Alibear Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 ..in another thread got me thinking. In a supers world some company has to actually build these things. So a company of civil engineers probably specialise in making SuperBases for Public super teams. I'm thinking of writing this company up for my campaign. Would anyone fancy injecting some input? Is it a silly idea or does it make sense? What would such a company have to think about? Who runs it? How much does a base cost in cold hard currency? Would you get planning permission, what would the neighbours think? etc.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Agenda Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... Location, location, location. I think there are some supplements that might be helpful. A superbase architect in Everyman, I think, and a construction company with super-powered employees in Cops, Crews, and Cabals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... So a company of civil engineers probably specialise in making SuperBases for Public super teams. ... Is it a silly idea or does it make sense? Put me down for "silly idea". How many of these things are there? How many are purpose built? How many are commercially built? Basically, I see them as one-off projects. Previous experience in the field might be useful, but I doubt that there would be much opportunity to gain it. If you add building UNTIL bases (or their equivalent), Stronghold type facilities and the like, you might have enough business for a specialist division of a company, but I doubt that you would have a company that does nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Narratio Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... There might be a specialist company, but it would be small, tight and probably employ metahumans itself. The only way to do it is via subterfuge. The specialist outfit will generate regular plans for a... warehouse with underground carparking say. Then they have to either buy off or kill and replace the building/OSHA inspectors while they get on with building your secret base. Consider, you won't get planning permission for installing say a pocket Tokomak reactor in a major conurbation. As for the defense weaponry, or the Fantastic Four's "ballistic missile in a skyscraper", forget it. Fire codes alone would stop it. Can you imagine a villain base that followed OSHA guidelines? Wheelchair access, braille print on all signs, a Health & Safety crew that's bigger than your defense force? How many showers and toilets have you ever seen in the average villain base? Most designers forget about them. Got to have both male and female and, of course, your 'henchpeople' need to be from both sexes and employ a percentage of the disadvantaged, minorities... yadda, yadda. Hmmm, a VIPER or UNTIL base with a baby creche? So yes, a specialist company must exist as there's money to be made here. It's a very small market though, so probably only two or three outfits in the world have the technology, manpower, contacts and resources. (I used to think that Marvel's AIM obtained its funds by building bases for other people). And they set new records for secrecy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radar Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... I plan to take it very slowly when my players get around to wanting to build a base. Plenty of grist for the story mill when it comes to this aspect of the superhero world. I've already introduced a major construction company magnate (Deke Czervik - basing him unashamedly on Rodney Dangerfield's character in Caddyshack) who will get the contract. I've already started sowing seeds of him being somewhat shady but likable, not to mention there is a crime-lord known as The Architect in the campaign cities. Oh, the conclusions they'll jump to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zed-F Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... Usually it's the heroes themselves that build it, when they aren't otherwise occupied. Usually there is someone like Reed Richards or Bruce Wayne who takes care of the whole thing off camera. Failing that, the whole team probably pitches in and does the grunt work themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted February 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... Unless your PC's are a construction crew or civil engineers in their secret ID's I don't know how that would be possible. Offer it out and see who tenders the best plans.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zed-F Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... In most cases, the fact that they are superheroes is probably all the qualification they need. Realistic? Not so much. But then while seeing the supers working on their base for a panel or two worth of downtime is fine as a backdrop for conversation, it's obviously not going to be a main plot element in the story. Besides, who said anything about realism applying to comics in which supers have more than an apartment or an old warehouse to use for a base? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted February 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... I know that but it doesn't feel right to me. I like to give a nod to realism in my Supers world if I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pawsplay Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... I would imagine it would be a specialized team working for companies that build clean rooms, nuclear power plants, and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted February 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... Clean rooms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenAge Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... In my campaign past bases have either been... 1. Mystical in nature - This allows for anything and everything to be explained away as magic. 2. Historical - The Viore Mansion was built in the Golden Age of Epic City by the greatest artisans of the time. It has recently been re-commissioned as a hero base and new aspects of it's original construction are, or will be rediscovered by it's new occupants. 3. Created by committee - Acting as the general contractor, the heroes have subcontracted various autonomous parts of the project to unconnected operations in order to keep the overall project parameters a secret. In addition, often the heroes themselves are accomplished architects and engineers who put a great deal into the base first hand. Thus, no single company was ever needed (or, considering all of the different systems that go into a hero base, needed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pawsplay Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... Clean rooms? Like for making microships and such. They are "clean" because they are free of things such as dust, smoke, moisture from people's breath, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted February 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... Little boats are so fragile? I can't help myself sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmurie Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Re: Talk of a base... All your base are belong to us... Sorry, couldn't resist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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