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>>Guilds // >>Worldbuilding & Lore
The World is an Alternate Universe game taking place on Earth in the year 2000. The game centers around a fictional MMORPG called Fragment and all interactions between players take place in this online space.
Interactions occur within the MMO itself and on Fragment's Official Forums™ which act as the network for this game. Don't piss off the poor, underworked forum staff. They take their jobs a little too seriously.
The World is a private game open to players on milky (shitpost) and amb’s (
stellazzio) plurk timelines and those offered direct invitations by other members of the mod team. Invited players may then extend invitations to their friends with mod approval.
If you have no affiliation with any of the mods and would like to request an invite, you may do so by messaging the mod journal, but be aware that invited members are given first priority when issuing invitations. Not all requests to join will be accepted.
Current players have the option to extend invitations to their friends if they so choose. Please message milky or Amb via Discord or the mod contact page and let us know who you’d like to invite before extending an invitation to them. Presently, we’re not limiting how many people you invite at a time, but this may change in the future.
The World is set to run over a period of four months starting on July 29, 2023, and will conclude on December 2, 2023.
If you weren’t here from the start, don’t worry! We’ll have power leveling events to catch new and current players up to speed should they join mid-cycle or fall behind. The World is a short-run game, but it isn’t necessary to be present from the very beginning to engage with the plot and enjoy the full rewards the bonus system provides.
Time passes on a 1:1 ratio with 1 IC day equating to 1 OOC day.
Applications are always open and will be processed within 48 hours of submission. In the event that the player cap has been reached, applications will be processed as normal but will remain in the queue until a player slot opens up. The mods will give you a poke when a slot has opened up and it's time to hop in and play.
We accept canon and original characters. Silent and customizable protagonists are also accepted, should canon provide a basis for their personality through extra content, dialogue choices, or various other canon materials. Given the nature of this game, canon AU or CRAU characters are not allowed.
There is not, but we ask that you keep suitability in mind when selecting your character. Additionally, be aware that this is a game that allows NSFW content on its communities with few restrictions. Finally, if applying a character who is canonically a child, please exercise restraint if you elect to age their AU selves up or down. We may ask for your reasoning if their AU age is significantly different than their OU age.
Due to the nature of the game, canon updates are not applicable.
There is a canon cap of five characters per canon and ten characters per franchise. Original Characters are included under the franchise cap, and will thus be capped at ten.
Two characters per player.
At present, the player cap is 50. This may be subject to change in the future.
Within the MMO itself, characters will start with basic items like weapons and armor applicable to their class, a few items, and potions. As such, canon items cannot be brought with them into The World. IRL, whatever possessions your character owns are up to player discretion.
No, but a variety of pets, mounts, etc. can be acquired within Fragment.
Events in The World are bi-weekly. Events launch on the first and third Saturday of the month at 12pm EST. New mechanics, plot developments and quests will be introduced via these events. Players may be given opportunities to play larger roles within the story through event signups and unique questlines.
Yes. As mentioned above (see: What is The World?), The World’s network takes the form of the classic early 2000’s online forum. All communications within the game take place entirely online.
In addition to the forums, characters can also send private messages to one another if they don't want to air out their dirty laundry on the public forums.
All conversations that occur within The World, whether through Fragment or on the forums, are automatically translated to your character’s chosen language. This extends to voice chat communications within Fragment.
Their character will be listed as "offline" within Fragment. During this time, they cannot be reached within Fragment and won't respond to emails or messages. For all intents and purposes, they'll fall right off the face of the Internet.
The character will be listed as "offline" in Fragment, and by player choice, can be placed in a coma.
Depending on the circumstances of the drop, some characters can be reapped while others cannot. If the character was placed into a coma by the previous player, that character can no longer be apped into The World.
NSFW is allowed so long as the appropriate warnings are issues on relevant posts and/or in the subject line. Threads that veer into NSFW territory can be taken to the inbox community or into character journals.
Sex (aka ERP, Cybering, whatever you'd like to call it) is possible and will feel just like the real thing for the involved players... so long as they remember to toggle the nudity setting on.
By default, nude bodies in Fragment are censored with a lovely fleshy mosaic. You might want to toggle that setting off before getting down and dirty. Additionally, while no in-game mechanics stop you from stripping bare and engaging in lewd acts in public, doing so may result in harsh consequences if your character gets caught.
20 comments across a minimum of two threads and a maximum of three. Please see the Activity Check page for further details.
