Players Game Prospectus: Exemplars

I'd like to mirror matt's thoughts that I'd like to see you run the game you want to run, not the game you perceive people to want to play. I really agreed with all the ideas you put on your User Page, and I think they pretty much sum up a large part of any good gaming experience.

--Edmiao 00:49, 22 January 2007 (MST) I agree, seems that it's important to have all the players excited about a game but the worst person to be bored with a game would be the GM. As to what I would like to see, I'll also "me too" Dieter the Bold in saying increased history or interconnections between player's characters. One other thing that I had thought was interesting was Jason's idea of having a cast of characters, such that each player has an alternate. The main reason I find this appealing is that I have several ideas for different characters. Might be something to phase in gradually, say after a few months someone's alt might show up, few months later another, and the group grows. This of course depends on a group dynamic that operates out of some kind of base. I'm not strongly advocating for this, just a thought.

--Matts 09:56, 22 January 2007 (MST)Personally, I think this particular game has a lot of promise to be more than basic supers. I'd like the world, which seems to me to be somewhat reliant and yet also uneasy about supers, to provide a certain amount of material, and I'd also like it to be totally clear on what that world is, so that we as players can ensure that our characters fit, or come up with changes to make them fit. I'd like us to be as much on the same page about the setting, theme, and feel of the world as possible.

--Gdaze-- I think Matt said it pretty well. The uneasy feeling that people have about supers. I'd really like to know what the general tech level is too. That is one problem I had in comics like Marvel... there was amazing tech, but it seemed only assassins and minions used it, while everyone else was still stuck with "normal" tech. I understand if some of it is very secret of course. So I guess I'm echoing what Matt said about being on the same page. Also like Dieter and Ed said, having the characters have a driving purpose to be together. (besides lots of butt sex) I'm really looking forward to supers!

--Jason 18:35, 7 February 2007 (MST)There is a reason only assassins and villains minions used amazing tech, because no one else had access to it. Expect something similar here. This is the world of 1999, with only minor changes. One of them being that a few individuals are capable of amazing things, and among those amazing things are creating ridiculously powerful inventions. These are not available to the general public, for obvious reasons.

--Matts 19:47, 7 February 2007 (MST)I know you wouldn't do this, Jason, but in a lot of comics "super-tech" was frankly really annoying; most of the time it was used to explain away plot holes, take the easy way in making the hero vulnerable (ie krypotnite-ray etc), or because for a lamentable period in the 90s, gadgets were super-cool.

Something that's always bugged me about supers is that for the lazy writers, it was all about SuperDude busting things over the head, and that to make that dramatic, all sorts of bullshit had to get thrown in, like Blaster Rays, Kryptonite Power Armor, or whatever. Letting someone even the odds on occasion was fine, but it happened *all the time*. If Superman can't be killed, a villain would or should go after the people he tries to protect. A better villain tries to get him socially ostracized. An even better villian tries to turn his friends, the only thing that makes him close to human, against him.

To me, giving a goon some kind of 'equalizer' is unfair on two fronts; it dehumanizes the goon, who's obviously going after the hero if he gets the raygun and so deserves his whooping, and two, it demotes the scope of the hero's talent. I mean, that makes for interesting drama *occasionally*, but again, it happened *all the time* in comics. And it's not like those fights were interesting or memorable anyways, the dudes were just goons, and they usually got mopped up in the same number of panels as if they hadn't had the special stuff in the first place, except that the 'tension' was supposedly artificially higher.

That kind of thing always struck me as weak storytelling, like writing that hadn't been edited or tightened up. If the fight didn't even need to be in there in the first place, what's the need to give the poor goon a Power Beam?

It's like giving superman a health bar in a video game. People say it's 'neccesary' to make the game fun: I put it to you that it proves the design was flawed from the get-go. Rant over.

Some Requested Input

In the interest of getting a decent plot lined up for you jokers, rank the following stuff. I admit, I had another plot ready but I kinda dropped it, it may or may not show up someday.

Involvement In World Politics

How interested are the players in being part of world politics? Do they want to drive political events, participate in them, or just observe from afar?

--Matts 02:14, 4 February 2007 (MST)Just by being a Prime, wouldn't the players have a certain involvement in world politics by default? I'd say bring the problems to the players' door, and see what they do with them.

