a Lifesong or just a Lovesong -- or they can have both. It's completely up to the player and what interests you. Characters may have established songs, or the player may choose to play out the discoveries. Whatever the case may be, it's permanent. Choose your characters' songs with careful consideration. No two characters may have the same song, under any circumstances. Remakes do not count as different songs. Do not let this discourage you -- the possibilities are endless! Once a player has proven to be a consistent member of the community, they will be allowed more characters.
Please list the following information outside of the cut on all opening posts:
When: What's the date? The time?
Where: Which city, first and foremost? Now more details -- a cab? A diner? Home?
Who: Who is in this thread? Who is allowed?
What: What's the basic idea of this thread? First meetings? Arguing? Hot monkey lovin'?
Rating: Only required if the rating is higher than PG-13
What's the overall plot? That's up to you -- whatever you choose it to be. There will occasionally be updates on things that the world as a whole would know -- news stories, world events, et cetera -- but the game is driven by you and your characters. It's about their lives, their choices and paths.
Q: Is there an activity minimum at Lifesong?
A: Yes, though it is not strictly enforced. We take the number of characters you play (including those at other games) into consideration, and give you an appropriate amount of time in which to keep your characters here active. Checks are not performed regularly, and are used occasionally only to weed out those players/characters who join and then do nothing.
Q: Can I apply with all three of my first characters at once?
A: Absolutely! Or you can space them out to give you plenty of time to adjust each new character to the game -- however you wish to do it.
Q: How is player dependency/consistency determined?
A: A player is expected to participate in/complete a thread of at least twenty substantial-length comments for each of his/her characters. After having participated in at least one of these threads (or attempting to, by posting an open thread), then journal updates may count as activity, as well.
Q: Okay, so I know it was used as an example, but could I snag 'Hey Jude'?
A: Afraid not. Having an actual character in-game using that song would likely confuse new players. We'd like to keep Jude as our example. :)
Q: I have a character I want to make, but they're kind of important. Like a political figure, or a celebrity. Can I do that?
A: As long as the character is original, and not resembling a real person, then go for it. For example, you would be more than welcome to make a famous actress that would be relatively well known, but you can't use Nicole Kidman and have her personal history be something along the lines of, 'Australian, married a well-known American heartthrob, adopted two children, didn't want to be converted to Scientology, divorced, married an Australian country singer.' K? K. :D You're more than welcome to use filmographies and discographies, though.
Q: Is this game rated? Do I need to be a certain age to play?
A: While it's not officially rated, there will obviously be mature themes and language. It's modeled after real-life, after all. However, it isn't porn. Use your discretion -- if you think that you're mature enough (and old enough) to be able to pick up a novel with erotic themes and graphic descriptions of gore at your local bookstore, then you're probably fine with what's going on here. Besides, everything will be flagged for those wishing to avoid such storylines. (See next question.)
Q: Do I need to adhere to any rules regarding ratings while playing?
A: You may play however you like with only the following in mind:
1 - You obviously can't do something to another character without having their player's permission. End of discussion. No kissing, no fighting, not even grabbing them to go to Candy Mountain for an ice cream cone is cool if the other player doesn't agree. Fair enough, right?
2 - You absolutely must put notifications up -- outside the cut/comments -- if your thread crosses any of the following lines: sexual activity, violence, excessive language, felony-grade crimes. That's it! Easy peasy!
Q: If a PB is being used in, say, NYC and I want to make a character in London, can I use the same PB since they're in different countries?
A: No. While the possibility of them crossing paths is slim, we don't want to risk it. Stick with originality, unless you absolutely must make a set of identical twins. Which... isn't encouraged, but hey. It happens. Also, for this reason, you may not use PBs for NPCs. Your character may very well have a hot brother that looks like Brad Pitt, but if another player would like to use said hottie for a PB, it's fair game.
Q: Are there any songs that are off-limits? Musicals, etc.?
A: Aside from the example song ("Hey Jude") and instrumental music (for obvious reasons), no. It's all fair game. In fact, there are quite a few musical songs and soundtrack-type tunes that could be very interesting in this world.
Q: If I choose, for instance, 'I Will Always Love You,' am I required to use Dolly Parton's original version? Or can I use Whitney Houston's/various other artists who have covered this and many other songs?
