BarryB

Re: Who's Who on the Champions Online forums?

I am Defensor. He was my main Champions character since the beginning. He even shows up in City of Heroes.

Re: City of Heroes - Online Hero Game

I've been splitting my time between CoH and CoV, but I'm beginning to get annoyed with CoV. I like the game, but I'm really working at building a SG. SO, I go out and recruit, get people who say that they are really committed players, really active, really dedicated, etc.

 

Within 48 hours, half of them quit. It's not that we don't have a functional base (we do, though it is still on the small plot), and we have about 20 active ppl. It just seems that too many want to bail for a "better" SG, rather than help build up an existing group. And believe me, when you spend 12 hours over a weekend doing nothing but recruiting, it gets really annoying to have people keep quitting on you.

 

(The irony is that, if many of them had stayed for even a week, we'd have better than 40 active members, instead of 20.)

 

Sorry - just had to vent there.

I understand the venting. It is frustrating when you're trying to build up any group, whether it be clan, guild, or sg.

Even though you didn't ask , I'll offer a couple of suggestions that might help relieve your frustration.

1) Back off on the recruiting drive. It's better to have 20 active members than 40 sorta-active ones. Don't be impatient to be running a full sg. It's a pretty thankless job, I understand.

2) Recruit as a result of teaming. When you find a good player who seems like he or she would be a good fit for your sg, invite the player.

These two pieces of advice will reduce the amount of time you spend recruiting, increase your actual playing time, and help produce a more active sg.

Re: Has HERO achieved maximum desirable complexity?

*shudders

 

actually, that's a wonderful idea. unfortunately it would require a complete rewrite of the Herosphere code. but it is something to consider.

It would be nice, but something to be put off for your next life.

I just happened to be thinking that the Hero System can be instantiated in different forms, one of which is marks on a page and another is computer code.

Re: If YOU have been playing Hero since the 80's why do you still keep coming back?

Because I can make any effect from spitballs to atomic bombs. I can model the destruction of planets or how loud would be the sonic boom from supersonic flight.

We can quibble about costs for those effects and the powers and advantages/limitations put on them. But when you've got a system that is so broadly applicable...well, you just have to love it!

Re: Has HERO achieved maximum desirable complexity?

I think it is quite complex enough. I enjoy complexity; I revel in complexity. But I doubt that most share my feelings.

Ultimately, I'd like to see the rules set up as configuration files for some future version of Herosphere. People can turn on or off or set values for the options as desired in the configuration file. The computer handles the rules appropriately.

Re: College Professor Skill Level

As a college professor, I think that a college professor would have a single specialized discipline that would be known well (15- or 16-). When I say specialized, I mean *specialized*: the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning or the interactions of pi-mesons.

The broader category, Physics, English Literature, Geography, would be known at a higher level than the ordinary populace. I would suggest 11- or an INT roll. Remember that most heroic characters get an Everyman skill of AK: Local Area at 8-, so I would expect concentrated study to yield an AK of the next level up: 11- or INT roll.

Outside of that broader category, college professors are just as dumb as anyone else.

Re: Bases Foci

A point that puzzles me a bit...

 

Is it correct to use the Focus Limitation for hyper-tech or magical equipment Powers that are meant to be physically located in the character's base, but whose effects may follow him or manifest "in the field" too, so to speak ?

In my opinion, it really depends on the effectiveness, the impact on the scenario/campaign, and the potential for unbalancing.

The cloning "vat" that resurrects the character (via Duplication with Extra Time and/or Gradual Effect, and Trigger) after he is killed

I don't consider this too unbalancing unless you're running a heroic campaign where characters are easily killed. I would probably let it be a focus with bulky and immobile limitations.

the "beam me up, scotty" teleporting equipment that teleports the character back to safety of his home/base, if he is near death/utters a vocal or mental command/types the radio code (Trigger and/or Concentration/Gestures/Incantation), or lets the character or PC group to quickly move to/from their nifty moon/orbital/underwater/remote wilderness base to this week's trouble spot ?

The teleport when near death is more powerful than the cloning vat simply because the character doesn't actually have to be taken to it. Depending on how frequently near-death experiences occur, I might allow it also.

