REGAINS GUIDE

[recollecters]

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How many regains can I request per month? There is no limit to how many regain requests you may submit! The only volume limitation on regains that exists is that we only permit three regains to be earned per any one thread. We absolutely do not find any volume of these to be a bother, as it is our main game system, and are always happy to go through them. Is there a time limit on regains? If a thread is actively still being tagged, there is no time limit! However, for threads that have finished, we would like regains to be turned in no more than two weeks after the last tag. For freebies for any month we typically ask those be submitted by the end of AC for the month, however. Can I earn a regain on a backdated thread? If a thread is actively still being tagged and a memory is triggered in the current month, this regain would be eligible for submission. How long do regains take to be processed? If we do not get back to you within two days please contact us, since that's a surefire sign something slipped through the cracks. We typically process regains at least once a day. The only time they sit for any significant amount of time is during AC closing, when all three of us turn our attention to processing AC. One of my regains was approved but the other didn't get a response, and the one that was approved was submitted after the first one? Sometimes our discussions on certain regains take longer than others; when we reach a consensus on any regain we approve it or proceed as necessary, regardless of whether or not we're still debating something else. What does the regains process look like on the mod side? When you comment to the regains post, we flip it on our regains post in our discussions comm. From there, throughout the day the three of us will vote on any regains we receive and discuss them. For bonus points purchases this is just a matter of making sure we're pricing them accurately, and we occasionally agree that the request tried to spend more points than necessary, or less, and correct the issue. We base this off our standards on the regains page as well as every other regain we've ever approved! For memories, we make certain there's the connection there and occasionally will make small revisions to what we feel a thread merits. We always make an effort to clearly state to the players why we might scale something back or why we might feel they can ask for more than they did. Any regain can pass once two of us have looked at it in any combination, but we never process any regains solo. Where is a good place to discuss regains before sending in an official request? The FAQ or our mod contact post or pms to the mod journal work best for us! PPs to the mod plurk have been known to fall through the cracks and it's easiest for all three of us to have things easily on paper to discuss. It really depends on if you would prefer to discuss it with us privately or if you would like to use the FAQ; we are fine with any of the three options given. How do I know what a good trigger is for a memory? We will list specific examples below for clarity, but a good rule of thumb is if you can answer one or more of the following questions: 1. Do the tones of the thread and the memory request sync up? Some examples of this include: ✔ Character A is talking about a family member being in the hospital. Character B could remember the feeling of being lost when a family member was very sick or passed away. ✔ Character A is wandering through the woods with Character B. Character A could remember that they had a very important journey back home. ✔ Character A is talking to Character B and has fond feelings for them. Character A could remember having warm feelings for someone else entirely and the struggles that came from that. Some canon-specific examples: ✔ Harry Potter could be in a dark, isolated area or he could be in a situation with a friend where he would feel disoriented and suffocated. He could remember that he lived in a cupboard under the stairs for 11 years of his life. ✔ Bella Swan could be listening to two of her friends arguing. She could remember that Edward and Jacob fought over her. ✔ Handsome Jack could be talking to someone about white face paint. He could remember that he used to date a clown named Moxxi. 2. Are similar actions being taken in the thread and the memory request? Some examples of this include: ✔ Character A and Character B are on a rooftop having a conversation. Character B looks over the edge of the roof and then remembers looking over the edge of a roof in canon and witnessing a fight from above. ✔ Character A is with Character B when they playfully push Character B so they nearly stumble into traffic. Character A could remember pushing a friend off of a high-speed train. ✔ Character A is talking about breaking into the Retrospec building with Character B and daydreaming how to accomplish that. Character B could remember a time they successfully infiltrated a secure building and stole important plans. Some canon-specific examples: ✔ Yuuri Katsuki takes a sip of champagne. He suddenly remembers the time he drank 16+ flutes of champagne at the Grand Prix Finals Banquet. ✔ Luke Castellan boards a boat. He remembers living on a boat for months and raising an army of monsters. ✔ Souji Seta contemplates ordering something unusual on a restaurant menu. He remembers opening the fridge at home and debating (and possibly subsequently) eating his younger cousin's science project. Again, please note that even with actions we ask that you guys thread these things out with other people! 