Soul Calibur HERO?

[Michael Hopcroft]

I've been playing the PSP version of Soul Calibur quite a lot lately (at least in comparison with my usual time spent playing video games, which isn't a lot), and I was wondering how some of the multitude of characters, weapons and styles would work in HERO.

(And I still don't know whether Dampierre is cool and stylish or a bloody nuisance. I certainly have a hard time winning with him....)

[brionl]

They just released Hero System Martial Arts for 6th edition. Or if you're still using 5th, Ultimate Martial Artist/Ninja Hero cover that.

[Michael Hopcroft]

I haven't seen that yet (though it's on my liost to pick up in PDF next month). I suspect Champs Powers would help as well.

About Dampierre: I doubt his weapons are in MA directly. Basically he has a pair of short swords that he keeps in sheaths attached to his forearms. He can extend and retract them, presumably by flexing his bideps in specific ways. He dresses as a 19th century fop and frequently seems to play the coward or the fool. The latter is mostly an act, however, designed to make opponents underestimate him.

To be effective, it appears, he needs to be able to get in close while avoiding longer-range attacks. The blades extend maybe a foot and a half past his fists at most. Frequently I've had him bull-rush an opponent, take them down, and then pull back the blades and bash them in the head with his fists like an MMA fighter. I haven't seen that kind of takedown from any other Soul Calibur fighter. Like I said, i don't know whether he's cool or a pest. That he doesn't appear in any of the other SC games may say something about that.

[Michael Hopcroft]

The PSP game keeps coming up with all these non-playable opponents for me when I play in Quick Match mode. My favorite so far, who I've only seen once, is Eris. Eris uses a shortsword and buckler and dresses like a pink loligoth. Like the goddess she's named after she's extremely chaotic in terms of her actions. She's also blindingly fast! So fast that I could barely lay a blade on her -- she even scored a Perfect against me during the match. It was no contest. And i really want to run into her again and hopefully get some payback.

Won't happen, though. probably. And if I do see her again I'll probably still get my clock cleaned.

[teh bunneh]

I'm a straight-up Ivy man, myself. She's strictly a middle-tier fighter -- not super strong, not super fast. But she's got a lot of odd attacks, and she can fight both close-up and at range. I do pretty well with her unless I'm going up against one of the super-characters (Maxi, Taki, or Kilik).

[Susano]

To be honest, I think Hero can handle most any fighting game just fine. There is a whole section in the HSMA powers chapter (3 I think) that's just a big list of video game-styled techniques and powers.

[Michael Hopcroft]

To be honest, I think Hero can handle most any fighting game just fine. There is a whole section in the HSMA powers chapter (3 I think) that's just a big list of video game-styled techniques and powers.

Yet another reason for me to buy the book and HD package when I have cash again next week....

[Susano]

Yet another reason for me to buy the book and HD package when I have cash again next week....

Realize that Chapter 3 is more than video game powers, there are something like 250 powers in there, divided among Real World, Cinematic, Wuxia, Video Game, and Anime power levels.

[Michael Hopcroft]

I have the book now and am thinking about the modeling. I'm still unclear on how to do Ivy's whip-blade, not to mention how big a Physical Complication "Totally Nuts" would be. And I don't remember what Talim's blades are called, which keeps me from looking them up.

[Susano]

I have the book now and am thinking about the modeling. I'm still unclear on how to do Ivy's whip-blade, not to mention how big a Physical Complication "Totally Nuts" would be. And I don't remember what Talim's blades are called, which keeps me from looking them up.

Ivy's whip-blade is probably best modeled as a Reduced Penetration HKA (since it's a lot of little blades on a... chain?) with a meter or two of extra Reach and a form of Indirect that allows it to go around Blocking weapons and Shields.

And "Totally Nuts" is probably a Psychological Complication -- Very Common Total, for 25 points.

