• Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,285

Topic: Wierd Ideas

It sort of struck me this weekend after watching the Incredibles...that it might actually be possible to use the Starmada design engine in a supers RPG.

You have your basic attributes....then so many "Power Points"= SU's to build the super portion of the character.  Add in a good background and viola'...insta-hero!  (warning: Stir...do not shake!)

Range applies to range powers.  ROF...well...speed of attack/initiative type modifier.  IMP and DMG...nuff said.  Accuracy=skill in use of said power.


Yes...I DO think I hit my head a bit too hard on the bottom of that stupid kitchen cabinet.  tongue  lol

  • Registered: 2005-04-13
  • Posts: 45

Re: Wierd Ideas

Interesting idea.  You'd have to a have a set size for a human and probably some interesting disadvantages (like Superman's aversion to Kryptonite).

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,285

Re: Wierd Ideas

ToddW wrote:

Interesting idea.  You'd have to a have a set size for a human and probably some interesting disadvantages (like Superman's aversion to Kryptonite).

Oh dear...make me think on it more. I'm STILL workin on the LAST time that happened. lol

I figured the meta-human sizes, advantages, disadvantages etc would all work like the weapon attributes do to modify the base power and Pt cost

  • Registered: 2022-11-16
  • Posts: 516

Re: Wierd Ideas

go0gleplex wrote:
ToddW wrote:

Interesting idea.  You'd have to a have a set size for a human and probably some interesting disadvantages (like Superman's aversion to Kryptonite).

Oh dear...make me think on it more. I'm STILL workin on the LAST time that happened. lol
I figured the meta-human sizes, advantages, disadvantages etc would all work like the weapon attributes do to modify the base power and Pt cost

Oh for crying out loud...
Stop already.
I'd love to have a superhero type skirmish system, which would be small in scale with respect to the number of models in the table.
But I sure as hell wouldn't start with the Starmada engine.
Leave that to Starmada, and let's try a different approach.
Sheesh...
Kevin

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,285

Re: Wierd Ideas

underling wrote:
go0gleplex wrote:
ToddW wrote:

Interesting idea.  You'd have to a have a set size for a human and probably some interesting disadvantages (like Superman's aversion to Kryptonite).

Oh dear...make me think on it more. I'm STILL workin on the LAST time that happened. lol
I figured the meta-human sizes, advantages, disadvantages etc would all work like the weapon attributes do to modify the base power and Pt cost

Oh for crying out loud...
Stop already.
I'd love to have a superhero type skirmish system, which would be small in scale with respect to the number of models in the table.
But I sure as hell wouldn't start with the Starmada engine.
Leave that to Starmada, and let's try a different approach.
Sheesh...
Kevin

  :?  Geez Kevin....tell us how you really feel, eh?  *hides the catnip*

forget I said anything...it was a wierd idea and I've got my hands plenty full as is. :roll:

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 330

Re: Wierd Ideas

Cool idea, but Ares would fit the bill as a suitable game engine if I was designing it...

-Bren

  • Registered: 2005-03-28
  • Posts: 416

Re: Wierd Ideas

underling wrote:

I'd love to have a superhero type skirmish system, which would be small in scale with respect to the number of models in the table.
But I sure as hell wouldn't start with the Starmada engine

But the Defiance engine, on the other hand... tongue

  • Registered: 2005-03-28
  • Posts: 65

Re: Wierd Ideas

tnjrp wrote:
underling wrote:

I'd love to have a superhero type skirmish system, which would be small in scale with respect to the number of models in the table.
But I sure as hell wouldn't start with the Starmada engine

But the Defiance engine, on the other hand... tongue

Actually, I'm pretty sure Defiance *has* the basis for a superhero/ super powered genre already in the system.

  • Registered: 2005-03-28
  • Posts: 416

Re: Wierd Ideas

It does (in the full rules), but it's arguably not all that small scale. Rather something along the lines of Marshal Law -style superhero gangs terrorizing the city.

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,424

Re: Wierd Ideas

ignore - placemarker

  • Registered: 2005-03-29
  • Posts: 330

Re: Wierd Ideas

After watching Heroes tonight and feeling in the supers mood, I thought about this some more.

...Unit XH, the top secret agency (aren't they always top secret?) that classifies, battles and deals with Supes (beings with superhuman abilities) has a 5 level system when determining the power of a superbeing.  Ultraforce (tm) has a classification of 4.23 is at the high end of the scale (thank goodness he's on our side) where as Claws is just barely classified as a Supe at 1.02 (a minor villian with no direction...

Techinically there is a 6 classification in the scale, but that's 0 or us 'mere mortals'.

Now my thought goes two ways.  One, you pick the level of your Supe between 0 and 5.  Squaring that is the number of power points that character may spend on abilities (weaknesses give you back points) getting you a final cost for the character.

The other way is that that you would build your characters with abilities, weaknesses and the like and then the final number (must have a square root) would determine the power level of the Super (between 0 and 5).  Anything over 5 would be possible, but not playable in 'normal' play.

Personally, I like both ways, but if I had to choose, the second one feels more right.

Combat skills are quite easy if you look at them all as: ROF (number of dice), range, power type (elemental, sonic, mystic, etc) and specials.

Some abilities would have a simple OMod (offensive modifier) or DMod (defensive modifier) depending on what they did. 

I like the idea of using d10 to give more choices when designing abilities.  Perhaps I'll go with a d12 just to give that die a little more wargaming love.

Hmm.... perhaps I need to think about this more.
-Bren

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,424

Re: Wierd Ideas

jygro wrote:

After watching Heroes tonight and feeling in the supers mood, I thought about this some more.

I don't really get into 'Heroes' much - Superheroes for me is set pretty firmly in the 'Golden Age' - The Blackhawks, Superham, Batmaniac, Wonderboobs...

