◼ G M (s): Lord Wraith ◼ C O N S U L T I N G G M (s): DocTachyon, Sep ◼ G E N R E: Fandom ◼ T Y P E: Collaborative Linear Sandbox
"To me, writing is fun. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing, as long as you can tell a story."S T A N L E E ( 1 9 2 2 - 2 0 1 8 )
I N T R O D U C T I O N:
I N T R O D U C T I O N:
I N T R O D U C T I O N:
W E L C O M E F A N S O F D C, M A R V E L, A N D A L L C O M I C S A L I K E !
Sensation & Wonder is a roleplay based upon the structures and mechanics of previous games run under the Absolute Comics banner but with a goal of overcoming the past games' biggest weakness; a lack of collaborative writing. As such, Sensation & Wonder is a collaborative linear sandbox roleplay that seeks to merge and mix the lore of your favourite DC and Marvel characters into one living cohesive world. The idea behind this RP is not to embody our favourite heroes to simply retell iconic stories and origins but to take these characters and make them our own. In fact, the goal of the RP is for players to take their favourite characters and re-imagine them to tell stories together. We only ask that the 'heart' of the character remains the same. Players will take the roles of their favourite characters and tell stories in collaboration with other players in order to develop and grow the world.
How heavily mixed these elements are is dependent upon the players as the world and its lore is shaped by you and your stories. Do Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark know each other? Has Lady Shiva trained with Danny Rand? Have Thor and Superman gone toe to toe? These are questions for you to ask yourself and they can only be answered as the RP unfolds!
How heavily mixed these elements are is dependent upon the players as the world and its lore is shaped by you and your stories. Do Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark know each other? Has Lady Shiva trained with Danny Rand? Have Thor and Superman gone toe to toe? These are questions for you to ask yourself and they can only be answered as the RP unfolds!
P R E M I S E:
P R E M I S E:
P R E M I S E:
Sensation & Wonder is a collaborative linear sandbox roleplay that uses the ideas presented in Marvel and DC Comics' various media to create new and exciting stories using familiar elements and characters. To those of you asking exactly what a collaborative linear sandbox is, I define this style of game as a compilation of linear stories written by multiple groups of people that interact and mesh to great one persistent game within the same sandbox. If that's as clear as mud for you, let me try to clean it up.
Players will apply to the game using one of the provided character skeletons. Using these skeletons they'll choose a character and indicate whether they wish to be a 'Driving', 'Roaming' or 'Supporting' character. Driving characters are assertive players who wish to create plots and story arcs that no only they can write out, but also invite others to collaborate on and complete with. Roaming characters are for players who want to mingle with the greater game and write both solo and with as many other players as possible. Lastly, Supporting characters are for players who want to lock in on a specific plot being direct by someone else and write alongside them.
In-game history is decided on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, it should not be designed in a manner that locks out another player from taking on a favourite role. To give an example, if a player applies as Dick Grayson before an application has been received for Bruce Wayne, then the player applying as Grayson can decide to portray Dick as Robin, Nightwing or even Batman. No matter which of these roles the Grayson player chooses, it has an effect on a future Bruce Wayne player.
Due to the inclusive nature of the roleplay, a Bruce Wayne player would have to craft their CS to reflect a Bruce who allows for opportunities for a Grayson player or other notable members of the Bat-family. For instance, if the Grayson player chooses to be Nightwing, then the Bruce Wayne player will need to portray an older Batman. Even if a ‘Dick-Bats’ could block a player from playing Bruce Wayne as Batman, it shouldn’t necessarily block Bruce Wayne as a character. If so desired by both parties, a Batman Inc.-like scenario could even be worked out. It should also be noted that villains are just as viable of characters and applying for Captain America does not mean another player can't join as Red Skull.
It is important to remember that interaction, much like any role-play, is the bread and butter of the game. To that end, players are encouraged to work together to create a mutually desired outcome for all those involved. Classic teams ups such as Batman and Robin or Wolverine and Hawkeye are always welcome but don't forget, this is a One Universe Rp where the Devil of Hell's Kitchen can work alongside Gotham's Dark Knight.
Players will apply to the game using one of the provided character skeletons. Using these skeletons they'll choose a character and indicate whether they wish to be a 'Driving', 'Roaming' or 'Supporting' character. Driving characters are assertive players who wish to create plots and story arcs that no only they can write out, but also invite others to collaborate on and complete with. Roaming characters are for players who want to mingle with the greater game and write both solo and with as many other players as possible. Lastly, Supporting characters are for players who want to lock in on a specific plot being direct by someone else and write alongside them.
