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Data World Standards
Introduction
Data worlds are a common world in fiction. As their name implies, they are worlds that are fully digital. While they may look similar to the real world they are not. Often, how a franchise decides to handle data worlds varies depending on the cosmology. Some verses recognize affecting, creating, or destroying a data world as a feat equivalent to destroying our world, but others do not fall under this same idea. If they are the former, we treat them as pocket realities independent from the main universe.
This article will detail how we determine whether or not data feats from a verse can be used as a viable source of feats. Some of the following requirements should be met in order to prove that data worlds can be used as feats. It should be noted that some points greatly outweigh the others when it comes to consideration on whether or not something qualifies.
Data World Requirements
- The data should be a "physical" place where characters are moving. However, it's important to note that it should be noted as physical not just from the perception of characters within the data. That is not enough evidence to conclude that something is properly a legitimate data world outside of just the beings within the data world. Also, take note that characters who can hop into data would need extra evidence behind them too given the nature of their ability.
- If residents from a data world can exist outside the data world with their own body from the data world.
- Concepts such as death should be present as part of it. To clarify, this doesn't mean dying in the data world and dying due to something being connected to one’s mind killing them through a chain reaction. This means if one [a person from our true universe] actually dies in the data world, they are truly dead in general. Some of the sub-points also clarify other things to show this idea.
- Another concept that implies this is hunger. This would show that bodily necessities such as food are still existent needs in data worlds.
- If someone takes damage in a data world and it carries back to the physical world, that can be used to show that the damage experienced was actually true too.
- Whoever or whatever is stating that the data worlds are real places should be a reliable source. For more on how this point works, please refer to our Statements page and evaluate it from there.
- If a data world character at all shows they’re able to affect the real world.
Data World Contradictions
- If a character needs to digitally transfer their essence, soul, mind, etcetera from the data world into an object in the real world, or if someone from the real world must do vice versa.
- If the data world is directly connected to different host systems, such as a computer system, the internet, or more. Do note that if the data world has shown a good portion of the data world requirements then this contradiction can be ultimately bypassed.
Things that do not support the data world requirements
- Data characters having souls, a consciousness, or mind does not prove it follows our standards. In fiction lower hierarchical beings, nonexistent beings, and more can develop a soul, consciousness or body, thus this does not prove that the data is a real physical world but that the soul or consciousness in verse exists in everything even non-physical beings.
- Characters or data worlds that were once connected to a host system being disconnected and not a part of the internet or original host system does not prove it follows our standards. The unexplainable nature they’re in would either be something the verse would require to go further in depth on, or at best, rate the character as Unknown due to the unexplainable nature of the data world.
Examples of Data Worlds that meet our standards
- Code Lyoko: The Code Lyoko computer system can reverse all of time within Code Lyoko and the real world. Along with the computer system X.A.N.A. being able to make portals between the real and virtual world. Along with one like Aelita in the data world being able to come to the real world.
- Dark World In Deltarune: Chapter 2 the dark world is a cyber world based off the library's computer room. Despite this, characters like Berdy can be affected in the Dark World affecting him in the real world. He will also attain the injuries he had in the dark world into the real world.
Addressing some possible misconceptions
- Verses that acknowledge they’re fiction through means of Breaking the Fourth Wall aren’t considered data worlds even if they mention they’re merely data or code as that has to deal with Reality - Fiction Interaction more than it has to deal with legitimate data worlds. Data worlds are worlds that are considered data even to characters in the verse, such as the datascape in Kingdom Hearts.
- The same ideas apply to a simulated reality or virtual world.
- Fictional worlds, aka lower hierarchal layers of reality, wouldn't fall under this as those are Tier 11 no matter the case.