--Edmiao 13:16, 4 February 2007 (MST) If you get primes interfering with politics, questions of elitism arise. especially if a prime's power is physical, does might make right? Merlin would say "no". These are tough points, which could be a fun part of the game to work out how the characters walk a fine line between dictatorial bullies and facilitators.

--Gdaze-- Yes I'm guessing that with our powers, and that primes are counted as "weapons", invovlment with politics would make sense. I know my character would be very interested in this aspect. Also, since I'm sure there are a lot of laws regarding use of powers, this could be a lot of fun.

--Dieter the Bold 18:30, 28 February 2007 (MST) My character concept isn't going to be self-motivated to get involved in politics or crime at any level, but that's sorta' where the group and story come in. He can remain this sad sack, or he can realize that there's a life still worth living and start acting like it. My concept this time around will rely on the plot and characters (PCs and NPCs) to start moving my character onto a path and giving him some momentum.

Involvement In Local Politics

Do the players want to interact with the local political scene, or be involved in other stuff?

--Gdaze--Pretty much the same as above. We could start here then move up to the big time. Though I did like the spy stuff. And fighting Russians is fun.

Street Level Crime

Do the players want to work against local, street level criminals? This might involve stuff like stopping drug kingpins from fixing elections or foiling kidnappings of local officials etc.

--Edmiao 13:16, 4 February 2007 (MST) maybe as a diversion from time to time.

--Gdaze-- Again, could be a lot of fun. Maybe not as the overall plot, but even working as an anti-drug team would be fun.

National Level Crimes

Would the players prefer to work on threats against the country itself?

International Crimes

How about the largest scale of all?

--Matts 02:13, 4 February 2007 (MST)It strikes me that if Primes are such a rare commodity, this will be an element of challenge in itself: to what problems do they commit themselves? Do the superheroes satisfy themselves with petty thugs, or do they have the guts to tackle the truly thorny problems (ie, geopolitics)?

--Edmiao 13:13, 4 February 2007 (MST) I think that international crimefighting or anti-supers crime fighting would be most appropriate

--Gdaze-- Maybe not at first, as that might not make too much sense. But I could see us working our way up to this.

Episodic Nature

Would the players prefer a string of episodes that may or may not be linked together, or should their be some kind of overarching plot for the game as a whole?

--Matts 02:12, 4 February 2007 (MST)Some kind of a driving plot is a necessity. How episodic the plot unfolds isn't that important to me.

--Edmiao 13:16, 4 February 2007 (MST) I think overarching plot tends to drive a game in extended play.

--Gdaze-- Overarching plot as a whole is nice, however I do like some episodes thrown in. They don't even need to tie into the big picture.

--Dieter the Bold 18:35, 28 February 2007 (MST) I love huge plots. Babylon 5 is one of my favorite sci-fi shows ever, because it had a 5 year plot written from the get-go and paid off in full along the way. That said, even I couldn't have handled nothing but nonstop plot driving and derived stories for 5 years. That shit needs to get broken up with the occasional trope episode (one character's day, the comedy episode, the big moral episode, etc.). I'd like some big, fucked up tricky plot with lots of power groups and definite paths that characters can take. But I certainly wouldn't mind the occasional three-part play thrown in to keep things fresh and light.

Beating Stuff Over the Head

How much combat do you guys want to see? How important should those combats be?

--Matts 02:24, 4 February 2007 (MST)As much is obligatory in the supers genre. Austin Opperman isn't exactly a combat monster, though.

--Edmiao 13:11, 4 February 2007 (MST) honestly, I enjoy a bit o combat. how often? maybe once every other session for a large combat, or once per session.

--Gdaze-- Well combat is usually a big part of supers! I would like to see a good amount of combat, however... That doesn't mean I want us always to fight. After all you don't need to actually battle someone to win. How important should these combats be... I would say they could be not very (petty thugs, other primes who have gone bad and are robbing a bank) to very important (Russian Primes, stopping a drug lord, etc...). But combats every game session? Not really nessary of course. Besides I'm imagening it will be up to the players a lot of the time to determine if combat happens or not.

--Dieter the Bold 18:38, 28 February 2007 (MST) Combat seems to take a very, very long time. Pretty much regardless of what system is used. So I wouldn't want combat to be a big focus, but I wouldn't mind seeing little skirmishes here and there to establish stakes, opposition and a rogues gallery, with the big showdowns when appropriate. I'd rather be unravelling sinister plots then putting the smackdown on some mook.