FAQ
What Is Polymagic_U all about, anyway?
Polymagic University and Mary Parker Academy (PUMPA) was created as a game in which I (SquirrelGM) could research certain internet phenomenon. For reasons I can't divulge at this time I can't tell you what I am studying, but suffice it to say all I need from you, my players, is to... well... play the game, and occasionally take surveys. Once the research study is completed, the game will continue on without any further need to take surveys.
For more information, go here: http://squirrelgm.livejournal.com/1585.html
So how do I play?
Simple! You create a LiveJournal account for a student at the High School or University, and join the community polymagic_u ! Then you run your LJ as your character, talking about to your daily life as a student, reacting to GM posted events, and respond to other character's posts as well.
Are there any restrictions?
Yes. Because there is an actual academic research project being conducted, I do ask that those under the age of 18 not participate in the game until after the research phase has been completed, after which I will be opening it up to anyone who wants to play.
So, do I have to do that silly survey thing you're asking for?
I can't force you to. But since that's the whole reason I started this thing, the squirrels really would like you to. Please... think of the squirrels.
Alright, enough about that. What's the game about?
Well, consider it a sort of spoof of a certain very popular seven book series involving a magical school in England but with a number of key differences. Like that one, the Magical World is hidden from normal folk, but is still large enough to need schools to educate it's young magical minds. Polymagic University and the attached high school, Mary Parker Academy, is one of those schools.
You are students at either the University or at the attached High School. Because there are so few magic users scattered about, it's a boarding school, drawing most of the magic using youth from throughout the central United States. So the students not only attend school there, they live there as well, in this hidden niche of magic users amongst the mundanes.
Of course, being a magic school full of teens and young men and women, there's always some sort of mayhem going on! The game involves your posting on your (character) LJ about these happenings, and responding to other people's LJ events as well!
So all I do is just post blogs as my character?
And respond to other people's posts.
What if I want to write a scene with a couple other people so that we can post about it in our LJs? Do I do that on my LJ?
Nope. That's what polymagic_logs is for. Just go there, and post to that community with who is involved and what is happening. Then, all of you involved can just reply back and forth until the scene is written!
What if I need to talk to someone out of character about something? Or I want to make an announcement, bounce ideas off of people, anything like that?
Conveniently enough, you can use polymagic_ooc for that.
Is there any particular reason why we need to friend everyone individually if we've already friended the 3 communities, and everyone is supposed to be posting specifically in those three communities?
Knowing people the way I do, I'm pretty sure that a lot of people will post to their LJs, rather than to the community as a whole. By friending the individual blogs, we can still see those rather than them being missed altogether.
Besides, the squirrels like it. Be nice to the squirrels.
You're cool, you know that?
I'm a squirrel, of course I'm cool.
This sounds good! But is there anything I'm not allowed to do?
Mostly this is a common sense thing. But just a few things that come to mind include not doing major damage or destruction, not seriously messing up another player's character without their permission, and keeping any REALLY adult sort of subjects safely off screen. I'm sure this list will grow longer.
Well, what about character types? Anything I'm not allowed to do with that?
Well, you have to be a student at the High School or University. So you can't be a professor or a ghost or something. And while I won't insist you have to be pure human, I would prefer you are able to pass yourself off as one.
What about an activity requirement? Is there a minimum number of posts a month I have to make?
Well, obviously, the more often you post, the happier I'll be, and the more other people get to play with you. But no, there's no minimum. No maximum either!
I have another question.
Great! Go ahead and post it below, and I'll get right on it!
Polymagic University and Mary Parker Academy (PUMPA) was created as a game in which I (SquirrelGM) could research certain internet phenomenon. For reasons I can't divulge at this time I can't tell you what I am studying, but suffice it to say all I need from you, my players, is to... well... play the game, and occasionally take surveys. Once the research study is completed, the game will continue on without any further need to take surveys.
For more information, go here: http://squirrelgm.livejournal.com/1585.html
So how do I play?
Simple! You create a LiveJournal account for a student at the High School or University, and join the community polymagic_u ! Then you run your LJ as your character, talking about to your daily life as a student, reacting to GM posted events, and respond to other character's posts as well.
Are there any restrictions?
Yes. Because there is an actual academic research project being conducted, I do ask that those under the age of 18 not participate in the game until after the research phase has been completed, after which I will be opening it up to anyone who wants to play.
So, do I have to do that silly survey thing you're asking for?
I can't force you to. But since that's the whole reason I started this thing, the squirrels really would like you to. Please... think of the squirrels.
Alright, enough about that. What's the game about?
Well, consider it a sort of spoof of a certain very popular seven book series involving a magical school in England but with a number of key differences. Like that one, the Magical World is hidden from normal folk, but is still large enough to need schools to educate it's young magical minds. Polymagic University and the attached high school, Mary Parker Academy, is one of those schools.
You are students at either the University or at the attached High School. Because there are so few magic users scattered about, it's a boarding school, drawing most of the magic using youth from throughout the central United States. So the students not only attend school there, they live there as well, in this hidden niche of magic users amongst the mundanes.
Of course, being a magic school full of teens and young men and women, there's always some sort of mayhem going on! The game involves your posting on your (character) LJ about these happenings, and responding to other people's LJ events as well!
So all I do is just post blogs as my character?
And respond to other people's posts.
What if I want to write a scene with a couple other people so that we can post about it in our LJs? Do I do that on my LJ?
Nope. That's what polymagic_logs is for. Just go there, and post to that community with who is involved and what is happening. Then, all of you involved can just reply back and forth until the scene is written!
What if I need to talk to someone out of character about something? Or I want to make an announcement, bounce ideas off of people, anything like that?
Conveniently enough, you can use polymagic_ooc for that.
Is there any particular reason why we need to friend everyone individually if we've already friended the 3 communities, and everyone is supposed to be posting specifically in those three communities?
Knowing people the way I do, I'm pretty sure that a lot of people will post to their LJs, rather than to the community as a whole. By friending the individual blogs, we can still see those rather than them being missed altogether.
Besides, the squirrels like it. Be nice to the squirrels.
You're cool, you know that?
I'm a squirrel, of course I'm cool.
This sounds good! But is there anything I'm not allowed to do?
Mostly this is a common sense thing. But just a few things that come to mind include not doing major damage or destruction, not seriously messing up another player's character without their permission, and keeping any REALLY adult sort of subjects safely off screen. I'm sure this list will grow longer.
Well, what about character types? Anything I'm not allowed to do with that?
Well, you have to be a student at the High School or University. So you can't be a professor or a ghost or something. And while I won't insist you have to be pure human, I would prefer you are able to pass yourself off as one.
What about an activity requirement? Is there a minimum number of posts a month I have to make?
Well, obviously, the more often you post, the happier I'll be, and the more other people get to play with you. But no, there's no minimum. No maximum either!
I have another question.
Great! Go ahead and post it below, and I'll get right on it!