The Mods of Taxon

taxonomy, n. The science of finding, describing, classifying and naming organisms.

Thousands of years in the future, Earth's civilization has ceased to exist. It has left traces, however, enough for an alien intelligence from a few galaxies away to gather together, study, and assemble something of a history. This study, this story is based on the most enduring thing humanity created: fiction.

Not content with merely piecing the the tale together, the intelligence decided to try and recreate it.

After years of development and disaster, they've created this, The City of Taxon, a home for as close an approximation to life from Earth as they can manage. Placed safely in a large cavern on the inside of an abandoned moon, the project is a blend of archeology and highly advanced programming. With a few lines of code, buildings are built or restored. Plants can grow. Lives can be created. There are even 'Extras,' simple human-based people populating the city and performing its basic functions for the characters placed inside with such care. It's not a perfect or exact science; things go wrong often as the intelligence adjusts its methods and adapts new data.

Even so, most days it can be idyllic. There's no crime, no rules, no limits except those imposed by the characters and the basic programming they're existing in. There are buildings from every possible era and setting waiting to be occupied. Great care has been taken to make sure the characters can fully enjoy the comforts of home.

This is their home, after all...


N A V I G A T I O N

If you'd like to apply a character to Taxon, this is the right place! Please read the application details below and check the taken and reserve pages before you begin filling it out.

APPLICATION DETAILS

APPLICATIONS ARE ALWAYS OPEN!

YOUR NAME: Your name, or whatever it is you prefer to go by.

PERSONAL JOURNAL: Your own Dreamwidth/LiveJournal account. Not required, and only ever used as an extra means of contact. Your character's journal can be substituted.

EMAIL: Your email address.

AIM: Your AIM sign-name, also not required but used as a means for contact.

CHARACTERS IN TAXON: Any characters you're currently playing in the game. Just put "n/a" if you're brand new.


CHARACTER NAME: The name of the character you're applying for.

CANON: The name of the show/book/movie/etc. your character is from. Just write 'original' if it's an original character that isn't based on any currently existing canon.

MEDIA: What format is your character from? Television, books, anime, manga, etc.? If your canon is diverse you can use multiple multiple sources - like the film/TV series/anime/audio play of the book/manga/comic - just let us know if and where canon lines are being crossed.

BIRTHDAY/AGE: Let us know your character's birthday (you can make one up if it isn't mentioned in canon) and their age. All characters in Taxon must be over the age of 16. If the character you're applying for is under the age of 16, however, you can always mark them as AU and age them up so that they can be viable in game.


CANON POINT: At what point in their canon is your character being pulled from? Episode titles and comic book issue numbers are fine, while canons like movies and books will require a short description.

EXAMPLE: The end of episode 2.08, My Many Murphies.; After their conversation with the mandrake, but before they find the Holy Hand Grenade.; etc.

WHY THIS CHARACTER AND CANON POINT?: Just let us know a few things about why you play this character in general, and why you feel they'd be a good fit in Taxon. Some questions to help get you going: What about playing this character do you enjoy? What kind of plots do you have the most fun getting them involved in? Which aspects of this character's personality or interactions do you like exploring? Do you have any expectations for their time in Taxon, or situations you're looking forward to putting them through? Is there anything significant about their canon point that makes it easier or more interesting to play them from there?

PROGRAMMED POSSESSION: A character's programmed possession is an single item or location brought to the city specifically for them. Think of it as the aliens' attempt to provide a security blanket (for some value of "security"). This can be nearly anything from their canon, from locations (like individual rooms, homes, businesses, or outdoor areas or landmarks within reason), to pets (any kind of animal, organic or robotic, as long as it wouldn't be considered a character in and of itself), to vehicles (cars, boats, or even spaceships), or an actual item (uniquely tailored weapons, magic artifacts, jewelry, etc.). Please give us a brief description, and/or provide a screencap for reference.

EXCEPTIONS AND OPTIONS: Some items a character is wearing will come in with them without counting as a programmed possession. These would be things like purses, accessories, and weapons. Should your character be wearing an item that is unique enough to be a programmed possession on its own, you can choose between:

→ the item is missing
OR
→ the item has become a generic and/or useless version of itself

If you don't know what to do for this section of your application, please contact a mod! We'll be happy to help you figure something out for your character.

