I’ve never played Marvel, which people talk volumes on both plus and minus. With Great Power was too fussy for me in play. Have sorta heard good and bad things on Capes. So, taking a step back from the systems: what is it that a comic story delivers and what do you want to do when you sit down to a Golden-Age supers game, movie, comic book?
There are plenty of games that encroach on modern, alternative comic formats. But it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of successful ones that address “whammo”. My interest is in specifically one-shot games (option for multi-game but not to support campaign style) in a non-traditional rpg style.
Well, if this helps at all, I’d like to see something that doesn’t set out to do everything. Almost every supers system I’ve encountered tried to do everything at once, but very few of them try to create their own identity.
I’d like to see a game that did something different with powers, I’m not sure what, but the infinite shopping lists bore me to tears.
BTW, the only Supers game I own that really does it’s own thing is Brave New World. It’s powers system is kind of terrible, but it’s totally unique in the superhero world. Basically, you pick one predetermined suite of powers and that’s it. Blasters blast, healers heal, period.
As I said, doesn’t work that great, but it’s the kinda experimentation I’d like to see more of.
thanks for the recommend. I don’t know Brave New World and will do a little snooping today.
Eric,
Yeah, I think what blows about most Supers games I have played is:
1) Rigid point buy (like if I pick up a gun because my powers aren’t working, I can’t shoot it unless I can pay for it)
2) Laundry lists of powers
3) Good genre emulation, but muddled genre emulation (tries to include everything from Jubilee to Galactus).
4) Too interested in Sim, and minimal support for story.