Ready to rock....

...but I need a band.

Since I can't seem to find an online play-by-email or forum game based on the rules from the Marvel Super Heroes RPG (the only way I can play / run a game right now with my work schedule) I guess I'm tossing my hat in the ring to volunteer to run a PBEM or forum game (preferably forum-based). I'll probably set up a blog page for this.

Now the hard part...

Who wants to play MSH, and what kind of campaign setting do you want to play in?

Do you want to play in a combined Marvel / DC setting and use established superheroes?

Do you want to play in a combined Marvel / DC setting and create new characters for a new team (established superheroes are NPCs)?

Do you want to create new characters for a setting that has nothing to do with Marvel / DC (your created characters would be the first superheroes of this Earth)?

Call this a trial balloon....

Well I personally favor a Marvel Earth setting as close to 616 as possible (well up until the Civil War stupidity), or a new earth setting that still has heroes in its history but they're unique to that setting (although perhaps have similar names to a Marvel or DC character, since only so many to go around after all like when Barry Allen adopted the name of the Flash from his 'fictional' comic book character he enjoyed as a kid).

I also tend to enjoy my own custom characters over existing ones, because I hate the problems of trying to play as close to how the character is in the comics and someone going 'Hey Hero X would never do that' or other conflicts.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

I do have a streamlined and merged Marvel / DC chronology and timeline current up until pre-House of M / M-Day and pre-Infinite Crisis that I used in my last tabletop setting that does not depart radically from the continuity from either universe (JLA formed on Earth while Avengers were off fighting in the Kree-Skrull war, Beyonder's machinations caused the Crisis on Infinite Earths, etc.) In this universe, the "crossover" alternate universe was the Amalgam Universe, hehe.

As far as judging the "role-playing of an established hero," I know your sentiments well. All I can say is in my game that would be ultimately my job, not other players, and I'm not unconvinceable in the face of compelling arguments. For example, I'd want Tony Stark to be played as an insecure, pencil-necked overcompensating control freak driven to drink by the fact that other people have their own way of doing things not necessarily his....

;)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2007 08:54AM by The Beyonders.

I know I say this every once in awhile, but I do because a lot of people haven't heard about them:

Instead of using a message board or IRC to run a game online, have you considered running a game with virtual tabletop program? My favorite is klooge.werks [www.kloogeinc.com] since it does almost everything I could want. It is a commercial program though. If you wanted to consider a cheaper alternative (free) OpenRPG [www.openrpg.com] is also available to use, but has far less options and isn't nearly as customizable. A virtual tabletop is much better option in my opinion as it replicates a traditional game.

Like I said, just trying to throw the option out there.

TAG

Edited to make the links work.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2007 12:31PM by ThatArtGuy.

I like a combined setting, but scaled back. I have no problems with how characters behave, as my comic knowledge could fill a coffee cup or two.

As for the characters themselves, I like 'new hero on the scene', with established as NPCs/now and then PCs (as in 'taking a break from your created superhero, here is an adventure using...').

Beyonders, cough it up! I'm trying the same with a DC/Marvel/Champions setting (plopping some organizations/heroes/villains into the Champions mold). Since I know next to little, I'm dropping a majority of stuff, all for a new set of players, so they have landmarks (ala Superman, Batman, The Avengers), new places (The Champions, supergroup in Millineum City), but can also make their own way.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2007 12:50PM by Yendor.

Is this something everyone would have to be online simultaneously to do?

My main sell on the forum based format is that the only people generally awake when I am are stuck in lunchtime traffic on the other side of the planet, so I can't do "live action"

It's all in handwritten and scribbled notecard form right now so I can tweak storyline chronologies as necessary (I really dug Kingdom Come's Hypertime concept), but it makes for a very busy universe with the "sliding timescale" used by both Marvel and DC (Fantastic Four and Superman debuted on Earth around 14 to 15 years ago).

I'll post it somewhere when I get it in a less disorganized fashion.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2007 08:15PM by The Beyonders.

Yahoo lets you create a forum pretty quickly, might be an easy go for a play-by-post format. Niniri does that with one Marvel forum on Yahoo and it seems to go well.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

Since no less than the Beyonders asked....

>Who wants to play MSH, and what kind of campaign setting do you want to play in?

I'd like to be considered for your game. DC or Marvel is fine. Right now, I'm more into DC, but I don't really prefer either setting.

>Do you want to play in a combined Marvel / DC setting and use established superheroes?

I think I'd prefer either one or the other. The "cross-continuity" stuff doesn't much interest me. Additionally, I'd prefer original characters; I like something that feels like "mine".

>Do you want to play in a combined Marvel / DC setting and create new characters for a new team (established superheroes are NPCs)?

See above for my feelings on this option; I like this best of the three choices.

>Do you want to create new characters for a setting that has nothing to do with Marvel / DC (your created characters would be the first superheroes of this Earth)?