A: It's completely up to you! Whichever version you prefer and whichever version has the best feel for your character is allowed. But remember -- no one else will be able to pick up a different version of that song. So no worries. :)
Q: What's the time period that I'm playing in here?
A: There is no set period, though we have established that it is after the main discovery in 2009. You can play in that year, 2010, or even 2020 -- it's completely up to you. Just remember that creating a character and playing only in 2020 might limit your interaction.
Q: Does my character's life have to follow his/her Lifesong? What about relationships with Lovesongs?
A: It's really up to the player as to how much they want to follow the songs -- some may choose them as guidelines, others may incorporate every single lyric into the character's life/relationship. If you were to choose a song like 'The Last Kiss,' you could either doom that poor character to lose every person he/she loves, or you can doom them to lose that one special person, just once. As long as their lives/relationships resemble the song in a pretty obvious way, it's up to you where it goes from there.
Q: I'm a little stumped and can't really think of a song for my character right now... can I app them and give them a song later?
A: Absolutely! Just keep in mind that the longer it takes, the less songs are available. And there'll be no need to hold your song, since you'll have already been approved (presumably); just notify the mod and the song will be added to the character's mini-profile and added to the 'taken' list.
Q: Can I change my played-by? Can I add an older/younger PB later on in the game?
A: While sometimes this is understandable, it can overall just be confusing. Please let us know why you'd like to change a model and we'll decide case-by-case. As far as adding a younger/older PB later in the game -- absolutely! Just be sure to notify us so that we can add him/her to the taken list.
Still have a question? Feel free to leave it here in a comment (will be screened), or email it to the moderator at lifesong.mod@gmail.com!
The game takes place all around the world, but for now we'll focus on these cities:
New York, NY, USA
Los Angeles, CA, USA
London, England
Paris, France
Coming Soon, as the game expands...
Berlin, Germany
Dublin, Ireland
Madrid, Spain
Melbourne, Australia
Tokyo, Japan
Toronto, Canada
Vancouver, Canada
Characters are natives, visitors, exchange students, newly arrived, and returning to their roots -- it's real life. People traveling, going home, leaving the nest for the first time. Anything is possible!
Players may play any character, in any of the currently available cities, at any time. Three years in the future? Totally okay -- just be sure to back up your plotting with current threads, and keep in mind that whatever happens in the future cannot be changed. Be careful with your storylines and where you wish them to go. You may feel more comfortable keeping up with all of your characters and threads in one place, so that you may easily figure out your own timelines.
Players are allowed an initial limit of three characters, with one Lifesong and one Lovesong per character. Not all characters are required to have both songs -- one may have just a Lifesong or just a Lovesong -- or they can have both. It's completely up to the player and what interests you. Characters may have established songs, or the player may choose to play out the discoveries. Whatever the case may be, it's permanent. Choose your characters' songs with careful consideration. No two characters may have the same song, under any circumstances. Remakes do not count as different songs. Do not let this discourage you -- the possibilities are endless! Once a player has proven to be a consistent member of the community, they will be allowed more characters.
Please list the following information outside of the cut on all opening posts:
When: What's the date? The time?
Where: Which city, first and foremost? Now more details -- a cab? A diner? Home?
Who: Who is in this thread? Who is allowed?
What: What's the basic idea of this thread? First meetings? Arguing? Hot monkey lovin'?
Rating: Only required if the rating is higher than PG-13
What's the overall plot? That's up to you -- whatever you choose it to be. There will occasionally be updates on things that the world as a whole would know -- news stories, world events, et cetera -- but the game is driven by you and your characters. It's about their lives, their choices and paths.
Q: Is there an activity minimum at Lifesong?
A: Yes, though it is not strictly enforced. We take the number of characters you play (including those at other games) into consideration, and give you an appropriate amount of time in which to keep your characters here active. Checks are not performed regularly, and are used occasionally only to weed out those players/characters who join and then do nothing.
Q: Can I apply with all three of my first characters at once?
A: Absolutely! Or you can space them out to give you plenty of time to adjust each new character to the game -- however you wish to do it.
Q: How is player dependency/consistency determined?
A: A player is expected to participate in/complete a thread of at least twenty substantial-length comments for each of his/her characters. After having participated in at least one of these threads (or attempting to, by posting an open thread), then journal updates may count as activity, as well.
