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Marina Asylum Mods (![[info]](http://www.inksome.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} marinamod) wrote,@ 2009-02-14 13:18:00 |
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FAQ
Gameplay Questions
What possessions do I have when I enter the Marina Asylum?
Whatever you have on you, minus anything overtly dangerous. This means no guns, no swords, no hidden knives. If your weapon is grafted onto you somehow, you'll get to keep it, although it will be as de-armed as possible (e.g. the bullets removed or etc). If you have the ability to magically summon your weapons, you're in luck -- you're still armed! But Sentience isn't crazy enough to let Opera walk into the dome with a four-foot beam gun just because she always carries that around.
What's considered a "crime"? Does my character know what their crimes are?
Your character's crimes are listed in their welcome information, and they may or may not be surprised to see what Sentience considers a crime!
For those of you who haven't committed any actual crimes, just pick a cardinal sin or a bad personality trait and run with it.
Anything that resulted from your character's actions that could be objectionable can be a crime: a decision that caused people to die or suffer, a failure that led to a broken promise or a promise you might not be able to keep later on, even hurting someone's feelings -- consciously or otherwise.
Crimes against intelligent beings (e.g. humans, humanoids, or other races that are self-aware) (Sentience classifies dolphins as such!) are judged much more harshly than crimes against non-intelligent beings (e.g. animals). Wanton cruelty to non-intelligent beings is a crime, but killing one for food isn't... unless Sentience is feeling reeeally nitpicky and can't think of any better reason to snatch you up. That could lead to murder of intelligent beings down the line, one supposes.
What are the communicators like?
All characters are equipped with ear-and-mouth centric headsets, with viewscreens (slightly tinted blue) that extend over one eye. Text viewed through or on the viewscreen will be translated into a language you can read (if you can read!) -- and audio heard through the earpiece will be automatically translated into the language you use to think.
Via the communicators you have access to the Marina Asylum network, where you can access the facility map, the network communications of other players, and read available encyclopedia articles -- including the articles on Marina Asylum, its locations, and its policies.
The communicators are comfortable, made to be worn for long periods of time, such as most of the day. They're easily removable for sleep, showering, or other reasons.
How is Japanese translated?
The same way as every other language: completely. Artifacts will remain only if the concept refers to something other than its literal translation.
Unless your character's language has suffixes, they will not hear suffixes, the same way that Japanese will hear "-san" instead of "Mrs."
Unless your character's language places the last name first, they will hear "Ranma Saotome" and not "Saotome Ranma", because that is the order they will comprehend the name in.
How do I make text posts?! My character needs those! He's deaf or mute!
Your character is the only one who has the ability to make text posts. Your communicator will be a hand-held unit with a keyboard and a transparent blue-tinted viewscreen rising above it instead of the ear-and-mouth-centric headsets the others have -- a very sleek, futuristic PDA. Although bigger than and different from the viewscreen on the headsets, it serves the same function: to enable video posts and recording, as well as translating text. All audio, video or otherwise, will also be captioned on the viewscreen, with a high degree of accuracy, although not 100%.
Blind characters will hear the rare text posts read out loud to them by their communicator.
What kind of posts can I make?
There are three kinds of post -- a voice network post, a video network post, or an in-person action post. Posts and comments are assumed to be voice posts unless otherwise stated. All posts should be tagged with your personal tag (usually your character name in first-last order, e.g. orihime inoue) and in-person action posts should be tagged with :action as well. Action posts may be in any format, including cleaned IM log, prose commenting, or comment threading.
You can also lock a post or a comment to a certain select group of people, or private a post or comment to only one person.
As mentioned above, text posts are permitted by characters with special communicators.
Can I mix it up, put a little [in person] in my [voice] post?
Yes. But if you do, please don't forget to add the :action tag, and please be courteous -- if you're going to end up spamming someone else's voice post for a hundred comments, consider making a post of your own. (This applies to all comment spamming, actually.)
What are the communicator security levels and how do they work?
There are two basic security levels: private and filtered. No matter which level is being used, only the initiating character has to exert any effort. Once the channel has been created, the other character would have to deliberately return to a public channel in order to stop using it.