HISTORY: Please provide a link to your character's history, provided there's a reliable online source (like a wiki or fan site). If your character or canon does not have an online source for their history, or if they are so minor such sources do not adequately mention them, please give us a few paragraphs outlining the basic premise of your canon and what has happened to your character during it.

If your character is an original one, please provide us with their full history. Be sure to include details about their world and events important to them.

PSYCHOLOGY/PERSONALITY: What's your character like? Why is your character the way they are? What motivates them? What are their strengths and weaknesses (physical, mental, emotional)? Did something happen to them that made them see the world the way they do? Did any of their connections/relationships contribute to this? Give this section a lot of detail and be as thorough as possible. This is one of the sections we pay closest attention to when judging applications, and we'd like at least three solid paragraphs here.

POWERS/ABILITIES: Please use this section to outline any supernatural or species-based abilities and weaknesses your character may have. Things like special skills (from assassins to doctors) are also important, especially if it's something that shapes their personality or will be a major point in their development. Feel free to use bullet points for the sake of ease and clarification, but don't forget to elaborate and explain each point to avoid confusion. Any supernatural ability not mentioned in this section of your application will not be viable as a power for them in the game, so please be as thorough as you can. (If you're playing from an ongoing canon and your character develops powers or has powers revealed, don't worry! Just contact a mod and we'll work it in.)


ARRIVAL POST: This is your character's entrance into Taxon, and should be prose written in the [ holo ] mode. Make sure to include at least five sentences of direct speech from your character, so that we can get a better feel for how your character reacts to the game setting. If a character isn't as likely to start talking to an empty room or is mute, internal narration can be substituted.

For a more detailed explanation of arrival protocol, please refer to the arrival section of the FAQ and the tablet user guide.


ADDITIONAL SAMPLE: This sample should be set in canon, be written in prose and be at least 300 words. You are at liberty to decide what your character is doing in this sample, but what we'd most like to see here is the character interacting with other people or the world around them. Linked samples to other roleplay threads is also acceptable.



YOUR NAME: PERSONAL JOURNAL: (note DW or LJ) E-MAIL: AIM: CHARACTERS IN TAXON: (if applicable) CHARACTER NAME: CANON: MEDIUM: BIRTHDAY/AGE: CANON POINT: WHY THIS CHARACTER AND CANON POINT?: PROGRAMMED POSSESSION: HISTORY: PSYCHOLOGY/PERSONALITY: POWERS/ABILITIES: ARRIVAL POST: ADDITIONAL SAMPLE:



When you're finished, email your application to taxonmods [at] gmail [dot] com. The subject of your email should read: Application: CANON NAME: CHARACTER NAME (EXAMPLE: Application: Men In Tights: Robin Hood).

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us through email or a PM to this account.


N A V I G A T I O N

Jobs

The 'subsistency level' amount which is assigned to everyone automatically on the 1st of the month (with the exception of new arrivals, who will get theirs whenever they arrive) is 350¤. Alas, this is only enough to purchase the essentials, and won't be enough to cover the finer things in life - expensive clothing, fancy food, booze, cigarettes, illegal substances... Due to this, most characters would find it greatly beneficial to find a job.

There are thousands of jobs available in the city: in the numerous cafes, restaurants, bars, clubs, stores and the tram system (it's possible to work as a conductor). However, characters that have particularly useful skills (doctors, for example) would also be able to work in their chosen fields, and would receive an elevated salary to do so. Similarly, characters with an entrepreneurial inclination have the opportunity to start their own businesses and employ other characters. The wage system is as follows:

¤ = Credits

CUSTOMER SERVICE = 700¤ + 350¤ stipend = 1050¤ (+ 300¤ w/employees = 1350¤)
VOCATIONAL = 1400¤ + 350¤ stipend = 1750¤ (+ 300¤ w/employees = 2050¤)

They can also work part-time for half the pay. For vocational jobs (doctors, mechanics, etc.), they'll be paid as long as they're working and don't have to be employed, while customer service jobs require a character be employed or currently employing another character.

Therefore, if your character is a practicing doctor, they would receive 1400 vocational credits a month for their work, plus the subsistency 350 credits, to make a total of 1750.

