Adapting Your Character for IoG3: Mecha

As of now, all PCs for IoG3 will be returning characters from IoG2. Here are some guidelines that should help you start thinking about how to transfer your character over and adapt him or her to the new setting. This is plot-based only – system documents will be coming later.

Age

This is something that is important to consider, but likely won't change your concept much. All characters must be between the ages of 18 and 26. The lower limit is because they are essentially military recruits, and the Global Defense Force won't take any underage volunteers for the Makhai Initiative. On the other end, researchers have found that those who were 15 years old or younger when the dimensional rift was opened (eleven years ago) show the strongest ability to use Geodes, presumably because children and teenagers were more susceptible to the effects of dimensional storms and the influx of Geodes and their powers into Hemera. Thus, 26 is the upper age limit. Since all the characters in IoG2 were between 16 and 25 at the beginning of the game (well, except for Tanan, who was a special case), this shouldn't change things much.

Nationality

While the GDF is based in Messembria and primarily connected to the Messembrian military, it is intended to be an international cooperative organization. As such, the other nations of Hemera are nominally granted oversight of the GDF, and their citizens may be part of the organization – although in practice the GDF still ultimately answers to the Messembrian government. When the call for volunteers went out some months ago, it was made clear that those of other nations would be welcome in addition to Messembrians. Thus, you can be from any of Hemera's five nations, although you will likely want to consult with the GMs if you plan on being from somewhere other than Messembria.

Military Rank

You may choose to already be a member of the military, in which case you will need to consult with a GM to determine exactly what your rank and position is prior to joining the Makhai Initiative.

Magic and Elements

While the purpose of the Makhai Initiative is to find qualified individuals who can use elemental magic, several IoG2 characters may not match up precisely with this profile. The basic eight elements will be used, but not star or chaos. When system docs are ready you will be able to get a better idea of how elements will be chosen, but we plan on doing our best to make sure your original character concept can be adapted to the new system as closely as possible. For characters who are not particularly talented at elemental magic, such as Saki and Vytor, we can certainly come up with interesting alternatives. You'll want to talk with a GM about your options.

Name, Appearance, Background, and Personality

You are not required to play the exact same character you did in IoG2, although it's recommended that you keep it roughly similar to your original concept. You will probably have the same first name, though your last name may change. Appearance will probably be similar too, although there may be variations. Your background can and probably will be totally different from IoG2, due to the new setting. You're encouraged to be creative when considering family, economic status, social rank, background culture, education, skills, etc. Your personality may also have changed, although I recommend not completely altering it – you may choose, for example, to have certain personality traits emphasized in the simulation while others are brought to the forefront out of it. You will likely have various family and social connections that are unrelated to the simulation; you should not assume that you know any of the NPCs in the real world as they were created for the sim. As for PCs, it's unlikely that you know any of the others that well – most of you probably met for the first time at the briefing prior to the beginning of the simulation, and you've likely shared no more than a handshake and a brief conversation. There may be some flexibility possible though, especially if your character was a member of the military or the GDF prior to the training sim. Be sure to consult with a GM about any prior connections you'd like to set up between your character and any other PCs or NPCs.

Memory

This is a big one. First, some facts you should know about the simulation. It lasted for a few weeks to a month in real time, although IoG2 itself lasted for probably close to a year; time within the sim was clearly compressed. The primary purpose of the sim was to train your psyche to accept a reality in which magic is real and to use the associated elemental powers. As such, making the simulation seem very real was a primary goal. When your character wakes up, one of several things may happen:

• 1. You don't remember any of the real world when you wake and are utterly confused and disoriented, believing the world of IoG2 to be the true reality.

  2. You may wake with a set of conflicting dual memories – think what Saki had to deal with early on in the game. You may remember both realities but have trouble figuring out which was real.

  3. You may remember that you were in a simulation, but your recollection of the real world and your own background and identity are very hazy.

No matter which of these scenarios applies to you, your memory will come back in time. Exactly how fast this happens may vary. You'll want to give some thought to what your character will be thinking, feeling, and remembering immediately after coming out of the sim, and how your two identities relate or conflict.

Please let me know if you have any other thoughts or questions on adapting your character.