frequently asked questions

[airlockedmods]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Game

- What is Airlocked?

Airlocked is a five-part murdergame in the same weekly format of Trustfell or Dangan Roleplay, but with an extraterrestrial twist. This one is set in space!



The premise is that 20 Champions from various worlds have been brought together as representatives of the best and the brightest that their homes have to offer. With the guidance of the Overseers and the mysterious, invisible Benefactors, the Champions will have the ability to rise to the challenge, or else succumb to the despair and attempt to escape with the one option available to them: murder.

- How long is this going to last?

Round 3's Endgame Weekend will be September 22-23, 2017, and Round 3 will be Officially Over by Tuesday, September 26.. 1 OOC day = 1 IC day, except for investigations and trials, which are on a 2:1 day scale (meaning: investigations and trials take place on Fridays ICly, but Friday-Saturday OOCly).

HOWEVER, because the overarching plot of Airlocked is so tightly-knit, we encourage players and potential players to consider Airlocked more as a five-act play than a single round. We understand that circumstances can change, especially when planning so far in advance, but before you apply - and especially if you're hoping to make survivor pool - we urge you to consider whether you will be willing to return for an encore in round 5. This is because Round 5's apps will only be open to survivors from rounds 1-3, so additionally we will be strictly enforcing the rule that each player can only have at most one character in Rounds 1-3 make it to survivor pool, to maximize the amount of appable characters.

This means that if player A apps Jane to Round 1 and makes survivor pool, then when they app Andy to Round 3 they do so with the knowledge that he will have to be death rolled.

- Who can I app?

All canons are accepted. Appable characters must be at least 15 in human years (except under certain circumstances), have human-level sentience and be able to communicate. Animals who show human-level intelligence and sentience are appable regardless of whether they're shown to be able to communicate with humans (ex. Simba from The Lion King) but animals who do not (Ex. Ein from Cowboy Bebop) are not.

Basically, you can app Goofy but not Pluto.

We do accept OCs. Their apps will be judged with more scrutiny than fandom apps. We are accepting 2 per round, like the rest of the canons. Tabletop characters and other "fandom OCs" of that type (aka, original characters who exist in a world in a similar way to a customizable protagonist) are allowed, however their app will be judged as strictly as a normal OC.

We also accept customizable protagonists (eg. the Warden, Hawke, or Inquisitor from Dragon Age, the Sole Survivor from Fallout 4, etc.). These apps will be judged with the same scrutiny as OCs from original universes. If there's more than one reserve from a highly choice-driven/branching game, it is the responsibility of the players to communicate with one another about their world states. We don't require that two characters be from the same world state (for instance, Player A can play Dorian from a world state with a male human warrior Inquisitor, and Player B can still bring in Varric from a world state with a female Qunari mage Inquisitor), but don't spring any major surprise choices on your cast mate.

- Who can't I app?

While we don't want to police anyone's fun or tell them who they can or can't app, we do have a few hard nos:

Characters based on a real person - This is a bit more of a grey area, but with the prevalence of fun and entertaining "characters" out there nowadays, we feel like we need to make our position clear. Any character that is a fictionalized portrayal of a real person (such as Nostalgia Critic, Saturday Night Live celebrity impersonations, conservative pundit Stephen Colbert, and Rooster Teeth shorts/Ten Little Roosters) is not considered appable to Airlocked. Characters played by the same actors as these fictionalized portrayals, whether animated or live action, are perfectly acceptable.

To use Rooster Teeth as an example: Burnie and Michael from Ten Little Roosters are based on the actors, Burnie Burns and Michael Jones, to the point where little to no backstory is needed in TLR because of the baseline familiarity with Rooster Teeth that's assumed going into it. Even though their personalities are exaggerated for comedic effect, they would not be considered appable because that line is still too close to the real people. However, their characters in the movie Lazer Team, despite holding many similarities to the actors' real personalities, would be appable because Hagan and Zach are more solidly removed from Burnie and Michael personally.

Basically, if the celebrity in question would be able to find the game by googling their name they're not appable.

Characters with no physical body - This includes characters like the gems from Steven Universe, the monsters from Undertale, Nobodies from Kingdom Hearts (as Nobodies, anyway. There's nothing stopping you from apping Lea but having his presumed canon point be sometime during the time when he's Axel), and Bruce Willis' character from The Sixth Sense. The reason for this is because if such a character would be a victim, there would be no way to have evidence be on the body itself, and while it's not necessarily impossible to plan an investigation that way it's also hard to golden end a shattered rock or a pile of dust.

