yourkeepers: (Default)
Changed Mods ([personal profile] yourkeepers) wrote2013-04-21 06:38 pm

FAQ

What's the IC/OOC time ratio like?

1 IC day : 3 OOC days. These three days are roughly split into day, evening, and night.

What is Changeling: the Lost?

Changeling is a tabletop/LARP game written by White Wolf. It is basically a clever blending of various fae-related myths. It is very distinct from it's previous incarnation Changeling: the Dreaming, so don't get them confused. Typically gameplay takes place after the changelings have escaped back to their home world, but Changed will be a durance-based arc, meaning it takes place while they are still enslaved in Arcadia.

Changeling expansion Equinox Road says blah blah blah-

Don't care. Important to remember is that Changed is inspired by Changeling: the Lost and isn't actually intended to be played according to the book. Honestly, I haven't even read the entirety of the original sourcebook. You are free to use the books as personal inspiration, though.

I want to be a Treeblood.

Okay, but nobody is going to use the Changeling kith names because those classifications are pretty irrelevant in this game. Seemings have been simplified down to Possessions, Beasts, and Servants as far as Changed is concerned - of course, if the description of a particular kith in the books appeal to you, feel free to use them as inspiration and find a place they fit in Changed's structure.

What is this game rated in terms of content?

Changed will potentially contain a full range of adult subject matter, including violence, psychological and body horror, slavery and abuse related themes, and open sexuality. Wherever possible proper warnings will be given, but playing in this game will be acknowledging the likely presence of these themes. That said, please use proper OOC consent when it comes to springing these things on people.

Can your character be killed?

Yes. However, after being killed, the fae magic that binds them will gradually reform their bodies - after all, their master didn’t want his belongings being destroyed, and imbuing something with a soul makes it so much more durable. However, every time they die they will lose memories. The first time they will lose one, the second time they will lose two, and so on from there. If they ever drop to zero remaining memories they will forget themselves, fall back asleep, and be removed from the game. This character cannot be apped again, and as such all final deaths require mod permission.

Is there a network in Changed?

No, and there never will be. All the characters are living in pretty close quarters, after all, and there isn't anybody out there who feels the need to give everyone smartphones. There WILL be the opportunity to acquire magical nick knacks that will allow for limited one on one conversation at a distance, but those will be rare.

But I like networks. :(

They can be fun, but sadly they are not appropriate for this game. However, instead of a network we will have an action spam/mingling comm. Its entire purpose will be for open threads much like network posts, except its all in person action. It will also be used for stuff like posting notes on walls, leaving graffiti, and other nonsense like that. The goal is to capture the same casual tagging style as a network without the distance.

Do characters still have to eat?

Yes - they won't actually die without it, but they will weaken the same way they would if they were being starved to death, until they can barely move or function. Continuing to consume fae food is an important part of living in Faerie. Thankfully, at least at the start, food will be being provided courtesy of Mason, in the hopes of staving off rebellion. However, fae food is magical and consumed without producing waste.

So, fun fact: your character no longer poops.


POSSESSIONS

What kind of changeling character is considered to be a Possession?

Any character that has been turned into an object in the household collection - usually something that would have no sense of personal prerogative without having awakened. This also includes elemental forms, like being transformed into water, fire, wind, etc. If your character is the water running through a fountain, said water will stay in the fountain unless moved even if the water's spiritual self image is running around being a person.

So, you mean it when you say I can play a table lamp?

Yes! Or rather, you can play a person who has been transformed into a table lamp, and is now what you could call the "wandering spirit of the table lamp."

Does this mean they are in two places at once?

Yep. If your character's true form is a table lamp, this means the table lamp that is their actual, transformed physical body is present at the same time that their spiritual self-image is. This also means that their spiritual self-image is capable of picking up the table lamp version of themself and walking around with it.

That's pretty messed up.

I'm sure your character will feel the same way.

Can the physical object form of my character move around and do things now that my character is awake?