If your character owns a bar, they would receive 700 customer service credits a month for their work, plus the 350 subsistency credits, plus the Employers' bonus of 300 credits, to make a total of 1350.

If your character works in a store, they would receive 700 customer service credits a month for their work, plus the 350 subsistency credits, to make a total of 1050.

If your character is going to be employed by another character, this is something that will need to be arranged both out-of-character between players, and in-character in-game. If, on the other hand, your character is going to be working in an establishment owned by Extras, they need only to walk into said establishment, express a desire to work there, slap a smock on and work for eight hours (for example). If your character is an employer, they can hatch things in the business for free (think of it as company expenses that aren't deducted from their personal balance) and all their stock will be replenished automatically.

Get a job!

Do you want a job in Taxon? Here's the place to get it!

EMPLOYEES FILL THIS OUT:

<b>Character's name:</b> your character's name <b>Job type:</b> customer service or vocational <b>Will they be employed by an Extra or another character in Taxon:</b> if it's another character in the game, remember to get their permission <b>Where will they be employed:</b> what store/bar/tram route/etc. will they be working in


Do you want to start a business in Taxon? Here is also the place!

POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS FILL THIS OUT:

<b>Character's name:</b> your character's name <b>Business type:</b> will they be hiring customer service jobs or vocational jobs <b>Is this part of your character's programmed possession:</b> like if your character brought in their bar, store, or clinic <b>Will you hire other characters:</b> will you have paid employees or Extras

For more information on money, see the currency section of the FAQ.


N A V I G A T I O N

Whilst we do encourage players to settle issues themselves and communicate to resolve problems; if you have a serious complaint about another player, either regarding inappropriate OOC behavior or their IC portrayal/characterization, please comment here detailing your concerns, and we will contact you ASAP to discuss it further, and work out a solution.

All comments are screened for privacy.


N A V I G A T I O N

If you would like to submit suggestions for either city-wide glitches, personal glitches, or Adventure Zone, here's where to do it! Copy-pasta, post a comment, you know the drill.

<b>Character Name:</b> (Self-explanatory, one would hope...) <b>Big Glitch, Personal Glitch, or Adventure Zone suggestion?:/b> (pick one) <b>What happens?</b> (what it will involve, who it will effect, will it cause damage?) <b>(If a personal glitch) Duration:/b> (How long will it last?) <b>(If a personal glitch) Time Frame:/b> (When would you like to do this?)

N A V I G A T I O N

If you wish to drop a character from Taxon, please fill out the following form, your comment will be deleted once the character has been removed from the 'taken' list and the communities.

<b>Character Journal:</b> <b>Character Name:</b> <b>Fandom:</b> <b>Genre (TV/Books/OC etc):</b> <b>Programmed Possession & District (if a location):</b> <b>Birthday (if applicable):</b>


N A V I G A T I O N

THE TABLET

Tablets are sort of like those really expensive flip open mobile phones that come with a pen thing. You can draw and write on them. You can dictate to them. You can call specific people with them or make announcements to everyone. You can project holograms of yourself with them. You can have video-type conversations with them. They also come with a handy 3D map function that can tell you where everyone is at any one time- unless someone doesn’t want to be found, in which case they can cloak themselves. The tablets can shrink to whatever size you like, because they’re amazing like that- and they can sync themselves into the wrist-bracelet too, to work like a comm-watch.


This is what the tablet will look like when your character first sees it in the arrival room. With some amount of effort, they can change its appearance in both size and color. At its largest, the screen will hinge to make it feel more like a laptop, and at its smallest it syncs with the silver bracelet.


And this is what the screen looks like when a character is receiving a message. Characters can touch elements on the screen with either their hand or a stylus to access menus and make posts, as well as change their settings. All the options are pretty self explanatory, and the menus are designed to be ridiculously simple (which makes accidental posts that much easier) and relatively easy to navigate through for characters that have used cellphone menus in their own worlds. Characters can also (with regards to permissions given by the players involved) view the public conversations of others over the tablets.



