Super humans populations in cities

[Tenzil Kim]

Why do a majority of the super humans in a given world always congregate in large cities? And more importantly why do the super villains? It seems like a villain could make more money and be more successful in smaller less super human populated cities like Toledo Ohio, or Las Vegas New Mexico. Granted the bigger fish are caught in the deepest water so bigger cities would have more to offer a thief but if a criminal wanted to make out why not just hit the small towns?

 

One theory I’ve been kicking around is that cities are built along some sort of Ley line where super humans get more bang for their buck. The reason you don’t see many super humans in Amish country is because there just very much energy there to feed super powers. New York, LA, or Chicago would have a large concentration of super humans because they are also repositories of super human energy.

 

OR

 

Maybe superhuman create this power and the higher the concentration the more powerful all the superhuman as a whole become. So if all the super heroes decided to go live in Cedar city Utah that would become a super human nexus point. Super humans congregate with their own kind because they benefit from the amount of power in those areas.

 

Just something I’ve been kicking around.

[McCoy]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Why do a majority of the super humans in a given world always congregate in large cities? And more importantly why do the super villains? It seems like a villain could make more money and be more successful in smaller less super human populated cities like Toledo Ohio' date=' or Las Vegas New Mexico. Granted the bigger fish are caught in the deepest water so bigger cities would have more to offer a thief but if a criminal wanted to make out why not just hit the small towns?[/quote']

Why are there more Gay men per capita in New York and San Francisco than there are in Las Vegas, New Mexico?

 

In Smallville everyone knows everyone by sight. It is sometimes said that in small towns you cannot blow you nose without everyone knowing about it, half the population speculating on the necessity, and the other half critiqueing the style. Distinguishing features really stand out when everybody in town of your same age and sex has showered with you after gym class. Really screws the old Secret ID when literally everyone in town, except you, has been photographed with the new meta-human. Larger cities provide annomnity.

 

What is there to steal in Amish Country? Some 80 to 90 percent of the wealth is going to be in land, livestock, and possibly farm machinery. (Humm, now I'm going to have to set a cattle rusteling/mutilation scenerio in Amish country.) Banks in small towns probably have less than $10 K in cash per branch. In Manhattan there are probably branches that take in over $100 K a day in cash deposits, even in this age of electronic fund transfers.

 

Last time I checked, the penality for stealing a million dollars is the same as for stealing a thousand dollars. Do a cost/risk/benefit analysis. Which would you choose? Yes, there are probably low level supervillians who do hit banks, jewelry stores, etc, in the smaller towns. But like minor-league ballplayers, they will dream of their shot at The Big Leagues and head to the larger cities as soom as they think they are ready (which will be years before they are really ready).

[Iuz the Evil]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Population density also might be a factor. Incidence rates of mental illness tend to creep up in more crowded conditions, contributing to large numbers of these individuals in cities, but mostly it's a sampling of a much larger population. I realized long ago that it would be tough to make a living in the sticks in my chosen field when compared to near a major urban area like Sacramento, San Francisco, or the like. The same could be applied to superhumans if their powers arrive through some form of random expression (whether a "mutant gene" or "strange comet dust falling from the sky"). If there is exposure to high technology sources, cities also seem a likely area (hard to be exposed to radiation if there's no research labs, Universities, or reactors around - same story for any other mutagenic source, stockpile of high tech weaponry, or whatever). Your mystics might be another story, given "distant mystic sites" tend to be... well, distant.

 

When 1 in 1,000,000 people (to pick an arbitrary number) exhibits significant levels of superhuman might (350+ points), you'd get 38 in California, but only 3 in Oklahoma. The density of population in large urban areas should likewise skew the number of individuals exhibiting these abilities. Ramp up the ratio and you'll increase your number of powered folks, but the density should remain fairly constant unless you're source of power is Bovine Methane Emission or something like that. Sure you'll get folks manifesting cosmic might in the farmlands of Kansas, but they'll likely move to a major urban area (and possibly work for a great metropolitan newspaper) if they want to knock heads with other supers regularly.

 

I also like McCoy's statement regarding anonymity. That would certainly push folks away from "small town" settings... I live in a town of about 65k people, but would have a really hard time keeping my super-antics concealed. EVERYONE freakin' knows me here, I went through the school system and my family lives here. Trying to keep the fact I'm mega-hyper-radioactive-wombat man under wraps would be just about impossible ("hey, you sound just like this guy from my church choir!").