No, the object will continue to be stationary and/or follow its existing programming. Your character may be able to influence it in subtle ways, especially after regaining more memories, but there will be no walking candelabra in this game. Only walking candelabra ghosts.

What happens if a Possession's spiritual form is damaged?

Pretty normal stuff. The spirit will behave as if they've been injured like a regular person, complete with blood, wounds, and physical pain - the only difference is that they will not actually die unless their physical form is destroyed as well.

So, you can destroy the physical form of Possessions then?

You can. If the spiritual form is still around, then the destruction of its physical form will cause them great pain or unconsciousness until the object has time to repair itself. Since all Possessions are magical in nature, with enough time they will repair, even if the spiritual form is suffering. They are also more durable than average because of this.

However, if both the physical form and the spiritual form are destroyed at the same time, the character will die for real and lose memories as normal.

Can the object form of a Possession have been inherently magical even before the changeling in question awakened?

Yup! In almost every case, actually, the object will have been enchanted in such a manner that it would have functioned for anyone using it, even before the changeling became active. These are the powers that are often transferred over to the changeling's inherent abilities.


BEASTS

Can I be a dragon?

Yes! Beasts can be turned into both normal earthly animals as well as mythological ones.

What if my character is an alien/from somewhere that isn't earth? Can they be an animal from that culture's planet/mythology as well?

Also yes! But in the case of alternate culture's mythology there has to be actual precedent in your canon for them being a concept that exists in fact or fiction and not just something you made up.

What do you mean that beast are both forms at the same time?

This is some fae magical weirdness similar to the Possession's dual form. A changeling turned into a wolf doesn't ever really stop being a wolf - but the will restored by their memories allows them to reclaim a spiritual form of who they used to be. In a way, they are both at the same time, and which side they are presenting can change on a moment's notice. The spiritual form will still have some more subtle animal features though, like slitted eyes, or long ears, or claws.

Can their body die/be destroyed?

Yes - it is theoretically easier to kill Servants and Beasts than Possessions, but since the enslavement of your character’s soul is the important part, they will be unable to die completely and will be reformed by the fae magic binding them. Of course, like all the others, death causes increasingly dramatic memory loss which could result in them losing themselves completely. Also importantly, all injuries gained in either form will transfer between transformations.


SERVANTS

Can servant character have worked closely with their fae master?

Yes, but upon awakening the details of their servitude will be pretty fuzzy, like a dream. They will remember the things they were forced to do, but they won’t remember the play by play of daily life - how long they were actually enslaved will be unclear.

Is their body their real body, or is a spiritual one like with Beasts and Possessions?

Their body is actually the genuine article! It’s been transformed into the body of a fae, at least in part, but it is the only body they have.

Can their body die/be destroyed?

Yes - it is theoretically easier to kill Servants and Beasts than Possessions, but since the enslavement of your character’s soul is the important part, they will be unable to die completely and will be reformed by the fae magic binding them. Of course, like all the others, death causes increasingly dramatic memory loss which could result in them losing themselves completely.


THE CAPTURE

So what happened exactly?

A fae from Arcadia, a plain of existence higher and more unknowable than anything your character has witnessed before, has slipped into their world just long enough to kidnap your character away to their fae palace.

Why?

No one really knows why this is such a common fae hobby, but in this case it's because your Keeper in particular is a compulsive collector of rare things, including people.

What is this Fetch stuff you're talking about?

A Fetch is a clone of your character that is left in their place when they're stolen. No one else from their universe will notice the exchange, even if they were all standing around the moment it happened. A Fetch is capable of doing everything your character can do, including looking and behaving the exact same way. The only difference is that they aren't you - they are a magical construct.

This is Changed's way of explaining how characters can come from different points in the timeline without messing things up. It isn't just handwaved timespace nonsense - characters that are taken have literally been replaced with copies that will do everything they would have done in their canon if they hadn't been removed.

