Game Design: Champions Online

[Dynamo]

As some of you may remember, I'm currently enrolled in a shake'n'bake game developer program at a local school. For the most part, I'm learning to be someone's Junior Code Monkey, but some of the coursework revolves around actual game design. Plus my wife bought me an impressively tall pile of books about games and play, which I am ploughing through with an appetite.

 

I've been doing some thinking about interface and gameplay, and since my current gaming obsessions are superheroes (Hero & GURPS) and MMOs, I'm toying with the notion of Champions Online. Not that I think I'm going to burst onto the computer gaming scene with the next blockbuster MMO; this is just an exercise to crystallize my thoughts. I'm at the point where I need to write stuff down or forget what I've already thought about, so it seems like a good idea to do it here and maybe elicit some input.

 

If you were to login to an Internet game called Champions Online, what would you expect to see and do? How would you like to see Characteristics, Powers, Skills, Talents, Disadvantages and all that modelled? Conversely, what sort of thing would you absolutely hate to see in such a game?

 

I'll start with some basic combat. To avoid re-inventing the wheel, the interface uses the standard WASD arrangement for movement (up/jump on the spacebar, down on X), with a multi-tiered power tray tied to the alphapad number keys.

 

Attack powers share a global cooldown defined by SPD. 3 SPD = 4 sec cooldown, 7 SPD = 1.7 sec cooldown, etc. (I'll refer to this as SPD cooldown.)

 

Movement and Recovery are continuous. END/STN recovered and distance travelled per second are calculated by multiplying the Power/Cha value by SPD/12.

 

Continuous Powers are on/off toggles with individual SPD cooldown.

 

Departing from the pen & paper game, some or many defensive actions are automatic and on their own SPD cooldown. For example, when attacked in HtH, a Block will be automatically attempted. Each additional Block attempt will suffer a cumulative -2 penalty until the cooldown triggered by the first Block completes. A missed Block will end all Block attempts until the cooldown completes.

 

Skill Levels are allocated by drag & drop tokens. The tokens can be moved between OCV, DCV, and Damage buckets and automatically apply appropriately to eligible Powers and Maneuvers. Not sure how to make different types of skill levels quickly differentiable to the player who needs DCV in a hurry.

 

I'll let some comments accumulate and then post my thoughts on character construction. Don't feel constrained to comment only on what I've said above. The wider and wilder the brainstorming, the happier I'll be. Go nuts.

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Skill Levels are allocated by drag & drop tokens. The tokens can be moved between OCV, DCV, and Damage buckets and automatically apply appropriately to eligible Powers and Maneuvers. Not sure how to make different types of skill levels quickly differentiable to the player who needs DCV in a hurry.

 

I imagine could have hotkeys for quick level allocation. F1=all levels DCV, etc.

[Dynamo]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

I imagine could have hotkeys for quick level allocation. F1=all levels DCV' date=' etc.[/quote']With a bound SFX of your character muttering "owowhothothot!!"

[Flames]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

I'd give you some of my ideas but I want to wait for until it's safe for me to stand up.

[gojira]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

1. Turn-based

2. Multi-player

3. GM

 

That'll do for starters...

[Dynamo]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

1. Turn-based

2. Multi-player

3. GM

 

That'll do for starters...

Actually, this has a better chance of getting coded at some point, despite 1 and 3 being out of scope for my current thought exercise.

 

I've been looking at some of the freely available game art, animation code, and other resources. I'm sure that a networked animated battlemat equipped with a die-roller and the Hero core combat rules wouldn't be that hard. With all the existing assets that could be imported, the only really time-consuming parts would be the Hero rules engine and the surface textures for the figures. (I'm having some trouble finding Superhero textures.) The texture work could be minimized by providing some very basic costumes and then adding an import feature so that player-made textures could be added and shared with other users.

[gojira]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Actually, this has a better chance of getting coded at some point, despite 1 and 3 being out of scope for my current thought exercise.

 

Well that's why I suggested it, because it would be easy(ier) to implement.

 

Wha't your language of choice right now?

 

Also:

 

4. Chat

[Enforcer84]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Destruction of the Environment. I wanna break cards and throw buildings

[Jkeown]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

On my hard drive at work, I've a multi-page doc I was going to send to Steve, but I might post it here. You might find my plan a bit out of scope as well.

