In development: pure OC superhero game

[Wizz]

@ganymede said in Interest check: pure OC superhero game:

Have you looked into City of Mist? I see ads for it on my Facebook page all the time, and I was always a bit curious about how well it might work.

I own the book because the Fbook ads drew me in too, haha. Default setting is definitely more supernatural/occult than classic superhero, including a built-in Veil mechanic that might not really make sense for a classic superhero setting. But if you strip those things away, the system itself is pretty cool and basically allows for anything you can think up as a character concept/power set.

The only thing that would be really problematic is that the core of a character is the balance between Mythic and Mundane, ie if you have too much of one or the other you technically are supposed to retire your PC and they're supposed to be constantly in flux, which is another mechanic that doesn't really make sense for superheroes.

[Ganymede]

@wizz said in Interest check: pure OC superhero game:

I own the book because the Fbook ads drew me in too, haha. Default setting is definitely more supernatural/occult than classic superhero, including a built-in Veil mechanic that might not really make sense for a classic superhero setting. But if you strip those things away, the system itself is pretty cool and basically allows for anything you can think up as a character concept/power set.

I might invest in it.

I thought about pairing it with a card system for the activation and use of powers, but --

Yeah, just thinking about systems. Hard.

[Wizz]

@wizz said in Interest check: pure OC superhero game:

The only thing that would be really problematic is that the core of a character is the balance between Mythic and Mundane, ie if you have too much of one or the other you technically are supposed to retire your PC and they're supposed to be constantly in flux, which is another mechanic that doesn't really make sense for superheroes.

Not to be too much of a doofus here by quoting myself, but to brainstorm this some more, you could arguably make this into a very interesting superhero-y thing if there was some setting element that meant all characters were supposed to fluctuate between like, street-level and cosmic a la Doctor Manhattan, for example...

@theonceler said in Interest check: pure OC superhero game:

No built in 'all superpowers come from <a thing>' nonsense which limits character concepts.

Actually all superpowers do come from A Thing, like some sort of SCIENCE!-y collapse/explosion of an LHC kinda thing that randomly empowers people all over the globe, and the only way heroes don't become weird super-detached godlike assholes (again, late-arc Doc Manhattan) is to maintain their secret identities.

The City of Mist mechanic I'm referring to gives each character four "cards" that represent either a supernatural powerset or a mundane story element that's kind of equivalent to a Chronicles of Darkness Anchor, something that ties the character to mortality. If you lose a mundane card, you gain a supernatural card and vice versa, and your power tier/level/whatever obviously fluctuates depending on how many supernatural vs. how many mundane cards you have. If you lose your last mundane card, your character becomes a completely supernatural entity with no trace of humanity left and basically runs amok as an NPC, and if you lose your last supernatural card you (obvs) become completely mundane and you're stuck on the other side of the Veil.

This COULD be made into something very comic book, ie like how Superman works at the Daily Planet as Clark Kent to both monitor global crises and maintain his ties to people. If he were to lose the job for whatever reason, he'd go sulk in his weird alien Fortress of Solitude and become just a little more out of touch with the people he's supposed to be protecting. (Which, come to think of it, is something I'm pretty sure I regurgitated from the book verbatim as an example they used.)

Not everybody's bag, and that is a very super specific setting that does restrict like ALIENS AND MUTANTS AND GODS or whatever, but it could be cool IMO.

(Sorry OP for all the word vomit BTW, haha. If you want me to split this off into a discussion topic that is absolutely fine.)

[Seraphim73]

I'm not usually a superhero fan, but a late-30s to 40s OC-only game? That I might play. I mean, it's Indiana Jones + WW2... how can you go wrong? (yes, I'm enough of a history nerd that the necessary research would be fun for me and I understand that isn't for everyone).

[Kay]

Whew, I went to sleep and woke up to a lot of interest! Thank you all. Big spammy response ahead:

@surreality - The Roarin' 20s definitely has an appeal. And there's a lot of source material to use for inspiration. I just like that early chunk of the 1900s, it seems, 20s-30s-40s. Especially in a US setting they each have very distinctinctive flavors. And not to worry, I'm not looking for anyone to sign anything, just a show of hands as it were.

@Mr.Johnson - I appreciate the thought very much! Let me know how the rest of your staff feels - no hard feelings if it's a no, I'm just happy you were willing to offer.

@Lithium - I mean, I mostly play World of Darkness in all its various forms these days, plus other games where you might die, so I don't think that's a concern. But could you let me know how you define pure consent? It's been a while since I heard the term.