3. Has the character reacted to the information presented in the thread prior to turning in the request? Some examples of this include: ✔ Character A is talking to Character B when Character B mentions that they were a wizard in their past life. Character A is surprised and makes a joke about waving a magical wand, teasing B for the remark before remembering a time that they themselves waved a magical wand. ✔ Character A confronts Character B about a memory in which B was present. B denies these accusations, but follow-up questions help them remember this memory. ✔ Character A and Character B are comparing memories. Character A describes a clear memory and while B is confirming what they've heard they remember a memory from their own canon that is similar. Some canon examples of this include: ✔ Following the wizarding example…Hermione Granger is explaining to Harry Potter that they met at a magical school called Hogwarts. Harry asks Hermione why they would be wizards and learns a little more about their magical world. He soon recalls one of the train rides, or arriving at King's Cross Station. ✔ Final Fantasy Character A is describing a Chocobo to Final Fantasy Character B. Final Fantasy Character B inquires more about A's world and soon remembers the time a Chocobo pecked them in the head and knocked them into a bush. ✔ Marvel Comics Character A is showing Marvel Comics Character B a collection of comic books, starring Character C who isn't in the game and whom neither have any recollection of. While going through the comics and talking about C, Character B remembers a time that they punched C in the face on their first meeting, confirming that C is a real person. 4. Are there specific key words or phrases being presented in the thread that mirror a similar canon interaction? Some examples of this include: ✔ Character A shares the same surname as someone from Character B's canon. Upon learning so, Character B remembers the name of this person from their canon. ✔ Character A hears an announcement from Character B about an upcoming school dance. Character A inquires with B and remembers a time they were on a dance committee and the gymnasium soon fell under attack. ✔ Character A is speaking to Character B and B mentions the word "biology" and describes a biological process. Character A remembers the time they created a very specific biological process in their canon that resulted in a clone. Some canon examples include: ✔ Sora is talking to someone and they tease him for being lazy. He suddenly remembers being asleep on the beach and hearing a girl say "Sora, you lazy bum! I thought I'd find you snoozing down here." ✔ Noctis is speaking to someone about the merits of being brave and how it's important to stand your ground. He remembers a discussion with his friends in which he is spending an evening with them and says to them "Walk tall, my friends." ✔ Dave Strider is jokingly called The Hero of Rhyme. Dave remembers the true Skaian prophecy about the Knight of Time. 5. Does the character already have a memory regain that ties into/supports the new memory request? Some examples of this include: ✔ Character A already has a memory of being a runaway. While describing their life on the run to Character B and the dangers they faced, they remember a time they spent the night in a cave and confronted a dragon. ✔ Character A and Character B are talking about a joint memory that they share, such as a specific castle that they met in. While talking about the castle, Character B suddenly realizes they are describing two different castles and recalls a second castle they have been to. ✔ Character A receives an item in the mail (an item bought-back via points) and while sharing it with Character B, they recall a time they lost this item in canon. Some canon examples include: ✔ Annabeth Chase receives a knife in the mail from Retrospec. While showing it to someone else, she remembers being 7 years old in a back alley and Luke making her a promise they would always be a family. ✔ Riku and Larxene are talking to each other about a shared memory of Castle Oblivion. While talking, however, Larxene realizes that her description of the castle doesn't entirely line up and she recalls that she lived in a castle in The World That Never Was. ✔ Silver has a Totodile and he's debating on what to name it. When another character suggests "Blue", he realizes that he knows a girl named Blue. 6. Do the impact of the thread and the impact of the memory match? Some examples of this include: ✔ Character A is walking with Character B and they find they are being followed. Character A regains a memory of being followed by someone under shady circumstances and the underlying sense of unease and danger. ✔ Character A and Character B are having a heart to heart conversation about protecting one another. Character B remembers a time they were sworn to protect the rightful heir to the crown throne in their canon. ✔ Character A is with Character B when a runaway shopping cart begins rolling