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> ASK A QUESTION?
Will this game have spoilers?
YES. If you want to avoid Persona 4 spoilers, this game is not for you. The games occurs just after the Good Ending, and will be leaning towards uncovering the truth that would have led to the True Ending. There will be spoilers around every corner! Literally everywhere you turn. We're putting this at the top of the FAQ so anyone who would rather avoid spoilers may turn their back now. Keep in mind that there will also be spoilers for Persona 3, as they not only share a universe, but will have an overarching plot in Caligo!
Speaking of spoilers, is it possible to join this game without knowing Persona 4 canon?
If you don’t know the canon and don’t care about spoilers (or have already been spoiled) you are welcome here! And no, you don’t need to know Persona 4 canon to join this game. All the information you need will be covered in the premise, rules, setting, and this post. If you are interested in playing an NPC (a character from P4 canon) then yes, you need to, but that’s a given.
Okay, what's Persona 4?
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 is a JRPG for the Playstation 2. A quick Google will bring you to the Wikipedia page on it, the Shin Megami Tensei Wiki page on it and the official website for the game. We're going to throw in a special favorite of the mods' as well: GiantBomb's Persona 4 Endurance Run. GB's ER is the most famous LP (or let's play) of the game to date, and is a shining beacon of quality in the Persona 4 fandom. These are all good sources if you want to learn more about the game and go the extra mile.
How did my character get here? Where is "here"?
Simply put: by train, similar to how the normal visitors get to the small town of Inaba, Japan. However, your character won't remember boarding, and will simply awaken already boarded, staring into the back of the seat in front of them or out the windows into thick fog. No one will have an answer to where your character came from, but everyone in town will be aware that the train brings weirdos into town whenever it gets foggy. And yes, it's very likely they'll look over to the person sitting next to them on the train and find them asleep or recently awakened and in just as confused state as they are.
Inaba is a fictional rural town in Japan near Okina City, a similarly fictional urban city, and when a character gets off the train they found themselves on, it's not out of the question for them to consider what exactly is out there... It looks like there's nothing... Or something along those lines.
Will there be anything to do in Inaba? It's a supposed to be a small town, isn't it?
Yes, Inaba is small town Japan. However, there's plenty for your character to do, including going to school (if they're the right age), getting a job, engage NPCs and townsfolk as to why this fog is so weird and why your character being there is part of the weirdness... There are both a school bulletin board and a town one. If your character has enough money, they will be able to hire another player character or an NPC if they so desire.
A shrine will also available to take in requests, and other characters can take those requests and fill them (through interacting with a certain fox). You can interact with all sorts of people and forge bonds! The bonds of people are the truest strength, after all. There's plenty to do around town and out of it, even without engaging in the more supernatural side of the game.
Speaking of supernatural, there is also a TV World. These settings will be detailed more extensively on the Settings Page.
Where will my character be staying?
Your character will be taken in by Inaba's own Amagi Inn. Yukiko Amagi will be happy to help your character to their rooms and serve them as any other guest. Well, in theory. In actuality, the Inn's employees may be a little colder to the weirder guests, a little more impatient with the travelers from nowhere who may have to end up working at the Inn itself to pay for their rooms.
That arrangement won't work forever, on top of that, and the longer a character stays at the Inn the more the workers and manager (Yukiko's mother) will pressure them to get their own place in Inaba and another job, one that might welcome newer prospective employees a little more than the Inn might, flooded as they will be with new comers who don't have anything to pay with.
Where can my character work?
Anywhere there is to! The Inn may be your character's first and only option, but sooner or later your character will overstay their welcome. For their best bets, there is a bulletin board on the North Side of the Shopping District that job openings are posted on regularly. If your character needs a new job, that is where they should look!
If your character ends up in a place where they can afford the bus and/or train fare (or, somehow, miraculously end up having a license and buying a car), there are plenty more jobs available in Okina City up for grabs as well.
Also it may be good to keep in mind the mods don't need to keep track of what character does what job, so players may feel free to assign their character one if they so desire without needing to check in with the mods.
Why is my character here?
Your character has been pulled into the rural town of Inaba, Japan by a powerful and mysterious force. No one your character could talk to will give them a helpful answer. Sure, there could be rumors flying around the town why such strange people are all being brought in by the train in the strange fog, but how much of it is the truth? How will they discern the old wives' theories to the true reason behind their appearance?
This mysterious force has the power to shift through universes, to control the fabric of reality and weave the threads of fate to suit its own purposes. Your character's very presence attests to that, and will rekindle a new interest in a mystery first introduced the previous year. A mystery that, if gone unsolved, could have dire consequences.
Since the Inn doesn't want my character to stay for an extended period of time, where can they move to long-term?
There are small apartment complexes within Inaba, as well as local residents putting up rooms for rent. If you want to go ahead and make friends with a few other guests, maybe you could even pool together for a house!
Why should my character care?
I did mention dire consequences. If the mystery is left unsolved, the consequences of thus have already been told to the Investigation Team the previous year. Ultimately, if the unnatural fog is allowed to continue to persist, and the reason behind it is yet again allowed to slip through the cracks, the world shall be reborn, and consequentially, so shall the people within it.
Yes, this game has a natural end it will, eventually, come to. What that end is, however, is left up to the characters within it. Choose wisely...
What's the Midnight Channel?
The Midnight Channel is a special "program" that airs at midnight on rainy days. The catch? It only does so on TVs that are turned off. The rumor goes something along the lines of "You stare into a turned off TV at midnight, and then you'll see your soulmate!" Of course, the soulmate part's most likely a wad of hooey, but a TV channel that turns on only when it rains at midnight?
Sounds legit.
The program itself appears to be low budget, maybe even self-produced. There are only glimpses of a figure through the TV noise the first night or so, but usually after that (provided the rain lasts more than one day, and it's not unusual that it does) a clear but short episode will air.
Here is an example. Warning for potentially NSFW images.
How does the TV World tie into this?
The TV World is referred to in a number of ways by the NPCs who know about it. There's really no Official Name for it dubbed by those who know. Names your character may hear it being referred to are "that other world", "the world inside the TV", "the other side", and of course "the TV world".
As you might have guessed, the world inside the TV that you see through these Midnight Channel episodes is in fact a place your character can go once they have a Persona. They are able to go into any television by placing parts of their body inside. As you may assume, any character who learns about this ability by accident may have a bit of fun when they find out...
Characters who have the ability to go through TVs and try to do so while the Midnight Channel is on or shortly after it ends may find themselves sucked inside. This is important for those wishing to app in a character who has their Persona upon arrival, but since the character has their Persona, they should be okay within the TV World once inside, right? ... Right?
At least for a little while, yes, right. But once the rain in the real world stops and it starts to get foggy, watch out! Because the fog in the TV side will lift, and then Shadows will attack.
