Frequently Asked Questions (aka: FAQ)

[STAFF]

Q. I'm new. What do I do?

A. Go read the rules! Begin with the Prime Directive (aka the core rules), then look for the Character Application Template in the Interview Room. Check the Taken List to see if the canon character you want is available, then post an application (using the template) in the New applications board. If you're making an original character (OC), be sure to check the RPG guidelines for them.

Q. What is Play by Post Role Playing?

A. Marvel Heroes RPG is a play by post (PbP) role playing game (RPG). PbP is a type of online text-based role-playing game in which players (aka. writers or simmers) interact with each other and a predefined environment via text (our environment is Marvel). In PbP games there usually aren’t statistics and experience points like the more traditional tabletop rp. PbP games are all about collaborative storytelling. Each character is portrayed through paragraphs of description alone, and therefore the strength, skills and abilities of the character are open to interpretation through the storytelling and not a number on a stat sheet.

Q. What Marvel Universe is this set in?

A. We play the Marvel 616 (the main) universe here.

Q. What is setting within Marvel history in this RPG?

A. Our game began right before the Civil War. The War was played out in this RPG so a few minor differences will be mentioned throughout play, such as Carol Danvers (Ms. Marvel) was the cause of the Registration Act going to Congress. She destroyed a town in Texas by accidentally blowing up a damn while fighting Ultron. Other events in Marvel History we completely ignore, such as M Day and Spider-Man revealing his identity to the world. If you ever have a question about if something happened in rpg history while making a character either ask a Mod or check the character trackers board to see if their history has been recorded by a previous player.

Q. How do I know what characters are already taken?

A. We maintain a running list of who is taken on site. The link is at the top of the site page [TAKEN] near the link for this very [FAQ]. You can also click this link HERE. The list includes real names and code names. There is also a short list of characters that are unplayable for plot reasons. Any character who appears in Marvel comics not on either list can more than likely be played.

Q. I want to make my own character. Are there any rules I should know about?

A. In general, any original character will not be approved if they are too close to another universe's character or another Marvel canon; if the story for this character is illogical for the Marvel Universe; or, if the powers you come up with would be more powerful than a similar canon or otherwise too OP for play in the game. There are specific rules here. Martyr's Custom Character Guide is a good place to start looking for clues on how to make a good OC. If your character is magic based, try checking out this off-site guide to magic in the Marvel Universe. To see what we consider "super powers" in the RPG, check this thread.

Q. Why does my OC have to be less powerful than a similar canon character?

A. The reason we ask that OCs are less powerful than canons is twofold. First we want to ensure this forum maintains a Marvel flavor, and we feel that the best way to do that is to keep Marvel canon more prevalent and, hence, more powerful than OCs. Second, when measuring OCs powers, we need standards by which to know if something is too powerful and the best standards are, of course, Marvel canons.

Q. How many characters are we permitted to have?

A. When you first join the site, you can have up to four characters, one of which can be an OC (see below). If you take four characters, at least one must be a villain. As you post, you will unlock more and more characters. You don't have to keep apping characters though. Some players only want that one character, after all. See the Prime Directive for more details on how this happens!

Q. What does "OC" mean?

A. OC is simply short for "Original Character." An Original character is any creation from your mind that does not exist in Marvel or any other universe. (Note: bringing an anime or DC character over to this Universe does not make them original. It makes them copied. Don't do that!)

Q. What does "OOC" mean?

A. Out of Character. If you have to say something in a post that's not in-character role-playing or is some knowledge contained outside the story written, this is what you can place at the top or bottom of the post to speak player to player.

Q. What does "IC" mean?

A. In-Character. Sometimes when talking to other role players in Discord or via PM they will say something is IC. All that means is that is information known while In-Character, or by their characters in the story.