toward them. A recalls a time that they pushed someone out of the way of a speeding bullet, but not the aftermath of that event. To clarify, we try not to allow the impact of the memory to be bigger than the thread itself. To go with one of the examples above, A could remember being followed and the underlying sense of danger, but it would be a bit much to remember they were followed, beaten, kidnapped and then thrown in the ocean only to land on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. Some canon examples include: ✔ Yu Narukami is talking to someone about karate and kicking someone very hard. He soon recalls the time he witnessed a girl kick a monster so hard it disappears into space. ✔ Thalia Grace and Luke Castellan are arguing about something inconsequential such as Luke being late. Luke soon recalls an argument with his father about never being around and never caring about him. ✔ Alice Yotsuba confronts someone in an argument to defend a friend. She soon remembers a time she was much younger and beat up someone on the playground to defend her friends from bullies. 7. Are there similar characteristics of other characters that mirror things from your character's canon? Some examples of this include: ✔ Character A tells Character B they have a twin brother. Character B remembers a set of twins they were friends with. ✔ Character A is friends with Character B who has a huuuuge appetite. When they go out to eat, Character B jokes about Character A never being full and soon remember a friend from their canon who was a food connoisseur. ✔ Character A meets Character B someone from a well-off rich family. Character A soon remembers a time they were invited to a fancy/royal engagement and meeting a princess for the first time. Some canon examples include: ✔ Ritsu Kageyama is arguing about someone being forced into a dress for a pageant. He soon recalls a time he participated as a maid in a maid cafe for his school's culture festival. ✔ Tamaki Suoh learns that someone he is friends with has a twin brother. He remembers a pair of boys who once had a fight so bad they dyed their hair blue and pink so they would no longer be identical twins. ✔ Allen Walker is speaking to someone about the types of masks people wear at a party. He soon remembers a conversation with his father about hiding behind a metaphorical mask and how it has altered him as a person. 8. Is there a solid line of thought between hearing another character's experience and matching it with your character's experience in canon? Some examples of this include: ✔ Character A is telling Character B how they failed an exam at school. Character B soon remembers long nights cramming for entrance exams to their school of choice and taking these exams. ✔ Character A and Character B are going on a sunset walk when B mentions to A about how the sunset is their favorite because it's romantic. Character A suddenly remembers a time they were on a beach at sunset and making a promise with their friends that they will always be together. ✔ Character A invites Character B to their house and they have a pet lizard. Upon seeing this lizard and holding it, Character B remembers a time that they were attacked by a reptilian monster. Some canon examples of this include: ✔ Jake English is speaking to someone and hears the word "troll." He could recall that he once had a guide called a sprite that was made up of two trolls, though nothing about how the sprite was made. ✔ Ryoji Mochizuki is listening to someone talk about the time they sneaked out of the house, and he soon remembers the time he broke out of the Kirijo Laboratory. ✔ Yosuke Hanamura hears about a time someone met their best friend under silly circumstances. Yosuke soon remembers the time he rode his bike into a pile of trash and the protagonist approached him. These are good ideas to keep in mind when turning in requests to us and can help clarify what is and isn't acceptable for a regain, and if we do feel that a regain doesn't quite match the thread we will do our best to alter the request to fit better, send it back for your approval, and chat about what works best. Any time we alter a memory request, you are always free to submit the remaining parts of the initial request at a later time. What about ability regains that do not require points, such as skills? In terms of ability regains, we ask that in order to trigger these some sort of action is taken that mirrors the ability in order to regain it. For example, if your character canonically knows how to fight with a sword they may regain this as an ability without spending points. However, they would need to thread out at least learning to use a sword or some form of training to regain these skills. Another example would be if your character canonically knows how to paint or sculpt, for example. They could be taking an art class and while threading this out, they could regain their artistic ability. A third example would be a character who is at a carnival and playing a game where they use a water gun to shoot at targets. They could reasonably thread this out and regain their basic gunmanship skills. The only time we ask that skills are bought back via points are for languages and for skills that they are specialized with (i.e. if they're the best at it in their canon, if it's a canon-specific