For characters who do not possess a Persona, they need someone who does to get inside. Whether they're pushed, shoved, gently guided, or end up falling into one, the television screen will bring them through. That is how those without a Persona are able to get inside, whether it was their idea to go or not.
So how does this game handle language?
Everyone will be brought into Inaba with a full innate understanding of Japanese. This is the language the characters are speaking in the game. Those who speak other known languages (English, French, Chinese, etc) will be able to speak/write in their native language with some effort. Speech quirks (Hetalia's China saying "aru," for example) may be used at the players discretion; the same goes for the Japanese honorific system.
What sort of communicator do characters get in this game?
THEY DON'T. There is no all encompassing network or magical communicators characters get upon arrival. The internet does exist and your character can access it through computers/laptops/cell phones, etc. They can also access computers, laptops, cell phones, etc. due to the setting being modern-day Japan. Please keep in mind characters get none of these belongings upon entry (unless they brought said possessions with them upon arrival) and will have to get a job to earn up the money for any of these.
A high majority of interaction between characters will be in person in this game. The main community will be available for action posts as well as any your character may want to make with their phones/laptops/etc. As a reminder, the logs community is for detailed introspection and description - something that does not necessarily reflect the manner in which the characters are interacting. What it comes down to ultimately is a matter of preference of what format players would like to play out certain scenes in, which could depend upon subject matter. While a simple afternoon at the Junes food court could be deemed more appropriate for action spam, a heavy fight with a Shadow in the TV World may be more appropriate in the logs community. Please keep this in mind when deciding which community to post to.
How does this game handle non-human characters? (Is this a game that humanizes characters?)
Yes and no, good friend! Non-human characters will arrive in Inaba in a human form. A disguise, so to speak, that does not necessarily reflect their true nature (but could if the individual playing the character so desired). The details of each character’s individual human form we are leaving up to the player, but please keep in mind this completely humanizes their appearance. Things such as cat ears, tails, horns, pointy ears, nonhuman skin color, etc. will all change so that the visitor looks and seems human. This may be the cause of some body dysphoria for some, especially those used to a form dramatically different.
The exception to this is robots. Robots will be altered to human-like robot forms (for examples of this, see Aigis’s and Metis’s character designs). They will still be robotic and inorganic, but they will have distinct personalities, motivations, thoughts, etc. and therefore also the capability to produce a Shadow and/or Persona. Depending upon the appearance of this humanoid robot, they may find it in their best interest to fit in with humans and attend high school or acquire a job along with the rest of those silly humans.
When in the TV World, however, the original form of the characters will be revealed. This means skin shall be gray and horns will be up, robots will be transformed back into their original forms (Wheatley will be a little ball again, GLaDOS a giant eye thingy), even the dead will show their previously repaired damage. (For more information, please scroll down to the question regarding characters who have died in their canon.)
You mention Metis... Does that mean the Answer is considered part of this world's canon?
No, actually, the Answer is going to remain untouched in an alternate universe that is not this one. That means players are free to come up with their own alternate paths for their P3 characters to have taken after the end of the Journey.
The same with Persona 3 Portable. The characters introduced through P3P are still appable, but with no canon development due to being in Minato's world and not Minako's.
What about my character’s abilities?
Any supernatural or superhuman abilities will be completely nullified. However, there is also a possibility your character can and will get a Persona to make up for that.
Then, what’s a Persona?
A Persona is the manifestation of your character’s inner self. They are born from Shadows, creatures that are made manifest from the repressed thoughts of human beings (and other beings, any sentient lifeforms really).
Okay, what are Shadows?
Again, Shadows are creatures born from repressed human thought, emotion, desire, fear, etc. They are a part of the vast collective unconscious of humanity, and they do not exist in the real world. Your character can encounter Shadows in the TV World, and in fact, may even find their unique Shadow there within the fog if they stay long enough for it to gather focus and form. Due to the nature of the TV World, Shadows can sense when there are people within it.
If a person does not possess a Persona, Shadows for the most part leave them alone. The exception to this is when it gets foggy in the real world and the fog in the TV World lifts. In those moments, Shadows grow ravenous and will attack anything and everything, any people within the TV World at those times will likely be torn to pieces. If such a thing happens, their body will then be found hanging from a source of information to televisions in the real world (for example, Saki Konishi was found dead hanging from a telephone pole; Mayumi Yamano was found hanging from a TV antenna).
If a person does possess a Persona, then they have the ability to fight Shadows. The high majority of Shadows fought will be shadows, or mindless lesser creatures who populate the TV World and are born of human thoughts, but nothing concentrated enough to be considered Shadows. Essentially, you fight shadows to grind and level up to fight the boss-like Shadow(s).
More on individual Shadows: these are Shadows manifested straight from an individual being, therefore they are more dangerous than normal mindless shadows. These are born from the hearts of individuals, and thus, will know everything about the individual’s heart, even that which the individual would like to keep hidden from themselves. Things that an individual denies themselves a Shadow will say out loud. Passing thoughts and judgements an individual doesn’t want to deal with a Shadow will force them to face. These Shadows are extremely dangerous due to the fact they know exactly what buttons to press, and their intention is to get their originator to say those magic words (“You’re not me!”) to grant them enough power to manifest a form of their own. It's important to note that Shadows are the main focus of each person's Midnight Channel episode, and it is those Shadows that put the "program" on.
Here is an example: Part 1 in which a little light is shed upon how the TV World works and a Shadow is aggravated, Part 2 in which a Shadow is defeated and accepted. In the second video, 5:26 is where the scene ends.
Please be aware most children do not manifest a Shadow even if they're in the TV World for an extended period of time. Nanako, our resident child NPC, does not have one and most likely won't until she's years older.
Can I have my character go through that? Do I have to have them face their Shadow? What if they wouldn’t accept their Shadow even with encouragement? Do I have to play a Persona-less character?
You may choose whether to have it so your character will have their Persona upon arrival, or if they face their Shadow in the TV World to get it.
If you choose to let your character have their Persona upon arrival, they are able to enter the TV World as soon as they arrive as well. This means they will not face their Shadow in order to get their Persona. This option is ideal for those who want their characters to have a Persona, but would not plausibly accept their Shadow. It is also ideal for those who don’t want to have to wait until they get their turn for a Shadow plot. It is also a way for children to get their Personae, since they most often are unable to manifest a Shadow.
If you choose to face their Shadow in the TV World, there are no guarantees when this will happen, or even that it will happen. The pros to this option are if you do this, you will be able to set up an entire rescue plot surrounding your character’s inner issues and play out your Shadow and/or dungeon designs in game plot time.
To cover all our bases, there is also the choice your character will not get their Persona upon arrival and won’t face their Shadow. Basically this is the choice to say you just want to play your character without having to worry about the whole TV World side of the game. If you choose this option, you are exempt from filling out the SHADOW and PERSONA sections of the application, but may still do so if you wish. Should you change your mind at a later date, please fill out those sections and speak directly with a mod, and we'll work with you accordingly!