[Dynamo]

Well that's why I suggested it, because it would be easy(ier) to implement.

 

What's your language of choice right now?

 

Also:

 

4. Chat

I'm not too worried about implementation right now. This would be the Concept Development phase.

 

Serious game programming is done in C++. No offense to anyone's language of choice, but if you want to wring maximum performance from the end-user's computer without learning Assembly Code, you do it with C++, with a little help from C (device drivers mainly). High-level languages make sacrifices in run-time efficiency for their ease of use.

 

Chat is a definite must. Social tools will make or break an online multiplayer game.

 

Destruction of the Environment. I wanna break cars and throw buildings.

BOOYAH! Interactable, destructible objects by the plenty. Got it.

 

On my hard drive at work' date=' I've a multi-page doc I was going to send to Steve, but I might post it here. You might find my plan a bit out of scope as well.[/quote']Don't mistake my comment about being out of scope for my original thought exercise to mean that anything should be out of scope for this discussion. The kernel of this idea was "How to re-tool City of Heroes into Champions Online," but I'd love to see ideas that don't fit that mold just as much as those that do. Like I said, go nuts.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Here's a dream game for you.

 

X-COM, but updated to CHAMPIONS. Spend XP. Build a base. Gain Followers. Push back bad guys. Fly your SuperCraft to the Dangerous Place. Blow up stuff. Blow up MORE stuff.

 

Wow. That would be a kick-ass game. Glad I thought of it!

[Logan D. Hurricanes]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

...Attack powers share a global cooldown defined by SPD. 3 SPD = 4 sec cooldown, 7 SPD = 1.7 sec cooldown, etc. (I'll refer to this as SPD cooldown.)

...

I was wondering how SPD would be tackled, and i think this is a great idea.

 

And I second Enforcer's request for edible environment.

 

Also, FWIW, I'm one of those who still like the turn based stuff. I'd be very interested in that as well as a real-time.

[Jkeown]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Fine. How's this?

 

Champions Online

A Proposal to Revolutionize Massively-Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.

Champions broke ground decades ago by replacing Dungeons and Dragons’ Character Classes with a points-driven system that allowed the creation of the character that players wanted to play. Now, with the advent of a number of successful Online Games, Champions can once again revolutionize gaming by acting as the background for a game that breaks the mold.

 

Player Experience

Character Archetypes

MMOs are dominated by a number of archetypes. These go by various names, but generally breakdown into Direct Damage, Support, Tanks and Melee/DPS types. Champions has the opportunity to break out of this and into a true player-driven experience. Certainly, each of typical Champions archetypes can be used to create the “Classic MMO Archetypes” but the freedom exists to do otherwise, and create a quality single-player experience. The MMO types are replaced with Champions Archetypes that reinforce what is actually seen in comic books, more accurately reflecting the genre. We feel this will result in a more satisfying experience for the player.

 

MMO Stereotype Typical Power Set

Tank High Defense, Taunt, Melee Attacks, High Health

Direct Damage Low Defense, High Powered Ranged Attacks, Low Health

Support Low Health, Healing, Buff/Debuff powers.

Melee/DPS Medium Health, High Powered Melee Attacks (occasionally Stealth)

 

HERO characters scarcely map to these stereotypes. The centralizing feature of HERO being character concept, we propose breaking out of the stereotypes and into a concept-centered game engine. Carrying this into an MMO would be relatively easy, given the HERO System's auto-balancing points-based design.

 

HERO Archetype Typical Power Set

Brick High Strength (“Brick Tricks”), High Defense

Energy Projector High Powered Ranged Attacks

Gadgeteer Technological or Magical Items

Mentalist EGO-Based abilities

Metamorph Shape Shifting

Mystic Magical Abilities

Powered Armor High Defense, Ranged Attacks

Speedster High Movement, Speed-Related Attacks

 

The first fifteen minutes of play are the most important in any game. You must inform the player of how he will advance, what he must do to advance and what the rewards of advancing are. This can be show-cased in the character creation sequence. When the character is created, its potential is laid out for the player’s review, he knows where he’s headed well in advance of getting there. This helps him make choices in an intelligent fashion.

