Cool. This is a direction that I would like to explore more. I'd be grateful for more ideas about policy that people think actually works on a game.
Right now, my ideas are fairly basic. Like I said, I'm an other-oriented person. I get more enjoyment from other people having fun than I do myself. I want to make the game reflect that. So yeah, I'm looking to make a game for people, not just myself and my circle of friends, but rather an inclusive environment. I know that cliques form and are inevitable and all that, and that's fine. It's another issue altogether. I'm just looking at making a game that allows people to have a good time telling stories together.
So, the primary things I have in mind are that the majority of staff will be required to run things. I've thought about setting perimeters on this, but I'm not sure what would be considered reasonable, so suggestions would be awesome. I would like for the people who want to staff to be people that enjoy running things. This is pretty much a common factor in all the people that I've talked to about this already, so I think that's a good thing.
Another policy would be to create a list of high-profile characters that people would want to play and limit them. Basically, taking the characters like Batman and Captain America and restricting people to only one such character. No one running around with Batman, Cap, Wolverine and Superman all at once. Spread out the love, so to speak.
For those major characters, I was also thinking that a minimum activity requirement should be maintained, so as to ensure people aren't just squatting on them. This would be a bit more strict than the requirements for holding less in-demand alts.
As far as the world goes, I'm looking at creating an integrated universe, and currently working on the ways that I can make those puzzle pieces fit. This means that it's not just DC comics stuff slapped in with Marvel stuff, but rather a cohesive whole. I want to fold things in to make them actually a part of one another. Establish the relationships and differences between ARGUS and SHIELD, for example. Or explain how Aquaman and Namor can both be rulers of Atlantis. I have some ideas about these things, and have been talking to others about it, as well.
As far as system goes, I'm looking at primarily consent based as the primary, since this is how most of the comic based games I've encountered are set up, anyway. I do want to include a trait/sheet system to help regulate the drawbacks of that, and maybe a minimal optional rolling system if an agreement can't be reached.
Coming from a primarily tabletop RPG background, I've also been thinking a lot about the idea of experience and growth, which is something that comic based games don't really deal with very much. I personally enjoy the aspect of a game where I earn things and have the ability to improve or change aspects of my character. I'd ask if others would be interested enough in something like that for me to consider developing an XP system to help their characters develop their powers and abilities.
As far as staff rules go, I've outlined the basic jist of what I'm looking for. Don't be a jerk. If you have a problem with a player, for whatever reason, let another staffer interact with them. I would be looking at creating the means for accountability in such instances.
As far as approving or denying sheets, and providing suggestions, any staffer would be allowed to do so. If something is denied, for whatever reason, the player should have a chance to explain why they think it should be allowed. If the staff member still feels that it's unallowable or too much, then, and only then, should it be brought to other members of staff to have a discussion about it. It doesn't need to be all staff that agrees with one side or another, but there should be some consensus. Really, as long as the issue is given serious consideration, instead of just being dismissed outright, then I'm happy. If the result is that staff agrees that something should be denied, we should also take the time to outline the full reasoning behind the denial. And yes, I know that this is standard.
A lot of what I'm looking for, really, is just kind of standard, common sense stuff. I just want to be able to find ways to target and mitigate, if not eliminate, toxic patterns of behavior that make the game less inclusive for everyone. This would require quite a bit of transparency for the staff, and a lot of communal effort on the part of the player base. That being said, my observations of the established playerbase for comic based MU*s has given me the impression that they are, generally speaking, a bit more communal and cooperative than what I have observed on the WoD and Cyberpunk/Shadowrun games that I've played on. I think it's a fairly positive community on the whole. It has it's cray cray, and it's dark spots, but the general feel I've seen has been fairly decent.
I'm also totally down for suggestions. I know I likely haven't covered nearly everything that should be talked about, but I'm currently dealing with a pretty intense headache, making it more difficult for my thoughts to come out cohesively. I just wanted to get a response out there.