Survival messages

Survival messages
Participants in the Heroes: Survival game receive in-game messages from their heroes and contacts.
First mentioned:	July 2, 2009

Signing up for messages

To access the in-game messages, users must first a create one or more characters for the game. The option to start a first character is on the main page of the game.

Wellness messages

Users can periodically access a message related to one of their heroes' wellness status on the hero's profile. After clicking the 'send assistance' button that appears with the message related a particular hero; each user must wait a random period, normally a few hours, before the next wellness message can be accessed for that hero. After a user clicks to 'send assistance' to a hero, the hero's health is partially restored, and its rating and experience point totals are increased. Wellness messages are chosen at random from a static set of messages, which include:

• Your Hero has sent a quick update: "Everything seems okay. Thanks for checking in."
• Your Hero has sent a note: "There's a guy at work who is being a real jerk to one of my co-workers. I bet my ability could stop the situation in its tracks. So frustrating."
• You receive a note from your Hero: "Not feeling well. Think it's a side effect of my ability. Can't go to hospital! Do you have any advice?"
• You receive a note from your Hero: "I am working on my hideout, in case something goes wrong. I need fresh supplies. Can you help me out?"
• There's an urgent message from one of your contacts: "An old Building 26 database was accidentally turned over the FBI! A file on your friend is in there. I have a buddy in the FBI who might be able to make the database go away. Want me to try contacting him?"
• You receive a note from one of your contacts: "Hey, hacked a government server, found a file on that name you gave me, the one you're protecting. I'll sell you the file, cheap!"
• There's a message from one of your contacts: "Those new fake papers are ready. Tell the person you're protecting that the package will be at the drop point tonight."
• Your Hero reports: "I thought I met someone else who had an ... ability ... today. But it was just wishful thinking. Everything else seems quiet."
• Your Hero checks in: "Everything seems okay. Just wanted to let you know. I wish we could meet. I have no idea who to trust."
• It's a long message from your Hero. It begins: "A friend said today that I seemed down. I guess I'm bummed that I can't tell them about my ability. I know I can't -- it would change everything -- but I feel like my friends don't even know the real me any more..."
• It's your Hero. They sound anxious: "I thought I was being followed today. Who would follow me? Why am I so paranoid? Building 26 is history, right?" It goes on. You write an encouraging note.
• One of your contacts has this to say: "There's been some kind of bureaucratic screw-up: that person you're protecting just got stuck back on the government watch list. Tell your buddy to avoid airports for a while. I think I can remove the flag but it's going to cost ya. Want me to go for it?"
• There's an urgent message from your Hero: "Something strange happened to me yesterday. I think my ability is growing. What's happening to me??"
• One of your contacts has an urgent message: "Cops are sniffing around that person you're protecting. Looks like they found a leftover warrant from the government. I think I can shut down the investigation. Want me to risk it?"
• It's a note from your Hero: "The police were asking around the neighborhood about suspicious activity. Their description sounded a lot like my ability! Do you have any way of finding out what they know?"
• It's a message from your Hero: "Does everything look okay on your end? Going back to normal life is harder than I thought. Thanks for being there for me."
• It's a message from your Hero: "Hey, how are you? Just checking in. I'm feeling pretty good. Life almost feels normal today."

Event messages

Users can access a new message related to an event experienced by one of their heroes on the hero's profile 1-2 times a week, and normally new messages become available every Tuesday and Friday. The messages normally ask users to advise their heroes in how to respond to the situation, by choosing one of at least four choices. The hero will try to perform whatever choice is recommended by the user, and that can affect the hero's personality attributes. Changing a hero's personality away from the dominant personality of the hero's faction can hurt the hero's faction's score. Event messages are sometimes related to happenings in the iStory. See July 2009's event messages, and a list of recent event messages below.

