Video Games

[Snarf]

Lately, I've been having fun trying to translate insane video game items and abilities into Hero System. Has anyone else been doing stuff like this?

Here's my attempt to Herofy the powerups from the original Super Mario Brothers.

Super Mushroom: Super Mushroom: Growth (+20 STR, +4 BODY, +4 STUN, -4" KB, x4 weight, -2 DCV, +2 to PER Rolls, x2 width and height, +1" reach), (AP 20); IAF (destroyed by damage to anywhere on body, -1/2), (RC 13).

The Super Mushroom makes you double in size. You activate it by eating it or absorbing it or whatever happens when powerups are collected in video games, and you lose it when you get hit. Specifically, when you take enough damage to lose the extra body it gave you and destroy the focus.

Fire Flower: EB 4d6, Indirect (bouncing, +1/4), Reduced Endurance (0 END, +1/2), (AP 20); Linked (to Super Mushroom, -1/4), IAF (destroyed by damage to anywhere on body, -1/2), (RC 11).

The Fire Flower gives you the power to throw bouncy fireballs. It's linked to Super Mushroom because you can't use a Fire Flower unless you're already super-sized and you lose the fire flower when you get hit and shrink down.

1-up Mushroom: Simplified Healing 6d6, Resurrection, Trigger (death, +1/4), (AP 100); Resurrection Only (-1/2), OAF (-1), 1 Charge (never recovers, -4), (RC 15).

The 1-Up Mushroom automatically brings you back to life when you die. Sadly, you'll probably die 2 or 3 times trying to get one.

Star: Armor (30 PD/30 ED), Hardened (+1), (AP 180); OAF (-1), 1 Continuing Charge (1 minute, never recovers, -3), (RC 36); plus Knockback Resistance -5", (AP 10); OAF (-1), 1 Continuing Charge (1 minute, never recovers, -3), (RC 2); plus HA 10d6, Damage Shield (does damage in HTH combat, +3/4), Continuous (+1), (AP 137); OAF (-1), 1 Continuing Charge (1 minute, never recovers, -3), (RC 27). Total Cost: 65.

The Star makes you an invincible killing machine for a minute. It also makes you flash yellow and plays music.

Any thoughts?

[KawangaKid]

Maybe these can be encountered in a dimensional-spanning game!Cool.

[Snarf]

Yeah, it's a hoot. In my parallel universes game, we use powerups from Pokemon. Err I mean Pokémon.

It just occurred to me that technically someone should be able to remove the mushroom or the fire flower with the write-up I have now. It's a bad simulation because you eat the mushroom once and the effect is permanent in the game. I'm not sure how you make a focus non-removable, maybe an Always On limitation.

Or maybe I should ditch the whole absorbed focus approach and restructure the item using aid or something like that. It's a bizarre interpretation of the focus rules anyway. It seems kind of abusive for the main purpose of a focus to be to absorb hits with it's free DEF and powers.

[Chris Goodwin]

Came up with a campaign idea based around a bunch of kids playing a video game very much like Cyber Sled, but I never wrote anything up for it. It would have been pretty cool, with rotating cheat codes that let them break the rules in fun ways.

[Snarf]

Cool! Did the codes break the rules of the video game or break actual Hero System rules?

[Chris Goodwin]

Originally posted by Snarf
Cool! Did the codes break the rules of the video game or break actual Hero System rules?

Both. There would have been stuff like "Can go through walls" or "Reload all of your Charges".

The machines would all be networked into a central server, so all of the cheat codes change on a monthly basis. The ones that worked last month don't work this month. I'd though of having one unlucky guy who can't get the new cheat codes...but then it turns out that all of the old ones keep working for him.

[paigeoliver]

I remember creating Link (from the original Legend of Zelda) as a 100 + 150 character with a bunch of foci based powers (each item of equipment). He was one of the stock characters I carried around, and I seem to recall him getting played by at least two different players at different times.

[Badger]

I believe Surbrook's stuff (link can be found in the links section here) has some video game character write ups.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Some of the more recent video games have characters who might potentially be quite interesting, from the hero of Viewtiful Joe to the warriors of Soul Calibur.