 

Each HERO Archetype carries with it a set of “weighted” powers. After the player defines his concept, he chooses an archetype that most closely matches it. He is presented with a selection of powers that are most commonly associated with the Archetype. For example: Bricks are free to choose ranged powers in the Champions pen and paper RPG, and thus should be allowed to do so online. Some limiting factor must be implemented as the game’s internal balance will be thrown off by several million flying, energy-projecting bricks logging in each day. If too much freedom is given, the game will become stale. Stale games don’t sell.

 

Thus, the Brick chooses most of his powers from the Brick List, and can choose from other Archetypes power lists, though these powers are reduced in effectiveness. In HERO terms, they are the same powers, bought at a lower Active Point level. Perhaps his “Primary Powers” all have a limit of 50 AP, his choice of powers from the Energy Projector List are capped at 25 AP.

Limitations are built into the powers when the character is created. In order to simulate the advances normally gained in MMO’s players use experience points to buy off these limitations. Two mechanisms of advancement spring to mind; a “power-editing” feature that allows the removal of a limitation of the players choice, or a “power scale” in which increases in effectiveness alternate with limitation removal on a menu of advancement. Certainly, the Power Editor provides more player choice, it gives a greater range of freedom which allows character concepts to stay in place. One player might choose to increase a Brick’s defenses over time, whereas another might choose to remove limitations from those defenses, this method results in the “no one right way” approach that Champions is known for.

 

Disadvantages

After selecting his Archetype and Powers, the player can select from Disadvantages. This was a new concept when HERO introduced them in 1980 and they will be new to the MMO scene as well. The character will literally be a part of his environment, and different from those around him, because his character is not just distinguished by how he affects the world. The world will affect him. Some disadvantages from the HERO system are very easy to code into the character. Vulnerability simply requires mathematical adjustment of incoming damage. Powers will be flagged with a Special Effect and Vulnerability Logic will read the tags and adjust the characters status each time his special effect is applied in the form of an attack or environmental effect.

 

Even a Dependant NPC can be included at this stage. When the player chooses this option for his character, a separate, low end character generator is invoked. The character picks the details of the DNPC from available options, chooses an in-game avatar from those available, and decides how much danger the NPC can experience. Simply having the NPC puttering around would be meaningless. The game will make the PC earn the points gained by actually involving the DNPC in the games mission structure. Missions can be generated that involve the NPC, placing them in danger or in the path of on-rushing doom that the PC will have to rescue them from. Perhaps at log-in, the player can toggle a series of Game Event click-boxes that allow DNPCs, Rivals, and Hunted missions to be generated by the game’s environment. Experience gained is modified by the number of Game Events the player selects. If he gets bored with saving Cousin Jed every day, he un-clicks the DNPC box and selects his Hunted instead. Now he’s fighting Viper agents this session, and a more individual character narrative unfolds, rather then the player simply wandering through the in-game plotline.

 

 

There is more... but its in even rougher form than the above mess.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

I'm telling you.

 

X-Com Champions. Turn based. Powers. Unstoppable goodness.

[gojira]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

X-Com Champions. Turn based. Powers. Unstoppable goodness.

 

I like these ideas....

[Dynamo]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Nice work Jkeown. Your post carries some similarities with my thoughts on character creation. I'll post those tomorrow when I should have some more time (14 hour day today, not counting commute). I'm looking forward to hearing more of your ideas.

 

I could see two separate turn-based LAN/Internet and real-time MMO games being developed based on Champions. The turn-based game would likely come out feeling like a hybrid of X-COM and Neverwinter Nights, with the ability to play solo content or join a hosted GM-controlled game on a LAN or over the Internet.

 

An open "level-design" system like the one found in NWN would enable scenario writers to share their work. An equally open power-design system would extend the same advantages to character designers. (Thinking while writing here...) The more systems opened; such as scenarios, powers, models, animations, costumes; the more chance the game has of hitting critical mass, a concept found in Open Source meaning that a sufficient number of contributors and users have gathered that a program may never completely exit development.

 

The turn-based version of the game could be closer to the pen & paper game, since allowances don't need to be made for the reaction-speed demands of a real-time game.

 

It would be interesting to discuss licensing with DOJ for an Open Source game based on the Champions rules engine. There would be advantages and disadvantages for them as the publisher of the pen & paper game, so I could see them coming down on either side. For now, this is just a pipedream and learning opportunity, but who knows...

[StGrimblefig]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

It look quite interesting.

 

I like the SPD Cooldown idea.

