The gallant figure of the former circus acrobat smoothed the front of his tuxedo, as he crossed from the left side of the stage toward the center dias. The small doll joined him from the right. Holding out the first of several envelopes, the dark haired android introduced the first category.

"For the category of best character concept..."

The doll paused there, distracted by what seemed an awful lot of preening going on beside him. "It your tie on too tight?"

Making a show of adjusting a tie that needed no adjustment, Dick played it off cool as he casually answered, "No, I'm just preparing to accept my award."

"The category is ‘best character concept’ not most recycled 1940s cliche," the doll noted flatly.

Reaching down, Dick snatched the envelope from out of the doll’s hands. Peeling open the contents, the man perused the small square of paper inside as he read, "For the category of best character concept, the nominees are: Shazam by @ErsatzEmperor, Baal by @Stein, Guardians of the Galaxy by @HenryJonesJr, and Mon-El by @Ceta de Cloyes."

Pausing there, Dick seemed to scan back through the list. "Well, there's no accounting for taste..." the man noted finally.

Reaching up, the doll snatched the envelope back. "And the winner for best character concept is... Guardians of the Galaxy by @HenryJonesJr!"

Dick patiently went through the motions of the polite golf clap, as he waited for the applause to quiet and could continue on with the script for this evening. “Moving on to the category for best character development...” the man began, pausing as he looked down to see what appeared to be Toyboy trying to pass him a pack of Post-It notes. “Why are you passing me a bunch of yellow stickies?”

“You should take notes,” the doll stated evenly, his timing impeccable as he added, “You need all the development that you can get.”

Planting a hand on top of Toyboy’s head, Dick forcibly shoved the doll away as he held out the card and read, “The nominees for best character development are: Wonder Woman by @Star Lord, Supergirl by @Inkarnate, Flash by @Hillan, and Spider-Man by @DocTachyon.”

Sliding back across the stage, the Toyboy gave a flourish as he merrily proclaimed, “And the winner for best character development is... Flash by @Hillan!”

A light murmur of childish laughter accentuated the light patter of applause, as the android resumed it’s place at Dick’s side. Head bopping from side to side, as though dancing to a rhythm only the Toyboy could hear, the child-like doll continued, “The nominees for best season are: Captain America by @webboysurf, Guardians of the Galaxy by @HenryJonesJr, Blue Beetle by @Hound55, and Mon-El by @Ceta de Cloyes.”

Reaching down, Dick casually plucked the card from the boy’s hand as he read, “And the winner for best season is... Mon-El by @Ceta de Cloyes.”

With regard to the cheap, made in China, Oscar replica trophy, Toyboy noted, “Wait, this isn’t made of lead is it?”

The detective merely gave shrug. “If it is, we can just stick him in the Phantom Zone until another writer comes along with a reason to reference Mon-El again,” Dick commented dryly. “It’ll be fine.” Probably. Maybe.

Definitely maybe.

Running a hand through his graying hair, Dick drew the next envelope as he said, “The nominees for the category of best story arc are: Captain America by @webboysurf, Supergirl by @Inkarnate, Batman by @Lord Wraith, and Wonder Woman by @Star Lord.”

Reaching up, the doll pulled the card from out of Dick hand’s as he read, “And the winner for best story arc is... Supergirl by @Inkarnate!”

Cycling to the next envelope, the doll continued on as he read, “The nominees for best supporting cast in an RPG are: Guardians of the Galaxy by @HenryJonesJr, Teen Titans by @Retired, Captain America by @webboysurf, and X-Men by @ComradeMaxx.”

Snatching up the card, Dick read, “And the winner for best supporting cast in an RPG is: Captain America by @webboysurf!”

Some more Compendium information. Some Queen Enterprises stuff should be coming later, which will probably be fairly boiled down.

Hopefully, my exhausted brain didn't fuck up this new post too much.

Okay so because you seemed eager for it@Retired I wrote up some thoughts on your posts thus far. Like you've been saying to others this isn't a judgement on you as a person and this is purely based on my reactions and thoughts on your writing. It's also always easier to give advice than live advice.

So yeah. Feel free to take or leave my comments and suggestions.











Overall I think you would improve engagement with your audience if you streamlined your narration style a bit and used slightly more direct language and tenses. Don't be afraid to really try and describe what your characters are thinking with more emotional content when explaining their motivations and thoughts. Also try to engage senses beyond sight more often, like you did in the latest post with Kitty. On that note though, watch out for your tendency to use tautology in your descriptions, since they bog you down and add to word-count without adding meaning.

You're a more technically proficient writer than a lot of people in the group, including me. If you can just remember that the goal is as much to have us empathize with your characters and react emotionally to your stories as it is to impress us with your writing, you'll go from good to amazing. Your third post is already doing better at it.