And try looking up Talim on Wikipedia and see what it says there.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Ivy's whip-blade is probably best modeled as a Reduced Penetration HKA (since it's a lot of little blades on a... chain?) with a meter or two of extra Reach and a form of Indirect that allows it to go around Blocking weapons and Shields.

And "Totally Nuts" is probably a Psychological Complication -- Very Common Total, for 25 points.

Now that I think about it, "Totally Nuts" isn't all that interesting a Complication. While there are many characters who fit that description (Naga the Serpent comes to mind), it's more interesting to show HOW they're insane. But it requires a little thinking. I'm so used to thinking of Naga as simply "insane" that the specifics of her madness don't spring readily to mind.

[Susano]

Now that I think about it, "Totally Nuts" isn't all that interesting a Complication. While there are many characters who fit that description (Naga the Serpent comes to mind), it's more interesting to show HOW they're insane. But it requires a little thinking. I'm so used to thinking of Naga as simply "insane" that the specifics of her madness don't spring readily to mind.

I also think a lot of these characters aren't really "totally insane." In Slayers, for example, everything seems to be turned up to 11 (including personality quirks) because it's funnier that way.

[teh bunneh]

I think she needs more than a meter or two of reach -- she has attacks that can literally hit anyplace on the battlefield (although those are complex moves that are hard to do)... maybe some 8-10 meters of reach, with a "Requires a Roll" limitation?

Her attacks are middle of the road in terms of power, so I don't know if Reduced Pen is appropriate. They aren't the strongest attacks in the game, but neither are they the weakest. Plus, her sword is literally a living creature, so she's not just flailing around randomly with a chain. The sword has a mind and volition of its own, and it's rather bloodthirsty as well...

Appropriate Comps for Ivy would be Psych: Obsessed with Destroying Soul Edge; Hunted by Cervantes; Hunted by Soul Edge/Nightmare; Distinctive Features (yowza!); maybe a Dependence and/or a Psych regarding her blade.

Oh, and Talim's weapons are called "Elbow Blades" in the game. Don't know if there's a real-world weapon analog do them.

[Susano]

I think she needs more than a meter or two of reach -- she has attacks that can literally hit anyplace on the battlefield (although those are complex moves that are hard to do)... maybe some 8-10 meters of reach, with a "Requires a Roll" limitation?

Her attacks are middle of the road in terms of power, so I don't know if Reduced Pen is appropriate. They aren't the strongest attacks in the game, but neither are they the weakest. Plus, her sword is literally a living creature, so she's not just flailing around randomly with a chain. The sword has a mind and volition of its own, and it's rather bloodthirsty as well...

Appropriate Comps for Ivy would be Psych: Obsessed with Destroying Soul Edge; Hunted by Cervantes; Hunted by Soul Edge/Nightmare; Distinctive Features (yowza!); maybe a Dependence and/or a Psych regarding her blade.

Oh, and Talim's weapons are called "Elbow Blades" in the game. Don't know if there's a real-world weapon analog do them.

I'll admit, I've never played Soul Caliber. I was just going off what the art show and seeing a similar weapon in Botherhood of the Wolf.

If Talim's weapons are the ones I'm thinking of, they're basically tonfa with sword blades.

[brionl]

Appropriate Comps for Ivy would be Psych: Obsessed with Destroying Soul Edge; Hunted by Cervantes; Hunted by Soul Edge/Nightmare; Distinctive Features (yowza!); maybe a Dependence and/or a Psych regarding her blade.


Physical Complication: Top heavy.
Hey, Macho Women With Guns used that one, we can too!

[Susano]

Physical Complication: Top heavy.
Hey, Macho Women With Guns used that one, we can too!

Based on the artwork for most recent version of SC, don't all of the female characters get that?

[teh bunneh]

Ivy has always been rather busty. The most recent version of Taki, however -- you can tell that girl had some work done recently. Yowza!

[Michael Hopcroft]

Based on the artwork for most recent version of SC, don't all of the female characters get that?

Not Talim, thank goodness (as she's supposed to be 15). Talim is more cute than sexy.