Digivice FAQ

[archiveunion]

[ Digivice_FAQ ]

The Digivice was once the treasured tool of Digimon tamers, developed by leading minds from both worlds, symbol of the unbreakable bond between partners and the technological heights to which humans and Digimon would rise together.
The emergence of the NIO infection quashed that dream, and almost all of the Digivices were lost in abandoned Root City. But data extracted from a prototype model entrusted to Archive Base may pave the way for the new generation of tamers...

[ Overview ]

The Digivice is a piece of technology that characters will receive upon entry to the Digital World. It allows characters to access the game network and evolve their partner, and has other helpful functions. This FAQ covers all Digivice functions available to characters.

[ Digivice_Appearance ]

Because the materials used to create the original Digivices originated in the human world, those older models are in short supply, limited to whatever can be found and refurbished. Instead of handing out invaluable relics, Archive Union issues its human recruits Digivices in data form, installed to a piece of technology they have on their person.

The Digivice shell can be any digital device of the player's choosing, provided the character has it with them when they enter the Digital World; mobile phones of any age, music players, game consoles, even objects with limited function like wristwatches or headphones, as long as the object has digital components. It's recommended that you choose something portable or wearable, though the Digivice can be installed on a laptop or similar.

If a Digivice is destroyed, its functions will not be available to the character until they receive a replacement, which may take some time and effort on their part, since it can only be installed to devices of otherworldly origin. They may have to repair or recover their old Digivice, search dangerous areas for human technology, or ask other characters for belongings that can be converted into Digivices.

[ Using_the_Digivice ]

All Digivices can be used in projection form - when activated (by a button press, voice command, or other appropriate form of input), they cause a floating screen to appear before their user, which can be swiped and tapped to scroll and select Digivice functions. Text input can be achieved through a projected keyboard or (good, but not perfect) voice transcription; video input treats the screen as the camera for capture, and can take video facing the user (out of the front of the screen) or facing away from the user (out of the back of the screen).

Users can customize the interface, input commands, and output methods to their liking - they could interact with the Digivice entirely through audio if they wished, for example, programming a range of voice commands and having it read aloud all notifications, messages, and options. Or they could make its interface completely picture-based, substituting icons for all non-message text. If the Digivice shell has a sufficiently big screen, like a smartphone, they could disable the projected screen and use the shell's native input and output methods. As long as the functions remain the same, the sky's the limit.

Whatever customization users inflict on their Digivices, the basic projection interface will always be available to use if/when needed.

By default, people can use a Digivice registered to someone else just the same as they could pick up their friend's phone and start going through it, though they can't activate its evolution-related functions. New users aren't prompted to set up a password, but it's easy to do if you stumble on the option while browsing settings or go looking for it.

[ Function ]
[ Partner_Registration ]

Becoming partner partners isn't an automatic process; to use the Digivice's evolution-regulating functions, a Tamer has to register a Digimon to it. For registration to succeed, the emotional connection that powers evolution must be present, if not yet fully realized, so registration without consent from a Digimon is rather rare. That connection can be as simple as an agreement to work together, or a more profound and less direct bond.

Mechanically, registration is simple; point the Digivice or its projected screen at the Digimon, give a command, wait for the connection to be verified, and you're done. Tamers will be briefed on this process upon entry to the game, as finding partners for new recruits is a priority for Archive Union.

Registrations can be nulled, again simply by issuing a command to the Digivice. Partners may be able to feel the reinforcement vanishing from the connection between them; those that have felt it in the past report it to be a very unpleasant sensation. Nulling and re-registering partnerships has no effect on OOC evolution mechanic progress, if you want to play it out. ICly, nulling and restoring a partnership usually causes temporary difficulties with evolution just from the effect on the Digivice bond itself, let alone whatever personal conflict led to the nulling in the first place.

We highly discourage nulling a partnership permanently unless you're absolutely certain you want to play out your character moving from one partner to another, because that will reset their evolution EXP. Contact a mod if this is something you plan on doing. We expect partner-switching to be a very, very rare event.