skill, etc.) In addition, if you would wish to buy back mundane skills without waiting for a trigger memory you're allowed to do so as well. Please speak with us and we can get you an idea on a price. How do regains occur icly? We tend to allow this to be played very loosely! The most commonly taken options are very vivid flashbacks/recalls, as though the person were living it out, or receiving the memory in a dream later. This is for memory regains, of course! Appearances, items, and abilities all explain how they happen in their verbiage but to be clear if you haven't gotten one of those: ITEM: You have the option of your character receiving their item in a package in the mail from Retrospec OR your character finding their item among their things or around the city at random, and will feel that it is significant to them in some way to a degree they don't feel they can leave it laying around. Please note that they will not know why unless they have previously regained memories of the item. Of note with item regains, occasionally we will have the text on anything with writing/or recordings not appear until the character acquires the memories associated with them. A diary, for example, will be received blank save for entries written about the memories your character has already regained, and will fill in as more regains occur. This is the same for pets/pokemon/what have you; they will have no memories about anything upon receiving them, but can gain back their own memories as your character gains back the memories they are involved with! ABILITY: Your character will have access to their ability at the time of your choosing, although it may take them some time to fully master the skill. For this, we mean that your character will have to practice at most regained abilities to fully utilize them! APPEARANCE: Your character's appearance change can now occur at a time of your choosing. NPCs will be able to notice and react to the change for the space of a month at least, at which point in time it is up to you if they continue to notice the changes or acclimate oddly to the new physical features. We leave that choice up to you! Once a regain is approved (memory/items/appearances/abilities), you may have your character receive them at any time whether it be immediately or dated at a later time! It can be a trickling effect or it can hit your character all at once like a freight train, remembered generally as something that they have experienced complete with thoughts and feelings. We do ask that you guys do not play with memory regains until they are approved by us. We also ask that you do not headcanon minor memories being regained. My regain is from a very backdated thread, but would have impacted my character a lot. What should I do? We permit people to receive their regains on a time delay if necessary once they're approved. So it is perfectly fine for them to receive their regain at the time they are approved for it, even if the thread is further back in the past. How thorough should I be about explaining my memory? Please provide us with links if you can! We do not mind novels if you write them, though we do not require them; we will ask for clarification if we're not canon-familiar or certain we have enough to know what we're being asked for in specific, so erring on the side of more information isn't a bad thing but as long as you explain clearly what is happening we can usually get by on things! Abilities and powers and items and the like we do need more information on so we can adjust our prices for you, and so we know what we're approving. Are there rules for regaining memories of scenes my character was present at but was maybe only mentioned in/wasn't the main character in? You can regain any memory that your character took part in, even if they were just a bystander! Can memories be just general worldbuilding/lore from the canon, or do they have to be explicitly memories of events? Lore and worldbuilding are entirely fair game! For example, Kingdom Hearts characters could remember how Keyblades work; Hunger Games characters could remember that Districts are a thing; and Harry Potter characters could remember general magic factoids. All these things are acceptable! Can I make a post/toplevel and get a regain from it? You are free to make a post or a top-level to aid you in getting a regain, but we ask that all regains are gathered by actively threading with another person! So, you can tailor a top-level or post with an idea in mind, but we will only be able to review the memory request once your character has engaged with someone else and the setting. This also means that we do not allow for solo write-ups to trigger memories. What are the standards for regains being triggered? Do you have examples? The following are examples of regains we have approved in the past. All regains have been used for examples with player permission. Talking about someone else's experience and recalling their own. PLAYER: Ty CHARACTER: Luke Castellan THREAD: http://chiseler.dreamwidth.org/9769.html?thread=369449#cmt369449 MEMORY: Fighting monsters is 100% normal and it's something he's been doing since he was 9 years old EXPLAIN: Kashuu and Luke are discussing fighting monsters and Luke's toying with scenarios which this would be normal REGAINS: [Luke's registry here] Recalling