Chapter 2.5: NM24 and other customs
NM24 Working Thread
NM24 Halls of Justice
A-Z Customs Index
What Type of Customs Creator or Fan Are You?
I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg of the Superhero customs community. However, here are some other indices you should see:
NM24
If you’ll click the first NM24 link, you’ll be taken to the NM24 working thread where customs are run through the process, evaluated, and approved.
What is NM24? That’s actually explained in the first post of the link, but I’ll give a brief explanation as best I can. One of the most important things a customs developer needs is feedback. With a bunch of customs creators each working on their own project, a need arose for some way to have their customs evaluated. The NM24 is a group of people who will evaluate one custom nominated from the previous entry’s designer for gameplay issues, wording, graphics design, and points cost. The specified goal was to have a turnaround of 24 hours, but lurking in the thread reveals that the process can actually take longer. The customs designer makes any changes he/she feels appropriate based on the feedback. Then the NM24 group votes on the finalized custom. If approved, the custom is entered into the Halls of Justice (second NM24 link above), the designer can add the NM24 logo to his/her customs card, and the designer nominates another custom from a different designer. No playtesting is actually conducted during this process. It’s simply a discussion procedure, though from experienced people qualified to offer their suggestions.
The second link is where you can locate and download the customs that have completed the process.
A-Z Customs Listing
The third link is a master index for more Superhero customs than you can shake a stick at. You may find some broken links in the group. If you’re looking for a specific figure, such as Superman, you will likely find several versions from which to choose. Go for it!
What Kind of Customs Creator or Fan Are You?
The fourth link is a fascinating survey conducted by Matt Helm. Here, you will find many prominent customs designers and their own visions and design philosophies. This is a great thread that will give you a nice way to get to know the designers a little better.
Another great way to locate customs is through the signatures of the customs designers themselves. For example, you may read a thread and see someone whose signature points to their customs thread. Feel free to click and investigate. This is how I’ve branched out.
Finally
This concludes the second part of my guide. Hopefully, you’ve clicked some of the links and have found some customs of interest. Now you’re probably wondering how to actually put the customs into reality onto your gaming table so that you can actually play. That is what the third, and final part of this guide, will attempt to address.