If I weren;lt go god-awful at video games I might try my hands at writing up a few of these characters. Of course, what would be really interesting if is the Soul Calibur characters had a reason to fight something besides each other. It seems a waste to have heroes continually bashing other heroes in video fighting games when they could better spend their time bashing villains.

[Darkness]

It just occurred to me that technically someone should be able to remove the mushroom or the fire flower with the write-up I have now. It's a bad simulation because you eat the mushroom once and the effect is permanent in the game. I'm not sure how you make a focus non-removable, maybe an Always On limitation. Expendable Focus or maybe Charges.

[Susano]

I believe Surbrook's stuff (link can be found in the links section here) has some video game character write ups.

Here you go:

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptionsvideogame/videogamechar.html

I'm always looking for new additions to the archive.

[tgrandjean]

Some of the more recent video games have characters who might potentially be quite interesting, from the hero of Viewtiful Joe to the warriors of Soul Calibur.

If I weren;lt go god-awful at video games I might try my hands at writing up a few of these characters. Of course, what would be really interesting if is the Soul Calibur characters had a reason to fight something besides each other. It seems a waste to have heroes continually bashing other heroes in video fighting games when they could better spend their time bashing villains.

Of course I'm just pointing out that skill with videogames has nothing to do with writing them up. A decent FAQ to provide the manuevers, a console (or whatever) to execute the moves (to see what is going on visually), and the sense to write them up in Hero. And consistancy. 'Can't forget consistancy.
And Mike, it's not like you're not one of the better writers here.

(And provided that the creaters of the characters have seen fit to provide back story, searching that out on the net isn't so difficult.)

[Susano]

Of course I'm just pointing out that skill with videogames has nothing to do with writing them up. A decent FAQ to provide the manuevers, a console (or whatever) to execute the moves (to see what is going on visually), and the sense to write them up in Hero. And consistancy. 'Can't forget consistancy.
And Mike, it's not like you're not one of the better writers here.

(And provided that the creaters of the characters have seen fit to provide back story, searching that out on the net isn't so difficult.)

I have never played Guilty Gear X, but that hasn't stopped me. GameFAQs has a lot of descriptive FAQs which give me a good feel for the moves.

[CrosshairCollie]

You know ... there's irony in me finally checking this forum and finding this thread ... when my d20 Urban Arcana ends (I nearly pulled a Total Party Kill last game), I'm probably going to do 'Videoland HERO', based very, VERY loosely on the old 'Captain N The Game Master' cartoon.

The basic premise is that video games have kind of created their own little reality ... all the characters are there, the game-worlds being linked through Warps. Unlike the Reboot cartoon, the characters are simply the characters ... Mega Man is always Mega Man, rather than the Reboot's technique of adopting a persona. And he gets to interact with everybody from Q-Bert to Cloud Strife.

Rules I'm pondering ...
1. The character you want must have been a video game first; no licensed games or characters. No Goku, no Luke Skywalker, no Stone Cold Steve Austin. For better or ill, this *does* mean Pokemon is legal.
2. US names, for those games where it matters ... so, for example, M. Bison is the guy in the red suit who levitates, Vega is the prettyboy, and Balrog is the bruiser.
3. No 'god' characters. You know ... the plot devices that just follow you around and save your butt when you're not looking.
4. 350pt characters tops, regardless of how you may feel 'comparative' power levels should be. In Marvel vs Capcom, Roll can beat up the Hulk ... similar concept applies (even though Hulk is not applicable). You can go under, of course.
5. If the character had a persistent hanger-on or sidekick, you need to buy him as a Follower (for example, Dak and Jaxter).
6. The characters don't know that they're video game characters ... they just kind of accept the weird laws of physics and bizarre creatures as being natural because that's simply what they've been exposed to. It's not unusual for Mario to grow to giant size when he eats a certain mushroom. It's not unusual for a random plant monsters in the middle of the Midgar desert to have gil.
7. Money is money. Gil = GP = Zenny = Simoleons in equal exchange. I am *not* creating a multiversal money equivalency!

[SuperBlue]

My group is doing a one-shot game where everyone is playing Videogame Characters. I'm thinking about playing Samus Aran or Cloud Strife... I know Cloud inside and out (even have his Omnislash Limitbreak represented, but it cost more for the Limit Bar and Absorbtion power than it did for the Omnislash - go figure!).

