tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post8500554614869905799..comments2024-01-11T23:47:07.667-08:00Comments on Rogue Warden: Superhero Studies, Part 3Ross Watsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07658132080419726617noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-16469815920592326132013-01-27T14:16:04.670-08:002013-01-27T14:16:04.670-08:00gotta disagree on DC Heroes, it was/is quite elega...gotta disagree on DC Heroes, it was/is quite elegant and intuitive, and the resolution system is a dream. There's a reason M&M stole so much from MEGS.Doc Savagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08783244633195233970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-28510900953087448312012-10-17T09:30:39.932-07:002012-10-17T09:30:39.932-07:00It's also important to point out that CNM was ...It's also important to point out that CNM was the book that introduced the Fuzion system to everyone.<br /><br />Two problems that people had with the book<br />1) The Powers list was VERY incomplete. It had less powers than 1st/2nd Edition Champions. So it was very hard to create anything but fairly basic characters. Also, the "Hits" system of taking lethal damage was fairly clunky. It probably should have been playtested more and refined better. The game became much better after the 2 supplements shipped and completed the Superhero Plugin for Fuzion.<br /><br />BTW if you want to talk about bad Supers RPGs Try "Guardians RPG". Silly and unplayable. Underground was also kind of a mess. IIRC both can be found on Drivethru RPG.<br /><br />2) No Hero System writeups of the characters. This left the fans of the Hero System with 2 choices. Either use Fuzion Superpowers (which was incomplete when CNM shipped) or do a clunky conversion that took a lot of work. Only after Hero got a ton of negative backlash did they make Hero System Writeups of the Characters in CNM.<br /><br />I will point out that CNM did well enough to spawn 2 supplements (Bay City and Alliances) with a third (Champions Worldwide) in production. When the IP changed hands again.<br />----TashaGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14846348437176365111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-36746298989948815572012-05-12T04:50:00.917-07:002012-05-12T04:50:00.917-07:00I know a guy who SWEARS by the Marvel SAGA system....I know a guy who SWEARS by the <i>Marvel SAGA</i> system. He's had the same campaign going since the game came out.<br /><br />I sat in once or twice, but could never wrap my brain around the rules.Justin S. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14881276106170920830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-47862567735055848412012-05-11T15:57:48.116-07:002012-05-11T15:57:48.116-07:00Thanks for chiming in, Theron! Good point about UN...Thanks for chiming in, Theron! Good point about UNSanctioned--that one completely slipped under my radar!Ross Watsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07658132080419726617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-23349093932550157552012-05-09T21:35:25.055-07:002012-05-09T21:35:25.055-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Ross Watsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07658132080419726617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-4949589247027161332012-05-09T21:23:55.797-07:002012-05-09T21:23:55.797-07:00Yeah, The Foundation remains the worst RPG product...Yeah, The Foundation remains the worst RPG product I've ever spent money on. There's so much concentrated bad in there. Most sourcebooks, I can mine for something, but that one just failed on all fronts.<br /><br />One that I'd throw in (interestingly enough, from the same folks who brought us The Foundation) was UNSanctioned, a dystopian late-90s supers game. It used some sort of house system that had originally been designed for fantasy, ported over to supers with disastrous results. Characters were wildly unbalanced, example characters couldn't be reproduced using the rules as written, and the rules...they were horribly vague in many places, and ridiculously contradictory in others. I remember writing the publisher a lengthy list of questions (because I was actually into dystopian supers at the time and wanted to make it work) and got back...well, gibberish would be kind. It was pretty clear he didn't know the system either.<br /><br />I actually like the Champions: the New Millenium SETTING quite a bit. Despite the terrible Image-y art, it was a really solid late-Bronze Age setting. I've used it (with some personal tweaks) for a couple of campaigns over the years. And GUARD is a far better name for a SHIELD analog than UNTIL.Theronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15816454819854018824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-57697936801511960422012-05-09T11:14:14.087-07:002012-05-09T11:14:14.087-07:00Heh. Showing off more of your collection. I approv...Heh. Showing off more of your collection. I approve. :-)<br /><br />I pretty much agree with your assessment of some of your entries. I'll add my own comments.<br /><br />Champions: NM, and to a greater extent the Fuzion system itself, was actually the result of an experimental merger between Champions and R. Talsorian's Interlock system. The problems came about from the inevitable "square block into round hole" incompatibiltiies and a distressing amount of hand-waving for handling certain elements (for example, powered suits).<br /><br />I never got the chance to try out the Mayfair DC Heroes game, so I can't speak for any technical issues. I do know the core system has lived on beyond the DC license as Blood of Heroes, so I'm guessing it still has its fanbase out there.<br /><br />Count me as another fan of Godlike. While I do admit there are ways to break the game using the rules, that's a charge you can give pretty much any game out there. And I challenge you to find any other RPG that provides as much detail about the war as this game and its sourcebooks provide. It might help if you see the RPG as a WWII game with superpowers, as opposed to a superhero RPG set in WWII.<br /><br />Calling Superhero 2044 a RPG is, IMO, stretching the definition a bit. There really are no actual rules for creating characters (beyond some vague guidelines). It's more of a setting book with rules for managing random patrol encounters. And in case it needs to be said, I own a first edition copy of the game. :-)<br /><br />In fact, of the list, there are only two books I don't own or have owned in the past, and one of them (The Foundation) was by conscious choice. Even my superhero RPG fanboyishness could not overcome the awfulness that was that book. ;-)Nestorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07095610296159259146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-38997043206687246162012-05-09T08:36:56.030-07:002012-05-09T08:36:56.030-07:00I actually liked the AP system in DC Heroes for se...I actually liked the AP system in DC Heroes for several reasons that I shan't go into here. No need to convert someone who obviously knows his own taste.<br /><br />Good list! Thought-provoking!Alex Osiashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14851139031311819958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734337864915047.post-68495526892286719182012-05-09T07:44:01.635-07:002012-05-09T07:44:01.635-07:00Well, I really like Godlike- so I might disagree w...Well, I really like Godlike- so I might disagree with you a bit on that one. The sniper with super eye sight issue IMHO could be resolved by a GM who could say the fact that he has super eye sight means using optics (like a scope) would actually be a penalty (ever tried putting on someone's mega perscription glasses with excellent eye sight and then try walk or run?). Then again, I'm a horrible Godlike fan boy... :-)<br /><br />The problem with all RPGs to a greater or lesser degree is the fact that the rules are more guidelines and people will always game the system- meaning a GM has to adjudicate how those rules are interperated.... which is why RPGs are so cool as opposed to card games or board games (generally).<br /><br />In regards to the rest of the list- can't disagree. The Mayfair DC Heroes, the Stones Marvel U and the SAGA Marvel stuff was so massively disappointing. The WEG version of DC Heroes wasn't an improvement either. <br /><br />Villians and Vigilantes was also one of my least favorites (outside of the Jeff Dee artwork) and so typical of the old FGU product line- added complexity and gobblety-gook for the sake of complexity and realism. I felt like I had to complete my high school Algebra class to roll up a character with that system.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01242336415481681208noreply@blogger.com