Private channels are easier to create than filtered channels: your character just needs to press the small button labeled private. This will automatically lock whatever conversation they are currently having, and no one else will be able to overhear. (The default private channel is reasonably hackable, but hopefully it goes without saying that you should never hack a thread without permission from the players involved.)
Filtered channels are a little trickier, but still a reasonably obvious option provided by the communicator. To use a filter, your character will have to provide the name(s) of whichever other character(s) they wish to avoid or talk to, plus the appropriate code phrase: "filter to" or "filter from". This format means that a filter cannot be used against or with a stranger.
In both cases, a textual display (or audio for blind characters, played once when the security level changes) will appear, announcing in a small, easily-overlooked typeface that the channel is either private or filtered from [character name].
Characters with advanced hacking skills will be able to use additional security levels, but the notification will continue to appear unless they deliberately remove it.
What if I ditch or destroy my communicator?
Go right ahead! It won't matter to Sentience one way or the other: Sentience uses sensors throughout the dome to monitor and track the DNA signature and life-signs of each resident. But maybe your character might want to do so out of spite or ignorance.
If you get rid of your communicators, you'll only be able to make in-person action posts, and you'll be unable to comment on other people's posts. Also, you will no longer be able to understand anyone who doesn't speak a language you canonically understand; you don't just magically know English if you're from Auldrant.
When you get tired of everyone around you conversing in moonspeak, you can get another communicator if you ask Sentience nicely.
I had a curse/geass/magic spell on me when I came here. Is it weak or breakable now?
No. Things that affected you prior to your arrival in Marina Asylum still affect you as strongly as they ever did. A new curse/geass/magic spell will be weak and breakable, because the person who puts it on you will be weaker, and your curses/geass/magic spells will be weaker because you are weaker. But existing effects are unchanged, unless they give you exceptional power.
Can I pretend this is a sex RP and the point is to have as many porn logs as possible?
No. Sentience can read your life-signs with sensors, as mentioned above, and when you have sex, your body does all sorts of crazy things. Sentience will know. And get irritated if it happens too often. The people here are criminal masterminds, crazy demi-gods, and the occasional accidental goody-goody. They're not to breed a superior race of crazy criminal mastermind demi-gods with goody-goody tendencies.
Sentience does not know, or care, who you are having sex with, or if you are capable of breeding together. All it knows is that repeated sexual encounters raise the odds of procreation vastly, and so it will take action to stop you from continuing to have them. You may find yourself micro-chipped or shock-collared. That'll be fun!
If anyone does end up pregnant, Sentience will be very angry. Although that could be interesting, couldn't it...?
How can I request something?
In-game, your character can request materials and supplies and anything, really, from Sentience. There is a kiosk in Sector 1, near the shelter, that will allow your character to contact Sentience directly.
Approach and make your request. If Sentience deems that your request is reasonable (not dangerous or contrary to its mission), it will indulge you. Unusual items arrive the same way food does -- through a series of underwater airlocks, couriered down into the depths courtesy of your local friendly dolphins.
No one can really say who is packaging the materials for the dolphins.
Out of game, contact a mod! Ask them if the thing you want to do is acceptable. This includes stealing items from Sentience's facilities, all acquired knowledge, and any found item that isn't 100% obvious and commonly available. In fact, if you are even remotely unsure if you can do something, ask a mod. Better safe than sorry (and in trouble with the mods).
What if I die?
Then you die. Sentience doesn't care. You're a criminal, the world is better off without you, honestly. This means that you can't have your character killed unless you really, seriously intend to leave the game in a dramatic fashion, or reset your character, also in a dramatic fashion.
This is something you need to work out with other players. An assailant may not kill another player without permission, obviously. Alternatives to outright killing include severe beatings, a third party interrupting before the final blow is struck, or lingeringly fatal injuries.
A character who is unconscious or dying will be recovered by the bots and brought to the hospital, where they will be saved by the extremely advanced technology there.
Plot Questions
Where are all the other criminals? Has Marina Aslyum only recently started operation?
Well, there must be some reason it has so many graveyards, right?
What are the bots?
Machines, perhaps five feet tall, that respond to Sentience's direction. This includes duties like restocking and maintaining the buildings, or cleaning up litter and bodies (same difference to Sentience). Most bots are equipped with moderate defensive capabilities -- a temporary impenetrable barrier -- but they will in almost all cases ignore characters completely, and go quietly about their duties.