Please choose wisely!
Why is Yosuke's Persona in the video Jiraiya and in Caligo it's Susano-O?
Throughout the course of the game, Yosuke's Persona evolves from Jiraiya to Susano-O through the strength of his Social Link with the protagonist (Souji). This is an aspect of the game we're going to allow over, as well. Through the power of your character's Social Links, their Persona will have the opportunity to evolve. This process will largely be up to the player, and the evolved Persona will be too. Please be sure to contact a mod to discuss Persona evolutions!
The application says a Persona should be based on mythology. Can I use fictional mythology unique to my character's canon as a basis?
Yes, you can! In fact, it's encouraged. A Persona reflects a person's inner self, and thus mythology native to the character's original world is the most ideal fit. That unique mythology is what affected the world the character grew up in, and thus, if the figure fits the character, would be the best choice.
What’s up with the Major Arcana?
Every person represents an aspect of the Arcana Deck. From the Fool to Death (to the World, to Aeon), each person is a representation of one of these attributes. This is an important aspect of the game to keep track of, since your character's Social Links (character relations) with certain people will raise your character's abilities, depending upon a number of things.
Please keep in mind, Wild Cards are very special and they are the ones who need to pay attention to Social Links the most. Igor and the helper of the player's choosing will explain why when they have their turn in the Velvet Room.
The Arcana are directly tied into the dealings of the Velvet Room, and even though a high majority of the characters won't be able to take part in what the Velvet Room offers, it is still an important part of the game.
Here is a link to the post on the Major Arcana for more information.
What’s a Wild Card?
A Wild Card is a rare occurrence among the world of Persona. Souji is one, and so is Minato/Minako. Essentially the protagonists of the games are Wild Cards. That does not mean your character needs to be a protagonist to be a Wild Card, and it does not mean your protagonist character will automatically get to be a Wild Card.
Wild Cards are special, and will always start out with a Persona of the Fool Arcana. They have the ability to wield many Persona instead of just one. The Fool Arcana represents potential, an openness to experience. The Wild Card begins with the Fool because it is the Arcana of beginnings and the beginning of the deck (note that Fools aren't necessarily Wild Cards and people with just one Fool Persona are different from Wild Cards). The Wild Card itself is an open book, it is like the number zero. An empty space, a reflector of the world. Ultimately, they are open enough that a Wild Card is able to wield an unlimited number of Personae.
The Velvet Room?
The Velvet Room is detailed on the Velvet Room page. Yes, it has its own page.
How does time work in this game?
Two OOC days = One IC day. One day will be 7 AM to 7 PM game time, and then the following day will be 7 PM to 7 AM the next morning. It will ICly begin on April 11, 2012.
What happens to dropped characters?
There are multiple things that can happen to dropped characters. Panfandom characters can wind up dead after a particularly nasty confrontation with their Shadow. They may die through other, more typical means or they may simply disappear into the fog. NPCs are different and will be picked up by a mod in the downtime between apps.
Does this game allow previous CR?
No, it does not.
Is there a character limit?
Yes! It's currently at four overall. The NPC limit is one per player. NPCs count towards the overall character limit as well.
Can I app a character who’s dead in their canon?
Yes! Except for a certain pair of silent protagonists, all dead characters are permitted in the game! However, they will not be brought back to life. Instead, they will be animating their own corpses. What this means for your character depends on how they died, but basically it means they won’t be able to eat, sleep, feel pain, or excrete. They will quite literally be corpses being controlled by the spirit of the deceased. Decay won’t be much of an issue at first if they make sure to move around enough so that maggots, etc. won’t start infesting their bodies. The longer they’re in Inaba and the longer they’re in this state, however, the more susceptible they’ll be to muscle atrophy and thus limb loss. The effects of staying long-term in the small town full of fog is free to be explored!
A note on healing: while corpses can no longer heal themselves naturally, any healing they undergo must be from healing skills while in the television, otherwise they have to deal with awkward stitching that never heals/bandaids/etc. On the flip side of this, it also means their bodies can take more damage and will still be controllable even if they’re in pieces. That is to say, if a character’s arm gets lobbed off for whatever reason, the character can still move that arm at will. This is true of all parts of the body that are able to move normally.
For those whose bodies have been mutilated horribly, they will show up in Inaba as though a fresh, fully formed and whole corpse. This is not permanent! As soon as the character enters the TV World through whatever means, they will automatically revert to their mutilated state. A state they can still control, but is more difficult to do so. Hopefully they have a healer friend with them! And if not, hopefully someone finds them soon, or else soon a dungeon will start forming... And then...
So what happened to everyone in P4? Are they appable? / What about everyone in P3? They’re in the same world, right? Are they appable?
Please visit the NPC PAGE for more details!
What about OCs/Fandom OCs?
Original Characters are indeed welcome here! Fandom OCs will be judged on a case-by-case basis, as well. Please think hard and be smart about Fandom OC decisions. Also note very minor characters from fandoms (think Matt of Death Note) will fall under the Fandom OC category. We generally classify this as needing 50% or more headcanon to viably complete your application. If you're unsure of where your character would fall, feel free to ask us!
To apply for an Original Character or Fandom OC, please click HERE.
What about Persona 4 OCs?
For all intents and purposes, we'll be following the Fandom OC guidelines. Please note that they are also going to be judged somewhat harsh, given their relation to the overarching plot of the game. When applying a P4 fandom OC, please keep the setting in mind, because that’s what we’ll compare your original character to the most. If you want to app Funky Student, please keep in mind he’s an Inaba resident and how that’s shaped and built his character. (Also, we would love you forever.)
AUs?
AUs are not being accepted at this time. Canon AUs such as Cloud from Final Fantasy and Cloud from Kingdom Hearts are also not allowed. Dave Strider (alpha) and Davesprite are not allowed in the game at the same time, neither will be Bro Strider and D??? Strider. Keep an eye out for future updates, however!
How does this game handle Canon Updates?
The character will have a dream and their memories will be implanted through it. A character who goes through a canon update will meet a mysterious figure, not even a silhouette and attempt to fight it to no avail. Sometime during the fight the figure with use Bewildering Fog and eventually the character will pass out within the dream. It is that moment when the memories are available to the character, and it is that moment when they wake up exactly where they went to sleep the previous night. Please keep in mind the dream itself is a vague and foggy recollection they'll likely forget, but the memories of what they went through in canon will remain sharp and clear as if they'd just experienced it yesterday.
If you want your character to go through this, just contact either Aly or Daemyn! The mods. That means one of us who are writing these up.
What about if I want to apply someone from Persona 1 or Persona 2?
They will be welcome in the game! However, despite the official timing having all four games happening in the same world, in Caligo we've changed it up a bit. Persona 3 and Persona 4 happen in the same world (the world of Caligo) whereas Persona 1 and Persona 2 happen in a parallel but separate universe and that is where they are pulled from to be brought to Inaba through the fog. This is to prevent Persona 1 and Persona 2 characters from meeting their older selves if they happen to visit their home towns, which do exist in the world of Caligo but will be lacking in distinct elements that make those places the character's homes.
