rubycitymods | FAQ (Reply)

It's quite simple, really. They will arrive on a train around twilight. Your character will be the only one on the train, but they will sense a certain presence they can feel but not see.

Your character may or may not remember the train ride; it's up to them. It could merely feel like a dream to them if you wish. But if you do want them to remember, all they will know is that they woke up one moment and they were all alone on a train, outside the windows vast plains as far as the eye can see. The plains would have eventually faded into a thick fog which only cleared once they were at the train station. They are then compelled to leave the train by an unseen force.

It's not needed to describe their arrival, though you are allowed to use it for your third person sample in the application if you wish.

What happens if my character tries to leave?

They will fail. How they fail and the consequences depend on how they try to leave.

If a character tries to follow the train out of the city, they'll eventually find themselves at the sea. Following the tracks out across the shallow islands will lead to a portal giving off a low energy signature and walking through it will turn the character around to the direction that they came from. Repeated attempts will have more violent results, until the character is forcibly spat out into the ocean or far out along the tracks.
Now that the wall is long gone, characters have further to roam, but they are still penned in in different ways; the city rests on an island surrounded by water.

Characters with the ability of flight can venture out over the ocean and those who can build boats may try to sail it, but the further they go the more forces will conspire to try and drive them back. The more often a character tries, the more aggressively the city will punish them for the transgression. If a character presses through the currents and strong winds trying to turn them around, they will find themselves in a familiar place -- the black void that once surrounded the land. After being lost in this place for some time they will finally feel ground beneath their feet and emerge, bruised and battered, not far inside one of the catacomb entrances.

Can my character die?

If you wish, you may kill off a character. However, temporary character death is not a free-for-all and will need to be approved. Please comment on this post after working out the details with relevant CR! Further details on death mechanics within the game can also be found there.

However, if your character possesses a canon ability that allows them to resurrect (themselves or others), they will be allowed to use it in Ruby City without having to submit a request beforehand.

Does my character age while they're in the city?

It looks that way. But, age is relative and characters who leave for any period of time (or spend some quality time in the catacombs for canon updates or what have you) may find themselves older or younger than they'd otherwise expect.

And it's just as possible that when they're returned home they find themselves whatever age they were when they left. All a mystery!

Can my character kill another character? Or a general NPC?

Character deaths are up to the player of that character. If you work something out with another player, then that is allowed.

There are, as a rule, no general NPCs in Ruby City. If a plot requires a death for some reason, please speak to a moderator. We have made exceptions in the past and allowed a non-played NPC to kick the bucket for the sake of plot and action. But this must be cleared with moderators first.

Can my character have their pet/companion spirit/pokemon with them upon arrival?

They can, but only if they normally travel with said sidekick at the point in canon-time that you are taking them from.

What if I want to canon update my character?

In order to canon update, you may have your character "disappear" for a short period of time (a few days to a week) and reappear (often emerging from the catacombs) with their canon update in place. They are sent home for the duration of the canon update and then brought back to Ruby City -- though obviously the passage of time is quite different in the two places.

If the canon update will alter your character very little there is no formal process that you need to go through - simply inform other players using the OOC community if you wish, and go ahead! However, if the update will cause significant changes (particularly in terms of abilities/powers and drastic personality shifts), please notify the mods using this post!

Can my character still use all their powers?

Usually, the answer to this question is 'yes'! We don't nerf powers here, for the most part, with the only exception being that the NPCs cannot be affected by them unless otherwise stated. The only power/ability that is affected by limitations is time travel, which has limited effect. Time travellers will be able to move back and forth through time within the city, but they will not be able to have any physical effect on anything outside of the present time.

As such, they might witness events that have or will happen but will be unable to interfere with or change them in any way. Localised use of this ability (ie, time manipulation to make the character move faster between one place and another) is permitted, but only as it affects the individual.

Can my character get pregnant in the city?

While we do allow sexual content in the game, at the moment there is no way for such things to result in conception.

Settings

What sort of places are there in Ruby City?

Ruby City is a large city, whose original residents were either driven out or abandoned the city of their own volition. There are many empty buildings, the remnants of shops, inns, eateries, residences and so on. Specific locations continue to be uncovered by characters as time goes on.

For a list of some of the major relevant locations in Ruby City at current, check out the locations page and the residences page. If you or your character is looking to open up a shop, we recommend you contact the mods or else claim one of the empty house buildings to convert!

How do different languages work in Ruby City?

