Honestly, I am vibing more with number 6 than everything else (besides number 2).

Just to clarify, is that number 6 and then 2... or number 2 and then 6? As your preferences?

Honestly, great pitches from you both. Personally, I think option 2 is the best sort of spiritual successor to allow for rough translations of characters, If we wanted to sort of continue in the same vein. I mean, the idea of it being a "rehabilitation center" leaves room for there to be more going on with the facility or program itself that lends itself to be perhaps more nefarious than it seems. And might just be a more interesting spin. The program could be opened up, like people suggested, in such a way that the characters are supervised and allowed to use their powers in service to their community.

Also, Pitch #4 looks really cool. It's clear a lot of work went into that pitch, and it looks like a cool dark fantasy. Though I realize that might be a tougher sell and doesn't allow us to continue with the characters we made... or even in the same genre.

<Snipped quote by Mao Mao>

Just to clarify, is that number 6 and then 2... or number 2 and then 6? As your preferences?

6 and then 2.

I am here..... but I honestly don't know which I'm leaning toward.

Sad to see PRCU end, but delighted to see the gang still sticking together!

Since I am too emotionally attached to Ariel at this point, I'd say pitches #1 and #3 appeal the most to me, but the absolute curveball of #6 really speaks to me because Ariel deserves to be a god. If I had to rank them, it'd go something like:

• Post Apocalyptic Superpowers
• American Gods-esque
• Post Apocalyptic Modern Fantasy

Thanks for the votes so far everyone. I've been subtly tracking choices and trying to weight votes appropriately - in hindsight I probably should have said something like 'spread 6 points across your top 3 picks however you like' but we move on (and I think I'm keeping track of priority picks well enough).

I'm also tracking who's popped in to vote - inevitably I think some amount of the roster will fall away but it would be nice to carry forward as many of us as possible!

So far it's looking like 2 is out in front, which honestly Hound and I anticipated. We'll start looking at the structure needed in closer detail.

Thanks for the votes so far everyone. I've been subtly tracking choices and trying to weight votes appropriately - in hindsight I probably should have said something like 'spread 6 points across your top 3 picks however you like' but we move on (and I think I'm keeping track of priority picks well enough).

I'm also tracking who's popped in to vote - inevitably I think some amount of the roster will fall away but it would be nice to carry forward as many of us as possible!

So far it's looking like 2 is out in front, which honestly Hound and I anticipated. We'll start looking at the structure needed in closer detail.

If I have six votes to spread, here's how I would vote:

Ju-V - 3 Votes

Samāra - 2 Votes

Blighted Kingdom - 1 Vote

Another timely case of fat fingers...

Another timely case of fat fingers...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I can work with whichever idea is proposed.

That said, 2 would probably be the most interesting.

I would love to one day participate in setting 4, but it seems that 2 would fit this group's characters they want to continue with.

My vote:

2 for this group

4 for a future invite :)

3 for a future invite :)

So, I've kept quiet for awhile. Thinking things over and tossing questions and concerns back and forth with some people.

Personally, I think most of these ideas disregard the initial selling point of P.R.C.U., that being the X-Men superhero-esque academy setting that it was based in. Whilst I do agree that writing with the same people is a draw in itself, post-apocalyptic, fantasy (aside from the Hypeverse's magi and what not), etc. is quite the departure from what originally drew people into wanting to write P.R.C.U. in the first place. I know Hound has mentioned that he didn't want to "step on Wraith's toes" by essentially filing the serial numbers off of P.R.C.U. and making another "superhero academy"-style of RP, but in the interest of doing so, I think the first and primary draw to how we even all came together as a group has been forgotten and cast aside. If I do continue on, it's why I have to vote 2 and only 2, as the setting blurb is the only one that is closest to the spirit of P.R.C.U., rather than being practically something else and/or radically different in its entirety.

Granted, by doing so, I would likely have to either completely rethink Haleigh's character, or go out of my way to create something new just for the setting. But that's just me.

Completely appreciate that all of the proposed games divert from the initial foundation of 'School for Superpowers' that P.R.C.U. is based in, however Wraith has already mentioned he's uncomfortable handing the reins over to another in his stead (which I completely understand, given that the setting is nearly a decade's cumulative work forged into a singular brainchild), and as a creative myself I am often cautious around ripping off existing ideas (often to the point of self-sabotage). I can't speak for Hound, but I would assume he feels similar, and would be uncomfortable essentially re-branding P.R.C.U.

I understand that we all came together for the Academy setting, but the objective of this thread is to find something that's close, but not the same, and also get the majority feeling from the group so that it's as close to a collective decision as we can manage. The consensus on Discord was to carry on with super-powered individuals, and Hound and I have tailored what we felt would be (and our instincts are proving correct so far) the most popular pitches accordingly, but I also wanted to throw out some curveballs just in case there was appetite for something radically different. After all, you don't know until you ask!

