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FAQ
The following is a write-up meant to express to new players just what kind of RP this is, what they should expect in terms of setting, content, characters, etc. and what is going to be expected of them upon their joining of the RP. If you have any questions that haven't been answered here or anything needs to be clarified, don't hesitate to bring it up.
What kind of RP is this RP?
This RP is an RP based on the settings and plots of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's and Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, respectively the third and fifth anime serieses in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and follows two (for the moment) separate stories, one within the world presented in the first 64 episodes of 5D's, and one within the "Standard Dimension" from Arc-V. The setting differs from the canoncial 5D's and Arc-V in a couple of ways so as to isolate the setting of 5D's from its two predecessors, Duel Monsters and GX and to also incorporate the settings of 5D's and Arc-V together with one another. For 5D's setting, certain key elements like Pegasus J. Crawford developing the game of Duel Monsters and Kaiba Corporation developing the Solid Vision technology that makes things like Duel Disks possible still exist to keep the integrity of stated events within the first 64 episodes of the series intact but for the most part, the events of Duel Monsters and GX did not occur in this setting.
When does the RP take place within 5D's and Arc-V?
For 5D's, the start of the story takes place in the middle of the show's run, after the conclusion of the Dark Signer arc, picking up after episode 64 or more specifically, somewhere within the six-month timeskip presented at the end of episode 64. This leaves everything from episode 65 to the end of 5D's firmly outside of the purview of this RP. Elements of those episodes can and will be adapted into this RP, but until they are, the events that transpired within those some 90 episodes, both in the present and in flashbacks will be treated as non-canon by this RP.
For Arc-V, the start of the story takes place in the "Standard" dimension around the beginning of the show's run, around the time Pendulum Summoning is first discovered and utilized by Yuya Sakaki. To put it simply, this aspect of the story is still having the kinks worked out of it but Arc-V's part of the story is going to proceed mostly similarly to how it has and will continue to do so in the show's actual run, with some changes incorporated as elements from the World of 5D's are introduced at the onset of the story.
Is the 5D's world going to be treated as an equivalent to the Synchro Dimension for Arc-V, now or in the future?
I'm just gonna cut this one off and say, 'I have no idea.' As of this writing, there's so little known about Arc-V's Synchro Dimension, certain returning characters notwithstanding. Right now, we're referring to the world where 5D's took place simply as "World of 5D's". It may turn out that it can neatly slot into the role Arc-V's Synchro Dimension takes, or it may wind up having to be a completely different dimension altogether, "Synchro Dimension 1.5" if you will. It's simply too early to tell and the story itself is going to endeavor to be vague about this until we know more about Arc-V's Synchro Dimension for sure. For the moment, I personally am going to treat World of 5D's and Synchro Dimension as two separate worlds. Obviously, the second we know more about the Synchro Dimension, I'll be able to update this question to have a more definitive answer.
What is the RP's setting?
For 5D's, loosely summarized, the setting is based on what is presented in the first 64 episodes of 5D's and extrapolated from there to a worldwide point of view. In the year 2021 Neo Domino City is a "utopia", the most prominent, well-off city in the world. Following the natural disaster Zero Reverse 18 years ago, the rest of the world fell into a massive economic depression from which it is only beginning to reestablish some sense of equilibrium. Recently, the world was exposed to the truth of the occurrence of supernatural phenomenon like the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Gods by way of events within Neo Domino City and its neighboring island, Satellite. The battle between the Signers and the Dark Signers, carefully manipulated over many years by the group known as Yliaster, exposed the truth of supernatural phenomena, specifically those related to the game of Duel Monsters to the rest of the world. This RP is going to follow on from that story, focusing on the Signers, Yliaster and numerous other factions across this world and others as they deal with the rapidly changing world around them.
For Arc-V, the setting is based on what is presented in the "Standard" dimension that is the setting of most of the first 52 episodes (or the first 'part') of Arc-V. In Maiami City, there are numerous duel schools that teach their students the "latest and greatest evolution in dueling", Action Duels, duels where monster and duelist work together to gain advantage over their opponent and excite the audience. By far the most prestigious school for this is LDS, known as Leo Duel School, a school where students not only can be taught by the best duelists in the world but can gain access to highly advanced summoning methods that give them a great advantage. There is, however, more hiding under the surface of LDS and Maiami City. The truth of how these summoning methods were brought to this world, the reason why Action Duels were developed, the warriors from other worlds and their conflict and machinations and an entirely new summoning power created purely within this world are all crawling closer and closer to the surface as the ambitions of the man known as "Leo Akaba" begin to move forward.
More comprehensive info about the RP's setting can be found here on the wiki's setting page.
How is RPing done here?
