Anyone running an online supers game?

[Odraude]

Me and two friends are looking for anyone running a supers game. We all have mics and Skype so we can actually do voice chat (I also have Ventrillo if that is better). I'm done with school so I'm looking for my gaming fix. I think we all have our characters done from a previous game but the GM had to cancel before it could even start. Looking for 6th Ed game with Standard Superheroic levels.

 

Also, my 300th post! This is Sparta!

[kytanos]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Ordraudes friend here. :-)

 

Yeah, It was going well, but the GM had work issues, so he had to bail :-(

[Epiphanis]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I've been seriously considering running a Maptool based Champions 6th game. What time zone are you guys in?

[Odraude]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I am in EST and I believe my friend is in Mountain Time

[Epiphanis]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Good, I'm EST also. Maybe. Playing the MMO has made me want to run a Champions Universe game, which I've never done. Let me know what weeknights would be good for you, assuming an 8-Midnight EST session once a week.

[Odraude]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I think from us, the consensus was Saturdays, though Im fairly flexible for my weekdays (except Fridays)

[phydaux]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I'd love in on this, depending on schedualing.

 

6th Ed, 400 points, 12DC cap?

 

What kind of character does the team need? Pocket Brick? Power Projector? Mentalist?

[phydaux]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

And will you allow PCs with VPPs?

[kytanos]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Text and PBP are too slow paced, waiting 5 minutes for Bill to respond mid roleplay or dramatic scene completely disengages me, what would have otherwise been a riveting scene becomes an excuse for me to watch the latest Episode of fringe and "Check back" on the game every 5 minutes as it proceeds at a pace reminiscent of continental drift.

 

Voice just makes the game so much more exciting and social. When you can Hear the other players excitement, and the enthusiasm bubbling up in their voice, instead of lifeless lines of letters. So Im afriad im going to have to step out if you intend to run a text game.

 

Also count me out if your planning on running an "action fest", game. While I still enjoy combat, Their are only so many ways you can kill an orc before the act becomes repatative and meaningless. If I wanted heavy combat, I'd start up steam and play one of my many videogames. the reason I love rpg's so much is the depth of character, story, and interaction that simply is not possible in a scripted game.

 

I love roleplay, character interaction, npc interaction, personal development, character plots, and overarching narratives. When I play an rpg, I want to play as a character, not three six siders in a tactical map. Combat is a spice, and while spice can enhance a food, one does not make a pizza out of nothing but pepper.

[Epiphanis]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Ah! Of course, before a game is even decided upon, the negotiations begin.

 

@Odraude: Saturday is out, there are simply too many activities competing for that time slot, and every "weekend getaway" means a missed session. Any weekday is about equally convenient/inconvenient for me.

 

@Phydaux: Re scheduling -- it would help if I knew what time zone you are in and what times are convenient for you. Re parameters -- 6th Ed, 400 points, 12DC cap, yes to VPPs, but everything (everything, not just VPP!) is subject to my veto both during character creation and any time after if I think something is being abused or unbalancing even if well intentioned. Re what the team needs -- there is no team yet, lets not get ahead of ourselves. Don't invest yourself in vaporware! When/if the time comes we can powwow about character roles and ideas.

 

@Kytanos: Be careful about how specific your requirements are; the narrower you draw that circle, the more likely you will end up the only person in it. While I think my play style is probably compatible with yours, there is no way to tell until we actually play together -- you can make up your mind then if what I do is worth your time.

 

As for VoiP, that is a two-edge sword that cuts differently depending on the specific group of players you assemble. Some players live with others who like to talk, listen to music, and watch television in the same room while the player is busy at the computer, and that seriously bogs the value of VoiP, even using transmit buttons. Also, most people tend to think about what they have to type more than what they blurt out on the spur of the moment, so text games tend to have more focus and fewer tangents than their vocalized counterparts. Also, the lack of an attention span equal to the task of following a text chat for two or three hours is not a desirable quality in a roleplayer. Not to mention the train wreck potential of bad attempts to voice act accents and inflections.

 

All that said, I've played both ways (and face to face of course) and could run something using VoiP. I live with my girlfriend, but fortunately she's quiet and our apartment is big enough we don't have to trip over each other with much noise pollution, but that may not be the case with all potential players; I'm willing to assemble a group of potentials and see what the consensus is before committing to VoiP or not VoiP.

[phydaux]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Mid-week evenings would work for me.

 

I'm EST. I'll also wave the VOIP flag. I have headphones & a mike. I guess text would work too.

