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Survey for Modern Superpowers

aliasAerie, badmin, insert profanity
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If you have muse for modern superpowers, please answer the survey. You can post here or DM.

  • What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site?
  • What specifically do you want to see avoided?
  • What media makes you interested in the super heroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)
  • What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)

Thanks for any answers.
last edit on Sept 19, 2023 15:35:26 GMT by Aerie
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  • I would like to see lots of variety in types of abilities, tbh. Like in Marvel, there are mutants whose mutant ability are that they have claws and ears and whatnot. Aka let bex play an angsty catboy and a supervillain on the same site lmao
  • I hate when characters have like, 10 powers and none of them are linked together or it just makes them ridiculously overpowered. 
  • Marvel comics, HEAVY on Watchmen tho (I am insufferable)
  • See I like a little bit of both. I definitely want a lot of creative freedom, but it drives me bonkers when the powers are not balanced at all. Each power should have real drawbacks! Personally I think there should be room for development of powers/some sort of system in place, but perhaps not have it be mandatory. That’s just my 2 cents. 

Either way I’m sold on adult, edgy superheroes lmao
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What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site? 
A MHA meets Boys. Where its a world where superpowers are common enough to be in mainstream but limited as to who's allowed to openly use their powers. I like how MHA has Hero License and the Boy's just has a corporation backing them

What specifically do you want to see avoided?
I have to agree with the previous post about a million powers that don't make sense. 


What media makes you interested in the super heroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)
MHA and Boy's mainly. I like how the Boy's the superheroes are doing great things but often because the company set them up to be able to make those saves. Plus in MHA with the status quo being flipped is pretty cool too. Maybe a world where oppressive supes have made it harder for those on the fringe of society to thrive. Like maybe a Magneto figure who wants to kill non-mutants and start the world fresh. 


What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)
Both room for creativity but some sort of structure. Cannot be too wild west with superpowers, you'll get some Omega level mutants right off the bat. Maybe have some sort of scale that people can rate their powers and depending on how high up on that scale you'll have to have some serious limits. Which is hard in a text base RP but I'm sure it can be done. 
last edit on Sept 19, 2023 19:44:51 GMT by gemini
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What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site?

DC and/or Marvel with a dash of The Boys and MHA for the Corpo Supes stuff. I'm a DC fan at heart. But also love the universe of Marvel. But if I'd have to choose, something as original as possible that borrows some of the themes/aspects of those media. Something that has a somewhat "realistic" take but not so much so that it ends up being a depressing crapsack world. I'd love some optimism in my superhero fantasy, you know? Good ol' idealism once and a while is nice!

also i will always bat for my fringe lunatic idea of a vrmmorpg superpowers site! government creates an MMO to help simulate superpowers. people treat it as the hottest new game but end up developing powers irl. and the fallout from it lol. (can you tell i read too many webtoons?)

What specifically do you want to see avoided?

uber powerful characters either PC or NPC that have ridiculous abilities that can break the setting in some way. or be easily abused. ie, time control/travel, probability/reality-bending, anything that lets people control other people.

setting wise, i'd love to avoid the almost nihilistic gritty grimdark settings where life sucks because humanity sucks and power absolutely corrupts and stuff. like i said before, a tiny bit of optimism wouldn't hurt. sometimes the boy scout superhero can be a boy scout superhero without people calling them out and shitting on them. being called too "unrealistic".

modern comics already LOVE the deconstruction of superheroes trope and I'm honestly a bit tired of it. be realistic, throw politics, classism, and fantastical racism if you need to. but don't make it so drab and grey because it "reflects what the real world would do with superpowers". /end rant.

What media makes you interested in the superheroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)

Mainly DC, specifically the animations from the 90's and early 2000's. justice league, teen titans, static shock, BTAS, batman beyond, etc, etc. But I also loved Marvel's Spider-Man TAS and Spectacular Spider-Man. (Spider-Man being one of my only favorite Marvel characters next to like idk X-Men?). the idea of "true blue heroes" versus the "corpo supes". villains of all flavors from zany to tragic. shades of grey of morality. a good hero could do good but go about it in a "bad" way. stuff like that. also a hero struggling with their morality and their eventual downfall into a villain. or vice versa.

What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)

structured but somewhat flexible power system. if it's too rigid it becomes less fun. if it's too loose, people go hog wild and will even abuse the system. a good middle ground would help things out. maybe lock people out from making Omega-level characters right off the bat. only certain NPCs have that rank and players will have their characters reach that level through rp? idk. it's just a thought.

last edit on Sept 19, 2023 21:16:50 GMT by tenebrae
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So, too, is Death possessed of infinite strategies and a gaunt nature.
What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site?

a mega-metropolis that caters to and mass produces the top brass super heroes and villains in the world. if a character wants to make it in the world of super heroism - this is the place to go. while there are middling heroes who still struggle to make a name for themselves (or busy fighting the status quo, because reckless showboating can lead to collateral ruin) - others bask in the glory of celebrity with sponsorships, agencies and endorsements behind them.