Anyway.. anyone ever do Samus?

[paigeoliver]

Doesn't playing the Final Fantasy (or any other RPG)'s characters kind of somehow make it not as cool? The reason being is then you find yourself doing insane things to somehow replicated the system rather than the effect (like with your "limit bar" and absorbtion power deal).

I only sort of know the game (been a while, didn't play the whole game), but couldn't you more simply get the exact same effect by using
1 charge
recoverable charge
charge only recovers after taking a grand total of (however many) body damage.

I think good video game characters to bring into Hero would include

Bub & Bob (Bubble Bobble)
Link (based of original zelda, not off the newer 3D jumpathons).
Samus Aron (sp?)
Kid Icarus (pit)
Whoever you are in Robotron (AUTOFIRE!!!!!!)
Major Havoc
the 4 Gauntlet characters.

[Samaritan]

This just begs the question, what video game characters would YOU want to see done up in HERO?

A couple that come to mind for me:

Solid Snake and Karnov. Ooooh! And Rygar! Ooooh! And Dante!

[Lethosos]

Well, obviously any of the good Robot/Reploid Masters. I think attempting a good Storm Eagle would be interesting to try, myself. But Masters like Shadowman can be spruced up with associated abilities, such as a nice array of traditional ninjitsu skills. The tricky part is figuring out 'what would he/she would be likely to have, including what's been seen on-screen?'

But, just out of interests of creativity, I would veto any game not unlike Neverwinter Nights, since that's designed with a high degree of flexability in hero design. Too easy to skip the 'character constraint' requirement.

[Mrs. Sketchpad]

You know ... there's irony in me finally checking this forum and finding this thread ... when my d20 Urban Arcana ends (I nearly pulled a Total Party Kill last game), I'm probably going to do 'Videoland HERO', based very, VERY loosely on the old 'Captain N The Game Master' cartoon.

The basic premise is that video games have kind of created their own little reality ... all the characters are there, the game-worlds being linked through Warps. Unlike the Reboot cartoon, the characters are simply the characters ... Mega Man is always Mega Man, rather than the Reboot's technique of adopting a persona. And he gets to interact with everybody from Q-Bert to Cloud Strife.

I adore video games of all kinds and have actually been trying to plot out something similar for the tabletop group I play with. However, I was going have the players pick characters fairly close to themselves and use the old "Earthlings get transported into the videogame dimension" plot, rather than have them be video game characters. Once there, they find out something has gone terribly wrong within that dimension and they have to make things right. For instance, for the Legend of Zelda story arc, I was going to have Zelda and Link be the bad guys and Ganon be the sole hero left in Hyrule. The PC's have to put things back in order before they can move on to the next game, but can use any of the neat power-ups they can find along the way.

I also thought that it might also be fun to have them play no-name video game characters instead, such as the "greeters" at the front of every city ("Welcome to *insert name here*"). Video game characters that no one really pays attention to... but who, if given the chance, could make really interesting characters. What would happen if video game "greeters" finally got sick of saying the same thing over and over? What would happen if a Shyguy found the courage to fight back instead of just letting veggies knock him out over and over? why should the big name heroes get all the press... maybe they are all vain like Simon Belmont on Captain N? Videoland's lackeys uniting against a common goal...

*shrug* I thought the ideas might be fun if executed right. My biggest problem right now is getting the courage to actually run the game. I have the time to work on material and such, but I just don't know where to start. That, and I'm trying to get all of the players to give me a listing of what their favourite video games are... it's like pulling teeth from a Garcoil Rooster, but I want to make sure that I include at least one favourite game from each of the players. Makes things more interesting that way, I think... more frame of reference to understand obscure jokes.

I don't suppose this will be an online game that you'll be running, CrosshairCollie? If so, I'd be quite interested in playing in it, if you are looking for people to join, that is. :)

[Samaritan]

I don't suppose this will be an online game that you'll be running, CrosshairCollie? If so, I'd be quite interested in playing in it, if you are looking for people to join, that is. :)

I second that!