POST TYPES

[holo]:
Like in Star Wars, only better! Holo posts are full color, very detailed three-dimensional holograms to 1:10 scale of the character posting, and that are transparent only if you squint and turn your head just right. These posts are recorded with transmissions between the character's bracelet and the tablet, so only the character posting will be seen by others, in addition to whatever objects are being held or touched up to two feet out from where contact is being made. (Meaning, most of a small chair will be visible if a character is sitting; a little bit of floor can be seen if they're standing or laying down; tables that are getting leaned against will be partially visible, but will then fade out into nothing.)*

[visual]:
Kind of like having a conversation over webcam! Except it's crystal clear quality and has no lag at all. The tablet's screen records the image of whatever it's facing (future technology, how great thou art) and will automatically focus on any face or faces in front of it so there's no awkward blur going on. Remember, this is high quality images, so this setting should be avoided if you want to hide a bad hair day.

[voice]:
Like a phone call or LiveJournal voice post! Nothing at all is visible, but it will be of good audio quality. The microphone does have drawbacks, though, and there'll be interference noise of something touches the mic.

[text]:
This can be hand written or typed depending how you feel. The tablet comes with a small stylus pen for handwritten or drawn messages and a keyboard for typed ones, though anything your character sends or posts in this mode will include their name as it appears on the city map.**



POST MODIFIERS

[locked (to whoever)]:
Not a type of post in and of itself, locked posts mean only that person or people another type of post is locked to will be able to get the message.

[anon]:
Fancy being a bit mysterious? This means people won't know who is writing. Anonymous holo posts are impossible (sorry!), but on visual posts, the face will be blurred out; audio will have your character's voice sounding garbled with changes in pitch and tone; and text will have the font exceptionally small for... some reason, and their display name will not be sent with the message.

[private]:
Need that extra level of privacy? This setting will record another type of post solely to a character's tablet and won't be accessible to any other characters unless they post it later themselves.***

[machine (for whoever)]:
Don’t feel like talking to someone? Give them this. Or maybe someone isn't picking up? Leave them an irate message! Characters will just press the "message access" button and record a message in whatever format to be sent to someone else.



POST FORMATS

subject lines
Subject line tags for tablet entries: [holo] | [visual] | [voice] | [text] || [locked] | [anon] | [private] | [machine]

The subject line of your post or comment needs to include what type of post it is, in addition to any modifiers that post may have.

Examples: [ holo, locked: to Bob ] ; [visual | location: Shelley] [anon] ; [ voice//private ] ; [visual // locked from Bob // anon]

Prose:
Any posts (except for text, see below) can be written in third person narrative with a character's speech in quotation marks and actions or thoughts written in complete sentences. Most of these posts are done in either past or present tenses, but feel free to use whichever tense you are most comfortable with.

Example: This was looking grim. "So, that means you're in the clear for now," he said. "Right?"

Brackets:
Any posts can be written as "quicklogs" or "commentspam." This means that speech or text is written out normally, with any additional narration put in brackets. The only tablet mode that forces this kind of tag is [text].

Example: [sounds tired, but still determined] Not even close.



HISTORY

The tablets, being fantastic, can also let a person view their own previous conversations as well as conversations made over the tablets by other people, going so far as to let them see conversations that took place before their arrival in the city.

However, should your character decide to look at past communications (remember individual player/character permissions, please), of versions of themselves that were around before they came to the city, all they’ll see is either static, some “Access Denied” message, a clip from an old H. R. Puffenstuff episode, or some other random thing that isn’t what they want. Again, this will only apply if they’re new to the city and are trying to get to communications made by a different version of themselves that has been dropped.



SUBJECT LINE OPTIONS

While, like detailed above, most subject lines will follow the format with brackets and the name of the function as described above, we do allow options in how it's written. Some that have been shown so far in game are as follows:

• location → action
• visual → video
• voice → audio

There is also the option of using song lyrics or giving a thread a title for action threads only if you so choose. We do ask, however, that for at least the first comment of that thread, the subject line includes either "location" or "action" with the lyric so those unfamiliar with the format can more easily adjust.




*For your arrival post in Taxon, please note that the tablet's default mode is always [holo], for further details on how to construct your arrival post please refer to the arrival section of Gameplay & FAQ.

**A character's display name can be changed the same way they can change whether or not their location is shown on the map at all. It's possible, but it will take a lot of messing around in the tablet's settings to find the right function unless the character is already familiar with advanced technology and knows what to look for.

***Because of the nature of private posts and the fact that it does not lead to any interaction between characters, posts of this nature do not count for activity check.


N A V I G A T I O N