[K5pbem] Give "Nats" something to do?

[Michael Surbrook]

On Jan 18, 2006, at 5:48 PM, robert dorf wrote:

>> So in game terms, espers, cyborgs, etc. would have a DF disad.
>> That might be good, but then, the esper/cyborg/etc. seems to be the
>> default for PCs. Might be difficult in terms of playability.
>>
>> The more I think of it, the Batman analogy seems to be appropriate.
>>   In more recent DC Universe stories, there seem to be all the
>> other heroes...and then there's Batman, who is plain ol' smarter
>> and tougher than they are.  Some of that is plotline stuff.  I
>> wonder if there is a way of doing it in game terms?
>>
>> This is just thinking out loud; I'm not really trying to make a
>> rules change or anything.
>>
>
> As a normal, you can be just as much of a combat monster as the  
> best Esper or Cyborg, depending on how you spend your points.  
> Batman sunk his into masses of skills, Overall levels, vehicles,  
> bases and equipment. You could always do the same.

Also realize, the Knight Sabers, were, for the most part, normals in  
powered armor.

One thing to realize is (to be honest) people "power-trip" in this  
PBEM. A lot of people seem to want to play powerful espers (because  
they have all these cool powers) and often oddly powered ones at  
that. I've seen some cyborgs and street sams, but people hear "esper"  
and are all over it. Others tend to pile powers and archetypes on --  
so you end up with the genetic upgrade who has internal cyber, a  
hardsuit, money, contacts, and combat skills out the wazoo. Few  
people seem to want to play "the normal" or the "under powered."  
Sandra is one of the few I can think of, along with Korey. Funny  
thing though, their stories are often more fun to read because of the  
reduced power level. They can't gun down a dozen mooks in an eyeblink  
or drop buildings, so they need to be clever -- and that's where the  
fun comes in.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Surbrook
susano at guisarme . net http://surbrook.devermore.net/index/index.html

"This part of the plan was so absolutely absurd, I had to take it as  
a given that it would work without fail."

Theron Bretz