I've mentioned I'm getting ready to playtest my rules for a superhero RPG I'm working on. However I need a world to set the adventures in and I don't have one. Rather than use a published setting or try to make one whole cloth myself, I thought it might be fun to make one as a community using a slightly modified version of the Microscope RPG rules.

The rules are fairly simple to follow and you don't need a copy of them to play. I've got a summarized form of them here:

• This is a collaborative storytelling, improvisation game. No-one (including me) knows what shape the world will take or what events will get us there. I've pre-decided some of the initial choices with some abstract concepts to help get the game started without inhibiting anyone's creativity.
• Phase 1: Big Picture - "A world filled with super powered heroes and villains."
  
• Phase 2: Everything happens between these points:
     Starting Period: The first person who will develop superpowers is born (dark).
  Ending Period: The Modern Age of Heroes begins (light).
  
• Phase 3: Palette - I announce the start of each Palette round. Once per round in the Palette phase you add or remove 1 story element from the game (e.g. Bob bans aliens while Jane adds demigods). Typically you only need to add things people wouldn't assume would clearly be in the setting and you only ban things people would ordinarily assume would be included. If you don't have something you want to add or ban just say skip. Once someone skips we finish that round and then move on to Phase 4.
  
• Phase 4: We remain in Phase 3 until the game ends. The steps are:
     Step 1: The Current Player creates a focus. It could be a person, place, thing, institution, a period or an event.
  Step 2: The Current player then creates a period or event that has to tie in somehow to the focus. A period is a span of time (can be as small as a year or as large as a few decades). A period is created by giving it a title, a timeframe and choosing the tone of this period (will it be light and hopeful or dark?). An event is something that happens inside a period and is created by describing the event.
  Step 3: Each player creates a new period or event that has to tie into the focus. The order of play doesn't matter.
  Step 4: Once the last player has had their turn the Current Player creates one more period or event that ties into the focus.
  Step 5: Once everyone else has had their turn the Current Player has to describe how an Icon was impacted by the focus. They can either choose a pre-existing icon are make one. Icons are powerful figures in the campaign setting that will have a big impact on the setting. They can either be a Retired Hero (they may act in a supervisory position or have retired from superheroing altogether), a Civilian (such as a police commissioner or a newspaper publisher) or a villain (these are the big villains who are someone's arch nemesis). Each player is limited to creating 1 icon (with the exception of me. There will only be 4 icons total). You create one by giving them a name, a brief description, which period it occurs in and what the tone of the event is.
  Step 6: The next player in the listbecomes the Current Player and starts at step 1 and selects a new focus.
  
• The game ends once everyone has had enough.
• The game doesn't have to be played chronologically.
• No-one owns anything and can contribute to anything that has been said.
• No contradicting other players and don't add anything that's been banned.
• When you create a period or event make it clear and show how it connects to the focus. Other players can't offer suggestions or make you change something. But they can ask clarifying questions.

To keep it fairly casual but to also stop it from dragging on, there shouldn't be more than 48 hours between posts. If everyone checks once a day or so it should keep at a good pace. If you lose interest or don't have time just speak up and let us know. There's no problem leaving the game so long as your not the current player.

This is played with 2 to 5 players, so whose interested? Current players are:
1. VACANT
2. VACANT
3. VACANT
4. VACANT
5. JohnLynch

I'll add people as they sign up starting as player #1 (I've made myself the last player to try to stop me from dominating the game).

This post is reserved for a summary of the game as it unfolds.

Current Phase:

• Recruiting players.

Icons
1. Yet to be created
2. Yet to be created
3. Yet to be created
4. Yet to be created

Timeline
The first person who will develop superpowers is born (dark).

• Game begins.
• The first person to develop superpowers is born.

The Modern Age of Heroes begins (light)

• A new age is ushered in.
• Game ends.

Really would love to get in on this, but I can't guarantee regular participation due to time constraints. I'm also not super familiar with super hero tropes. Only been exposed to a couple of batman movies, guyver...really need a refresher.