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faq
faq and game info
> Basics
So what’s the game about?
Duocaeli is a panfandom game that situates itself between two worlds: a modern, offline world based on the real and familiar, and a fantastical, online world that resembles that of MMORPGs and mobile games. Characters will balance between going off on grand quests in one realm, and in the other their biggest challenges might be figuring out how to pass as anything resembling ‘mundane’ without arousing suspicion. As the game progresses, the line between the two worlds will grow blurred, and characters will have to see how their choices in either will leave lasting consequences.
For the rest of the FAQ, the online fantasy world will be referred to as the ON World of Duocaeli, and the offline modern world will be referred to as the OFF World of Crane City.
Is this a private game?
Yes! We're invite only, with the opportunity to bring +1s later. If you're on the mods' Plurk timelines, you're invited! If you'd like to invite additional friends, please contact Nu or Dana directly so we can discuss with you. +1 invites must be accepted and in the game for at least 3 weeks before inviting anyone else.
What is the IC:OOC Time Ratio?
Each IC Day will correspond to each OOC Day in a 1:1 ratio!
Is there any mature content?
Yes—while Duocaeli is not a "grimdark" setting, we do intend to have horror-aligned events and violence. And while not primarily a sex game, there will be opportunities for smut, the frequency of which is largely dependent on player submissions.
Players must be 18+ to apply. Please mark and lock content as necessary.
Are there any game caps?
As a matter of fact, yes!
The game has a cap of 60 players to begin with, and the mods are open to revisiting this number based on interest and capacity. Players may play a maximum of 2 characters each.
Individual canon casts are capped at 5 characters. Franchise caps, such as the Marvel, Final Fantasy, etc, are capped at 8 characters. There is no cap for OCs.
To allow players the opportunity to join the game, characters played by the mods will not count toward caps.
How often will apps be open?
Apps will be open indefinitely until game cap is reached, processed on a biweekly basis. Should game cap be reached, apps will be switched to a queue system. A TDM will be posted, timing depending on the results of our interest check. The mods will update and and communicate once they’ve come to a decision!
What does Activity Check look like?
Players will need to submit at least 10 comments every month, across at least two threads, by the end of each month (midnight EST). Action and network threads will both count for AC. Please refer to our Activity Check post for additional information on how to submit. Please note that while we intend to be easygoing in general and are sympathetic to emergencies, we'll still be keeping an eye on activity.
Are there AC Rewards?
We won't be using an AC Rewards system; rather, there will be opportunities to turn in threads for rewards during events.
How do hiatuses work?
Hiatuses can be declared at any time! Please comment to the Hiatus page for processing. ICly, characters may continue on autopilot during a player’s absence, or they may “glitch” while the player is unavailable. Hiatused characters that “glitch” effectively become NPCs in the ON world, and they disappear from the OFF world.
Hiatuses must be posted at least one week ahead of Activity Check deadlines in order for players to be excused. Hiatuses must also last at least two weeks to be excused from that month’s AC, but cannot last longer than a month. Players that do not submit AC due to hiatus must pass AC the following month.
How do drops work?
Drops can be made at any time! Please comment to the Drops page for processing. ICly, characters will disappear in the OFF world (like a missing person), and in the ON world their "avatar" will become an NPC, speaking only in brief, scripted conversations.
What is the event schedule like?
Each month will have one primary event for players to engage in. These events will primarily take place in the ON world, and appear in-game as time-limited events with customized reward shops. Announcements heralding the start of the events will be broadcasted in the ON world as well as the OFF world via the Domus Hosus’ top floor. Don’t miss them!
During the course of these events, characters will have to make an IC Choice about the type of action they’ll take. They will receive a special event reward based on which choice they make, and all players who participate in the event will regardless receive one event token that can be exchanged for player-customized rewards (ex: powers, unique items from home).
Based on what Choice the majority of the game makes, it will affect the game structure in the following month.
In addition to these large-scale events, there will also be monthly Quest Board updates that will have tasks for both the ON and OFF worlds, as well as different Dungeons that small parties of characters can explore.
I have more questions!
Love that! Please make sure your question isn't included in the world information below, but if we've missed anything or you have a character-specific concern, please comment directly to this post and we'll get back to you. Thanks for your patience!
Duocaeli is a panfandom game that situates itself between two worlds: a modern, offline world based on the real and familiar, and a fantastical, online world that resembles that of MMORPGs and mobile games. Characters will balance between going off on grand quests in one realm, and in the other their biggest challenges might be figuring out how to pass as anything resembling ‘mundane’ without arousing suspicion. As the game progresses, the line between the two worlds will grow blurred, and characters will have to see how their choices in either will leave lasting consequences.
For the rest of the FAQ, the online fantasy world will be referred to as the ON World of Duocaeli, and the offline modern world will be referred to as the OFF World of Crane City.
Is this a private game?
Yes! We're invite only, with the opportunity to bring +1s later. If you're on the mods' Plurk timelines, you're invited! If you'd like to invite additional friends, please contact Nu or Dana directly so we can discuss with you. +1 invites must be accepted and in the game for at least 3 weeks before inviting anyone else.
What is the IC:OOC Time Ratio?
Each IC Day will correspond to each OOC Day in a 1:1 ratio!
Is there any mature content?
Yes—while Duocaeli is not a "grimdark" setting, we do intend to have horror-aligned events and violence. And while not primarily a sex game, there will be opportunities for smut, the frequency of which is largely dependent on player submissions.