[ Function ]
[ Evolution ]

Digimon bonded to humans are notoriously sensitive to their partner's emotional state, and ever since humankind first set foot in the Digital World, Digimon have used their energy to reach ever greater evolutionary forms.

Normally, the process is volatile and unpredictable, requiring a mysterious connection and emotional states that usually only occur in dire situations. The Digivice's stabilizing effect on jump evolution can't be understated. It keeps a line open from human to Digimon, supplying the Digimon with the energy needed to evolve at will - no one need be in mortal peril, or wracked with anger, or otherwise overcome.

So long as characters have their Digivice, evolution will work as described [link]here[/link]. If it breaks or is separated from them, their partner will only be able to undergo link evolution under severe emotional stress and when not physically exhausted.

[ Function ]
[ Network ]

The Digital World's extensive communications network and myriad social media services went down with Root City, forcing Archive Union to recreate them in stripped-down function, if not form.

The vast Digivice internet is lost, alas. In its place is a single network feature, called...TamerNet. How original! Booting up TamerNet presents you with three main "tabs" to switch between. The first is a bulletin-board-like page for announcements, mostly projected mission schedules, alerts on incidents around the Digital World, messages from Union leaders and allies, and PSAs. [The bulletin board's monthly contents are given in mod posts.]//[The bulletin board's contents can be found in the sticky post at the top of the IC comm.]//[something]

The second tab is the more familiar network. Like a journaling site, it consists of posts that show up in latest-first chronological order, which can be opened up individually to reply or view replies. Unlike on Dreamwidth, replies are live-updated, so conversations can be followed in real time.

Posts and replies can involve text, video, audio, or some combination of the three. When audio and video are used, replies are recorded as a thread for browsing later, but the characters communicating use a more seamless interface for live communication. Characters can also upload pictures or other files to individual replies.

The network can be browsed back chronologically, or be searched for posts by certain users or on certain dates.

The third tab is the character's profile, settings, and messages. All characters have a personal inbox and can send and receive private messages. They have a profile page with some basic information fields and an avatar image, corresponding to the [inbox post code].

[ Function ]
[ Personal_Computer ]

Digivices also contain some basic computing applications - text editor, calculator, etc - and have more than enough storage space to hold onto extra files and programs. Characters with the skill and patience to learn Digivice programming are free to create their own programs, features, and modifications, . If your character feels like tinkering with their Digivice, [contact a mod] to let us know what they're up to and to find out about any unexpected results.

[ Extra_Function ]
[ Compression_Chip ]

This add-on feature allows Tamers' partners to lower their evolutionary stage at will, for portability and convenience, by extracting memory data from their DigiCore. They may assume any of their prior permanent forms, voluntarily and without a time limit, but may not assume forms that they only ever accessed through jump evolution.

Example: A partner Digimon is currently a Greymon. During his lifespan, he's evolved from Botamon, to Koromon, to Agumon, and then Greymon. The Digivice's compression chip can return him to any of those three forms.

Another partner Digimon is currently a MetalGreymon, who has also evolved along the line Botamon -> Koromon -> Agumon -> Greymon -> MetalGreymon. When he was an Agumon, he used jump evolution to assume forms other than Greymon, such as Tyrannomon and Tortamon. The compression chip can only turn him into a Botamon, Koromon, Agumon, or Greymon - the forms that have been "locked into" his evolution line as he permanently evolved.

Digimon reverted through the compression chip cannot use the attacks or signature abilities of their reverted forms, as they are only taking on the size and physical qualities of those forms, and in reality are still the same species.

[ Extra_Function ]
[ Mobility_Chip ]

A staple add-on for the Digivice that helps aquatic Digimon accompany their partners on land. The mobility chip applies a minor levitation effect that lifts Digimon a few feet off the ground at most, and a sliding-motion effect that simulates some of the physics of water so that they can swim or slither along comfortably.

The mobility chip is present on all Digivices and can be enabled for any Digimon, but Digimon already suited to walking on land usually find that it hinders their movements, causing them to lose their balance, slide around gracelessly, and become dizzy and nauseous.