FAQ

[staymods]

Last updated on May 3rd, 2021

Changelog:

- added a question about apping undead characters


Important Note!

Currently there is only one mod. I am building this game solo under the assumption that it will be a small game I can manage by myself. If the game explodes in popularity, I will take on some co-mods and some of this information will be changed.

Any information written in italics has not yet been revealed ICly. You are free to know this OOCly, but your characters cannot act on that information until it has been discovered ICly. This page will be updated regularly, and the changelog at the top will list what sections were changed most recently.

Lastly, click on each bar to see more information!

Setting Questions

How did my character end up here?

The change happens very suddenly. One moment your character is in their world, and the next they're in this one. They could be on a dock, in a field, or even in a lake. There is no indication of just how or why it happens, they are just suddenly there, somewhere in the Saimaa region. From there they are quickly found by the locals and taken in by the Finnish military.

Can my character communicate with everyone?

Yes! Upon entry to the game, all characters will be able to speak and read Finnish fluently. They will retain any other languages they already know, but it is generally assumed that all people in the game are speaking Finnish unless specified otherwise.

My character was injured/dying at their canon point. What happens?

All injuries are healed upon arrival. There will be no scars or other evidence of those injuries, and it will be like they hadn't been hurt in the first place.

Can my character go home?

No. No method of returning home currently exists.

What is my character supposed to do here.

Survive, mostly. The 'Otherworlders' as they are known have been given a few islands to homestead on. They are free to manage these islands as they see fit. Build homes, raise livestock, whatever they see fit to do. In addition, they may be called on to clear out Trolls and Beasts from nearby islands.

The Otherworlders have been given this island as a sort of 'test'. The Finnish government is watching their progress closely to see if they can work cooperatively both as a group of Otherworlders and within Finnish society. As these tests are passed and the Finnish government grows to trust the Otherworlders, more areas of the Known World will open up for exploration and travel.

Wait. Trolls? Beasts?

Trolls and Beasts are fearsome creatures that live within the Silent World. They are what destroyed the Old World, and they haunt what was left behind by humanity. They are very tough to kill and take special training to manage.

On the plus side, they will most likely not be encountered within the safety of the Otherworlders islands. The special sea-fencing around the islands keeps them out. But this is why travel to and from the island is restricted: Opening the gates gives water-bound Trolls a chance to sneak in, and it's better not to open up the islands to unnecessary risk.

Trolls and Beasts are sort of like zombies, though a little different from the traditional image of a zombie. They are the undead bodies of humans and mammals (respectively), which wander the Silent World looking for a way to be free of their pain. The virus that created them warps their bodies into twisted, horrific images of death. They should be treated with caution.

What is The Rash?

The Rash is an infectious disease present in this world. It is highly contagious, 100% fatal, and there is no cure. This is why quarantine procedures before and after travel are in place in most of the Known World: anywhere that doesn't have a high immunity percentage is at risk of an outbreak.

The Rash is what causes humans to mutate into Trolls. about 80% of those infected will die outright, and the other 20% will turn into Trolls. It is infectious to all mammals excluding cats, who are immune. Other animals cannot be infected by the Rash, but many species have been wiped out by Trolls and Beasts.

Some people are immune?

Yes! Worldwide, the immunity rate is about 48%. Here in Finland it is much higher though. If you are immune you cannot catch the Rash. However, don't let this make you lax! If you come in contact with the disease, you will need to be decontaminated. Even if you cannot catch the Rash, you can still accidentally bring it back to non-immune populations.

All Otherworlders will be tested for immunity upon arrival. Immunity status is public information.

What's up with the cats?

Cat companionship is highly encouraged. Cats can naturally sense the presence of Trolls, so they serve as a living warning when trouble shows up. Most families in Finland keep at least one cat, and cats are seen as a prized gift for reaching adulthood or getting married.

The Otherworlder islands have several dozen cats living alongside humans. Additionally, cats can be adopted as pets or traveling companions. None of these cats are trained like military cats are though, so be sure to pay attention to their behavior! If they suddenly puff up and start hissing, it's a sign that a troll is nearby.

Are there any other animals around here?

Sheep island is full of sheep. They are the primary source of clothing (from their woven wool) and one of the primary sources of food (alongside locally raised crops and fish). There are also a couple working dogs on sheep island to help keep the sheep in check. These dogs are trained in herding and livestock control.