 

I'm totally with Kytanos on the RP thing. If all we're gonna do is beat stuff up, then let's play WOW. I need the Emblems. If we're gonna play Champs over the internet, then let's all play interesting, three dimentional characters and let's roleplay them.

 

I'd rather have some idea what kinds of characters the other players are playing, so when I make mine I don't step on anyone else's stchik. Also, if everyone else is a Mutant-Baby from Xavier Jr. High then I don't want to show up with Rom the Space Knight.

 

Here's a Q - How old are we all? 'Cause I tell ya, it's been a long time since I've gamed with someone who wasn't old enough to buy beer.

[kytanos]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Mid week evening's would be fine for me (I cant do sundays now)

 

@EPI

True, but I have my preferences, and standards. I will also agree that text games have their up's, However I have also seen their downsides, and it was negative enough to drive me away permanently. As for "problem" people in voip, the simple solution is to solve them problem, or kick them. GM's are under no requirement to have disruptive players in their games.

 

(Also, I have a good attention span, That was just an example taken from a text game that Went so poorly that I really stopped caring midway through, though it was so slow paced nobody noticed. Normally Im pretty into games.)

[Epiphanis]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I'm slightly younger than you, Phydaux, but not much. Hey, I like roleplaying too! If I were more interested in boardgaming, Hero certainly isn't the best system to do it with. What I meant was, everyone has their own opinion of what just the right mix of RP and combat is, and except at either extreme (all RP or all combat), you can never figure if they value each the same as you do by what they say, only by playing with them.

[torchwolf]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Hi people, I've talked some with Odraude about this (he's a co-player in another game) and I'd be interested.

I have mic, skype and a Swedish accent.

Time is flexible for me, I definitely want to role play rather than roll play, have several ideas and also want to pick the one that goes best with what others have in mind, and I'm old enough to buy beers.

[kytanos]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I have a particular character ive been trying to play, but every supers game ive used him in, the gm quit before session 5. Which is a pain because the intention of the character is to "Grow up" and change overtime, and that's hard to do when the gm has to goto college, or get's frustrated because they brought in too many players and quits.

[phydaux]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I have mic' date=' skype and a Swedish accent... I'm old enough to buy beers.[/quote']

 

So old enough to buy beer in Sweden, that's like, what, six?

[Epiphanis]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

@Torchwolf: You are something like six hours ahead of me. From your perspective, this game would start at around 2 AM and end around sunrise, on a weekday, once a week. I'd love to get an international perspective in the group, but let's be realistic. How would this be possible?

 

@Kytanos: I hear you and know your pain. Unfortunately, this is the nature of the beast. The majority of RPGs fizzle out, just as the majority of small businesses fail and new television series don't survive their first season. Roughly 50% of the people who try to game drop out after a session or two, once reality sets in. This is true for players, who after character creation don't have to do much more than show up; it is even more true for GMs, who have to shoulder a more persistent burden.

[Epiphanis]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Okay, I think I'm ready to take this out of vague hypotheticals and into brass tacks.

 

1. My inclination is to run something in the published Champions Universe, based out of Milennium City, running parallel to certain storylines presented in the Champions Online MMO. That said, neither the written material nor the MMO would be "gospel truth" in my campaign. Generally, public knowledge from published sources will be public knowledge in the campaign, but behind the scenes things might be very different. Maybe Witchcraft didn't really rebel against her parents' evil ways and is actually a supervillainess masquerading as a hero, with the other Champions her ensorcelled mind-slaves. Maybe Dr. Destroyer is actually a rogue Empyrean. Maybe the entire Champions Universe is actually a virtual reality simulation and your characters are really powerless vat-grown human batteries being harvested by ruthless machine intelligences. Okay, none of those examples will be true, but the point is that similar twists from "canon" might be true.

 

2. I am inclined for the players to be part of an eclectic unthemed group like the Avengers or Justice League, rather than a themed one like the X-Men or Shadowpact. However, if everybody wants to play a mutant, alien, esper, sorceror, or whatever, I am flexible about this.

 

3. This one is important -- Code against killing! I want to adhere to pre-Iron Age sensibilities about killing people. The Punisher and Deadpool have their own brand of coolness, but it is at odds with what I want to run. Sure, once in a long while Wonder Woman can snap someone's neck or Clint Barton/Ronin/Hawkeye can go rogue and try to put an arrow in some really bad baddie's brain pan, but those are exceptions and not the rule! Seriously, if you are putting all your points into Killing Attacks, you are on the wrong page.