Players must be 18+ to apply. Please mark and lock content as necessary.
Are there any game caps?
As a matter of fact, yes!
The game has a cap of 60 players to begin with, and the mods are open to revisiting this number based on interest and capacity. Players may play a maximum of 2 characters each.
Individual canon casts are capped at 5 characters. Franchise caps, such as the Marvel, Final Fantasy, etc, are capped at 8 characters. There is no cap for OCs.
To allow players the opportunity to join the game, characters played by the mods will not count toward caps.
How often will apps be open?
Apps will be open indefinitely until game cap is reached, processed on a biweekly basis. Should game cap be reached, apps will be switched to a queue system. A TDM will be posted, timing depending on the results of our interest check. The mods will update and and communicate once they’ve come to a decision!
What does Activity Check look like?
Players will need to submit at least 10 comments every month, across at least two threads, by the end of each month (midnight EST). Action and network threads will both count for AC. Please refer to our Activity Check post for additional information on how to submit. Please note that while we intend to be easygoing in general and are sympathetic to emergencies, we'll still be keeping an eye on activity.
Are there AC Rewards?
We won't be using an AC Rewards system; rather, there will be opportunities to turn in threads for rewards during events.
How do hiatuses work?
Hiatuses can be declared at any time! Please comment to the Hiatus page for processing. ICly, characters may continue on autopilot during a player’s absence, or they may “glitch” while the player is unavailable. Hiatused characters that “glitch” effectively become NPCs in the ON world, and they disappear from the OFF world.
Hiatuses must be posted at least one week ahead of Activity Check deadlines in order for players to be excused. Hiatuses must also last at least two weeks to be excused from that month’s AC, but cannot last longer than a month. Players that do not submit AC due to hiatus must pass AC the following month.
How do drops work?
Drops can be made at any time! Please comment to the Drops page for processing. ICly, characters will disappear in the OFF world (like a missing person), and in the ON world their "avatar" will become an NPC, speaking only in brief, scripted conversations.
What is the event schedule like?
Each month will have one primary event for players to engage in. These events will primarily take place in the ON world, and appear in-game as time-limited events with customized reward shops. Announcements heralding the start of the events will be broadcasted in the ON world as well as the OFF world via the Domus Hosus’ top floor. Don’t miss them!
During the course of these events, characters will have to make an IC Choice about the type of action they’ll take. They will receive a special event reward based on which choice they make, and all players who participate in the event will regardless receive one event token that can be exchanged for player-customized rewards (ex: powers, unique items from home).
Based on what Choice the majority of the game makes, it will affect the game structure in the following month.
In addition to these large-scale events, there will also be monthly Quest Board updates that will have tasks for both the ON and OFF worlds, as well as different Dungeons that small parties of characters can explore.
I have more questions!
Love that! Please make sure your question isn't included in the world information below, but if we've missed anything or you have a character-specific concern, please comment directly to this post and we'll get back to you. Thanks for your patience!
> Return to top
> Character
Will my character have access to their powers?
Yes, and no!
In the ON world of Duocaeli, where fantasy reigns, characters will have access to their powers as long as it does not entirely break the environment, and they'll start out weaker than in canon. Spells and teleportation and the like are all fair game! The line is drawn when it comes to spells that would destroy the entire world, or trying to teleport into locked regions of the online world entirely. Characters who already possess their own magic are able to keep their skills (as well as discover new ones), and characters who did not have powers before arriving will can learn how to wield magic.
In the OFF world of Crane City, no one has magic. Sudden fireballs and flying around without a care just don’t fit there, you know? The exceptions to this rule are: within the confines of the Domus Hosus or if your character earns a talisman to grant temporary power use in the OFF world. More on that later!
My character's powers/world includes summons, familiars, or magical companions. Are they allowed?
Yes, with some restrictions! All companions or summons (such as Pokémon or Personas) will similarly have to rebuild their powers from Lv. 1 over time. Players will also only be allowed 1 magical companion or summon regardless of how many they have in canon, and can gradually regain them over time via event tokens (which are earned through participating in events). We don't intend on having a cap on number of summons or companions, we just want to make sure you have room to grow!
If your magical companion is a mascot characters with its own personality, these will be accepted on a case by case basis. Please confer with the mods if you have any questions!
My character is a vampire/zombie/has other dietary needs. Help?
In the ON world, characters will be stuck with their usual dietary restrictions, but the setting will always have some means to provide it.
In the OFF world, they'll find themselves able to consume anything a human can, except with perhaps some unusual allergies.
What characters can I app? Any restrictions?
Characters from canons such as games, books, anime, movies, comics/webcomics, TV, etc whose apps will be more than roughly 75% canon (and thus 25% headcanon or less), OCs, and CRAU Game Imports will all be accepted at this time! You may not app a real person, but characters based off of real people from fictional canons (ex: Shinsengumi members) are acceptable.
Duplicates are for the most part not accepted with exception of characters that are easily proved to be different from one another due to writing - for example, Peter Parker from Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peter Parker from The Amazing-Spiderman, and Peter B. Parker from Into the Spider-Verse may all be apped at the same time.
However, a version of a character directly from canon, and a CRAU import of that same character are not allowed to exist in the game at the same time.
All characters apped must be at least 15 years old. For non-human characters, a mental age that is of higher emotional maturity is acceptable, regardless of how long they've existed or their appearance.
Yes, and no!