In general the magic of the city makes everyone understand the same language -- except in instances where the character deliberately resorts to another language. For example, many of our Hetalia characters often go off in their native tongues, knowing that few (if any) will understand. That would be heard as another language since mentally it was intended to be one. But the language a character generally defaults to speaking will be understood by all -- as a unifying common language.

What's the weather like?

Ruby City has four distinct seasons just like most of the regular world. Detailed weather reports can be found here.

What sort of technology is there?

The technology in Ruby City is an odd amalgam. The lighting and heating seems quite modern, but there is no sign of any television/video/computer technology outside the handheld communicators. Additionally, though the streets are paved or lined with cobblestone, there is also no sign of vehicles to travel these streets. We've noticed recently that there seems to be some confusion over exactly what technology is present and readily available in Ruby City, and how it works. We can only apologise as this is our own oversight, and this post has been written up in an effort to clear any issues up. Feel free to comment if there's anything that still seems unclear, or if there's anything we haven't covered.

The Watches

The pocketwatches received by each resident on arrival are communication devices and are capable of the following:

Text (including various colours)
Audio
Video
Private communication
Taking/Sending images
Recording video/audio
Providing an anon function

The watches are not capable of:

Transfering data from devices not connected to the network (ie phones, music players, laptops)
Playing music (unless recorded onto the watch itself)
Providing games
Any kind of internal self-aware VI function
Allowing the user to pretend to be someone else
Automatic archiving (though conversations can be manually saved)

Additionally, the communicators do not function more than ten feet inside the catacomb entrances, with the exception of the cavern containing the underground lake.

The Technology

The plumbing and heating in the city is fairly modern, with flushing toilets and running water fed from a water tower situated towards the city outskirts. Waste feeds down into a sewer system under the city which is explorable, but... why would you want to? Individual boilers are attached to each house and also work via gas - don't let your pilot light go out! The lighting is also fairly modern in appearance, but on close inspection no wires or power generators are able to be found. Fireplaces are wood-burning (or coal, if you can get it).

Kitchen appliances are fairly basic. The stoves run on gas, with canisters available in the general store to be changed when it runs out. There are no electric kettles, microwaves or electric coffee-makers. Refrigerators are very early models with each unit set on top of an ice box for freezing purposes. Of course, in the winter, you can always store things outside.

There are no electrical outlets, so we're afraid to say that if your character brings a laptop/phone/ipod shuffle in with them, it will work until the battery dies and then there is no way to recharge it. Exceptions to this would be if said technology runs using magic, can be modified to run using magic (granted that there is someone around who can do this), or if some bright spark manages to cobble together a generator and you don't mind risking frying your equipment. Though the apartment blocks are four or five floors in height, there are no elevators. Enjoy the stairs!

The Stores

The stores do not stock anything that runs on electricity and the food provided is mostly fresh produce and raw materials. Hardware and tools provided will be rudimentary and the only modern convenience that is frequently resupplied is batteries.

Older technologies such as antique analogue radios are available for scavenging purposes - maybe someone can make use of them?

What kinds of animals/creatures inhabit the city?

In the City proper, small rodents and insects are as common as they would be in most city settings. A few stray cats and the occasional stray dog may also be found roaming the streets. Where they come from is a bit of a mystery. In the park there are other woodland creatures -- squirrels, birds, chipmunks, rabbits. Deeper in the forest section of the park are a few larger wild animals. But much more common than these are the monsters that dwell within the the deeper regions of the park. On occasion, however, these creatures can venture closer and even within the city walls.

What's the deal with currency and supplies?

There is no currency to speak of. Characters are encouraged to barter with their skills and services if they need things from one another that cooperation alone can't get them. As for most necessary supplies, food is stocked in the shelves of the markets and replenished regularly. Additionally, limited supplies of clothing can be found in some of the other stores. Beyond this, the city was once a thriving metropolis; many of the former shops are old and broken down, but may still retain some of their wares just waiting to be found.

How does my character find somewhere to live?

There are many empty buildings throughout Ruby City. There are a few main apartment buildings that are strictly residences. However, many of the storefronts have apartments above them. There are also houses around the city for characters who wish to live with a large number of other people. Please see the residences post for more.

What are the locations outside the City?

Outside the city there are more natural settings for characters to explore. Beyond the city, there are rolling green fields. Along the way, there is a pristine lake several hours walk away from the city. Beyond the lake is a forest that leads to the foot of several mountains. All these areas are able to be explored, but they take time to reach.

Beyond this the land simply ends and disappears into blackness that stretches to meet the sky on the horizon.

Are there any special rules for the areas outside the City?