But my character had important stuff only they could do!

Welp, their Fetch can do it too! And they will. Anything going on in a character's individual universe is just children's play to fae like this.

What if my character's friends can see souls/auras/know the truth of a person or whatever?

They still won't know the difference. Even if the soul isn't there, it will look and behave as if it is.

What if my character's canon already involves fae? Would they know anything about this?

Even fae from their setting won't know if THIS Arcadia. This is a tier above anything going on in any individual canon, including their resident fae (as similar as they might be!) and any other sort of deity or supreme being.

Can Changeling the Lost characters be apped?

Yes, but they can't have already been a changeling. They aren't just going to get captured twice. So really, it amounts more to a custom OC that just happens to have a changeling concept already.

Does my character remember being transformed/brainwashed?

Only vaguely. It's a very distant feeling thing. More intense memories may come up later, though. The details of this are flexible, but ultimately not super important to the rest of the plot.

Can my character have tried to escape at some point during their slavery?

Yes. They obviously failed though, and they won't remember having tried to do such a thing. Not yet.



CHARACTERS AND APPLICATIONS

What kind of characters do you accept?

Changed accepts original universe characters from any sort of medium you like, as well as OCs. Canon AUs are allowed, which includes things like Davesprite from Homestuck as a canon AU of Dave, Leon as a canon AU of Squall, or Ultimate Spiderman as an AU of 616 Spiderman. Player made AUs will not be accepted.

There will be some leeway in terms of un-fleshed out canon AUs. For example, if there is an established AU universe in your canon that features all the characters but not all the characters were seen in detail in its appearance, we will accept headcanons for AU versions of characters without specific screen time based on reasonable extrapolations.

What is considered a canon AU?

There's been a few points of confusion with this, so it needs some clarification. A canon AU is considered an entirely separate universe that has the same characters, but is broadly different (IE Marvel 616 vs Ultimates) OR a literal alternate universe version or character that is caused by canon, in universe actions in a setting. That is to say, a future version of a character coming to the past and getting stuck there would be considered a canon AU.

However, AU's created by a simple change of timeline (IE character makes choice A instead of choice B) in which both character could not exist in the same universe are not acceptable. This includes apping both the young and old version of a character. Only one version of characters like this can be apped.

Why not? They have different personalities!

Because, in this setting, only one instance of that universe exists. Only one instance of that character exists. If they were stolen as a youth, they wouldn't be present to be stolen again in the future. Similarly, despite two different paths in a game being equally "canon", whichever one is applied for first will be considered the true one so far as Changed is concerned.

There is only one "real" instance of most universes in this game, unless they are somehow special in that regard.

Are there any age limits on characters?

No, characters of all ages are acceptable.

How much canon does a character need to be playable?

Very little. The only time a character may be rejected for lack of canon is if they are just being introduced in current canon and it seems like there’s a good chance much more information will be revealed about them in the future, to avoid having people get jossed. Beyond that, if your extrapolations and headcanons are reasonable, it will probably be okay.

I got rejected and I don’t know why!

If you are rejected and really want to know why, you may reply to the rejection email asking for clarification. We may or may not end up having the time to explain our reasoning, but the form email will explain whether it your app simply needs improvement or whether you should look into a whole new concept entirely.

If a character is dropped can they be apped again?

In short, yes. In long, yes, but since Changed is not a game where characters can casually drift in and out of Arcadia based on their player’s whims, there may be some housekeeping to take care of if you’d like to apply for a previously played character. After a character has been played once, setting wise there is only one instance of them in game. They do not disappear from the house - they simply return to sleep. Which means that if you want the character to have a different changeling form than what their first player chose, you will need to contact a mod to figure out how this change came about in a continuity sense. We will do our best to figure out something that works.

Wait, so, if I play a character for one week and then drop them I'll have ruined it for someone else?!

