Re: [BNW] Dissapointments

[Mark Kilfoil <kilfoilm@nbnet.nb.ca>]

Sidhain wrote:
> 
> There isn't enough distinction between some templates  Scrapper vs Bouncer.

Scrappers are street brawlers who not only have enhanced strength, 
are really tough and heal really fast...

Bouncers are people who, while being strong, are also generally 
acrobats and tumblers, more like high-flyin' wrestlers than street
fighters...

All of the packages give you a variation on something which makes them
unique.  None of them are the same, and none of them overshadow the
others entirely.

True, some of them are very similar (strong people, fast people), but
not exactly the same.  

Another way that archetypes are more distinct is in the Tricks that
they have.  Frankly, if there is one place where I would have likes
to see more added, it is the Tricks.  These, to me, define a character,
and describe more eloquently what the character is capable of, 
power-wise, than the powers alone.

> I was extremely disappointed that the templates didn't include Ferals:
> Animal like powered people. Psi's : Mental Powered People, among the
> Templates, I mean come on this is supposed to be a superhero game but they
> left out those two plus several other standard Superheroic Archetypes--I
> know they are trying to go for lower powered than most Super's games 
> but the GUNNER? come on, that isn't an archetype, the least they could 
> have done is provide some variety.

Ferals are a good idea, something I've been rattling around in the back
of my head...  But beast men don't get around society much, limiting
them from usefulness in open, covert games..  We don't yet have any 
heroes who "activate" their powers and are undistinguishable from regs 
otherwise, although adding a Quirk like the following might be
sufficient:

Power Change +5:  Your character cannot use his or her Delta powers
unless they undergo some sort of "Power Change", transforming them
into their powered form.  This power change is obvious (although you
can change covertly) and requires an action.  Once the change is
complete, the character has the full use of their powers and gains
the Quirk Obvious +5 while in this form.  The character may change
back to his or her "reg" form in one action.  This change is also
obvious.

(I'll probably add that to my site somewhere tomorrow...)

As for Psi characters, we do have the Telekinetic and the Teleporter
in the Ravaged Planet book, and I personally plan to create and add
new Packages regularly, including ideas like the Electrokinetic, 
Pyrokinetic, Mind Reader, and perhaps a Charmer (based on some notes
I sent someone who recently asked for ideas).

It's true, we won't likely have super-Psi characters, just because their
powers tend to be to broad to fit within a Package.

As for the Gunner...  I thought about it, and it fits one of the 
modern archetypes for a comic book hero, believe it or not.  Punisher
was a Gunner;  the Grifter is a Gunner, I believe (not sure on this
one -- he just makes guest appearances in some of the comics I read).

There are plenty of others out there, I'm sure.  (I'm not to up on
that many comics these days.)

> Now don't get me wrong I like BNW, but it's a stretch for me expecting so
> much from the Webpages, and from things I'd heard--what I wanted was a New
> setting for creative superheroes with low powers--what I got was Feng Shui,
> I mean truthfully the Templates could almost be copied from that game,
> almost...

Never played or read Feng Shui, although I've heard good things about
it.

One thing I will say about archetypes, however, is that there is a very
good reason that they are *archetypes*:  they are standard, repeating
patterns which form the basis of a good many character types, mainly
with only minor variations to separate types based on the same
archetype.

So, I'm not surprised that you can find similarities between the 
archetypes between games..  That's actually a *useful* thing, because
you can then turn around and import the archetypes from that *other*
game into this one!

As for the web page...  If you mean the DeltaTimes website, I really 
haven't expected too much out of it, for the simple reason that it is
a freebie that takes a fair amount of work to do, and they are already
busy as it is.  The website, like the Deadlands one, will gain momentum
as the players submit stuff..

In the meantime, there's always mine.. ;)

> I system isn't innovative, it isn't new, it is very similar to about half
> the other systems out their
> (Deadlands was much more innovative and original)

True, it's not innovative...  Matt specifically mentioned that he wanted
to go with a simpler system that was easy to pick up and learn.  To be
fair, the system is really a very simplified Deadlands system, which 
is really very similar to many other systems out there.

When you get down to the simple level, most systems are just roll
and add, I've found...

> So what am I saying--I expect more from the creators as it is I couldn't
> have written BNW in my sleep and still had an innovation or two...PLEASE, I
> beg them if any creators are listening, make sure your supplements are at
> least three times better in every way to the main book.

Well, they certainly are listening..  But what in particular did you
want more of?  The package system is not to your liking -- I can 
understand that..  When I first heard of it, I was a bit skeptical,
but it's becoming much more acceptable in my mind, especially when I
think about having lots of tricks for characters to have..

Well, it's quarter-after-three in the morning, and my COFFEE-fuel is
running low..  Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to put my money
where my heart is tomorrow and actually create my next batch of 
archetypes:  the Elementals!

Later!
-- 
             the encaffeinated ONE 
  --- saving the world one COFFEE at a time ---
Visit CAFFEEN! at <http://www.geocities.com/encaf1>