I haven't read your latest post yet, I may add it in after I do.

Just to help clarify for future IC posts: mutants and metahumans are the same in this world. Metahumans are the 'official' term for those born with the metagene (also known as the X-Gene). Mutant is the derogatory term originally coined when metahuman numbers began to increase. Modern metahumans have been trying to retake the term for themselves.

This has been established through comments in the IC already, but just to avoid future confusion.

Requested by @Lord Wraith in Discord.

That will never be requested.

Didn't realize I was the 250th IC post. Everyone cool with me editing it out and replacing it with a dabbing Thanos?

Hoping to start work on my own compendium entries at one point this weekend, as well as giving out some rewards!

Very early preliminary stuff, don't put it up yet. I'll tinker with it over the next few days.

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END OF SEASON AWARDS:




These are the off-the-wall ideas, notions that have made me look at the game, double-take on the character sheet and wonder how they’re going to be pushed forward. Unfortunately a few happened late in the season with limited opportunities to see them really flesh out until next season (The Shadow and Baal). It was incredibly difficult to hold my tongue as time zones and good fortune saw Endgame drop down my neck of the woods first, when the finishing point in the movie seemed to have snatched [@HenryJonesJnr]’s character sheet straight off the boards.

It was a tight two man race between @Hillan’s Thawne Flash and @Bounce’s Commish Dick and the Boytoy. And since it comes down to a race, I’m going to give Thawne the edge… slightly… by a rapidly telescoping robotic boy’s nose.

---

Going on a curve here – this is the character’s who have seen change, growth or depth built to them over the course of the season. I gave @Dblade26’s Green Arrow a bonus honourable mention for the rate of change despite such a late start. Which I’m now regretting since I selected my 5s before writing the actual award descriptions and I’m just now realizing he showed up everywhere anyway…

Bounce’s Billy had great depth built to him as we caught glimpses of an immortal alien altered God-like child referenced over half a century. We saw Daredevil actually shown fear and pushed beyond his breaking point. Magik has experienced great trauma and is trying to meet that past head on with a little help from her friends. Static had a full character arc where he faced a life with diminished powers and whether it was ever really the power or the man. Wonder Woman, like Daredevil, was pushed to breaking point as well, and we’ve seen it early enough that we’re watching her experience the consequences of those actions, and the way she chooses to face tomorrow after them.

I’m going to give this one to Static. I think this might be a sleeper to some people, but to me… I think it was a major theme throughout @The Bork Lazer’s arc as a whole, and was handled brilliantly.

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@webboysurf. @Bounce. @Lord Wraith. @Roman. @Natty.

I’ve worked these awards a bit different. Best season to me is IC content. Posts. By all characters combined. If you’ve put out quality production with more than one, frankly it’s going to help. These have been the engine that’s kept the thread moving.

I’ve got a 3 horse race between @Bounce, @webboysurf and @Roman. Wraith has kept the game moving with beautifully detailed posts over a few varied characters. Natty (and Hexflexagon, honestly… there was a hair’s breadth between 5 and 6) maintained individual characters throughout the whole season, producing wonderfully detailed posts in the magic corner as well.

This one’s brutal… but, I think Bounce has to just edge this one out. He’s managed to spin plates and provide a full Grayson and Toy Wonder on limited time, whilst still pushing forward with Billy relentlessly. Webbs finished strong with Arsenal, and has locked down an action niche. Whilst Roman finished STRONG with Daredevil, but lacked time to work in Constantine with the season waning.

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Running out of time at work. Keep it short. These have all been major strengths in this season. The magic corner, Lord Wraith world-building and Bork’s character development. I’m giving the nod to Bork’s Static who made good use of the full season.

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All three of these were epic masterpieces. I put down 3 because I couldn’t keep it to 5. After these 3 there was no natural cut-off to me. All three actually made me verbalize when I was reading them (think along the lines of “Oh shit!”, “Whoa!, or similar…)

That said, long story short, this is getting unfair. @Byrd Man knows how to strike joy in my heart, just as he knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men...

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I feel frustrated, because I know I’ve gone early and Wraith isn’t done with The Mad Hatter…

I like subtlety, which is why the Black suit got a mention. Thought Doc’s done a good job with the odd inflection, bringing an insidious presence that’s wearing away at Pete without being outright overbearing. The other three brought it home strong at the end of arcs. I’m going to give the slight nod to Brick (and thank God… because we know Connor’s got a pretty limited rogues gallery to pick from) as the multi-faceted top-dog who has been holding back the torrent of chaotic unfettered crime in Star City, but has to prove a point.

---

Making me pick between Tasky and the Spider-gang… you monsters.

Ugghhhhhhhhhhhhhh… Spidey.