All canon In-Character interactions take place on the main RP comm,![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
arcoflight. Interaction in the RP RP comm takes place in 3rd person prose, with the only exceptions being, for example, when two characters speak by e-mail or text message or something.
This RP has a heavy basis on Out-of-Character communication. The most frequent tool used to communicate OOCly is AIM and an account (or some equivalent, such as Pidgin) is strongly recommended, if not required. Much of our discussion takes place through AIM and our game chat. Weekly meetings take place through this chat every Wednesday at 10 PM ET. Attending these meetings isn't necessary, but if you're available, is recommended. The game chat is always open and most of the time at least, Jeff is in there, so discussions can happen at any time through the week and if you have any questions or anything, feel free to jump in.
Not as necessary but still useful is an account on Plurk. More important than the accounts though is the willingness to communicate with other members of the RP consistently, sharing plans with each other, asking questions if you're not sure of something, being flexible, etc. Regardless of what pieces of social media we like to use, the OOC comm,arcooc is a tool that is available for every member of the RP and every member is encouraged to use it.
There is also our extracurricular comm,duelcube. Memes, Alternate Universes and generally non-canon posts of all kind can go on Duel Cube. Joining Duel Cube is by no means necessary and the rules for using it aren't very hard and fast - it's just for fun.
What kind of characters can be played in this RP?
Our cast is comprised of canon characters from the first 64 episodes of 5D's, canon characters from Arc-V, original characters and adapted characters from other parts of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. Characters from other fandoms as well as original characters outside of the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe cannot be played here under any circumstances. Characters from Part 2 (and the manga adaptation) of 5D's can be played along with characters from other parts of the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe, adapted to fit in with the setting of either 5D's or one of the dimensions of Arc-V. These characters can be played after a player has submitted their first profile and gotten used to the setting and how the RP works. For more information see the Character Guidelines.
How are Xyz and Pedulum Monsters treated in this RP? Are there any cards that cannot be played?
At the start of the story, Xyz monsters exist within the Xyz Dimension naturally, the Standard Dimension exclusively at LDS and the World of 5D's in very particular circumstances related to the plot. If you're interested in playing a World of 5D's character with access to Xyz, speak to Jeff about these very particular circumstances. Eventually, Xyz Monsters will be widespread accessible in both Standard and the World of 5D's.
At the start of the story, Pendulum Monsters have just been created by Yuya Sakaki so they do not exist in any widespread form yet, but will eventually be widely distributed throughout Standard in keeping with the show's plot. Pendulum Monsters do not exist within the World of 5D's, but will eventually become similarly available.
As for individual cards and archetypes that cannot be played, there are example of cards that are considered unique within the story and need to have a significant plot reason to be played or otherwise need to be the core of a character's deck to justify them being used (off the top of my head, things like Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the Sangenma, Destiny Heroes, etc.). A list of these cards is currently in progress and will be linked here as soon as it's done.
How are the April 2014 changes to the card game's rules regarded? What banlist does this RP use?
One of the changes to the April 2014 rules is used and one is not, yet, kind of. Right now, both players will have access to one Field Spell Zone and both players can control one Field Spell at the same time without either being destroyed. However, the rule that the first turn player does not draw during their first draw phase is not being implemented at this time for duels taking place within the World of 5D's. Right now, both rules will be in effect in the Standard Dimension. Whether the first turn draw rule will be implemented later in the World of 5D's when Pendulum Summoning becomes available or whether we'll just go with the same thing across every world for the sake of keeping things simple and non-confusing is something that we'll work out as we go along.
This RP uses two different banlists for both Standing and Riding Duels, both custom-tailored to the environment of this game. Both lists are currently being constructed and will be linked here as soon as they're done.
How is conflict resolved in this RP? Are duels actually played out? Scripted? Handwaved? Are there alternatives to dueling?
Duels can be handled one of a few ways, depending on the preference of the two players in control of the characters that are dueling. Duels can be played out ICly in real time between the two players with their method of choice, be it YVD, proxies, or a client such as Duel Network or YGOpro. Duels can also be scripted out ahead of time and then played out by the two players according to that script. Failing either of those options, the players can simply decide the outcome of the duel between themselves and handwave the actual duel itself.
Though handwaving is always an option, it isn't something that two players should feel they have to do just because they can't (or don't want to) play out an actual duel or go through scripting a full duel. There are several players in the RP who are well-versed in the rules of the game and would be glad to help in developing a script so the duel can still be played out. If you'd like some help scripting a duel, contact a mod or make a post inarcooc.
Certain situations may also call less for dueling and more direct combat. Direct combat has been observed a couple times in 5D's and Arc-V and it can be done here too. There are no rules regarding whether a confrontation has to be settled by a duel or a combat - it's down to what the story and the circumstances dictate and, moreover, the preferences of the two players involved.
