The more I read comics . . . the more I appreciate this game

[KnightErrantJR]

So, this weekend I've been getting back in touch with my Marvel Digital Unlimited Subscription. It's awesome, I emphatically recommend it.

I read through all of the Acts of Vengeance chapters on the site, and several things jumped out at me.

1. Targeting attributes--I noticed this came up a lot . . . characters would mention how hard it was to take out some bad guy or another, and they would take out his ability to fly, or to use fire, or whatever.

This is something that is very classic comic book, and something the game spells out pretty simply as something that can be done, but I have to admit, I forget to do it often. I'm going to make a point of trying to do it, when appropriate to the story of the game.

2. Complications--lots of nice examples of complications, either in effect or fully complicating someone out.

Hank Pym shrinks Blob to the point of being completely ineffective, and as a bonus, Blob isn't just small, but it messes with his mass changing ability to cause him to be driven deep into the Earth. In other words, once he's complicated out of the scene, the "Watcher" had pretty wide range of narrative to explain what went wrong and how the bad guy ends up.

Captain America has his feet covered in ice, and he manages to backflip away from the bad guys until Vision can melt the ice.

The scene was a great display of how complications work in the game. In some game systems, there might be a pass/fail for being immobilized by a blast of ice, but Cap is still pretty mobile. He even illustrates the MHR theory of complications when he tells Vision that its a lot harder move with a big block of ice on his legs.

In other words, its something that makes actions harder, until the complication is stepped down or removed.

3. Power Sets and Different Datafiles for Events--The Spider-Man crossover that is available on the site is from a time when Spider-Man is temporarily pumped up with a powerset which is essentially much like a certain Man of Steel. Spidey managed to take on Grey Hulk very effectively.

This reinforces multiple concepts in the game. Spidey could have a pre-existing datafile that reflects his current status in this storyline, and the event begins after he gets the power and ends after he gets them, so the datafile just, matter of fact, shows a really powerful Spidey.

On the other hand, it also works for a character that a player has purchased additional powers and power sets for. They come up with some wild explanations that fit with the Marvel Universe way of things working, spend the XP on approved changes from the Watcher, and suddenly a familiar hero has some unfamiliar abilities . . . for this event.

I guess, in short, I have to say that my weekend of comic book reading debauchery is really just underlining the way that the game system emulates comic books, their pacing, and their action.

[Ghost Rider]

Wow great situations that you pointed out. I found myself going through my stacks of comics and reading them way more than I use to because of this game. Also buying graphic novels and such and ideas swarm in my head for MHR.

I may check out the Marvel Digital Unlimited subscription, easier than pulling out boxes of comics.

I love the example you brought up with Cap complicated by Ice on his feet but still managing to do a back flip to dodge an opponent, I could so see someone building dice to do something like that!

I so love this game, we have a session this Friday, doing the WhatIf Thor scenario.

GK

[siebharinn]

They were showing The Avengers movie on my flight last night. So many times, I sat there thinking "Yup, that would work. Yup, I can do that." MHRP is such an expressive system.

[Grimmshade]

They were showing The Avengers movie on my flight last night. So many times, I sat there thinking "Yup, that would work. Yup, I can do that." MHRP is such an expressive system.

I've said this on these forums before, but when I was watching the movie, during the Black Widow vs Hawkeye scene on the helicarrier, all I could think was "Wow! That's Covert Specialty fighting style!"

[Legate]

I read it as Covert/Acrobatic, but either way...

And although it's not Marvel, Batman's fighting style in Batman Begins SCREAMED Covert style to me.


This is the only game where you can capture not only the mechanics, but the FEEL of virtually any character and fighting style.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: you guys did an AMAZING job!

[siebharinn]

I need a plan of attack for comics. There is so much stuff out there, it's easy to get overwhelmed.

There is a definite benefit to the MHRP event approach though. That has helped provide a context for the comics, at least as relates to the game.

[KnightErrantJR]

I need a plan of attack for comics. There is so much stuff out there, it's easy to get overwhelmed.

There is a definite benefit to the MHRP event approach though. That has helped provide a context for the comics, at least as relates to the game.

Now that I'm back into comics, I'm picking them up digitally to read on my tablet. However, I emphatically recommend the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited subscription. For about $60 a year, you can read a huge number of Marvel's back issues in digital format. You can't download them to a tablet individually, so you have to read them online, but there is so much on there that you can read as part of that subscription.

As a bonus, you can look up comics by event. Annihilation, Civil War, and Age of Apocalypse are all available to read at the moment.

[Spatula]

Unfortunately the Marvel Digital Subscription uses Flash, so you can't access it from Apple devices (stupid Steve Jobs grrr!). If that's not an issue for you, it's a great value!

[figurefour]

I would say the reverse is true as well. The more I appreciate this game, the more I read comics.

That's probably what Marvel was thinking when they gave MWP the license.

[Ghost Rider]

I would say the reverse is true as well. The more I appreciate this game, the more I read comics.

That's probably what Marvel was thinking when they gave MWP the license.

Marvel got a D12 Asset (MHR) to help themselves with some comic purchasing, it worked like a charm.

GR