As for skills! Here is a quick and easy reference list:
What happens to Panfandom dropped characters? Since they supposedly die, what does that mean for anyone apping a character who was dropped?
Character do not necessarily have to die when a character is dropped - they may simply disappear into the fog after a streak of rainy days with absolutely no trace.
For those who do die, it's similar. It'll be presumed they entered the other world, leaving them to face the aggravated shadows once the fog lifts on the side. Their bodies will appear; however before they can be fully examined they will disappear. Should someone app the character once again, they will be brought into Inaba via train, as if none of that ever happened...
It's just another one of the multidimensional mysteries lying at the center of all of this, and characters are free to freak out and speculate as to how it's even possible.
If we design our own Persona, do we need to set up a skill set? What about leveling up and such?
We're not excessively particular about skill sets, as they will grow and change during the course of the game. If you plan on designing a skill set, it can have any set of abilities you feel is appropriate for your characters (be it an elemental skill, buff/de-buff, physical, as well as passive skills). They can hold a maximum of 8 skills, so how you utilize them is up to you!
The only real limitation comes with the strength of the skills; Using Susano-O as an example, a few of it's Persona 4 skills are as follows:
At a starter level, his skill set would be more like this (essentially Jiraiya at its earlier levels):
For all intents and purposes, this operates the same as a normal party member's Persona: Two/Three innate skills, with the rest being learned as they gain experience and strength in battle.
You're free to decide, within reason, when your character's Persona would be able to further its skills and gain the stronger hitting attacks. All we ask for is a basic list of skills (including which ones are innate for them) for us to get an idea of what you envision for them. We want everyone to have the freedom to customize things as they see best fit for their characters, after all, and we won't be terribly strict beyond what's been outlined here. If there's anything strange or out of place, we'd definitely be sure to help you make adjustments. You're more than welcome to contact either of us personally at any time if you want help building specific skill sets as well!
What about other SMT skills?
They are allowed for you to use creating a Persona! In fact, we would encourage them as to keep the range of abilities wide so we don't get too many characters with the same sort of skillsets.
What if my character would fit more of a support role, like Rise or Fuuka from P3?
You are free to design your character to be as such! In fact, these sorts of characters are very vital to the playing experience. Every team that braves the TV World should have one if they want better chances at surviving. Also, please keep in mind if you want your character to be support, they don't just have to be that! You can add in a couple other moves in there too to individualize the skillset. Don't forget to check out other SMT games' skillsets for support types as well!
What if I want to use a canon-specific mythology to base my character's Persona on?
This is great! This is indeed very good. We would love to see this! It adds an element of uniqueness to the individual character's Persona as well as keeps them tied to their roots. Now, just because your character's world has specific mythology does not mean you need to make your character's Persona based off of a figure in it. Ultimately, we would like to see Personae that fit characters' individual personalities and situations they find themselves in.
Along the same vein, Judeo-Christain figures are allowed as well. Please keep in mind that Lucifer is already designed as a Persona 4 persona.
Among my character's possessions is a cellphone/laptop/something along those lines. Can my character use it upon arrival? What happens if they try to call their friends/email their parents/etc?
Cellphones and laptops will work upon a character's arrival in Inaba as if they were in their world, save for one thing. If a character tries to call their friend or email their parents, they will not be able to connect with them. At best they will get a The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected... and at worst a stranger will pick up on the other end and tell them they've got the wrong number. As for emails, the same thing! There's a higher possibility of the email not going through than the call, but on the rare occasion that their email would go through, it would go through to whoever owns that email address in the world of Caligo. That means shenanigans ahoy!
My character brought money with them, as in yen/dollars/euros, can they use it in Inaba?
Anyone who brought yen can use it just fine in Inaba. If your character brought dollars or euros or any other sort of Earth currently that's not Japanese, they will need to exchange it in order to obtain yen, and once that happens, they'll be able to use that exchanged yen to their discretion.
The world my character is from is the "real world" but the physics of it pushes a bit beyond what's possible in real life. Would these physics get altered upon entering Inaba?
Yes! Keep everything in Inaba as it would be in real life, minus the TV World excursions.
For Persona, am I allowed to take a demon/Persona in a previous game and redesign them?
Yes, you are! Just as long as they don't have Persona 4 counterparts.
Don't you have to pay for school in Japan? What are the newbies going to do?
Don't worry, school-age newbie to Inaba. The housewives and grumpy old men around the town loathe any whippersnappers who think it's great fun to go about the town on their quiet days, so a donation fund will be started in no time to get your kids going to school.
What are the AC requirements? Do NPCs have different requirements?
This handy little table will answer all your questions:
FANDOM CHARACTERS / ORIGINAL CHARACTERS / FANDOM OCs / MINOR NPCS / ADACHI*: Two activity proofs + Monthly game-wide HMD link.
MAJOR NPCS (Including Investigation Team, SEES, DOJIMA, NANAKO): Three activity proofs + Monthly game-wide HMD link.
Activity proofs include:
If you are on hiatus, activity requirements are as follows:
FANDOM CHARACTERS / ORIGINAL CHARACTERS / FANDOM OCs / MINOR NPCS / ADACHI*:
• Two weeks or more: Exempt
• One week: One proof + HMD
MAJOR NPCS (Including Investigation Team, SEES, DOJIMA, NANAKO): Three activity proofs + Monthly game-wide HMD link.
• Three weeks: Exempt
• Two weeks: One proof + HMD
• One week: Two proofs + HMD
Using hiatus to pass activity check can only be done for two consecutive months. Trying to do so without speaking to a mod will lead to being dropped from the game following AC-period.
* Re: Adachi's activity requirements, since he is currently holed up in prison and barred from most interactions with other characters, we have altered the rules somewhat and require only 2 proofs (instead of three) for this character. (new rule as of 2/23/12)
If you have any more questions, feel free to use this post to ask them! Or get in touch with one of the mods via one of the means detailed on the Mod Contact post. For any questions you may have we will be happy to answer!
YES. If you want to avoid Persona 4 spoilers, this game is not for you. The games occurs just after the Good Ending, and will be leaning towards uncovering the truth that would have led to the True Ending. There will be spoilers around every corner! Literally everywhere you turn. We're putting this at the top of the FAQ so anyone who would rather avoid spoilers may turn their back now. Keep in mind that there will also be spoilers for Persona 3, as they not only share a universe, but will have an overarching plot in Caligo!
Speaking of spoilers, is it possible to join this game without knowing Persona 4 canon?
If you don’t know the canon and don’t care about spoilers (or have already been spoiled) you are welcome here! And no, you don’t need to know Persona 4 canon to join this game. All the information you need will be covered in the premise, rules, setting, and this post. If you are interested in playing an NPC (a character from P4 canon) then yes, you need to, but that’s a given.
