FAQ 10

Playing X-Project

Character Development

Does my character have to stay at the same power level? What about powers development?

Powers development is encouraged, especially in areas steering away from comics canon into more 'realistic' forms. Your plans for developing a power should be in your application, and any significant change in a power level or application must be run past the mods before appearing on-screen, as per the game policy. Again, if you seek to have your character become too powerful, you will be asked to limit it in some way, or create some reason why the development isn't used all the time. Overload is a popular 'brake' on powers, for example.

My character's done their Gen X time, what can I do next?

You have any number of options, most of them involving one of the teams. During your X-Project time, you'll have learned what's out there and where your character leans. Talk to the other players and get some ideas!

Is there anything I shouldn't do with my character?

We don't like to restrict gameplay, but there are some elements we'd like people to avoid, or use extremely sparingly, listed on the Disturbing Content Warnings chart. We're also extremely big on Consequences in X-Project, so if you have a story line in mind, we'll expect you to have thought about What Happens Next.

We also have some regular themes that sometimes get a bit overdone. The plot themes page will give you an idea of what's been done and just how often. 2014, for example, was a big year for demons. ;)

Villains

Who are the X-Project villains?

The full list of Villains already established in X-Project can be found here. You'll notice there are movie and comics canon villains, as well as originals. There is also a handy spreadsheet which summarises the status of XP villains that have been used.

Can anyone use any of the villains in a plot?

Certainly. In cases where the villain is tied closely to a specific PC (for example, if you wanted to have renegade Mistra agents still loose) or is socked by one of the players, we'd direct you to talk to the player who has the ties/socks the villain, just to ensure continuity and correct characterisation. In the cases where the villain is socked by a particular player, we'd ask that you use the same player for any socking you might need.

Can I introduce a villain of my own?

Of course. The standard guideline is that villains tend to be introduced as part of a plot, in order to avoid too many villains being approved and then left unused when someone else might be interested in using them. The 'standard of movieverse realism' applies to backgrounds etc - no time travellers, no aliens, that sort of thing. If you want to use a concept such as Project Tearaway to explain part of your villain, you may be guided towards the player who introduced the concept, to ensure continuity again.

Can I write my own villain?

Most of the time we'll encourage you to get someone else to sock your villain. Mainly because this is cooperative roleplay, and writing large scenes by yourself removes the cooperative part. It is possible for someone to write the role of a villain in scenes their character is in, however there needs to be at least one other PC not written by that player involved.

To get a socker for your villain, either approach a player you think would be good directly, ask the mods for suggestions, or make an open request on the mailing list or the player LJ comm to ask for volunteers.

Who socks the existing villains?

In cases where the villains are socked by specific players, there will be a note on their Wiki page in the Meta section letting you know who. Villains who are mod-controlled will be noted as being socked by the mods. An overview of who socks whom can be found here.

Where there is no note as to who socks, please bring it to the attention of the mods/Wiki editors and we'll find out who does and correct it.

Why are some villains mod-controlled?

Mod-controlled villains tend to be those whose actions can impact the gameworld in a significant way, or who are frequently used and need continuity kept. Examples are Magneto, most of the members of the Brotherhood of Mutants and so on. In some cases a modsocked villain will be written by someone else with the approval of the mods, but the logs will have to be sent to the modlist for approval prior to posting to ensure there's no big changes that have to be incorporated in the gameworld that weren't part of the plot application.

The list of mod-controlled Villains (and NPCs) is available to players here.

NPCs

Who are the X-Project NPCs?

The full list of NPCs already established in X-Project can be found here. You'll notice there are movie and comics canon NPCs, as well as originals. There are four classes of NPCs: Family and Friends, Staff and Students, Allies and Other (meaning their allegiance is undetermined).

Can anyone use any of the NPCs in a plot?

'General' NPCs are available for use by anyone. For family and close friends that don't 'belong' to you, you'll need to talk to the person whose PC they 'belong' to. Most times, the mods will direct you to talk to the socker of the NPC before the plot is approved (if you haven't already), just to establish continuity will be okay. This doesn’t mean the socker has veto power over your plot - they’re expected to work with you to make things work.