Some resources, such as the hospital, are run entirely by bots, and these resources are guarded by more advanced bots called sentinels. The sentinels have the temporary impenetrable barrier, as well as more advanced weapons. They are not indestructible, but if you attack one, the others will come after you and hurt you very badly. Sentience objects to the destruction of its property.
What happens at nightfall?
At 6PM, the ambient lights start to dim, and a warning siren goes off. Sirens also go off at 6:30 and 6:50 while the lights continue to dim. At precisely 7PM, the lights are completely dimmed, and turn off entirely. A long siren goes off, simultaneous with the steel shutters that rise slowly around the shelter. It's now night.
Then, the monsters come out.
The shutters remain up until 6AM the following morning, and then they go down, silently, just before Sentience makes its early morning wake-up call, notifying characters [and players] that the new day has begun!
The monsters?
When you put a lot of villains in the same vicinity, some of them get creative. After nightfall, monsters are released into the asylum proper; they are intelligent, they crave slaughter, they can smell you, and they will find you.
The only place truly safe from them is the shelter in the center of the city. Although that's not necessarily iron-clad...
The monsters themselves are what some might call "velociraptors", although they're not what viewers of Jurassic Park would recognize. Small reptilian creatures with feathery arms, heads, and tails, they come up to about mid-thigh on an average male, walking at times on all four legs but usually on two: their back haunches are powerful and make them fast runners, and their smaller front legs nimble enough to achieve primitive work, such as pushing, pulling, and opening. Although small, one can and will tear a man to pieces in seconds.
They travel alone, and alone, they can be tricky to kill, but not difficult. However, odds are good that if one is heard or smelled in combat, others will come. But no matter how many you kill, they can't be wiped out entirely. It's as if someone keeps making more...
Update: The "beta" raptors are faster and more vicious than their predecessors.
What if I don't want to live in the shelter?
You don't have to. Sentience doesn't care where you sleep. But it's the only place that's currently safe from the monsters, so you may be attacked in the night. Remember, the monsters can work doorknobs and will break down doors. Have fun!
Gameplay Questions
What possessions do I have when I enter the Marina Asylum?
Whatever you have on you, minus anything overtly dangerous. This means no guns, no swords, no hidden knives. If your weapon is grafted onto you somehow, you'll get to keep it, although it will be as de-armed as possible (e.g. the bullets removed or etc). If you have the ability to magically summon your weapons, you're in luck -- you're still armed! But Sentience isn't crazy enough to let Opera walk into the dome with a four-foot beam gun just because she always carries that around.
What's considered a "crime"? Does my character know what their crimes are?
Your character's crimes are listed in their welcome information, and they may or may not be surprised to see what Sentience considers a crime!
For those of you who haven't committed any actual crimes, just pick a cardinal sin or a bad personality trait and run with it.
Anything that resulted from your character's actions that could be objectionable can be a crime: a decision that caused people to die or suffer, a failure that led to a broken promise or a promise you might not be able to keep later on, even hurting someone's feelings -- consciously or otherwise.
Crimes against intelligent beings (e.g. humans, humanoids, or other races that are self-aware) (Sentience classifies dolphins as such!) are judged much more harshly than crimes against non-intelligent beings (e.g. animals). Wanton cruelty to non-intelligent beings is a crime, but killing one for food isn't... unless Sentience is feeling reeeally nitpicky and can't think of any better reason to snatch you up. That could lead to murder of intelligent beings down the line, one supposes.
What are the communicators like?
All characters are equipped with ear-and-mouth centric headsets, with viewscreens (slightly tinted blue) that extend over one eye. Text viewed through or on the viewscreen will be translated into a language you can read (if you can read!) -- and audio heard through the earpiece will be automatically translated into the language you use to think.
Via the communicators you have access to the Marina Asylum network, where you can access the facility map, the network communications of other players, and read available encyclopedia articles -- including the articles on Marina Asylum, its locations, and its policies.
The communicators are comfortable, made to be worn for long periods of time, such as most of the day. They're easily removable for sleep, showering, or other reasons.
How is Japanese translated?
