Why so few superhero rpgs?

[SarcasticUndertones]

One of the main cliches/tropes of comics is the depowered hero.

 

[laclongquan]

I dont know. I cant say I am a superhero fan myself, just reader of a few. Quite a few, but it's not a favourite genre of mine. From outside looking in, it's my analysis lead to that conclusion. The behaviours are demonstrated in comic/novel/game/movie/cartoon audience.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

You could just make a superhero-RPG that doesn't follow every superhero trope there is and doesn't try to just emulate comic books. Like Fallout wasn't just computerized Mad Max. You could make a game where you play as a superhero who starts as a weak as shit street level hero who acquires new powers and become a cosmic-level hero by the end of the game (or a thrilogy). Just take fucking Jean Gray. At the beginning of her career she could move objects and read minds, by the end she was devouring planets. Now imagine if it didn't happen the way it happened in comics. You start the game playing Jean Gray-ish character. At the beginning she can just read minds which she uses for some light role-playing and coordinating her team. She is pretty weak so she uses a tear gas or some shit. Then her powers evolve or some shit and she becomes able to use telekinesis. She's still pretty weak so she now plays with environment and throw iron balls at enemies. Then she gets stronger and is able to throw enemies. Then she can mess with their minds. Then she starts using mind-control and flying. And so on and so on until she fucks off to outer space to fight baddies. I don't know what's so hard about this concept. There already is a superhero series just like that. It's called fucking Dragon Ball and is super-popular.

 

[Jaesun]

the point of an RPG is to start from the bottom to eventually reach a decent level with good stats and gear.

WHATINTHEFUCKAMIREADING.jpg

 

[nomask7]

"Why so little _____ rpgs?" could be asked for literally anything. There's a huge a mount of possibilities, and all we usually get is:

Yeah. You don't often think about it but there's so much potential, almost none of it being realised. If you have any imagination it's hard not to be bitter.

 

[laclongquan]

Currently, in Japanese writing scenes, specifically the webnovel--> light novel segment, there's a surging movement of writing overpowered characters. As in, your main char has overpowered abilities that for some reason or another doesnt flaunt straight out. But it's there. Kinda like Clark Kent with his tights barely hidden by a suit.

It's a superhero novel segment of a sort.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

They are called "cliffracers".

Fixed.

 

[Archibald]

I understand that not everyone likes superheroes and thats completely fine, but some people could at least google for 10 minutes before posting total nonsenses about level 1 Supermans and Batmans buying 99 of everything.

Either way I think this thread shows perfectly why there aren't more rpgs with superheroes - people who don't read superhero comics don't really understand what these games could or should be about so its hard sell for them.

 

[buzz]

Nevermind asking them to google some shit for a change, they don't even bother reading the thread or at least the last 1 or 2 pages.

this is my face when RPG Codex is talking about anything that isn't an RPG or a strategy game

 

[Mustawd]

I understand that not everyone likes superheroes and thats completely fine, but some people could at least google for 10 minutes before posting total nonsenses about level 1 Supermans and Batmans buying 99 of everything.

This made me lol pretty hard.

 

[buzz]

To be fair, I do somewhat understand the reasoning behind the complaints. It's probably one of those "simulationist" things people keep talking about.

You see, superheroes in comic books, cartoons and movies do some really crazy-ass shit, things that may not be as well reproduced in a video game. The abstraction of their powers takes more liberty than it does with fantasy stuff.

For example, in a typical fantasy RPG your typical mage is gonna shoot sum fireballs out of his hand, summon a demon maybe, induce some hex effect or maybe heal your characters. But he's not going to run at speeds multiple times the speed of sound, hold entire buildings while flying or other crazy shit. Whereas superheroes (especially in modern, flashy ones) can do that. Even a superhero like Spiderman (who's not know for his massive strength or something) can lift up to 10 tones or so.

Freedom Force "suffers" of that. While your characters can do amazing feats, they are mostly balanced and severely underpowered in gameplay compared to what they can do in the story or to what typical comic supes can do.
Best example is the Alchemiss, one of the main characters. In the sequel she finds out that she can alter reality and has god-like powers, but you as player can only use her simple magic attacks and hexes. When she gets extremely powerful, she becomes the main villain.
The speeder character of the game called Bullet, he is the fastest superhero in the game and can do some short super-sprints, or has an upgrade where the short super-sprint can do a knock-back effect on an enemy. But he can't super-run at impossible speeds across the maps and catch all the criminals in the blink of an eye, Flash-style.

That's probably the reason why the game is set in an old-timey, golden age/silver age type of comic universe.


But again, this is not really an issue, as long as you are willing to accept the abstractions. Then again, in Planescape Torment you can summon meteors or do this. So maybe OP as fuck things could be done in a superhero RPG as well.

 

[Xathrodox86]

For once, I'd like a RPG where you are pathetically weak

Yeah, I yearn for that kind of game. No chosen one bullshit, no being a child of the Gods, no super speshul snowflake syndrome. You start as a nobody and end up as a slightly buffed nobody.

 

[laclongquan]

Said you.

FNV with drug allow fast movement and I do it all the time. Morrowind boost? Neverwinter Night/Baldur Gate Hasted status for faster movement?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

For once, I'd like a RPG where you are pathetically weak

Yeah, I yearn for that kind of game. No chosen one bullshit, no being a child of the Gods, no super speshul snowflake syndrome. You start as a nobody and end up as a slightly buffed nobody.

So basically Age of the Cadence?