Bonus activity is any activity beyond the 20 tags needed to pass the activity check. Additional tags will be converted into in-game currency and can be spent on a variety of upgrades and other bonuses. For more information, see the bonus activity page.
At any time during the month. Bonus submissions will be processed within 48 hours. Only threads submitted during the current or prior month may be submitted for rewards.
Your character’s online avatar is fully customizable with a few minor restrictions. By default, the avatar creator presents a character whose face and physical features resemble the player’s offline self, but everything from their gender, age, body type, and facial features can be changed and customized.
By default, all character models are humanoid in appearance, but a beast race is also available. Players can give their characters more animal-like appearances, but regardless of the race chosen, no character model can exceed ten feet in height.
Yes. There are some generic costumes are available for purchase at shops for GP. Players will also be able to design custom costumes/glamors, which can be won during events. These custom outfits cannot be changed once they have been used.
Yes. Any weapon or piece of armor you own can be applied over another for display purposes only.
Your character's default outfit can be whatever you want, as the player can fully customize this part. The armor/costumes they earn, however, will look different from their default outfit. The armor your character earns will automatically change their in-game appearance, but this can be toggled off if they prefer their default outfit.
No. During Fragment's beta test, character creation is a one-and-done process. Costumes and armor can be used to further change your character's appearance, but overall physical appearance cannot be changed during the beta.
A character can only level up as high as the current level cap will allow them. The level cap starts at 25 and will rise in increments of 25 each month, ending at a maximum of 100. Levels are attained by submitting activity each month. Meeting minimum activity requirements will raise your character’s level by 5 while submitting bonus activity will allow them to level up until the current level cap is reached.
Your character can receive new weapons and equipment primarily through area exploration, in which they will receive one weapon and one piece of armor per area they explore. It will take your character 3 runs to get a full armor set, but some armor can still be bought for GP.
At levels 25, 50, 75, and 100, special sets will be gifted to the player.
Your character will gain new skills and spells through leveling up, which can be achieved by submitting Bonus Activity.
We leave this up to player discretion, but characters can retain their canon forms within Fragment up to a height of 10ft. All characters IRL will be humanized. Example: if your character is a centaur within Fragment, they will retain their horsey backside within the MMO while their real world self will be, sadly, entirely human.
Yes. As this is an AU, characters will be stripped of their canon abilities and will instead acquire skills and abilities unique to the game setting.
Fragment is the latest MMORPG offering from CyberConnect Corporation, the world’s leader in digital technology innovations and a new face in the world of online gaming. The game has been hailed by the media as the greatest advancement in virtual reality to date, allowing a degree of interconnectivity never before seen in an MMORPG. In a world centered on technological growth and advancement, being selected as a tester for one of CyberConnect’s projects is considered an honor worth bragging about.
The game itself allows for full one-to-one synchronization of a player’s consciousness with their avatar, an industry first that allows people to fully immerse themselves in a vibrant fantasy world. The game is currently going through closed beta testing wherein a small group of handpicked players are experiencing this marvel of technological innovation while the rest of the world waits eagerly to get their hands on it. Your character is one of those select few.
Classes in The World are divided into two main groups: physical skill/arts users and spellcasters. Take a look at the classes page here for descriptions of each. In brief, parties in The World contain DPS and healers, but while some classes boast higher defense than others, there are no dedicated tank classes.
Parties formed in Fragment consist of a maximum of four players. As all classes have access to healing either through class skills and spells or potions and other healing items, you can go adventuring without needing to pay much mind to party structure.
Death within Fragment is handled similarly to other MMOs. When health reaches zero, the player character (both in the game and in the real world) will become unresponsive. After twenty minutes, they will both reawaken and respawn in their Guild HQ or in the last major hub town (referred to as Root Towns within Fragment).
Player Killing (PKing) is allowed amongst player characters. Friendly fire is disabled within Root Towns but can be toggled on within guild spaces at the leader's discretion. Additionally, while party members cannot attack one another, other players within the same dungeon or field can attack and PK your character. Dungeon crawl with caution!
There are two major zones players can explore within Fragment: Root Towns and Areas.
Think of Root Towns as major hubs where people can get together to socialize, restock on items, pick up quests, and much more. Each Root Town is known for something different, be it for hosting PVP tournaments or housing the bulk of Fragment’s guild headquarters. Take a look at the locations page for specific information on the Root Towns currently accessible.
Any places existing outside of Root Towns are colloquially referred to as Areas. Areas include Fields, Dungeons, and other unique locations that are accessible via warp points known as Chaos Gates. Chaos Gates are located within every Root Town, Field, and Dungeon and are necessary to access other areas of the game, but that isn’t all. Dungeons and Fields are procedurally generated using a system of three keywords entered at the Chaos Gate. For more information on Area exploration, head over to the Area Exploration page.