In both cases, the GM should be sure to make something happen to the devices to make it impossible for the character to be restored to life, at least for a time.

the summoning circle that lets summon a servant creature that subsequently follows and helps the character for some time in the field ?

Such a creature is more useful. It is essentially another character for the team. I wouldn't allow this as a focus.

If the sfx of these powers calls for them to be powered by equipment too bulky and complex or fragile to be located anywhere but the safety of the character's base, is it still appropriate to buy them as Immobile Foci, even if they cannot follow the character in combat ?

Again, possibly. If they really are immobile, then yes, buying them as immobile foci is appropriate. But if the base is so inaccessable (a fave is to put the base in a pocket dimension) or so guarded that the foci can never come into danger, then there is no real focus limitation.

But other limitations may apply. "Immobile (-1/2)" is a possibility and there may be others.

On one hand, such Foci cannot be damaged by attacking the character, or removed by him if he is made unconscious, on the other one can deprive the character of them in one fell swoop if he invades the character's base.

Exactly. Consider the difference in likelihood of damage to the device when the character is attacked versus having the device attacked in the base. That will give you a feel for what limitations to assign. A focus that has a high probability of damage when the character is hit would be no better and possibly worse than an OAF. Characters with foci that can only be damaged when used (teleporting circle that is pulled out of the character's costume and thrown on the ground) would be at most an OAF and probably lower, say -1/2.

And one related issue: Has the character/group actually to buy one Base, if its only function is to stash such Foci, or one can describe them as located in his/their free background "home" (within reason: while it might be assumed that a cloning or summoning circle for a humanoid creature might be located in an apartment's large room, a tyrannosaur creche couldn't).

A base or home can be a special effect. That is, it is trivially easy to destroy and anything in it is destroyed. This is the kind of home that is destroyed in a single explosion, blast, or punch. If the players want a base to actually defend anything, they need to pay points to get defenses.

Re: HERO Organization Logos

I don't have the logos, though I could probably scan the VIPER one. But I think you'd be disappointed. Projecting the logo onto a wall would make it look pretty pixellated unless you were well back from it.

But maybe that's not what you want to do.

Re: I turn your power back onto yourself!

Thank you all. As usual, you've given some great answers. I'll mull them over for a while. If you think of anything else, please post it.

I was thinking about scenes in which a super-strong character stops a heroes attack cold, frequently turning the power of the attack back on the hero. Forgive me if this power is in the Ultimate Brick, but I don't own it (yet!).

I'm thinking Iron Fist tries to punch Hulk, Hulk intercepts and grabs Iron Fist's hand. The power of the Iron Fist is turned back onto himself. (Happened in a Defenders comic as I recall)

I could see it happening with someone covering Superman's eyes as he tries to fire off his heat vision, too. Superman would stagger back with steam rising from his eyes.

So how can I simulate this? It feels as though I'd need some linked powers here, like missile reflection and force wall, but I can't seem to get the feel of the power right.

Any suggestions?

Re: This has got to be someone's team plane

Of course, with a 50-foot wingspan, it would have to have EZ-Fold Wingz to land in an urban area. Couple it with VTOL, Cool-Blast engines, and anti-grav enhancements to prevent it from crunching through streets and into sewers.

Re: What are the most annoying player habits!

I don't remember if I mentioned it here but one guy I used to game with apparently came up with a character for a game I was mercifully not a part of. A female superhero whose only power was basically something along the lines of 12d6 Mind Control with one effect only' date=' "You want to fuck me."[/quote']

 

Had one of those.

 

Only it was a woman.

Re: Weak Supers who just needed better writers

The annoying part about Cypher was that he was treated as such a wuss for having a wimpy mutant power when at the same time over in the X-Men title' date=' Storm was the X-Men leader even when her powers were neutralized. And there were dozens of superheroes in the Marvel universe who don't have any inherent powers who were not having any problems in the respect area. There was this inherent double standard that really nailed Cypher to the wall.[/quote']

 

Cypher just didn't have the personalit for leadership. People liked him, even loved him, but they didn't instinctively follow him, for whatever reason.

 

We all know people like that. Personally, I think it could be an interesting story. Instead of someone with few or no powers being a great leader, how about the other way around. Someone with Superman-level powers who feels an obligation to try to be a great leader because of the powers, but who just isn't up to the task. Not because of some great tragic flaw or lack of intelligence or wisdom. But just because he or she doesn't have the spark of leadership.

