FAQ 4
Contents
Applying to the Game
Choosing a Character
Phase 1 or Phase 2? What’s the difference?
As mentioned earlier, there are two options for characters in X-Project.
Phase 1: These are characters that were introduced during the first phase of X-Project, between May 2003 and January 20, 2015 and have been dropped by their previous players. They are available for application, with their Phase 1 history intact. They will also be aware of other Phase 1 characters (if they knew each other before January 20, 2015) and will know what was behind the world-breaking event.
Phase 2: These are “new” characters, either new interpretations of previously-played characters, or completely new to the game since January 21, 2015. They have no knowledge of Phase 1 including any previous history or relationships that might have been formed by the Phase 1 version of the character, and will only be aware that on New Year's Eve, a large percentage of mutants abruptly self-combusted, often explosively, killing millions. The cause is unknown, and the event is now known as M-Day. Any P1 character who has not already appeared in P2 is available as a brand-new P2 character.
How do I know who has already been in the game?
By going to the Character page and taking a look at our current roster. Additionally, you can use the Wiki's Search function (over there on the top left of the page) to see if a character has ever been referenced or appeared as an NPC or Villain. If the page only have the red Phase 1 button (and not the yellow Phase 2 button as well), that means that while the character/NPC/villain appeared in the first incarnation of X-Project, they have not yet been brought over to Phase 2 and are considered non-existent in the Phase 2 universe. All unused Phase 1 characters/NPCs/villains are open to being reinterpreted and introduced as a new version.
There are comics characters whose backgrounds aren't anything like their comics canon! Isn't that OOC?
The 'gimmick' of X-Project is that it's a movieverse game, meaning we take comic concepts and characters and adapt them to the more 'realistic' universe of the movies. Our criteria are that we adhere to a certain degree of realism in the game, as instituted by the movies - mutants in a society much like ours, with a tech level around that of the MCU. We are flexible, however, if there are exceptional circumstances. Or you can make non-mutant heroes into mutants, like Amanda Sefton, Topaz, Billy Kaplan and Clint Barton.
Magic, super soldier serums, radioactive spiders, gamma rays and power suits are all allowed in X-Project, provided they are treated in a “realistic” manner, as they are in the MCU or Spider-Man franchises. Preference is for plots rather than PCs, unless the player can provide a reasonable explanation for why a non-mutant super-powered being would be seeking refuge at Xavier’s.
There is also no particular canon used as the default starting point for a PC application. Many of the characters are from Marvel 616, but we accept adaptations from all Marvel properties, provided they fit our guidelines and game canon.
How much can we deviate from canon, though? Can I just grab the name of an obscure Marvel character and recreate them however I want?
While there are no specific rules in place regarding how far someone can go from the character's majority canon in adapting them for a PC application, it is up to the mods to determine how much is "too much". If your character is essentially an original character with a canon name tacked on, with no actual similarity in powers, personality or history, then your application will tend to be returned with a request to edit things to bring them closer to canon.
What about in cases where game canon messes up my character's comics/movie history?
With Phase 2, we’ve hopefully removed a lot of the conflicts, with several players taking the chance to “clean up” aspects of a Phase 1 character’s history where they had to play around conflicts. Players are also strongly encouraged to not create too much back history for appable NPCs in Phase 2, in the event that someone might want to apply for their own version of them.
If there is a problem, the mods will direct you to talk to the player whose character is generating the conflict, or with them, to work out a way around it.
Banned Characters
Is there anyone I can't apply for?
'Banned' characters fall into the following categories:
- Original Characters: X-Project will not accept applications for any original character. We believe there are more than enough Marvel characters out there for the picking, and will accept most variations on backgrounds in order to fit a character within the game universe.
- Clones, time travellers, aliens or "doubles"/people from alternate dimensions: During the relaunch from Phase 1 to Phase 2, the players voted to relax the restrictions on these types of characters, and the creation of The Wormhole has expanded the interdimensional travel possibility. If you wish to have a character join XP from other dimension, they must NOT have previously existed in X-Project, either as a Phase 1 or as a Phase 2 character. Also, to prevent their home dimension from collapsing, they must "die" in some way and they can never return. There is still a requirement for use of these concepts to be used in a more realistic fashion than in the comics - think Agents of SHIELD rather than The Cross-Time Caper. ;) There are also some caveats:
*Aliens: At this point in time, there has been no contact with Earth by space aliens. The possibility of aliens remains open, however would require appropriate discussion with the player base to determine exactly what would be preferred and a suitably epic plot.
*Time Travel: As a plot point only, and only within a “closed loop” system, in order to prevent wholescale changes to the game’s canon and continuity, as well as individual players’ characters. Only to be used with game agreement and with reasonable limits and repercussions. No applications of a future, past or alternate version of an existing, living X-Project PC will be considered - no multiple versions, no future versions of Jean Grey as Xorn.
*Artificial Superpowers: Magic, super soldier serums, radioactive spiders, gamma rays and power suits are all allowed in X-Project, provided they are treated in a “realistic” manner, as they are in the MCU or Spider-Man franchises. Again, preference is for plots rather than PCs, unless the player can provide a reasonable explanation for why a non-mutant super-powered being would be seeking refuge at Xavier’s.
