Across Our Stars is a Harvest Moon / Stardew Valley-inspired village role play with a side of mystery. Duped into relocating to a tiny village by the allure of free real estate, you're offered a chance to start your life over in a town where no one knows your name... or much of anything, really, considering the previous residents of Barlow's Point seem to have vanished.
Will you be the one to seek them out, or perhaps the one to replace them? Or maybe fate will demand you join them? Time will tell.
You may have been looking at your profiles and wondering - Reverie? Reves? What are those?
Glad I implied you asked! In a nutshell, Reverie (or 'Reve' for short) are AOS's form of out-of-character currency. While we don't have IC currency due to the logistics of adding it in and the whole mess that would come up trying to add items that pertain to different lines of work, Reverie can be used to purchase nice little bonuses for your narrative. This includes things such as side-wide events coordinated around character(s) of your choice, additional boards for settings you might like to add, access to the lucrative blue feather in order to get married, and other goodies along those lines. Check out the [shop] for a full listing.
Neat! But how do I get Reves?
Reverie are awarded one of three ways;
1. Actively participating in a plot event or seasonal festival (once available) 2. Filling hearts on your diary page, 3. Reaching special milestones on the site.
While the first is fairly self-explanatory, I'll touch briefly on the other two. here. To 'fill hearts', essentially, is to build a relationship between two characters in the way you might remember doing so in your average farming sim. As you rise (or fall!) to a new ranking for the first time and direct a staff member's attention to the change, you will be awarded with Reves. Please note that this is only the case for the first shift to the new heart color, however - you cannot use your love/hate relationship to farm Reves. Try to connect with as many people as possible to reap maximum benefit.
While this will be left within the player's hands to manage for the moment, attempts to take advantage of this system will be met with harder limits and loss of privileges.
For more information on heart colors in detail, please see our diary guide.
As for the third... Across Our Stars has what essentially amounts to unlockable achievements that can be found listed in our discord server. You will be given a hint in the form of the milestone's name as to what you must do in-character in order to receive them - and, if you successfully meet the criteria, you will be rewarded Reves. The first person to complete the achievement will receive a little bonus for figuring it out, but anyone who performs the task after it's publicly visible may also do it in character and show the mods to receive Reves.
Late to the party and want bragging rights, but everything is unlocked? Can't figure out a particularly tough hint? Don't worry - milestones will rotate out every season, so you'll always have a chance to aim for the goal.
Perhaps most comparable to Stardew, Across Our Stars takes place in a universe not much different from our own - computers and smartphones exist, but Barlow's Point is so remote that finding a decent connection anywhere in the village is difficult. Vehicles exist, but the lack of an airport and the instability of the roads makes them a rare sight in town. That said, electricity in the village is drawn from wind power gathered by turbines in Far Star Fields, and most, if not all homes and businesses have access to functional toilets and refrigerators.
Magic
Magic is largely rooted only in fairy tales and folklore, and is not a gift the general public possesses or entirely believes in. While some might believe supernatural or mysterious things have happened in Barlow's Point, there's generally a scientific explanation that can be offered for everything... most of the time. From a meta standpoint, consider Stardew Valley. While magic-using people and creatures exist, they are concealed from the general public, and are likely to become available later down the line under special circumstances.
Social Issues
While the stages of late capitalism continue to cause problems for much of the world, racism, homophobia, and transphobia are seen to be distasteful and offensive to the wider populous. Even the most rural areas in-universe are fairly forward-thinking, and bigots will not be received with a warm welcome.
Wait, Capitalism?
While the rest of the world world outside certainly copes with danger of buyouts, Barlow's Point is not presently on the radar of large business as a feasible place to set claim to - half because attempting to establish larger buildings on the cliffside this close to sea level would be an absolute nightmare, and half due to the town's obscurity in general. That isn't to say that couldn't change based on the sorts of characters arriving, but at present, Barlow's Point has no need to fear the Funlands and JojaCos of the world.
