Could a MC2 or Heroic Age Supers Game Work?

[Bad at Lurking]

I have been seriously considering putting together a supers game and following the conversations on MSB about the whole canon vs original universe thing.

One idea that I keep circling back to is the thought of doing what Marvel tried to do with their Marvel Comics 2 and Heroic Age lines. Which is to say, 'Yes, this continuity happened but those guys are gone now for some reason and the world is full of legacy characters based on them and original characters'.

I know Inheritance Gambit kind of does this, but I feel like the whole cyberpunk, end-of-days vibe adds a layer of complexity and moves things away from the superhero aesthetic and feel. I would be aiming more for a Next Generation feel. The next iteration of the Marvel or DC universe, with perhaps a few storyteller characters that linger from the last generation but don't actively do the hero or villain thing anymore.

Also, I think this kind of game would work best when limited to one continuity. It defeats the purpose of making an accessible but all OC game if I make the players read through pages of blended Marvel and DC background that I try to make coherent.

Is this a truly terrible idea or does it sound like something people would play? If so, which makes more sense: Marvel or DC?

[SquirrelTalk]

@Bad-at-Lurking Dunno. It could be kinda tricky, especially with DC, since there are so many sidekicks who could conceivably be the 'next generation' of 'main heroes' already, though I guess people could dream up the new generation of up-and-comers?

EDIT: That said, dibs on Mayday.

[MidnightCarnival]

I think this is a really fun idea. But if I had to say which would be easier to pull off? Probably Marvel. But I can see DC working too, depending on how its done. Or you could do a best of both worlds thing and make it DC AND Marvel, but that can be difficult to do sometimes.

[Misadventure]

Would technology often be on equal or better terms than powers?

[Bad at Lurking]

@Misadventure The more I think about this idea, the more I'm leaning towards Marvel. And yeah, I would imagine that there are designs based on Starktech, Mandroids, Wakanda tech, AIM and Hydra blasters and such out there or can be kitbashed. So a hero or villain who uses, for instance, Wizard disks, and Trapster guns would not be out of theme.

[gryphter]

I really like the idea of a supers game where you wouldn't need to know all the deep and intricate lore behind every character and plot event, but existing in the continuity of a world we know something about. A huge amount of lore to know or learn is one of the hardest things to approach on a game and one of the easiest things to fail on.

[Bad at Lurking]

@gryphter said in Could a MC2 or Heroic Age Supers Game Work?:

I really like the idea of a supers game where you wouldn't need to know all the deep and intricate lore behind every character and plot event, but existing in the continuity of a world we know something about. A huge amount of lore to know or learn is one of the hardest things to approach on a game and one of the easiest things to fail on.

If the original heroic age ended in, say, the 90s, then most people would be aware that there once was a Spider-Man, etc, and their general themes, but not much more than that, unless they are in their 30s or a superhero nerd. The biggest buy-in for players would be system (I'm thinking of going Icons Assembled, by Steve Kenson) and some geopolitical differences everybody would know. (Atlantis is real! And cranky! Latveria and Wakanda exist. Yes, we knew there are aliens, they've invaded a couple of times, back in the 60s through the 90s.)

[fatefan]

I've thought about this in the past, but using Astro City or 2012-present Valiant as a base universe. That way, even though all the canon heroes had left, there would (hopefully?) be less fighting over legacy connections just because most players would likely be unfamiliar with the comic or feel a need to have close connections to the canon heroes. But maybe it would still happen anyway.

[ZombieGenesis]

I think something like his would work great. I would keep the continuity to Marvle only though. I think a game just set in the Marvel universe but OC only could work too if you set it outside of New York City. Do a Los Angeles game and focus on the heroes and villains that thrive there or something.