Q: Okay, so I know it was used as an example, but could I snag 'Hey Jude'?
A: Afraid not. Having an actual character in-game using that song would likely confuse new players. We'd like to keep Jude as our example. :)
Q: I have a character I want to make, but they're kind of important. Like a political figure, or a celebrity. Can I do that?
A: As long as the character is original, and not resembling a real person, then go for it. For example, you would be more than welcome to make a famous actress that would be relatively well known, but you can't use Nicole Kidman and have her personal history be something along the lines of, 'Australian, married a well-known American heartthrob, adopted two children, didn't want to be converted to Scientology, divorced, married an Australian country singer.' K? K. :D You're more than welcome to use filmographies and discographies, though.
Q: Is this game rated? Do I need to be a certain age to play?
A: While it's not officially rated, there will obviously be mature themes and language. It's modeled after real-life, after all. However, it isn't porn. Use your discretion -- if you think that you're mature enough (and old enough) to be able to pick up a novel with erotic themes and graphic descriptions of gore at your local bookstore, then you're probably fine with what's going on here. Besides, everything will be flagged for those wishing to avoid such storylines. (See next question.)
Q: Do I need to adhere to any rules regarding ratings while playing?
A: You may play however you like with only the following in mind:
1 - You obviously can't do something to another character without having their player's permission. End of discussion. No kissing, no fighting, not even grabbing them to go to Candy Mountain for an ice cream cone is cool if the other player doesn't agree. Fair enough, right?
2 - You absolutely must put notifications up -- outside the cut/comments -- if your thread crosses any of the following lines: sexual activity, violence, excessive language, felony-grade crimes. That's it! Easy peasy!
Q: If a PB is being used in, say, NYC and I want to make a character in London, can I use the same PB since they're in different countries?
A: No. While the possibility of them crossing paths is slim, we don't want to risk it. Stick with originality, unless you absolutely must make a set of identical twins. Which... isn't encouraged, but hey. It happens. Also, for this reason, you may not use PBs for NPCs. Your character may very well have a hot brother that looks like Brad Pitt, but if another player would like to use said hottie for a PB, it's fair game.
Q: Are there any songs that are off-limits? Musicals, etc.?
A: Aside from the example song ("Hey Jude") and instrumental music (for obvious reasons), no. It's all fair game. In fact, there are quite a few musical songs and soundtrack-type tunes that could be very interesting in this world.
Q: If I choose, for instance, 'I Will Always Love You,' am I required to use Dolly Parton's original version? Or can I use Whitney Houston's/various other artists who have covered this and many other songs?
A: It's completely up to you! Whichever version you prefer and whichever version has the best feel for your character is allowed. But remember -- no one else will be able to pick up a different version of that song. So no worries. :)
Q: What's the time period that I'm playing in here?
A: There is no set period, though we have established that it is after the main discovery in 2009. You can play in that year, 2010, or even 2020 -- it's completely up to you. Just remember that creating a character and playing only in 2020 might limit your interaction.
Q: Does my character's life have to follow his/her Lifesong? What about relationships with Lovesongs?
A: It's really up to the player as to how much they want to follow the songs -- some may choose them as guidelines, others may incorporate every single lyric into the character's life/relationship. If you were to choose a song like 'The Last Kiss,' you could either doom that poor character to lose every person he/she loves, or you can doom them to lose that one special person, just once. As long as their lives/relationships resemble the song in a pretty obvious way, it's up to you where it goes from there.
Q: I'm a little stumped and can't really think of a song for my character right now... can I app them and give them a song later?
A: Absolutely! Just keep in mind that the longer it takes, the less songs are available. And there'll be no need to hold your song, since you'll have already been approved (presumably); just notify the mod and the song will be added to the character's mini-profile and added to the 'taken' list.
Q: Can I change my played-by? Can I add an older/younger PB later on in the game?
A: While sometimes this is understandable, it can overall just be confusing. Please let us know why you'd like to change a model and we'll decide case-by-case. As far as adding a younger/older PB later in the game -- absolutely! Just be sure to notify us so that we can add him/her to the taken list.
Still have a question? Feel free to leave it here in a comment (will be screened), or email it to the moderator at lifesong.mod@gmail.com!
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