Oddly, I'm somewhat fond of "Justic League Unlimited" and the recent Iron Man movie. I thought Downey would be horrible as Stark, but he actually seems a neat fit - seems a bit short, though.


jygro wrote:
...Unit XH, the top secret agency (aren't they always top secret?) that classifies, battles and deals with Supes (beings with superhuman abilities) has a 5 level system when determining the power of a superbeing.  Ultraforce (tm) has a classification of 4.23 is at the high end of the scale (thank goodness he's on our side) where as Claws is just barely classified as a Supe at 1.02 (a minor villian with no direction...

Techinically there is a 6 classification in the scale, but that's 0 or us 'mere mortals'.

Frankly, I'd say that MOST caped heroes/villains fit in the 0-5 scale, with guys like Galactus (also known as "Shiny Helmet Guy") going over it...


jygro wrote:

Now my thought goes two ways.  One, you pick the level of your Supe between 0 and 5.  Squaring that is the number of power points that character may spend on abilities (weaknesses give you back points) getting you a final cost for the character.

The other way is that that you would build your characters with abilities, weaknesses and the like and then the final number (must have a square root) would determine the power level of the Super (between 0 and 5).  Anything over 5 would be possible, but not playable in 'normal' play.

Personally, I like both ways, but if I had to choose, the second one feels more right.

Combat skills are quite easy if you look at them all as: ROF (number of dice), range, power type (elemental, sonic, mystic, etc) and specials.

Some abilities would have a simple OMod (offensive modifier) or DMod (defensive modifier) depending on what they did. 

I like the idea of using d10 to give more choices when designing abilities.  Perhaps I'll go with a d12 just to give that die a little more wargaming love.

Hmm.... perhaps I need to think about this more.
-Bren

I agree with some of your choices for mechanics here. Undecided on the d12, might be worth it just to be different. I think that a d20 might give you link-ability to D&D stuff, but I don't know itf that's worth it.

There's scads of Supers games out, but none of the ones I've seen seem to hit the mark - for me anyway.

I commented on the 'over 5' scale without reading all your missive, we agree on that aspect. I wouldn't normally allow a player to play one, only in special circumstances.

Hmmm... I do have Poser....

  • Registered: 2005-06-08
  • Posts: 760

Re: Wierd Ideas

Just a thought, save a lot of headaches.
Just go out and buy heroclix!

Paul

  • From: Denver, CO
  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 3,575

Re: Wierd Ideas

OldnGrey wrote:

Just a thought, save a lot of headaches.
Just go out and buy heroclix!

That would require that we spend money on games NOT put out by MJ12. And I believe such an act is a misdemeanor punishable by 30 days in the brig, listening to Jim on his ukelele...

big_smile

Daniel Kast
Majestic Twelve Games
cricket@mj12games.com

mj12games's Website

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,424

Re: Wierd Ideas

cricket wrote:
OldnGrey wrote:

Just a thought, save a lot of headaches.
Just go out and buy heroclix!

That would require that we spend money on games NOT put out by MJ12. And I believe such an act is a misdemeanor punishable by 30 days in the brig, listening to Jim on his ukelele...

big_smile

I'd frankly rather be beheaded.....if Tiny Tim is the acme of ukelele music, it's truly horrific going downhill from there....

  • Registered: 2005-03-27
  • Posts: 811

Re: Wierd Ideas

OK, this is obviously going someplace I need to head off in a hurry. There is no argument, no reply, these are the names that hit me when you ask "Who plays Ukulele?" or "Doesn't that weird guy play Ukulele?"

Julia Nunes
Cute as a bug's ear, and rough video, but compelling nonetheless, I could listen to her for, oh, about forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeP1Klmk0ng

Jake Shimabukaro is about the friendliest guy I've never met. and he has talent too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5d80mqGQLE

This is a song that was um composed by one of my favorite...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

James Hill is about the most competent and technically perfect player I've ever heard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_mp5rw32ws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hQwHvr71R0

No, I'm not that good. I play Irish Drinking Songs, Renaissance-y music and tell really bad and somewhat ethnically inappropriate Irish jokes in a funny Irish accent. I had some stuff I'd recorded, but you know how that goes.

These two Irishmen walk into a bar. ...  The third one ducks!

So there.

p.s. (Because I can't help myself, this guy did more to marginalize the Uke than anyone in the world and caused a ruckus just about everywhere he went)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOjso0rPncc

  • Registered: 2022-11-15
  • Posts: 1,424

Re: Wierd Ideas

jimbeau wrote:

OK, this is obviously going someplace I need to head off in a hurry. There is no argument, no reply, these are the names that hit me when you ask "Who plays Ukulele?" or "Doesn't that weird guy play Ukulele?"

Julia Nunes
Cute as a bug's ear, and rough video, but compelling nonetheless, I could listen to her for, oh, about forever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeP1Klmk0ng

Jake Shimabukaro is about the friendliest guy I've never met. and he has talent too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5d80mqGQLE

This is a song that was um composed by one of my favorite...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

James Hill is about the most competent and technically perfect player I've ever heard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_mp5rw32ws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hQwHvr71R0

No, I'm not that good. I play Irish Drinking Songs, Renaissance-y music and tell really bad and somewhat ethnically inappropriate Irish jokes in a funny Irish accent. I had some stuff I'd recorded, but you know how that goes.

These two Irishmen walk into a bar. ...  The third one ducks!

So there.

p.s. (Because I can't help myself, this guy did more to marginalize the Uke than anyone in the world and caused a ruckus just about everywhere he went)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOjso0rPncc

Yeah, that last guy was my ONLY exposure ukelele music. It's not like every third bar had someone playing them when I was in Pearl Harbor.
smile