Post by Vive on Feb 25, 2013 5:48:11 GMT -6
This is our FAQ. If you have any questions about the game, it's worthwhile to check here first and see if the answer is here. There is also important information in this thread, so it is recommended for new players to read it through.
If you are looking for a specific question, try pressing "CTRL" + "F" and then typing a keyword, to search the FAQ.
I just joined and I'm lost. I don't know how to get started.
Welcome to the site! Maybe this guide will come in handy to you: CLICK HERE!
I accidentally double-posted!
Don't worry, it happens! Before you delete the extra post, however, please make sure to message a staff member so they can remove the extra point. Keeping the extra point is cheating, and you will be penalized for doing so. Keep things honest and fair!
Why wasn't my character application accepted?
This could be for a number of reasons. A staff member should have said why your application wasn't accepted, and give you some tips on how to improve it (you can rewrite your form and it'll most likely be accepted). If you were applying for a first generation character, you may have been missing some information from the form, or maybe you posted after someone had already posted above you.
What is a 'wave'?
I made an open thread, but no one is joining!
Please try and understand that other members may be busy or they may have other plans for their characters. You may need to wait for a while before someone jumps into your open thread. It might be worthwhile being proactive instead, by creating a post on the plotting board (in the OOC section), and ask people to join there. Alternatively, check out other members' plot threads and you may find that your character fits wonderfully into someone else's story idea.
Is eye colour included in the game?
Unfortunately, no. We don't add it to the breedings and stats because we don't draw it on the character image (coloured eyes look really strange on them, trust me). The white eyes keep the cartoony look. You are free to either assume that your character's eyes are "clear" or you can pick your own eye colour for them!
How can my character become a carnivore/omnivore?
All gen 1 characters start as herbivores. Second generation and beyond characters may be born as carnivores or omnivores, if they've inherited this trait from their parent/s.
In order for your character to become a carnivore or omnivore, you must buy a mouth or beak from the character shops that corresponds to the diet you want. Bear in mind that mouths, just like other markings and mutations, may rotate in and out of the shops every Autumn or Spring, and so may not be available at all times.
Once you have bought a carnivorous or omnivorous mouth for your character, they can eat meat. Vive is not Earth, and as such it does not have 'normal' animals living in it. We do, however, have our own unique NPC animal species that your characters can hunt and fight. Check out the Flora and Fauna Guide for a current list of discovered species.
Are there any other animals that live on Vive?
There are insects and tiny living things like bacteria and algae (and plants, of course). The playable species have human-like intelligence. Our substitutes for 'animals' are made-up species. You can read more about them in our Flora and Fauna Guide!
Does Vive exist in the human world?
Nope. Vive exists in a different dimension/galaxy/planet (however you'd like to imagine it) from Earth. Therefore, absolutely no man-made or human items exist in the roleplay. Your character cannot have knowledge of anything that would pertain to Earth life, including but not limited to: the names of countries, pop culture references, human food or clothing items, etc.
Vive has its own wildlife, or 'fauna' as well call them. Therefore there is no such thing as 'wild rabbits', for instance.
The only wild animals Vive has in common with Earth are that it has insects. All different kinds!
How often does the season change?
Ideally, we'll aim to change the season every 6-8 weeks, and have 2 game years per real year. However, the season may change depending on how active the site is instead. If things are going very slow, we may keep the season going for a bit longer, or even skip a season if not much is happening.
Is liquid time allowed?
Yes. However, we have a thread cap of four (4) threads per character. It's recommended that you keep track of these in your Character Log. For example, you can make a 'Thread Tracker' post for all of your on-going threads, or add in each character's threads as part of their log information.
Also, first generation characters cannot access liquid time before they exit their wave thread. They have to have exited that thread before making/entering other threads.
When is the breeding season?
We do not have one. It's up to players to decide when they want their characters to breed. Please be reasonable though!
Are there any breeding limits?
Yes. There is no limit on how many breedings each player can perform per season, but we strongly discourage 2nd generation+ characters to breed until they are at least 6 months old (2 seasons) in game-time.
Can the different species interbreed?
Short answer: no. In general, furs can only breed with furs, scales only with scales, and feathers only with feathers.
HOWEVER, we do on occasion have a rare event where a strange plant appears. This plant pollinates the Lifeseed Flowers and makes them able to produce hybrids. Hybrid characters are infertile, and cannot breed. They also cannot have markings or mutations applied to them.
This event will be announced in the News & Updates board when it occurs.
What happens if an offspring inherits a marking but not the growth to put it on?
Say if a parent has a "tailtip" marking, which the offspring inherits- but does not inherit the tail. In this case, the offspring will still have the marking, it just won't show. If you ever buy a tail for the offspring, the marking will appear. Also, if that character breeds, it will have a chance to pass on that marking, as usual.