Date	Message
August 4, 2009	Okay, I've arrived at the biker rally, and my worst fears seem confirmed. Most of the rally is just casual riders, but Amber is part of some sort of traveling event that follows the main group with its own gang. The gang keeps to themselves but I've seen Amber's name on a sign during their stops. She's listed as a healer or something. If she isn't the one with ability, then someone close to her is, and judging by her company, she could be there against her will. What should we do? Try to make contact with her. She's your cousin. Demand to see her. Sneak in at night. Tell the police that you think she is in trouble.
August 7, 2009	need ur help. amber safe but i was followed from rally. recognize him: was agent @ building 26. texting u from hotel & hes outside. can u help Get away ASAP. I'll send someone to pick you up. Keep him occupied. I'll send someone to grab him. Follow him and find out what he's up to. I'll send help. Leave him a note and ask his intentions. Help coming.
August 11, 2009	I escaped the former Building 26 agent with the help of a blonde girl with powers. It still amazes me how many of us might be out there. She doesn't say much about herself, but I don't think I'm the first former fugitive that she has helped like this. She is taking me to see one of her contacts today. If we can learn how that former agent found me, we might be able to stop it from happening again. What do you think? His intentions may not have been bad He needs to be found and questioned Let's broadcast your fake location and set a trap I have friends in the government, let them deal with him
August 14, 2009	Wow, still reeling from what happened when we met Claire's contact. A group of people with abilities were using their powers to kill. Only by banding together were we able to stop them. All I've thought about up to now is how to hide. But this makes me wonder if I should be more involved? We should be helping Claire with ex-fugitives Let's find more villains and take them on! Let's watch Claire and learn what we're getting into We have a duty to offer our help
August 18, 2009	I keep running into friends and relatives who want to know where I've been the last few months. Usually I can make up an excuse that satisfies them, but this time I really messed up. I told a distant friend of a friend that I'd gotten engaged. He posted it on his Facebook page or something, and it got back to my relatives! They assume I was going to surprise them, so now they're throwing "us" a party and insisting on meeting my "fiance". What do I do? The truth would only scare them. You must keep up the lie. Go out, fall in love and get engaged ... quick! I know someone who might pose as your fiance for the party. Truth is the path of the hero. You should tell them.
August 21, 2009	Well, my fake "engagement" party went okay. I'll just tell everyone in a week or two that we broke up. By the way, the people you sent me to ask for help took care of everything, as promised. Actually, I think I might have made friends with one of them. I'd really like to stay in touch with her. What do you think? If you're her friend, you shouldn't put her at risk. Go for it! A friend is worth some risk. Use a fake identity and disposable cell phone. No, you have a duty to consider her safety first.
August 25, 2009	That Building 26 agent that Claire and I faced a couple weeks ago is BACK! He chased me today. I tried to ask him what he wanted, but he apparently thinks I had something to do with the death of his partner. He said he was going to kill me! He's upset but he'll calm. Let's get you into hiding. We have to fight him! I'll send you help. Lead him to this location. We'll trap him there. You have a duty to hear him out and learn the truth.
August 28, 2009	I didn't think I was going to make it for a while there. Your allies saved my life this week. And apparently they have a lot going on at the time same. There's a whole secret world out there that I didn't realize existed: old and new organizations battling with each other, people with abilities forming into groups, plans being made. I want to know more! I know some groups that would be interested in your help. Yes, it's time to join the fight! We should start by gathering intelligence. You have an ability. It's time to put it to use.
September 3, 2009	Someone I know has been kidnapped! We met while on the run from Building 26. I got a garbled message asking for help. Then they disappeared. Could this be about their powers? Should I even get involved? Yes, they need your help. Try to contact them again. Absolutely. Go to their house and start investigating. Investigate secretly. Pretend to be family and ask around. Call the authorities! They're equipped to deal with this.
September 4, 2009	My missing acquaintance is back. She seems really shaken up. She won't say much about what happened, but she did mention that people with abilities were fighting each other. This is scary. What's happening around us? Where is this all going to lead? We can deal with anything together, my friend. I don't know, but it's time to find out! Just keep your head down for now. When duty calls, we'll respond.
September 22, 2009	I have some family in town. I haven't seen them in years. It's been really cool to reconnect with them. They may know I have gaps in my past, but they accept me anyway. Then last night, I got a call. Another former fugitive thinks someone is spying on him. He wants me to travel to him and help investigate. I need to choose: family or fugitive? Choose your family. This is your chance to reconnect. Family can wait! Go help the former fugitive! You can't rush off to help a stranger. Get more info. Your ability is a gift. You have a duty to use it to help others.

Faction messages

When a hero is added to a faction, that hero's adviser gets new messages related to the faction as a whole. Currently, there are only faction wellness and faction event messages. A third type of faction message, which would allow the option for factions to harm/help each other, is planned for release later in Fall 2009.