Okay, what's Persona 4?
"In the rural town of Inaba, mysterious murders have been taking place whenever there was fog after heavy rain. There were also rumors about a channel on television airing only at midnight called the Midnight Channel, during which it is said that you can see your soulmate when staring at a turned off TV screen at midnight when it rains. After hearing about a recent unsolved murder which occurred during the fog, the protagonist, Yosuke Hanamura, and Chie Satonaka discuss how each of them had attempted to watch the Midnight Channel and witnessed the murder victim. They later realize that their bodies can phase into the television set as a gateway to enter another world infested with Shadows. Thus begins an adventure to discover the connection between the Midnight Channel and the murders and kidnappings around town."
- Shin Megami Tensei Wiki
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 is a JRPG for the Playstation 2. A quick Google will bring you to the Wikipedia page on it, the Shin Megami Tensei Wiki page on it and the official website for the game. We're going to throw in a special favorite of the mods' as well: GiantBomb's Persona 4 Endurance Run. GB's ER is the most famous LP (or let's play) of the game to date, and is a shining beacon of quality in the Persona 4 fandom. These are all good sources if you want to learn more about the game and go the extra mile.
How did my character get here? Where is "here"?
Simply put: by train, similar to how the normal visitors get to the small town of Inaba, Japan. However, your character won't remember boarding, and will simply awaken already boarded, staring into the back of the seat in front of them or out the windows into thick fog. No one will have an answer to where your character came from, but everyone in town will be aware that the train brings weirdos into town whenever it gets foggy. And yes, it's very likely they'll look over to the person sitting next to them on the train and find them asleep or recently awakened and in just as confused state as they are.
Inaba is a fictional rural town in Japan near Okina City, a similarly fictional urban city, and when a character gets off the train they found themselves on, it's not out of the question for them to consider what exactly is out there... It looks like there's nothing... Or something along those lines.
Will there be anything to do in Inaba? It's a supposed to be a small town, isn't it?
Yes, Inaba is small town Japan. However, there's plenty for your character to do, including going to school (if they're the right age), getting a job, engage NPCs and townsfolk as to why this fog is so weird and why your character being there is part of the weirdness... There are both a school bulletin board and a town one. If your character has enough money, they will be able to hire another player character or an NPC if they so desire.
A shrine will also available to take in requests, and other characters can take those requests and fill them (through interacting with a certain fox). You can interact with all sorts of people and forge bonds! The bonds of people are the truest strength, after all. There's plenty to do around town and out of it, even without engaging in the more supernatural side of the game.
Speaking of supernatural, there is also a TV World. These settings will be detailed more extensively on the Settings Page.
Where will my character be staying?
Your character will be taken in by Inaba's own Amagi Inn. Yukiko Amagi will be happy to help your character to their rooms and serve them as any other guest. Well, in theory. In actuality, the Inn's employees may be a little colder to the weirder guests, a little more impatient with the travelers from nowhere who may have to end up working at the Inn itself to pay for their rooms.
That arrangement won't work forever, on top of that, and the longer a character stays at the Inn the more the workers and manager (Yukiko's mother) will pressure them to get their own place in Inaba and another job, one that might welcome newer prospective employees a little more than the Inn might, flooded as they will be with new comers who don't have anything to pay with.
Where can my character work?
Anywhere there is to! The Inn may be your character's first and only option, but sooner or later your character will overstay their welcome. For their best bets, there is a bulletin board on the North Side of the Shopping District that job openings are posted on regularly. If your character needs a new job, that is where they should look!
If your character ends up in a place where they can afford the bus and/or train fare (or, somehow, miraculously end up having a license and buying a car), there are plenty more jobs available in Okina City up for grabs as well.
Also it may be good to keep in mind the mods don't need to keep track of what character does what job, so players may feel free to assign their character one if they so desire without needing to check in with the mods.
Why is my character here?
Your character has been pulled into the rural town of Inaba, Japan by a powerful and mysterious force. No one your character could talk to will give them a helpful answer. Sure, there could be rumors flying around the town why such strange people are all being brought in by the train in the strange fog, but how much of it is the truth? How will they discern the old wives' theories to the true reason behind their appearance?
This mysterious force has the power to shift through universes, to control the fabric of reality and weave the threads of fate to suit its own purposes. Your character's very presence attests to that, and will rekindle a new interest in a mystery first introduced the previous year. A mystery that, if gone unsolved, could have dire consequences.
Since the Inn doesn't want my character to stay for an extended period of time, where can they move to long-term?
There are small apartment complexes within Inaba, as well as local residents putting up rooms for rent. If you want to go ahead and make friends with a few other guests, maybe you could even pool together for a house!
Why should my character care?
I did mention dire consequences. If the mystery is left unsolved, the consequences of thus have already been told to the Investigation Team the previous year. Ultimately, if the unnatural fog is allowed to continue to persist, and the reason behind it is yet again allowed to slip through the cracks, the world shall be reborn, and consequentially, so shall the people within it.
Yes, this game has a natural end it will, eventually, come to. What that end is, however, is left up to the characters within it. Choose wisely...
What's the Midnight Channel?
The Midnight Channel is a special "program" that airs at midnight on rainy days. The catch? It only does so on TVs that are turned off. The rumor goes something along the lines of "You stare into a turned off TV at midnight, and then you'll see your soulmate!" Of course, the soulmate part's most likely a wad of hooey, but a TV channel that turns on only when it rains at midnight?
Sounds legit.
The program itself appears to be low budget, maybe even self-produced. There are only glimpses of a figure through the TV noise the first night or so, but usually after that (provided the rain lasts more than one day, and it's not unusual that it does) a clear but short episode will air.
Here is an example. Warning for potentially NSFW images.
How does the TV World tie into this?
The TV World is referred to in a number of ways by the NPCs who know about it. There's really no Official Name for it dubbed by those who know. Names your character may hear it being referred to are "that other world", "the world inside the TV", "the other side", and of course "the TV world".
As you might have guessed, the world inside the TV that you see through these Midnight Channel episodes is in fact a place your character can go once they have a Persona. They are able to go into any television by placing parts of their body inside. As you may assume, any character who learns about this ability by accident may have a bit of fun when they find out...
Characters who have the ability to go through TVs and try to do so while the Midnight Channel is on or shortly after it ends may find themselves sucked inside. This is important for those wishing to app in a character who has their Persona upon arrival, but since the character has their Persona, they should be okay within the TV World once inside, right? ... Right?
At least for a little while, yes, right. But once the rain in the real world stops and it starts to get foggy, watch out! Because the fog in the TV side will lift, and then Shadows will attack.
For characters who do not possess a Persona, they need someone who does to get inside. Whether they're pushed, shoved, gently guided, or end up falling into one, the television screen will bring them through. That is how those without a Persona are able to get inside, whether it was their idea to go or not.