 

4. Costumes and code names. Have them, please. Sure, Jessica Jones can whine about how she doesn't want to be a superhero, all evidence to the contrary, and yes it can make a good story, but not this story. Also, try to avoid goofy self-parody like the Mystery Men or Great Lakes Avengers. Not what I want to do, joke characters will be forbidden at outset or uncermoniously murdered at the earliest opportunity. That said, funny is okay in moderation.

 

More later.

[CptPatriot]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

If you still want players, I'm willing to give it a shot. I'm generally available evenings after 7PM on Monday, Thursday and after 9PM on Wednesdays. I can't do Tuesday because of my live chat game called the Crucible, Wednesday I have exercise class from 7PM to appr 8:40, and Fridays I have a Skype session where I play with my old face to face crew from 6PM-Midnight. I can play Saturday and Sunday from 1PM - Midnight, but I may have family visits and I have to stop to eat dinner from 5:15 - 5:45. Email or IM me via Yahoo, if you want to talk more.

[kytanos]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I like what you've put forward so far, and I have several character's ready for that kind of game (Ive been in more than one supers game that went "poof!") -I tend to "Recycle" character's if I feel they haven't been "played out", and none of mine have due to every game dying shortly after birth.

 

as for the code against killing, im cool with that, but I must ask your intended "tone".

 

For one thing, I dislike it when games get too dark, It's good to have an element of realism, but when the closest thing to a hero makes the punisher wince and back off. The game isnt fun. Super hero'es are heroes.

 

On the other hand, If the world is all happy and shiny, all the character's are perfect paragons, and nobody ever dies, get's hurt, and the heroes Always win. I feel like im in a sterilized kiddie pool deep in candyland. Sometimes, the good people dont win, sometimes, good people get hurt, or killed. Strife can make good roleplay.

 

I guess the best way i'd put it, is I prefer a semi-realistic tone, rather than the outright nihilism of darker comics, or the almost childish idealistic portrayal of deep four colour.

 

What will be the tone for the game?

[Odraude]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I and Torch cannot do Tuesdays as well for we are in Cpt's Crucible game. Friday and Saturday is my "Get blind stinking drunk and watch bad movies/things on the internet" nights now. Any other evening is fine for me (EST). Also, Torch has odd sleeping hours. He goes to bed at like 6 am his time. He is more nocturnal than I am (by an hour )

 

My Skype is edward.ortiz1

 

I guess some more about me. I'm 23 and definitely old enough to buy hard liquor. Originally from Tbilisi, Georgia but moved to South Carolina in my high school years. You probably won't hear my accent as its been diluted from having a Puerto Rican dad from Brooklyn and an Israeli mom from London, as well as living in the south. I live in Florida now with a roommate, but its pretty quiet so you won't hear my music. I have a mic, webcam, Ventrillo for League of Legends, and Skype so I am good to go with it. I also have a character finished which I'll post soon. Think human volcano, like Magma from X-Men. I am a bit more of a combat junkie than the others, but I do like RP, riddles, and such.

[torchwolf]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

So old enough to buy beer in Sweden' date=' that's like, what, six?[/quote']

Well I'm actually just five, but I do look older. The thing to look out for when you go out for beer in Sweden is dodging the wild polar bears roaming the streets at night.

 

@Torchwolf: You are something like six hours ahead of me. From your perspective' date=' this game would start at around 2 AM and end around sunrise, on a weekday, once a week. I'd love to get an international perspective in the group, but let's be realistic. How would this be possible?[/quote']

The same way I've been playing in the Crucible game at those hours for the last 6 months; I have flexible hours (i.e., I'm a night person and currently manage my own schedule by studying over the internet).

 

Okay, I think I'm ready to take this out of vague hypotheticals and into brass tacks.

 

1. My inclination is to run something in the published Champions Universe, based out of Milennium City, running parallel to certain storylines presented in the Champions Online MMO. That said, neither the written material nor the MMO would be "gospel truth" in my campaign. Generally, public knowledge from published sources will be public knowledge in the campaign, but behind the scenes things might be very different. Maybe Witchcraft didn't really rebel against her parents' evil ways and is actually a supervillainess masquerading as a hero, with the other Champions her ensorcelled mind-slaves. Maybe Dr. Destroyer is actually a rogue Empyrean. Maybe the entire Champions Universe is actually a virtual reality simulation and your characters are really powerless vat-grown human batteries being harvested by ruthless machine intelligences. Okay, none of those examples will be true, but the point is that similar twists from "canon" might be true.

I like this - used the same approach when I ran a MU-based game a few years back.