*Clones: Clones have appeared as plot devices and usually in a non-replicable basis - they are not running around all over the place. Preference is again for plot usage and NPCs, rather than PCs, and no application of a clone of an existing, living X-Project character will be considered - no Maximum Clonage-type situations.
- Retired - Phase 1: These characters were formerly played in Phase 1, and were permanently retired at the end of their 'run' by permission of the mods, or killed off as part of the game relaunch Event. The characters have been permanently written out of the game: Catseye, Jamie Madrox, Nathan Dayspring, Ororo Munroe, Paige Guthrie, Remy LeBeau, Yvette Petrovic. HOWEVER, these characters are available as new Phase 2 versions only.
- Modsocks: These characters are official modsocks, due to the influence their character has in-game: Amelia Voght, The Avengers, Charles Xavier, Magneto, Moira MacTaggart, Nathaniel Essex, Nick Fury, Thor, Val Cooper and Laurie Collins.
- Crossover Characters: Again, because there are in-game references, we will not accept characters from anywhere other than Marvel. This includes DC, Heroes, Buffy: the Vampire Slayer, Angel or anime/manga.
- Villains: You will see there are some characters in play that are villains in the comics (such as Emplate), but they are not villains in-game. We will allow for applications for characters that are villains in comics or movie canon, but they cannot remain villains in-game - there must be a reason for them to have reformed. This is because a villain will have no reason to interact with the bulk of the game on a day to day basis, and thus a player's gameplay would be severely limited.
Phase 1 Characters
Do I have to app for a previously-played Phase 1 character?
No. While our preference is to see all our orphans adopted, we do also welcome apps for new versions of previously-played characters, or entirely new ones.
How do I know who has been played previously?
Check out the Unplayed Characters page, or this list which includes NPCs that are available for application.
I want to apply for a previously-played character. How well do you expect me to know their previous history?
If you're thinking of applying for one of our unplayed characters, we recommend you research. Start with the character page. Check out the plots they've been involved in, both via the Wiki write up and by using the link to xp_logs provided to read the character's role. Check out their journal, and the tone of their entries to get an idea of how they've been played before. The mods will expect you to summarise the character's in-game history on the application to show you understand it. Copying and pasting of the wiki history will not be accepted.
We don't expect you to know every little detail - what we're looking for is an understanding of the formative events and relationships in the life of the character as portrayed so far.
The character I'm interested in has a "Contact the Mods" label on it. Why?
Characters marked with the Contact The Mods template may have additional issues which the mods will want to talk over with an applicant or direct the applicant to talk to other players. In some cases, it's complicated personal histories with PCs or relationships. In others, it's because we're aware of upcoming plots or events that might impact on them. Others might need some changes made to power levels in order to reflect changes to the game policies over time. In all cases, you shouldn't let that frighten you off - we're just as keen to find these characters a home as you are and will provide whatever help we can to make that possible.
Click on the Discussion tab at the top of the page for the reasons why the label is there.
I don't like what was done before. Can I just retcon their history?
Yes, you can, by applying for the character as a Phase 2 version, with a clean slate. It does mean you’ll have to do a new application from scratch for them, including talking to players who have characters that may have personal relationships with them.
The character I want has already been used as an NPC/Villain. Does this mean I can't apply for them?
All canon mutant NPCs are available for application. Their previous in-game history must be factored in, the same as with a previously-played PC, and the socker/creator of the NPC will be notified of the interest so they can discuss possibilities, especially if there's a strong relationship between the NPC and their PC.
With Villains, because of the "no player character may be actively an unreformed villain" rule, there are more limits on who can be applied for as a PC. Magneto and the Brotherhood of Mutants, for example, cannot be applied for as they are the primary antagonists to the X-Men and there's just no logical way you could explain a change of heart, or explain them being accepted into the school or onto one of the teams. Also, it would remove a primary source of plots.
Some of the more minor villains, however, provided the application explains their change of status in a way that makes sense and has a reason for them seeking refuge at the Institute, could be applied for.
PBs
What's a PB and where do I find who's been used already?
PB stands for 'played by', and is basically a face chosen to represent your character. Think of it as the actor/singer who 'plays' your character. It’s also known as a “FC” or “face claim” in Tumblr RP. The list of previously used PBs can be found here, or, since the list isn't always up-to-date, use the "Search" function.
If the PB you want has been used previously in Phase 1, and the character is not in Phase 2, you can still go ahead and use it.
There are no 'banned' PBs, although we encourage people to be as realistic as possible. Try and stick to within 5 years of your character's age, try and get the correct ethnicity, try not to use someone who has been frequently referenced in-game as a celebrity or use non-iconic images, etc. We'd encourage people not to use MySpace, etc. images of non-celebrities, and using yourself is strongly discouraged as it blurs the IC/OOC line. Also, people may laugh at you. ;)
Can I change the PB of a previously-played character or NPC I'm applying for?
Yes. Just add a note to your app as to who you intend to use, preferably with a link.
The PB I want to use is already being used by an NPC!
In that case, you can still request permission to use it, especially if you have a character who is difficult to find a face for and the NPC one fits perfectly. The mods will ping the NPC's socker and see if there's any extreme objections to the face being picked up for use by a PC.