So how does this game handle language?
Everyone will be brought into Inaba with a full innate understanding of Japanese. This is the language the characters are speaking in the game. Those who speak other known languages (English, French, Chinese, etc) will be able to speak/write in their native language with some effort. Speech quirks (Hetalia's China saying "aru," for example) may be used at the players discretion; the same goes for the Japanese honorific system.
What sort of communicator do characters get in this game?
THEY DON'T. There is no all encompassing network or magical communicators characters get upon arrival. The internet does exist and your character can access it through computers/laptops/cell phones, etc. They can also access computers, laptops, cell phones, etc. due to the setting being modern-day Japan. Please keep in mind characters get none of these belongings upon entry (unless they brought said possessions with them upon arrival) and will have to get a job to earn up the money for any of these.
A high majority of interaction between characters will be in person in this game. The main community will be available for action posts as well as any your character may want to make with their phones/laptops/etc. As a reminder, the logs community is for detailed introspection and description - something that does not necessarily reflect the manner in which the characters are interacting. What it comes down to ultimately is a matter of preference of what format players would like to play out certain scenes in, which could depend upon subject matter. While a simple afternoon at the Junes food court could be deemed more appropriate for action spam, a heavy fight with a Shadow in the TV World may be more appropriate in the logs community. Please keep this in mind when deciding which community to post to.
How does this game handle non-human characters? (Is this a game that humanizes characters?)
Yes and no, good friend! Non-human characters will arrive in Inaba in a human form. A disguise, so to speak, that does not necessarily reflect their true nature (but could if the individual playing the character so desired). The details of each character’s individual human form we are leaving up to the player, but please keep in mind this completely humanizes their appearance. Things such as cat ears, tails, horns, pointy ears, nonhuman skin color, etc. will all change so that the visitor looks and seems human. This may be the cause of some body dysphoria for some, especially those used to a form dramatically different.
The exception to this is robots. Robots will be altered to human-like robot forms (for examples of this, see Aigis’s and Metis’s character designs). They will still be robotic and inorganic, but they will have distinct personalities, motivations, thoughts, etc. and therefore also the capability to produce a Shadow and/or Persona. Depending upon the appearance of this humanoid robot, they may find it in their best interest to fit in with humans and attend high school or acquire a job along with the rest of those silly humans.
When in the TV World, however, the original form of the characters will be revealed. This means skin shall be gray and horns will be up, robots will be transformed back into their original forms (Wheatley will be a little ball again, GLaDOS a giant eye thingy), even the dead will show their previously repaired damage. (For more information, please scroll down to the question regarding characters who have died in their canon.)
You mention Metis... Does that mean the Answer is considered part of this world's canon?
No, actually, the Answer is going to remain untouched in an alternate universe that is not this one. That means players are free to come up with their own alternate paths for their P3 characters to have taken after the end of the Journey.
The same with Persona 3 Portable. The characters introduced through P3P are still appable, but with no canon development due to being in Minato's world and not Minako's.
What about my character’s abilities?
Any supernatural or superhuman abilities will be completely nullified. However, there is also a possibility your character can and will get a Persona to make up for that.
Then, what’s a Persona?
A Persona is the manifestation of your character’s inner self. They are born from Shadows, creatures that are made manifest from the repressed thoughts of human beings (and other beings, any sentient lifeforms really).
Okay, what are Shadows?
Again, Shadows are creatures born from repressed human thought, emotion, desire, fear, etc. They are a part of the vast collective unconscious of humanity, and they do not exist in the real world. Your character can encounter Shadows in the TV World, and in fact, may even find their unique Shadow there within the fog if they stay long enough for it to gather focus and form. Due to the nature of the TV World, Shadows can sense when there are people within it.
If a person does not possess a Persona, Shadows for the most part leave them alone. The exception to this is when it gets foggy in the real world and the fog in the TV World lifts. In those moments, Shadows grow ravenous and will attack anything and everything, any people within the TV World at those times will likely be torn to pieces. If such a thing happens, their body will then be found hanging from a source of information to televisions in the real world (for example, Saki Konishi was found dead hanging from a telephone pole; Mayumi Yamano was found hanging from a TV antenna).
If a person does possess a Persona, then they have the ability to fight Shadows. The high majority of Shadows fought will be shadows, or mindless lesser creatures who populate the TV World and are born of human thoughts, but nothing concentrated enough to be considered Shadows. Essentially, you fight shadows to grind and level up to fight the boss-like Shadow(s).
More on individual Shadows: these are Shadows manifested straight from an individual being, therefore they are more dangerous than normal mindless shadows. These are born from the hearts of individuals, and thus, will know everything about the individual’s heart, even that which the individual would like to keep hidden from themselves. Things that an individual denies themselves a Shadow will say out loud. Passing thoughts and judgements an individual doesn’t want to deal with a Shadow will force them to face. These Shadows are extremely dangerous due to the fact they know exactly what buttons to press, and their intention is to get their originator to say those magic words (“You’re not me!”) to grant them enough power to manifest a form of their own. It's important to note that Shadows are the main focus of each person's Midnight Channel episode, and it is those Shadows that put the "program" on.
Here is an example: Part 1 in which a little light is shed upon how the TV World works and a Shadow is aggravated, Part 2 in which a Shadow is defeated and accepted. In the second video, 5:26 is where the scene ends.
Please be aware most children do not manifest a Shadow even if they're in the TV World for an extended period of time. Nanako, our resident child NPC, does not have one and most likely won't until she's years older.
Can I have my character go through that? Do I have to have them face their Shadow? What if they wouldn’t accept their Shadow even with encouragement? Do I have to play a Persona-less character?
You may choose whether to have it so your character will have their Persona upon arrival, or if they face their Shadow in the TV World to get it.
If you choose to let your character have their Persona upon arrival, they are able to enter the TV World as soon as they arrive as well. This means they will not face their Shadow in order to get their Persona. This option is ideal for those who want their characters to have a Persona, but would not plausibly accept their Shadow. It is also ideal for those who don’t want to have to wait until they get their turn for a Shadow plot. It is also a way for children to get their Personae, since they most often are unable to manifest a Shadow.
If you choose to face their Shadow in the TV World, there are no guarantees when this will happen, or even that it will happen. The pros to this option are if you do this, you will be able to set up an entire rescue plot surrounding your character’s inner issues and play out your Shadow and/or dungeon designs in game plot time.
To cover all our bases, there is also the choice your character will not get their Persona upon arrival and won’t face their Shadow. Basically this is the choice to say you just want to play your character without having to worry about the whole TV World side of the game. If you choose this option, you are exempt from filling out the SHADOW and PERSONA sections of the application, but may still do so if you wish. Should you change your mind at a later date, please fill out those sections and speak directly with a mod, and we'll work with you accordingly!
Please choose wisely!