No, actually - I wasn't sure about how this would work until the game started, but it turned out it was impractical to add every dropped character to the Previously Played list. So, instead, characters who didn't end up doing much before dropping will not be added to the list, and in the future their first appearance will just be ambiguated/handwaved so that they will not be mistaken for the new incarnation. Characters concepts will only be added to that list if the character ended up being fairly notable in their stay, and if handwaving them would be a disservice.

Who decides how notable they are?

I attempt to, but if you feel like I've made a mistake, either by adding someone to the list or by not adding them, please let me know! I can't always tell how important a character is from my position, and I don't want to write anybody off unfairly.

Can they retain memories from when they were played before?

If it’s the same player reapping, then yes. If it’s a different player, they also have an option to remember some things from before they fell asleep again, though for the sake of easy continuity these memories will be much more muddled and dreamlike in the case of a new player.

If a Possession character is dropped, does their object form remain in playable areas of the house?

It may or may not, depending on the nature of their form and the will of the player dropping them. When in doubt, consult a mod.

How do you feel about playing two characters from the same canon and/or muncesting?

As long as you aren't apping characters that are lovers or best friends or something, the mods are fine with apping more than one character from the same canon. This, of course, is always up to mod judgment - but in most cases it'll probably be okay.

As for muncesting, we give zero fucks about that. It's completely okay for your characters to talk to each other and have a relationship, and you can feel free to thread that out or handwave it as you wish. Just as long as you aren't being super obnoxious about the elaborate interpersonal dynamics of your own two characters, we're cool.

On that note, how many characters can a player have?

Two is the limit at first. A player may be allowed a third character, but if only they are already exceeding expectations with their two existing characters. Not just meeting expectations, note. Exceeding. Which means that if you're really active with both your characters already you can have a third one, but just making AC isn't enough.


SEXY QUESTIONS

Can my character have been a sexual companion/slave as a servant, or anything else with a sexual theme?

Yes, your character could have been used for sex. Of course, this content is to be handled with appropriate maturity and respect. Failure to do so is adequate reason to have your character removed from the game.

Is roleplaying sex allowed?

Yes! You can feel free to roleplay sex, full glory, right on the comm. The only thing we ask is that you give adequate warning and tag content accordingly.

Is Changed a sex game?

No, it's just a normal game that's chill with sexual content. Occasionally there may be pointedly sexual themes. Basically, we are well aware of the fact that Changed's premise is potent fetish fuel for a lot of people and there ain't nothin' wrong with that!

Sexual content, however, will always be optional. You may feel free to partake as much or as little as you see fit.

Okay so I'm playing a Beast character with a dog form just how much dog knotting is going to be going on here?

As much or as little as you want. All we ask is that if you decide to play around with that kind of thing that you not shove it in everyone's faces and tag accordingly.

Can I be a rank creeper about it?

No.
razzledazzled: (Default)

[personal profile] razzledazzled 2013-07-23 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
I have a question about Hetalia--in this canon, the characters are personified representations of nations, and their names are likewise the names of their nations. Would they just not remember any nation names?
siadea: (AU Handmaid, but only one I have!) (Default)

[personal profile] siadea 2013-07-23 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
So, the 'spirits' of the physical objects - they're tangible to everyone else too, right? Like, someone looking at the soul of the table lamp knows that's a soul and that's also a table lamp elsewhere, simultaneously, but can interact with the soul just like they would anyone else.

[personal profile] ex_outrage993 2013-07-23 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
If characters have no memory of any names, how will they be addressed ICly (and OOCly)? Is it on players to come up with new names, or are they granted in-game, or something else entirely?
direhit: (pic#5368609)

[personal profile] direhit 2013-07-23 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
For Possessions, are there any technological limits as to what the items can be? I know lamps were referred to in the FAQ, but those could be gaslamps, candle-lit lamps, etc. Is it possible to be a car or computer or calculator?

