Welcome to Epic
Overview
Welcome to EPIC: Become a Legend! On this page, we hope to get you started with a basic understanding of the game. We don't want you confused.
The Basics
Epic is a text-based online role-playing game. In Epic, we give you the opportunity to make any number of characters, earn them sweet stuff, role play, battle, and even GM. We do all sorts of things here, including, but not limited to:
We're currently in version 6 of this iteration of the game. Every so often the game goes through a major revamp and is declared a new version, but when it does, you'll almost always be able to carry characters and experience over.
Most of the stuff that happens here occurs on AIM, so in order to be involved you need an AIM account, or some other method of connecting to AIM chats. As most people don't really use AIM much anymore, here are a few links to get you started:
Important Note: Do not use the version of AIM currently on the AIM website. It, as well as any other official AIM client past v7.5, no longer supports chats with dice, and is all around a terrible piece of software. Most unofficial, AIM-inclusionary multi-chat clients support the dice feature just fine, however, no matter which version they're in.
- AIM 5.9: http://www.filehippo.com/download_aim/250/ (Some members swear by this version, as it has less unnecessary bits and bobs than 7.5, and runs better on older machines. However, some newer machines, especially anything running Windows 8, have a bit of a hard time with it. Also lacks tabs.)
- Pidgin: http://www.pidgin.im/ (Universal client, supports more than just AIM)
- Adium: https://adium.im/ (Universal client, good for iOS)
- Browser-based version: https://plus.im/ (Select More, then AIM)
Once you have AIM up and running, you can find us in our group chat: Bluesdrivemonster.
Further information can be found on the How to Play page.
Making a Character
Before you can play, though, you'll need a character. Whether you're just interested in basic role-playing or want to get more in-depth with the system, you should start off by making a character to do those things as. Now, you don't have to get their entire backstory ready on the spot; You can always fill it in as you go, but you want to get the basics together. As long as you have someone ready you can play as, you're good. While original characters are preferred, non-original characters are fine, just as long as you make them fit into Epic's world, not the other way around.
If you want to have them fully ready for play, though, open up a Blank Stat Sheet and fill it out to post in the forum for Level 1-10 Characters. If you need any help, we have a tutorial (linked below), and you can always ask people for help.
Further information can be found on the How to Create a Character page.
Battles
Along with standard role-playing, Epic also has its own customizable and constantly evolving battle system. Although not entirely necessary to participate, battles have a strong place in the game. From player vs. player spars, boss fights, and Tournaments, the game gives you more than a few opportunity to pit your characters in battle. If you want to try it out, but still aren't sure how to play, feel free to ask someone for a tutorial.
Further information can be found on the Introduction to Battle page.
Setting
Epic takes place mostly across two worlds: Disparatus, a more modernized, and occasionally futuristic world, somewhat similar to our own, and Earth, a more classical fantasy world, which is, despite the name, completely different from our own, real life world. Don't worry about it too much. And yes, this means that (with very rare exceptions), you cannot create a character who comes from the real world. Sorry.
It's also worth noting that the year in Epic is different from our own, due to its different history and numbering system. As of 2024, the current year in Epic is 2336 A.E. However, months and days are still the same, and time passes in realtime. Usually.
The most important detail about the setting's backstory is the Two Year Gap, a somewhat recent event where everyone across Earth and Disparatus lost their memories from between November 2319 to September 2321. In that time, strange, magical objects, later dubbed Keystones, began to appear. These stones, when touched, could fuse with people's bodies, giving them untold amounts of supernatural power, or if someone was incompatible, cause catastrophic magical backlash. Because of the memory gap, many people possess these stones and their related effects without even knowing.
All player characters start with a keystone, and it's the primary thing that separates them from regular people.
Although magic existed in the setting before the Two Year Gap and the appearance of Keystones, it was considerably less powerful, and mostly only functioned on a controlled, practical level. For example, you could augment technology with it, or use it create light, but usually only with rituals or practice. Magical energy is stronger around Earth, however, as it's closer to the Aetherstream.
Technology on Disparatus is close to the cyberpunk end of the spectrum. People have cybernetic and biological augmentation, as well as inter-solar system space travel/space stations, but can't travel to any further suns. Most of these higher level technologies are still expensive, so the majority population still doesn't have much that's fancier than our current technology. Their computers, smart phones, weapons, and medical care are pretty much just a bit more advanced. The technological and magical usually mix just fine, though some countries on Earth look down on it.
