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Design Issues: [One Scene, One Technique] Superheroes list: Threat or Menace?

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    • CommentAuthorgreatwolf
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2009
     
    Posted By: Jason MI'll continue to beat the drum for a small, unified set with lots and lots of room for people to author their own [superheroes]. I can redesign the Exit Interview sheet to make Team a fill in the blank if you guys think that's the way to go. Seems to me that every bit the participants author themselves is a little piece of commitment to the premise and the overall exercise.


    Let's talk about this! Is it better to provide a list of superheroes for these games, or is it better to allow the players to author their own?

    Seth
    • CommentAuthoremilycare
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2009 edited
     
    This particular game is a bit different than many, since during part of the time, everyone will be working in small groups.
    Having a short, list that is shared among all the games, does mean that some of the ones that the groups make up while in play. That will allow everyone to have some shared heroes that get played in the final game.

    There is also a question here about giving ideas about relationships and situations, and leaving it open for the players to make their own up. Jason and I take different approaches in our games: he uses leading questions, I list examples.

    It may be good to use different approaches. Some people might respond better to one than the other.

    I could pare my list down to a shorter one of "examples". I toyed with the idea of breaking it up into a list of characters (with relationship but nothing else) and charged situation/event examples.

    The main thing I see is that if we have too many, the names may become overwhelming to the players.
    • CommentAuthorJason M
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2009
     
    I agree with you, Emily. Each of these games can operate differently and that's a strength. We just need to make sure they hang together in a fun way, too. I could see the mix of list and leading question working well regardless of order, as long as the first game firmly establishes 9and maybe foreshadows) whatever fiction we as authors are going to contribute.
    • CommentAuthoremilycare
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2009
     
    Agreed, we set the groundwork with the first game.

    Should we make a master list here, then comb through and refine it?
    • CommentAuthoremilycare
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2009 edited
     
    Here's the list as is, with affiliations where known:

    Evil superteams:

    Delilah & The Honeybees
    The Profiteers
    K.R.U.S.H.
    Black Book
    Dr. Magma’s MAGFORCE

    Good superteams:

    New Powerteam
    Americanists
    P.A.T.R.O.L.
    Fabulous 15
    La Lucha Vengadores

    Immortals:
    Ajax
    Rolling Thunder
    Princess Eterna

    P.A.T.R.O.L.:
    Lizard Lad
    Mr. Fabulous
    Super Ooze
    Dante
    Inferno
    Secret Woman

    Louse-Lad's Teammates:
    Living Hitchcock
    Lycanthropa
    Bloort
    The Rolfer
    Louse Lad

    Gerry Sunshine the Golden Hurricane (Americanists, New Powerteam)
    Paddle Boy (New Powerteam)
    Grim Jack (La Lucha Vengadores)
    The Super Secret Spy (K.R.U.S.H.)
    The Corn Husker (Black Book)

    Normal folks:
    Ruby Goodfern, Gerry’s girl who left for Dr. Magma
    Mayor Franklin, who wanted Gerry Sunshine to marry into his family for the super-genes
    Muriel, Gerry’s supportive Mom
    Derrick Gerard Johnny’s attorney, who stole Gerry's money
    Lloyd Frobisher, who bought the New Powerteam


    I interwove more names from the other games into Flashback Alley. I realized I was being a real culprit here. :)
    • CommentAuthorgreatwolf
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2009
     
    Princess Eterna is technically an Immortal.

    Also, could we make Louse-Lad's Teammates one of the teams? Like maybe the Americanists or something. (Huh. In the context of that game, this could add a weird political dimension.)

    Seth
    • CommentAuthoremilycare
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2009 edited
     
    Princess Eterna, edited.

    I second wanting Louse-Lad's team to be one of them. I think I positioned Lycanthropa to be a villain though in the stuff I wrote about her in Flashback Alley, though. Could they be a villain team? I can change things if need be.
    • CommentAuthorRemi
    • CommentTimeMay 22nd 2009
     
    I've completely removed the hero list from Louse Lad. Just insert the team name where Superteam X is in the text and you're ready to roll.

    My guts say that people will enjoy these games more if they get to author their own heroes.
    • CommentAuthorJason M
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009
     
    I'm with Remi, y'all. That list is too long. Too much backstory. Maybe a compromise would be to have a page available with tons of names on it that people could scan and draw from if they needed it.
    • CommentAuthorgreatwolf
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009
     
    Posted By: Jason MMaybe a compromise would be to have a page available with tons of names on it that people could scan and draw from if they needed it.


    You know, this has possibilities for all the games. Simply have a list of semi-canonical superteams and then some example names. The superteams will provide some structure, but the individual names will be player-created.

    I'll tweak "Princess Eterna" to match with this naming scheme.

    Seth
    • CommentAuthorJason M
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009
     
    I'm revising the Exit Interview forms to have blank fill-in slots rather than check boxes for teams as well.

    The way we're planning on presenting these games (in small groups, rotating between facilitators), it makes no sense to have rigid canon - they have to bring their own with them from game to game.
    • CommentAuthoremilycare
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009 edited
     
    Posted By: Jason MThe way we're planning on presenting these games (in small groups, rotating between facilitators), it makes no sense to have rigid canon - they have to bring their own with them from game to game.


    That's a really interesting assumption. I think it would also work well to have just one list that everyone used.

    I think I'm on a different side here. I'd love a universal sheet of names folks can draw on. A smaller list could be better because then people would be more likely to use the same ones, and share a canon. But whatev.

    What Seth said sounds just peachy to me.
    • CommentAuthoremilycare
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009
     
    rigid canon


    Ah, did you mean the relationships and backstory stuff, not the bare names? I can see that.
    • CommentAuthorgreatwolf
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009
     
    Proposal: let's see what comes out of playtest. Let's assemble a list of example names for both superheros and teams. We make this list available as a purely optional feature. Then, see if it gets used. If it is used extensively, then maybe we incorporate it into the final draft. If not, then it can remain an optional feature or be removed altogether.

    Thoughts?

    Seth
    • CommentAuthorJason M
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009
     
    Yeah, I was referring more to backstory and relationships, because the names aren't going to matter that much. if they are forced to pull them from a list, there will be consistency within that group as they move through the games. If they make them up themselves, same-same. I prefer the latter because it's going to increase buy-in, I suspect, but having a list of great names on hand is a good idea in case people get stuck. That's what I meant.
    • CommentAuthoremilycare
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009
     
    Awesome. I'm on board.
    • CommentAuthorRemi
    • CommentTimeMay 23rd 2009
     
    I am good with that, as well. This is very exciting!
    • CommentAuthoremilycare
    • CommentTimeMay 27th 2009
     
    I made extra copies of that page to bring. It has a list of names, the super groups, and a brief description of each technique.

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