 

I must say that I dislike the "auto-block" decision, though. Isn't your normal DCV supposed to account for some amount of automatic (i.e. non-exclusive) dodging? I see a block as an active defense -- using your weapon to prevent an incoming attack from scoring -- that would preclude taking an immediate attack with that weapon.

 

Come to think of it, if this is Champions, how does one block an attack when your attack is an EB that comes from your hands? If you say you can attack the incoming attack with your EB, that starts getting too close to Missile Deflection, and may be dependent upon special effects.

 

Perhaps if you could choose a characters "combat stance" -- ranging from total defense, through normal, all the way to aggressive offense -- then maybe that could be used to decide the automatic defensive value. It could even be scaled (downward) based upon the time left in the SPD Cooldown. For example, a character set to total defense, with no cooldown time remaining, will get a better defensive value than either one set to total defense with 50% cooldown remaining or one set to normal stance with no cooldown remaining. Of course, in a completely turn-based environment, this kind of thing should be unnecessary.

 

I seem to remember reading something a long time ago about City of Heroes combat being turn-based "under the hood." I will have to see if I can find a reference.

 

Just a thought. Or two or three.

[ScrewySquirrel]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

I'm telling you.

 

X-Com Champions. Turn based. Powers. Unstoppable goodness.

 

but wouldn't that look like Freedom Force?

[gojira]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Freedom Force was real time, not turn based. (You could pause it to issue commands, though.) While kind of similar in some ways, I'd say that X-Com and FF are really very different games....

[Dynamo]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Oog. Just got out of a 2 hour sales pitch on a Learning Management System we're evaluating. My brain hurts.

 

Block & Missile Deflection as designed in the pen & paper game are not workable in a realtime computer game (aside from my complete dislike of the Block rules as a trained hand fighter). Either some mechanism must be devised to make it at least semi-automated or it has to be eliminated.

 

Idea #1: Block is a toggle. While on, Block adds its OCV modifier only to its own rolls and its DCV modifier to HtH DCV. To represent that it requires time away from your attack chain, global SPD cooldown is penalized while Block is toggled on. The Block toggle has an individual SPD cooldown for both refreshing the cumulative blocking penalty and for toggling back on after toggling off.

 

Note for later: Individual SPD cooldowns are calculated from the global SPD cooldown, so global SPD cooldown debuffs and/or penalties affect individual SPD cooldown times, but not vice versa. This allows for nastiness like Block applying a SPD cooldown debuff to the blocked attacker.

[Erkenfresh]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

I thought about this a while back actually. If the game was real time, you could make it into an FPS. This would appeal to a completely new crowd. I had a few ideas on how you would handle OCV and DCV. Perhaps the player would have a "lock-on" button when their crosshairs get close to a target. After locking on, attacks could still miss according to OCV/DCV.

 

I also figured that to get into the game quickly, there should be premade powers. They could even be bunched into sets or classes, or the player could create their own class to load up when entering the game. These powers would cost points just like in HERO of course. So, a user might enter the game and pick Flight for 30 points, Fire Blast for 60, Fireball for 60, and Sword Slash for 60 and be good to go. And of course, playing a game for a while should grant bonus XP so the player could buy more powers. If you've ever played Savage, they executed the idea of levelling in an FPS perfectly.

 

Then there's the idea of characteristics. Most likely, it would be best just to have premade sets. Strong, tough, fast, etc.

 

With all of these options, the players have a plethora of different ways to play the same game, increasing it's replayibility.

 

As for actions you abort to, I think it's best to handle these as toggles. If nobody attacks you, then you still get to attack. But, if people start attacking you, you won't be able to hit them back, at least not until you turn off the toggle. This is similar to how blocking worked in Savage. You press a button to block but you can't attack while you're doing it. The strategy of turning on your defenses while you absorb the blows and let your allies do the damage would be an interesting and unique situation never done in an FPS before (except the almighty Savage!).

[Dynamo]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

I'll post those tomorrow when I should have some more time[...]

Best laid plans of mice and supermen. Try again tomorrow.

[PhantomGM2602]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

Fine. How's this?

 

Champions Online

A Proposal to Revolutionize Massively-Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games.

Champions broke ground decades ago by replacing Dungeons and Dragons’ Character Classes with a points-driven system that allowed the creation of the character that players wanted to play. Now, with the advent of a number of successful Online Games, Champions can once again revolutionize gaming by acting as the background for a game that breaks the mold.