Also, you mentioned characters with limited canon backstory, but what about silent protagonists? What's the stance on them?
chefkun: (Default)

[personal profile] chefkun 2013-07-24 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
While I have no problem with sexy exciting porn threads, I'd rather not play them out with an RPer who's underage. Since there isn't an age section in the app, is there another way to indicate who's 18+?
holysocksbatman: (Default)

[personal profile] holysocksbatman 2013-07-24 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
If the objects are the physical form of Possessions, can they feel through the objects? For example, the 'wandering spirit of the table lamp' will know when someone is using the table lamp?

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[personal profile] holysocksbatman - 2013-07-24 05:30 (UTC) - Expand

[personal profile] sockpuppetry 2013-07-24 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Both Rites of Spring and Winter Masques have rules for 'dual-kith' Changelings. While I'm aware that kiths aren't even being used for this game, I do have an idea that straddles the line between two seemings, a Possession and a Servant (Fairest). The idea is a doll-like character. Would you have a strong recommendation towards one seeming or another?

(no subject)

[personal profile] sockpuppetry - 2013-07-25 23:27 (UTC) - Expand
themosttalent: (Default)

[personal profile] themosttalent 2013-07-25 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
If we choose to write our samples instead of use threads, should we write them from the point of view of our character as their pre-Arcadia self or their self as a changeling?
scratchitti: (Default)

[personal profile] scratchitti 2013-07-25 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Does everyone in the game have the same Keeper, or are there multiple Fae working together? How much room do we have to flesh out our characters' keeper/s?
seerchlight: (Default)

[personal profile] seerchlight 2013-07-25 09:37 pm (UTC)(link)
This is Quix mod on my player account but since I'm on my phone I can't be bothered to switch.

Everyone has the same Keeper, the one described in the NPCs page.

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[personal profile] scratchitti - 2013-07-25 21:38 (UTC) - Expand
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[personal profile] bloodyashes - 2013-07-31 19:24 (UTC) - Expand
raspberrydrink: (Default)

[personal profile] raspberrydrink 2013-07-26 10:46 am (UTC)(link)
What are ya'lls feelings on on-going canons? I know a few of you guys are homestuckers so you understand the fear of being jossed, but how much canon do you consider enough for apping? A certain percentile of canon? A main character with plenty of personality shown?
vitalityaura: or maybe crest complete??? (maelstrom rage)

[personal profile] vitalityaura 2013-07-26 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay so CANON AUs, what is your stance on character doubles? ex. if two people wanted to app KH!Cloud and FF!Cloud would that be okay or would only one be allowed?
authoroutofspace: (Phil)

[personal profile] authoroutofspace 2013-07-26 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Can a character be a magical object, like a wine bottle that's always full or a statue that alerts its Keeper to intruders on the property?
Edited 2013-07-26 20:36 (UTC)

(no subject)

[personal profile] authoroutofspace - 2013-07-27 00:00 (UTC) - Expand
unidentify: lacrima No-11 (faded sort of brilliance)

[personal profile] unidentify 2013-07-27 01:27 am (UTC)(link)
I'm going to assume that relationship memory regains would be sans names, just in case the character remembered might show up later and, well, names, but do relationship regains encompass just the feelings, or will they at least know what said person might have looked like too?

(I'm just curious in the case of event/scene memories possibly gaining context from a later relationship regain, or whether they'd just stay relatively contextless and confusing i.e. "you remember that there's this guy who really makes you want to bash his face in with a dull rusty sledgehammer, but you have no idea who the hell he is" even if said guy might've shown up in a remembered scene or something.)
seerchlight: (Default)

[personal profile] seerchlight 2013-07-27 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
Memories of relationships do come with a mental image of the person the feelings are associated with. So if said character is already in game or appears later (or someone who looks really similar does) your character will recognize them.
arryawk: (daisy unlimited)

[personal profile] arryawk 2013-07-27 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
Is it possibly to be something made up of lots of little things? Say, a field of daisies?
soozaphone: (sunbear)

[personal profile] soozaphone 2013-07-27 05:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Quick question about the possession seemings! The FAQ mentions our character may be able to influence their object-form in subtle ways... but would the object form do the same?