Specific Fire Emblem: Fates characters - Because of the promise that Xander extracted from EP during Round 1, Nohrian characters who survive Xander's specific world state (Birthright) cannot be apped to rounds 2 or 3. EP is a nondescript mass of their incredibly specific word, after all. This means that [SPOILERS] characters like Camilla, Leo, and their retainers would have to be from either the Conquest or Revelations routes. Laslow and Peri could be from Birthright, but only if their apps establish that they died protecting their lord in chapter 26.[/SPOILERS] All Hoshidan characters (including Birthright!Corrin) are still appable from all routes at this time.

IMPORTANT: The restrictions on physical bodies and on Fire Emblem characters apply to rounds 2 and 3 only. Round 4, like Round 1, will be fair game.

- My canon is new! Can I still app from it?

That mostly depends, for spoiler reasons. We require that all new original canons be at least two months old by game start before apping from it, and we request that you tag for any major spoilers in your canon. So for instance if this was 2005 and you apped Severus Snape from the end of Half-Blood Prince two months after the book's release, well... you know what spoilers you'd have to tag. ;)

If the canon is a reboot:
There are two main kinds of reboots - retellings/expansions where the core story stays the same (ex. 2017 Beauty and the Beast), and complete reimaginings where the characters and the story may be completely different but the world itself is the same (ex. 2016 Ghostbusters).

If the reboot has the same cast and tells the same story with some relatively minor changes/expansions, and the character that you want to app is also in the original then we only require that the version you're apping from has been widely released (example: someone who got to see an early pre-screening of the 2017 Beauty and the Beast would still have to wait until after the March 17th, 2017 release date to be able to app Emma Watson's Belle, but the 1991 animated version would be perfectly appable). This is simply because with this kind of soft reboot, the changes made don't create new story or character spoilers so much as they just expand on features and details that were missing in the original.

If the reboot tells a different story or features different characters on the same backdrop, then they would be considered a separate original canon for the purpose of spoilers (example: Voltron: Legendary Defenders is so different from 80s Voltron that despite the fact that they're both about five kids piloting robot lions, the season that you would make Hunk's final canon point from would have to be at least two months old at the time of reserves). However, this kind of reboot would be considered as part of the original for the purposes of cast caps (example: we would allow reserves for Abby and Holtzmann or for Venkman and Patty, but not Patty, Holtzmann, and Venkman).

- My character is under 15 but they’ve seen some shit in canon. Are they appable?

Characters who are between 12-14 but whose canons deal with heavy themes (ex. Animorphs, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Puella Magi Madoka Magica) are appable under our maturity clause. If you believe your character's canon applies, then make your case in the app. We may ask for more clarification or for an additional paragraph explaining this character's suitability.

- So what is this round's gimmick?

Well, we're glad you asked because there is indeed one. This round, the only characters who are appable are characters who have knowingly been responsible for the death of another sentient being. Hunting animals for sport or food doesn't qualify by itself, because subsistence or sport hunting is not done to sentient beings. Pushing a button that activates a SAW trap in another room without any knowledge of the fact that someone just died doesn't count, because the character is not aware of the death. Characters whose mothers died in childbirth aren't appable for this reason as well, given that a newborn cannot acknowledge the concept of death.

It is possible that either of the above broad categories could still apply to characters who are appable. For instance, Zevran Arainai from Dragon Age would not be appable for the death of his mother in childbirth, but he has knowingly killed several people in his adolescence and adulthood due to his career as an assassin so he is still eligible for Round 3.

On a case by case basis, we can evaluate characters who acted with a strong intent to kill but didn't quite make it to their goal, or characters who acted without intent to kill but someone did nonetheless. For instance, we would consider Gaston from Beauty and the Beast appable, because he acts with clear murderous intent AND the Beast does technically die for several minutes, even though he gets better in the end. Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz would be appable because even though she acted without intent, she is nonetheless aware that the Wicked Witch of the West died as a direct result of her actions.

In the case of manipulating someone into killing, the manipulator still has to have a direct hand in the death itself. For example, Scar from The Lion King would be appable even though it was technically the wildebeest who dealt the killing blow to Mufasa, because Scar was the one who threw him off the cliff. Iago (Shakespeare) wouldn't be responsible for the death of Desdemona, even though he poisoned Othello's ear, because he did not directly kill her. However, he would still be appable because of the death of his wife.

Suicide by itself is not enough to be considered appable. Juliet (Shakespeare) is not appable, because she only killed herself. However, Romeo killed Tybalt in self-defense and therefore would be appable for that reason, though he later also kills himself.

- What if my character died in canon?

Bring 'em anyway! As long as they have a solid, corporeal body that will remain solid and corporeal after their death, they're considered appable.

- Do I need to reserve before I app?

Yes. We will only be processing and accepting apps that have been reserved. We also require you submit your app with the same account you used to reserve (this does not have to be your character journal, as long as you tell us the character journal you plan on using in your app and reply to your acceptance notice with the character journal).

