VoidTrecker Express Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
voidtreckermods) wrote2019-04-25 08:50 pm
voidtreckermods) wrote2019-04-25 08:50 pm
Gameplay
GAMEPLAY
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Click to show)
- → Arrival
→ Safety Control Apparatus (SCA)
→ Tickets
→ Bedrooms
→ Belongings
→ Time and the Void
→ Food
→ Chores
→ Information and Communication Points (ICP)
→ IC Groups and Organisations
→ Worlds
→ Deaths
→ Events and Gatherings
→ Hiatus
→ Drops
→ Boards, Posting
ARRIVAL
Characters come aware of themselves on a smokey platform. They are wearing clothes that don’t belong to them and on their back they have a rucksack of supplies. On their wrist they have a watch-like device and in their hand they hold a ticket.
The smoke clears and there stands a jet black steam train. Voidtrecker Express is written in gold on the side of the engine. The doors open. The horns sound. All Aboard!
The smoke clears and there stands a jet black steam train. Voidtrecker Express is written in gold on the side of the engine. The doors open. The horns sound. All Aboard!
→ Wait! What if I don’t wanna?
The device on your characters wrist shows a green train symbol. If your character makes no movement towards the train when the horn sounds the device will make an alarm sound and the symbol will turn orange. They will feel a sense of dread, sensing/feeling/knowing that staying on the platform will be bad. The horn sounds again after a few moments and a moment after that the doors begin to close. You need to get on the train, the hair on the back of your neck is standing up, the dread grows.
If they fight the feeling and stay as the train pulls away the symbol flashes red, the alarm gets louder. Your character will feel an immense sense of loss.
And will wake up the next day in the luggage carriage. When they next check their ticket on the Information screens, they will have a heart symbol under the basic information. They have suffered a death.
If they fight the feeling and stay as the train pulls away the symbol flashes red, the alarm gets louder. Your character will feel an immense sense of loss.
And will wake up the next day in the luggage carriage. When they next check their ticket on the Information screens, they will have a heart symbol under the basic information. They have suffered a death.
Safety Control Apparatus (SCA)
The device on your character's wrist is simple in design: A strap in the colour assigned in your acceptance letter, a black square screen with a green train symbol on it.
Characters don’t need to wear the device whilst on the train, however at every exterior door there are signs. “Stop! Are you wearing your Safety Control Apparatus?”
If your character takes the device off ‘on world’ the first thing they will notice is they all of a sudden cannot understand anyone. Depending on the world that may be the least of their worries. If your character plans to do this let us know!
For more information about the SCA, go here.
Characters don’t need to wear the device whilst on the train, however at every exterior door there are signs. “Stop! Are you wearing your Safety Control Apparatus?”
If your character takes the device off ‘on world’ the first thing they will notice is they all of a sudden cannot understand anyone. Depending on the world that may be the least of their worries. If your character plans to do this let us know!
For more information about the SCA, go here.
Tickets
Every character starts with a ticket in their hand.
Welcome to the Voidtrecker Express!
Passenger:
Cabin:
In their bag there is a lanyard (in their colour) with a pouch large enough to slot the ticket if characters wish. They will need their ticket to enter their bedroom and to use the Information and Communication Points.
Passenger:
Cabin:
In their bag there is a lanyard (in their colour) with a pouch large enough to slot the ticket if characters wish. They will need their ticket to enter their bedroom and to use the Information and Communication Points.
Bedrooms
Each sleeper carriage holds five bedrooms and each room holds four passengers. Two bottom bunks, two top. The top bunks can be folded up in the daytime and the bottom bunks can be half folded up leaving the window half as benches. As of the second half of the month of Poi (February) the beds are all fitted with sheets in team colours and each has a comfortable fluffy pillow with a pillowcase in team colours.
There is a table by the window with an Information and Communication Point. There are cubbies in the wall at the head of each bed, big enough for the belongings in your rucksacks. The ‘bench’ part of the bottom bunks lift up to have storage underneath, and indeed hold spare blankets when characters first arrive. Still it is a very tight squeeze.
At one end of each sleeper carriage there is a single toilet. At the other there is a larger bathroom with a shower.
Characters wake up in their bed every ‘morning’ no matter where they went to sleep, no matter if they don’t remember going to sleep. They will wake up to the morning announcement but also to a wrapped candy falling onto their pillow from a panel in the wall.
There is a table by the window with an Information and Communication Point. There are cubbies in the wall at the head of each bed, big enough for the belongings in your rucksacks. The ‘bench’ part of the bottom bunks lift up to have storage underneath, and indeed hold spare blankets when characters first arrive. Still it is a very tight squeeze.