In the ON world of Duocaeli, where fantasy reigns, characters will have access to their powers as long as it does not entirely break the environment, and they'll start out weaker than in canon. Spells and teleportation and the like are all fair game! The line is drawn when it comes to spells that would destroy the entire world, or trying to teleport into locked regions of the online world entirely. Characters who already possess their own magic are able to keep their skills (as well as discover new ones), and characters who did not have powers before arriving will can learn how to wield magic.
In the OFF world of Crane City, no one has magic. Sudden fireballs and flying around without a care just don’t fit there, you know? The exceptions to this rule are: within the confines of the Domus Hosus or if your character earns a talisman to grant temporary power use in the OFF world. More on that later!
My character's powers/world includes summons, familiars, or magical companions. Are they allowed?
Yes, with some restrictions! All companions or summons (such as Pokémon or Personas) will similarly have to rebuild their powers from Lv. 1 over time. Players will also only be allowed 1 magical companion or summon regardless of how many they have in canon, and can gradually regain them over time via event tokens (which are earned through participating in events). We don't intend on having a cap on number of summons or companions, we just want to make sure you have room to grow!
If your magical companion is a mascot characters with its own personality, these will be accepted on a case by case basis. Please confer with the mods if you have any questions!
My character is a vampire/zombie/has other dietary needs. Help?
In the ON world, characters will be stuck with their usual dietary restrictions, but the setting will always have some means to provide it.
In the OFF world, they'll find themselves able to consume anything a human can, except with perhaps some unusual allergies.
What characters can I app? Any restrictions?
Characters from canons such as games, books, anime, movies, comics/webcomics, TV, etc whose apps will be more than roughly 75% canon (and thus 25% headcanon or less), OCs, and CRAU Game Imports will all be accepted at this time! You may not app a real person, but characters based off of real people from fictional canons (ex: Shinsengumi members) are acceptable.
Duplicates are for the most part not accepted with exception of characters that are easily proved to be different from one another due to writing - for example, Peter Parker from Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peter Parker from The Amazing-Spiderman, and Peter B. Parker from Into the Spider-Verse may all be apped at the same time.
However, a version of a character directly from canon, and a CRAU import of that same character are not allowed to exist in the game at the same time.
All characters apped must be at least 15 years old. For non-human characters, a mental age that is of higher emotional maturity is acceptable, regardless of how long they've existed or their appearance.
> Return to top
> World Info
How does my character arrive?
All characters will begin in the ON world, a new traveler that just arrived to Avis Isle also known as Avisle, the starting city. There, they will have arrived with the exact clothes they were wearing before being transported, as well as any items on their person. Feeling a little disoriented? Trying to get your bearings? Well, you’re in luck–most games these days come with tutorials.
Characters will be prompted to go through the motions of completing a small checklist of tasks in the ON world, like getting familiar with their magic, looking at the quest board, perhaps even joining a guil–hey, are you listening? Anything that takes them too far off course, distracted from the tutorial, will guide them right back to the prompts. It’s okay, you don’t need to memorize it all, just skip all the dialogue you don’t care for! Surely that won’t bite you later when you have to recall lore or anything.
When characters do log out from the ON world from the first time, arriving in the OFF world of Crane City, they might have to go through some… adjustments? Their clothes look familiar in the sense that it reflects their personal style, but they’re more like what you’ll find off the H&M rack. Wardrobe change, anyone? In one hand, they’ll also find a smartphone that they’ll need to access the rest of the OFF world. In the other hand? A small checklist of things–another tutorial!
Isn’t it nice for thegame devs hosts to look out for you like that?
If your character was injured or dead prior to arrival, they will be healed to the point of avoiding immediate death in the ON world, but to be honest, we wouldn’t leave the wound like that…. Once they make it to the OFF world, they’ll find only a scar of the injury left behind.
Please refer to our TDMs to see the arrival tutorial in detail! (Link to come!)
What are these “two worlds”?
Well, that’s the big question, isn’t it? To answer it succinctly -
The OFF world is modern, familiar, and looks pretty similar to any big city you’d find in today’s North America. It is Crane City, the Good Fortune city, where all your dreams can come true. It’s a bustling metropolis that’s full of life, somehow a great place to both raise your family or pursue your extravagant dreams. It has everything you could want! Excellent schools, a thriving economy, and just the right number of places to be kinda sus and weird! It’s just too bad that it lacks any traces of magic or adventure - the concrete jungle doesn’t leave much room for that.
But you know what it does have? Virtual Reality.
The ON world is commonly known as Duocaeli in the OFF world–but plenty of people play it. All you have to do is slide on the slickest visor (think a higher-tech Oculus) you’ve ever seen in your life, and you’re transported to the grand world of Duocaeli. The world to be found there is incredible. Dripping with fantasy, it feels like one’s imagination is the limit. Go off on daring quests, plunder dungeons with a small party of your friends, and rise the ranks in the local guilds to earn your stars. Though it’s not without its dangers–monsters are lurking just outside the city gates.
Thank goodness it’s all just a game, right?
What's life like offline?
Offline, in the OFF world, it's almost like living an alternate version of yourself–you have an identity, a family, a job, a history, etc. This "AU" can be as fleshed out or as bare bones as players choose! Characters will have memories of this AU so as to better fit into society, but will also objectively know that they did not live through it. It may be disorienting, or in some cases, comforting. Players can coordinate OFF world details and histories together if they like.
There are only a few restrictions: AU family, friends, etc may resemble canon castmates, but if they are appable, should be at least slightly different.
What's it feel like to log online?