@Kairos - That looks awesome! I may have to throw some cash their way.

@DeadEmpire - Sweet, another vote for "anything OC is good", thank you! And yes, it would be all pure original characters. OC all the way, no DC, no Marvel, etc.

@TNP - Understood! As I asked the others, would you be wiling to expand on why? The more feedback I get the more helpful it is.

@Cobaltasaurus - M&M is what I was used to back when I was involved in the Crucible City stuff, the only reason I haven't leapt to it is because I heard that the editions in the ten years+ since then has changed a lot? So I'd need to take a look. But mute librarian with shadow powers sounds like a really fun concept, of course I'd love to see you play!

@Ganymede - I will be happy to take you up on the offer of assistance! Judging by @Wizz input, it sounds like City of Mist while very appealing in its own right brings its own setting flavor with the system, which makes me a bit hesitant. I'd rather use something that is easily adaptable, and it sounds like we'd need to cut at least a chunk or two out of CoM. What do the two of you think about M&M, are you familiar with the latest edition of it? And Wizz, I definitely think you should start a new thread so more people can brainstorm on that, including myself. For a different game I think it would be super cool, and I'd be genuinely interested in playing in it.

@TheOnceler - I'm a little puzzled, why should the fact that there aren't any OC superhero games make me choose a modern setting? That one goes over my head, please clarify that some? You're another vote for M&M, which is what I am familiar with from the old Crucible City game, though we used the first edition (I think), and the latest one is apparently a bit different so I'd need to check it out. Gothic Horror Superhero Game sounds amazing, I'd play there!

@faraday - Well, @ixokai first stated that 30s-40s wasn't something he was into, hence my assumption his specification of no 30s also applied to 40s. But that's me assuming things, and you make a fair point that 30s is less represented in pop culture. I like 20s-30s-40s, but as mentioned this is an interest check as I continue to mull things over. That's why I'm looking for feedback as to what people like/dislike/would like/wouldn't like, and I appreciate all the responses!

@Seraphim73 - I know right? It's a lovely spectrum of flavors that ranges from intrigue and mystery across the spectrum to robot Nazi mutants on jets. Not to say you couldn't have that in a modern or future setting, of course.

[reversed]

This post is deleted!

[Lotherio]

30s would be awesome. 1938 The Savoy; Chick Webb vs Basie following the first big swing concert at Carnegie, Fitzgeralds pipes with Webb, Holiday with Basie, Ellington swinging in to play after the concert. 30s would be cool for OC. And I'd like an excuse ... Wild Cards style even, chemical agents

[ixokai]

@kay said in Interest check: pure OC superhero game:

@faraday - Well, @ixokai first stated that 30s-40s wasn't something he was into, hence my assumption his specification of no 30s also applied to 40s. But that's me assuming things, and you make a fair point that 30s is less represented in pop culture. I like 20s-30s-40s, but as mentioned this is an interest check as I continue to mull things over. That's why I'm looking for feedback as to what people like/dislike/would like/wouldn't like, and I appreciate all the responses!

Oh, it does apply to the 40s too. I have no idea what life was like in the 40s except that WW2 happened. But since we won't I assume be playing in a warzone that is insufficient.

Like, the other day I was in bar RP. Bar RP, that's easy, right? Well in a historical setting what drink you order is suddenly something you have to spend a few minutes looking up. Does that cocktail you want to order even exist yet? That's a pain in the 60's, to me its way even more of a pain in the 30s OR the 40s.

Not to mention, yay more racism, sexism, homophobia.

[faraday]

@ixokai Fair enough. I have more comfort with the 40's and less with the 20's personally (though I know that wasn't an obstacle to a lot of folks RPing on Chicago MU). The 30's though are a hazy "Umm... Indiana Jones I guess?" kind of thing for me.

[Three-Eyed Crow]

It wasn't an obstacle for Chicago MUSH but, like a lot of historical games, Chicago MUSH was always pretty small (as was TGG, and the other historical games I've played on. Which is a decent amount, I like them).

Which isn't bad, it's just a thing a gamerunner should be prepared for, so they aren't bemoaning in surprise that playing a game in a historical setting has niche appeal three months after opening one and expecting logins in the 100s or something. I think it can work with the right expectations, just be honest about your expectations.