Can I introduce an NPC of my own?

Of course. Within reason, however - a cast of a thousand NPCs associated with your character will be discouraged, especially if you sock them all yourself. The idea of an RPG is to play with others, and there is a definite player preference for logs involving PCs talking to PCs, rather than PC/NPC.

Does this mean I shouldn't use NPCs at all?

Of course not. NPCs are a fundamental part of the game and are required to flesh out the gameworld. The rule of thumb in logging is to look at the proposed scene and ask yourself, "Is this scene essential?" and "Can this scene work with another PC or will only an NPC do?" If there is no other way to get the information across (eg, you can't use a journal post, or reference the information in another conversation with another PC, etc), and a PC cannot fill the required role, feel free to use the NPC.

Who socks the existing NPCs?

In cases where the NPCs are socked by specific players, there will be a note on their Wiki page in the Meta section letting you know who. NPCs who are mod-controlled will be noted as being socked by the mods. Players also have charts on their player Wiki pages outlining who they sock, if you want to check that way.

Where there is no note as to who socks, please bring it to the attention of the mods/Wiki editors and we'll find out who does and correct it. Or suggest you ask for volunteers

Why are some NPCs mod-controlled?

Mod-controlled NPCs tend to be those whose actions can impact the gameworld in a significant way, or who are frequently used and need continuity kept. For example, Moira MacTaggart because she is frequently used for expert advice on mutation, and thus determines powers etc, Thor is, for all intents and purposes, a God, and Val Cooper and Fred Duncan reflect the US administration and law enforcement's attitudes towards mutants. In some cases a modsocked NPC will be written by someone else with the approval of the mods, but the logs will have to be sent to the modlist for approval prior to posting to ensure there's no big changes that have to be incorporated in the gameworld that weren't part of the plot application.

The list of mod-controlled NPCs (and Villains) is available to players here.

What about unplayed PCs? Can I use them?

One of the reasons for the relaunch was to unload the extraneous “baggage” from our various available characters. Now we’ve managed that, we’d like to avoid adding more, so in most circumstances, the mods will discourage using unplayed PCs as NPCs. Family, of course, is the exception, and again the mods will ask that you make as little use of them as possible, to avoid cluttering them up again.

Wiki

Can anyone add to the Wiki?

Every current player has access and editing rights to the Wiki. Every page, with the exception of the Main Page and the Policy pages, are open to editing by anyone in the game.

Do I need to clear what I want to post to the Wiki with the mods first?

No. Basically, if it appears on screen or was approved in an application of any kind (character, plot, whatever), it's free to go up on the Wiki. Likewise, PBs don't need to be approved either, unless you're using one that's already been used for another page, for whatever reason.

How often should I update my character page?

The rule of thumb is once every six months, or when you've had a significant event happen in your character's life. This isn't a policy, but if you leave it any longer than that, the job is more insurmountable the longer you leave it.

What about plots and NPCs/Villains?

If you've used the Wiki format for your plot submission, it shouldn't take you long to put it up after the plot's completed. Ideally, plots should be written up within three months of being completed, and any NPCs or Villains used (or created) done at the same time. Any longer than that and things pile up.

Is there a guide to the coding?

Why, yes, yes there is. The Help section contains several links to pages that will help. The Wiki FAQ will give you step-by-step instructions from filling in your player page to updating plots.

What can appear on the Wiki?

The Wiki is the repository for game canon, so basically anything that has appeared in-game and hasn't been retconned can be mentioned. Additionally, if there's something in a plot or character/NPC/Villain write up that is approved by the mods but for whatever reason doesn't appear on screen, it may also be added in order to make things easier to research and avoid clashes later. If you've got something that will appear in the future, it's best not to add it until it's happened, to avoid spoilers. ;)

Can I ask someone to help with my pages?

Of course - not everyone is able to spend the time and effort involved in writing up things, or aren't able to find the right tone. We find a kind of barter system works best, to avoid a few people doing all the work - find something you can do for them in exchange for them doing your Wiki stuff.