FAQ 1

What Is X-Project?

The Game

What is X-Project?

X-Project is an online roleplaying game on Livejournal, set in the X-Men Movieverse - that is, it is based on X-Men and X2, the first two X-Men movies. X-Project was started May 5 2003 by Queer as John and Bonnie. The in-game starting point was shortly before the events of X2, and continued on from there.

We currently have 65 active characters, and 41 players.

What about X3, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: First Class movies?

As X-Project began at X2, X-Men 3: The Last Stand doesn't exist in game terms. There is no Cure, no Phoenix, and Scott Summers, Jean Grey and Charles Xavier are all very much alive.

The X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie is also not considered part of X-Project canon, as it contains elements that directly contradict game history and established character canon. The X-Men: First Class movie also does the same, and also does not count, as will Future Origins movies if they contradict game canon. If you're wondering about how characters differ from their movie versions, we recommend reading their Wiki pages.

Applications based on non-canon movie versions (i.e., characters from X3 or X-Men: Origins) will have to be adapted to accommodate game canon.

What sort of format do you use?

X-Project uses a combination of in-character (IC) journals and narrative logs. Logs are written in 3rd person/past tense format, via AIM, email and G-Mail's Documents feature. As XP occurs in real time (ie, a day in RL = a day in XP), we don't allow log threads on the boards - logs should be completed, compiled and posted as one complete document. Backdating is allowed, via both OOC note on the log, and actually changing the posting date.

The Players of XP

Who are you people?

The players of XP are a mixed bunch. Some have common roots in the comic fan-fiction community, others come from an online RP background first. Others have come in as a result of having friends suggest the game to them, or seeing our advertisements on the various RP advertising comms. We cover various time zones and countries, various backgrounds and lifestyles. You can find out more about individual players on the player pages, but the upshot is we're fans of comics, fans of roleplay, and very passionate about our game.

Who are the mods?

The current mods are Rossi, Dex and Frito. They were voted in as mods by the players, from the active playerbase.

Do the mods act as GMs and control the game?

No. XP is primarily the players' game. The players develop and determine plots, create the gameworld, decide on character development paths. The mods are overseers, ensuring that there is no hugely disruptive change without bringing it to the players to discuss and protecting continuity and making sure things run smoothly. They are the game's administrators, rather than game masters.

World-changing decisions and policy changes are made by player discussion and vote. Players are encouraged to contribute and bullying and intimidating are against the rules.

Setting

In what time period does the game take place?

X-Project takes place in real time - the events of X2 are said to have happened in May 2003, and the game has continued on since then. One day in RL = one day in X-Project. So, whatever day it is today, that's the day it is in XP.

A timeline of important events in the gameverse's history can be found here.

Where does the game take place?

There are three primary settings: Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters in Salem Center, Westchester County, New York; District X, a Manhattan neighborhood that is home to X-Factor Investigations and a number of graduates from the school; and the Snow Valley Memorial Center for Mutant Affairs, which is situated on the tenth floor of an office building off the Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan, New York City.

There are a number of other locations established in-game.

Demographics

How many mutants are there out there?

The accepted canon ratio is 1:10,000. This means a population of 30,000 mutants in the U.S. Approximately 1%, or 300, of those are 'alpha' mutants, those with significantly strong or flexible powers, and the rest have varying levels of ability and strength.

There are proportionally more mutants in developed nations for a number of reasons: better medical care, which means problematic mutations wouldn't necessarily be the death sentence they would be otherwise, especially with facilities like Muir Island Research Facility available; a lowered risk of parents killing obviously-mutant babies due to lack of education on mutation; structured legal systems with less punative options (such as stoning criminals to death) which would result in less chance of being 'punished' for being a mutant, and the existence of hate crime legislation which protects mutants more.

The rule of thumb in XP has been that the existence of mutants has only really been at a significant rate for the past four generations, and has only been common public knowledge since the 1980s to fit the movieverse setting.

Politics and History

What are the politics of XP?

As seen at the end of X2, Republican President McKenna had an epiphany following the disaster of Styker's plans to eliminate mutants, and had been working since then towards mutant-human coexistence. This included cooperating with the X-Men in a number of crises, including the rescue of McKenna's daughters following an abduction.

Whilst the McKenna administration was mutant-friendly, there are elements within the government that were not, including the remnants of several old initiatives to use mutants as soldiers. One of these - Mistra - went rogue and was shut down by a joint government/X-Men task force on the island of Youra, but there are still elements among the CIA, for example, who didn't trust Charles Xavier or his influence with President McKenna.

In 2008, a new President - Barack Obama - was elected. With a recent attack on New York, the outgoing government instituted some distance between the White House and the X-Men and brought SHIELD to the forefront of mutant-related issues. Obama was inaugurated in January, 2009.

On a wider level, groups such as the Friends of Humanity are gaining popularity as they move away from outright violence and terrorism, taking advantage of the fear of mutants generated by Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants. In the wake of the San Diego earthquake and Day Zero, it is more difficult to be a mutant among the general population. However, initiatives such as Red X are also helping to foster the image of mutants as productive parts of society.

What about 9/11 and the War Against Terror?

The events of 9/11 have not occurred in X-Project. Afghanistan is still partially ruled by the Taliban, although there is international pressure on them to reduce religious-based restrictions. There is no war with Iraq, and tensions in the Middle East remain much as they were pre-9/11, with frequent infighting and sabre-rattling. The US is largely concerned with domestic issues, and the anti-terrorism focus is more on the mutant threat - Magneto, The Preservers and their ilk.

At this point there has been significant game canon built onto this status quo, making it difficult to reverse this perspective.

What about internationally?