[WildBaboons]

1930s is Great Depression and end of Prohibition, but mostly Great Depression

[Kay]

@ixokai Good point re: the isms of the time. Those can be explosive topics and difficult to handle sensibly in a MU* environment.

@Three-Eyed-Crow I am in no way shape or form looking for those kinds of numbers, yipes. That would probably have me overwhelmed right now, honestly. My ideal would be around 20s, especially when it's around the clock so your RL timezone/sleep schedule doesn't matter, you can always find RP. That seems to be the tricky part.

@WildBaboons @faraday 1930s I think of the tv show Carnevale, the Dust Bowl, loads of poverty, war on the horizon. It's a bleaker, grimmer setting, that's for sure. But also radio, airplanes, swing music, the Golden Age of Hollywood, Art Deco, hard boiled crime fiction... It's the depressed middle child forgotten between the louder 20s and 40s.

[TNP]

@kay said in Interest check: pure OC superhero game:

@TNP - Understood! As I asked the others, would you be wiling to expand on why? The more feedback I get the more helpful it is.

Sure. Part of it is much of what @ixokai has said. I'm also one of the staff on Marvel: 1963 and sometimes the historical setting can be a headache to figure out what fits. Even earlier will be worse.

Speaking as a potential player, I'm kind of superhero historied out Speaking from a staffly perspective, setting it in the 30s-40s will limit potential concepts. You're going to need to scale back all tech concepts by almost a century. Power armor users? Cyborgs? Androids? Giant robots?

It can be done but it's a huge pain in the ass to keep the feeling of the decade while not telling someone no outright.

[Three-Eyed Crow]

@kay
Even 20 unique players isn't guaranteed on a MUSH beyond the initial NEW PUPPY I WILL CRUSH ITS SKULL WITH LOVE rush of randos (I view 20 unique players as like mid-sized, but that may be just my biases), especially at all hours. Mostly I'm saying be willing to stick it out for a few months and drive activity that isn't your ideal on a more niche property. If you're up for that, few things are un-doable.

[Cobalt]

Small note: I'd prefer modern day. Historical super hero doesn't really appeal to me. I don't see the call for playing in a historical setting, really. Do we really want to deal with all the negatives that come with being pre-current era? I don't really want to have to worry about gender and racial climates on a superhero game. (On any game to be honest.)

Also: @Three-Eyed-Crow is very right.

[Kay]

@TNP @Three-Eyed-Crow @Cobaltasaurus - So after input and discussion with both friends and relative strangers, I think I'm going to go for what I think is a pretty good compromise. Modern or slightly in the future. Metropolitan focus. But some kind of split grid approach where different parts of the grid are more friendly to different flavors. So one part would have that noir/mystery vibe, one part would be more shiny high tech, one part would be more for silly gadzooks hijinks, etc, without splitting things up so far that people can't interact and find RP. Maybe one big city with different neighborhoods? I'm still thinking about that one. Probably start out with just the basic city with those extra flavors just hinted at/mentioned, then actually expand as the game grows.

Game system wise, M&M3E has come up pretty strongly. I also realized I do have the GM's guide and player's hand book for the latest 3rd Ed, so am going to peruse that to see what I think. That said it's still up in the air, and I would love more input and thoughts on people's preferred systems for this stuff. I'm familiar with M&M from Crucible City, but I know it's not easy to get into for new people. I updated my original post with this too, hoping for more input from all interested parties.

[ixokai]

@kay Have you considered sort of alternate-history? If you want a noir feel, why not do noir in 2018? I mean, consider Gotham. Gotham is basically NYC with a different mood/feel.

The objections to the historical setting aren't that I don't like noir, or want a shiny high tech world. Its just that I can very easily relate to what is 2018.

[Lemon Fox]

Batman Beyond?

[Kay]

@ixokai Well, by the very nature of it being a superhero game it will likely be an alternate-history, unless we go with one of those 'something just happened and now people are turning into superheroes also there are aliens and magic' kinds of things. I'm into pulp and noir in the 1920s-1940s, I'm less enthused about modern city noir for the whole game. One of many subsections, certainly. I think to my mind if I'm going modern or near future I might as well offer multiple or different flavors.

[ixokai]

@kay Personally, a game has a theme and a setting.

For me, I'm even less keen to play a game which says: This part being noir! This part being shiny high tech! This part is sily!

Then I am one who says, hey, we're 30/40s noir.

I don't like the difficulty of a 30s game on history, but I deeply don't like the idea of four games in one but what neighborhood I'm in, that determines what sense I am.

IMHO.