What kind of RP is this RP?
This RP is an RP based on the settings and plots of Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's and Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, respectively the third and fifth anime serieses in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise and follows two (for the moment) separate stories, one within the world presented in the first 64 episodes of 5D's, and one within the "Standard Dimension" from Arc-V. The setting differs from the canoncial 5D's and Arc-V in a couple of ways so as to isolate the setting of 5D's from its two predecessors, Duel Monsters and GX and to also incorporate the settings of 5D's and Arc-V together with one another. For 5D's setting, certain key elements like Pegasus J. Crawford developing the game of Duel Monsters and Kaiba Corporation developing the Solid Vision technology that makes things like Duel Disks possible still exist to keep the integrity of stated events within the first 64 episodes of the series intact but for the most part, the events of Duel Monsters and GX did not occur in this setting.
When does the RP take place within 5D's and Arc-V?
For 5D's, the start of the story takes place in the middle of the show's run, after the conclusion of the Dark Signer arc, picking up after episode 64 or more specifically, somewhere within the six-month timeskip presented at the end of episode 64. This leaves everything from episode 65 to the end of 5D's firmly outside of the purview of this RP. Elements of those episodes can and will be adapted into this RP, but until they are, the events that transpired within those some 90 episodes, both in the present and in flashbacks will be treated as non-canon by this RP.
For Arc-V, the start of the story takes place in the "Standard" dimension around the beginning of the show's run, around the time Pendulum Summoning is first discovered and utilized by Yuya Sakaki. To put it simply, this aspect of the story is still having the kinks worked out of it but Arc-V's part of the story is going to proceed mostly similarly to how it has and will continue to do so in the show's actual run, with some changes incorporated as elements from the World of 5D's are introduced at the onset of the story.
Is the 5D's world going to be treated as an equivalent to the Synchro Dimension for Arc-V, now or in the future?
I'm just gonna cut this one off and say, 'I have no idea.' As of this writing, there's so little known about Arc-V's Synchro Dimension, certain returning characters notwithstanding. Right now, we're referring to the world where 5D's took place simply as "World of 5D's". It may turn out that it can neatly slot into the role Arc-V's Synchro Dimension takes, or it may wind up having to be a completely different dimension altogether, "Synchro Dimension 1.5" if you will. It's simply too early to tell and the story itself is going to endeavor to be vague about this until we know more about Arc-V's Synchro Dimension for sure. For the moment, I personally am going to treat World of 5D's and Synchro Dimension as two separate worlds. Obviously, the second we know more about the Synchro Dimension, I'll be able to update this question to have a more definitive answer.
What is the RP's setting?
For 5D's, loosely summarized, the setting is based on what is presented in the first 64 episodes of 5D's and extrapolated from there to a worldwide point of view. In the year 2021 Neo Domino City is a "utopia", the most prominent, well-off city in the world. Following the natural disaster Zero Reverse 18 years ago, the rest of the world fell into a massive economic depression from which it is only beginning to reestablish some sense of equilibrium. Recently, the world was exposed to the truth of the occurrence of supernatural phenomenon like the Crimson Dragon and the Earthbound Gods by way of events within Neo Domino City and its neighboring island, Satellite. The battle between the Signers and the Dark Signers, carefully manipulated over many years by the group known as Yliaster, exposed the truth of supernatural phenomena, specifically those related to the game of Duel Monsters to the rest of the world. This RP is going to follow on from that story, focusing on the Signers, Yliaster and numerous other factions across this world and others as they deal with the rapidly changing world around them.
For Arc-V, the setting is based on what is presented in the "Standard" dimension that is the setting of most of the first 52 episodes (or the first 'part') of Arc-V. In Maiami City, there are numerous duel schools that teach their students the "latest and greatest evolution in dueling", Action Duels, duels where monster and duelist work together to gain advantage over their opponent and excite the audience. By far the most prestigious school for this is LDS, known as Leo Duel School, a school where students not only can be taught by the best duelists in the world but can gain access to highly advanced summoning methods that give them a great advantage. There is, however, more hiding under the surface of LDS and Maiami City. The truth of how these summoning methods were brought to this world, the reason why Action Duels were developed, the warriors from other worlds and their conflict and machinations and an entirely new summoning power created purely within this world are all crawling closer and closer to the surface as the ambitions of the man known as "Leo Akaba" begin to move forward.
More comprehensive info about the RP's setting can be found here on the wiki's setting page.
How is RPing done here?