How often can characters breed? At what age?
Again, up to you! You can set your own limits. Just try to be a little realistic and don't go popping out babies every week. Give the parents some time to adjust, and the babies time to grow up. For second generation characters and up, we generally ask that you wait until they're at least two seasons old (or six months).
How are offspring born?
If the fruits of the same Lifeseed Flower are consumed by two Vivians of the same species on the same day, then the flower will close. When the light of the next morning hits it for the first time, it will open up to reveal their offspring.
Can my character have a magic power?
Very small powers are allowed, such as might be associated with a "seer" or "shaman", for example, having an insight into the future, a strong connection with nature, etc. Your character is allowed some magic ability, yes. "Big" powers like mind reading or shooting flamethrowers out of your mouth, are not allowed. Keep it subtle.
What is the lifespan of these characters?
There isn't one. Characters live as long as you'd like them to, and die whenever you think they're ready. If you look at old characters, breedings, threads, et cetera, you'll see that characters have a set lifespan -- this has since been removed and replaced with mutation caps! Feel no need to follow these guidelines.
What happens when one of my characters dies?
Players usually choose to create a 'death thread' for their character to officially write them out of the story. You can kill off your character at any point.
Each character has their own post in the "Deceased Characters" archive. First generation characters have their information copied from the player's character log and pasted into their original joining thread, which is moved to the archive. Please message a staff member to tell them your gen 1 has died, so they can archive it.
A staff member told me not to "god mod". What does that mean?
"God modding" is a roleplay term, that refers to when someone controls or injures another person's character in their reply. Remember that you can only control your own character's actions, and you have to wait for the other person to post their own character.
How do I buy something from the shop?
First, you need to make sure you have the right amount of points for the item you want to buy. You can check how many points you have in your profile (click your username on a post to bring it up). Then, simply comment on the shop thread with what item you want to buy (if it is a marking or growth, say what colour you want it to be). A staff member will deduct the points from your account and update your character's image.
How come the shop doesn't have [x item]?
The shop rotates every second season (each Spring and Autumn, game time). When this happens, new items come in, old items come back and some old ones disappear. Items are arranged in categories, and sometimes, a whole category is removed so that a new one can take its place. So if you don't see "mouths" or "face markings" available for one shop rotation, keep an eye out, and they may come back later on. It is possible to get currently unavailable markings and mutations through an item called the "lucky die", or through "random marking/mutation for offspring" items. These can be purchased in the Magical Item shop.
I don't like the character images D:
I'm sorry! I (Ash) have made my best effort to revamp the character images from the style they used to be in, but the cartoonish style still might not be your thing. The Vive characters are drawn in this style so that they are easy to edit, and don't restrict the imagination. For example, a four-legged fur may be, in the player's mind, a dog, cat, deer or mouse! All of these animals have very different anatomy. If the Vive images were drawn in a realistic style, it would be harder for the player to imagine their character as many kinds of animals.
You are more than welcome to draw your own image for your character and show that in your character log. However, you must still have the "official" image somewhere in the log, so that this can be updated with shop purchases. The official image is also used for breeding purposes.
Do you have activity checks? How often must I post?
Vive does not have activity checks, and we do not demand a certain rate of posting. Your activity level is up to you. If you know that you will not be able to post very often, let other people who you are roleplaying with know so that they know what to expect. Likewise, if you are a very active, frequent poster, please keep in mind that not everyone can, or will, post at the same pace as you. If you are going to be unable to post for an extended length of time, it's polite to post a thread in the Leaving & Absences board to let everyone know, so we can work around you!
Do you delete inactive accounts?
Yes. Accounts that have NEVER posted (whether IC or OOC), will be deleted after one month after their last login date has passed, UNLESS the player has mentioned (eg via PM/Discord/etc.) that they will return later. In short, if you join but never post, your account will be deleted after a month. Accounts of people who join, post a few times, then leave (without saying why), will most likely be deleted, but after a few months instead. If you want to avoid your account being deleted, please post in the Leaving & Absences board to let us know you'll be returning. If you come back to Vive and find that your account has been deleted, you are more than welcome to reregister a new account.
If you are looking for a specific question, try pressing "CTRL" + "F" and then typing a keyword, to search the FAQ.
I just joined and I'm lost. I don't know how to get started.
Welcome to the site! Maybe this guide will come in handy to you: CLICK HERE!
I accidentally double-posted!
Don't worry, it happens! Before you delete the extra post, however, please make sure to message a staff member so they can remove the extra point. Keeping the extra point is cheating, and you will be penalized for doing so. Keep things honest and fair!
