FAQ 8

Playing X-Project

Activity Levels

Is there a minimum activity requirement?

Yes. For each character you play, you must post once a month to one of the following: IC journals, xp_logs, or to one of the various in-game comms (xp_staff, xp_journal, xp_teams, xp_generation_x, etc). Activity also includes journal threads if you have more than one one-word comment. Basically, if you’ve logged into your character journal and put more than a single word in writing somewhere in the game, it counts.

Are there activity checks?

Yes. Every three months, the mods go through the game and check on activity. Players are warned it's happening with a post to the mailing list and/or XPP a week or so before the check.

If I miss an activity check, does that mean I'm out?

No. XP's activity checks are to ensure the game stays active and that players who are struggling for whatever reason receive support. If you fail an activity check steps will be taken according to the Activity Policy.

Logs

So, what's this logging business?

Cooperative narratives, or logs, are a major part of X-Project, accounting for much of the direct interaction between characters. Paragraphs, or 'poses', are generally alternated between the players in a given scene. Writing the reactions of another player's character should be avoided unless agreed upon in advance, as it is often seen as godmodding. In group logs (more than two players involved) common practice is to 'tag' the person you wish to follow you.

Players are encouraged to make sure they communicate difficulties in logging to their logging partners; no one should be reluctant to ask 'Can we back up a pose or two?' or 'Can we change this?', or request that a log in progress be scrapped. Logs should not be posted without the agreement of all players involved.

X-Project is a real time game, and as such, 'threading' is not practical. Also, it’s hard to read.

Where do I post logs?

Logs are posted to xp_logs, which is the log posting comm and where a lot of the "action" of XP happens. To post, log into your character journal, click on "Post New Entry" at the top right of the page. Make sure you change the community you're posting in via the drop down menu, and then copy and paste your log into the box provided.

What kind of format do I have to use?

Logs are generally written in third-person past-tense, although experimenting with style when appropriate is both allowed and encouraged. Logs should be spell-checked and formatted correctly (for example, removing hard returns and >s at the end of lines if the log was originally done in email - there are a number of word processing programs available that make this easier). It also helps if you add a space between paragraphs so you don't get a Wall O' Text.

All logs should be posted under a DW cut-tag (eg: <lj-cut text= "Insert Log Title Here">) to save friends lists. They should also include a brief summary or teaser, usually in italics, as well as any OOC notes that are needed, such as Disturbing Content Warnings. Subject lines are left to the discretion of the poster, although they usually include participants' names and the date/time of the log, or a title if the log is part of a plot.

Your log should look something like this before you hit "post":

Subject

Big Damn Heroes - Enter the Villain.

Body

The X-Men encounter the villain of the piece, who turns out to be someone they never would have expected.

<cut text= "Mwahahaha, now I have you!">

You can also post multiple loglets in one post, by closing the cut tag after each section, like so:

<cut text= "Scene 1 of my Plot">

Wordswordswords etc.

</cut>

<cut text= "Scene 2 of my Plot">

Morewordswordswords etc.

</cut>

What if I can't finish a log in time for it to be posted?

Backdating is a useful tool to keep scenes and plots moving when circumstances - such as players living in different time zones, lack of online access etc - prevent posting in "real-time". Backdating is a method of ensuring everyone can participate in the game as intended.

The policy of posting a backdated scene or log is to actually change the date on the log to when it should be when posting, as well as noting in the log header that the log is backdated to a particular date. This way, while the post may appear "out of order" on people's friendslists, when looking at the xp_logs community through the Archive function it will be on the proper day. Dreamwidth allows for changing dates at the time of posting, or through the "Edit" function. Do not click the 'backdate post' option, since it won't let you for comms any way.

There is no expiration date on logs. If however, you feel something is "too old" to be backdated, or was not finished, x_project or xproj_players are available for posting such scenes for the enjoyment of all.

What's this "scheduled posts" thing I keep hearing about?

LJ did allow for posting entries before the date scheduled, allowing plot runners especially to set up their plot logs to post automatically. Since the relocation to DW, that option is not currently available, although we keep our fingers crossed for an update.

What if I'm posting a plot and I'm a log short?

Sometimes circumstances arise that cause logs within a plot to not be ready at the time of posting. Whilst it is preferred that this be avoided as much as possible, there are two methods of backdating scenes within plots.

• putting a "placeholder" post in that spot, and later editing the post with the appropriate scene. This would necessitate informing people via the mailing list when the "missing" post goes up, as the post to xp_logs may have scrolled off friendslists by that time.

• post backdated scenes as separate posts, using the aforementioned date change and note in the summary.

In very rare cases it might be necessary to hold off on posting the entire plot until the scene is ready, however this would require contacting the mods and letting them know.

Can I post a backdated log during a plot?

Because XP is a very busy game with plots ongoing all the time, it's reasonable to expect sometimes people will have to post a backdated log during a plot. It is highly suggested that if your log is going to be posted during a highly dramatic point in someone's plot, that you contact them and see what's the best time for them. The general rule of thumb is to avoid posting on the "climax" day of a plot, usually the last day, as a courtesy to the plot runner, especially if the plot only runs for a day or two.

During global-level plots, it is very occasionally requested that backdated logs not be posted during the duration of the plot. In these instances, the request would have to be made at the time the plot was submitted for approval, and it would be the plotrunner's responsibility to notify the playerbase of the 'blackout'.

Can I backdate a journal post or IC email?

Given there are players living in time zones other than US EST, forward- and backdating of journal posts, comments and IC communications happens. We do ask that players try to post as close to the 'correct' time as possible and to backdate entries to the correct game time, and to avoid backdating anything longer than a couple of days. Comments are 'timeless' - that is, the timestamps on comments to journal posts are not considered gametime and all comments are assumed to have been made within a day or two of posting, unless otherwise labelled.

Do I tag my comm posts?

Tags in XP are used for posts to the that are part of plots, and for each individual character on xp_logs, xp_journal and xp_communication. The mods are the only ones who can add new tags, however once a tag has been established, anyone can use it on a log, whether they posted it or not. For xp_communication posts for mass emails, just add the first character posting. If you have more characters than tags allowed, use a team name instead, such as "t: generation" x or "t: x-men".

For xp_teams, posts should be tagged with the team name that is involved - "t: x-men", "t; x-force", "t; x-factor" and the canon codename of the individual posting.

For xp_journal, posts should be tagged with the name of the character posting ONLY (c: [character name]).

For xp_staff, distinguish between "t: medical" and specific x-teams. Posts not tagged otherwise will be assumed visible to all adult (18+) characters. For posts by individuals away from the prying eyes of the minors, use your character name, the same as you would for xp_journal.

For xp_generation_x, use either the plot name (if applicable), or the individual character making the post.