Thanks to the marvel of technology, being online feels just like reality; your existence is basically projected into the world of Duocaeli. Characters may be stronger and have more abilities, but somehow, they'll still feel pain, hunger, fatigue, and all other sensations as clearly as anything. Every experience is completely indistinguishable from reality, from the weight of their armor to the burn of dragon fire.
Though actually, this level of realism only seems to affect Domus Hosus (Dodo) residents–even if they move out.
What is my appearance like in either world?
Your appearance in both worlds is the same, besides your clothes! Though the citizens of Crane City don't believe in magic, they're not stock humans either–there's elvish figures, minotaurs, and whatever else you might think of. Think of it a little like My Hero Academia in terms of how eclectic people can look, while still all technically remaining human. The only real adjustment is size: giant characters will be shrunk down to something more manageable for the setting. Players may choose to make their characters look more "normal" if they please, but it's not required.
In the ON world, despite Duocaeli supposedly having vast character customization options… you still look like yourself. Your "online avatar" is more flexible, and it's fine to include a few aesthetic add-ons, like horns or scales, but nothing major. There will be also be opportunity for glamors, shapeshifting, and general appearance changes for those that want tocatfish fly under the radar.
Do injuries carry over from one world to another? If you die in the game, do you die in real life?
Injuries don't carry over between worlds. Likewise, if you're injured in the OFF world, you need to be healed in the OFF world, and vice versa. You may feel phantom pains from wounds or trauma sustained online, but it won't cause lasting issues.
After dying online, characters can choose to respawn nearby or at the closest city, though they'll have summoning sickness for several hours: this includes weakness, powers going haywire, increased cooldowns, etc. Additionally, the next time they log off, they'll suffer a headache in the OFF world.
Please note that eventually, this game may become permadeath in later months. For now, enjoy infinite respawns!
Where does my character live?
Your character will have a designated room in the OFF world, in the Domus Hosus building (also known as Dodo) that serves as the main hub for all characters. They will have access to this room via the smartphone that they find on their person upon waking. However, do be careful - despite existing in the OFF world, it seems like Dodo has a mind of its own. Huh. Rooms get shuffled around on a fairly regular basis, so who knows you’ll be living with month to month?
For more information on Domus Hosus, please refer to the Locations page.
Do I have to go to the OFFLINE world?
Characters can stay up to three days straight in the ON world of Duocaeli, but will eventually begin to glitch out; they'll feel faint, their abilities will start to spasm and malfunction, and they'll slowly be consumed by a sense of dread. When they eventually (and inevitably) lose consciousness, they'll be booted offline. They'll have to spend some time recovering from fatigue and hunger in the OFF world of Crane City, though time spent online seems to put your offline body in a sort of stasis, and it deteriorates slower than one might expect.
Additionally, you have to be able to pay for your online subscription! Characters will have to make a living in the OFF world to survive, even if it's meager.
Do I have to go to the ONLINE world?
Like above, characters can spend three days straight in the OFF world of Crane City! But their devices will start to ping them, prompting and sending them friendly reminders to log in, eagerly informing them of current events in Duocaeli. Ignoring these pings will gradually cause intense nausea, dizziness, and amnesia; characters may even log in while they're sleeping!
What if my character strongly prefers one or the other?
We won't be monitoring which world characters spend their time in; the above are guidelines to help justify playing on both sides! We encourage interacting with both, as will events, but the ratio of time spent ON/OFFLINE is entirely on the player. It's perfectly natural for a fantasy character to prefer to stay ON, etc. You can handwave certain amounts of time in either world.
Okay, but why should I participate?
Besides the physical deterioration of ignoring one world or the other, characters will also quickly hear of some interesting rumors. It's superstitious, but it's said that in the final chamber of the final dungeon, accessible only at max level, players can defeat the boss, make a wish... and it may just come true!
Considering how you arrived, this may just have a grain of truth to it. Besides, it's said that characters that clear the final stage of the game disappear, their character data added to the Duocaeli hall of fame. Maybe that's the key to go back home...?
How can characters communicate?
All character numbers and contact info will be included on the cell phones they're provided! New characters will be routinely added to this directory. Characters can be contacted in the ON world through their character inbox, which can be opened holographically through their phones still, though they're turned into fancy communication crystals for immersion. Text, audio, and video are all available on these devices.
There's also a general forum where characters can speak to each other, or ask for help–this is DUONET (the network), and is available both online and offline. There is an anonymous function on DUONET, but it tends to malfunction from time to time…
What is the currency system?
In the OFF world, there's generic dollar currency! We won't be micromanaging this, we just ask that players are reasonable.
In the ON world, players can use daiya to buy general game items, such as basic potions, food, etc, which players can earn and spend within reason. Physically, daiya look like clear, shiny gems. But there are also Premium items in the Paid shop forwhales people willing to spend more: these items can only be purchased with tokens, which can be earned in various ways during events! These can include talismans to allow you to use your powers in the OFF world, or temporary access to magic you wouldn't normally be able to wield.
Are there other players around besides the characters in the game?
Despite the popularity of Duocaeli around Crane City, most citizens play on different servers than the characters do. However, there's still a decent number, as well as plenty of NPCs scripted into the game itself, who behave like typical townspeople and quest-givers that you might see in an RPG. It's possible to kill NPCs (some of which will not respawn, as though they've actually died), as well as PCs, though being a PC Killer may gain you some unwanted notoriety…
In the OFF world, these citizens are your Average Joe, and cannot enter Dodo house (the Domus Hosus)–they only know it as a hot spot for influencer picture taking, but certainly can't go inside.