Why wasn't my character application accepted?
This could be for a number of reasons. A staff member should have said why your application wasn't accepted, and give you some tips on how to improve it (you can rewrite your form and it'll most likely be accepted). If you were applying for a first generation character, you may have been missing some information from the form, or maybe you posted after someone had already posted above you.
What is a 'wave'?
Waves are what we call the large (usually 4+ characters) groups of generation 1 characters that emerge from the Colour Pools at a similar time. Typically a wave thread consists of the new characters getting to know themselves, their sensations, and those around them before a cave guide comes and teaches them speech and leads them out of the Stardust Caves.
What is a 'sprout'?
This is the same thing as the above question! A sprout is a wave that occurs when generation 1 characters emerge from the Blooming Tree.
I made an open thread, but no one is joining!
Please try and understand that other members may be busy or they may have other plans for their characters. You may need to wait for a while before someone jumps into your open thread. It might be worthwhile being proactive instead, by creating a post on the plotting board (in the OOC section), and ask people to join there. Alternatively, check out other members' plot threads and you may find that your character fits wonderfully into someone else's story idea.
Is eye colour included in the game?
Unfortunately, no. We don't add it to the breedings and stats because we don't draw it on the character image (coloured eyes look really strange on them, trust me). The white eyes keep the cartoony look. You are free to either assume that your character's eyes are "clear" or you can pick your own eye colour for them!
How can my character become a carnivore/omnivore?
All gen 1 characters start as herbivores. Second generation and beyond characters may be born as carnivores or omnivores, if they've inherited this trait from their parent/s.
In order for your character to become a carnivore or omnivore, you must buy a mouth or beak from the character shops that corresponds to the diet you want. Bear in mind that mouths, just like other markings and mutations, may rotate in and out of the shops every Autumn or Spring, and so may not be available at all times.
Once you have bought a carnivorous or omnivorous mouth for your character, they can eat meat. Vive is not Earth, and as such it does not have 'normal' animals living in it. We do, however, have our own unique NPC animal species that your characters can hunt and fight. Check out the Flora and Fauna Guide for a current list of discovered species.
Are there any other animals that live on Vive?
There are insects and tiny living things like bacteria and algae (and plants, of course). The playable species have human-like intelligence. Our substitutes for 'animals' are made-up species. You can read more about them in our Flora and Fauna Guide!
Does Vive exist in the human world?
Nope. Vive exists in a different dimension/galaxy/planet (however you'd like to imagine it) from Earth. Therefore, absolutely no man-made or human items exist in the roleplay. Your character cannot have knowledge of anything that would pertain to Earth life, including but not limited to: the names of countries, pop culture references, human food or clothing items, etc.
Vive has its own wildlife, or 'fauna' as well call them. Therefore there is no such thing as 'wild rabbits', for instance.
The only wild animals Vive has in common with Earth are that it has insects. All different kinds!
How often does the season change?
Ideally, we'll aim to change the season every 6-8 weeks, and have 2 game years per real year. However, the season may change depending on how active the site is instead. If things are going very slow, we may keep the season going for a bit longer, or even skip a season if not much is happening.
Is liquid time allowed?
Yes. However, we have a thread cap of four (4) threads per character. It's recommended that you keep track of these in your Character Log. For example, you can make a 'Thread Tracker' post for all of your on-going threads, or add in each character's threads as part of their log information.
Also, first generation characters cannot access liquid time before they exit their wave thread. They have to have exited that thread before making/entering other threads.
When is the breeding season?
We do not have one. It's up to players to decide when they want their characters to breed. Please be reasonable though!
Are there any breeding limits?
Yes. There is no limit on how many breedings each player can perform per season, but we strongly discourage 2nd generation+ characters to breed until they are at least 6 months old (2 seasons) in game-time.
Can the different species interbreed?
Short answer: no. In general, furs can only breed with furs, scales only with scales, and feathers only with feathers.
HOWEVER, we do on occasion have a rare event where a strange plant appears. This plant pollinates the Lifeseed Flowers and makes them able to produce hybrids. Hybrid characters are infertile, and cannot breed. They also cannot have markings or mutations applied to them.
This event will be announced in the News & Updates board when it occurs.
What happens if an offspring inherits a marking but not the growth to put it on?
Say if a parent has a "tailtip" marking, which the offspring inherits- but does not inherit the tail. In this case, the offspring will still have the marking, it just won't show. If you ever buy a tail for the offspring, the marking will appear. Also, if that character breeds, it will have a chance to pass on that marking, as usual.
How often can characters breed? At what age?
