Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

[eavatar]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

So we were there giving aid, but we're bad guys because of a brain fart?

 

Back on topic (sorry didn't mean to go all NGD on the thread) I'm simulataneously reading the thread on RPG.net on CW and somebody mentioned that a common pitfall for these types of books is the tendency to flavor characters with local color. Australian superheroes with crocodiles or Canadian hockey players or what have you. I've seen the book, but haven't sat down with it yet. What kind of things does the book do to make a character distinctive to a particular region? Or is there anything? My concern about getting the book is that I could take any other CU character and just give them a foreign sounding name.

 

The aid given by Pres Reagan was: "Simon says Democracy now or else" after a previous american president said "Simon says overthrow Nice Socialist president or else" And during the dictature a lot of brazilians officers went to School of Americas, but is another story which must be debated in private (if you are interested IM me)

 

The pitfall is simple:people make them look exotic, not interesting. And the names sometimes sounds cheesy or with obligation to sound exotic. Call a foreign hero with an exotic name is like call Philadelfia's main hero "Liberty Bellboy" or a San francisco villain "Jailman, the son of Alcatraz".

 

People must forget they are writing foreign characters, but just characters. That worked with Eurostar and Menton at CKC. That could finish the pitfall

[casualplayer]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

All we need to do to regain perspective is check out Enemies: International from back in the day. That was an embarrassment, yet I still own it.

 

This book sounds good. Think I'll buy it.

[assault]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

My concern about getting the book is that I could take any other CU character and just give them a foreign sounding name.

 

The sad truth is that you usually wouldn't even have to change the name to create an Australian character.

 

I do appreciate the concerns of our Brazilian friend. I've complained quite frequently about the misrepresentation of Australia and Australian characters by writers from the US, and there's not even (much of) a language difference between us.

 

Aside from stereotyping, a lot of the problem simply seems to be a case of people not checking their facts.

 

For what it's worth, I would love to see a Latin America (and Caribbean) sourcebook for Champions. Provided, of course, it was written by people from the region, and preferably by a team of people from different parts of the region.

 

A licenced GURPS product, IST Kingston, gave details of Jamaica in the IST setting for GURPS Supers. I'm not sure if it made any money, but I bought a copy, and it provides some kind of precedent for setting books that might not be regularly used in most campaigns. Unfortunately it was written by an American, and I don't know how many howlers it contained. I do know that the Australian character in it felt a bit odd.

 

There are a couple of things in it that were "interesting" to say the least, but I'm relaxed enough these days to laugh at them, rather than be annoyed.

[st barbara]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

The sad truth is that you usually wouldn't even have to change the name to create an Australian character.

 

I do appreciate the concerns of our Brazilian friend. I've complained quite frequently about the misrepresentation of Australia and Australian characters by writers from the US, and there's not even (much of) a language difference between us.

 

Aside from stereotyping, a lot of the problem simply seems to be a case of people not checking their facts.

 

For what it's worth, I would love to see a Latin America (and Carribean) sourcebook for Champions. Provided, of course, it was written by people from the region, and preferably by a team of people from different parts of the region.

 

A licenced GURPS product, IST Kingston, gave details of Jamaica in the IST setting for GURPS Supers. I'm not sure if it made any money, but I bought a copy, and it provides some kind of precedent for setting books that might not be regularly used in most campaigns. Unfortunately it was written by an American, and I don't know how many howlers it contained. I do know that the Australian character in it felt a bit odd.

 

There are a couple of things in it that were "interesting" to say the least, but I'm relaxed enough these days to laugh at them, rather than be annoyed.

You mean "Sydney" the woman in the battlesuit ? Well I might have come up with a better name (and I think I did when I ripped the character off, changed its sex and moved it to Trinidad, calling it "Paladin"!) I am sure that everyone outside the U S A has had problems with RPG's misrepresenting their country (I believe that "Rifts Australia" had a lot of people REALLY upset !) It is just something that we non Yanks have to live with. If you don't like the characters that have been crerated for your country you can always create your own !

[eavatar]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

For what it's worth, I would love to see a Latin America (and Carribean) sourcebook for Champions. Provided, of course, it was written by people from the region, and preferably by a team of people from different parts of the region.

 

I am working at some Digital Hero articles about Rio de Janeiro and Brazilian mysteries for Pulp Hero, at Tropical Terrors Villain Book and South Cone Champions talking about Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay book proposals. I hope see one of them approvated next year.

[Tclynch]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

Character books are fine. I can always change them up so I can fit them in the game. Good book for general Ideas. BIG Gripe- the art. For a moment, I thought my eyes were bleeding. Worst art in a Hero book ever? Very close. Sad to see the quality nosediving....