In-game history is decided on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, it should not be designed in a manner that locks out another player from taking on a favourite role. To give an example, if a player applies as Dick Grayson before an application has been received for Bruce Wayne, then the player applying as Grayson can decide to portray Dick as Robin, Nightwing or even Batman. No matter which of these roles the Grayson player chooses, it has an effect on a future Bruce Wayne player.
Due to the inclusive nature of the roleplay, a Bruce Wayne player would have to craft their CS to reflect a Bruce who allows for opportunities for a Grayson player or other notable members of the Bat-family. For instance, if the Grayson player chooses to be Nightwing, then the Bruce Wayne player will need to portray an older Batman. Even if a ‘Dick-Bats’ could block a player from playing Bruce Wayne as Batman, it shouldn’t necessarily block Bruce Wayne as a character. If so desired by both parties, a Batman Inc.-like scenario could even be worked out. It should also be noted that villains are just as viable of characters and applying for Captain America does not mean another player can't join as Red Skull.
It is important to remember that interaction, much like any role-play, is the bread and butter of the game. To that end, players are encouraged to work together to create a mutually desired outcome for all those involved. Classic teams ups such as Batman and Robin or Wolverine and Hawkeye are always welcome but don't forget, this is a One Universe Rp where the Devil of Hell's Kitchen can work alongside Gotham's Dark Knight.
S O U R C E M A T E R I A L:
S O U R C E M A T E R I A L:
S O U R C E M A T E R I A L:
As previously mentioned this roleplay allows players to draw upon characters from not only just the DC and Marvel Universes, but also other characters may be considered on a case by case basis if they fit the tone and feel of the game. Priority, however, will be given to characters who originate from within either DC or Marvel Comics and their subsidiaries.
Your character concept can be based on any iteration of the character. In terms of career, try to keep the greater goal of the game in mind, and characters with legacies ideally should be further along in their careers to allow for inclusivity of other players. That said, please don't let this lead you to believe origin stories have no place here. Origins can be told conventionally, with the assistance of other players or through flashbacks and other framing devices.
In regards to what any iteration of the character means for you as a player, is that this world's Spider-Man could currently be Miles Morales, Iron Man could be replaced by Iron Heart, Batman could be Terry McGinnis. This also means that some heroes might just be starting out, perhaps the Teen Titans were just formed? Maybe Scott Summers just found out he was a mutant? The changes and possibilities are near endless but are sure to create a unique world for us to tell our own takes on these 'modern myths'.
Your character concept can be based on any iteration of the character. In terms of career, try to keep the greater goal of the game in mind, and characters with legacies ideally should be further along in their careers to allow for inclusivity of other players. That said, please don't let this lead you to believe origin stories have no place here. Origins can be told conventionally, with the assistance of other players or through flashbacks and other framing devices.
In regards to what any iteration of the character means for you as a player, is that this world's Spider-Man could currently be Miles Morales, Iron Man could be replaced by Iron Heart, Batman could be Terry McGinnis. This also means that some heroes might just be starting out, perhaps the Teen Titans were just formed? Maybe Scott Summers just found out he was a mutant? The changes and possibilities are near endless but are sure to create a unique world for us to tell our own takes on these 'modern myths'.
G A M E P L A Y:
G A M E P L A Y:
G A M E P L A Y:
PLAYER ROLES:
CHARACTERS:
CHAPTERS:
CROSSOVERS:
CRISES:
In past games using the Absolute Comics format, the idea has been to submit a character and then write that character and its numerous supporting cast. This system has had mixed results with some players excelling particularly well with where others felt locked out of the game very quickly. Unfortunately, the biggest downside to that system has been the latter result with numerous fan favourites being locked up in another player's NPC list. For Sensation & Wonder, I wanted to take a crack at changing that system. Instead, we'd like to encourage those players who enjoy driving their own plots to do so but to also consider taking on other players in the place of NPCs. Almost like a 'micro-RP' within an RP so to speak. Below are the three player archetypes, each with more information laid out about the expectations of each role.
D R I V I N G:
R O A M I N G:
S U P P O R T I N G:
D R I V I N G:
Driving Characters are built around the idea that a more assertive player will produce an application containing not only their desired character POV but also a story arc that encourages other players to join up with them. To give this idea a practical example, say Player A applies to the game as Batman in a Driving Role. The player could then state in their sheet that they are desiring to play Batman at a later point in his career when the Joker after a long time absent has returned to Gotham to torment the Bat.