IMPORTANT: Because of high demand, from Round 2 onward all reserves will be screened.

- Are challenge reserves accepted?

No.

- I want to app but I won’t be around to reserve right away!

That’s okay! We understand people have lives outside the internet and this is why we’re allowing proxy reserves. You can have a friend post the reserve for you, we just require that you comment with a confirmation that yes, this is for you and you intend to app. More about proxy reserves on the reserves page

- When do apps open/close?

Apps are due by midnight on August 11th reserves and apps open August 5th. Reserves will be closed after the first 20 characters. Once we reach 20 reserves we will post a mod comment marking the reserves as closed for the time being and post a list of the 20 lucky characters.

- I made it after the 20 mark but before the mod comment!

We aren't doing a waitlist this time around. If somebody drops a reserve, the slot will be opened back up and it will be first come first serve.

- Can I change my reserve?

Before you submit your app, yes. Just comment to your original reserve with the change.

- What if I reserve, but then decide not to app?

Because of the limited cast and high demand, we ask that you would tell us if you change your mind and decide not to app, either by leaving a comment on your original reserve or by contacting us via PM or PP. Your reserve slot will be opened again for someone else.

Activity requirements

Living characters must submit two ten-comment threads with two different characters per week. Dead characters need only comment to check-in as a formality.

We will also be awarding incentives as a reward for checking in on time! Submitting the minimum amount of comments for both threads (20 comments total) characters will receive one free item from the Benefactors. This is essentially the same as a free roll for the Benefactors' Hold. For another 30 comments (50 total), characters will receive a Sabotage/Boon from the Overseers. If you're a total all-star and turn in two threads that total 100 comments (or 50 from your character) in one week, you get a one-time Shield Token. This means if the Overseers approach your character with a Sabotage, you can spend the shield token to bounce that sabotage back on the character who targeted yours. Each character cannot hold more than one Shield Token at a time, and they cannot earn more than two Shield Tokens over the course of the game. Shield Tokens can ICly be given to other characters, but this must be done by the characters themselves, not through the Overseers. The mods will reply to your AC with what rewards you have earned.

AC threads may come from the weekly mingle log or any player-posted logs from the check period, but since the trials have their own activity requirements they are ineligible for the activity check.

IMPORTANT: The strike policy has changed. Please read this section thoroughly. If you tell the mods ahead of the AC deadline that you don't have AC for that week, you can get one strike. A strike means that the following week, you must turn in four ten-comment threads with at least two different characters, or twice the normal AC. If you don't turn in AC and you don't tell the mods, your character will be automatically death rolled unless you can provide the missing AC within 12 hours of the death roll contact. If you don't reply to the mods' death roll contact within two days, your character will be "punished" instead of participating in an ordinary case. The second half of the password is Motive.

For a simpler explanation:
Miss AC once, tell the mods before the deadline - take a strike and turn in double AC the following week in order to avoid being death rolled.
Miss AC with a strike - automatic death roll
Miss AC once without telling mods - automatic death roll
Miss AC once and don't respond to death roll - automatic "punishment" instead of a regular case

AC will go up on Sundays for the previous Sunday-Friday, and will close at 12:00 pm (EST) on the following Friday. Activity checks will be screened, to preserve some sense of secrecy for the distribution of Boons and Sabotages.


IC FAQ

- Where am I?

Welcome to Starfield Penitentiary. It's a fully-functional, fully-stocked space prison with its own gravity field and state-of-the-art amenities as well as counseling opportunities in order to give the inmates every advantage when it comes time to rejoin the public.

- Who are you?

I am your Counselor. It's my duty to prepare you for reintegration into society.

- How did we get here?

That is an excellent question. How did you get here?

- Is there a network?

The Personal Identification Program on your non-dominant arm has a limited note-taking function (allowing you to add notes about your fellow Champions and make a list of your belongings - you know, like a Last Will) and unlimited customizable appearance screens, but there's no video, text, or audio communication functions.

- What happened to my powers?

For your own protection as well as the protection of the staff, your powers have been dampened for the duration of your stay.

- Can I go home?

Unfortunately, you have all been placed under strict supervision, until such time as your counselor deems that you have been successfully rehabilitated.


MECHANICS FAQ

- So wait, how exactly is this "game" going to work?

You see, when a victim and a culprit love each other very much—

Wait, that's not the right story.

Starting the Sunday of the week before that death is slated to happen, your lovely and bootylicious mods will make a roll for the victim and culprit (the first week of this round will be a peace week, meaning that there will be no death in the first week). This will effectively give the involved parties a week and some change to hammer out the details of the crime. We will proceed to contact both players, who will have until Monday at 12pm EST to check in with one of us in any way shape or form (email, PM, Plurk, AIM, messenger pigeon) to let us know that they received the notification and are on board for the trial.