[st barbara]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

I have finally picked up my own copy of "Champions Worldwide" and find it pretty useful (Probably means that I am going to have to rewrite my "All The Worlds Heros", but I have time !) I do share the concerns that other people have had about the cover however. It seems too monochrome and dark and isn't really dynamic enough ! The figures on the cover look as if they are posing for a class photo, and why do the three selected figures all have grey costumes ? Lots of useful stuff INSIDE the book (as would be expected!) but I find the cover to be a bit blaah !

[MitchellS]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

I keep meaning to bring this up but keep forgetting... Did anyone notice that Giganto is now a superhero in the Victory Brigade? I thought that was a fairly interesting development. Reformed villains who become heroes are a comic book staple. I applaud the decision.

[Kirby]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

I keep meaning to bring this up but keep forgetting... Did anyone notice that Giganto is now a superhero in the Victory Brigade? I thought that was a fairly interesting development. Reformed villains who become heroes are a comic book staple. I applaud the decision.

I hadn't gotten that far yet (just finishing up Zemletpyasenee in Chapter 2: Russia), but thanks for pointing it out. I read up on it and must say "Very Cool."

[st barbara]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

Just a passing thought. Whatever happenned to the Scandinavian characters that have been mentioned in publications in the past ? I can't find "Northern Star " or "Beowulf" in "Champs Worldwide" !

[Kirby]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

Just a passing thought. Whatever happenned to the Scandinavian characters that have been mentioned in publications in the past ? I can't find "Northern Star " or "Beowulf" in "Champs Worldwide" !

Sometimes, we get screwed over in a not-so-good way. While I like the updates to 5th Edition for the book. I'm not happy with a lot of the characters and teams that were deleted/modified/created. I could give you a long list of things I don't like and a very short list of things I do like, but that would probably sound like nasal whining.

[MitchellS]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

I think there's plenty of useful information in CWW. The CU is a very full place when it comes to heroes so there is no way a single book can include them all. DOJ also considers CWW to be a risk for them because they have been long opposed to giving us hero write ups. The risk becomes magnified, IMO, due to the low presentation value of the book.

 

My gripes about the book are not with the characters. My gripes are about the other information in the book and the presentation. My favorite parts of CWW are the couple of pages at the beginning of each chapter. I love those sections and wish they were each 10 pages longer giving us more information about the world itself. What DOJ hasn't figured out yet is that a cream-filled interesting world is what makes people want to play in it. Those little bits of cream are what make the crunch of the rest of Hero tolerable. I just wish there was more cream.

[Agent X]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

You mean "Sydney" the woman in the battlesuit ? Well I might have come up with a better name (and I think I did when I ripped the character off' date=' changed its sex and moved it to Trinidad, calling it "Paladin"!) [b']I am sure that everyone outside the U S A has had problems with RPG's misrepresenting their country [/b](I believe that "Rifts Australia" had a lot of people REALLY upset !) It is just something that we non Yanks have to live with. If you don't like the characters that have been crerated for your country you can always create your own !

This is sort of funny to me in reference to comics. Comic book supers are often silly stereotypes and not just for non-American characters either. How about the Texas Twister or Razorback? I have the first appearance of Razorback from Spectacular Spiderman as, being from Arkansas, I just had to have the first definitive depiction of an Arkansas native superhero; a trucker with the electrified "coat" of a wild boar. No stereotyping there...

[name_tamer]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

Just a passing thought. Whatever happenned to the Scandinavian characters that have been mentioned in publications in the past ? I can't find "Northern Star " or "Beowulf" in "Champs Worldwide" !

 

I don't know if it's the same character, but there is a Beowulf in Digital Hero #14.

[eavatar]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

This is sort of funny to me in reference to comics. Comic book supers are often silly stereotypes and not just for non-American characters either. How about the Texas Twister or Razorback? I have the first appearance of Razorback from Spectacular Spiderman as' date=' being from Arkansas, I just had to have the first definitive depiction of an Arkansas native superhero; a trucker with the electrified "coat" of a wild boar. No stereotyping there... [/quote']

 

But both can be retconed. Now try do that with some foreigner non super villain or somewhere else king? It is night impossible

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

My gripes about the book are not with the characters. My gripes are about the other information in the book and the presentation. My favorite parts of CWW are the couple of pages at the beginning of each chapter. I love those sections and wish they were each 10 pages longer giving us more information about the world itself. What DOJ hasn't figured out yet is that a cream-filled interesting world is what makes people want to play in it. Those little bits of cream are what make the crunch of the rest of Hero tolerable. I just wish there was more cream.

 

I like the book a lot myself, but I do agree that longer sections covering the setting as well as the characters in it would have been nice. I'd have been willing to sacrifice a character or two for each area if we'd gotten more setting material -- though was included very well done.

[Dominique]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

Okay, I finally broke down and picked up the book today. I've only glanced through it, but I've picked up one little art mistake. Look at the pick of Rashindar on page 61, and then look at him on page 65. From one type of "Indian" to another.