At one end of each sleeper carriage there is a single toilet. At the other there is a larger bathroom with a shower.
Characters wake up in their bed every ‘morning’ no matter where they went to sleep, no matter if they don’t remember going to sleep. They will wake up to the morning announcement but also to a wrapped candy falling onto their pillow from a panel in the wall.
Belongings
Characters arrive wearing a pair of cargo trousers. The style and colour is up to you as a player. They are also wearing a plain polo shirt and hoodie in their assigned colour (red, blue, purple or orange) with a green train emblem on the left side. They are wearing sensible hiking boots.
They are carrying a rucksack. Inside they have.
~ Spare pair of cargo trousers
~ Six spare polo shirts
~ Spare hoodie
~ Two pairs of pyjamas (style and colour up to the player)
~ Waterproof coat (in their colour, with green train emblem)
~ Sleeping bag (in their colour)
~ A variety of underwear and socks appropriate for the character.
~ A wash kit holding all the basics
~ A leather bound notebook
~ A small pencil case with 5 pens, 3 pencils, eraser, ruler and sharpener.
~ Towel (in their colour)
~ A small first aid kit. This has all the basics- adjusted for species as well as some simple painkillers suited for the character and any medication that that character requires.
Everything has the character's full known name.
They also will have one item from home (must be able to fit into a hiking rucksack) OR a pet/animal companion. All animals will be wearing a collar in the colour of their humans team!
They are carrying a rucksack. Inside they have.
~ Spare pair of cargo trousers
~ Six spare polo shirts
~ Spare hoodie
~ Two pairs of pyjamas (style and colour up to the player)
~ Waterproof coat (in their colour, with green train emblem)
~ Sleeping bag (in their colour)
~ A variety of underwear and socks appropriate for the character.
~ A wash kit holding all the basics
~ A leather bound notebook
~ A small pencil case with 5 pens, 3 pencils, eraser, ruler and sharpener.
~ Towel (in their colour)
~ A small first aid kit. This has all the basics- adjusted for species as well as some simple painkillers suited for the character and any medication that that character requires.
Everything has the character's full known name.
They also will have one item from home (must be able to fit into a hiking rucksack) OR a pet/animal companion. All animals will be wearing a collar in the colour of their humans team!
Time and the Void
Time isn’t really measured on the train unless passengers find a way to do it themselves. Every morning characters will wake to an automated voice. “Good morning voidtreckers. It is Day X of Month Y.” (See the monthly mod post for the values of X and Y). For twelve hours the void is a kaleidoscope of colour swirling around the train. You may see shapes or patterns if you stare at it long enough, but a moment later it is chaos once more. Light and dark change in the blink of an eye. For the rest of the time it's pitch black. Nothing out of the windows at all. Counters will find this time is about nine hours and then they will wake up in their beds and it will be light.
Staring into the void for a long period brings about headaches. Generally it doesn't effect them as they go about their lives on the train.
If they are in a carriage like the garden or greenhouse where the walls and roof are glass for a long period of time with the void around them they would have a low level headache by the end of the day- indeed much like gardening all day in the sun.
Directly staring out of the windows for prolonged amounts of time will bring worse headaches, enough that they will probably want painkillers and a nap after a while.
If they look deeper, actively trying to find sense in the chaos the headaches will be worse. Some characters may also experience feelings of uneasiness and worry. The same sort of feeling you might get if you watched a horror film and then have to go up stairs in a dark quiet house. It's easy enough to shake off but hopefully enough to deter them from staring out there too much.
Staring into the void for a long period brings about headaches. Generally it doesn't effect them as they go about their lives on the train.
If they are in a carriage like the garden or greenhouse where the walls and roof are glass for a long period of time with the void around them they would have a low level headache by the end of the day- indeed much like gardening all day in the sun.
Directly staring out of the windows for prolonged amounts of time will bring worse headaches, enough that they will probably want painkillers and a nap after a while.
If they look deeper, actively trying to find sense in the chaos the headaches will be worse. Some characters may also experience feelings of uneasiness and worry. The same sort of feeling you might get if you watched a horror film and then have to go up stairs in a dark quiet house. It's easy enough to shake off but hopefully enough to deter them from staring out there too much.
Food
At the very front of the train there is a store room that holds enough food supplies for two weeks. It restocks every time they pick people up at platforms (every OOC month). The next carriage along is a kitchen and dining room. The Information and Communication Points in the kitchen have recipes relevant to the ingredients held and change each month. There is one key ingredient each month and that will be clear on the ooc information post and the recipe page.