What are the IC explanations behind CRAUs and canon updates?
CRAUs are considered imported character data, whereas canon updates are glitches that can only occur in the ON world. Your character will glitch, after which they'll be updated–the next time they log off, their AU life in the OFF world will have been updated to accommodate any timeskip as well.
What’s this about guilds?
Guilds are a system that exist in the ON world that help foster a sense of belonging, identity, and healthy competition! Think of them a little as learning institutions and teams. All characters in Duocaeli are required to be a part of a guild, and involvement in them may also tie into future events. In short, everyone in the ON world has magic, but guilds have their own practiced ways of honing that energy. How do you expect to get to that final dungeon without a community behind you? Characters can choose their own guilds, or change membership over time. In the future, they may even have the opportunity to form their own guilds.
More information can be found on our Mechanics page. Guild choice may affect participation in future events, but don't sweat it.
What kind of magic can we learn?
Whether or not they had abilities before, all characters will find themselves innately aligned to an element: fire, wind, water, earth, light, or dark. With the help of their guild, the world of spellcasting is your oyster! It's possible to learn magic of any element, so feel free to mix and match, but one will come most naturally to them.
More information can be found on our Mechanics page. Element alignment may affect character adaptations in future events, but don't worry too much about it.
What exactly is “glitching”?
Glitching is a server malfunction that seems to happen at random, or at points when characters are most vulnerable. The reason for glitching is unknown.
More information can be found on our Mechanics page. Glitching effects will advance as the game proceeds.
Can you explain more about Dungeons?
There will be permanent dungeons to explore, as well as event dungeons. Both dungeons require a party to complete–basically, you can't finish them and reap the rewards without at least one companion! ICly, you can also always assume characters are randomized together, even if OOCly they are not. As far as threading with your party goes, we'll leave this flexible. You can enter a dungeon with a group of four and do a group log where everyone mingles together, or otherwise structure it however you like.
More information can be found on our Mechanics page.
All characters will begin in the ON world, a new traveler that just arrived to Avis Isle also known as Avisle, the starting city. There, they will have arrived with the exact clothes they were wearing before being transported, as well as any items on their person. Feeling a little disoriented? Trying to get your bearings? Well, you’re in luck–most games these days come with tutorials.
Characters will be prompted to go through the motions of completing a small checklist of tasks in the ON world, like getting familiar with their magic, looking at the quest board, perhaps even joining a guil–hey, are you listening? Anything that takes them too far off course, distracted from the tutorial, will guide them right back to the prompts. It’s okay, you don’t need to memorize it all, just skip all the dialogue you don’t care for! Surely that won’t bite you later when you have to recall lore or anything.
When characters do log out from the ON world from the first time, arriving in the OFF world of Crane City, they might have to go through some… adjustments? Their clothes look familiar in the sense that it reflects their personal style, but they’re more like what you’ll find off the H&M rack. Wardrobe change, anyone? In one hand, they’ll also find a smartphone that they’ll need to access the rest of the OFF world. In the other hand? A small checklist of things–another tutorial!
Isn’t it nice for the
If your character was injured or dead prior to arrival, they will be healed to the point of avoiding immediate death in the ON world, but to be honest, we wouldn’t leave the wound like that…. Once they make it to the OFF world, they’ll find only a scar of the injury left behind.
Please refer to our TDMs to see the arrival tutorial in detail! (Link to come!)
What are these “two worlds”?
Well, that’s the big question, isn’t it? To answer it succinctly -
The OFF world is modern, familiar, and looks pretty similar to any big city you’d find in today’s North America. It is Crane City, the Good Fortune city, where all your dreams can come true. It’s a bustling metropolis that’s full of life, somehow a great place to both raise your family or pursue your extravagant dreams. It has everything you could want! Excellent schools, a thriving economy, and just the right number of places to be kinda sus and weird! It’s just too bad that it lacks any traces of magic or adventure - the concrete jungle doesn’t leave much room for that.
But you know what it does have? Virtual Reality.
The ON world is commonly known as Duocaeli in the OFF world–but plenty of people play it. All you have to do is slide on the slickest visor (think a higher-tech Oculus) you’ve ever seen in your life, and you’re transported to the grand world of Duocaeli. The world to be found there is incredible. Dripping with fantasy, it feels like one’s imagination is the limit. Go off on daring quests, plunder dungeons with a small party of your friends, and rise the ranks in the local guilds to earn your stars. Though it’s not without its dangers–monsters are lurking just outside the city gates.
Thank goodness it’s all just a game, right?
What's life like offline?
Offline, in the OFF world, it's almost like living an alternate version of yourself–you have an identity, a family, a job, a history, etc. This "AU" can be as fleshed out or as bare bones as players choose! Characters will have memories of this AU so as to better fit into society, but will also objectively know that they did not live through it. It may be disorienting, or in some cases, comforting. Players can coordinate OFF world details and histories together if they like.
There are only a few restrictions: AU family, friends, etc may resemble canon castmates, but if they are appable, should be at least slightly different.
What's it feel like to log online?
Thanks to the marvel of technology, being online feels just like reality; your existence is basically projected into the world of Duocaeli. Characters may be stronger and have more abilities, but somehow, they'll still feel pain, hunger, fatigue, and all other sensations as clearly as anything. Every experience is completely indistinguishable from reality, from the weight of their armor to the burn of dragon fire.