 

2. I am inclined for the players to be part of an eclectic unthemed group like the Avengers or Justice League' date=' rather than a themed one like the X-Men or Shadowpact. However, if everybody wants to play a mutant, alien, esper, sorceror, or whatever, I am flexible about this.[/quote']

Personally I'm inclined towards eclectic, so I'd alter some things about my character if it turned out to be too similar to another character in background, archetype, abilities and/or mentality.

As long as general agreement over goals/ideals/methods fall within a broad common perspective I'm open to adhering to any brilliant ideas of themes though.

 

3. This one is important -- Code against killing! I want to adhere to pre-Iron Age sensibilities about killing people. The Punisher and Deadpool have their own brand of coolness' date=' but it is at odds with what I want to run. Sure, once in a long while Wonder Woman can snap someone's neck or Clint Barton/Ronin/Hawkeye can go rogue and try to put an arrow in some really bad baddie's brain pan, but those are exceptions and not the rule! Seriously, if you are putting all your points into Killing Attacks, you are on the wrong page.[/quote']

Duly noted, and appreciated.

 

4. Costumes and code names. Have them' date=' please. Sure, Jessica Jones can whine about how she doesn't want to be a superhero, all evidence to the contrary, and yes it can make a good story, but not [i']this[/i] story. Also, try to avoid goofy self-parody like the Mystery Men or Great Lakes Avengers. Not what I want to do, joke characters will be forbidden at outset or uncermoniously murdered at the earliest opportunity. That said, funny is okay in moderation.

 

More later.

Same as above.

[phydaux]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

This one is important -- Code against killing! I want to adhere to pre-Iron Age sensibilities about killing people.

 

You mean I can't be Hit Girl? The 10 year old mass mudrerer with a 6D6 Potty Mouth?

[phydaux]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

I'll most likely run a mystic with a large VPP, but limited to no more than 60 active points in any one power.

 

(I like having on the fly access to lots to "utility" powers. )

 

One of the frustrations I've had, both when playing with other players whoes characters had VPPs and when GM'ing players with VPPs, is these players try to do everything on the fly.

 

"OK, I've got this Fly power going from my VPP. Now I'm gonna use the rest of the points in my VPP for an attack. Hmm... I can get a few extra D6 if I use the limitation Doesn't Work in the Rain. That's good for -1/2..."

 

"No way. That's good for -1/4 at best."

 

"Oh... Then I'll need another limitation to get the DCs I need. Um, I'll throw in X2 End."

 

"You're Fly power is already X2 End. How much End will your attack cost, and how much End does your character have left?"

 

"Um... You're right. I'll use Limited Range instead. I attack for 12D6."

 

"No, you already said X2 End. Either way you don't have enough points left in your VPP for a 12D6 attack. You're throwing 9D6 at best."

 

"Really? I kinda need 12D6 to hurt this guy... OK, I'll use X2End and Limited Range, and also Gestures."

 

"So what's the End cost?"

 

"Can I borrow a calculator?"

 

"Holy Christ...."

 

"Anyway, I attack for the full 12D6."

 

"No you don't. You're already using Two Handed Gestures for your Flying. Remember? You said you're flapping your arms? So you can't use Gestures for the attack too."

 

"Oh. Then I'll change it to Incantations."

 

"For which power?"

 

"The Flying. No, wait, I mean the attack."

 

"No, you already said your changing the Flying. And that's gonna requior a skill roll."

 

"What for?"

 

"Because that's one of the seven limitations you put on your VPP."

 

"Oh yeah... Man, what was I thinking?"

 

"Clearly you weren't. I'm starting to wonder if you ever do. Do you remember how high up you said you were flying?"

 

"60 hexes. Why?"

 

"'Cause I've been keeping track of your End even if you weren't, and you run out of End this phase. You'll have to start spending Stun if you want to attack or keep flying."

 

"Oh..."

 

"And remember the other limitation your put on your Flying?"

 

"Only Works in Direct Sunlight?"

 

"Yeah, that one. The sun just went behind a cloud."

 

 

 

I get around all this by having a "spell Book" of powers all prefabed in advance, with active points cost, real point cost and End cost all listed. So the VPP is more along the lines of a really big Multi-Power.

 

'Cause honestly the bigest complaint I've had with VPPs isn't that they're too powerful. It's that it is anoying to halt the game and sit there while some munchkin tries to do math on the fly.

[kytanos]

Re: Anyone running an online supers game?

 

Im curious Epi. What is your contact info (skype/email/aim/yim/msn messanger etc)

 

If you are formulating a game i'd be nice to get in touch in a manner that is friendly to back and forth, or atleast more timely than a forum. :-)