Heroclix Super Alpha: Part II. What's Inside?
Read Part I. Introduction here.
And now it's time for Part II. What's Inside?. I will write what I have put inside Heroclix Super Alpha and why. Please remember that my goal is to make a fun and easy to play superhero battle game with Heroclix and I want to enjoy it with my family (especially my kids).
The Main Structures
- Setup: flexible just like regular Heroclix. Play 100 or 200 or 300 points, or even 1 vs 1 as you wish. But in my experience Heroclix is best if each player has a mininum of 3 or 4 figures each team.
- No reinforcement (explained in Part I).
- Action Token: yes, I bring it in. Why? It add so much on the decision, a simple push-your-luck. And: without this each player will give action the the strongest figures again and again...
Older figures compatibility
I want to make the game simple. This means I use uncarded figures as the majority since special powers are usually too much for my kids. But I have some newer figures with card. What should I do? I want to use them all.
1) Team Ability (TA): I must put TA in the game. If I don't use it, the point for figures with TA is too high because TA is build in the points. Example: I have IC Mr Hyde, if his Master of Evil TA is useless, his point is too high.
But then from the playtest, the addition of TA means more things to remember each turn. I have no choice than to make a simpler TA. I try to make the rule for each TA easy to remember.
Team constructions: I have limited figures, so I can't always choose a specific figure for a certain TA. Since I have to remake all TA's to make them simple (see above), I remove all TA part that require the same TA (and usually weaken the TA a bit to make it fair). This means each figure is now independent and can work together with other figures using their TA.
2) Multi target shots (MTS). I must bring this in too bcause it's build in the points, and it's quite big points. If I remove 2/3 lightning effect in the game, figures with 2/3 lightning will suffer since their point is too high.
In the Heroclix's history there are 2 implementation of MTS:
a) MTS deals 1 damage each to hit target, then
b) you can divide your damage to hit targets.
After many playtest with both of them, I wasn't satisfied with the result. Why? Because some figures are build with a) in mind, and some with b) in mind. Example: If I choose b) then a figure with 1 damage but with a) in the designer's mind is weak....
My solution so far: now MTS work like Incapacitate in the regular Heroclix, it's a kind of trick shot (hey, you can shot 2 or 3 targets at once!). This means a 2/3 lightning figure can decide: should he attack as normal (1 target) or use MTS that gives 1 action token to each hit target?
The good: it's like you have Incapacitate your whole dial.
The bad: you must target 2 or more targets. Can't use MTS if there is only 1 target.
Wait... what if my figure already has Incapacitate? Nope. It's called Weaken in this game, just like Alpha, with different power.
3) I have newer figures, including the ones from 2017. Some folks here say 'there's no power creep'. No don't believe that. Yes the older figures have a bit more health, but what's the point of more health if you can't hit your enemy? Newer figures feel like a rock, the numbers are consistent through their dial. Older figures have the glass jaw, one or two hits and the stats drop. Big drop.
I want to use them all. Fight with each other. What should I do?
I try to 'min attack is 7' or 'min defense is 15', but it just too much work, and some figures just can't fit with that formula.
The solution? Rise their points.
I use 2002 as the base. I just look what year the new figure is from, then add 2,5% point for each year. Example: I have a 50 point figure from 2011. This means it's 50 + (2011-2002)x2,5% = 50 + 22,5% = 61.25 = 60.
Note: I rounded the points to nearest 5 to make it easy. Print/write it in Post-It, cut it small, then put on the figure's point to replace it.
So far so good
The Battle
I bring some other things to the battle to make the game more fun.
Destroy wall/blocking terrain: a simple version (target a wall/blocking terrain, if you can deal 3 damage destroy it) but gives many. "I'll make a hole then you shot/go through it" is a nice surprise now and then.
Dolphin symbol gets +1 defense in water: I bring it here since it's easy and give something unique to those who have a dophlin symbol.
+1 defense if a shot is passing a hindering terrain: three reasons
a) I want the figures to move around more,
b) I feel that a shot is a bit too powerful than a punch, and
c) without this, all figures will stay away from hindering terrain if there's an enemy with Super Strength (+1 damage if attacking in or adjacent to hindering terrain).
No objects.
And of course the auto-miss of [2] and auto-hit of [12] are here too since it's always exciting to roll those
Next: part III for the changes in PAC.