Why is Yosuke's Persona in the video Jiraiya and in Caligo it's Susano-O?
Throughout the course of the game, Yosuke's Persona evolves from Jiraiya to Susano-O through the strength of his Social Link with the protagonist (Souji). This is an aspect of the game we're going to allow over, as well. Through the power of your character's Social Links, their Persona will have the opportunity to evolve. This process will largely be up to the player, and the evolved Persona will be too. Please be sure to contact a mod to discuss Persona evolutions!
The application says a Persona should be based on mythology. Can I use fictional mythology unique to my character's canon as a basis?
Yes, you can! In fact, it's encouraged. A Persona reflects a person's inner self, and thus mythology native to the character's original world is the most ideal fit. That unique mythology is what affected the world the character grew up in, and thus, if the figure fits the character, would be the best choice.
What’s up with the Major Arcana?
Every person represents an aspect of the Arcana Deck. From the Fool to Death (to the World, to Aeon), each person is a representation of one of these attributes. This is an important aspect of the game to keep track of, since your character's Social Links (character relations) with certain people will raise your character's abilities, depending upon a number of things.
Please keep in mind, Wild Cards are very special and they are the ones who need to pay attention to Social Links the most. Igor and the helper of the player's choosing will explain why when they have their turn in the Velvet Room.
The Arcana are directly tied into the dealings of the Velvet Room, and even though a high majority of the characters won't be able to take part in what the Velvet Room offers, it is still an important part of the game.
Here is a link to the post on the Major Arcana for more information.
What’s a Wild Card?
A Wild Card is a rare occurrence among the world of Persona. Souji is one, and so is Minato/Minako. Essentially the protagonists of the games are Wild Cards. That does not mean your character needs to be a protagonist to be a Wild Card, and it does not mean your protagonist character will automatically get to be a Wild Card.
Wild Cards are special, and will always start out with a Persona of the Fool Arcana. They have the ability to wield many Persona instead of just one. The Fool Arcana represents potential, an openness to experience. The Wild Card begins with the Fool because it is the Arcana of beginnings and the beginning of the deck (note that Fools aren't necessarily Wild Cards and people with just one Fool Persona are different from Wild Cards). The Wild Card itself is an open book, it is like the number zero. An empty space, a reflector of the world. Ultimately, they are open enough that a Wild Card is able to wield an unlimited number of Personae.
The Velvet Room?
The Velvet Room is detailed on the Velvet Room page. Yes, it has its own page.
How does time work in this game?
Two OOC days = One IC day. One day will be 7 AM to 7 PM game time, and then the following day will be 7 PM to 7 AM the next morning. It will ICly begin on April 11, 2012.
What happens to dropped characters?
There are multiple things that can happen to dropped characters. Panfandom characters can wind up dead after a particularly nasty confrontation with their Shadow. They may die through other, more typical means or they may simply disappear into the fog. NPCs are different and will be picked up by a mod in the downtime between apps.
Does this game allow previous CR?
No, it does not.
Is there a character limit?
Yes! It's currently at four overall. The NPC limit is one per player. NPCs count towards the overall character limit as well.
Can I app a character who’s dead in their canon?
Yes! Except for a certain pair of silent protagonists, all dead characters are permitted in the game! However, they will not be brought back to life. Instead, they will be animating their own corpses. What this means for your character depends on how they died, but basically it means they won’t be able to eat, sleep, feel pain, or excrete. They will quite literally be corpses being controlled by the spirit of the deceased. Decay won’t be much of an issue at first if they make sure to move around enough so that maggots, etc. won’t start infesting their bodies. The longer they’re in Inaba and the longer they’re in this state, however, the more susceptible they’ll be to muscle atrophy and thus limb loss. The effects of staying long-term in the small town full of fog is free to be explored!
A note on healing: while corpses can no longer heal themselves naturally, any healing they undergo must be from healing skills while in the television, otherwise they have to deal with awkward stitching that never heals/bandaids/etc. On the flip side of this, it also means their bodies can take more damage and will still be controllable even if they’re in pieces. That is to say, if a character’s arm gets lobbed off for whatever reason, the character can still move that arm at will. This is true of all parts of the body that are able to move normally.
For those whose bodies have been mutilated horribly, they will show up in Inaba as though a fresh, fully formed and whole corpse. This is not permanent! As soon as the character enters the TV World through whatever means, they will automatically revert to their mutilated state. A state they can still control, but is more difficult to do so. Hopefully they have a healer friend with them! And if not, hopefully someone finds them soon, or else soon a dungeon will start forming... And then...
So what happened to everyone in P4? Are they appable? / What about everyone in P3? They’re in the same world, right? Are they appable?
Please visit the NPC PAGE for more details!
What about OCs/Fandom OCs?
Original Characters are indeed welcome here! Fandom OCs will be judged on a case-by-case basis, as well. Please think hard and be smart about Fandom OC decisions. Also note very minor characters from fandoms (think Matt of Death Note) will fall under the Fandom OC category. We generally classify this as needing 50% or more headcanon to viably complete your application. If you're unsure of where your character would fall, feel free to ask us!
To apply for an Original Character or Fandom OC, please click HERE.
What about Persona 4 OCs?
For all intents and purposes, we'll be following the Fandom OC guidelines. Please note that they are also going to be judged somewhat harsh, given their relation to the overarching plot of the game. When applying a P4 fandom OC, please keep the setting in mind, because that’s what we’ll compare your original character to the most. If you want to app Funky Student, please keep in mind he’s an Inaba resident and how that’s shaped and built his character. (Also, we would love you forever.)
AUs?
AUs are not being accepted at this time. Canon AUs such as Cloud from Final Fantasy and Cloud from Kingdom Hearts are also not allowed. Dave Strider (alpha) and Davesprite are not allowed in the game at the same time, neither will be Bro Strider and D??? Strider. Keep an eye out for future updates, however!
How does this game handle Canon Updates?
The character will have a dream and their memories will be implanted through it. A character who goes through a canon update will meet a mysterious figure, not even a silhouette and attempt to fight it to no avail. Sometime during the fight the figure with use Bewildering Fog and eventually the character will pass out within the dream. It is that moment when the memories are available to the character, and it is that moment when they wake up exactly where they went to sleep the previous night. Please keep in mind the dream itself is a vague and foggy recollection they'll likely forget, but the memories of what they went through in canon will remain sharp and clear as if they'd just experienced it yesterday.
If you want your character to go through this, just contact either Aly or Daemyn! The mods. That means one of us who are writing these up.
What about if I want to apply someone from Persona 1 or Persona 2?
They will be welcome in the game! However, despite the official timing having all four games happening in the same world, in Caligo we've changed it up a bit. Persona 3 and Persona 4 happen in the same world (the world of Caligo) whereas Persona 1 and Persona 2 happen in a parallel but separate universe and that is where they are pulled from to be brought to Inaba through the fog. This is to prevent Persona 1 and Persona 2 characters from meeting their older selves if they happen to visit their home towns, which do exist in the world of Caligo but will be lacking in distinct elements that make those places the character's homes.