It seems that a good amount of people are still into the conceit of “superhero academy”. I don’t think anyone is expecting any interpretation of that core idea to be PRCU but with the serial numbers filed off.

My disagreements/issues/etc with Wraith aside, I do somewhat understand the inclination to not be pleased if people decided to do a wholesale spiritual successor. If I shut down Pariah Online and the core of my players decided they still wanted to play those characters in a “trapped in a video game MMORPG” role-play I would be very much in my feelings about it. I get that those who are close don’t want to incite any annoyances, especially with their close friends.

That said, Kuro and others who have come to the conclusion that “well he doesn’t own the general idea”. Of course not. Don’t think Wraith or anybody else said he did. This is more about keeping a general group together than the ability to adapt all of those same characters to another setting. As someone who was briefly involved with PRCU, I’m not going to lie and say I wouldn’t like to play Lakisha alongside the others in a similar structured idea. ‘Superhero Academy’ on its own can be adapted and interpreted in so many different ways, after all. Anybody who would choose to adapt that general idea would have different influences, tone, themes, etc. going through their own personal interpretation. People spent a lot of time, invested a lot of energy, etc. into their characters. It’s no surprise they want something a little in the same vein.

Suppose in many respects it's a complicated situation. What is the perfect solution? IDK if there is one.

I think it's probably best to wait and have faith in what we're working on for the most popular idea (Ju-V currently) which is very much geared to be similar while remaining distinct. 'Complicated situation' is probably underselling it and Hound and I are doing our best. We hope to have something substantial up by mid-week.

The perfect solution is to not have this problem in the first place, but we do, and we're committed to providing something that excites everyone, captures the same themes and atmosphere as the game that originally brought everyone together, and keeps the cast as intact as possible while also having room for fresh faces.

I'm confident that, with the current direction Ju-V is taking in early write-ups, anyone who wants to should be able to transplant their P.R.C.U. characters across nearly 1-for-1. All I ask is that everyone else has that same confidence in myself and Hound.

The perfect solution is to not have this problem in the first place

Yep.

Honestly, I'm not convinced Lakisha will 1:1 fit Ju-V without massive rewrites and honestly she'd be a completely different person which isn't too enthralling for me personally. I might have to go with a new concept if I like the proposed OOC well enough. I know Kuro feels the same with Haleigh. Good luck, either way.

For my own two cents, I think "an institution for the rehabilitation of superpowered youths" sounds remarkably similar to "an institution for the education of superpowered youths", it's probably less a matter of how similar we make things and more a matter of still mourning the death of a well-liked premise and character-driven plots. But I think it's probably a change for the better. If we keep things too close to the old setting, then we'll continue to compare. Whereas if we take the premise of the old--beleaguered superpowered youths having to deal with pressure from within and without their "protecting" institution while learning how to control their powers and conform to the ideal set before them and hopefully make friends or enemies along the way--but leave the specific setting--superpowered academy--behind, the vibe and flavour might change, but the overall plot potential and character dynamics should be fairly similar in scope.

Of course, if the flavour of that superpowered academy was the strongest draw, then all ^that^ would obviously work less well... >.>

Anyway, I cannot decide between the first four options, I'm easy with whichever of those plots becomes the end result, so don't make me weigh my decisions more than that. I'm very bad at choices. Very good at waffling though...

And @Hound55, my thoughts for the end result of putting Lucas through the HEAT program were that he'd make a good investigative supporter, and if his powers work best on the scene, then it'd be good if he has the training to back up being in a potentially dangerous situation, or just to know the general procedures so he's not making things more difficult for everyone else while he helps out. How well he was going to do in adapting to the program at the start of classes was another matter entirely. lol :P

For my own two cents, I think "an institution for the rehabilitation of superpowered youths" sounds remarkably similar to "an institution for the education of superpowered youths", it's probably less a matter of how similar we make things and more a matter of still mourning the death of a well-liked premise and character-driven plots.

The thing is characters like Lakisha, Haleigh, etc. aren't delinquents. I think that's the sticking point.

But it's the governments making the decision on whether an individual requires that rehabilitation/education rather than a voluntary thing, the governments and public opinion would be deciding if they're delinquents or not, which would mean that most of the characters who felt pressured into joining PRCU would probably end up in a similarly pressured situation (or just enforced enrollment) with this one, wouldn't they? Or have I missed something?

As long as they've created situations that endanger civilian lives, that's probably enough to label them as "persons of interest" to ensure they get the moral teachings that'd ensure they don't use those powers negatively on purpose next time.