[FAQ]

[mansionstaff]

You've got a question? Well, we'll answer it! Read down below for more!



Q: Have I read the rules yet?
A: YOU BETTER. YOU BETTER DO IT RIGHT NOW. The rules cover a lot of stuff and chances are your question may already be answered there, or on the premise/setting info page.

Q: I really want to join, but what does all this stuff mean?
A: If you're new to roleplay we've compiled a crash-course right over here. This is also a good read (though very LJ-centric). If you've read all this but you still have some questions about RPing on Dreamwidth, ask away! We'll be happy to answer them for you.

Q: Okay, so I read all that. What is Smash Rising, and can you give me a quick technical summary of the game?
A: Sure thing. Smash Rising is a continuation of Smash Academy, which was destroyed by a giant, ugly moon! It's set on a series of floating Islands which will be discovered as the meta-plot progresses. Your character will start off in a somewhat less than opulent mansion and will be grouped into one of four Houses. (More on this later.) There will be a plot that is ongoing, tournaments on a bi-annual basis and plenty of other events including Boss Battles, interaction with various Game Worlds and more!

As far as technical specs: We are a comm-based Super Smash Brothers themed game. We accept video game canons and video game canon versions of characters from other mediums, with some fandom OCs. Our game is small, pace is slow to moderate but picks up during events. Our activity checks are monthly, with low comment count requirements. Applications are open year-round and are reviewed once a week. Powers are not nerfed, "humanization" of animal characters is your choice and you can switch freely between the two forms. NPC friendly, munsturbation/playercest friendly (in moderation), Icon mule friendly, Death is (mostly) permanent. We highly encourage player plots and there's also moderator-run events as well. The focus of this game will be on surviving on these Islands, exploring and working together as well as toughening yourselves up to do some good ol' fashioned SMASH STYLE BRAWLING! If you want to know more you can read the manga rules.

Q: What about the game itself? Where does it take place and what can I do in it?
A: Check out the premise for a more detailed description, but in brief, you're in an old Mansion on one Island in an Archipelago of other floating Islands, many of which are currently obscured by an impenetrable mist. But there's a giant, kick-ass stadium with super cool holographic computer technology to mess around in. And woods and some mountains and stuff, too. And plenty of stuff for you to find later! As far as what to do, that's entirely up to you! Help repair the house, help find food, go and be a surly forest hermit, teach your skills to people who need skills taught to them, defy tradition by going on a boxer shorts raid, fight anyone and everyone, steal 40 cakes (That's terrible.) hold a fishing tournament, hunt bugs, train Pokemon, work on your tan, annoy everyone by singing The Song That Never Ends, hold an impromptu dance party, ruin an impromptu dance party by playing The Song That Never Ends.

The game will be a little more structured to start off with, but will open up more and more as players explore and pool resources.

Q: Are you panfandom?
A: No. Yes. Sort of.

So, here's the deal. If it's in a video game? You can play it. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Dance like no-one's watching, sing like no-one's listening, love like you've never played Mario Kart with the object of your affections and broken up over cheap blue shell usage.

Characters who have featured in a Video Game are Fair Game. Goku from DragonBall: Xenoverse. (Your Majin Character from DragonBall: Xenoverse too, actually. Or Namekian. We're equal opportunity when it comes to aliens, here. Game generated OCs are A-OK too.) Jessie and James from Pokemon Yellow. Mickey from Mickey Mouse's Castle of Illusion. Sticks from Sonic Boom. Superman from Superman 64. (....don't do this, Jim will literally cry.)

Please be advised that while headcanon and canon from the character's original source material can be used to fill in blanks, applications will be judged on how close to video game canon they are, and this will be done on a case by case basis. Mods are super friendly and willing to work with you though, and if you have any questions you can ask us via PM!

Q: Are duplicates of characters allowed?
A: For the most part, no. BUT! We do make special exceptions. For example, Link, as many of the Zelda games feature a different version of the pointy eared fellow in the green hat. Sonic Boom is a separate continuity to the regular series, so alternate character versions from those games count as appable. You get the idea. Older/Younger versions of a character and simple palette swaps are a no-no, though. If you have any questions about the character you plan to app, we encourage you to ask! Also, we have an acceptable series page which should answer a lot of your questions too!

Q: Can we play previously-dropped characters in the game?
A: Of course! It's up to you whether you keep their previous CR or go for a clean slate of relationships. If you do decide to keep their previous CR, it would be an excellent idea to talk to your future castmates! In fact, getting in touch with your future castmates just to make sure you're on the same page is an excellent idea in general.

Q: WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO REVIEW MY APP?
A: Usually the mods get together and have the best pizza parties to review them every Friday. We don't review them in any sort of order other than "which canons are we more familiar with and can thus review faster". Sometimes we'll disagree on some points too, which means it'll take longer to reach a unified decision. Occasionally, we'll be down some mods on modnight and we might not feel comfortable enough looking at your app without second opinions. In the event there's a delay in app reviewing, we usually announce it.