It's a big world out there, and there are a variety of standpoints on mutation. Countries such as England, Australia and Japan are similar to the United States, struggling to adapt to the social changes having a super-powered minority population entails, with mixed results. Canada has a successful mutant registration program, implemented through the health system and aimed at training young mutants in sufficient control to avoid harming others. Those who wish to can join the Alpha Flight program.

Other countries, such as various African nations, China and parts of the Middle East, are suspicious, outright condemnatory, or seek to use mutants for the benefit of the military. Countries such as the island nation of Attilan and Hungary, have publicly-recognized mutants as their heads of state.

World politics are developed on a plot-by-plot basis, with the oversight of the mods for continuity.

Mutant Terrorism

Mutant terrorism is a central theme in XP politics. As an aid, the following timeline has been created of the various plots involving acts of mutant terrorism:

2002

X1: the Statue of Liberty incident where the world's leaders are nearly turned into mutants by Magneto.

2003

X2: Mutant registration is debated; Xavier's is attacked by Colonel William Stryker, with the President's agreement following revelations there's a jet under the basketball court.

2004

Collateral Damage: Mutant attack at Columbia, thirty-odd civilians killed.

Sound and Fury: the Brotherhood attack at a shopping mall, dozens injured, major property damage.

2005

Thermopylae: mutant weaponisation project Mistra taken down on Greek island of Youra; massive casualties from Mistra and from the police/military.

2006

The Rictor Effect: Magneto uses Julio Richter to cause a major earthquake in San Diego; thousands killed or injured, massive destruction.

The Gates: Mutant ghetto riots in Smichov.

Living Pele: mutant 'goddess' forces the evacuation of Hawaii.

2007

Minitooth: attempted assassination of Graydon Creed by Sabretooth.

Kaiten: the Preservers bomb several pro-cooperative targets across the world.

This Savage Land: Dinosuars overrun NY thanks to the Evolutionaries.

Sound of Silence: The Attilan royal family are assassinated and the island disappears for several weeks.

Thirteen Days: Magneto threatens US cities with a Russian space laser.

2008

Blessed Are The Peacemakers: assassination attempt on the Prime Ministry of Hungary.

Zemo: Baron Zemo threatens to blow up the world.

Bhagavad Gita: a nuclear mutant terrorist explodes and kills 500,000 in India.

Red X Mission: Shake Hands With The Devil: Ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka by Indian troops and the Imperial Guard.

Krypteia: mutant attack on a rally in Central Park.

Day Zero: Apocalypse takes over Manhattan.

The Magnificent Seven: Wakanda is attacked by mutant soldiers.

Obama elected, change of policy re the X-Men - the administration distances itself from the team.

2009

Congress of Behram: assassination attempt on William Bastion.

X-Men Mission: Fifth Column: mutant attack on Budapest.

Home and Native Land: Canada's Alpha Flight team is massacred and the program halted.

Atomic Angel: Shiro Yoshida goes crazy in Japan and causes significant property damage.

X-Men Mission: Jailbreak: mass break out of mutant criminals.

2010

Lakshmibai Raj: India attempts to invade Pakistan, India's Prime Minister is assassinated, Lilandra is elected and India gets a seat on the Security Council.

2011

The Best Deceptions: Attack on a family on the Overseas Highway by Nanny and the Orphan Maker, resulting in property damage.

Dinosaur Bugaloo: Mutant serial killer Karl Lykos taken down in District X after a pitched battle.

X-Men Mission: The Grotesque and the Sublime: Mutant riots in Madripoor.

Aftershocks: Mutants are targeted by a serial killer in District X.

2012

X-Men Mission: Day Zero, the Movie - Terrorist threats at the premiere of a movie focussing on emergency workers during Day Zero.

Times They Are A-Changin' - Members of a FOH rally at a pro-mutant fair suddenly manifest powers for unknown (unnatural) reasons.

Genosha Arc - The island nation of Genosha abducts a number of students and staff from the Xavier Institute; the government is ultimately overthrown by the combined forces of the X-Men, X-Force, X-Factor and the New Mutants.

Geography and Climate

What about the basics? Geography, weather, etc?

The general rule of thumb is this: unless specifically stated otherwise, things are the same as they are in the real world. So, if you're wondering what the weather is like in Salem Center on a particular day, check out a weather site or ask one of the players in the region what's going on. Sometimes the mods will announce what things are like for the purposes of gameplay (eg. a snow day might be announced for players to react to), but otherwise, things happen the same as they do in reality. The exception is large-scale disasters that would logically have a response from the X-Men or Red X - they need to be run past the mods to approve in order for players to react accordingly. Likewise, man-created disasters such as mass-shootings are generally not assumed to have happened, for the sake of courtesy to players who might have been effected.

For canon fictional locations, if it hasn't been mentioned yet, the likelihood is it hasn't been introduced yet. "New" locations will have to be run past the mods, usually as part of a plot, and in some cases where they're proposed as general plot locations, put to the player base as a whole for input before being introduced.

Due to a plot happening in New Orleans at the same time, Hurricane Katrina did not occur on the same scale as actually happened - a hurricane hit the city, but the levees held and the damage was serious, but not catastrophic.

Culture and Media

Are there comics/superhero movies in the XP-verse?

Yes, but for a number of reasons, those references are restricted to non-Marvel titles and companies. Mostly it's to avoid too much meta confusion, as there are references to movie-related groups and organisations (such as SHIELD) in XP and there are many crossovers with the X-Men in various Marvel comics. It's also to avoid chewing up too many potential playable characters - if someone is referenced as fictional, they cannot be applied for without that issue being addressed.

There have been references to some Marvel productions, made early in the game's history. The Spiderman movies, Daredevil and Elektra have all been referenced as fictional and thus cannot be considered 'real' in the XP verse, at least not without some kind of explanation.