Faction wellness messages

Faction wellness messages have some similarities and differences to hero-type wellness messages. Like normal wellness messages, faction wellness messages boost rating points and experience, and are choosen from a static pool of messages. However, unlike a hero's wellness message, choosing to 'send assistance' can only give the earned experience/rating to the faction itself. Also, choosing to send assistance may harm the hero that sends assistance, lowering one or more of the hero's attributes and rating points. The degree and type lowered depend on the message. Faction wellness messages include:

• Another member emails everyone in your faction: "I messed up and revealed my power! I need to hide somewhere for a while. Let me know if you can help." (Offering your home may lower your Attributes but will benefit your faction.)
• A leader in your faction has called an emergency meeting for next weekend. It will be expensive and draining to attend in time, but it will benefit your faction.
• A leader in your faction sends everyone this message: "I've got a tip that one of our members is being investigated by a former Building 26 agent! Everyone please keep low for a while." (Hiding will hurt your Attributes but will benefit your faction.)

Faction event messages

Like the wellness-type messages, faction event messages have both differences and similarities to their hero-type counterpart. Faction event messages also are released in batches of 1-2 per week, normally every Tuesday and sometimes also on Friday; always give a positive ratings boost; affect the dominant personality; and may be related to the iStory. However, boosts and personality alterations related to faction messages affect the faction and not the individual hero. In addition, not every faction receives the same faction message. Factions receive different event messages based on their current world-view, which can be either "heroic", "neutral", "reclusive", or "villainous". The message sometimes differs only in the options available to select. For instance, a heroic faction options might include asking, arguing, and/or sneaking around; whereas a villainous faction would instead get options to trick, blackmail, and/or pretend to buy a place. Another difference is that faction event messages are chosen from a pool, similar to the faction wellness messages--so a faction may receive an old/repeat message. The below list contains the faction event messages thus far as presented thus far (messages and their options often vary based on faction world-view).

First Seen Date	Message
August 18, 2009	One of your members emails your faction: "I heard another group of people with abilities might have found an old Pinehearst lab. The lab's files could tell us more about powers and help us make new contacts. But I think they already took most of the research. What do you all think we should do?" Ask the other group to share the research with everyone who we know with abilities (may result in disappointment) Ask the other group to share the research with our faction (may result in no research) Sneak into the laboratory and copy any remaining research (may be difficult to figure out) Argue the other group into giving you the research they recovered (may result in injury)
September 1, 2009	I just read a news story about someone local getting arrested. But it sounds like they used a power and it got out of control! What should I suggest to my faction that we do about it? You owe it to people with abilities around the world. Find a way to help them! (Tires Mind but aids Faction.) It's too risky to interfere, but sending members to show support might earn a future ally. (Tires Body but aids Faction.) Don't interfere. It's sad but you need to protect yourselves. (Lowers Mood but aids Faction.) Another recruit! Visit them, show your ability, and offer them the chance to use their ability for * gain. (Tires Ability but aids Faction.)
September 1, 2009	One of my faction's leaders just emailed us: "I'd like to open an additional hideout for our faction. I've found an empty warehouse that would be ideal, but the owner refuses to sell it. One of our members could use their power to persuade her. How do you feel about that?" What do you think I should say? Don't use abilities. Guilt-trip the owner that it's for a good cause. (Lowers Ability attribute but helps the Faction.) Don't use abilities. Guilt-trip the owner with a list of reasons why it's extremely important to us. (Tires Mind but helps the Faction.) It wouldn't be kind to use abilities. Use a less-convenient location. (Weakens Body but aids Faction.) There's just one person? She can be scared off. Use our abilities to do it. (Lowers Mood but aids Faction.)
September 8, 2009	Have you been reading about the disaster in my area? A lot of people are in trouble or being evacuated. Do you think I should call my faction in? Absolutely. People need you! (Tires Body but aids Faction.) It's sad, but you should focus on comforting your own group. (Lowers Mood but aids Faction.) No. Do everything you can to comfort your own people, but outsiders are on their own. (Weakens Ability but aids Faction.) Yes. Vulnerable people talk. Look for evidence of recruits or threats. (Tires Mind but aids Faction.)

See also

• Heroes: Survival