The same way as every other language: completely. Artifacts will remain only if the concept refers to something other than its literal translation.
Unless your character's language has suffixes, they will not hear suffixes, the same way that Japanese will hear "-san" instead of "Mrs."
Unless your character's language places the last name first, they will hear "Ranma Saotome" and not "Saotome Ranma", because that is the order they will comprehend the name in.
How do I make text posts?! My character needs those! He's deaf or mute!
Your character is the only one who has the ability to make text posts. Your communicator will be a hand-held unit with a keyboard and a transparent blue-tinted viewscreen rising above it instead of the ear-and-mouth-centric headsets the others have -- a very sleek, futuristic PDA. Although bigger than and different from the viewscreen on the headsets, it serves the same function: to enable video posts and recording, as well as translating text. All audio, video or otherwise, will also be captioned on the viewscreen, with a high degree of accuracy, although not 100%.
Blind characters will hear the rare text posts read out loud to them by their communicator.
What kind of posts can I make?
There are three kinds of post -- a voice network post, a video network post, or an in-person action post. Posts and comments are assumed to be voice posts unless otherwise stated. All posts should be tagged with your personal tag (usually your character name in first-last order, e.g. orihime inoue) and in-person action posts should be tagged with :action as well. Action posts may be in any format, including cleaned IM log, prose commenting, or comment threading.
You can also lock a post or a comment to a certain select group of people, or private a post or comment to only one person.
As mentioned above, text posts are permitted by characters with special communicators.
Can I mix it up, put a little [in person] in my [voice] post?
Yes. But if you do, please don't forget to add the :action tag, and please be courteous -- if you're going to end up spamming someone else's voice post for a hundred comments, consider making a post of your own. (This applies to all comment spamming, actually.)
What are the communicator security levels and how do they work?
There are two basic security levels: private and filtered. No matter which level is being used, only the initiating character has to exert any effort. Once the channel has been created, the other character would have to deliberately return to a public channel in order to stop using it.
Private channels are easier to create than filtered channels: your character just needs to press the small button labeled private. This will automatically lock whatever conversation they are currently having, and no one else will be able to overhear. (The default private channel is reasonably hackable, but hopefully it goes without saying that you should never hack a thread without permission from the players involved.)
Filtered channels are a little trickier, but still a reasonably obvious option provided by the communicator. To use a filter, your character will have to provide the name(s) of whichever other character(s) they wish to avoid or talk to, plus the appropriate code phrase: "filter to" or "filter from". This format means that a filter cannot be used against or with a stranger.
In both cases, a textual display (or audio for blind characters, played once when the security level changes) will appear, announcing in a small, easily-overlooked typeface that the channel is either private or filtered from [character name].
Characters with advanced hacking skills will be able to use additional security levels, but the notification will continue to appear unless they deliberately remove it.
What if I ditch or destroy my communicator?
Go right ahead! It won't matter to Sentience one way or the other: Sentience uses sensors throughout the dome to monitor and track the DNA signature and life-signs of each resident. But maybe your character might want to do so out of spite or ignorance.
If you get rid of your communicators, you'll only be able to make in-person action posts, and you'll be unable to comment on other people's posts. Also, you will no longer be able to understand anyone who doesn't speak a language you canonically understand; you don't just magically know English if you're from Auldrant.
When you get tired of everyone around you conversing in moonspeak, you can get another communicator if you ask Sentience nicely.
I had a curse/geass/magic spell on me when I came here. Is it weak or breakable now?
No. Things that affected you prior to your arrival in Marina Asylum still affect you as strongly as they ever did. A new curse/geass/magic spell will be weak and breakable, because the person who puts it on you will be weaker, and your curses/geass/magic spells will be weaker because you are weaker. But existing effects are unchanged, unless they give you exceptional power.
Can I pretend this is a sex RP and the point is to have as many porn logs as possible?
No. Sentience can read your life-signs with sensors, as mentioned above, and when you have sex, your body does all sorts of crazy things. Sentience will know. And get irritated if it happens too often. The people here are criminal masterminds, crazy demi-gods, and the occasional accidental goody-goody. They're not to breed a superior race of crazy criminal mastermind demi-gods with goody-goody tendencies.