What specifically do you want to see avoided?

having people start super strong with no handicap/drawback sucks and should be avoided.

What media makes you interested in the super heroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)

thematically, The Boys / Invincible comes to mind. i'm also a huge fan of the OPM (One Punch Man) structure as far as systems and society go.

What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)


the only kind of system i'm interested for a superhero/villain concept would be the kind that determines a character's "celebrity" or social status, via reputation/infamy. something that's similarly aligned with OPM's intricately designed ranking* system, which relies on more than just combat ability (like popularity/reputation, contributions to the community, actual real world accomplishments etc). all in all, 'talent' should never be exclusive to power.

*rank can directly impact the items you can purchase, quests you can take, etc. higher level missions = the bigger the reward type thing, with an added little scale for members to reference (ex. if you have x influence you will be recognized in costume.) once the character gains enough influence they can apply for the test to jump into the next category (class c to class b). characters could also sign up for an endorsement or an agency, assuming they have all the right per-requisites.
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What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site?

Great story. Of course when it comes to Super Powers, we know the formula that there is this world of characters with amazing abilities. So it is only a matter of time when we see the powerful hero battle the super villain. However, the story always seems to be a let down. So I would like to see something that helps the characters develop and understand the circumstances.

What specifically do you want to see avoided?

Crazy all-encompassing abilities that do not make sense. Yes, I understand that there are abilities that are versatile, but I think I prefer abilities that are used with intelligence and understanding rather than pocket knife with a bunch of tools. I think that is what made MHA appealing to me since everyone's powers were really simplistic (No protag and antag included) where they just learned to build off their abilities.

Also...as stated above...lack of villainy.

What media makes you interested in the super heroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)

Technically, DC, BUT I want people to understand and be really specific about this since I really am not crazy about DC. Not DC entirely but rather Smallville. As said before, we already know good defeats evil and plot armor and what is to become, but there was some complexity when it came to Smallville. It took the formula and flipped it and told a story about how things could have been to the point that you believed it (Ex: We know Lex Luthor is going to be evil, but some context occurs to the point that you believe "Maybe not" for some foolish reason). That is what Smallville did for me to make me like Superhero Media (Because I hated it God Awful)!

Link - Seriously! Do not sleep on Smallville Clark and Lex's Bromance!

To be honest, that is what My Hero Academia did for me as well since it was a LOT of build up about them defining what kind of hero a person wants to be in a society that twists it slightly. It also gave a LOT of in real world references to things that exist and drew them parallel to a part of their struggle of becoming heroes (Example: The Licensing and Agency system is very parallel to the Medical/Mental Health system for doing internship, agency, and gaining experience while learning). To be honest, I would not have been surprised if MHA went the direction of introducing corporate interest, economical factors, and societal factors across the lifetime of the series.


Though...it went another direction...and so I hate it now.

In short, I would very much prefer to have some character building and dynamics that shape the characters; especially if the antagonist serves to be the economy and governance itself than super villainy. (If I am to be honest...I believe Tiger & Bunny is underappreciated in this regard in how they execute this).


What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)

I am going to say flexibility for that creative powers. Structure is important, do not get me wrong, but I would like for people to express themselves. I am a big advocate on that being the writing process. However, I know that is difficult for people who cannot put out that judgment for themselves if something is "overbearing" or "overpowered." If there is a way to find a fine-balance, I am for it, but I would like others to be creative, proud of it, and able to bring their characters into fruition (if they prove themselves responsible and considerate).

last edit on Sept 19, 2023 23:06:13 GMT by ★BUNNY★
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What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site?

I’d love to see a superhero site where everyone is more-or-less street level or low-powered relative to other superhero media: no Superman or Thor running around, if you catch my drift. I’d also prefer it if “standard” superpowers were different than explicit magic because I feel like urban fantasy is a wholly different genre than superhero media.

What specifically do you want to see avoided?


I’d really really really rather not see a cynical take on superheroes and superhero culture. Cynicism about superheroes is as overplayed as playing superheroes straight nowadays, and nowhere near as fun. I’d also prefer it if the superheroes weren’t de facto cops. Other than that, reiterating the call for no-one having a billion powers or one really broken power.

What media makes you interested in the super heroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)


Honestly? The street-level parts of the DCAU are what come to mind. Think B:TAS, Static Shock, and the Justice League episodes with Green Arrow and Black Canary, The book Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson also comes to mind. No overcomplicated time-travel or multiverse stuff at the start, preferably. (That can all be introduced later down the line.)

