Differences

"Um... have we met somewhere?... It's just that I felt we have."

Persona MUSH combines the characters, settings, and storylines of the games - an other sources - all together. As opposed to literal cutting and pasting, there are a number of changes across the board to enable the settings to play nicely with one another.

The following, alongside Theme, will help enlighten on these changes. If you are uncertain on any point, feel free to ask staff about the point of contention.

Storyline and Setting

• The 'demons' of Persona 1 and Persona 2 are usually Shadows here. Others are creations of the DVA system and kotodama, and do not roam the streets as they did in-game. There are no Devil Summoners on the MUSH, at least not in the classic sense.
• For the most part, the games are all happening at the exact same time. Persona 3 and Persona 4 are happening at the same time instead of a few years apart. The same holds true for Persona 1 and Persona 2.
• We are still largely using the original localization for the setting of the Persona 1 area, which is called Lunarvale here, while the alternate city created by the DVA system is known by its original name of Mikage-cho. Characters are using their Japanese names, although due to the quirky way Lunarvale runs, their English names are acceptable as nicknames.
• Following on the first note, the Persona 1 cast have not yet grown up as seen in Persona 2. There are a few areas that have to be fudged (Yukino is an apprentice photographer as a part-time job, Principal Hannya has an uncanny doppleganger in Dean Harding over in St. Hermelin, and other such details). If you are unsure about something, ask.
• The Persona 2 end is running largely on the Innocent Sin continuity, but there are some changes that allow Tatsuzou Sudou's New World Order to run around at the same time. We are not likely to be doing the hard reset of space/time as seen at the end of Persona 2: Innocent Sin.
• Unlike Persona 3 and 4, we will not be forcing the story along the calendar. Minato gets more than a year to stave off the Fall, and Souji is more or less staying with his uncle indefinitely.
• All Persona users may enter the Velvet Room of their own free will, a major difference from Persona 3 and 4. Igor will perform the usual services for any Persona user, but he still only calls specific individuals for one-on-one meetings.
• Little stops the characters of different games from playing in any of the major game settings, or even with one another from different games. Okina City, an area only seen in some Social Link cutscenes in Persona 4, serves as the hub between the cities and is always just a short train ride away.
• The odd things that happen in one place can be experienced by people outside of the setting. For example, any Persona wielder from any game can experience the Dark Hour in Port Island, or enter the TV world. Rumors can reach far and wide to affect the goings on almost anywhere, though Sumaru is where they have the strongest effect.
• The date is roughly six months in the past of our real world time. For example, this game opened on October 1st, 2009, yet in the IC setting it was April 1st, 2009. It can get confusing, but +time will always point out what day it is in game.
• Characters do age with the passing of time. The high school characters will all graduate one day in our setting, and in some cases already have (Mitsuru Kirijo, Akihiko Sanada, and Tatsuya Suou, all of whom were seniors in their school system). For the studious among them, college awaits afterwards.
• Many elements from Persona 3 FES' bonus chapter, The Answer, have been reworked extensively to work here. The Abyss of Time and Metis still exist, but diverge from their canonical counterparts in many ways.

Interaction

• Unlike Persona 3 and 4, you are not restricted to one person with which to collect Social Links. Any character of the same Arcana will contribute to that same Social Link count. For example, both Junpei and Yosuke can both contribute to one's Magician Social Link count.
• "Police" type characters are not restricted to acting solely in the area of their game. This is admittedly not realistic in so far as jurisdictions go, but this is something we're handwaving as to let those kinds of characters get involved in just about anything.

Persona Use

• A major change for the Persona 3 and 4 cast, everyone can use multiple Personae, which coincides with the Velvet Room being visitable by any Persona user. The Fools can hold more at once than the others.
• Characters can use their Personae anywhere, even in broad daylight. It is strongly advised that you do not do this where regular people can see it (or get caught up in it).
• Aside from those listed in the Minor Arcana (Cup, Rod, Sword, Coin), the "general" Personae are unlocked through accumulating enough Social Link points from characters of that Arcana. Think of it as P3 and P4, except every Persona of an Arcana is S.Link locked.

Combat System

• All characters have exactly one weapon type, unlike in the first Persona game where everyone had a melee weapon and a firearm.
• Statistics follow Persona 3 and 4 names, but functionally work like both of the Persona 2 games where your statistics are averaged between your Self and your current Persona's statlines.
• Everyone has a unique special attack like in Persona 4. Unlike Persona 4, these can be triggered whenever you feel, but only once per battle.
• The elements used in the combat system mostly draw from the Persona 2 games instead of the streamlined ones seen in 3 and 4.