Yes. In particular teleportation is limited; while character with teleporting abilities can teleport about the city freely, once they are beyond its limits their teleporting is limited to distances no greater than 100 yards.

Characters can explore as long as they wish, but if they stay away from the City for too long they will feel a compulsion to return to it, the same sort of compulsion that propelled them from the train if they hesitated on disembarking.

What about getting past the ocean?

Characters with the ability of flight can venture out over the ocean and those who can build boats may try to sail it, but the further they go the more forces will conspire to try and drive them back. If a character presses through the currents and strong winds trying to turn them around, they will find themselves in a familiar place -- the black void that once surrounded the land, still populated by the strange winged creatures that inhabited it previously

After being lost in this place for some time they will finally feel ground beneath their feet and emerge, bruised and battered, not far inside one of the catacomb entrances.

What sort of creatures live in the surrounding areas?

Typical woodland creatures inhabit the areas that one would expect them to. Deer, squirrels, raccoons, moose, wolves and the occasional bear roam the forests. But beyond normal fauna, there are a number of strange creatures that inhabit this world. They can be found in the bestiary.

What the heck is going on with that obelisk, anyway?

Up until June 30th, 2013 and the events thereafter, the function of the obelisk was in part secret, but it also operated as a means to keep the more unpleasant creatures outside the city boundaries from passing the broken walls. After it was destroyed by Tim Lear and subsequently reconstructed through the combined efforts of the city inhabitants and its overseers, its more obvious function was no longer operational. It took those that it was keeping out a while to realise this, but since then it has been more up to those living in the city to keep the borders clear of danger.

The obelisk itself has no notable power. There is nothing to be sensed from it in terms of magic or intent, but looking into it will find the very centre strangely dark. From time to time the overseers of the city will appear near to it but whether they have an actual connection to the construct or simply want to perpetuate the idea that they do is something that is still up for debate.

Communicator

What are the communicators like?

In Ruby City, the communicators are shaped like a pocket watch. There are buttons on the side that are used to turn it on and off as well as activate its video, audio or text functions. When opened, there is a small screen for viewing.

The color of the watch is up to the player's discretion -- but generally they are made out of metals so will be gold, bronze or silver. The size of the communicator is determined by the size of the character.

What can the communicators do?

The communicators have many different functions. Primarily they are used to broadcast audio, video or text to the city at large. Communications made in this way are accessible to everyone. However, with a bit of fiddling the communicators may be used to send private or filtered messages (audio, video, text) to certain individuals. These messages, public and private, are stored within the pocket watch itself. In addition, the communicators can be used to take pictures and video without broadcasting them. These are also stored in the pocket watch's memory. These stored files may be later rebroadcast over the communicator -- either publicly or privately.

HOWEVER. There is no user manual for the communicators. None of the buttons are labeled, so any function must be figured out by trial, error and ingenuity. That is to say, characters who have been in the city longer and/or possess some technological know-how have a much better chance of having learned how to access these extra functions. Please be realistic. At a minimum, the audio and video functions are easily accessible and figured out even by new arrivals. It is not possible to pretend to be someone else using the watches, but an anon function can be enabled.

One final point on the communicators. They cannot be taken apart or broken. It's physically impossible. Additionally, throwing a communicator away will be a temporary solution at best; communicators always find their way back to their proper owners.

More information on the watch functions can be found here.

NPCs

Who are the NPCs in charge of the city?

The city was initially controlled by a pair of seemingly omnipotent brothers -- the Watcher and the Interloper. Ruby City was filled with people largely for their own amusement.

However, several other individuals arrived some years ago, introducing themselves at first as guests of the Watcher and the Interloper. They became a more and more vocal presence, having shown themselves not above playing with the populace of Ruby City for their own ends. Not long after their integration into the city, they disposed of the two brothers and subsequently took over. These individuals were numbered at seven: Temper, Tim, Chassie, Gene, Atien, Chari and Dil.

More information about all NPCs can be found here and in copies of notes found here and here, written by the departed Vash Zwingli and maintained by Phoenix Wright, with details on their captors and other small tidbits of information which can be easily located in the library or by contacting Phoenix directly.

Can my character interact with these NPCS?

Of course. The NPCs periodically make transmissions to the network much the same as player characters do. From time to time they also will comment at player character entries -- if something strikes their fancy.

If you would like to have your character speak to an NPC specifically, they can be contacted on the network, and a post linking to each NPC's individual contact page can be found here. Comments are screened.