[Guest Suleyman Rashid]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

Character books are fine. I can always change them up so I can fit them in the game. Good book for general Ideas. BIG Gripe- the art. For a moment' date=' I thought my eyes were bleeding. Worst art in a Hero book ever? Very close. Sad to see the quality nosediving....[/quote']

 

No, the worst art ever is in Dark Champions: the Animated Series.

[Roter Baron]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

About stereotyped characters: Well, I don't have a prpblem with tah. But I agree with our Brazilian co-gamer: The question is not first and foremost "Does the character have an exotic foreign name?" but is the character believable or not. I don't own Champions Worldwide but glanced through it in a hobby-store. My impression regarding the German characters is: Der Schwarze Tod is a great name - actually there is a very popular German horror pulp-series by the name of "John Sinclair" that features Der Schwarze Tod as one of the main Super-Bad-Demons. The name has a good ring and would sound believable in a super-Germany. Der Bogenschütze is a boring name - as boring as Archer would be or Bowman. A color would have been nice (Der Grüne Bogenschütze e.g.) and a better ring to my Teutonic ears.

If you want to have a German NAzi as a villain, then by all means stay as cheesy as you can - and some! Reason is not my strong anti-Nazi-feelings but reality: Them ***** give themselves all kinds of embarrassing nemas that sound oh-so-cool - IN REAL LIFE! So go crazy with ARISCHER KRIEGER (Aryan Warrior), GERMANENSTOLZ (Proud of the Teutons), KRISTALLNACHT, RASSENWÄCHTER (Guardian of the Race) etc. If you want to German hero or ordinary villain as German name is as likely as an English - actually I would think it is more likely to see THE WATCH (as in: Watchman) flying over the Barndenburg Gate than DER WÄCHTER. Which comes to the next problem: Bad English names by German heroes. Ads, commercials and the German language are full of English words nowadays that DO NOT EXIST in English - it's a mixture of fad and loss of fantasy (or too much of it). Example: The "German" word for mobile phone is "Handy". Most people in Germany think that "handy" is an English word (correct) used for carry-along-phones. The German word Mobiltelefon is seldomly used. So I would guesss that you should encounter quite a few German Heroes and Villains in the Champions Universe with no PR-agent, a half-*** education in English and an "English" name that would give them a blank stare, a head shaken in disbelieve or a plain good laugh in the US or UK ...

AND AN THE INITIATIVE, A SURPRISE BONUS TO OCV AND A SPECIAL STUN ONLY ATTACK whenever they utter their names to English speakers!

[Kirby]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

I still haven't been able to read all the way through it, yet. I'm on Central American heroes right now (it's just not an entertaining read for me). I'm not really excited about what I've seen. I've been least impressed with the brick write-ups. They pretty much seem to be the same, with minor variances. Maybe it's the brick archetype in general, but none of them I've read so far strike me as "unique" or even "outstanding." For 5E, is there a female brick other than Black Diamond in the CU?

[Enforcer84]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

No' date=' the worst art ever is in Dark Champions: the Animated Series.[/quote']

Sadly, I gotta Concur.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

I still haven't been able to read all the way through it' date=' yet. I'm on Central American heroes right now (it's just not an entertaining read for me). I'm not really excited about what I've seen. I've been least impressed with the brick write-ups. They pretty much seem to be the same, with minor variances. Maybe it's the brick archetype in general, but none of them I've read so far strike me as "unique" or even "outstanding." For 5E, is there a female brick other than Black Diamond in the CU?[/quote']

My major gripe about the bricks is that so few actually use any of the cool Brick abilities from the Ultimate Brick. And since we lost Thunder, there's Black Diamond, Viperia, and ... ... ... Big serpent lady from COIL adventure.

[Kirby]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

My major gripe about the bricks is that so few actually use any of the cool Brick abilities from the Ultimate Brick. And since we lost Thunder' date=' there's Black Diamond, Viperia, and ... ... ... Big serpent lady from COIL adventure.[/quote']

That's right. I prefer the 4E Viperia to 5E and forgot about the COIL (read it once and it's been on my shelf since). So, I guess what Hero Games is trying to tell us: Brick female = villain.

 

EDIT: Though, I did like Brigade's write-up. May have been some bias since I know his ID, but still.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

Me too. Hmm.. Brick Heroines... only a few Empyrean Quasi Bricks that I can think of, oh, Charm Girl. she had a 65 Str and was basically a superman style brick girl.

[Superskrull]

Re: Just Picked Up Champions Worldwide

 

Me too. Hmm.. Brick Heroines... only a few Empyrean Quasi Bricks that I can think of' date=' oh, Charm Girl. she had a 65 Str and was basically a superman style brick girl.[/quote']

 

What about Teen Dream from Teen Champions? She's a respectable Str 60 with a handful of brick tricks.