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Originally Posted by Ockbald
I echo all of those feelings.
Seriously I feel CBH is fun. I can see the mechanics there. But as it is, it gets repetitive. There is no wow factor. The world is linear, static. And it's a shame, because it's such a unique game. I want to see more of it, but it seems it didn't sell well enough. Bummer.
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I've been skimming threads all over the place and haven't found anything to back up this statement? Is there something I missed somewhere?
I've been working on a database with well over 1500 people in it, and I would hate to find out I need to go back to putting these characters in a TEW mod instead, but I will (it's a very LONG project).
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Originally Posted by thamolas
I bought CBH yesterday and I can already see the flaws in it. If the other characters developed like they do in the wrestling and MMA games (growing in power, declining, retiring, and new random characters emerging), the game would have more life.
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This kind of goes with the second, but haven't figured out how the mechanics could work just yet... But anyways, I would like to see the timeframes and such be in an order of when things would happen, and be able to recognize the same character at a stronger (or weaker) state in each time frame.
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Originally Posted by thamolas
I don't know if "story arcs" would be a good idea in this kind of game; rivalries with proactive rivals would be more interesting. Rivals who ambush the player's character, set him up for ambushes, investigate him, harass his friends, etc.
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I'm with you here... Only because when I think "Story arcs" or whatever, I'm thinking in TEW terms of story lines. It wouldn't really work for this... but if you could cause something to happen at a certain point in the game... Like the Narratives in TEW, it could add something sweet I think. Setting minimum/maximums for ability scores and more control over the power settings would help out quite a bit as well.
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Originally Posted by thamolas
I think just having more variables, more randomness, and more character development would also do a world of good. Comic book characters are often defined by events outside their control, whether they are common problems (such as running afoul of the law, being vigilantes), less common problems (having to turn wild card or villain), occasional problems (friends and relatives being kidnapped), unusual problems (bumbling into someone else's story arc/rivalry and siding with the villains) rare problems (radiation/gamma rays/experimental drug X has randomly changed the player's powers), or very unusual problems (family feuds with Gods/demons/etc).
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/nod... Definitely agree with you on this stuff. Things like having people close to you in danger by a villain that knows your "secret identity", and other such things that happen in comics would really spice things up.
I think the biggest thing missing is the day by day time going along though. Something everyone is used to in other 'GDS' games. This is different though, as it's moving along as a RPG would, that doesn't bother with things like getting older, etc. I honestly think it's a great idea though, with the 'ATD' system. Right now, It's kind of a basic set-up, but almost genius level thinking-very impressive idea, just need to figure out how to utilize it in the best way.
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Originally Posted by thamolas
Also, secret identities should open up a huge can of worms as variation goes. And the character should have to deal with groups of heroes bickering with each other as well as villains, villains trying to "reform", other political issues (such as dealing with corrupt officials) and problems, etc. Time/space/dimension traveling heroes should have special problems as well as having special places to travel to.
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I think in the future of this game, we will see more in the way of "secret identities", where you can switch into your civilian counter-part, and deal with the day by day efforts in the civilian world. This isn't something I expect right away though, because frankly, I don't see any great idea's for this in the suggestions area yet (things that would really make me want to 'change into' my secret identity).
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Originally Posted by thamolas
And the game would be a lot more fun and interesting for certain characters if money were a concern and heroes had bills to pay. Endorsement deals, movie offers, TV appearances, set-ups and double-crosses as a result, and resorting to villainy if hero-hood can't pay the bills (and villains becoming heroes if they find that it pays better). And for characters with traits such as "aquatic" or the animal and plant abilities should have serious decisions to make when dealing with ecoterrorists, who might be pushing an agenda that the hero should agree with, at least partially or in theory. Tough moral decisions could make for an interesting character and a more fun game.
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I'm thinking Peter Parker trying to make rent, etc... when I read this. Also sounds like a good feature for dealing with your secret identity... you get a warning "Rent is due in three days!" and you need to make sure you turn into Peter to turn in some photo's that J. Jonah Jameson will buy, so you can pay your rent.
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Originally Posted by thamolas
Even options like making a run for it or intentionally letting the villain escape could make things more interesting. And social choices should include socializing with the bad guys, with reasonable benefits and risks. It's hard to get an endorsement deal when your friends are criminals.
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I watched the whole debate about this, and understand why we can't "run away"... but I do think the option could be in there if it were to hurt your popularity by doing so. Example: After running from The Lizard, your character has lost a complete level... OR, your character is down 100% in sells (something like that). This way, if your against someone you KNOW will kill you if they can, you can run and live to fight another day... Something that has been done in the comics before, but with devastating effects.
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Originally Posted by thamolas
As is, the game is too bare and too repetitive. There's a lot to be done and a great game is waiting to be made from this. As WMMA 1 is not close to the great game that WMMA 3 is, perhaps CBH 3 will similarly make us forget CBH 1.
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I think a lot of things can make this game better by just utilizing the things that aren't being utilized by the default database. One thing I know is that it (the game engine) can handle over 1000 people in one location without a problem. Also, the more characters in the data, the more interesting game play is. In a test I did Thursday, I had almost a dozen encounters in one patrol, which made game play more interesting, although admittedly repetitive combat wise.
I honestly think a "newspaper" type effect at the end of each patrol would be a great idea, kind of like the default page after when you go to the next day in TEW. Headlines like "Boomtown heroes catch the villain!" "Gotham City is a deadly place!" and clicking on these lead to "articles" that basically explain what happened there. "Gotham City is a deadly place!" article- There was an explosion in Gotham's nuclear facility that killed 12 workers. The owner "X" said "Why, WHY, OH WHY!!!" when told that his facility was a target of an unknown menace, that is still on the loose! We will be following this as more information comes in!
In all honesty, something like that (at least to me), would make the world feel alive more then anything else... To me that's what makes TEW "FEEL" like it's evolving. Instead of having the pop-ups at the end, perhaps have them in a new window called "The NEWS!" where there is room at the top between the "CONTINUE" and "EDITOR" buttons. Have that as the default screen you go to, instead of "Base", and keep everything else the same, where you click Base if you want to look at your stats and such, or you can just click continue again.
As it is, your bombarded with pop-up screens at the end of your patrol telling you what happened, and pop-ups are always annoying, so most people will just shut them off... But if you go to a default "Newspaper" or something, you can click on whatever pop-up you want, instead of opting out of everything NOT in Boomtown, or everything completely. Instead, you get a choice of everything, or you could choose to ignore it all and just hit continue again.
I think Adam just tried something new, and it just doesn't work that great (the Pop-Ups) with that. However, that is where your progressive world is, at least the information about it. The world does evolve, but it doesn't feel like it because it's more of an annoyance the way it's set up right now.
07-06-2012, 02:46 PM
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Linear Mode