Again, up to you! You can set your own limits. Just try to be a little realistic and don't go popping out babies every week. Give the parents some time to adjust, and the babies time to grow up. For second generation characters and up, we generally ask that you wait until they're at least two seasons old (or six months).
How are offspring born?
If the fruits of the same Lifeseed Flower are consumed by two Vivians of the same species on the same day, then the flower will close. When the light of the next morning hits it for the first time, it will open up to reveal their offspring.
Can my character have a magic power?
Very small powers are allowed, such as might be associated with a "seer" or "shaman", for example, having an insight into the future, a strong connection with nature, etc. Your character is allowed some magic ability, yes. "Big" powers like mind reading or shooting flamethrowers out of your mouth, are not allowed. Keep it subtle.
What is the lifespan of these characters?
There isn't one. Characters live as long as you'd like them to, and die whenever you think they're ready. If you look at old characters, breedings, threads, et cetera, you'll see that characters have a set lifespan -- this has since been removed and replaced with mutation caps! Feel no need to follow these guidelines.
What happens when one of my characters dies?
Players usually choose to create a 'death thread' for their character to officially write them out of the story. You can kill off your character at any point.
Each character has their own post in the "Deceased Characters" archive. First generation characters have their information copied from the player's character log and pasted into their original joining thread, which is moved to the archive. Please message a staff member to tell them your gen 1 has died, so they can archive it.
To archive a non-gen 1 character, you must create a new thread for them. Do this by pasting all the information from your character log that you wish to save, into a NEW thread on the GENERAL board. Title it with the character's name, and tag a staff member so that they can move the thread to the archives.
How do I get more character slots?
With every 100 IC posts you make, you gain one extra character slot to add to the 10 you start out with! There's no need to 'claim' these anywhere -- every time you apply for a new character, staff will check how many characters you already have to make sure you're eligible for a new one.
In addition, if your character slots are full but you want a new character, you'll have to kill off or donate one of your existing characters. This is meant to encourage you to keep a rotating cast of characters, and not keep the same ones for too long. Once a character's story is finished, why not pick up a new one?
A staff member told me not to "god mod". What does that mean?
"God modding" is a roleplay term, that refers to when someone controls or injures another person's character in their reply. Remember that you can only control your own character's actions, and you have to wait for the other person to post their own character.
How do I buy something from the shop?
First, you need to make sure you have the right amount of points for the item you want to buy. You can check how many points you have in your profile (click your username on a post to bring it up). Then, simply comment on the shop thread with what item you want to buy (if it is a marking or growth, say what colour you want it to be). A staff member will deduct the points from your account and update your character's image.
How come the shop doesn't have [x item]?
The shop rotates every second season (each Spring and Autumn, game time). When this happens, new items come in, old items come back and some old ones disappear. Items are arranged in categories, and sometimes, a whole category is removed so that a new one can take its place. So if you don't see "mouths" or "face markings" available for one shop rotation, keep an eye out, and they may come back later on. It is possible to get currently unavailable markings and mutations through an item called the "lucky die", or through "random marking/mutation for offspring" items. These can be purchased in the Magical Item shop.
I don't like the character images D:
I'm sorry! I (Ash) have made my best effort to revamp the character images from the style they used to be in, but the cartoonish style still might not be your thing. The Vive characters are drawn in this style so that they are easy to edit, and don't restrict the imagination. For example, a four-legged fur may be, in the player's mind, a dog, cat, deer or mouse! All of these animals have very different anatomy. If the Vive images were drawn in a realistic style, it would be harder for the player to imagine their character as many kinds of animals.
You are more than welcome to draw your own image for your character and show that in your character log. However, you must still have the "official" image somewhere in the log, so that this can be updated with shop purchases. The official image is also used for breeding purposes.
Do you have activity checks? How often must I post?
Vive does not have activity checks, and we do not demand a certain rate of posting. Your activity level is up to you. If you know that you will not be able to post very often, let other people who you are roleplaying with know so that they know what to expect. Likewise, if you are a very active, frequent poster, please keep in mind that not everyone can, or will, post at the same pace as you. If you are going to be unable to post for an extended length of time, it's polite to post a thread in the Leaving & Absences board to let everyone know, so we can work around you!
Do you delete inactive accounts?
Yes. Accounts that have NEVER posted (whether IC or OOC), will be deleted after one month after their last login date has passed, UNLESS the player has mentioned (eg via PM/Discord/etc.) that they will return later. In short, if you join but never post, your account will be deleted after a month. Accounts of people who join, post a few times, then leave (without saying why), will most likely be deleted, but after a few months instead. If you want to avoid your account being deleted, please post in the Leaving & Absences board to let us know you'll be returning. If you come back to Vive and find that your account has been deleted, you are more than welcome to reregister a new account.