 

Player Experience

Character Archetypes

MMOs are dominated by a number of archetypes. These go by various names, but generally breakdown into Direct Damage, Support, Tanks and Melee/DPS types. Champions has the opportunity to break out of this and into a true player-driven experience. Certainly, each of typical Champions archetypes can be used to create the “Classic MMO Archetypes” but the freedom exists to do otherwise, and create a quality single-player experience. The MMO types are replaced with Champions Archetypes that reinforce what is actually seen in comic books, more accurately reflecting the genre. We feel this will result in a more satisfying experience for the player.

 

MMO Stereotype Typical Power Set

Tank High Defense, Taunt, Melee Attacks, High Health

Direct Damage Low Defense, High Powered Ranged Attacks, Low Health

Support Low Health, Healing, Buff/Debuff powers.

Melee/DPS Medium Health, High Powered Melee Attacks (occasionally Stealth)

 

HERO characters scarcely map to these stereotypes. The centralizing feature of HERO being character concept, we propose breaking out of the stereotypes and into a concept-centered game engine. Carrying this into an MMO would be relatively easy, given the HERO System's auto-balancing points-based design.

 

HERO Archetype Typical Power Set

Brick High Strength (“Brick Tricks”), High Defense

Energy Projector High Powered Ranged Attacks

Gadgeteer Technological or Magical Items

Mentalist EGO-Based abilities

Metamorph Shape Shifting

Mystic Magical Abilities

Powered Armor High Defense, Ranged Attacks

Speedster High Movement, Speed-Related Attacks

 

The first fifteen minutes of play are the most important in any game. You must inform the player of how he will advance, what he must do to advance and what the rewards of advancing are. This can be show-cased in the character creation sequence. When the character is created, its potential is laid out for the player’s review, he knows where he’s headed well in advance of getting there. This helps him make choices in an intelligent fashion.

 

Each HERO Archetype carries with it a set of “weighted” powers. After the player defines his concept, he chooses an archetype that most closely matches it. He is presented with a selection of powers that are most commonly associated with the Archetype. For example: Bricks are free to choose ranged powers in the Champions pen and paper RPG, and thus should be allowed to do so online. Some limiting factor must be implemented as the game’s internal balance will be thrown off by several million flying, energy-projecting bricks logging in each day. If too much freedom is given, the game will become stale. Stale games don’t sell.

 

Thus, the Brick chooses most of his powers from the Brick List, and can choose from other Archetypes power lists, though these powers are reduced in effectiveness. In HERO terms, they are the same powers, bought at a lower Active Point level. Perhaps his “Primary Powers” all have a limit of 50 AP, his choice of powers from the Energy Projector List are capped at 25 AP.

Limitations are built into the powers when the character is created. In order to simulate the advances normally gained in MMO’s players use experience points to buy off these limitations. Two mechanisms of advancement spring to mind; a “power-editing” feature that allows the removal of a limitation of the players choice, or a “power scale” in which increases in effectiveness alternate with limitation removal on a menu of advancement. Certainly, the Power Editor provides more player choice, it gives a greater range of freedom which allows character concepts to stay in place. One player might choose to increase a Brick’s defenses over time, whereas another might choose to remove limitations from those defenses, this method results in the “no one right way” approach that Champions is known for.

 

Disadvantages

After selecting his Archetype and Powers, the player can select from Disadvantages. This was a new concept when HERO introduced them in 1980 and they will be new to the MMO scene as well. The character will literally be a part of his environment, and different from those around him, because his character is not just distinguished by how he affects the world. The world will affect him. Some disadvantages from the HERO system are very easy to code into the character. Vulnerability simply requires mathematical adjustment of incoming damage. Powers will be flagged with a Special Effect and Vulnerability Logic will read the tags and adjust the characters status each time his special effect is applied in the form of an attack or environmental effect.