[Reneshat]

My first choice for video game character gone Hero is an obvious one already mentioned, Megaman. Simon Belmont, the Ninja Gaiden guy (not even going to try to spell his name) and others would be next, but I can't think of a single person really that wasn't around for the NES that I would want. That is staying out of the RPG genre though. I consider that a little too easy. Magus (Janus) from Chrono Trigger, Cyan from FF3 (6) and others would leave a list obnoxiously long. Really, barring Megaman, all my most memorable moments have been playing RPGs.

[Lethosos]

Ms. Sketchbook, may I suggest taking a gander at Kid Radd (http://www.kidradd.com)? It's a good start if you need to visualize your plot.

[Enforcer84]

I adore video games of all kinds and have actually been trying to plot out something similar for the tabletop group I play with. However, I was going have the players pick characters fairly close to themselves and use the old "Earthlings get transported into the videogame dimension" plot, rather than have them be video game characters. Once there, they find out something has gone terribly wrong within that dimension and they have to make things right. For instance, for the Legend of Zelda story arc, I was going to have Zelda and Link be the bad guys and Ganon be the sole hero left in Hyrule. The PC's have to put things back in order before they can move on to the next game, but can use any of the neat power-ups they can find along the way.

I also thought that it might also be fun to have them play no-name video game characters instead, such as the "greeters" at the front of every city ("Welcome to *insert name here*"). Video game characters that no one really pays attention to... but who, if given the chance, could make really interesting characters. What would happen if video game "greeters" finally got sick of saying the same thing over and over? What would happen if a Shyguy found the courage to fight back instead of just letting veggies knock him out over and over? why should the big name heroes get all the press... maybe they are all vain like Simon Belmont on Captain N? Videoland's lackeys uniting against a common goal...

*shrug* I thought the ideas might be fun if executed right. My biggest problem right now is getting the courage to actually run the game. I have the time to work on material and such, but I just don't know where to start. That, and I'm trying to get all of the players to give me a listing of what their favourite video games are... it's like pulling teeth from a Garcoil Rooster, but I want to make sure that I include at least one favourite game from each of the players. Makes things more interesting that way, I think... more frame of reference to understand obscure jokes.

I don't suppose this will be an online game that you'll be running, CrosshairCollie? If so, I'd be quite interested in playing in it, if you are looking for people to join, that is. :)
I always wanted to do something similar in a consol RPG, that you could recruit almost anyone into your party...everyone had a "quest" hopes, dreams...then I realized that it would be a colossal bore to many gamers...:) but a tabletop where I can play the child of the blacksmith? Or the castle guards who take a beating from the main baddy.

[Snarf]

I'd want to see Kirby done in Hero Rules. With write ups of a bunch of the powers he absorbs too.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Last night I beat the arcade mode of Soul Calibur II on my GameCube playing Talim, and I thought "What a cool character! Young, naive but determines, unique weapons at which she is pehnomenally skilled -- my kind of girl!"

The big problem is going to be finding those blades. I had never ehard of them before I saw Talim use them.

I might try another character next, but I don't know who.

Also, I didn't do anything fancy -- just charged in and slung metal. Most of the time it worked, although I had to "Continue" quite a few times before I reached the end.

[Tim]

My group is doing a one-shot game where everyone is playing Videogame Characters. I'm thinking about playing Samus Aran or Cloud Strife... I know Cloud inside and out (even have his Omnislash Limitbreak represented, but it cost more for the Limit Bar and Absorbtion power than it did for the Omnislash - go figure!).

Anyway.. anyone ever do Samus?


Have you ever written up the FF7 stuff in Hero terms?
If so, could I get a copy?

[tgrandjean]

Have you ever written up the FF7 stuff in Hero terms?
If so, could I get a copy?

In Surbrook's Stuff of course!
http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/

[Susano]

The FF7 material was not written by me, but was sent to me from my close friend Max Fauth.

[Tim]

Thank you :hail: :hail:

[paigeoliver]

The problem with writing up some video game characters is that they are very one dimensional.

Like Q*Bert. How much do we know about Q*Bert, and how much can we find out?

Lets see, he had 3 games (Qbert, Faster Harder More Challenging Qbert, and Qbert's Qubes), and one pinball machine (Qberts Quest). Unfortunately all he did in any of them was hop around and avoid the bad guys.