The incredibly sexy and charismatic mods will then put the Victim and Culprit in contact with one another to work out the details of the crime (note: the Victim and the Culprit are not predetermined. The players will decide amongst themselves once they've been paired up which one is the Victim and which is the Culprit). The mods will release a motive the following Tuesday in the weekly log. The players will have until the Thursday before their trial weekend to plot out their crime, so as to encourage as much detail as possible.

Friday, the dedicated and hardworking mods will diligently write the body discovery log and post it. This will be the Investigation Start.

A full autopsy report will be broadcast to each character's Personal Identification Program once the body is identified, which is the One Free Clue that everyone will get. The other clues will be distributed by the mod team as the log progresses, depending on the activity of the log AND what the characters are doing. There will also be a list posted that includes the number of total clues to be found, the number of clues in each location and, once clues have been found, they’ll be listed there with linksfor player reference.

After the successful body investigation comes the trial. Trial logs will be posted on Saturday, and the players will have 24 hours to fulfill the trial requirements.

- What are the trial requirements?

On the off chance that you thirsty little fighter jets don’t ferret out the killer within the time limit, we have separate win conditions that aren’t dependent on the characters actually solving the crime. 75% of the surviving cast have to post a comment anywhere on the trial log (this does not have to be a top-level!! Threadjacking is encouraged, to create a more despairing trial atmosphere), and a specific comment count has to be met. This comment count will fluctuate depending on the difficulty of the case, the demonstrated skill of the players, and the stage of the game. So the first case's requirement will be much lower than the last non-mastermind case's.

- Okay, so the players don't know about the comment count. Then how will they know when they've met it?

If the win conditions are met: Congratulations! You figured out who the killer was!

Now comes the fun part – the Execution! The execution will be posted on the trial log, and players are encouraged to thread out the aftermath of the execution.

- So what happens if the players don't meet the trial requirements?

Luckily, this has literally never happened. On the off chance that it does, the result depends on what exactly went wrong. If the case was completely unsolvable, a failure to solve it will not be held against the players. We like to think we've got this down to an art form by now, but we're not infallible. If the OOC trial requirements are met but the case isn't ICly solved, the execution will be posted anyway with an explanation of the crime.

If the trial doesn't meet OOC trial requirements (aka lack of activity), the mods will post a poll about what went wrong/what prevented people from tagging in as well as a couple of options. While the options will depend on each case's specific circumstances, in all likelihood for a normal trial they will be something like A) have everyone wake up on Sunday from the same vivid dream, with the case participants still alive (effectively scrapping and re-rolling the trial), or B) allotting an extra day or two to solve the trial.

- So how is endgame going to work?

We encourage organic and player-driven Endgame! We have our own guidelines for the final investigation itself, but while we have a loose plan for the transition to endgame we purposefully keep our options open. We'll get you there on time, but we're more than open to giving you the reins and letting the players steer into the gate.

The participants in the last non-Mastermind trial of the round may be given ideas or asked to include elements that will set endgame in motion, whether or not they're given the full context (e.g. It's Curtains Case 5, Dangan Roleplay Round 2 Case 8, Airlocked Round 1 Case 6), but planning the case is still 90% the players, and endgame will kick off on schedule regardless of the outcome of the trial (well, unless everyone dies ;D).

- What happens to the characters when they die? Do I still get to play in the game?

Thanks to the amazing, unstoppable, ingenious Lu, who joined Lynny and Ri on the mod team, Airlocked! has a deadland in the form of Super Special Premium Subscriber Content! After your character dies, they'll be uploaded into Deadland, there to explore an unfamiliar location in the company of some unfamiliar people. The only way to find out more is to die...

- What if my character gets rolled but I have plans for them?

Then you can opt out of the death roll! But this is only an option once, and you must have weekly activity that meets the standards to receive a Boon from the Overseers (50 comments total, or at least 25 from your character). Think of it basically as receiving a Get-Out-of-Death-Free Boon from the Overseers.

- Can I volunteer for death roll?

Absolutely! In fact, there's even an achievement for it!

- Achievements?

Right here! Achievements are both an IC and OOC completionary scale to measure the progress of the game overall. The individual achievements can be viewed (minus description) on the PIP by characters who have earned them, while the game achievements at this moment are ICly hidden. The purpose of these achievements for the moment are a mystery...

- I still have more questions!

If you have a general question about the setting, mechanics, or apps, then post it as a reply here and the mod account will respond accordingly. If you have a specific question, ie whether a certain character or canon is applicable, then contact the mods either through PM (to the mod journal) or on Plurk (ResplendentRi, frickninja, and lluosogrwydd).