This particularly bothers the junk out of me:

People who lay claim on powers/personalities that they were the first to post on a forum! Sure, you may have been first on the forum to post a person with that kind of mutation or personality, but you are certainly not the only one with a brain! I've seen this possessiveness over mutations especially, and I just need to say that having to ask PERMISSION to repeat the mutation is a wee bit redonkulous, ja? Again, I've seen this happen on more than one occassion.

Given, yeah, I might get a little cheesed off if somebody came in with a mutation that I thought was weird enough to be all mine, and I might even complain a little, but other than that, I can accept the fact that the world isn't out there to copy me.

Well, now I feel a little better now that I up and said it. =]
Thoughts are welcomed.

--Viktor

*Pats.* You're right. It takes a very specific description or take on something to claim ownership of it. I would understand getting upset if someone did it exactly the way, but not otherwise.

Ooooh yes, that is mightily annoying. Especially when it's only one particular thing like, 'loves violin'... and they get stroppy because someone else has applied with it. Well, suck it up Princess, cause there's bound to be a billion other people who like violin!

Things that are entirely weird are a little annoying. Like a blinding fear of Shetland ponies. If another character applied with that, I'd be looking through the rest of it for aspects of mine and any other characters, which has been known to happen before, but unless the character is almost a carbon copy of another - I won't do all that much about it. I may suggest taking out the pony thing, though. It does kinda annoy me when new applicants read through a dozen applications and mush the characters together into a new one.

That's another rant entirely.

But for minor characteristics, pffft... the other person can get over themselves, it's not a big deal.

In my old high school group of about 10-20 friends five of them played violin...

Anyway, this really bugs me to. I've been banned because of it, and it was a pretty generic thing. I think it was something like Wolverine or that fire guy. It was a while ago, I can't remember.

auuugggh. I agree whole heartedly. Half the time- it's something as stupid and silly as being blind. Granted, there's not alot of blind or otherwise limited characters out there, but seriously. I'd just like to shout "grow up" at the lot of 'em.

Hmm. I'd have a problem if someone's character had the same power as mine. I always think up my own, without copying others' ideas (though I may use canons for inspiration) and if I saw a character with the exact same power and nuances of that power I'd be very mad. I know you can't be original in the Marvel Universe because there are thousands of canons with powers, but that doesn't mean that my idea isn't different or my own.

If someone was inspired by my power/idea and created their own twist on it I'd be very glad indeed. It would be great! I know I can't claim any vague or big idea as 'mine' because the odds are it's been done before. And something like 'loves violin' being called copying is ridiculous.

Other people on here like roleplaying! Oh noes, they must be copying from me!

Roleplaying © RENTal lot 1989-2008 All rights reserved.

I think this is what the OP has a problem with in the first place. Sometimes people claim abilities that aren't so unique as their own and expect no one else to use it.

No, the admin should go, "WTF?!" unless the player can explain what quality of a flashlight allows the character to manipulate just that specific object. :p

I agree with this. Just because a power may be weird, it doesn't mean it's good. I do like weird stuff, but only if it, you know, works. You can't just have power over flashlights when there are a lot of technologies that share common features of them. You could say power over light, which means you could summon the light from it or power over electricity, thus powering the batteries, but I don't understand how you can have a power over solely flashlights.

Then again, there's no reason for control over fire to work.

Anyway, it's all cool. I don't mind weird things... I usually create them in the first place, but just because something you "invented" is odd doesn't mean you were the first and I hardly think it entitles you to be the last either.

I'm the one who would join up with the ability to manipulate flashlights.

Because I love my characters to have the most pointless, and useless abilities. I actually find that more interesting than having an ability that's oh-so-great.

Anyway.

If I had put a lot of thought into creating something way out there -- done hours of research, applied, and then found someone copying my idea and applying like.. the next day, I'd be miffed. Something like that, I'd be having a quiet word to the admin (who should realise, uh, HELLO... that's a little over the top) and hopefully the applying member would be asked to edit.

Lists of powers are always good too. I think half the trick is prompting people towards something they may not have thought of before.

I also agree. The best powers work on some kind of pseudo-science in my opinion; that at least gives them a somewhat realistic basis. This might not be as out there as the flashlight example but I encountered this with someone who wanted to manipulate plastic. Plastic is not the same as metal. It's basically refined petroleum from what I can remember so how could someone be born with the ability to manipulate one specific artificial thing? (ouch)

So it's fine and dandy for people to be able to be born with the power to manipulate something like metal, but not plastic? Dave, your reasoning is screwy :p It's incredibly unnatural for humans to be able to manipulate these things anyway, so if the member can think up a reason, why not?

Refined petroleum is different to unrefined, is it not? It has different properties - it must if it's plastic. So a char may be able to manipulate only those specific properties.

Ya, my head just works that way Emma. Manipulating metal is explained as some kind of electro-magnetic phenomenon (check wiki for the full description) that's why the person can manipulate metal things but not nonmetals. What part of plastic allows you to just manipulate it but not non-plastic things? I guess it's just a matter of how you reason it out. Gah, I have a headache now.

The arguement over being able to control plastic vs. metal. Well, th same thing could be said for the Technopaths.

Technopathy
Ability to manipulate technology. It could manifest as a special form of electrical manipulation, a special form of shapeshifting which allows physical interaction with machines, or even a special form of ESP that allows for mental interface with computer data.

How would a bond between a human/mutant and technology, which is a mix of all sorts of refined, man made materials, form?

Part of what's appealing about super-power RPGs is that they're about playing characters who can do things people wouldn't normally be able to do. If you want to go into unrealistic powers, let's talk about flying. The human body is not made for flying. Simple as that. But, no one is about to ban that ability, when it's a favorite.

Sometimes, illogical things are the most fun.

You're right, guess it just comes down to personal preference. ^^

Entirely different matter, I'm afraid. Yes, anatomically speaking, humans can not fly. However, flight is theoretically possible if we were, to say, make the human body fill with helium or some other lighter-than-air element. Or reverse the gravitrons to lower the effect of gravity on the human body. Technopathy could be a a very specific control of electromagnetism. Electronic circuitry is typically a very minute and delicate balance of electric impulses.

Something like controlling "flashlights" in particular is completely arbitrary. It would be, for example, like me saying that I can fly, but if I'm wearing a blue shirt, I can no longer fly. I'm not asking for a perfectly reasonable, scientifically testable dissertation on why the character can fly, but I do think that something that's possible within pseudo-science boundaries is important.