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Post by Black Sam on Oct 25, 2011 15:28:02 GMT -5
Probably too much to ask that a game designer looks like this: And chats on message boards with us geeks I was born first, so she stole it from me. "Cameron" means "crooked nose" so more fool her! Cheers, Cam Actually, you should probably just go with the other Cam story...I bet your play-testers would become ridiculously enthusiastic about your products if they thought their favorite game designer looked like that... ;D
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Post by shenron on Oct 25, 2011 17:26:06 GMT -5
Haha, Ya, I am sad play-testing is all over. Had way to much fun.
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Post by andyman on Oct 25, 2011 19:17:35 GMT -5
So shenron got to play test. I'm jealous. Was that in person or via the net?
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Post by roxolid on Oct 25, 2011 22:17:17 GMT -5
The game has some serious competition - in last few years we seen M&M in various editions, BASH!, ICONS! (Which is very well supported), the 'rebirth' of Villains and Vigilantes, another Hero system (though to be honest they've turned me off with the multiple relatively expensive books instead of the big black bullet stopper).
As well as the out of print stuff, a lot of which you can get for free (MSH, plus there are two retro clones of that out there too, GCore and 4C), be interesting to see how the game gets on - another fragment to a shrinking market or genuine hit on their hands...? I'm hoping the latter, but I took the plunge and bought DC Adventures the other day after having only bought the PDF previously. That means I HAVE to read the thing and play it now.
As my loft full of dust covered never played with books clearly illustrates... *whistles - don't tell the wife...*
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Post by shenron on Oct 26, 2011 1:29:26 GMT -5
It was in person with a play group I threw together. From what I have seen, I am very impressed.
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Post by angel on Nov 12, 2011 11:06:36 GMT -5
The game has some serious competition - in last few years we seen M&M in various editions, BASH!, ICONS! (Which is very well supported), the 'rebirth' of Villains and Vigilantes, another Hero system (though to be honest they've turned me off with the multiple relatively expensive books instead of the big black bullet stopper). As well as the out of print stuff, a lot of which you can get for free (MSH, plus there are two retro clones of that out there too, GCore and 4C), be interesting to see how the game gets on - another fragment to a shrinking market or genuine hit on their hands...? I'm hoping the latter, but I took the plunge and bought DC Adventures the other day after having only bought the PDF previously. That means I HAVE to read the thing and play it now. As my loft full of dust covered never played with books clearly illustrates... *whistles - don't tell the wife...* It is this statement that has me concerned. Look, as much as i want (no, need) this to succeed, I'm always concerned when i haven't seen much interaction (and between here and RPG.net, where there's a equally anxious fan base) between publisher and consumer base. And the silence here lately from MWP has me a lil edgy. Cam, if you still read this thread, i'm sure you have some positive statement regarding this product. But i'd like to hear more substance regarding gameplay, original character creation, and designing original "events" before i consider buying this latest system.
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Post by cambanks on Nov 12, 2011 12:55:08 GMT -5
Angel,
What about roxolid's statement makes you concerned?
I've been managing playtests, revising and rewriting rules, overseeing production, and a lot of other stuff in order to get the Basic Game ready for February. I'm happy to answer questions as best I can, of course, but I wasn't aware there were any to answer here?
If you're at all familiar with the Smallville and Leverage RPGs, it's somewhere between those. If you're not, it's a game that uses d4, d6, d8, d10, and d12, has a Plot Point economy that also interacts with a doom pool managed by the GM (or Watcher, as we're calling it now), and all traits, powers, specialties, and so forth are rated in dice. So you might have Superhuman Strength d10, etc etc. Rather than a core set of stats like Strength, Agility, and so forth, the game describes heroes in terms of their ability to work in a team, with a partner, or alone; your personality and background; your power sets and the powers and special effects associated with them; and any broad skill sets you might have.
Our product line is heavily focused on providing you with event books and supplements to those books, including hero datafiles ready to play and milestones that interact with the events for each hero (sort of like quest chains in video games). You will be able to create your own heroes, events, milestones, and so forth, but that's not the primary focus of the game. Datafiles are not created with a point buy system, but are instead modeled on the hero's concept and powers as needed.
All of this is just scratching the surface. We've set ourselves on the goal of creating a game you can learn to play in 15 minutes, and so far we're on target for that. Playtesting has been incredibly helpful. Now I'm really just trying to improve on what we had before and get this to the finish line!