For example, I'm playing with an idea of making a character an old-timey gargoyle for the house and acting as a gutter/rainspout-- Would his spirit form be prone to vomiting rainwater during storms? because ngl that's hilarious to me.

Thank you!

[personal profile] shippingly 2013-07-27 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
How much detail should be put into the reasoning for the the role? Will a sample app be put up at any point?
blueeyedhunter: (Default)

[personal profile] blueeyedhunter 2013-07-29 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
I know there should be a sample app up soon, but in the meantime...

As far as memories go, are you wanting more cut and dry retellings (i.e. One night during a storm Character X's mother died) or more... I guess you could say prosey? (i.e. The rain pelted the windows etc. I think you can see where I'm going here) I guess I want to know how much detail and emotional connection a character would get from the memory or do you just want the memory itself?
tickety_boo: (Default)

[personal profile] tickety_boo 2013-07-29 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
A question about writing samples in the app!

The only other game my character has been in has been a straight prose game. I do have a couple of posts that show him interacting with his environment and his thought processes, along with other threads showing him interacting with others. Would two of those work? Thanks!
vitalityaura: actually I lied I wasn't listening to any of that (basic magic defense training)

[personal profile] vitalityaura 2013-07-30 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
Are all the changelings personally captured by their current Keeper, or can they have been taken by a different one and then given away/sold? I imagine any memories of a previous Keeper would be vague to the point of uselessness anyway, but since a changeling's "upbringing" defines who they become not every concept really meshes well with the inattentive hoarder type.

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[personal profile] vitalityaura - 2013-07-30 08:19 (UTC) - Expand
chambery: (care)

[personal profile] chambery 2013-07-31 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
How would apping from the same canon be affected by the memory loss? Or rather - as they're regained would this call for certain memories or parts of them they just shouldn't get back, depending on how close the characters are?

To be specific, some guys I'm thinking of only know each other as opponents (and not even frequent ones), but they do play part in each other's history (and the development of one). Will this take some careful treading or is it a no-go from the start?

(no subject)

[personal profile] chambery - 2013-07-31 06:51 (UTC) - Expand
blinged: (033)

[personal profile] blinged 2013-07-31 07:57 am (UTC)(link)
This is mostly my being pedantic, but I noticed that both sample apps link old threads - in other words, there's no sample of an "insightful piece of prose." Are you guys looking for a certain length there, or are those samples a "get 'er done" sort of deal? I'm not looking to half-ass anything, just wondering if there were any further expectations.
Edited 2013-07-31 07:58 (UTC)

(no subject)

[personal profile] blinged - 2013-07-31 20:01 (UTC) - Expand
razzledazzled: (Default)

[personal profile] razzledazzled 2013-07-31 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
What time zone is the game running on? When you say reservations open August 1st, how many hours is that from now?
teag: (Default)

[personal profile] teag 2013-08-01 09:50 am (UTC)(link)
Quick question on the samples for the app, while I'm putting that together- I haven't played my character on Dreamwidth/other journals yet, but I have on tumblr and a bit of AIM since it's what my partners used. Would stuff from one of those still be acceptable as a log if it were the required length & put together in an easier-to-read format? I promise I don't hate you guys enough to link backwards reblog chains because jesus christ no.

If not that's cool and I'll just write up both samples, but I figured I'd check and see if you're chill with that material since it's already there.
eternalgameslave: (Default)

[personal profile] eternalgameslave 2013-08-02 01:16 am (UTC)(link)
It seems like people can give very simple answers for the Abilities section (ie. Fire Powers), but are we allowed to expand a little bit on how we expect the powers to work or what they are? Not planning to tl;dr but I'm a little afraid it'll come off as godmode-y if I just write the ability by itself. Or do you not care and you'll just ask for revisions or something if it sounds problematic?

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