In person encounters with the NPCs are a bit rarer, but also happen. Hitting up the moderators is the best way to coordinate anything of this nature.

Are there General NPCs in the city?

There are currently no general NPCs in Ruby City. The only NPCs at current are the ones specifically played out by the moderators. This means there are no assorted townspeople filling the streets. Ruby City is meant to be a desolate setting. We have made exceptions on occasion for when a specific NPC is needed for one reason or another -- if a plot requires a death, for example -- but these must be cleared with the moderators.

There are monsters, however, large and dangerous creatures in the deeper reaches of the park that may be assumed in action/combat as players wish.

Out of Character

What are the views on violence or sex?

Sex and violence are both fine in Ruby City. As long as logs are rated accordingly or warnings included in posts if any of their threads include sexual situations or significant violence. Additionally, it's a good idea to lock a post to community members only if it includes graphic sex or violence. If the initial post itself contains graphic writing, please place it beneath a cut.

Any sexually themed interaction (beyond kissing/over clothes) played out on the boards must be restricted to 18+ characters only. For 16 to 18 year olds, sexual scenes must be fade to black and may be implied in later posts. Any sexual interaction between characters under the age of 16 is strictly prohibited.

However, please remember that these situations should have some cause in character. We aren't encouraging random, pointless sex that is completely OOC.

What is the policy on head canon?

Canon overrides head canon, of course, but if there are elements of your character that are not supplied by their canon material, head canon is allowed so long as it makes sense given the character's personality and history.

What can I post on the OOC board?

The OOC community is for player communication. It can be anything related to RP or Ruby City at all. Memes that you wish to post can be posted to the OOC community. So long as they aren't offensive memes, there's no need to ask permission before posting them.

In general the OOC board is a place to talk to your fellow players for fun and for plotting alike.

Additionally, posts announcing hiatuses, new characters and dropped characters should be made to the OOC community.

How do entry tags work?

Please tag each entry you make in both the main community and the log community with your character's name. When you comment on another character's entry, please add your character's comment tag to that entry. Comment tags are the tags that are written as "c: character name" and should match your general tag.

For new characters: Dreamwidth sometimes does not display tags in the drop down list until they have been used to tag at least one entry. This means that your character tag will have to be typed in manually the first time it is used. However, if you do not type it in exactly as it was entered by the moderators, it will not allow you to add it. The general rule is that tags will be your character's full name. There are a few exceptions. Notably, Hetalia characters have their country name as their tag and super heroes generally have their human identity as their tag, not their super hero name.

If you are having trouble tagging an entry or figuring out your character's tag, please contact a moderator.

What sort of RP is allowed in the rubycity_rp community? In the rubycity_logs community?

The main

rubycity_rp community is primarily for communicator posts -- audio, video and/or text. However, action bracket type posts are allowed. Threads that begin as video, audio or text may become action bracket posts.

The rubycity_logs community is for prose-form logs of in person encounters.

Anything else I should know?

We're a very laid back community. You hardly ever have to ask the Mods for permission for anything unless specified otherwise in the Rules or this FAQ. The main rule is to just have fun with the game in any way you feel is needed. Any additional questions you have that weren't covered here? Comment here or contact one of the moderators. Their information is displayed on all main community layouts.

How do I contact the moderators?

The moderators can be reached by sending a private message to the moderator journal (

rubycitymods) The moderators may also be contacted individually. Their contact information can be found at the top of the contacts post (members only) or on the main community profile page.

Additionally, the moderators also have a plurk account: rubycitymods. The best way to ensure that your plurk is seen and responded to by the mods is to make it a private plurk to the moderator plurk.

Why can't I see/comment on the contacts page?

On Dreamwidth, characters must be granted access in order to view a private entry. Our contacts page is under a privacy filter. We add journals to this access list as they are accepted into the game. If you did not apply with your character journal, we will ask you to reply to your ACCEPTED comment with your character journal. If you haven't done that, that may be why your journal cannot view the contacts page. If you have done this and still can't access the contacts page, please send us a PM and we'll straighten it out.

Plots and Events

Do the moderators run gamewide plots or events?

We do! We try to keep a regular influx of events coming. Participation is always optional, save in circumstances where the setting in general is affected by the event. However, we also allow down time between events so that players may work on their own personal character arcs and develop their relationships and interactions with other player characters.

Can I suggest an idea for a moderator-run event?

Of course! We love hearing your ideas. While we can't guarantee that every idea will be made into a moderator-run plot, we do read and consider each and every suggestion we are given. Sometimes we combine elements from multiple suggestions into one event. So please, if you have an idea, please let us know on the plot application page and indicate that it's an event suggestion.