Q. I have a support character and I want to do more with them. What do I do?

A. Support characters are minor characters who are there to support major characters. They're the everyday people in the lives of (mostly) superheroes. Think Aunt May or Willie Lumpkin. They're used when necessary for a storyline but aren't really used to drive their own plotlines. Sometimes a player of that type of character wants to do a lot more with them. They would submit an upgrade for them, asking to be moved from support character to either hero/antihero or villain status. If the player has the necessary slot in their character roster, the character will be reclassified until the player stops playing the character. The upgraded character will also be treated like a hero/anti-hero or a villain for the purposes of the Activity Check rules.

Q. Why hasn't a Mod looked at my application yet?

A. The staff have lives outside of the internet that sometimes interfere with our ability to be online daily. We try to be on as often as we can but sometimes we simply can't be here as often as we would like. That said, we do try to check in often, at minimum three to four times a week and most of us every day. We promise we will try to get to your application as soon as humanly possible, but remember we are only human and sometimes even the gods forget.

Q. I'm done with my application. Does it get rejected if one of the mods doesn't look at it in 14 days?

A. First, we would hope that it doesn't take that long, but no. The 14 day rule is meant to make the new app section less cluttered with incomplete applications. An application is incomplete either when it's not finished (labeled as WIP or missing a section), or when a mod has asked the player to change/clarify something. Also, if you are going back and forth with a mod about your application, each time the mod asks you to do something triggers a new 14 days (unless they outright reject it).

Q. A Mod asked me to edit my application and I did. Why hasn't anyone re-checked it yet?

A. The staff has an internal policy that when one moderator begins working with someone on an application, that person is the one who finishes it. That way we don't step on one another's toes by approving something that did not yet meet the requirements that someone else felt were necessary. So if you're waiting for your application to be re-checked or approved and one of the Mods has already begun working with you on it, don't be surprised if you see another mod approving other applications and not checking yours. It isn't personal. It's just our policy.

Q. What does "Mary Sue/Gary Stu" mean?

A. A Mary Sue is a female character (Mary Stu is a male character) who is classified as unrealistic, perfect, or without faults. She may have faults, but they are perfect faults, clichéd ones. These fictional characters have overly idealized and hackneyed mannerisms, lack noteworthy flaws, and primarily function as a wish-fulfillment fantasy for the author or reader. (ex. The typical fairytale princess is always a Mary Sue character.) To see if your Original Creation is too perfect, take this test! The lower your score the better, but be honest or the results will be unreliable!

Q.What does "OP" mean?

A. Over-Powered. If you are creating an original character and the powers you attempt to gain are too cosmic or God-like, you'll probably find a moderator telling you the character is "too OP". In general, we do not permit the play of canons that are extremely easy to abuse and we don't permit similar original creations. It's true many if not most of the canon Marvel characters are very OP, but Original creations of similar powers and originals cannot be made greater than their counterparts just to keep things fair to play. (ie. A man in a specially made powered suit cannot be on par or greater than Iron Man's). This is a Marvel board and we like to pay homage to that Universe by generally keeping their canons superior.

Q. What is Meta Gaming?

A. Meta Gaming is defined as when a player has become aware of or told about information pertaining to or directly regarding an ongoing storyline or situation and then, by means of role play, uses that information either to their own benefit or as a means to interact with or against other players. Simply put, it is using what they learn OOC, IC.

Q. What is god-modding?

A. It's actually correctly called "godmoding", in reference to the "god mode" you can enter in a game to become invincible. In role play, it generally means trying to exert too much control over the plot and other characters. This can happen by telling people how to RP their characters, putting words in another characters mouth, or making a character perform an action that their player did not write. (See the Definition of God-Modding thread for more examples.)

Q. Can I kill another character?

A. A comic character? No. Never permanently. A original character? If the player says it's OK, (i.e., they are quitting, or just think it's time for a new character and want to get rid of one, then sure). Should you PM everyone saying, "Hey! Can I kill your character off?" No. Don't. It's bad form and will probably make people annoyed with you.