All canon In-Character interactions take place on the main RP comm,
arcoflight. Interaction in the RP RP comm takes place in 3rd person prose, with the only exceptions being, for example, when two characters speak by e-mail or text message or something. This RP has a heavy basis on Out-of-Character communication. The most frequent tool used to communicate OOCly is AIM and an account (or some equivalent, such as Pidgin) is strongly recommended, if not required. Much of our discussion takes place through AIM and our game chat. Weekly meetings take place through this chat every Wednesday at 10 PM ET. Attending these meetings isn't necessary, but if you're available, is recommended. The game chat is always open and most of the time at least, Jeff is in there, so discussions can happen at any time through the week and if you have any questions or anything, feel free to jump in.
Not as necessary but still useful is an account on Plurk. More important than the accounts though is the willingness to communicate with other members of the RP consistently, sharing plans with each other, asking questions if you're not sure of something, being flexible, etc. Regardless of what pieces of social media we like to use, the OOC comm,
arcooc is a tool that is available for every member of the RP and every member is encouraged to use it. There is also our extracurricular comm,
duelcube. Memes, Alternate Universes and generally non-canon posts of all kind can go on Duel Cube. Joining Duel Cube is by no means necessary and the rules for using it aren't very hard and fast - it's just for fun.What kind of characters can be played in this RP?
Our cast is comprised of canon characters from the first 64 episodes of 5D's, canon characters from Arc-V, original characters and adapted characters from other parts of the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. Characters from other fandoms as well as original characters outside of the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe cannot be played here under any circumstances. Characters from Part 2 (and the manga adaptation) of 5D's can be played along with characters from other parts of the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe, adapted to fit in with the setting of either 5D's or one of the dimensions of Arc-V. These characters can be played after a player has submitted their first profile and gotten used to the setting and how the RP works. For more information see the Character Guidelines.
How are Xyz and Pedulum Monsters treated in this RP? Are there any cards that cannot be played?
At the start of the story, Xyz monsters exist within the Xyz Dimension naturally, the Standard Dimension exclusively at LDS and the World of 5D's in very particular circumstances related to the plot. If you're interested in playing a World of 5D's character with access to Xyz, speak to Jeff about these very particular circumstances. Eventually, Xyz Monsters will be widespread accessible in both Standard and the World of 5D's.
At the start of the story, Pendulum Monsters have just been created by Yuya Sakaki so they do not exist in any widespread form yet, but will eventually be widely distributed throughout Standard in keeping with the show's plot. Pendulum Monsters do not exist within the World of 5D's, but will eventually become similarly available.
As for individual cards and archetypes that cannot be played, there are example of cards that are considered unique within the story and need to have a significant plot reason to be played or otherwise need to be the core of a character's deck to justify them being used (off the top of my head, things like Blue-Eyes White Dragon, the Sangenma, Destiny Heroes, etc.). A list of these cards is currently in progress and will be linked here as soon as it's done.
How are the April 2014 changes to the card game's rules regarded? What banlist does this RP use?
One of the changes to the April 2014 rules is used and one is not, yet, kind of. Right now, both players will have access to one Field Spell Zone and both players can control one Field Spell at the same time without either being destroyed. However, the rule that the first turn player does not draw during their first draw phase is not being implemented at this time for duels taking place within the World of 5D's. Right now, both rules will be in effect in the Standard Dimension. Whether the first turn draw rule will be implemented later in the World of 5D's when Pendulum Summoning becomes available or whether we'll just go with the same thing across every world for the sake of keeping things simple and non-confusing is something that we'll work out as we go along.
This RP uses two different banlists for both Standing and Riding Duels, both custom-tailored to the environment of this game. Both lists are currently being constructed and will be linked here as soon as they're done.
How is conflict resolved in this RP? Are duels actually played out? Scripted? Handwaved? Are there alternatives to dueling?
Duels can be handled one of a few ways, depending on the preference of the two players in control of the characters that are dueling. Duels can be played out ICly in real time between the two players with their method of choice, be it YVD, proxies, or a client such as Duel Network or YGOpro. Duels can also be scripted out ahead of time and then played out by the two players according to that script. Failing either of those options, the players can simply decide the outcome of the duel between themselves and handwave the actual duel itself.
Though handwaving is always an option, it isn't something that two players should feel they have to do just because they can't (or don't want to) play out an actual duel or go through scripting a full duel. There are several players in the RP who are well-versed in the rules of the game and would be glad to help in developing a script so the duel can still be played out. If you'd like some help scripting a duel, contact a mod or make a post in
arcooc.Certain situations may also call less for dueling and more direct combat. Direct combat has been observed a couple times in 5D's and Arc-V and it can be done here too. There are no rules regarding whether a confrontation has to be settled by a duel or a combat - it's down to what the story and the circumstances dictate and, moreover, the preferences of the two players involved.