Am I allowed to run an event?

Absolutely. We've had some fantastic player-run events in the past. If you want to run an event, we ask that you submit a proposal on our plot application page that outlines what the event will entail, how long it will run, what moderator assistance you will need and so forth.

We will get back to you about your event and will discuss with you when it best fits into the schedule.

Applying/Dropping

What happens if I drop my character?

Characters disappear when they are dropped. The things that they arrived with disappear as well. This is generally a signal to the other residents of the city that the character is gone rather than lost in the catacombs or forest.

What happens if I want to bring back a dropped character at a later date?

If you want to bring back a character you dropped, they are allowed to remember their previous life in the city. The theory is that when they return home, Ruby City feels like a stark but gradually-fading dream to them, and after a while they forget it entirely. When they are brought back, their memories may either return immediately or gradually, as you prefer.

An applicant may be refused if they have displayed tendencies towards serial app/drops, as this issue upsets ongoing CR and causes annoyance to other players.

Are Canon OC and silent/malleable characters allowed?

Canon Original Characters are defined as characters who exist in canon but are only mentioned or have only very minor roles. We will often allow applications of such characters to contain a larger amount of headcanon, but it must be reasonably extrapolated from the canon that the character comes from and have at least some solid basis. This also applies to pre-established RP universes -- such as Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft, Vampire the Masquerade, etc. -- where the universes were generally created for the purpose of being populated by entirely player-created characters.

Additionally, canons with silent protagonists and ones where player actions can differ based on a moral compass -- for example the Persona series, the Fallout series, Mass Effect and Dragon Age -- would be included under this umbrella. However, these characters can be applied for using the Canon OC form.

We do expect more detail in applications for these characters, in order to fully understand their motives and development.

Can I app a purely original character?

Yes! We welcome original player created characters at RC. There is a separate application for these original characters.

Are over powered characters allowed?

Of course they are! There are few limitations on powers or abilities in this game -- aside from the fact that they cannot escape from the City and are subject to the powers of the NPCS -- as long as your character doesn't godmode. If a character gets out of hand or causes too much trouble with their powers, the NPCs will place a block on their powers to teach them a bit of humility. It's best not to press one's luck too far; The NPCs can be... overzealous. Our sole specific power exception is time travel, which will always be nerfed.

Can I app a non-humanoid character?

Of course! Human, non-human, alien, animal, robot, ghostly characters are all allowed in Ruby City! The only stipulation is that these characters must be sentient and able to communicate with the other residents of the city to some extent. This means a digimon? Absolutely welcome. Lassie? Probably not an appable character. In the cast of AIs, there are several options open to you. An AI character may exist in an isolated form within the watch network itself, or be given a physical form on entry to the city. The latter will require some extra information in your application, relating to physical appearance and how they will react to this change.

What if it's a really really BIG character?

Absolutely! In the case of their entrance, they will find themselves in a size-appropriate cargo compartment at the rear of the train cars, rather than inside one of the carriages.

Can I app AU version of a canon character?

AU versions of characters are fine so long as they are canon AUs or CRAUs from a previous game. No solely player created AUs are allowed in Ruby City at this time with one exception: we will allow a character taken from an earlier or later point in time than the canon typically covers, but only if there is a reasonable way to extrapolate said past or future. Please contact a moderator before applying for a character in this manner.

Can I apply for a character I've previously played at another game with their memories and experiences in that game in tact?

Generally speaking, yes, but we judge this on a case by case basis. There is a specific application for this, please use that form if applying for a CRAU character.

On my application, can I use a first and third person sample from another RP my character was in?

Go right ahead, we don't mind. You can either use samples from your other RPs or, if you wanted, you can write out the character's arrival and their first communicator post.

Why do you only do applications on Sundays?

Applications are processed every Sunday. There is a cut-off time after which applications will be left until the following weekend, detailed on the applications page. We try to keep it consistent so potential players know when they can expect an answer about their application.

Can I apply for more than one character from the same canon?

The short answer of this is: maybe. We do allow a single player to play multiple characters from the same canon if and only if they can demonstrate that it will not conflict with the playercest rule or create any problems with characterization.

If you are applying for a character in a canon from which you already play a character, you must fill in the section at the top of your application form to tell us how those characters may interact and how you will handle it as a player.

Can I apply from my personal journal?

We would prefer applications be made from the character journal you will be using. We understand that this is not always possible, so applications made from personal journals or from a different journal than you will be using are allowed.

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