I don't THINK Qbert was in any cartoons or comic books, although he MIGHT have had a board game.

Off the top of my head he has.

Distinctive features, Q*Bert
Physical limitation "no arms"
Phycological limitation "potty mouth"

That is basically the whole character as seen in the game.

Things that could be added, but would be extrapolations include.
Enhanced smell (from that big nose).
Superleap (he does jump a lot).
Some sort of martial art, or simply HA based upon the idea of jumping on people. Note that he does not do this in the game.
KS: Colors and patterns


There is so much we don't know about Q*Bert, what motivates him? What went wrong between him and the snake?

What about the guy from Robotron?

THe character is supposed to be a robot himself, so full life support would be appropriate. Automaton abilities would not be out of the question.

This character seems to be able to go FOREVER. So 0 End on everything.

The ability to walk one direction while aiming another suggests 360 degree vision.

His main power appears to be an autofire RKA of some sort.

For disadvantages I would give him the nastiest hunted ever, along with something like "Strives to protect the last human family".

[Yesman]

I vaguely remember a Q-bert cartoon. It was part of the Pac-Man power hour or something. About the same time that Nerds cereal hit (i think), if that helps narrow the time for ya......

[steriaca]

I vaguely remember a Q-bert cartoon. It was part of the Pac-Man power hour or something. About the same time that Nerds cereal hit (i think), if that helps narrow the time for ya......

Nope. Try Saterday Supercade (over at CBS, and Pac-Man was over on ABC, along with Dragon's Lair). By the way, here was the Saterday Supercade lineup (in no praticuar order)

Donky Kong (named after the 'villian', and the first cartoon apperance of Mario, along with the next cartoon)
Donky Kong Jr. (yes, he had a sepret cartoon show where Jr. tries to save papa from Mario)
QBert
Froger (If I remember corectly)
And finaly...Space Ace.

That should tell you how old I am. That I acualy remember the Saterday Supercade cartoon block. Heck, I remember when NBC acualy HAD a cartoon block. (Im sorry. but Discovery Kids and Kerry The Shark dose not make a block of cartoons). Heck, I remember when there was new sindicated cartoons for the indpendent stations.

[Captain Obvious]

Yeah, Saturday mornings have lost a lot of their charm, haven't they?

[steriaca]

Yeah, Saturday mornings have lost a lot of their charm, haven't they?

True. ABC had just about nothing (Disney stuff, mostly), CBS has Nickolonian stuff (and if I wanted to watch it, I would go and subscrbe to cable myself), and NBC has...mostly nothing. The only two places which have decent cartoons are WB and Fox (of course, there is always cable...but why waist a good Saterday Morning when you can tune into Cartoon Network during the afternoon to eavening and watch).

Anyways, that is my opinion. And, in Milwaukee, the Fox Box shows are runed on a Sunday. But enougth of that.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Yeah, Saturday mornings have lost a lot of their charm, haven't they?
It's deliberate. the FCC has decided kids don't need that stuff anymore. Of course, kids never needed it per se, but boy did they like it back in the day.

Now cartoons are something you buy on DVD or watch on cable.

[Captain Obvious]

What sort of evil cult is this FCC? They say I can't watch movies on TV with bad words or naked chicks, and on the other hand, say I can't watch cartoons on Saturday?

Howard Stern was right.

[Michael Hopcroft]

What sort of evil cult is this FCC? They say I can't watch movies on TV with bad words or naked chicks, and on the other hand, say I can't watch cartoons on Saturday?


Remember -- the Foirst Amendemnt doesn;t apply to you unless you agree with the Administration. :rolleyes:

Seriously, the FCC has had a grudge against escapsit "children's programming" for a long time. It is a long-standing belief that any rpogramming baltantly aimed at children that is not obviously education is not a good idea for children.

Of course, MY opinion is that no child should be exposed to television utnil they turn 10. They should be playing outside or doing other things that are healthier for them than sitting in front of a flickering screen. The proiblem with that, fo course, is that cartoons by their vary nature are an often-guilty pleasure for adults and the cutback in network programming has hurt people who don;t have cable and who like a little escapism every once in a while.

Now everything worth watching originates on cable, and usually stays there.