This gives others an idea of what sort of plot they'd be signing up for if they applied as a Supporting Character or even a Roaming. Player A could then state in their application that they're specifically looking for two or three other players to help them out, or one dedicated supporting player to portray Robin while one or two others are encouraged to jump in as Roaming Characters to aid for shorter Chapters or arcs.
This gives others an idea of what sort of plot they'd be signing up for if they applied as a Supporting Character or even a Roaming. Player A could then state in their application that they're specifically looking for two or three other players to help them out, or one dedicated supporting player to portray Robin while one or two others are encouraged to jump in as Roaming Characters to aid for shorter Chapters or arcs.
R O A M I N G:
Roaming characters are the middle ground for players who don't quite want to commit to driving plots constantly but also don't necessarily want to tether themselves to another player. A Roaming Character is designed to jump in and out of various plots where there's a role or need they can fill. That said, being a Roaming Character doesn't give you a free pass to jump-in where you please. You as a player should still be invited to the plot.
Keeping with my theme, Nightwing works well as a Roaming character because he can easily aid Batman for one arc, pal around with the Titans the next, and then face off against a villain player for a third arc. Roaming characters are aided by having a loose personal plot connecting the reasons why they bounce around, but it's not necessary if you just want to have some drop-in and out fun.
Keeping with my theme, Nightwing works well as a Roaming character because he can easily aid Batman for one arc, pal around with the Titans the next, and then face off against a villain player for a third arc. Roaming characters are aided by having a loose personal plot connecting the reasons why they bounce around, but it's not necessary if you just want to have some drop-in and out fun.
S U P P O R T I N G:
Supporting Characters are a more passive role in this game. Closer to traditional roleplaying, a Supporting Character is created to fulfil a particular purpose or plot. Keeping in line with the above example, if a Batman player wanted to play through a retelling of 'A Death in the Family', a supporting character could sign up as Robin or Joker. Both characters have an expiration date at the end of the plot, but the Driving Character would go on to create a new story to carry out upon its completion. Supporting Characters are also ideal for players who like to write as a character for a bit and then swap to someone new.
Supporting characters do not necessarily have to be dropped upon the completion of an arc however if you're enjoying your character, you can continue to play them and change to either a Driving or Roaming character if your original writing partner has no further plans for you or you could join up with another Driving player.
Supporting characters do not necessarily have to be dropped upon the completion of an arc however if you're enjoying your character, you can continue to play them and change to either a Driving or Roaming character if your original writing partner has no further plans for you or you could join up with another Driving player.
CHARACTERS:
Players are allowed and encouraged to apply as either heroes or villains. Players are not allowed to shoot down other apps unless they are A) already accepted to the game and B) that particular character is directly named in their plot and they already have someone lined up to play the part. If a player expresses interest in a character you want to appear in your plot, it is highly preferred that you take the time to work with them and collaborate instead of simply denying them. That said, I understand some players are about as compatible as oil and water.
If two players truly can't get along, the GM will side with the player who was accepted first. For example, if Player A was accepted as Green Arrow and detailed a plot involving Brick, they can't protest if Player B applies as Deathstroke. If Player A however did include Deathstroke in their plot, then it would be preferred they find a way to include Player B. If neither player is accepted and have conflicting applications, then it is encouraged they find a way to compromise. GMs will intervene when necessary.
With the inclusion of villains, there is potential for player versus player combat. Players should discuss in advance the desired outcome of their story or collaborate on it in some way. If both players were accepted with plots separate from one another and Player A finishes their plot and decides they want to fight the character that Player B holds next, they must coordinate with them. They can't poach the character, nor can they force the ending they want. Likewise, if Player B for some reason found themselves without a plot, they can't simply jump into Player A's story unless it is agreed about outside of the IC thread.
If two players truly can't get along, the GM will side with the player who was accepted first. For example, if Player A was accepted as Green Arrow and detailed a plot involving Brick, they can't protest if Player B applies as Deathstroke. If Player A however did include Deathstroke in their plot, then it would be preferred they find a way to include Player B. If neither player is accepted and have conflicting applications, then it is encouraged they find a way to compromise. GMs will intervene when necessary.
With the inclusion of villains, there is potential for player versus player combat. Players should discuss in advance the desired outcome of their story or collaborate on it in some way. If both players were accepted with plots separate from one another and Player A finishes their plot and decides they want to fight the character that Player B holds next, they must coordinate with them. They can't poach the character, nor can they force the ending they want. Likewise, if Player B for some reason found themselves without a plot, they can't simply jump into Player A's story unless it is agreed about outside of the IC thread.