Q: What's all this humanization hubbub?
A: Humanization is just as the name implies: A non-human character changing form to become human. The details of the transformation, how it happens, how easy or difficult it is for your character to adjust to, and so forth are all up to you. It's not a requirement, but in the case of trying to play a tiny Pikmin or Pokemon that can only say its name or something along those lines, it might prove to be useful.

Q: Does that mean my character can keep all of his abilities?
A: Absolutely! We just ask that you don't go overboard with them. If you're worried that "punching a guy into the stratosphere with only your pinky finger" or anything is a little much, don't hesitate to ask!

Q: You know how Smash Brothers Games have stages, right? How do those work here?
A: They're based on actual places, but in Smash Rising they're all basically computer-generated simulations. The stadium has got one of the most advanced holographic generators around, and it can produce any one of a number of stages for your sparring pleasure. The stadium has two modes; safeties "on" (characters can feel simulated pain, but can't die) and safeties "off" (what is sounds like; pain is real and death is real). Safeties are on by default. How did the stages even get programmed into the computer? That, friends, is a secret.

Q: I hate secrets... So why's my character here?
A: That's completely up to you! Maybe she just woke up in some old mansion one day and was confronted by blue hedgehogs and yellow mice with electrical powers. Maybe he was walking through his home town and decided to take the road less traveled only to wind up somewhere unfamiliar where a bear with a laser eye was offering him a muffin. Maybe they saw advertised an opportunity to take part in a Ginormous Fighting Tournament and that was literally their Dream Come True and so they arrived there by Helicopter. Getting to the Island is no problem! It's leaving that's going to be the tricky part... at least, for now.

Q: What if I want to have Ganondorf go visit Hocotate and stomp on Olimar's house?
A: For the moment, travel to worlds outside the Smash Isles is going to be restricted. Things will free up in that regard as the plot progresses.

Q: Are there any IC age limits?
A: Not even a little bit.

Q: What do I do if I want to app a character without much background information?
A: Characters from game canons can be immensely detailed or incredibly lacking in supplementary information. Don't worry. We know. If your intended Muse has an additional canon, say an anime or comic or cartoon, you can fill in blanks using stuff from that. Please use game canon information where possible, though. The same thing goes for Headcanon. If you have Headcanon that makes sense and doesn't contradict canon from the games, it's entirely acceptable to fill in a lack of detail with it! We just ask that you keep it within reason. (Giving Franklin from GTAV a back story consisting of dragons and faeries and his Dad is secretly Goldeneye's James Bond isn't going to fly just because we never find out much about his childhood.)

Q: I want to apply someone from a different canon point than the rest of my castmates. How do I explain that IC?
A: Any way you want to! The Smash Isles are a very special place. They exist in a nexus between a practically infinite number of worlds, timelines, universes, pocket universes, zones, layers of reality, metaphysical realms and dreamscapes. As a result, people from different points in time can exist alongside one another, can interact freely, all without worry of causing time paradoxes or making the universe implode. Once you exit the Isles, however, the laws of space and time kick in again - Characters who are going home for a vacation will be going to their own time.

Q: Can I use outside samples for my app?
A: Sure can! Keep in mind that if we feel the samples don't sufficiently show the personality or voice of the character, or are not a very recently dated sample, we may ask you to write a new sample for us anyway. We will do this on a case-by-case basis. We prefer that you write us new samples to show you have a strong grasp of the character no matter the time, place, setting or situation. You may also write a new sample and post links along with it to supplement. This is probably the best thing you can do.

Q: You mentioned Houses, earlier? What's that all about?
A: Smash Rising divides characters into four Houses. Brawler, Gunner, Swordsman and Assist. These Houses have residential wings of the mansion devoted to them, specialized training and common areas, and may be used to decide teams for events! Who doesn't love a little inter-house rivalry? You'll decide your character's House at the time of application and characters who are already present at the time of the game's re-opening will be asked to pick one.

Q: Whoa! But my character doesn't quite fit into any one of these!?
A: Some characters won't! We ask that you, if you're having trouble deciding, pick two or more in order of preference and we can help you make that call! Maybe we have fifty brawlers and three swordsmen and YOU can make the difference by evening the odds a little! (....still wouldn't be balanced. But. You know. BETTER than before, right?) Also consider that while your character may not fit entirely into any one of them NOW, they may grow into the role later and that could be an interesting character arc in its own right.

Q: You mentioned Houses would be linked to living quarters? But I want to live with my Trainer or my Boyfriend or my Best Buddy! How can you separate us? Why are you so cruel!?
A: No, no, shhh, it's OK, I promise. You can live wherever you want! It's just going to be a little extra distance between you and your House come time for events, or if you want to use that House's training facilities.

Q: Hey, why wasn't my question answered!?
A: Because you didn't even ask it yet! If you have any questions you don't see here, feel free to ask via a comment, IM, PM, or however else you'd like to ask!