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts on the subject. YMMV of course.

 

EDIT: I bet big money that at least one of the three in Oklahoma (possibly even 2 of 'em, though those would be long odds) would be in OKC. The other one would likely be in Tulsa. Rural population is too diffuse, there's like 1/3 of the state population living in one city's greater urban/suburban area alone.

[garou]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Plus there are some other factors to consider.

 

1) As they sale in real estate, location, location, location. Cities have all sorts of potential hideouts, such as abandoned warehouses, alleyways, rooftops, sewer system, slums, penthouse suites, etc. There are hiding places in rural areas, but they are fewer and farther between (plus some, like cornfields, would be very seasonal dependant.)

 

2) Industrial base - important for technologically-minded superheroes, access to a high-tech area is almost a must for anyone who wants to be a major supervillain. Yes, you could scratch build all the pieces for your Doomsday Ray from things you've ordered out of Sharper Image and Best Buy online, but it's soo much easier to raid the university's high energy physics lab for components. Plus, you can avoid all those pesky shipping fees.

 

3) Innocent bystanders. Another factor for supervillains - in a densely populated area, the local law enforcement isn't going to blast away willy-nilly with high-powered weapons. You get out into an area where the next town (and hence, most likely innocent bystander) is over the horizon, and you'll see a more forceful (though slower) response.

[Trebuchet]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

I'd think demographics alone could account for it. The majority of people in developed countries live in large cities, so it only stands to reason so will the supers just by virtue of being part of that population.

 

This assumes, of course, that there aren't already dozens of supervillains making a living in smaller cities but who don't show up in campaigns based in Millenium City and New York. Keep in mind that even for the vast majority of RL criminals crime doesn't pay once you consider the low average income and factor in jail time. The same factors might make smaller towns less attractive anyway, since the huge scores from robberies are much more likely to be in big cities. But just like in show biz, you'll only make the big time as a supervillain in the larger venues so many will gravitate there anyway.

[Asperion]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

The reason there are so many supervillains in large towns is simple: Attention!!! In a big city there are more people around to spread the word of the vile deads that they do. They just simply cannot gain that much attention from a small town such as Las Vegas, New Mexico. As for as why the heros tend to congrengate in large towns is also simple: They are responders!! While attention does not matter as much to heros, they respond to what the villain does. This means that they must be in the same location as the villain is, not some two-bit town while the villain is terrorizing Chicago, New York, LA, where ever.

[Mike W]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

A few reasons I think:

 

1. As someone noted, they would be more noticeable in small towns, especially the ones where "everyone knows everyone", so they'd have a hard time hiding and a quick call to the FBI could bring in US Government agents with enough supertech to make it interesting.

 

2. Speaking of supertech, resources that the criminal needs(be it more gang members, technology, or fences) are going to be more common in the big cities. So even if they did hit a small town, they'd have to go to the big city to make their profit - and they'd never be able to recruit a guy from NYC then get him to help with a hit in Podunk, PA. Even if it wasn't much of a drive.

 

3. The writers know the big cities a lot better. Think of the Thing miniseries recently. It was written as if Clarkston, MI was some little farm town. I've been to Clarkston; it's a small town, but it's not like the comic at all. The writer obviously has never been there. And since it's easier(and safer) to write what you know, the writers put the heroes in cities they know.

[Mutant for Hire]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

1. Supervillains migrate to the cities. Why? Because that's where the money is, plain and simple. And for that matter, there's the previously stated reasons of hiding places, minion availability, exotic technology and materials, and of course the anonymity of crowds.

 

2. Supervillains in turn attract superheroes to stop them. Superman could do a lot of good for Smallville, but he was needed more in Metropolis. Heck, even Metropolis is getting a trifle small for him with his power levels.

 

As far as mundane threats go, most small towns really don't have even enough of that to attract a full time superhero. Organized crime and gangs are more of an urban phenomena than a rural phenomena.

[Badger]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

The question would probably center around the supervillains. Like before mentioned the heroes have to go where the action is. Though possibly, the supervillain could very well likely be living out in a small town somewhere and just goes to the city when he needs some money for a quick fix, lots of the gadgets they might need cost money, so they might have to hit the Metro Bank to keep in "business". If they have a significant movement power (i.e. mach flight, megascale teleportation) it would make it easy to spend your time in the middle of nowhere.

 

And as a small town person I can say the cost of living might help you, but opportunity to make money.....not so much.