 

Even a Dependant NPC can be included at this stage. When the player chooses this option for his character, a separate, low end character generator is invoked. The character picks the details of the DNPC from available options, chooses an in-game avatar from those available, and decides how much danger the NPC can experience. Simply having the NPC puttering around would be meaningless. The game will make the PC earn the points gained by actually involving the DNPC in the games mission structure. Missions can be generated that involve the NPC, placing them in danger or in the path of on-rushing doom that the PC will have to rescue them from. Perhaps at log-in, the player can toggle a series of Game Event click-boxes that allow DNPCs, Rivals, and Hunted missions to be generated by the game’s environment. Experience gained is modified by the number of Game Events the player selects. If he gets bored with saving Cousin Jed every day, he un-clicks the DNPC box and selects his Hunted instead. Now he’s fighting Viper agents this session, and a more individual character narrative unfolds, rather then the player simply wandering through the in-game plotline.

 

 

There is more... but its in even rougher form than the above mess.

 

You could add an option to load PCs from HD3 onto the game and design costumes for them. Plus include movement bonuses as well making it a 3D

RPG[City of Heroes comes to mind.] or a Flash Based RPG like say Dragon Fable or Mecha Quest. Also add some expansion packs directly from the campaign books for the GM?

[gojira]

Re: Game Design: Champions Online

 

a Flash Based RPG like say Dragon Fable or Mecha Quest. Also add some expansion packs directly from the campaign books for the GM?

 

I like Java myself, but this is an excellent idea. Flash definitely rivals Java for rapid development. Since I'd like something turn based and GM hosted, Flash web site would be a natural fit.

[Dynamo]

Champions Online Character Creation

 

Champions Online Character Creation

(note: The below thoughts apply to the MMO side of this thread and are almost completely useless applied to a GM-arbitrated, turn-based game.)

 

There are two major barriers to taking Hero character creation into the computer game arena in all its freeform glory. Firstly, its ability to model anything the player can conceive will forever be limited by available animations and artwork, and complicated, clumsy, or close-as-I-could-get-it constructs that the player can explain to a rational, sapient (hopefully) GM have every chance of confusing even the most detailed game engine into a jolly good crash.

 

Secondly, we all have to admit to ourselves that Hero is NOT a gateway game. It's a game for players who've tired of the limitations of D&D/d20. Presenting a new player with a system to buy game mechanics and then assign any special effect they want to the result will have most potential players logged off and playing Halo in short order. It would be nice to design a game purely for Champions grognards, but part of my intent is to employ sound game development principles toward a game competitive in the marketplace.

 

As Jkeown suggests, a player chooses an Archetype which will define an array of powers to choose from, though I would insert an additional step of choosing an "Element" such as Fire, Super Strength, Agility, Ice, etc... Once the Element is chosen, Power choices are presented, looking suspiciously like the USPD. A player may choose to display or hide the Hero mechanics of the powers, and similarly display actual point costs or rely on a "Power Bar" to graphically display remaining ability to add powers. Hovering the mouse over the Power Bar or Point Total will display information about spending points, including the tip that leftovers can be spent in conjunction with XP to advance the character later.

 

This Design area is a tabbed environment, allowing a player to move freely between Characteristics, Powers, Skills, Talents, Perks, and Disadvantages until satisfied with the character. There are several gateway steps that will permit the next steps and affect subsequent choices presented. For instance, picking the Brick Archetype will present different Element choices than picking Speedster or Projector, though there will be some overlap. Each Archetype/Element pair will define not only which Power choices are presented at what level of power, but also define certain function sets of Powers that the player must choose at least one of in order to exit the Design screen. For example a Fire Projector must choose at least one ranged fire attack and one fire-based defense.

 

Why? One the problems that freeform character-design systems suffer from in any group-play environment, whether tabletop or online, is the TankMage/Gimp dichotomy. A skilled player can easily make a character with optimized defense, attack power, movement and utility, limited only by the GM and/or the ever-popular Campaign Caps, and will be able to steamroll anything intended to challenge the average player. An unskilled player can easily make a character that will be woefully ineffective faced with the same challenge. By ensuring that at least one basic attack and one basic defense is chosen, the Gimp end of the spectrum can be mitigated at least somewhat.

 

On the TankMage side, setting different point-cost weights for different ability areas depending on Archetype/Element pairs make it prohibitively expensive for a Brick to start the game with a massive ranged attack or for a Martial Artist to be nigh-invulnerable. Under the hood, the point costs for powers within your Archetype/Element are discounted by a mechanism based on the Elemental Control, which IMO is intended to encourage themed characters with point breaks.

 

Once the Design screen has been completed, the player designs a costume, picks a name, chooses some details and enters the game.