And now it's time for Part II. What's Inside?. I will write what I have put inside Heroclix Super Alpha and why. Please remember that my goal is to make a fun and easy to play superhero battle game with Heroclix and I want to enjoy it with my family (especially my kids).
The Main Structures
- Setup: flexible just like regular Heroclix. Play 100 or 200 or 300 points, or even 1 vs 1 as you wish. But in my experience Heroclix is best if each player has a mininum of 3 or 4 figures each team.
- No reinforcement (explained in Part I).
- Action Token: yes, I bring it in. Why? It add so much on the decision, a simple push-your-luck. And: without this each player will give action the the strongest figures again and again...
Older figures compatibility
I want to make the game simple. This means I use uncarded figures as the majority since special powers are usually too much for my kids. But I have some newer figures with card. What should I do? I want to use them all.
1) Team Ability (TA): I must put TA in the game. If I don't use it, the point for figures with TA is too high because TA is build in the points. Example: I have IC Mr Hyde, if his Master of Evil TA is useless, his point is too high.
But then from the playtest, the addition of TA means more things to remember each turn. I have no choice than to make a simpler TA. I try to make the rule for each TA easy to remember.
Team constructions: I have limited figures, so I can't always choose a specific figure for a certain TA. Since I have to remake all TA's to make them simple (see above), I remove all TA part that require the same TA (and usually weaken the TA a bit to make it fair). This means each figure is now independent and can work together with other figures using their TA.
2) Multi target shots (MTS). I must bring this in too bcause it's build in the points, and it's quite big points. If I remove 2/3 lightning effect in the game, figures with 2/3 lightning will suffer since their point is too high.
In the Heroclix's history there are 2 implementation of MTS:
a) MTS deals 1 damage each to hit target, then
b) you can divide your damage to hit targets.
After many playtest with both of them, I wasn't satisfied with the result. Why? Because some figures are build with a) in mind, and some with b) in mind. Example: If I choose b) then a figure with 1 damage but with a) in the designer's mind is weak....
My solution so far: now MTS work like Incapacitate in the regular Heroclix, it's a kind of trick shot (hey, you can shot 2 or 3 targets at once!). This means a 2/3 lightning figure can decide: should he attack as normal (1 target) or use MTS that gives 1 action token to each hit target?
The good: it's like you have Incapacitate your whole dial.
The bad: you must target 2 or more targets. Can't use MTS if there is only 1 target.
Wait... what if my figure already has Incapacitate? Nope. It's called Weaken in this game, just like Alpha, with different power.
3) I have newer figures, including the ones from 2017. Some folks here say 'there's no power creep'. No don't believe that. Yes the older figures have a bit more health, but what's the point of more health if you can't hit your enemy? Newer figures feel like a rock, the numbers are consistent through their dial. Older figures have the glass jaw, one or two hits and the stats drop. Big drop.
I want to use them all. Fight with each other. What should I do?
I try to 'min attack is 7' or 'min defense is 15', but it just too much work, and some figures just can't fit with that formula.
The solution? Rise their points.
I use 2002 as the base. I just look what year the new figure is from, then add 2,5% point for each year. Example: I have a 50 point figure from 2011. This means it's 50 + (2011-2002)x2,5% = 50 + 22,5% = 61.25 = 60.
Note: I rounded the points to nearest 5 to make it easy. Print/write it in Post-It, cut it small, then put on the figure's point to replace it.
So far so good
The Battle
I bring some other things to the battle to make the game more fun.
Destroy wall/blocking terrain: a simple version (target a wall/blocking terrain, if you can deal 3 damage destroy it) but gives many. "I'll make a hole then you shot/go through it" is a nice surprise now and then.
Dolphin symbol gets +1 defense in water: I bring it here since it's easy and give something unique to those who have a dophlin symbol.
+1 defense if a shot is passing a hindering terrain: three reasons
a) I want the figures to move around more,
b) I feel that a shot is a bit too powerful than a punch, and
c) without this, all figures will stay away from hindering terrain if there's an enemy with Super Strength (+1 damage if attacking in or adjacent to hindering terrain).
No objects.
And of course the auto-miss of [2] and auto-hit of [12] are here too since it's always exciting to roll those
Next: part III for the changes in PAC.
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Recent Blog Entries by JackD
- Heroclix Super Alpha: Part II. What's Inside? (10/30/2017)
- Heroclix Super Alpha: Part I. Introduction (09/22/2017)