Though actually, this level of realism only seems to affect Domus Hosus (Dodo) residents–even if they move out.
What is my appearance like in either world?
Your appearance in both worlds is the same, besides your clothes! Though the citizens of Crane City don't believe in magic, they're not stock humans either–there's elvish figures, minotaurs, and whatever else you might think of. Think of it a little like My Hero Academia in terms of how eclectic people can look, while still all technically remaining human. The only real adjustment is size: giant characters will be shrunk down to something more manageable for the setting. Players may choose to make their characters look more "normal" if they please, but it's not required.
In the ON world, despite Duocaeli supposedly having vast character customization options… you still look like yourself. Your "online avatar" is more flexible, and it's fine to include a few aesthetic add-ons, like horns or scales, but nothing major. There will be also be opportunity for glamors, shapeshifting, and general appearance changes for those that want to
Do injuries carry over from one world to another? If you die in the game, do you die in real life?
Injuries don't carry over between worlds. Likewise, if you're injured in the OFF world, you need to be healed in the OFF world, and vice versa. You may feel phantom pains from wounds or trauma sustained online, but it won't cause lasting issues.
After dying online, characters can choose to respawn nearby or at the closest city, though they'll have summoning sickness for several hours: this includes weakness, powers going haywire, increased cooldowns, etc. Additionally, the next time they log off, they'll suffer a headache in the OFF world.
Please note that eventually, this game may become permadeath in later months. For now, enjoy infinite respawns!
Where does my character live?
Your character will have a designated room in the OFF world, in the Domus Hosus building (also known as Dodo) that serves as the main hub for all characters. They will have access to this room via the smartphone that they find on their person upon waking. However, do be careful - despite existing in the OFF world, it seems like Dodo has a mind of its own. Huh. Rooms get shuffled around on a fairly regular basis, so who knows you’ll be living with month to month?
For more information on Domus Hosus, please refer to the Locations page.
Do I have to go to the OFFLINE world?
Characters can stay up to three days straight in the ON world of Duocaeli, but will eventually begin to glitch out; they'll feel faint, their abilities will start to spasm and malfunction, and they'll slowly be consumed by a sense of dread. When they eventually (and inevitably) lose consciousness, they'll be booted offline. They'll have to spend some time recovering from fatigue and hunger in the OFF world of Crane City, though time spent online seems to put your offline body in a sort of stasis, and it deteriorates slower than one might expect.
Additionally, you have to be able to pay for your online subscription! Characters will have to make a living in the OFF world to survive, even if it's meager.
Do I have to go to the ONLINE world?
Like above, characters can spend three days straight in the OFF world of Crane City! But their devices will start to ping them, prompting and sending them friendly reminders to log in, eagerly informing them of current events in Duocaeli. Ignoring these pings will gradually cause intense nausea, dizziness, and amnesia; characters may even log in while they're sleeping!
What if my character strongly prefers one or the other?
We won't be monitoring which world characters spend their time in; the above are guidelines to help justify playing on both sides! We encourage interacting with both, as will events, but the ratio of time spent ON/OFFLINE is entirely on the player. It's perfectly natural for a fantasy character to prefer to stay ON, etc. You can handwave certain amounts of time in either world.
Okay, but why should I participate?
Besides the physical deterioration of ignoring one world or the other, characters will also quickly hear of some interesting rumors. It's superstitious, but it's said that in the final chamber of the final dungeon, accessible only at max level, players can defeat the boss, make a wish... and it may just come true!
Considering how you arrived, this may just have a grain of truth to it. Besides, it's said that characters that clear the final stage of the game disappear, their character data added to the Duocaeli hall of fame. Maybe that's the key to go back home...?
How can characters communicate?
All character numbers and contact info will be included on the cell phones they're provided! New characters will be routinely added to this directory. Characters can be contacted in the ON world through their character inbox, which can be opened holographically through their phones still, though they're turned into fancy communication crystals for immersion. Text, audio, and video are all available on these devices.
There's also a general forum where characters can speak to each other, or ask for help–this is DUONET (the network), and is available both online and offline. There is an anonymous function on DUONET, but it tends to malfunction from time to time…
What is the currency system?
In the OFF world, there's generic dollar currency! We won't be micromanaging this, we just ask that players are reasonable.
In the ON world, players can use daiya to buy general game items, such as basic potions, food, etc, which players can earn and spend within reason. Physically, daiya look like clear, shiny gems. But there are also Premium items in the Paid shop for
Are there other players around besides the characters in the game?
Despite the popularity of Duocaeli around Crane City, most citizens play on different servers than the characters do. However, there's still a decent number, as well as plenty of NPCs scripted into the game itself, who behave like typical townspeople and quest-givers that you might see in an RPG. It's possible to kill NPCs (some of which will not respawn, as though they've actually died), as well as PCs, though being a PC Killer may gain you some unwanted notoriety…
In the OFF world, these citizens are your Average Joe, and cannot enter Dodo house (the Domus Hosus)–they only know it as a hot spot for influencer picture taking, but certainly can't go inside.
What are the IC explanations behind CRAUs and canon updates?
CRAUs are considered imported character data, whereas canon updates are glitches that can only occur in the ON world. Your character will glitch, after which they'll be updated–the next time they log off, their AU life in the OFF world will have been updated to accommodate any timeskip as well.
What’s this about guilds?