Sentience does not know, or care, who you are having sex with, or if you are capable of breeding together. All it knows is that repeated sexual encounters raise the odds of procreation vastly, and so it will take action to stop you from continuing to have them. You may find yourself micro-chipped or shock-collared. That'll be fun!
If anyone does end up pregnant, Sentience will be very angry. Although that could be interesting, couldn't it...?
How can I request something?
In-game, your character can request materials and supplies and anything, really, from Sentience. There is a kiosk in Sector 1, near the shelter, that will allow your character to contact Sentience directly.
Approach and make your request. If Sentience deems that your request is reasonable (not dangerous or contrary to its mission), it will indulge you. Unusual items arrive the same way food does -- through a series of underwater airlocks, couriered down into the depths courtesy of your local friendly dolphins.
No one can really say who is packaging the materials for the dolphins.
Out of game, contact a mod! Ask them if the thing you want to do is acceptable. This includes stealing items from Sentience's facilities, all acquired knowledge, and any found item that isn't 100% obvious and commonly available. In fact, if you are even remotely unsure if you can do something, ask a mod. Better safe than sorry (and in trouble with the mods).
What if I die?
Then you die. Sentience doesn't care. You're a criminal, the world is better off without you, honestly. This means that you can't have your character killed unless you really, seriously intend to leave the game in a dramatic fashion, or reset your character, also in a dramatic fashion.
This is something you need to work out with other players. An assailant may not kill another player without permission, obviously. Alternatives to outright killing include severe beatings, a third party interrupting before the final blow is struck, or lingeringly fatal injuries.
A character who is unconscious or dying will be recovered by the bots and brought to the hospital, where they will be saved by the extremely advanced technology there.
Plot Questions
Where are all the other criminals? Has Marina Aslyum only recently started operation?
Well, there must be some reason it has so many graveyards, right?
What are the bots?
Machines, perhaps five feet tall, that respond to Sentience's direction. This includes duties like restocking and maintaining the buildings, or cleaning up litter and bodies (same difference to Sentience). Most bots are equipped with moderate defensive capabilities -- a temporary impenetrable barrier -- but they will in almost all cases ignore characters completely, and go quietly about their duties.
Some resources, such as the hospital, are run entirely by bots, and these resources are guarded by more advanced bots called sentinels. The sentinels have the temporary impenetrable barrier, as well as more advanced weapons. They are not indestructible, but if you attack one, the others will come after you and hurt you very badly. Sentience objects to the destruction of its property.
What happens at nightfall?
At 6PM, the ambient lights start to dim, and a warning siren goes off. Sirens also go off at 6:30 and 6:50 while the lights continue to dim. At precisely 7PM, the lights are completely dimmed, and turn off entirely. A long siren goes off, simultaneous with the steel shutters that rise slowly around the shelter. It's now night.
Then, the monsters come out.
The shutters remain up until 6AM the following morning, and then they go down, silently, just before Sentience makes its early morning wake-up call, notifying characters [and players] that the new day has begun!
The monsters?
When you put a lot of villains in the same vicinity, some of them get creative. After nightfall, monsters are released into the asylum proper; they are intelligent, they crave slaughter, they can smell you, and they will find you.
The only place truly safe from them is the shelter in the center of the city. Although that's not necessarily iron-clad...
The monsters themselves are what some might call "velociraptors", although they're not what viewers of Jurassic Park would recognize. Small reptilian creatures with feathery arms, heads, and tails, they come up to about mid-thigh on an average male, walking at times on all four legs but usually on two: their back haunches are powerful and make them fast runners, and their smaller front legs nimble enough to achieve primitive work, such as pushing, pulling, and opening. Although small, one can and will tear a man to pieces in seconds.
They travel alone, and alone, they can be tricky to kill, but not difficult. However, odds are good that if one is heard or smelled in combat, others will come. But no matter how many you kill, they can't be wiped out entirely. It's as if someone keeps making more...
Update: The "beta" raptors are faster and more vicious than their predecessors.
What if I don't want to live in the shelter?
You don't have to. Sentience doesn't care where you sleep. But it's the only place that's currently safe from the monsters, so you may be attacked in the night. Remember, the monsters can work doorknobs and will break down doors. Have fun!