Memories already received and how they apply to the current situation. PLAYER: Ty CHARACTER: Luke Castellan THREAD: http://recolle.dreamwidth.org/26656.html?thread=4512032#cmt4512032 MEMORY: ""Something finally clicked in my mind: the story of Amaltheia the goat, who’d led us here. Thalia had been destined to find that treasure. It belonged to the child of Zeus. “Thalia!” I gasped. “The shield! What was it called?” “What shield?” she cried. “Zeus’s shield!” I suddenly remembered. “Aegis. Thalia, the bracelet—it’s got a code word!” EXPLAIN: Luke recalls seeing Thalia's bracelet in an earlier memory and knows it was something scary. He also discusses other memories from their childhood that he remembers thanks to Retrospec. I'd like him to remember the above, except for the fact that it's a shield belonging to Zeus and that Thalia's a child of Zeus. REGAINS: [Luke's registry here] Specific key words and phrases. PLAYER: Lucy CHARACTER: Dave Strider THREAD: http://retrospec.dreamwidth.org/32074.html?thread=10400330#cmt10400330 MEMORY: Today in dumb regains: just the memory of the prophecy "They wait for he who would drop it like it's hot whilst the pimp's in the crib" which. Is the Skaian prophecy about Dave. EXPLAIN: They're talking about Dave being the prophesied hero of rhyme (they being Dave + Souji) because they're morons REGAINS: [Dave's registry here] Following a line of thought. PLAYER: Megan CHARACTER: Roxy Lalonde THREAD: http://retrospec.dreamwidth.org/14190.html?thread=6550382#cmt6550382 MEMORY: Jade having green eyes. And also being evil since that's. The only time she sees Jade in the whole comic, as seen: [homestuck page link] and [homestuck page link] with no like scene specifics just EVIL NEON GREEN EYED JADE BEING A THING. And maybe the stupid folder but that'd just be for stupids sake. EXPLAIN: Jade said, "right, and my eyes are neon green obviously!" and well. News for you Jadeykins. REGAINS: [Roxy's registry here] Reacting to someone's description and triggering their own memory. PLAYER: Farrah CHARACTER: Dirk Strider THREAD: http://parodeity.dreamwidth.org/9410.html?thread=1784002#cmt1784002 MEMORY: Dirk will remember his pile of smuppets (and hats and also some robot limbs? WTF Dirk.) EXPLAIN: Dave is exactly describing puppets that Dirk owns on the other side of a reality restart. Although badly drawing it but if anyone can envisage from Dave's bad drawings, Dirk is it. REGAINS: [Dirk's registry here] Matching the tone/feel of a situation PLAYER: Farrah CHARACTER: Dirk Strider THREAD: http://recolle.dreamwidth.org/35648.html?thread=5723456#cmt5723456 MEMORY: I'd like Dirk to remember that he lived in the ocean/did a ton of diving, etc. He mentions here [Homestuck link] that he spent a lot of time fishing/checking out underwater ruins. EXPLAIN: The feeling of being submerged deep and in a weird state, where sound and sight are off and you're surrounded by your thoughts, is totally reminiscent. REGAINS: [Dirk's registry here] Action being taken that mirrors a similar canon situation. PLAYER: Abi CHARACTER: Riku THREAD: http://recolle.dreamwidth.org/25561.html?thread=4426201#cmt4426201 MEMORY: Chasing after Spellican in Traverse Town with Joshua, Beat and Rhyme. EXPLAIN: Trying to pin down the Alcune and, when they lose it, trying to track it back down only to lose it pretty much follows how Riku works together with Beat and Rhyme to try and pin the Spellican down between the two versions of Traverse Town! As always, the specifics won't be available to Riku (so no names, no knowing it's a Nightmare, no knowing that there are two versions of Traverse Town); I'd just like him to remember working with these other kids to try and pin this monster down (so no script lines or anything there!) REGAINS: [Riku's registry here] The impact of the thread matches the impact of the memory. PLAYER: Ax CHARACTER: Penelo THREAD: http://recolle.dreamwidth.org/21559.html?thread=3618103#cmt3618103 MEMORY: A memory of a conversation with Larsa Ferinas Solidor where he expresses gratitude that he's had the chance to meet her, and that she's standing beside him against his brother. EXPLAIN: Ari and Pen are talking about just that, and Garnet is a similar person to Larsa, the young heir to a throne with a corrupt monarch on the throne. REGAINS: [Penelo's registry here] What else should I know? In some instances, we may thread up from the portion you linked us to get a broad scope of the conversation as well. Please be sure to fill out the entire form, as we may also kick a regain back to you if you don't link your registry to us, for instance. What are the standards for untriggered/"freebie" regains? These scale the longer your character has been in game! To clarify: the first untriggered regain you ever receive is meant to be rather small and low-impact. The longer you are in game and the more memories you have, the higher impact these can be, although we do tend to allow the highest impact and longer memories to come more from triggered regains than from untriggered ones and this is one of our general rules. So, for the first untriggered regain in your first month a small memory without context might work, but we may ask that anything that would absolutely change what your character does or how they think be saved for a later untriggered regain, or a triggered one.