CHAPTERS:
'Chapters' is simply a fun name for contained player plots and story arcs. These are the stories told by you the player and governed by those of you who take on the 'Driving' role. Sometimes these Chapters may be the work of one person, other times it may be the work of a duo or even a small party of players who created something together.
This is the bread and butter of the RP, moving it forward and filling out the world as players work together to tell stories and build the setting that directly impacts not only their character but also those playing alongside them in 'Supporting' and 'Roaming' roles. There's no defined length for a Chapter, it could be as short as a single post or as long as a story spanning over thirty posts. Think of a Chapter as an episode of a television show or a single comic issue.
It is essential that all players contribute towards the Chapters in the IC and drive their characters both independently and together. Equally, it is important to read other player's Chapters and make note of significant events or even just 'broadcasted' ones to reference and relate to within your own posts. Small efforts like this go a long way in making the world feel alive and connected.
Don't feel you have to be joined at the hip at all times though, the same plot could be told through two characters without them constantly need to be in the room at all times. To bring about a great recent example, re-examine 'Falcon and the Winter Solder', while Sam and Bucky spent the impactful scenes together if it wasn't for the events they accomplished apart the story would not have fully come together.
This is the bread and butter of the RP, moving it forward and filling out the world as players work together to tell stories and build the setting that directly impacts not only their character but also those playing alongside them in 'Supporting' and 'Roaming' roles. There's no defined length for a Chapter, it could be as short as a single post or as long as a story spanning over thirty posts. Think of a Chapter as an episode of a television show or a single comic issue.
It is essential that all players contribute towards the Chapters in the IC and drive their characters both independently and together. Equally, it is important to read other player's Chapters and make note of significant events or even just 'broadcasted' ones to reference and relate to within your own posts. Small efforts like this go a long way in making the world feel alive and connected.
Don't feel you have to be joined at the hip at all times though, the same plot could be told through two characters without them constantly need to be in the room at all times. To bring about a great recent example, re-examine 'Falcon and the Winter Solder', while Sam and Bucky spent the impactful scenes together if it wasn't for the events they accomplished apart the story would not have fully come together.
CROSSOVERS:
Crossovers are the icing on the cake, this is where the larger picture starts to form. A crossover is defined here as a player coordinated and driven interaction between two or more character plots in the IC. To phrase it another way, it's when two or more 'Driving' character plots converge on the same thread. Like a 'team-up' between Flash and the Green Arrow that brings in all those associate characters. A Crossover may be as simple as a one-time team up or a small part of a larger over-arching story depending on the ambitions of the player(s) coordinating the story and those involved. There is no limit as to how many crossovers can take place at any one time as they will be completely moderated by those involved and not the GM Team.
Crossovers may take place in a single city or even multiple, spanning up to a national event depending on the number of players involved in the current crossover. Players are not required to participate in a crossover if they do not want to, and if you have approached a player and they have turned you, we ask that you please respect their wishes. That said, all players should consider participating in a crossover from time to time if only to recharge and avoid burnout due to lack of interaction. You will never be required to remain within the crossover for its entire run unless you become integral to its story, which case it is only respectful to do so.
Ultimately, the structure of each crossover will be dependent upon the player(s) organizing it. It should be noted that a crossover should never change the status quo of the game, and while consequences and fallout is encouraged, it should be limited to only those involved unless special permissions have been granted.
Crossovers may take place in a single city or even multiple, spanning up to a national event depending on the number of players involved in the current crossover. Players are not required to participate in a crossover if they do not want to, and if you have approached a player and they have turned you, we ask that you please respect their wishes. That said, all players should consider participating in a crossover from time to time if only to recharge and avoid burnout due to lack of interaction. You will never be required to remain within the crossover for its entire run unless you become integral to its story, which case it is only respectful to do so.
Ultimately, the structure of each crossover will be dependent upon the player(s) organizing it. It should be noted that a crossover should never change the status quo of the game, and while consequences and fallout is encouraged, it should be limited to only those involved unless special permissions have been granted.
CRISES:
Crises are large-scale events that affect the roleplay on a massive scale. These events can be global, universal or even multi-dimensional. Ideally, the occurring Crisis will affect all players, but all players need not directly contribute to the Crisis at hand. The outcome of these events will affect the roleplay's status quo, wiping the slate clean or drastically changing the present world. This could mean something like DC's Rebirth where abandoned characters can be reset allowing new players to assume their roles without the need to continue previous stories, or Marvel's Civil War where characters and their beliefs will be challenged, changing the alignment of different characters and the shape of different team rosters. These events won't take place often but when they do, they will be designed to directly impact the RP.
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