IC Scene #0: ''The Marvel Method"
Welcome to 'The Marvel Method', named after the way Marvel actually did comics in the Sixties. Essentially, Stan Lee would say, "Artist, draw this!" and the artist would. It worked. And it worked for decades. Most modern comic scripts are written essentially like movie scripts nowadays but some great and iconic comics were written using the Marvel Method.
This is the start of you actually playing in the game. It is what you have been wanting. It is a long read but every bit of it should help you. Let's get to it.
1. The first part of this game (and only the first part) will be freeform: This way, we can get started on the characters (and thus the players) interacting with each other and their universe while we get the formal characters stats and rules nailed down. Don't worry, there will still be enough structure to make the game interesting.
2. The first part of this game is a flashback: It takes place a year before game start and is likely the first time your characters meet each other. The Masks RPG assumes your characters have been a team for at least a little while and have established some mutual backstory. For this game, I have chosen a year lead time given the high number of players and unfinished characters. Get used to flashbacks as this game continues. By binding a player to both past and future continuity, I can then otherwise offer that player more freedom to narrate the backstory to their satisfaction.
3. The game is divided into real-life weeks: Each segment of 'game' takes place from Sunday Midnight to Sunday Midnight, GMT. During that time, there should be one event or challenge that moves the game and group forward which usually implies a post involving your character. You may feel like posting more often (the more you post, the more you get out of the game) but there should be just one 'essential' post requested.
If you aren't able to maintain at least one post a week for awhile, no worries. Your character will simply be written off-panel indefinitely. This is not punitive, it simply help separate the currently active from the currently inactive. And you can just as easily written back 'on-panel' when you are ready to post regularly again.
4. Every game week should have an optional challenge: That is, there will be a little puzzle or goal offered to players. The reward for completing these little quests will vary. They can be tangible Masks rules benefits (free Potential, Influence, Team, etc.) or intangible (friendship, secret knowledge, favors granted). You don't have to meet these challenges but they are a great way to advance your character.
5. Your character can't help but succeed and leave the game in time: In Masks, you either succeed at a task or, if you fail, you get experience which then helps you succeed later. As you inevitably succeed, you will achieve preset characters goals. And the last of these goals is that you leave the game as a mature, adult hero. In short, every character leaves the game like the Doomed do, they just grow up. One thing I will do if you don't want your characters growing up too fast, you can spend your experience on other characters. On the other hand, I will use experience (properly called Potential) like candy as rewards for extra credit or other minor graces.
6. We use the usual posting conventions. That is, third-person past omniscient, "They said, wishing it was no so." Now and then, we might switch to the present tense for immediate action scenes.
Each character has their own colored text (and thoughts). Don't worry for now if you and another character use the same color. You can simulate odd vocal effects with different fonts. Some characters have odd colored balloons, like Deadpool and his white text on yellow background word balloons. That might be simulated by colored parenthesis, ("Did someone say Bea Arthur?")
You can also show your character's thoughts with italicized colored text. This is particularly apt for comics given the use of thought balloons.
You can also print out sound effects, SNIKT! THWIP!!
7. The tone for this game starts out positive and optimistic for the most part, the kind that could be shown on US children's TV. We can more to more dark and/or mature (not always the same thing) as the game progresses. While I can't see that the game is likely to trigger anyone, it really isn't up to me to say what another person's triggers might be. I would imagine, playing the odds, that some players teen years may have been hellish (and I personally don't have to imagine that too much) and a sunshiny, nostalgic view of teen years might seem mocking.
In any case, if anyone is uncomfortable about something, we can pause the game at talk about it.
So, the apex of violence should be bruising or unconsciousness. Death should be distant, quick and possibly ambiguous.
Profanity is (currently) best referred to obliquely or (sweet comic trope) graphical characters in place of profanity, ya @##%'s
The height of physical ecstasy is probably a sweaty-palmed, close-mouthed kiss.
As the game progresses, we can move the gave toward the comfort levels of the players.
8. You can use adult narration in a flashback: In the US, there was show called the Wonder Years. It was the story of young man growing through the iconic moments of the sixties and seventies as remembered by an unseen adult narrator. You can use narration for your adult self if you wish to add 'forestory' to your backstory. Of course, this does imply your characters survives to adulthood. If you don't want to be so certain, you can add the narration of some future person referring to your character.
More to come, watch this space...