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Superheroes are a hot commodity -- why aren't superhero RPG's?
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<blockquote data-quote="Aenghus" data-source="post: 7255290" data-attributes="member: 2656"><p>I think it's because superhero RPGs incorporate a vast number of subgenres, many of which aren't compatible with each other. These subgenres are often associated with particular metagame rules, that only work if everyone buys into them. Codes against killing, powers that don't cause accidental injury and death, or massive collateral damage, over the top villians, supertech that can't be mass produced, there's a million of them.</p><p></p><p>It just takes one player who ridicules a basic tenet of the setting to make it difficult to run.</p><p></p><p> It's not enough to round up some superhero fans to run a game, you need to find people with compatible tastes who gel together.</p><p></p><p>Then there's problems like "Everyone wants to be Wolverine". Which probably doesn't work, as Logan is often a reluctant hero, and all the PCs can't be reluctant heroes except in a Suicide Squad type setup. You need different PC personality types to bounce off each other, and get the soap opera level of the game right.</p><p></p><p>I prefer superhero games closer to the four colour side of things than iron age, so all the grim and gritty in recent decades has been a chore to put up with.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Aenghus, post: 7255290, member: 2656"] I think it's because superhero RPGs incorporate a vast number of subgenres, many of which aren't compatible with each other. These subgenres are often associated with particular metagame rules, that only work if everyone buys into them. Codes against killing, powers that don't cause accidental injury and death, or massive collateral damage, over the top villians, supertech that can't be mass produced, there's a million of them. It just takes one player who ridicules a basic tenet of the setting to make it difficult to run. It's not enough to round up some superhero fans to run a game, you need to find people with compatible tastes who gel together. Then there's problems like "Everyone wants to be Wolverine". Which probably doesn't work, as Logan is often a reluctant hero, and all the PCs can't be reluctant heroes except in a Suicide Squad type setup. You need different PC personality types to bounce off each other, and get the soap opera level of the game right. I prefer superhero games closer to the four colour side of things than iron age, so all the grim and gritty in recent decades has been a chore to put up with. [/QUOTE]
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Superheroes are a hot commodity -- why aren't superhero RPG's?
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