I hope this missive finds you well. You do not know me, but your grandfather was once a very dear friend of mine, to whom I have offered many a service. As I advance in age, however, it comes time that I must ask for one in return..
I own an observatory, you see. The one you see on the image before you, where the ocean meets the sky. I fear I have become too old, too weak to continue with its upkeep, and must embark upon the long road soon - and that is where I must ask for your assistance. Your grandfather tells me that you have a good heart, and that you yourself hunger for something more purposeful to fill your time in this life. I am inclined to believe him .
Enclosed, you will find a map to my home - now yours - upon Barlow's Point. Please make haste in your arrival. I hope to meet you soon.
Yours most sincerely,
- K
... Or, so went the message on the back of the postcard you received the other day.
How it came into your possession is as much a mystery as its contents - for those with addresses, it was slipped under the door, still slick from the puddle of water it came dripping from. For those without, a damp patch would find its way into your pocket, revealing the crumpled thing you now held in your palm. Magic, you might be inclined to call it. Or maybe just a bizarre prank, if you aren't a superstitious sort. Or maybe, if you weren't the sort to fuss the mention of a grandfather that may or may not be alive at this point, free real estate!
Whatever your story might have been, you were someone who responded to the call and braved the arduous road to Barlow's Point... only to be greeted with a reality that's a little more... muddy, than you perhaps may have initially anticipated.
The voice that greets you in the tower at the end of the cliff informs you that there is no 'K' living there - hasn't been for years. The Observatory is owned by the town that has apparently been built up around it, and, while she gives you her sincerest apologies, it is not in need of any real upkeep at the present time. You are not the first to have been duped by these strange postcards, and they are working on finding a solution to the matter. If you were to stop by the inn in the Twilight District, you may stay there for the night, but there exists no place for a housesitter here.
...
But, were you to go out into the town... it seems there is not only no place for a housesitter, but no place for anyone. There's no bustle in the market district, no families at the beach - even the inn, which you are told you may stay in free of charge, is staffed by only one individual. He tells you the town is empty. That he sold his possessions and moved here, and was unable to return to his old life... but that no longer matters. Barlow's Point is a peaceful place to live. The ocean is filled with fresh fish, the cave beside it with mushrooms, and the fields are loaded with good quality forge if you know what's edible. And so, figuring he might help these 'others' the odd attendant mentioned, he appointed himself innkeeper. It's not like the Town Hall has ever bothered him over it - if anything, it seems they're bringing him business now. Perhaps if you had nowhere to go, or nowhere you wanted to go back to... well. The buildings are empty and your options, open.
After all while it may not be as a housesitter, there will always be a place for you here, if you're willing to make it your own.
Across Our Stars is a Harvest Moon / Stardew Valley-inspired village role play with a side of mystery. Duped into relocating to a tiny village by the allure of free real estate, you're offered a chance to start your life over in a town where no one knows your name... or much of anything, really, considering the previous residents of Barlow's Point seem to have vanished. Will you be the one to seek them out, or perhaps the one to take their place? Or maybe fate will demand you join them? Time will tell.
Barlow's Point A quiet seaside village on the rocky coast of the country of Auriga. While previously unnoticed by the public, the buzz around the strange postcards in certain corners online has recently garnered it a bit of attention. However, the remote nature of the village and the difficulty that comes with navigating its rocky dirt roads has left the greater majority to stick to visiting Meridia, the resort city further to the east.
Seasonally, Barlow's Point is best compared to New Zealand - subtropical summers and relatively mild winters with light snowfall. Areas of Note:
1. Old Observatory Hill
Barlow Hall
2. Solaris Square 3. Twilight District 4. Barlow Beach
Calypso Cavern
Dockyard
Meridian Ravine While the entire area between Barlow's Point and Meridia is known as the Meridian Ravine, the ravine itself is only limited to the area around the Celestial River. The territory around town is technically supposed to be referred to as being part of Kepler Canyon, but the ravine has been so important to the citizens of Barlow's Point that it became synonymous with the entire area.