Ehhh...not so much. Good idea in concept, but not my cup of tea.

The Rook

Hey, every kid who ever read a comic book and finds themselves still reading comic books 30 years later is one of the Beyonders, heh.

Remember the Brothers from the Marvel vs. DC / Amalgam series?

Those are two of "THE Beyonders" in my last merged (but not full-Amalgam segue) game universe.

I think the new characters in a team together seperate but within my merged continuity background wouldn't be as Earths-shattering.

Heck, with all the time-displaced "anomaly" characters running around in the DCU currently, who says the player-created team couldn't also be "anomalies" - Exiles, anyone?

Well I still favor the un-merged, Marvel-only setting foremost. If I'm thinking of writing something super-hero in nature I tend to just automatically use the Marvel Universe (and not just because I love the game so much). I'd especially enjoy getting to give Paragon some RPG time after so long without any, or Seraphim, with the others I've posted to a lesser degree.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

Every possible Multiverse exists within the M'Kraan Crystal. Collectively, this is the Omniversal Hypertime Matrix, also known as the Nexus of All Realities.

Because the M'Kraan Crystal is cracked, Red Multiverses (Marvel and its various degrees of interacting alternate timelines and what ifs) and Blue Multiverses (DC and its attendant destructions / reboot Crises / Elseworlds) meet at the Bleed, the "space" between the Source Walls / "Big Crunches" that sustain and contain the various shades of color-coded Multiverses separate from each other within the M'Kraan Crystal. The Bleed is composed of the pure Anti-Life nexus energies of unconnected "full color" Realities to create a Purple Multiverse, a perfect melding of the Marvel and DC Multiverses into a single, stable continuity where the Marvel and DC superheroes share the same Earth timeline. (And one that is opposed by a possible Yellow Multiverse - Amalgam!)

Shall I continue?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2007 08:05AM by The Beyonders.

I really wonder who decided that they had to retcon the M'Kraan Crystal so that instead of containing a collection of neutron stars that were likely gathered across the universe and locked away for the sake of existence and make it into a pan-dimensional artifact that exists in and connects all realities and timelines together. Plus looks like the Crystal Palace the Exiles 'own' IS the M'Kraan Crystal in some fashion.

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

Maybe the M'Kraan Crystal changes so the Marvel 616 doesn't have to. ;)

I plan on launching my forum-based Marvel game campaign in January 2008. Watch for more details in the coming weeks, if you want to play.

It will probably be a shared Marvel / DC (but Marvel-centric) Earth setting, with players starting with their own creations to become a team.

Eventually, I'd like to open the doors on my campaign so that other players are running games in the same campaign as well.

(So I can get my hero on too, yo)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2007 01:40PM by The Beyonders.

Sign me up, lemme know what's what. I'm always a Judge, and never a player.

What games are you already running?

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread

Not running any other games currently, but I want to see what kinds of characters get submitted/

Basically the initial cast of new characters will be FORMING their own team during or after their "team up" / first mission together.

As the game grows within this Marvel + DC universe, maybe there will be "spinoff titles" from this group as players who want to run games in other parts of THIS SAME Marvel + DC universe (perhaps even with "established characters" like Spiderman or Dr. Strange.

I will have my proposal campaign canonical "History of the Universe" chronology up, making soft blends / merges of both universes without serious retconning the histories of either.

And then, we start campaign time at some point on that timeline.

I'd like to set the tone maybe a few years "sliding timescale time" in the past on my timeline primarily because I feel most fluent in mid 1980s to mid 1990s stories (with the added bonus of "Civil War" and the SRA being way down the road if ever at all - if someone wants to run it...)

Why can't we build a community of Marvel gamers in the same overarching campaign?

C'mon, you know you would have done it back in the 1980s if computers were like ours today....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/2007 12:30AM by The Beyonders.

I know I'm going to hate asking this but...

What's the power level you're looking at for your players?

TAG

Actually I was directing that question at Yendor as it seemed self-evident with the thread you posted that you hadn't any other games going, since most people with a game wouldn't go adding to their stress by begging for more games to run.

So why are you so against a strictly Marvel campaign, since all your replies seem to ignore any mention of such campaigns and focuses on your merged DC/Marvel universe? Or is it just that you've spent so much time putting it together you just want to show it off that badly?

"A shared universe, like any fictional construct, hinges on suspension of disbelief. When continuity is tossed away, it tatters the construct. Undermines it."

-- Peter David

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmask Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Paragon Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Complete list of my characters various forum URLs, over 30 to enjoy!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Godiva Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Seraphim Character Sheet

[www.furaffinity.net] Art by Marvel Comic's artist Rusty Haller!

[www.furaffinity.net] Artist/writer/Creator of The Extinctioners Independent super-hero comic!

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Sappho Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Cornucopia Character Sheet

[www.classicmarvel.com] - Nightmares of Futures Past Ongoing Story

[www.classicmarvel.com] - There is no such thing as too powerful Forum Thread