Mounts are available in the form of adorable, not at all concerning-looking creatures called Grunties. These fine bovines allow players to move twice as fast within fields and dungeons but cannot be ridden triumphantly into battle. They’re delicate creatures, after all.
Fast travel is also available, allowing players to select any Root Town (hub city) they’ve previously visited to warp to and from freely.
Characters may send one another consumable items. However, items such as armor, weapons, or skins cannot be given away or traded.
Starting next month, characters will be able to buy armor and weapons from the shop with the GP they earn through Bonus Activity. The items bought from shops can be sent to or traded with other characters.
Yes, characters can take screenshots of the game itself in most areas. There are, however, exceptions such as the first time characters investigate one of the Special Areas. During that time, the screenshot previews will be corrupted by static and other glitches and will not save to the character's computer. Once the investigation has concluded, screenshots can be taken as normal in these areas.
Player housing? In this virtual economy? You’d have to win the lottery.
Players do, however, have the option of purchasing a room of their own within their guild headquarters... so long as they’re in a guild. For more information on guild housing, head over to the guild page.
There are a variety of non-playable characters littering Fragment who facilitate item purchases, class upgrades, and the issuing of quests just like a traditional MMO. These NPCs have limited functionality and can't be killed, invited into parties, etc. Players are free to handwave relationships with NPCs as they please. There will, however, be several special NPCs that serve a greater role in the story. You'll know them when you see them.
Guilds are player-run organizations that allow likeminded people to group up and make friends, go exploring together, discuss the common interests that brought them together, and so on. There's a group for every type of person and every special interest, and if there isn't, you can simply make one yourself.
Joining a guild requires an invitation from the leader or another member. Some guilds may have open recruitment while others do not. Check the guild page to see who is actively recruiting and accepting new members.
Aside from the all-important benefit of companionship, guilds have a number of exclusive features. Every guild has an @home, a fully customizable "home" of sorts that serves as both a hangout spot and a meeting place, but @homes can be utilized for whatever purpose suits the guild best.
In addition, every @home comes equipped with a private personal room for each member. These spaces can be decorated, used to privately entertain company, and locked so only they & other approved players can enter.
As many as you like! The only limit on how many guilds you can join are the number of guilds that will admit you in. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of players in a single guild.
While guilds do not have retainers, each guild has a helper Grunty styled in the likeness of its guild leader. These Grunties share similar personalities and appearances with the guild leader and are a player's go-to for any guild-related questions or concerns. Through the helper Grunty, players can apply for upgrades, make changes to their private rooms, and much more. Depending on who they take after, some Grunties are more helpful than others!
Guilds can be upgraded to have more space, custom furnishings, amenities, and more. These upgrades can be acquired via contests, quests, and the GP shop.
The world of... well, The World, is one in which the average person is terminally online. Virtual online spaces are where most people spend their leisure time. It’s considered rare to be without high-speed internet and several home computers on top of other devices like tablets and smart phones.
Fragment is a virtual reality MMORPG that requires the use of a computer and a virtual reality headset (referred to as head-mounted displays or face-mounted displays). These special headsets connect the player’s consciousness to the game, allowing their avatars to be fully controlled through thoughts alone.
While connected to the game, players retain some awareness of their real world surroundings, but the one-to-one synchronization of their consciousness to the game world makes it easy to forget about reality. The special headsets provided to the beta testers even allow players to feel, taste, smell, and see everything their characters do within Fragment. For all intents and purposes, your character becomes their avatar when logged into Fragment.
Only if they want to! Do they want to? Are they a freak like that? By default, players will feel a jolt or vibration to indicate to them that they’ve taken damage and will feel their control over their avatar diminish as their health approaches zero.
Yes! Anything they eat or consume in Fragment will taste as it does in reality and leave them feeling satiated. This applies to alcohol as well. Go on, get plastered. Who's gonna know?
Sure, but note that since The World takes place entirely within online spaces, any offline meetups would not occur within the game’s available communities. Additionally, we may reach a point during the progression of the plot wherein your character’s activities offline are restricted, so keep this in mind when making any plans.
There are two ways to be selected for Fragment’s exclusive beta: sign up for the beta key raffle currently running on CyberConnect’s website or receive an invitation directly from the company via email. You may choose which of these two scenarios led your character to signing up to participate in Fragment’s development.