 

Or maybe it would be pretty boring to read about that.

As far as how likely something wacky is likely to happen in the military, just view Project Northwoods:

http://www.propagandamatrix.com/americas_phoney_wars_2.html

Admittedly, it's more than one officer, but the wacky premise is there. I figure if something like this can be seriously considered, then almost anything is possible.

Originally posted by dei1c3

Cool! I played in your campaign briefly about 2 years ago, Barry, and I've been wondering how that particular mystery turned out.

 

- Chris (Shadowstar)

Hi there, Chris. Shadowstar still has a statue in front of the Citadel with an eternal flame burning. The Carlos Museum was repaired, but seems to consistently be the scene of combats.

You can check out the campaign web site, available through the link in my signature, to see what's been going on. You'll want to concentrate on the K'dan and Maggidos for the full information.

The characters have learned at least one metaplot that has been going on for the last three years.

Like many campaigns, I use an energy field that has triggered superpowers within human beings. In the case of our campaign, the field is being generated, more or less deliberately, by the approach of a race of alien beings. The alien beings devour the life energy of sentient creatures. They particularly enjoy the flavor of those with superpowers.

This race genetically modified promising species millions of years ago, inserting genetic code to make possible the evolution of sentient beings and to make these beings susceptable to the energy field produced by these beings.

My five-year old daughter enjoys Justice League. But she enjoys Teen Titans even more. Admittedly, she doesn't understand the storylines completely, but she enjoys the animation.

Certainly the animation is different from Justice League; I'd put it more on the Pokemon side of the fence. I just wear a different hat when I watch it. I with the animation were less kiddie, but I can live with it.

Especially because my daughter and I watch it together.

Thanks for a very nice deal. I think those are good packages; in fact, I'd love to see more bundling like that.

That said, it's shame that I already have CKC and UMA and am not interested in a Hero(es) in Spa..a..a..ace campaign at this time. So my suggestion for more bundling is motivated by self-interest.

Originally posted by DoctorItron

After cutting, try spreading them face up on cardboard or newspapers, then spray with clearcoat. Laminating is always an option, but it will be a lot tougher to trim all the maps to size.

I'm just going to have them laminated and then use a paper cutter on them to slice them all down to size. I don't really care if there's a sliver showing. It's close enough for government work.

I agree with the previous posters. Excellent work. Professional quality. I would pay for most of them. I hope we don't use up all of the bandwith allotment of your site downloading these things.

I'm going to laminate them. I used a few of them today in my gaming session. Aside from the common problem of sliding around (I gotta find a sticky mat), they worked fine.

I liked the look, though I have to admit that the black leather/vinyl trenchcoat look is pretty cliche. Bad guys wear black, I guess. And so do anti-heroes (thinks about other movies he's seen recently).

I like the look of the tentacles and I like the description of the scene that was shown. I could almost see the trailer in my mind's eye.

Originally posted by Mightybec

Maybe they're weapons of some sort?

 

Mightybec

Once upon a time when I was a naive little GM desperate for female players, I allowed a character who could....

...okay, brace yourself....

...induce orgasm in any single male in the vicinity.

I'll leave the combat effects and details of the writeup to your imaginations.

A lot of enhanced senses can be duplicated by modern forensic techniques. I think the one "sense" that would be a sure-fire capture for any non-powered killer would be retro/pre-cognition. Okay, technically, that's two senses.

No one in my past or current campaign has retro or precognition, though one character could justify it at some point. I think that there are ways a GM who is quick on his feet can make useless most enhanced senses. I would think making retro or precognition useless would require a good bit of preparation. But I've never had to GM it, so what do I know.

Originally posted by JmOz

Barry, I know they make some (Shirts with Wonder Woman on them, however I think they have the more comic book look to them that the cartoon

My daughter wouldn't mind. I'm going to google and see if I can find a source. If you run across the one you're thinking of, I'd appreciate you letting me know.

We seem to slip into doing combat almost exclusively. We've tried time and again to introduce more RP, but we seem to do it better writing up stories for our campaign website. I know I do.