FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

APPLYING:

Why are certain canons not on the canon list?
Some aren't on there because the full list of potential canon characters is so big that some have slipped through the cracks. Others are deliberately not on there because the staff feel their presence would be counterproductive to the site at this time, either because of future plots or because of unusual powers.

For a list of current bans, check out this thread.

Can I still apply for one of those canon characters?
You can ask, politely, via a formal request in PM sent to all of the staffers. As the canon list rules say, you can ONLY apply for a non-canon list canon if you make this formal PM, so any reservation made prior to us approving it will not count. But if we say no, we mean no and will have a good reason for not wanting said canon character on the board, so no sulking, please. We promise we have Reasons.

It's been, like, a day. Why hasn't my app been approved yet?
Apps can take a great deal of time (especially if the staffers feel the need to discuss the app with each other) because we all not only have our own opinions and live in different timezones, but because we each have lives outside of WoH (even though it might not seem like it sometimes). We ask that you give us seventy-two hours before bugging us about your application being completed. Also, be aware, that if there are a large influx of applications at one time, it will take us a bit longer. Thank you in advance for you patience while we give your app the love and attention that it deserves.

Why has my app been put in the 'pending' section?
The pending section is for apps that have been reviewed and may need a little tweaking/further consideration. It may be as simple as a question being clarified or a section being changed/expanded upon and there will always be a PM explaining what needs to be done.

But I told you in the cbox that I'd made the necessary edits? Why has my app STILL not been seen?
Cboxes are not a reliable form of communication. Always, always, ALWAYS either bump an app to tell us it's finished or PM us back in response to a request for edits. That way there's always a hard copy and we won't miss it.

Can I post anywhere on the site before I've been accepted?
Other than the canon list and the app itself, we'd really rather you didn't in case of problems with the app. Frankly, it's just a little presumptuous and it makes things unnecessarily messy. We also definitely don't want people requesting graphics or plotting before their character is accepted.

Can I mention taken/non-taken characters in my canon character's history?
Only if it's absolutely necessary, to prevent forcing future applicants into a certain history for their canon - we're a multiverse site, so your version of canon might not be theirs. If it's something you desperately want to do and said canon character is already in play, you may send them a POLITE PM asking if they'd be willing to consider a certain event, but you are in no way allowed to get snarky if they refuse. In short, make sure your canon character's history doesn't contradict/change the history of another canon character's and you'll be good to go. You also cannot mention non-taken canons in apps UNLESS they are a first degree relative of yours and even then sparingly. You can dictate timelines/relationships, but not specific dialogue or too much of the other canon's individual history.

Someone's reserved the canon character I want - can I still apply for them?
Sorry, we don't do application-battles. But hey, we're not exactly short on canons - hopefully someone else will strike your fancy!

My favourite canon is taken. Can I make an original character that's basically them with a different name?
No. The point of original characters is to be original.

Why can I not apply directly to be in the Hellfire Club with my character?
All Hellfire Club recruitment needs to occur ICly, to try and preserve the realism of a very exclusive club. Translation: Betsy and Emma are elitists and only let in the people they think would benefit the club.

POWERS:

Why are some mutations banned?
Some are too powerful (such as power negation) while others are just currently too common on the site. We like our character base to be diverse.

Why have I been asked to change my original character's mutation?
Either because we feel they're too similar to a canon or because they're too powerful/have too many secondary mutations. All powers have weaknesses and we expect you to put as much thought into those as your character's strengths for believability.

How come I've been asked to power down my original character when canons are so ridiculously over-powered?
We feel you on this one. Marvel canons ARE generally ridiculously decked out in the power department and, yes, it's rare that we'll allow an OC as powerful as, say, Jean Grey or Professor Xavier. But don't worry - we're pretty harsh on our canons as well and expect applicants to come up with better weaknesses than Marvel often does.

GENERAL:

Why do I have to be eighteen or older to apply for the site?
This is a site with mature threads and mature themes and we don't want to be responsible for corrupting anyone. Yes, we're aware that people lie about their age all the time on the internet, but we have banned people who have tried to lie to us and been found guilty in the past and will in the future. It's a rule that is directly built upon some of IF's policies and we simply feel that this site isn't suitable for anyone under the age of eighteen. Please respect our decision on that one.

But I'm a really mature under-eighteen - can I still join?
Maturity is subjective. We're sure that there are plenty of kids out there who are very mature for their age, but we feel this needs to be a rule so that we can have our fun on this site without worrying unduly about people not being able to handle it. Bear in mind also that if you are underage and are hiding it, you're lying and making an over-eighteen member roleplay under false assumptions, potentially roleplaying mature subject content with a minor and that is an extremely inconsiderate thing to do, one that many people would find a violation.

It's your turn to reply in our thread and you haven't yet - can I nag you to do so in the cbox?
No, no, a thousands times no. This is one of the things that pisses off the staff team the most - there's nothing wrong with a friendly 'hey, did you remember it's your turn to post in our thread?' if the person hasn't replied in a week and/or is replying a lot to other threads, but you are in NO way to pester people in the cbox when there's every chance that they've simply been busy or haven't had much energy/time/muse recently. Patience is our favourite virtue on this site.

I love doHTML templates - why can't I use them?
WoH is proudly minimalist and we want people to concentrate on their writing. Templates ARE beautiful and fun, but we feel that people often spend more time on the coding than they do on the writing and we'd rather not sacrifice all the IC fun we have here for something that's purely aesthetic.

How come you have certain rules - about PBs, powers or the application process - but I've found accepted apps that break them. Is that favouritism?
Absolutely not. However, at this point, we are an old site, at the time of answering this nearly twenty months old. It stands to reason that some rules come in as issues arise or as our policies change and we're not so cruel as to make people reapply to fit a rule changed after their character's acceptance. Just bear our age as a site in mind before you get up on your soapbox or go looking for reasons the staffers aren't always fair. =)

I need to leave the site. Can I ever come back?
Of course. Please, never feel afraid to tell us that you need to leave. We completely respect people who have the decency to, a, own up to their attentions needing to focus on their real life and/or, b, let us know that they're leaving rather than just disappearing and leaving us hanging. People who give us warning are welcome back, no questions asked. If you've poofed without warning, fine, it happens, you can come back, but three unannounced disappearances on us (characterised by missing activity checks) and we're afraid we'd rather you didn't return since you now have a reputation for leaving us hanging and we put a lot of time/effort into reviewing apps or plotting with you.

What do the different name colours in the cbox mean?
Blue is for site admin and staff members. Red names indicate our emergency team of people with deletion/post capabilities in the case of trolls/trouble-makers arising when none of the staffers are around, though they only use this in emergencies and are not expected to do any other staffing duties. Green are our lovely members who have registered their cbox names so no one can impersonate them (which we strongly recommend) and black names are unregistered members/guests/visitors.