What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)


I’ll be the outlier here and state that I’d like to see a structured system when dealing with superpowers. Both for the usual reason of keeping powers under control and because I just love fiddling with systems in general.
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With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site?

I'd love to see how superpowers could be integrated into society. Make it an everyday thing, with institutions and corporations. I really liked how in Sky High, there was a sorting into heroes and sidekicks, which could help create some imbalance in the society and could even determine what kind of jobs they'd have access to later on.

What specifically do you want to see avoided?

Too much technicality. I'm not as interested in a stats system or overly complicated mechanics that make it difficult to really start. I'd also like there to be some room for some slice of life in between to cut between the serious, so nothing too dystopian?

What media makes you interested in the super heroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)

Marvel was definitely a big one for me growing up. Also the Christopher Nolan Batman trilogy. Some DC media holds a special place in my heart.

What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)

Some structured scaling would be good, but I also really wouldn't want to be too technical. I know I get frustrated when I have to revise powers a lot. Maybe even add a system that rewards posting that allows you to have your powers scale up?
the narrative
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What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site?
Echoing a lot of what other people said: it being integrated in every day life, semi-grounded in realism. Street rat level heroes and vigilantes, corporate heroes, that kind of deal. Superheroes being common enough that people know the big ones and idolize them, but being one is a lot more complicated. The Boys would be so good.

What specifically do you want to see avoided?
Intensive stat systems mainly. Also boosting what everyone else said of abilities that are too over-the-top and powerful without sense or drawbacks; nothing present day MCU. Keep it semi-grounded.

What media makes you interested in the super heroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)
I consumed far too much superhero media growing up, from Marvel and DC, up to The Boys. Planning on getting into Invincible soon too.

What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)
Definitely would want a compromise / middle ground between the two extremes. I think some structure would be leagues helpful in maintaining things like powerbalancing, while also giving people enoigh limitations to really come up with creative workarounds for ideas they want. But keep it flexible! Leave some room for openness and creativity. 



coming soon.
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definitely loving the answers here; thanks so much to everyone for taking the time. i think i'm pretty aligned with much of what has been said.
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What specifically do you really want to see in a superpowers site?
a good community that isn't about winning or losing but writing a fun story where characters are traumatized and struggling in a superpower society full of inequality, violence and crime

and staffies that wouldn't micromanage people's plots and just let people go crazy...while also moderating te crazy so that the world doesn't blow

What specifically do you want to see avoided?
too fighting-focused. too much of a black and white plot. too much about the world being in danger. i like stories that go in the civilian eyes. about the world still being about people just looking for a place to be happy. i understand the need for a threat but i'm tired of heroes genre losing what they were about in the first place: keeping the common people safe, because society has failed them in ways that could have been avoidable.

What media makes you interested in the super heroes/villains genre? (e.g. Marvel)
i'm into all the whole superhero genre honestly, so pretty much the things you can think of, i'm into it. i've always been about human morality and what not (lover of historical fiction here.) i used to be in love with mha and i have 10 volumes of manga to prove it. but i quickly lost interest exactly bc of what i said above. it became so focused on the threat and on the powers aspect. stopped being about people and the characters imo also suffered from that.

What are your thoughts on power-scaling in modern-day role play? (i.e. "I want a structured system," "I want ample room for creative powers," etc.)

i was in a fairly successful superhero site inspired by marvel (before it exploded but i wasnt there anymore lel) and it had stats, skills. pretty simple and nothing too harsh and detailed. i was able to create a dude that transforms into a dragon who releases laser beams. it was fun. and i think the core idea for any sites with battles being woven in the plot is the same: you gotta have it but also allow a degree of creativity bc it's the members deciding how the site will develop imo. a lot of the staff work should have to be watching over it and intervening when necessary. there's really no sure rigid system that can perfectly work. you also have to consider that as with any rp, you cannot simply predict the people thta would come to your site. it just comes with it.

and i say this as someone who LOVES mechanics. like, i literally make a draft of rp mechanic at least once a month. it just brings me joy lmao.

i think the best power structure i've been involves progression, where people can get more skills, traits, and stat upgrades as they post. then some higher ones will need special req and staff permission.

as someone who loves mechanics, i have been deterred away from joining sites bc their mechanics felt too game-focused. i will say though, people's mind can change once they've experienced it. i think a preamble that you're mostly about storytelling would be helpful.

overall, i think a site that lets me rp a dragon shifter that can shoot lasers from their mouths is pretty cool
last edit on Sept 21, 2023 22:49:17 GMT by co-dependency bros?


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