Quote from: RPGPundit;609702A big difference is all in how you run it, what sensation you give the whole thing.

What I mean is, there's a big difference between low-powered heroes in the sense of the bat-family in Gotham, and on the other hand, say, Justice League Detroit or the Justice League International for that matter.

The Gotham-crew are kick ass. The others are thought of as second-stringers and losers.   Playing the former in a campaign can be awesome; playing the latter can be.. well, as lame as their respective comics were.

RPGPundit

CSW is very much an emulation of the former.  "The Dark Knight Returns" was a major thematic influence, and both Dixon and Simone's runs on "Birds of Prey" are favorites in our house...it doesn't hurt that my wife cosplays as Black Canary and Huntress, among others.

In writing CSW, I wanted a game that really focused on that sort of dynamic.  The emphasis being much less on "kewl powarz!" and more on the inter-character dynamic, their investigations, and their personal successes and triumphs.  And, you know...no one ever complained about being able to beat the snot out of some ninjas.  Everyone likes fighting ninjas.

Sounds like the setup for a good Mystery Men type of game.

Pete

Quote from: APKlosky;609752CSW is very much an emulation of the former.  "The Dark Knight Returns" was a major thematic influence, and both Dixon and Simone's runs on "Birds of Prey" are favorites in our house...it doesn't hurt that my wife cosplays as Black Canary and Huntress, among others.

In writing CSW, I wanted a game that really focused on that sort of dynamic.  The emphasis being much less on "kewl powarz!" and more on the inter-character dynamic, their investigations, and their personal successes and triumphs.  And, you know...no one ever complained about being able to beat the snot out of some ninjas.  Everyone likes fighting ninjas.

Plenty of games do not focus on kewl powers already--what will you do to make yours impressive/interesting?

Quote from: APKlosky;609752it doesn't hurt that my wife cosplays as Black Canary and Huntress, among others.

Pics or it didn't happen.

Quote from: Silverlion;609855Plenty of games do the focus not on kewl powers already--what will you do to make yours impressive/interesting?

How about a skill system that emphasizes investigation and social interaction over combat--right now, there are 10 such skills in the game, compared to 3 combat skills, and an entire chapter for the GM on how to structure and pace investigations, particularly in a superpowered universe.

How about a system in which players, when stumped, can purchase clues or take narrative control of NPCs via a central dice pool...which gets refreshed when their PCs are tempted by or succumb to their flaws or challenge their personal beliefs.

How about a setting that's pretty much absent of GM-PCs, where the players are able to truly make their mark on the city, for good or for ill.

Oh, and regarding "Pics or it didn't happen"--keep your eyes peeled on the Christmas Day video update.  

Quote from: APKlosky;609863How about a skill system that emphasizes investigation and social interaction over combat--right now, there are 10 such skills in the game, compared to 3 combat skills, and an entire chapter for the GM on how to structure and pace investigations, particularly in a superpowered universe.

How about a system in which players, when stumped, can purchase clues or take narrative control of NPCs via a central dice pool...which gets refreshed when their PCs are tempted by or succumb to their flaws or challenge their personal beliefs.

How about a setting that's pretty much absent of GM-PCs, where the players are able to truly make their mark on the city, for good or for ill.

Cool, sounds like you are doing a good job.

Quote from: APKlosky;609863How about a system in which players, when stumped, can purchase clues or take narrative control of NPCs via a central dice pool...which gets refreshed when their PCs are tempted by or succumb to their flaws or challenge their personal beliefs.

This bit puts me right off it. Not my taste as player or GM.

Quote from: Simlasa;609881This bit puts me right off it. Not my taste as player or GM.

Yep.

Quote from: pspahn;609789Sounds like the setup for a good Mystery Men type of game.

Pete

"You must learn to use all your limbs, like the octopus playing the drums."

Quote from: Silverlion;609869Cool, sounds like you are doing a good job.

Thanks--that's appreciated.

I realize that not everyone likes darker storylines in their supers, and that's fine. But it's hard to deny their popularity when Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy is making billions at the box office, and is based on "The Long Halloween" and "No Man's Land".  

I have nothing against M&M or Champions--they're both great games, created by legends of the industry.  But they're fundamentally catch-all games, meant to replicate everything from Cosmic-level space-faring down to street-level gangers.  To me, that's a drawback.  While you can play an Iron Age game in those systems, there's nothing specific about their mechanics or default settings that emphasize the themes of the sub-genre.  

It's sort of like trying to screw a Phillips head screw with a flat-head screwdriver.  Yes, it'll work, but it'll take longer and you'll have to turn it on edge to do it properly.  And, at some point, you have to ask why someone hasn't handed you a Phillips-head yet.  CSW is your Phillips...

Yeah I have to admit that I'm more inclined to the level of things as its done in ICONS.  Not sure I'd have much use for a game that was exclusively street-level.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;610262Yeah I have to admit that I'm more inclined to the level of things as its done in ICONS.  Not sure I'd have much use for a game that was exclusively street-level.

RPGPundit

Its an issue for me as well, as we often see "Street level" heroes pulling their weight against the big boys when needed. (Daredevil, Nightwing.)  I'm not sure we can consider Batman Street level--ever he's sort of an ubersuper (depending on writer) who slums to street level. Still, I think he has a handle on it in his descriptions so far, so i can but hope he'll turn out gold rather than another Heroes Unlimited, or Guardians, or Heroes and Heroines, or...

Batman is often street-level when he's being just Batman in gotham with the bat-clan.  As soon as he hangs around with the Justice League, he becomes something else.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;610692Batman is often street-level when he's being just Batman in gotham with the bat-clan.  As soon as he hangs around with the Justice League, he becomes something else.

RPGPundit

That's very true. He's basically played up (or plays up, I suppose you could say) to the level of competition. Or at least, that's how it's portrayed. JLA Bats and regular Bats are portrayed at two different levels.

Quote from: The Butcher;608837Stardust is Golden Age, though. I want to link the Stardust comic I read some day (was it at SA?) so that other people can appreciate just how bizarre the Golden Age could get.

Anyway, it's interesting to read about a whole RPG being designed specifically to emulate a given age of comicdom. I have to admit that it makes sense from a design perspective, because the Iron Age feels like such a major break from its predecessors (or at least, a major widening of the Silver-Bronze Age fault line) that it may justify using a distinct system.

I wonder if the same argument could be applied to the Golden Age?

Happy to be of service!

Stardust the Super Wizard vs The 5th Column.