Guilds are a system that exist in the ON world that help foster a sense of belonging, identity, and healthy competition! Think of them a little as learning institutions and teams. All characters in Duocaeli are required to be a part of a guild, and involvement in them may also tie into future events. In short, everyone in the ON world has magic, but guilds have their own practiced ways of honing that energy. How do you expect to get to that final dungeon without a community behind you? Characters can choose their own guilds, or change membership over time. In the future, they may even have the opportunity to form their own guilds.
More information can be found on our Mechanics page. Guild choice may affect participation in future events, but don't sweat it.
What kind of magic can we learn?
Whether or not they had abilities before, all characters will find themselves innately aligned to an element: fire, wind, water, earth, light, or dark. With the help of their guild, the world of spellcasting is your oyster! It's possible to learn magic of any element, so feel free to mix and match, but one will come most naturally to them.
More information can be found on our Mechanics page. Element alignment may affect character adaptations in future events, but don't worry too much about it.
What exactly is “glitching”?
Glitching is a server malfunction that seems to happen at random, or at points when characters are most vulnerable. The reason for glitching is unknown.
More information can be found on our Mechanics page. Glitching effects will advance as the game proceeds.
Can you explain more about Dungeons?
There will be permanent dungeons to explore, as well as event dungeons. Both dungeons require a party to complete–basically, you can't finish them and reap the rewards without at least one companion! ICly, you can also always assume characters are randomized together, even if OOCly they are not. As far as threading with your party goes, we'll leave this flexible. You can enter a dungeon with a group of four and do a group log where everyone mingles together, or otherwise structure it however you like.
More information can be found on our Mechanics page.
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(frozen comment) Question Directory
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okay but asking both for a friend and I assume a fair number of CRAUs coming in, is it possible that the soulmate bond from Nightfell's setting will port over to either of the worlds? I 100% understand if not because it's a separate mechanic from another game and may be exclusionary to other players, or maybe you were plotting something similar/had a plan for external mechanics/would nerf it/etc. No big deal if it doesn't come along with, I'm sure there'll be chances to be emotional sieves and hold hands.
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so ruby is canonically incompatible with any kind of holy/divine magic and it makes her very very ill - is this something that will also apply with the light element?? e.g. she can't learn light magic herself, having it used on or around her causes her chronic illness to worsen (though only while she's in the ON world) etc.
i'd eventually have her make strides to get some way to nullify that effect once she realises what's causing it, but thought it would be a fun thing to play with even without light being The Healing Class Element (MY BRAIN GLITCHED AND I FORGOT MECHANICS THE FIRST TIME), divine power is aggressive berserker magic where she comes from too so. gets hives around people with light affinity i guess
basically this question is does light = holy equivalent
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The current worldbuilding around the Light element is that it is not religious in nature, however if it otherwise holds similar properties to what causes Ruby to fall ill in her canon, you're free to play with it similar to an allergy or illness! Feel free to let us know if you have any other questions.
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electroLIGHTHING MAGIC!I see on the mechanics page that there's a lightning spell listed as an example under light-aligned magic, and I'm wondering if all lightning based spells would be light aligned, or if some of them could be fire-aligned (Avatar: TLA style), or even wind aligned (WIND = STORMS = LIGHTNING). Either way is fine by me, and this question is probably splitting hairs, BUT I can't NOT have Wanderer learn some kind of electro magic for hilarity and it'd be nice to know what elemental alignment it has in the game for purposes of "how easy/hard would it be for him to learn this spell" LMFAO.
THANK U IN ADVANCE ♥
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Does Mizuki get to keep Aiba or is she coming in with none eye. (I’m assuming Nu knows what I’m talking about otherwise I’ll explain.)
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Based on what was explained, we've decided that since Aiba is a character in her own right, Mizuki won't be coming in with her specifically. However, she can still have a prosthetic with some of the same technical function if you'd like to retain that. Hope that helps!
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Nu says that once they leave the Dodo House, Visons/Delusions can turn into clip-on earrings. I think this is funny so I'm including it in the answer.
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does a character's au family live with them in dodo house? or is that PC-only no-takebacks? Can a character choose to live elsewhere (+ what would be a realistic timeframe for making that happen with the acquisition of in-game currency?)
thank you in advance! ♥
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The character's AU family does not live with them in the Dodo House! They'll live outside in Crane City - only PCs can access Dodo House. As far as living elsewhere, it can be hard to manage to get the rent together for an entire separate living space away from Dodo, but in a few months (probably at least 3) characters can get settled enough to rent a separate space like an office or hideout or what-have-you in addition to their free housing at Dodo.
Hope that helps!
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Is having a robotic limb considered normal in the OFF world? Or do the characters exist without their robot parts when offline in order to fit the setting?
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For this, we'll allow characters to play with this as they please! They can retain their robot parts, but without any particularly fancy features like enhanced strength and the like, or players can make these pieces into modern-era appropriate prosthetic parts/have the limb completely restored if they'd like.
Hope that helps, let us know if you have any other questions!
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This event needs a little bit of set up so it's more staggered than the TDM, but we wouldn't expect that to be the norm. Hope that clears things up!
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1) for the magic in the ON world, can different elements and combos/spells be combined/merged/enhanced with other people? not unlike elemental reactions in genshin impact or fof changes in tales of abyss, etc.
2) can twsa (three ways to survive the apocalypse), kdj's favorite novel ever from orv exist in the OFF world? asking for friend and also asking for me
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1) Yes, we absolutely encourage improvisation like this! Have fun with it!