Cheers, Cam
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Post by WildKnight on Nov 12, 2011 13:01:50 GMT -5
I dunno. On one hand, I really like the system. Smallville is great fun with the right group. I haven't played Leverage (and it strikes me as something that wouldn't be up my alley anyway). Supernatural can be fun as well.
BUT
There are A LOT of super hero games out there. It feels like a game will really have to do something amazing to justify me spending money on it.
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Post by cambanks on Nov 12, 2011 13:18:50 GMT -5
There are A LOT of super hero games out there. It feels like a game will really have to do something amazing to justify me spending money on it. Sure. I can confidently say that there probably aren't any supers games currently on the market that work like this one does. Whether it's the kind of game you'd want is going to depend on whether it's the kind of game you like. Cheers, Cam
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Post by angel on Nov 21, 2011 17:51:29 GMT -5
Angel, What about roxolid's statement makes you concerned? The fact that this has became a relatively shrinking niche as far a s gaming goes, but yet it's really competetive. I'm not sure what would incline me to purchase this system considering all the "free" and competing product out there. [/quote]I've been managing playtests, revising and rewriting rules, overseeing production, and a lot of other stuff in order to get the Basic Game ready for February. I'm happy to answer questions as best I can, of course, but I wasn't aware there were any to answer here?[/quote] I believe that i've asked some pretty particular question on this thread, while they may have been answered as "best as you could." I felt that you could have expanded more with a reply similiar to the one you gave in this post: [/quote] If you're at all familiar with the Smallville and Leverage RPGs, it's somewhere between those. If you're not, it's a game that uses d4, d6, d8, d10, and d12, has a Plot Point economy that also interacts with a doom pool managed by the GM (or Watcher, as we're calling it now), and all traits, powers, specialties, and so forth are rated in dice. So you might have Superhuman Strength d10, etc etc. Rather than a core set of stats like Strength, Agility, and so forth, the game describes heroes in terms of their ability to work in a team, with a partner, or alone; your personality and background; your power sets and the powers and special effects associated with them; and any broad skill sets you might have.[/quote] So you are aware, not many gaming store in my area (and there's a total of 5 within a 5 mile radius alone here in my City. who has not stocked any of your product, and therefore was unaware of your line of gaming product. If it wasn't for the fact that I follow every news gaming site out here on the net. I wouldn't have known about this new Marvel RPG either. now, as far as your proposed gameplay, so you're saying it's a combination or resource management, with some stat management? Is that about accurate? As far as the trait, team working aspect of it, can you clarify that a bit more? [/quote]Our product line is heavily focused on providing you with event books and supplements to those books, including hero datafiles ready to play and milestones that interact with the events for each hero (sort of like quest chains in video games). You will be able to create your own heroes, events, milestones, and so forth, but that's not the primary focus of the game. Datafiles are not created with a point buy system, but are instead modeled on the hero's concept and powers as needed.[/quote] This is the second part that makes me a bit uneasy, then. While it might be fine for some who want to take of the role of Iron Man, Wolverine, or Spidey, I'm more interested in having my team, Phoenix Flight, and set up their stories in the backdrop of the Marvel Universe. (complete with Homebrewed events, milestones, etc.) And honesty, if i wanted to free form powers and the like, then i can just choose to do that with this system. (marvel Universe Adventure) [/quote]All of this is just scratching the surface. We've set ourselves on the goal of creating a game you can learn to play in 15 minutes, and so far we're on target for that. Playtesting has been incredibly helpful. Now I'm really just trying to improve on what we had before and get this to the finish line![/quote] I understand that you may have your own set of playtesters, (i occassionally playtest for Wizards of the Coast from time to time, in full disclosure), but i wished a lil playtesting from a regular or two from this forum was done. i'd would have love to tap that persons head. Random "Rah rah" statements always makes me cringe (i don't even do that with wizard's products.) I hope you can tell us about how combat is run in the upcoming weeks, character gen, how the events themselves ae set up. And I rather it be a system i can learn in 30 mins knowing that i'll be able to soak it up and teach new players. Because right now, i'm squarely on the fence,with the old FASERIP system staring at me in the face. -A
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Post by Hypester on Nov 22, 2011 0:52:19 GMT -5
^I mean, shouldn't we all be on the fence about an unfinished product? Also, have you tried picking Shenron's brain? Cuz I think that wish was fulfilled.
