Preseason is a ~4 day special event that kicks off the start of every season. In preseason, the storytelling team works to create structured events for players that introduce aspects of the world. It’s a great way to be introduced to the setting and to the other characters. For more info on preseason, see the preseason FAQ below.
➡️ The Branches
➡️ How to Create a Preseason Character
The preseason takes place in the Silver Meridian , one of the many Luxurious Rail cruises facilitated by the private company Evercrest, being funded by the US Governemnt through Expanding Passenger Rail Efficiency, Safety & Service Act (EXPRESS Act) due to rising concerns over oil dependence.
The Silver Meridian is one of Evercrest's premier lines, spanning from California to DC on a freshly laid "southern" tract of rail. Pioneering not only the southern rail route, the Silver Meridian is also the first of the Luxury Rail Cruises to add an economy class, finally making this new and upcoming form of recreation available to the average person. It has been wildly successful, with Evercrest boasting a whopping 29% of all US luxury rail bookings for the 1993 season, selling out of all lines months in advance.
It is to be noted that The Silver Meridian is not an ordinary train service, it is comparable to a luxury cruise, equipped with all the amenities and services to entertain its passengers throughout the duration of their travel.
To be in the preseason, your character must have boarded the train at Los Angeles, California.
Like the QZ Citizens and Outsiders of S6, there are three preseason branches to choose from: Economy, First class and Crew.
Economy tickets are the cheapest means available to travel on the The Silver Meridian, but they are by no means cheap. These tickets can be gotten through various means that make sense, such as a prize from work, a radio contest win, or maybe bought for a higher price from scalpers. If your character is an average joe, this is likely your best bet. These tickets cost start at $999 in 1993, which would be around $2,245.50 in 2025.
First Class tickets are for those who can truly afford/justify it. These are for people with wealth to spare, or people who can afford to indulge once in their life. As these tickets start at $3500+ in 1993, which is around $7,867.13 - $10,114.88 in 2025, these cannot be obtained from a contest prize or as a gift. Make it believable, Economy is still a viable option for most than this.
Crew option is for those who want a predefined role during the preseason. Roles include: Chef, Servers, Entertainers, Attendants, etc. Just make sure to write your application accordingly and make it believable.
When you go to submit an app for the preseason, you will be given the option to select one of those origins.
Step One: Decide who your character is before the outbreak. Remember, the outbreak started in March 9th 1993, and preseason happens a few days prior to it. Make sure your character is old enough to ride the cruise by themselves, that is, above and 18. Just like normal, tell us about where they were born/raised, what their family and upbringing was like, and what their job (if any) was before shit went down.
Step Two: Decide on how your character got to Los Angeles, California, as they need to board The Silver Meridian to be included in the preseason. They could have lived there, their work could have brought them there, or they could have travelled from a nearby state to board the once-in-a-lifetime experience of The Silver Meridian.
Step Three: Make it believable. This is an obvious, but important point of character creation. Make sure your story connects, and make sure it makes sense. For guidelines, check: https://discord.com/channels/1011290554652430456/1012715652970184786/1449161763588276465.
When does the Silver Meridian leave, and when do the rifts start?
The Silver Meridian leaves LA on March 3rd, 1993. The rifts all around the world happen on March 9th, 1993. The Silver Meridian is already well underway at the time.
Can my character be planning to meet a friend in Knox if they are on the Silver Meridian?
If you get separated from a friend (one of you gets into preseason, one doesn't), you could always have the friend plan to hang out with them in Louisville when the train stops there for the day. Whether things will go as planned is another story...
Can my character be planning to only take the Silver Meridian part of the way?
No, the Silver Meridian is a destination "cruise", not a normal train with regular stops. When your character gets on they should be expecting to get off in NYC.
Can my character initially board the Silver Meridian at a stop other than Los Angeles?
Nope, your character has to be in CA when they get on.
Is there any special process if I want my character to be staff on the Silver Meridian?
Just make sure you list very clearly what job they have on the train. Try to make it a realistic job. Entertainers, maintenance, cleaning, culinary, etc. The conductor role is off limits. The Helpers and storytellers will approve (or reject, with alternatives) the role you have chosen.
How much do Silver Meridian tickets cost?
Silver Meridian tickets start at $999 for Economy and $3500+ for First Class. That's in 1993 money. In 2025, that would be $2,245.50 for Economy and $7,867.13 - $10,114.88 for First Class! Bear that in mind when deciding where to put your character. We may reject people to recommend they go for economy if they’re not bougie enough.
Can my character sneak onto the train?
It would be very difficult to do so, as these tickets are attached to your ID. Never say never, but you would need a very good explanation.
Can my character be teleported onto the train via rift?
No.
Who can join preseason?
Anyone who submits a bio in time. The apps open up one day early for donors, and then for everyone else. Slots are reserved for non-donors so that the donors don’t have all the fun. Donator apps open on the 3rd of January; general preseason apps open on the 4th of January and then it closes on the 8th. DO NOT GO OUT AND BUY DONOR JUST FOR THIS. Being a donor does not guarantee you will get in.
So preseason applications are first-come-first-served?
Kind of. Being first is definitely weighted in your favor-- however, a number of factors are considered, including how well-written the app is, how much the character fits with the lore, whether you the player are in good standing with the server (if you’re regularly disruptive at events, I can’t say that will help your cause), and how many times you have to be rejected to fix things.
So if I get rejected, it’s over?
Not if you resubmit promptly, no. Don’t freak. Rejections are normal, but make sure you’re reading the lore carefully so there’s less of a chance you get rejected.
Me and my three friends have shared backstories, can we all get in to preseason?
No, there’s no guarantee that you will all get in. It’s very common that only one or two people from a group are picked for preseason. When this happens, the people who didn’t get in can re-write their backstories to indicate that they will be meeting up with the people who got in a little later.
If I get in but my friends don’t, can I pull out of preseason?
Absolutely. Open a ticket to request to be removed from the preseason list.
Can I use AI to write my preseason app?
No. Nor can you use it to “clean up” what you have written. Nor can you use Grammarly’s function to re-structure things for you. Nor can you have a friend write your preseason app. Your writing should be 100% your own, with no more help than you would receive from a 2015 copy of Word (I.E. spelling and being prompted to swap ‘there’ for ‘their’).
When will I know if I have been accepted?
After preseason apps close, there will be a day or two for the Helpers to process everything and for the admins to make any final veto calls, and then everyone will be accepted or rejected all at once.
What do I even do if I don’t make it into preseason?
Just chill. Don’t worry. After the preseason apps are processed, regular apps open up, and you can remove any preseason details from your bio and re-write it for the regular season. Preseason is only ~4 days, you won’t miss a ton (and preseason players don’t get the full run of the map during preseason, so the map won’t be looted). On regular opening day, you should be all ready to go.
Can you give me any tips for how to get in?
Take your time. Think out your character. Make them feel like a real person. Make sure they can play nice with other people-- they can be evil, or surly, or introverted, but you have to give them reasons to behave and reach out to people, or they won’t be very fun to share the preseason with.
This is the only time that Helpers judge for writing quality, meaning half-assing the bio because you hate writing them ain’t the way. Make sure your lore is correct, make sure it’s not just a huge wall of text with no paragraphs, and make sure your character is not a catgirl.