The fields outside of town are ideal for livestock, but plants that can tolerate the bedrock of the cliffs supporting them may be grown as well. Areas of Note:
5. Comet Bridge 6. Celestial River 7. Far Star Fields 8. The Outskirts
On Across Our Stars, we put a lot of focus on character dynamics and how they relate to one another. And, as this is a Harvest Moon-inspired role play, why not keep an eye on that in a manner based on the heart system? While you're role playing, keep track of how your character feels about those they meet, and get rewarded for it.
So, how's that work?
For those who haven't played Harvest Moon/Stardew Valley, character relationships are often quantified by rainbow colors. The closer you are to red on the scale, the closer you are to the character. For a summary on the meaning of each color on AOS, check out the following table;
Hatred
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Obsession
Neutrality
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No Interest
Acquaintance
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Admiration
Friend
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Attraction
Close Friend
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Crush
Best Friend
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Infatuation
Inseparable
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Love
Family
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Soulmate
You may substitute in your own images to fit your preferred layout, add supplemental text, or whatever you like - what matters primarily is the growth and color here. Keep an eye on the moments the two characters share together and record these instances in their diary (which will probably end up formatted sort of like a slightly more fleshed out thread tracker, for all intents and purposes) and let mods know when things take a turn for the better... or worse.
Once staff can confirm a first-time change in standing, you'll be rewarded reves (the site's currency) for it. More on that under basic information.
We prefer to keep things fairly simple around here. So, without further ado...
1. Be excellent to each other! Please respect everyone out of character regardless of the role they play, and set the standard to be treated similarly. Peace is most easily kept in good company. So let's try to get along, yeah?
2. Across Our Stars takes place over both Proboards and Discord. Whether you role play exclusively on the site, on the server, or do a bit of both is up to you, of course! Due to it being a central touch point for the moderation team to get news out and communicate freely with members, however, we ask that you please have a Discord account you do not mind joining our game's server with, even if you do not intend to role play there.
3. Regarding claims: Across Our Stars is an illustrated FC site. Meaning, we accept only animanga, comic, or original character claims.
Please note, however, that we do require linked credit to the original source on all non-official artwork used. Respect of the artist is critical - if an artist specifically requests that their work not be used, it is our duty to comply. If you would have to say 'credit to the artist' due to not knowing the origin of the art you're using, we ask that you do not use it.
4. Regarding posting: AOS has no word count limit - we only ask that you provide enough for your partner to work with. This ties back into the first rule - respecting your fellow members involves working out how you would like to conduct the role play among yourselves.
5. Regarding accounts: While you are not required to make an OOC account unless you are a participating staff member, we request that each individual character have their own account. We have no hard limit on how many characters you can create nor any activity checks, but please note that characters that have not shown activity for 1 full month will have their threads and corresponding pages (e.g. plotters, diary) archived. The player may request these to be restored at any point up until the second full month of inactivity, at which point the account will be deleted. This is to keep things tidy and reasonably well organized.
6. AOS is Mature, but not NSFW. While Proboards by nature requires content remain PG-13, the community this site is intended for will run the gamut of being for a tasteful 18+ crowd.
In this case, 'tasteful' means 'may discuss mature content and themes, but the content itself is not specifically geared to be overly sexual or gory in nature'. If you do want to role play such things, please do so privately offsite. We're just here to be old and vibe, my friend.
7. If you're writing about sensitive subjects, please include a content warning. This applies for things such as drug use, abusive situations, or moderate to intense violence included in applications or posts. As a general rule of thumb, if you've written a paragraph that reads a little dicey, err on the side of caution.
ACROSS OUR STARS was created by rhy and made better by you. Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons as a concept belongs to Marvelous Inc. Stealing or copying any written material from Across Our Stars without permission is prohibited. The original skin was created by Alcove of Wicked Wonderland, with additional frankensteined code provided by pharaoh leap of Pixel Perfect. All image credit goes to the Yasuragi no Ki Moto Playbook.
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