If you saw the TV show "Sliders" in the 90's or read/watched/played pretty much anything (Chronicles of Narnia/GURPS Infinite Worlds/His Dark Materials/Bioshock Infinite/superhero comics/etc.) with a multiverse consisting of multiple dimensions/universes/timelines, that's the most basic way to describe this RP.
HOWEVER, I should warn you it's not that simple. While most of the sci-fi is techno-babble and magic exists, the setting attempts to make realistic use of the "quantum multiverse" (read: every time something, anything, happens it causes the timeline to split into versions of itself where all possible outcomes have occured) and the butterfly effect will be extremely powerful.
How powerful? After their divergence point, timelines have nothing in common with history as we know it. If the divergence is early enough it's like visiting an alien planet, complete with languages you don't understand and technologies never invented in our timeline. Or even a world where life itself evolved differently and the continents have a different layout.
Aside from timelines constantly branching out on their own, the so-called Timeskippers (anyone who jumps "sideways" into another timestream) are a unique case. By leaving their home universe, they have removed themselves from that timeline, and unless they have that timeline "bookmarked" somehow they can never get back to it. The other effect is that they cause a "singular divergence" because their arrival in a timeline creates an entirely new timeline just for the fact that they popped into existence out of nowhere.
It should be noted that when a character leaves a timeline, they cause the timeline to be "locked" to their destination for about one month, allowing the characters to travel more-or-less in a group.
The plot will be timeline-oriented, with each timeline having a severe problem which our characters will try their best to fix out of the good of their hearts, or for other reasons. I'm also in the process of thinking up a long term story arc which will keep things interesting longer.
Anyway, this RP will require 2-3 paragraphs per post. No double-posting. Please place applications under the "Character" tab, and make sure to read the tips on making a good character!
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How do we always end up in different spots on Earth?
The gravitational field of a planet affects timeskipping by "anchoring" it to within that gravitational field, but thanks to the differences in gravity between timelines it introduces a bit of chaos and we could end up anywhere on Earth. Note that due to the moon's effects on the tide, we can't end up on a part of the Earth's surface which is covered by large amounts of water or ice, including Antarctica. In addition, the gravitational field in the targeted timeline cannot deviate too far from the current one, so any version of Earth which has gone too far from the space it occupies in a standard timeline, collided with another celestial body, is feeling the effects of a moon that hit a celestial body or been flung away from Earth, or no longer has a sun is impossible to enter.
"Money" System
Instead of money, we have biotech microchips with brainwave transmitters called Psychic Coins (PsyCoins). They work as follows:
1. You ask to purchase an item(s) at a marketplace, stall, grocery store, department store, etc.
2. You give a psychic coin to a merchant, shopowner, etc.
3. The merchant, shopowner, etc. and anyone else around will be "tricked" by the PsyCoin into thinking you just payed them with an appropriate amount of coins/cash.
4. The PsyCoin will degrade into carbon and silicon within 15 minutes.
To keep PsyCoins from degrading while YOU have them, you also have a Psychic Wallet which links with the Coins to tell them "don't turn to dust".
Also, because one PsyCoin is used for EVERY purchase no matter how big or small, you could buy a sports car with one PsyCoin for one purchase, and the next day be forced to use one for a mere few bottles of water because you're dehydrated.
Everyone starts out with no PsyCoins and no Psychic Wallet, but will get one before we leave the first timeline. If you join later on, then you will get the Psychic Wallet before the characters leave the timeline they are currently in. Psychic Wallets can create PsyCoins out of a sufficient amount of gold and silver, either a gold ring or silver ring, a gold or silver coin, or an outdated microchip.
This way, you'll have "money" despite the fact that an american dollar from timeline X which diverged from timeline 1 in the 1970s would not be legal tender in timeline Y which diverged in the 1940s, and most certainly would not be legal tender in timeline Z which diverged 10,000 years ago and thus North America is ruled by 4 or 5 nations mostly inhabited by Native American descendants which use lead coins and leather strips with branded emblems as currency.
There is a secret organization that has had timeskip capablities for a while, and has been setting up "intertimeline black markets" whose customers will all be timeskippers. Expect to meet some weird faces if you come across one of these marketplaces, a few of which may be openly hostile to you. They use a "premium currency" called Aether which can only be gained from certain rare sources (no spoilers!), and sell equipment for "TARDIS-like" timeskip devices as well as many other interesting things.
Battle System
The Emote battle system goes as followed: Each RP-er will take turns (posts) to attack each other, the defender picks if the hit hits or not, he can parry, counter-attack, dodge, etc. The attacker however can find out twists and turns to use Logic against the opponent, making it undodgable, can't be parried, etc.
To KO someone, you must have 10 attack hit sucessfully OR 5 Mortal Wounds (Neck/Head & Heart and attacks that go through the body completely.)
-Breaking a limb will result in a NORMAL attack but incapacitate/disable that limb. Armor and cyborg limbs are MUCH harder to break. Magic may be capable of healing limbs in a single turn at the cost of attacking.
-If poison enters the body, expect extended incapacitation or an auto KO, unless you can get around it!
-Also, a major thing about the emote system! It also uses the honor system! Please try not to dodge EVERYTHING. (Let at least 1-3 attacks hit on purpose, etc)