[Red Knight]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Most of my ideas have already been stated.

 

I would like to add:

 

Big cities offer more travel room for the heroes. I work in a town where the avergae height of a building is 4 stories and there are only a handful of buildings that go above 10 stories. I can't see Spiderman swinging from building to building when there are only 4 stories.

 

I think it was already mentioned that the shear number of people attracts crime and thusly superheroes. If I had super human abilities, I would be hard pressed to operate in the town where I work. I would be bored senseless.

[Markdoc]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Simple.

 

Dr Mutahtron threatens to let off his mutation device in downtown Manhattan if the goverment doesn't pay him 100 million dollars.

 

The Sidekick threatens to go on a rampage through Flyspeck, MT if they don't retract his library fines.

 

Who are your players really interested in fighting?

 

cheers, Mark

[Trebuchet]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Simple.

 

Dr Mutahtron threatens to let off his mutation device in downtown Manhattan if the goverment doesn't pay him 100 million dollars.

 

The Sidekick threatens to go on a rampage through Flyspeck, MT if they don't retract his library fines.

 

Who are your players really interested in fighting?

 

Best explanation yet.

[Battlestaff]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Most of what has been said before I have to agree with.

 

I think most villains are living in larger urban areas because (1) there is more money there, (2) there is more diversity in the types of stuff that can be stolen, and (3) there is more stuff to spend their ill-gotten loot on.

 

(1) is pretty self-explanatory. As to population goes up, the amount of cash in the bank goes up, the number and types of precious items available to steal goes up, and there are more targets to hit. In a small town, once you rob the jewelry store, you have to wait until the insurance company comes through, then they restock, before you can hit it again. Besides, you're going to have to go somewhere else to fence the stuff.

 

(2) presents the greater diversity of goods to be stolen. In a city, you have, in addition to the banks, jewelry stores, etc., that are regularly robbed, you have the art museums with the precious paintings, you have the natural history museums with the weird ancient artifacts, etc. More traveling displays/big ticket items go to the larger urban areas, not poduckville. However, never underestimate the various pieces of local fame that most small-towns have enshrined somewhere in their town (town hall, the courthouse, etc.).

 

(3) is also pretty self-explanatory. If you're a supervillain just looking to get rich, you're probably going to want to spend your loot when you escape. In a big city, this could be any of a number of things. In a small town, there's not a lot to spend it on (unless you're stealing the money for a specific purpose, such as to pay medical bills, etc.).

[Doctor Agenda]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

In my current campaign, the hero team operates out of North Detroit (there are already plenty of heroes in MC proper). Part of their niche is as a quick-response to super-crimes in small towns (one of the characters IS the team vehicle, and pretty fast). I'm operating under most of the above assumptions, but there is SOME villainy afoot in Small Town, USA and someone has to deal with it. Also it is a great way to introduce NPCs who are the only hero for miles and VIPER shows up in force to retrieve one of their errant supervillains in hiding.

 

Radio Transmission: "We've got bullet-proof snake-men in a running battle with police and Jayhawk down Main Street, requesting immediate backup from PRIMUS or UNTIL, or ANYBODY!"

[Marcus Impudite]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

No, no, no, you guys are way off...

 

It's all about the nightlife, baby.

 

Really, what supervillain wouldn't want to party the night away after a long but profitable day of robbing banks, jewelry stores, and The Sharper Image stores?

[Doctor Agenda]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Alot of people live in cities because that's where the better-paying jobs are, and most supers have jobs in their Secret Identities, often jobs that make more sense in a city than a town.

[Tenzil Kim]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Ok, now that we have a standards reason for why super humans reside in large cities what about unorthodox or alternative reasons? In a four color super hero game the above reasoning is fine but not if you wanted to run something with a slight Doom Patrol edge to it.

 

What if there was some anomalous rationale behind why super humans congregated together?

[Doctor Agenda]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Superhuman sex can be dangerous, you have to find someone whose powers are compatible. Many superhumans go to cities for the dating scene.

 

Supers are constrained to act like their fictional archetypes by the collective unconscious.

 

The government uses subtle advertising-type influence to get supers to congregate in cities where they can be nuked if necessary...and to keep them away from their secret rural laboratories.

 

Pheremones.

 

A powerful mystic cast a spell on cities to make them attractive to supers in order to protect her beloved countryside and wilderness from collateral damage.

