Villainous Games?

[Nineofspades]

If this has come together enough to begin the formal process of recruitment, might I suggest switching to a new thread, just to make that point very clear, and to collect the final draft version of the setting?

[Zen_Gypsy]

I think, as Dunce says, a deciding factor will be whether or not the public knows of the Terminus event, if it does it could easily go in my decision, if it doesn't then what Dunce says hold alot more weight. I am still undecided which way I would want to go.

Though in either setting I would probably make public what was done to the Villains, and as Divas Mal did with his Null Manifesto, announce our return making reference to both scions and exiles. Another key part of the setting would be what the actual extinction event involved. And then the selected players coming together, and writing a mutual back story, describing their relationship prior to the event, the actual events that claimed the lives of 99% of those sent out into the black ... (Ahhh Firefly how I miss you!) ... and what we planned on our way back home.

[ClassDunce]

I think, as Dunce says, a deciding factor will be whether or not the public knows of the Terminus event, if it does it could easily go in my decision, if it doesn't then what Dunce says hold alot more weight. I am still undecided which way I would want to go.

I know I said it already but honestly I feel it's more interesting if the public doesn't know right from the start. This could be a major plot point to play out over a few adventures. Coming back to a world that knows nothing and working to remove the wool from their eyes. Revealing the truth, whether they want to believe it or not, while the heroes of the world desperately try to stop us. If eventually by throwing the heroes off of their pedestal we take their place then that leads into the type of game you're talking about.

I just feel that we would be ignoring something that could be kind of fantastic if we skip over that. The downfall of the heroes should be something that is played out. There's a story there that hasn't really been done before, at least not here.

[Mr.Sandman]

Agreed. We are going to eventually need a chart of the interconnections. We will at least need ideas on the shared backstory elements to start submissions.

[Zen_Gypsy]

Coming back to a world that knows nothing and working to remove the wool from their eyes. Revealing the truth, whether they want to believe it or not, while the heroes of the world desperately try to stop us. If eventually by throwing the heroes off of their pedestal we take their place then that leads into the type of game you're talking about.

Bold is mine. I am down with the above, the reason I was pushing for an Authority style game is because, truly I am scared of some people's versions of what a villain game is. I don't want to tromp down and start blowing up cities, Yar! We're mad you sent us off to die! If we're mature enough to play through getting the information and presenting it to the public and then establishing a new world order, meant to preserve the world we just fought, and bled for, with the idea we are working on becoming the protectors, if not heroes, of the world, then I am much more content to say bring it on.

[Lord Fell]

A story arc that leads up to the public execution of "Captain Astounding" where half of the civilian public watching is firmly in the the bastard deserved it, camp and the other half is in the but... he did what he had to do! camp.
...then of course, once all the heroes have been hunted down, the villains can start their reign of terror.

[EnigmaticOne]

Well, I suppose I can do some work for that, if that's the game you guys want.

[Zen_Gypsy]

Might be interesting to do it in the Freedom-verse as well ... I dunno ... /shrug. That way there are shared plot hooks that players are aware of for their submissions.

[Mr.Sandman]

Don't know if everyone else is set on this game but I would love to hear any idea anyone has. This debate is better than any of the political ones I have seen recently.

[Lord Fell]

I think the premise of this (Class Dunce's) idea, is wildly interesting. I think it might be really tough for a GM to implement though...
How do you return to earth without immediately getting into conflict with the "Heroes" who sent you up there.
The team put in that situation would probably have extremely different ideas about how to proceed. How do you reconcile the different plans and goals?
Us vs. Everyone... how do you GM a scenario where your group of villains is All The Villains There Is.
I guess one interesting side-effect of a "villain genocide" is a whole lot of heroes are suddenly out of work. Sorry, The Sacremento Seraphs are disbanded... no more villains. Here are your pink slips.

But still... this is actually a really interesting idea. I just worry how it would evolve into a playable idea.

[Zen_Gypsy]

How do you return to earth without immediately getting into conflict with the "Heroes" who sent you up there.

In the intial interpretation was "You were even able to capture a small vessel and have began your return to earth." The vessel may be advanced alien technology undetectable to the Heroes & Governments of earth who are currently watching for the big bad Galactus, not a small vessel capable of holding six people or so.

Us vs. Everyone... how do you GM a scenario where your group of villains is All The Villains There Is.

While the initial interpretation stated that, I find it hard to believe that 'all' the villains were rounded up. The Lex Luthors, the Kingpins, the petty criminals, and small time crooks could easily have slipped through the cracks. The organizations like Hydra, UNTIL, Aim, Cobra, etc etc would still be out there, their leadership entirely unknown and free to continue to work towards their nebulous goals. And humans are by nature, opportunistic, and so I would imagine other people have been profiteering in the absence of the big bad villains. Power Brokers giving powers to small time crooks, to up their game. Of course this all depends on the time frame, but from the initial description I see the characters coming home two years or more after they were exiled.

The team put in that situation would probably have extremely different ideas about how to proceed. How do you reconcile the different plans and goals?

And that last one is the hardest point, though the characters will have had maybe months on the return trip to figure it out and come up with something. But the players would need to pick a direction together, and work towards it.

[kenmadragon]

I guess the fact is that we are the only supervillains left. That's to say the heroes are still beating up the badass normals type villains, and we are the last villains with powers...
That fact should be enough since we super villains could be considered and endangered species.

[Spectrum]

As discussed earlier in the thread, this might be one of those times where the players are picked and then they work on characters together.

I'm also a little lost, I thought that ClassDunce was stepping up to run it?

[Zen_Gypsy]

I guess the fact is that we are the only supervillains left. That's to say the heroes are still beating up the badass normals type villains, and we are the last villains with powers...

Just to give my own opinion on it, I feel that if we've been gone a year or two, why would the world stop working the way it has when we were there? Why wouldn't people continue to be mutants, or have freak accidents, or gain powers in one of literally hundreds of ways they do in comics, and why would all of those people become heroes ...

I feel the characters would be the most powerful on their return, but not necessarily the only ... slight difference in my minds eye.

[ADamiani]

In my mind, the "we're suddenly heroes" stuff seems to take away the appeal of being villains-- the fun of 'let's be bad', fighting the system, not playing by the rules (and at least partyl getting away with it)-- even the cheesy glories of twirling your mustache and tying poor Penelope to the railroad tracks or cackling like a maniac as you unleash your DOOMSDAY ROBOT! There's a daring, and an audacity that comes with villainy-- wanting to change the world and defying anybody to try and stop you.