Besides that, the usual assortment of birds, small rodents, reptiles, and so forth can be found on the Otherworlder islands.

Where are the Otherworlder Islands?

They are part of the large chain of islands in Saimaa, Finland. Anyone from a modern world could potentially recognize those names, as Saimaa lake is one of the biggest lake systems in Finland.

Application Information

Who can I apply as?

You can apply for any canon character that fits the following guidelines:

- The canon must be at least one month old (or, for ongoing canons, their canon point must be at least a month old).
- There must be enough canon material for them that no more than 50% of the app is headcanon.
- They are old enough to be an active participant in the game.

Additionally, the mods reserve the right to tell you that a character is not a good fit for the game and that they cannot be apped, even if they fit these guidelines.

What does that last requirement mean?

Basically, we don't want literal infants here. We want characters who can work in a group and help each other survive. There isn't going to be a set age for this, because some characters can handle 'surviving the zombie apocalypse' at age 10 while other 10-year-olds are in no way ready for it.

What about OCs?

Original Characters are welcome! They have their own set of rules though:

- If they come from an established setting, they cannot have a connection to any main character beyond what is normal for background characters in the setting. (So a character might know of a main character if said main character is a king, but no best friends from childhood or anything.)
- They must be old enough to be an active participant in the game.

What about malleable protags or canon AUs?

Malleable protagonists are allowed so long as their personality is based off of in-game dialogue and not headcanon. For example, The Persona protagonists have dialogue choices that can affect the game slightly, but they still have a set personality. Or Shepard from Mass Effect can be 'paragon' or 'renegade' but either option has a set personality.

Canon AUs are allowed, but only if that character's slot isn't taken up already. Even though MCU!Tony Stark and Comics!Tony Stark are somewhat different, there can only be one version total.

What about CRAUs?

Sorry, we will not be accepting CRAUs at this time.

This game is based off of "Stand Still, Stay Silent." Can we app characters from that canon?

You can! However, they won't be from this game's world. They will appear suddenly like everyone else and will be considered Otherworlders. Think of this game as another version of the Stand Still, Stay Silent world.

Can I app an undead character?

If your character is undead but looks like a normal human (certain kinds of zombies, some liches, etc.) then they are fine to app. They do come with some risk, though: if the NPCs find out they're undead, they will be killed. If that is a risk you feel comfortable accepting, then you can app a human-looking undead character.

If your character actually looks like a zombie or dead in some way, then you will need to contact the mods privately to work something out. But they come with the heavy caveat that they won't be able to participate in most of the game plot for at least the first six months, since the NPCs will kill them on sight. Because this game takes place in a zombie apocalypse, visibly undead characters might not be the best to app. We're willing to work with anyone who really wants it, but it might not be that fun because of the NPC prejudice against the undead.

Will my character be able to keep their powers? What about someone who doesn't have powers, can they gain them?

There will be some changes to your character's powers, but they will still have access to them! Also, characters who do not have canon powers will have the option to gain powers in this game. Please see the powers page for more information.

NOTE: if your character has canon powers but you want them to have a game power instead, that's totally fine! But they would lose their canon powers and gain the game power instead.

What about items from home? What about magic items?

Characters will be able to bring anything they physically had with them at their canon point. If your character tries to use something that requires wifi, they will be unable to connect to the internet. Cellphones also will not connect to anything. If your character has something that can connect to satellites, though, contact the mods prior to trying to use it.

Magic items will still have their powers, but they will be directly tied to their owner's Luonto and using them will count as a power use. Refer to the powers page for more information on this. IMPORTANT: Because of this, a magic item's properties must be detailed in the 'powers' section of your app! If you do not include this in your app, then your character will not be able to use that magic item.

The app has a 'suitability' section. What do I need to put there?

You'll need a brief explanation of how your character can fit into this game setting and what they can do here. Mostly we're looking for characters that are 1) mature enough to survive on an island during a zombie apocalypse without constant supervision by others, and 2) able to work together in groups for the survival of the island as a whole. 2-3 sentences should be enough, we're not looking for a whole essay here.

So how do reserves and apps work?

Reserves and applications will be 'open most of the time'. There will be times when we need to close both for a short period, but outside of that we will be keeping them open all the time.

Reserves last for one week. Applications will be processed at least once a week (on Fridays), but potentially more often than that depending on mod availability. So long as your app is posted before your reserve expires, you're good.