[Vondy]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

I think, demographically, the west has been shifting to the cities for a long time. As a result, with a heavily urbanized population, the majority of the meta-human population will be heavily urbanized. Another consideration is that financial centers, technology centers, and concentrations of high value-mass ratio moveable wealth are also heavily urbanized. This means you are more likely to have a high-tech heroes and villains in these locales, as well a higher concentration of villians trying to get rich (and heroes trying to capture them). The urban culture also provides greater anonymity and more action on a day to day basis than rural environments (unless you live in a conflict zone). This has both in character and meta-gaming advantages. A more pressing question is: why do all the metahumans seem to congregate in the west? All things being equal, China and India should have a much higher number of metahumans than the west. Are they supressed by the government? Do they lead normal lives because of social pressures? Are there environmental differences that leads to fewer supers being born, Etc?

[Tenzil Kim]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

 

Pheremones.

 

A powerful mystic cast a spell on cities to make them attractive to supers in order to protect her beloved countryside and wilderness from collateral damage.

Thats a cool one. I really dig that one.

[Gary]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Genre convention.

[Trebuchet]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

All things being equal' date=' China and India should have a much higher number of metahumans than the west. Are they supressed by the government? Do they lead normal lives because of social pressures? Are there environmental differences that leads to fewer supers being born, Etc?[/quote']Well for one thing, far more cutting edge technology and research is conducted in the West than China or India. Hence not only will more high-tech based heroes and villains come out of the West; but the chance of accidental exposure to superpower-inducing "_________ Radiation" in those high tech research labs will be many orders of magnitude higher in the West. Hence, supers are more common in Western nations.

 

It is of course also possible that in conformist societies such as China or India even those with superpowers will be reluctant to call attention to themselves by exhibiting their abilities. Heck, for all we know, as soon as a Chinese guy gets superpowers the first thing he does is flee communist China to Taiwan or the US. (And of course, we should not entirely dismiss the possibility that the secretive Chinese government has many many more supers than it has publically admitted.)

[Iuz the Evil]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

I use the "random manifestation" as a part of the reason for superpowers, so there are many, many superhumans in China (and India too). The Indian supers tend to have bizarre (from a western perspective) power sets due to cultural belief structures and the subconscious impact those have on power manifestations - not always, but it cuts down on the "superheroes". The ones they do have are pretty impressive though, as are the villains. The Chinese supers also range widely in abilities, but there are so many that a large number are quite destructive, and have pretty much torn the country apart in raging conflicts between them and the government sanctioned supers.

 

I figured that with a somewhat lower tech level in their military, the Chinese would have even less ability to handle high power supers than the U.S. (who really just can't hack it either in my campaign, if you cut right down to it). That being the case, when a thousand mid-range to high-end superhumans throw down with each other (after decimating the military) it pretty much reduces the country to the stone age. Dozens of super warlords have sprung up in the Chinese countryside, and the government in Beijing is doing their best to deny that there's any problem at all... despite widespread knowledge of these events in the West. The U.S. and it's allies have concentrated on a policy of "containment", and have granted asylum to many Chinese expatriates.

 

Meh, it's not that hard to address the population induced factors. You just have to knock the world into the shape you're wanting to play in...

[BlackSword]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

Well for one thing' date=' far more cutting edge technology and research is conducted in the West than China or India. Hence not only will more high-tech based heroes and villains come out of the West; [/quote']

Well, China is catching up on technology, but do you really want an inexpensive 'Made in China' CPU in your rocketpack that is accelerating you to the speed of sound. China should be dense with extreme martial artists and mystics. Maybe a few tech-heroes are just emerging in the major cities.

 

but the chance of accidental exposure to superpower-inducing "_________ Radiation" in those high tech research labs will be many orders of magnitude higher in the West. Hence, supers are more common in Western nations.

I wonder if OSHA will cause a decrease in the number of 'accidental' ways to gain powers in the US, while countries with more lax environmental restrictions will have an increase in radiation accidents. Just imagined the ISO 9001 paperwork required for accidental change.

[Iuz the Evil]

Re: Super humans populations in cities

 

I wonder if OSHA will cause a decrease in the number of 'accidental' ways to gain powers in the US' date=' while countries with more lax environmental restrictions will have an increase in radiation accidents. Just imagined the ISO 9001 paperwork required for accidental change. [/quote']

 

Screw that! I'm just taking "Hunted by OSHA, 8/less" and will take the points for Less Pow, NCI... beats paying for the Bureaucracy skill.