Q. Can I at least hurt another character?

A. By all means, attempt to. The site's about superheroes, obviously there's going to be fights! But make it realistic. Well, as realistic as you can when you have superpowers. Check the God-Modding thread to make sure you know how to play this out because while you can throw a punch, it's up to the other player whether or not to dodge it or accept the hit.

Q. Can I join in other people's threads?

A. If they say "Open," or have no other restriction listed in their title at all, then yes. If they ask for someone specific, and that someone's not you, then don't just post in it! However if you feel like your character should really be in that thread for whatever reason, then you can PM the person who started the thread and ask to join. Otherwise, if a thread says, "Closed", "Invite", or an individual's name, don't think about it! If it says "Ask" then definitely PM them and ask!

Q. Can a character be in two places at once?

A. Yes and no. Yes, your character can be in two threads at once, but keep in mind that if your character is supposed to be in Nevada battling symbiotes then they can't be back in NYC fighting someone else on the same "day". Basically, if you are putting a character in two places (or multiple threads) then remember not to make those threads ones that are assumed to be occurring that the same time. (Generally this possibility happens mostly in main site plot threads.)

Q. I've written a post in the role play game, but it won't post. Why?

A. In the role play areas within the game there is a word limit enforced in order to make a post. In general, on almost every role play board the word limit is 150 words (500 words for the Solo section) in order to make a post or reply. (This is not in effect for any boards outside of the game.) Try typing a little bit more and see if that post button works!

Q. What is a bookmark?

A. A bookmark is a handy-dandy tool that is useful to help keep track of the multiple threads in which your character(s) are a part.

Q. How do I bookmark (or remove a bookmark from) a thread?

A. At the top your thread, there is a drop down menu called "Actions". One of the options is "bookmark this thread." Or, at the top right corner of your reply, there is an icon that looks like a gear. Click it for another drop down menu. Once bookmarked, you can use these two places again to un-bookmark a thread.

Q. Can I see all of my bookmarked threads at once?

A. Yes. Click on the button at top menu bar that reads, "Bookmarks". Once there, you can view all of your existing bookmarked threads and easily click on one to go to it.

Q. Can I get messages when my threads are updated?

A. To our knowledge, with Proboards recent update there is not yet a way to receive PMs or email notifications when a thread is updated.

Q. Oh no! I lost a character during an Activity Check! What do I do now?

A. The situation is a bit different depending on what type of character it is. Note: These apply if this is the first time it has occurred. If it is a frequent issue, you may be restricted to one character as a form of probation.

For an original character, you need to inform a staff member of the situation and your character may be restored.

For a support character, if you have posted an in character post for the character between the last activity check's end period and the end period of the most recent activity check, you need only inform a staff member of the situation and your character may be restored. If you do not have an in character post with a support character, you can inform a staff member of the situation and your character may be restored if nobody else has apped them in the meantime. 

For a non-support canon character, if you have posted an in character post for the character between the last activity check's end period and the end period of the most recent activity check, you need only inform a staff member of the situation and your character may be restored. If you do not have an in character post with a non-support canon character, you need to reapply for the character with A. additional history to reflect site changes in history and B. a new sample post. This is to require some amount of effort to get them back. Note that in this situation, if another player's application is accepted first, you will lose the character.

Q. I see some people with No-Prizes! What are those? How do I get them?

A. The ends and outs of what No-Prizes are and how to get them can be found HERE.

Q. Is there an easy way to communicate with everyone?

A. Yes! We have a Discord channel. If you are a member of Discord, you can join the server by clicking on THIS link. Please note that this link creates a temporary connection to the server. Talk to staff on Discord or PM for a long term membership. If you do not, you'll have to go to this link each time. If you don't have a Discord account (it's free!), click on THIS link. Joining the server is NOT a requirement to join the site, but it does make communication with other players much easier.

Q. Does the site have a TV Tropes page?

A. It does! Click HERE for more information. If you just want to go directly to the TV Tropes page, click HERE.

Q. What is registration?

A. In universe, we have Superhero Registration Act, much like in the mainline universe. You can see the list HERE.