2) This is okay for stuff like KDJ's fictional novel, though for example, if he was really into Star Trek (and spirk) and we had a Star Trek character, we'd ask that players avoid it unless all players involved enjoy that sort of fourthwalling!
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Feel feel to elaborate if we have the wrong idea! Our geek-fu isn't strong enough...
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In other words Claptrap is a robot that is not humanoid in any way, and I am uninterested in playing a "human" version in the Off world. Is the technology level high enough where he could be his normal self?
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But actually, you're welcome to play him as a robot both on/offline! Some people will probably rudely mistake him for a roomba, but otherwise it should be fine.
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EDIT: SORRY ANOTHER QUESTION--I know PCs have to live at Dodo House for a while, but what happens to where they lived in the AU? Can Kaveh go check on his bird or does the building mysteriously not exist or
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As for previous housing, those buildings do exist! For example, if someone lived with their AU family in Crane City until moving into Dodo house, they can still find that location where they remember it being. Alternatively, if they resided on a foreign campus outside of Crane City, they wouldn't be able to reach that. Let us know if you need any further clarification!
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1. Given that characters do have access to their powers while in Dodo House, I was wondering if the house itself will intervene if residents try to use those powers to harm each other. Especially when Knives is new, he might get violent with people and I wanted to know if this would go off without a hitch for him or if he'd run into some resistance since the house is sentient.
1a. In addition to that, does the "your powers are at level 1" caveat from the ON world apply to their power level in Dodo House as well?
1b. Normally Knives doesn't need to eat or sleep because of his powers/being a Plant, so I'm wondering if this would remain the case in Dodo House, or if he would in fact have to attend to those bodily needs. I figure he definitely would in the rest of Crane City, but wasn't sure about how it would work in the house itself. (To be clear, I am totally down with him needing to eat and sleep because it's funny.)
2. I saw it mentioned that it's possible to kill NPCs in the online world and that they'll generally just respawn. If Knives starts doing this, what will the reaction in-game be? Will he be punished in any way? Will the respawned NPC just act like nothing even happened? I did also see that some NPCs won't respawn, but I assume those are special cases?
EDITING IN ONE MORE, SORRY:
3. Does the Dodo House have a piano anywhere, by chance...
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1. If he gets violent in Dodo house, the house will both repair itself over time and attempt to restrain him! For example, it may put him in a time-out room, or trap him in a cupboard, or tangle him up in some curtains. Whatever's around!
1a. It applies in both!
1b. We're flexible, but since he'll be nerfed to some degree ON world, you can expect that those powers will also be nerfed in Dodo -- how you'd like to play that out is up to you! For example, Knives might need to eat/sleep irregularly, rarely, or often; he might suddenly need to sleep after overusing his powers; he could largely not need food or sleep, but have weaker physical abilities overall. However you'd like to approach it!
2. Yes, for now you can assume there won't be any issues with NPCs not respawning! He would be treated... like a criminal ): The first couple times, after a night in jail, he'll be let out, but let us know if he keeps at it!
3. Sure! There can be a music room with instruments and record-players, very soothing.
Let us know if you need any clarifications!
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1) Is there a place to exchange event tokens from the player side or is this handwaved? Can event tokens be traded between characters or otherwise used on behalf of another?
2) Will there also be a place in the quests page to submit guild change requests later or is that something we can pop in at any time?
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1. he is terminally ill. any specific way you'd like that handled in the on world vs off world? he's not from a place with modern medicine so I imagine there might be actual options available to him. I am flexible when it comes to him seeking treatment/doing weird blood magic to cure himself/illness on pause, etc., just want to make sure I'm being compliant with your setting and wondering how this might translate to the on world! Happy to defer to mod preference on this.
2. at the canon point I am considering he has gone and magically altered parts of himself to be effectively techno-organic (it is a long story). It's strongly implied that his transmuted body parts are at the mercy of the vaguely-sentient device he used to do the aforementioned transmutation, and they are not on speaking terms right now, so theoretically this does not give him any powers (and may, in fact, be lugging an inert metal leg around). Given that, would he keep these physical changes in the off world? again, mostly just want to make sure I'm setting compliant!
Thanks so much!
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1. This is very much how players would like to approach it: you can keep his illness in full force, moderate it with medication, or heal it completely over time. We'll give you an example to work from, but you can adjust as suits your preference, e.g. he could need to go for regular hospital visits in the OFF world, and in the ON world his illness could manifest as a persisting status effect that he needs to consume a particular potion for to clear, which he would need help from a scholar or mender to make. Or maybe his illness makes his ON powers less reliable, etc. As long as it keeps with the general themes of 'OFF world is normal modern times' and 'ON world is fantasy video game,' we're flexible, but feel free to ask for help or clarification.
2. You can keep them as-is, or make them normal prosthetics in the OFF world! You can also explore the possibility of regaining control over them with his own, new powers in the ON world, if you so choose.
Hope that helps!
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that said, what kind of memories could he expect to find (if any) if he tries to use it in the ON and OFF worlds (or just dodo house, really)? e.g. would he get normal everyday memories of idk someone drinking coffee if he touched a coffee cup in dodo house? would psychometry even work in the ON world??
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In the ON world, it's a little less straightforward: objects are theoretically code, so he might not get a sense that they're real at all. The exception is if he tries to use this ability on anything related to Choices, or that's glitching out -- he won't be able to make out the memories associated with them, but they'll be a bit of a sensory overload, like there might be something there but it's under a wave of static, and it'll probably give him a killer migraine!
Hope that helps!
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