If your app gets a revision request, you will have one week to post said revisions. If your app is rejected, you must wait one month before trying with that character again. Additionally, you only get three tries total with any character. Three rejections and you cannot apply for that character again.

Do I have to reserve in order to app?

You do not! However, if someone else has a reserve for a character you're trying to app, we will defer to post times. If the reserve goes up before the app, then we honor the reserve. If the app is up before the reserve is, then the app gets priority.

This also applies for cast caps. If you apply for a character that isn't available due to cast caps, we will not be able to accept that character.

What are the caps?

Currently we have a player cap of 50 and each player can play up to 2 characters. Additionally, we have a cast cap of 4 and a franchise cap of 6.

All of these numbers are subject to change as the game grows. If a hundred people are suddenly interested in playing, we will slowly raise the player cap to accommodate them. Cast and franchise caps will also increase as the player cap increases.

Do you have sample applications to look at?

We do! Please look at the applications page for examples.

Once our application is accepted, what do we do?

Follow the instructions on the acceptance notice and you're good to go! You're free to jump in and post or tag around as you see fit. There will be a 'general information' spreadsheet that includes a character's arrival date, so you are able to track when they officially arrive.

Game Mechanics Information

So how do posts work here?

There is no network, so all posts are 'in person', so to speak. You can post and respond to other posts as you see fit, so long as the posts are open for your character to respond.

Posts can be made private to specific people, so please check the heading of each post! If a post is private to specific characters, then only those characters can respond.

What if I need to hiatus?

You can hiatus for up to one month at a time, during which time you will not be responsible for AC. If you need to go on hiatus, your character will be on quarantine island for the duration of your hiatus. The IC explanation will be that they came in contact with a potential source of the Rash, and they need to quarantine to make sure they do not catch it. For Immune characters, it's mostly the same. It's just that, instead of catching it themselves, it's to make sure they don't bring back anything to the non-immune population on the island.

Please pay attention to the dates of posts if you are on hiatus! As your character will be on quarantine island during a hiatus, they cannot participate in threads set during the time of your hiatus.

What if I need to drop?

The hiatus page is also the drop page, so you go there and fill out the drop form.

How do I do the Activity Check?

AC is a minimum of ten comments per month, with the possibility of doing bonus AC for rewards. Please see the AC post for more information.

What is the Test Drive Meme?

The test drive meme is a post that anyone can tag into to test their character's voice and if they fit the game setting. These posts will go up on the OOC comm periodically. Both new players and current players can respond in the TDM post, but only characters not currently in the game can make top-level comments for others to respond to. These threads are also used for your application.

Is the TDM canon?

It can be! If both players agree to it, they can make a test drive thread canon. However, both characters must be accepted into the game for their TDM thread to be considered canon. If the character isn't apped in, then as far as game canon goes that thread didn't happen.

This is important due to the mechanics of how characters are brought to this world. Going home isn't an option, so we can't just say "oh they went home".

Can TDM threads be used for AC?

They can be used for bonus AC, but not base AC.

Can my character die?

Yes, they can. This is a permadeath game. Outside of specific, special situations, if a character dies then they will stay dead. If your character dies, then they will be dropped from the game.

That said, try not to stress death too much. We will give you ample warning if your character is doing something that could result in death. Generally speaking, you have to really want your character to die for them to actually die.

If my character dies, what happens to my spot in the game?

If you only have one character in the game and they die, do not fret! You will not immediately lose your spot in the player cap. You will have two weeks to pick a new character and submit an application before your spot is lost.

What if I drop from the game?

If you have another app already in the queue, you will not lose your spot. If you do not already have another app in the queue, you will lose your spot and have to reapp in as a newbie and wait in the queue to be accepted.

What if I idle out without dropping?

You will have to wait for one AC period to pass before apping back in. Additionally, you will have to reapp as a newbie and wait in the queue.

What happens to my character if I drop them?

You have three choices: they're called to the capitol to help with research into getting home and never heard from again, they disappear into the wilds of the Silent World never to be heard from again, or they die. More options may become available in the future, but this is it for now.

Option 1 is the default assumption. If you want to do option 2 or 3, contact the mods and we can work something out.

If you have a question not answered by the FAQ, please submit it below!
We will add those questions and answers to the FAQ as needed.

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