Shout out to Ceta’s great work in limited time though and I’m looking forward to the Legion’s expansion next season. And of course Uni’s supporting cast for Blade – a man who shares my own taste in the humour of seeing the star get regular comeuppance at the hands of that supporting crew.

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Wraith… you had this! Those Namor Atlantis posts were masterpieces and you not only threw in the towel, you deleted them!

Love it when any of these drop. Doesn’t happen often, but you won’t find people up for this one rushing stuff. These guys are the prestige Oscar chasers (although this isn’t Cannes, @inkarnate, and we don’t give awards for short pictures!) Worth a mention, Retired, who had a late start and ate into his own time helping out, reviewing others’ posts.

I’m going with nnnnnnnnnggg! Magik. So tough though.

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I think these just got better as the season wore on. I’m going with Red and Green Arrow.

Bears mentioning though… Doc is a joy to work with, and tolerates my foibles with aplumb.

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These are the characters that raised the eyebrows. Surpassed my expectations in terms of where I thought my interest would be. I like Raven as a Titan, but have struggled reading solo comics with her before. Blade seldom interests me in the comics (although the first two movies surpassed the comic material to me)… but I should have known better, because Uni finds a way to keep interest. Connor’s probably down the list on archer’s to me, Dblade then compounded that with Felicity… and then somehow made it far surpass what any combination of the parts should have any right to be. Likewise, I’m not terribly into post-Speedy Roy. Again, webs made it work.

But I’m still trying to figure out what the Hell happened to bestow Old Man Grayson and Robin the Toy Wonder upon us all… and I’ve got nothing.

---

@webboysurf. @Lord Wraith. @Retired. @Inkarnate. [@Saint Maxx]. @Hillan.

These are the people who inspire activity. Whether it is from post frequency, pushing on conversation about character work and posts as a whole, reviews, or a combination of any or all of these.

Retired’s had a colossal impact on the game since his late start, and the sacrifices which cost him a legitimate chance at the World Building award are basically what wins him this one to me.

Made a start on some compendium entries. Will finish the rest once i get a chance!

Hey all, just checking in. The honeymoon was great but I feel like I lost a huge chunk being ex-communicado for so long haha. Actually going to have a post in the next few hours finally finishing up my Warworld story. Can someone update me what's going on in-game? And is the season almost over? Considering the awards? lol

@HenryJonesJr
Here's Wraith's announcement from last Sunday I'm definitely not behind on writing that Crisis post, though- damn you employment

The Crisis will be launching this week. We're still taking a head count for those who are interested in participating. We're trying to make it as accessible as possible for everyone who wants to participate but in the event that you aren't able to, there will be others in future seasons. We're really looking forward to wrapping up this Season and giving it a proper send off so be on the lookout for that.

With the coming end of the season we're doing awards, too. Though I'll note here that the end of the season will not necessarily mean you have to be finished with your current story arc, either. There won't be any gamewide time-skip or anything like that, and the season's end will not be marked by a change of thread like it was in UOU. It'll be more of a milestone for the RP and an easy jumping on point for any new applicants who want to come in for the next season

@HenryJonesJr
Here's Wraith's announcement from last Sunday I'm definitely not behind on writing that Crisis post, though- damn you employment

<Snipped quote by Lord Wraith>

With the coming end of the season we're doing awards, too. Though I'll note here that the end of the season will not necessarily mean you have to be finished with your current story arc, either. There won't be any gamewide time-skip or anything like that, and the season's end will not be marked by a change of thread like it was in UOU. It'll be more of a milestone for the RP and an easy jumping on point for any new applicants who want to come in for the next season

Okay cool. In that case I'll say I'm in for the crisis as long as it can affect me out in space and I don't have to get the team to Earth. Once this next post is up, the Guardians will be together, and if the season is almost at a close I won't bother jumping into the next arc for them.

@HenryJonesJr We also are all in the Discord. It's not to replace the OOC, but there's a lot of dialogue there between pretty much everyone. In case you cared to join.

<Snipped quote by ComradeMaxx>

Okay cool. In that case I'll say I'm in for the crisis as long as it can affect me out in space and I don't have to get the team to Earth.

Unfortunately we've tailored this first Crisis in such a way that we can't really extend it to that sort of scope. A certain part of the fallout may be felt by the Guardians, though, depending on a lot of different factors that verge into spoiler territory. Once the cat is out of the bag we'll be able to discuss that connection, in-depth, though!

<Snipped quote by HenryJonesJr>

Unfortunately we've tailored this first Crisis in such a way that we can't really extend it to that sort of scope. A certain part of the fallout may be felt by the Guardians, though, depending on a lot of different factors that verge into spoiler territory. Once the cat is out of the bag we'll be able to discuss that connection, in-depth, though!

Okay, I'll probably sit on the sidelines of this one then. I just don't really have a good reason to have them head to Earth.