 

[ghostdog]

I would like a superhero rpg where in the beginning you are a normal moron that tries very hard to acquire super powers. So you'll be searching around for radioactive spiders, mutated rats, delta rays and mad-scientist serums in order to get some power, ANY power. Of course you'll suffer hilarious consequences for each failed attempt like turning blue and growing more limbs. When you eventually get a power you wont get to choose a name, the press will stick one on you according to your powers and appearance. Something like "The purple cockroach man". Then, the basic goal of the game will be to create an arch-villan to become your nemesis (all you get is petty crime) because you really need to find some purpose in life.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

buzz
This is not that big deviation from comics. Alchemiss is clearly based on both Jean Gray and Scarlet Witch. They both provide minor support when good and sane. Jean reads some minds and throws people around while Scarlet Wich just throws some spell-like shit but they go absolutely over the top when they are evil and bonkers.

As for the Bullet, he is clearly based on Flash in appearance but when it comes to power level he is more like Quicksilver. Which shouldn't surprise you since the team is based on Avengers. Bullet is not Flash bot because Flash is too powerful for a video game, but because Avengers are generally weaker than the JLA.

 

[buzz]

Even Quicksilver is fast as fuck, being able to time travel in some stories. At worst he can travel several times faster than the speed of sound.
And while Bullet is shown in his origin story to be superfast (running on water), you don't really see that speed in-game.

You're right about Alchemiss though, even though there was a period when Jean Grey got ridiculous power boosts before turning crazy. I think the Dark Phoenix Saga happened one or two years after she became Phoenix.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

buzz
Even just before DPS not counting that one instance just after becoming Phoenix when she saved the universe Jean was using here powers on minor stuff like changing her uniform into causal clothes.

Bullet is just as fast as Quickislver when fighting a group fight. You don't usually see Quickislver just blitzing through enemies and taking everyone down in an instant when Avengers clash with some other superhero group. Almost every hero suffers from this. Cyclops can obliterate a Sentinel with his blast but in group fight he just shoots a beam here and there, Nightcrawler should be able to do some insane shit with his teleportation powers but in group fights he just teleports people around because it weakens them or something like that.

 

[buzz]

The same stuff actually happens with Justice League often as well.

Like I said, Freedom Force is criminally underrated and one of my favorite games made in the last 15 years so I'm not bitching about it or anything. Just saying that I can see where the clueless people from this thread come from, even if they're wrong about it.

 

[undecaf]

There could be some interesting prospects to a game where the PC is neither Batman nor Joker, but has his own unrelated ordeals happen in the setting where a sort of superhero vs. supervillain clash is taking place; indirectly affecting and having to adjust to what happens in that overarcing storyline - maybe getting involved in some manner at some point - while trying to get his own shit together. Technically it wouldn't be a superhero RPG, but so what.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

Yeah, I know. People bitch about superheroes not following the from zero to hero pattern but one of the most popular superhero titles out there - Batman Year One is exactly about a level one Batman trying to get some experience. Not to mention countless hero teams that are all about leveling up level one team heroes. Or for that matter dozens of heroes who just naturally grew in power over years. Superman started out just being able to jump over tall buildings and carry heavy things, now he can move faster than light and probably obliterate planets with his heat vision. Wolverine started out having a better immunity system and healing a bit faster than normal folks. In New X-Men he regenerated an arm burned to a crisp in a couple of minutes. Iceman started out just being able to make snowballs, but in some comic either he or his clone from AOE became some gigantic ice golem.

 

[Xathrodox86]

For once, I'd like a RPG where you are pathetically weak

Yeah, I yearn for that kind of game. No chosen one bullshit, no being a child of the Gods, no super speshul snowflake syndrome. You start as a nobody and end up as a slightly buffed nobody.

So basically Age of the Cadence?

Never heard of it. Is it good?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

For once, I'd like a RPG where you are pathetically weak

Yeah, I yearn for that kind of game. No chosen one bullshit, no being a child of the Gods, no super speshul snowflake syndrome. You start as a nobody and end up as a slightly buffed nobody.

So basically Age of the Cadence?

Never heard of it. Is it good?

Yeah, it's called Age of Decadence by people who can spell.

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

By the way. I've also solved problem with gear progression. Player works for The Avengers like group. Meaning that they will give you some contacts and pay you compensation for going on missions with them, but won't police you around or give you the latest gear. This may be weird but is consistent with the comics. Spider-Man didn't get Stark-tech grade gadgets right after he started hang-out with the Avengers, neither did many other members. So not Captain America pays you for looting enemies since he wants you to confiscate dangerous objects like guns, blades, high tech gadgets etc. in order to make sure they won't go back to the streets. He also pays you for incriminating documents, evil grimoires etc. This of course replace things like jewelry that exists in RPGs just to get sold. Of course you can keep your enemies weapons if you want. Though street crooks will be outclassed by your weaponry. This is also consistent with the spirit of the books. In The Avengers movies Black Widow was using stolen alien scepter and agent Coulson was using ome obviously extraterrestrial gun. Through the game not Tony Stark is going to develop new tech so your not Punisher will go from using assault riffles and kevlar vests to blasting around with blasters and wearing powered armor. Your not-Jean Gray will start out in street clothes, but get some FF-like uniforms along the way. Again in the spirit of the comics.

And if you think that the above resolution is not to your liking then it's fine. Player can just be some mercenary hero like Deadpool or Heroes for Hire.

Another solution is just to fuck it all, put player in charge of the not Avengers and deal with everything X-Com style.

 

[Lhynn]

City of Heroes did most things right, you really should look up its systems before even starting a super hero game conversation.