As for skills! Here is a quick and easy reference list:
• Persona levels would be kept in tact.
• Skill sets would remain in tact.
• "Wild Cards" would be able to switch between Personae, though there would be a maximum of 12, much like Souji/Minato/Minako.
• Characters who could previously enter the Velvet Room will be able to do just the same once the door becomes visible again to players (via an in-game event). The only difference is that since the game is an extension of Souji's journey, the room will appear as a limo, just as in Persona 4.
What happens to Panfandom dropped characters? Since they supposedly die, what does that mean for anyone apping a character who was dropped?
Character do not necessarily have to die when a character is dropped - they may simply disappear into the fog after a streak of rainy days with absolutely no trace.
For those who do die, it's similar. It'll be presumed they entered the other world, leaving them to face the aggravated shadows once the fog lifts on the side. Their bodies will appear; however before they can be fully examined they will disappear. Should someone app the character once again, they will be brought into Inaba via train, as if none of that ever happened...
It's just another one of the multidimensional mysteries lying at the center of all of this, and characters are free to freak out and speculate as to how it's even possible.
If we design our own Persona, do we need to set up a skill set? What about leveling up and such?
We're not excessively particular about skill sets, as they will grow and change during the course of the game. If you plan on designing a skill set, it can have any set of abilities you feel is appropriate for your characters (be it an elemental skill, buff/de-buff, physical, as well as passive skills). They can hold a maximum of 8 skills, so how you utilize them is up to you!
The only real limitation comes with the strength of the skills; Using Susano-O as an example, a few of it's Persona 4 skills are as follows:
• Garudyne
• Magarudyne
• Wind Amp
• Masukukaja
• Brave Blade
• Wind Break
• Diarama
• Dekaja
At a starter level, his skill set would be more like this (essentially Jiraiya at its earlier levels):
• Garu
• Magaru
• Sukukaja
• Dia
• Sonic Punch
For all intents and purposes, this operates the same as a normal party member's Persona: Two/Three innate skills, with the rest being learned as they gain experience and strength in battle.
You're free to decide, within reason, when your character's Persona would be able to further its skills and gain the stronger hitting attacks. All we ask for is a basic list of skills (including which ones are innate for them) for us to get an idea of what you envision for them. We want everyone to have the freedom to customize things as they see best fit for their characters, after all, and we won't be terribly strict beyond what's been outlined here. If there's anything strange or out of place, we'd definitely be sure to help you make adjustments. You're more than welcome to contact either of us personally at any time if you want help building specific skill sets as well!
What about other SMT skills?
They are allowed for you to use creating a Persona! In fact, we would encourage them as to keep the range of abilities wide so we don't get too many characters with the same sort of skillsets.
What if my character would fit more of a support role, like Rise or Fuuka from P3?
You are free to design your character to be as such! In fact, these sorts of characters are very vital to the playing experience. Every team that braves the TV World should have one if they want better chances at surviving. Also, please keep in mind if you want your character to be support, they don't just have to be that! You can add in a couple other moves in there too to individualize the skillset. Don't forget to check out other SMT games' skillsets for support types as well!
What if I want to use a canon-specific mythology to base my character's Persona on?
This is great! This is indeed very good. We would love to see this! It adds an element of uniqueness to the individual character's Persona as well as keeps them tied to their roots. Now, just because your character's world has specific mythology does not mean you need to make your character's Persona based off of a figure in it. Ultimately, we would like to see Personae that fit characters' individual personalities and situations they find themselves in.
Along the same vein, Judeo-Christain figures are allowed as well. Please keep in mind that Lucifer is already designed as a Persona 4 persona.
Among my character's possessions is a cellphone/laptop/something along those lines. Can my character use it upon arrival? What happens if they try to call their friends/email their parents/etc?
Cellphones and laptops will work upon a character's arrival in Inaba as if they were in their world, save for one thing. If a character tries to call their friend or email their parents, they will not be able to connect with them. At best they will get a The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected... and at worst a stranger will pick up on the other end and tell them they've got the wrong number. As for emails, the same thing! There's a higher possibility of the email not going through than the call, but on the rare occasion that their email would go through, it would go through to whoever owns that email address in the world of Caligo. That means shenanigans ahoy!
My character brought money with them, as in yen/dollars/euros, can they use it in Inaba?
Anyone who brought yen can use it just fine in Inaba. If your character brought dollars or euros or any other sort of Earth currently that's not Japanese, they will need to exchange it in order to obtain yen, and once that happens, they'll be able to use that exchanged yen to their discretion.
The world my character is from is the "real world" but the physics of it pushes a bit beyond what's possible in real life. Would these physics get altered upon entering Inaba?
Yes! Keep everything in Inaba as it would be in real life, minus the TV World excursions.
For Persona, am I allowed to take a demon/Persona in a previous game and redesign them?
Yes, you are! Just as long as they don't have Persona 4 counterparts.
Don't you have to pay for school in Japan? What are the newbies going to do?
Don't worry, school-age newbie to Inaba. The housewives and grumpy old men around the town loathe any whippersnappers who think it's great fun to go about the town on their quiet days, so a donation fund will be started in no time to get your kids going to school.
What are the AC requirements? Do NPCs have different requirements?
This handy little table will answer all your questions:
FANDOM CHARACTERS / ORIGINAL CHARACTERS / FANDOM OCs / MINOR NPCS / ADACHI*: Two activity proofs + Monthly game-wide HMD link.
MAJOR NPCS (Including Investigation Team, SEES, DOJIMA, NANAKO): Three activity proofs + Monthly game-wide HMD link.
• A post from your character in the main/logs community of at least 6 comments (3 from your character)
• Any thread of 10 comments (5 from your character, excluding iconspam/combos)
• A post or thread in the logs community of at least 5/6 comments (3 from your character)
If you are on hiatus, activity requirements are as follows:
FANDOM CHARACTERS / ORIGINAL CHARACTERS / FANDOM OCs / MINOR NPCS / ADACHI*:
• One week: One proof + HMD
MAJOR NPCS (Including Investigation Team, SEES, DOJIMA, NANAKO): Three activity proofs + Monthly game-wide HMD link.
• Two weeks: One proof + HMD
• One week: Two proofs + HMD
Using hiatus to pass activity check can only be done for two consecutive months. Trying to do so without speaking to a mod will lead to being dropped from the game following AC-period.
* Re: Adachi's activity requirements, since he is currently holed up in prison and barred from most interactions with other characters, we have altered the rules somewhat and require only 2 proofs (instead of three) for this character. (new rule as of 2/23/12)
If you have any more questions, feel free to use this post to ask them! Or get in touch with one of the mods via one of the means detailed on the Mod Contact post. For any questions you may have we will be happy to answer!
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