Going from guesswork based on what I've experienced with Smallville (well, creating your own hero and stuff isn't guesswork, he kinda just said it), you can create your own powers, and even if its not the focus of the game system, that doesn't inhibit your ability to do these things.
The idea of things we usually relegate a description as core stats is crazy concept, but can be a lot of fun. In Smallville, your core stats were your relationships with others. Were you acting based on your relationship with Lois or your relationship with Lex?
Cam seems to keep listing affiliation first, I suspect the core stat, the basis of your rolls. If you're on a team, you roll you're Team dice rating, if you're with you're partner, you roll your partner dice rating, if you're solo, you roll your solo dice roll. Am I warm Cam?
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Post by cambanks on Nov 24, 2011 1:01:17 GMT -5
Yes, that's how Affiliations work. Spider-Man has Solo d8, Buddy d10, and Team d6. If he's with the New Avengers, he starts with a d6 in his dice pool for any action. If he's alone, it's a d8. If it's him and Black Panther, or Daredevil, or Howard the Duck, etc he gets a d10.
You're going to be able to create any Marvel character with this system, with the possible exception of big time cosmic entities. Sentry's included in the Basic Game, for example. We assume all heroes are a baseline level and build on that. You wouldn't really play Aunt May or Jarvis, but it's a game where Black Widow and Captain America have felt just as capable and fun to play on a team as Ms. Marvel and the Thing.
It's not at all a resource management game like MURPG, but there is an element of managing your resources for some characters (like Iron Man) whose power sets really work closely together. And it's not relationship or values driven like Smallville, but the power sets work a little like Smallville's Abilities. Spider-Man has Spider Powers as a power set, which includes power traits like Enhanced Senses and Superhuman Strength. The same power set includes SFX (special effects) that let him do cool things, and a Limit, that keeps him in check.
All of this is easy to learn, affords a lot of narrative power on the part of the players, and gives the Watcher (the GM) a lot of tools to make running the game fair and fun.
Cheers, Cam
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Post by roxolid on Nov 24, 2011 4:15:27 GMT -5
Regardless of how the game turns out (I'm on the fence - will wait and see, but veer towards the positive) I think you should be applauded for keeping the fans updated Cam. Without any industry wide magazine/newsletter it's down to internet rumours (which vary wildly) or the games' creator spilling what beans they can without giving too much away, which you're doing.
Must admit, I can't think of any other way I'd have found out about the game these days.
Maybe there's need for a fan produced system-neutral RPG news/reviews/features PDF (or POD), but I guess it's been tried before. I miss Dragon Magazine (when it covered every game/genre) and White Dwarf (yes, that covered all games before becoming a WH40K catalogue) . I guess until something else like that pops up (if it ever does) the internet rumour mill and drip feed of game designer info is the best we can do.
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Post by cambanks on Nov 25, 2011 1:47:09 GMT -5
I tend to post a lot at RPG.net which also features many reviews posted weekly and a lot of industry shop talk. A great place to hang out if you want to see what's hot and what's being played a lot.
Cheers, Cam
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Post by roxolid on Nov 25, 2011 7:49:55 GMT -5
I post at Rpg.net too, but after you've sifted through the newest "RPGs are DOOMED I tell you" thread (I think that's Tuesdays thing) and the <insert current Rpg.net darling> love/hate threads it's tricky to find something useful/informative to read. The Cortex Marvel game thread over there reads:
Useful infomation - 1% Geek fan boy mouth foaming (this is the worst/best game EVAH!) - 99%
best just to ride it out and wait n see what you turn out. Might be great, might be 'meh' (though I suspect you hope and would say its definitely the former) but all the same, I appreciate the time you spend drip feeding with details, otherwise we'd have nothing at all.
Has any thought/consideration been given to online play? MURPG for all its faults, plays well online generally. Despite the creaking age of the thing, the ancient Golden Heroes game is another (I run a long term PBEM, and played in several games before then, each lasting years. The game system does not bog down, and there's plenty of battling done, which kills other games stone dead). Play by post/forum is definitely something to be considered in my opinion (it's the only way many of us family working types can play at all). Got your own forum for the game yet?
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