A typical list of ingredients can be found here. Note: Meats are only available if they show up as a key ingredient, or in recipes for them. It will be up to the passengers to decide whether to cook alone or together.
That said…
A typical list of ingredients can be found here. Note: Meats are only available if they show up as a key ingredient, or in recipes for them. It will be up to the passengers to decide whether to cook alone or together.
That said…
Chores
On the Information points there are a list of chores set out.
~ Laundry
~ Cooking/Meal Prep
~ Cleaning passenger areas
~ Cleaning dining area/kitchen/washing up
Each colour group is assigned a task each month. They don’t have to do it, there is no IC enforcement but they will earn themselves Team Points for completing chores.
~ Laundry
~ Cooking/Meal Prep
~ Cleaning passenger areas
~ Cleaning dining area/kitchen/washing up
Each colour group is assigned a task each month. They don’t have to do it, there is no IC enforcement but they will earn themselves Team Points for completing chores.
Information and Communication Points (ICP)
In each bedroom there is an Information and Communication point. It is attached to the table at an angle. These display the day and month and also a thought of the month. (See monthly mod announcement).
There are two buttons at the bottom: ‘video’ and ‘voice’. These allow you to make announcements either to everywhere or to one specific bedroom or carriage (eg Sleeper 1, A) or (Coach B). Messages from the train driver may appear on these screens as well as over the intercom. For more information go here.
There are two buttons at the bottom: ‘video’ and ‘voice’. These allow you to make announcements either to everywhere or to one specific bedroom or carriage (eg Sleeper 1, A) or (Coach B). Messages from the train driver may appear on these screens as well as over the intercom. For more information go here.
IC Groups and Organisations
During the time the passengers have been on the train some organisations and even a rebel team have sprung up. All of these are organised by the characters (and therefore their players) and not mod organised or controlled.
For information about all player-driven character initiatives go here!
For information about all player-driven character initiatives go here!
Worlds
Once an IC month (every two OOC months) the train will arrive on a world. There will be an ooc announcement in the run up to a world event that will have information about the world, the people characters might meet and the missions. Each world will have a mission, which will be a task or series of tasks that characters are asked to perform. Typically world events will last 2 OOC weeks (1 IC week). The train may or may not stay with the characters for the duration- that will be detailed on the event post. Characters don’t have to get off the train regardless if the train stays or not, and even if they go onto the world they do not have to take part in the mission.
Deaths
Missions can be dangerous and though the Voidtrecker Express is one of the safest way to travel through void space it still is not completely safe. Death may happen though it will always be a players choice whether their character dies. Mods may throw danger at your characters but there will always be an 'out' if killing your character is not something you want to do just then, or ever. If they do die, characters will awaken the next day in the luggage compartment. A heart will appear on their passenger profile. If your character dies let us know here. Dying many times has side effects so it is important we know!
Events and Gatherings
As well as the monthly mod-led event (mission or on-train event) there might be parties, gatherings or other large and noticeable things going on the train that you want your character to get involved with (or avoid)!
For information on these, to see what is going on this month or plan a gathering of your own please go here!
For information on these, to see what is going on this month or plan a gathering of your own please go here!
Hiatus
Life happens! If you need to hiatus for any reason your character can either be handwaved (still around and going about their day to day business) or they can disappear for the duration. If they disappear whilst on the train they will hear from whatever ICP they are near, “NAME you are needed in the control coach.” Whilst a character is on disappeared hiatus their name will appear gold on the passenger roster and room screens.
They will then wake up in the luggage compartment once your hiatus is over. To hiatus go here.
They will then wake up in the luggage compartment once your hiatus is over. To hiatus go here.
Drops
Dropped characters disappear similar to hiatused ones. Their names are gold on the passenger roster and room screens. However when the train next arrives on a platform dropped/idled characters will walk out of the train doors and towards the ticket barriers, show their tickets and disappear through them. Any attempt to stop them will not work, they will continue on and not acknowledge you in any way.
Boards, Posting
We have three IC boards at Voidtrecker Express. The main board is here and is for the bulk of interactions, everything that happens on the train.
If your character is sending a message via the Information and Communication Points the board to use is here. Off train events will be on this board here.
Posts can be formatted however you like however a useful structure is:
For ICP Posts a good format would be:
If your character is sending a message via the Information and Communication Points the board to use is here. Off train events will be on this board here.
Posts can be formatted however you like however a useful structure is:
For ICP Posts a good format would be: