Power Weapons!

[Hannah DuMont]

This may be me trying to over simplify things, but couldn't we just leave it at "power suppression restraint" and let the roleplay do the rest. Just roleplay the creation and distribution of it. I have never had to go through and explain the source of Arctica's powers and how they work in their entirety during a fight with someone. Likewise I have never asked anyone to explain theirs in entirety. Could we not just do that and have everyone accept there character is suppressed of their powers if they are captured by the police?

[Lady_Grey]

As I read through all the posts, I continue to see a specialized CCPD unit equipped with back pack style, human portable, self contained particle accelerators with which a team of 2 or 3 team members could envelope any meta human within a proton aura and subdue them within a containment unit. "oh Egon,"

Well, like I said... We can say there is a wide-spectrum power suppression unit in the Jail Cells that keeps any superpower at bay. However, it's hooked straight to the Nuclear Power Plant up the road, because it requires so much power. Trying to turn that into a gun, it'd melt in your hands the second you switched it on.

This solves the problem of "We want imprisoned metas to be made human" but we don't want any asshole to be able to power-strip someone.

Anyone is free to develop tech and then apply for it to be approved (like any power) but "power dampening weapon" should be deployed like any other superpower.

Meaning: You don't fire it at someone, let it hit, and THEN say what it does. Before you fire it off, you say what it is, and how it works. You cannot declare after-the-fact that it was a special or unique attack.

This raises an excellent point, and also leads one to wonder just how big is the can of worms about to be opened. The nature of the competitive spirit is to find a way to best the current top power, and when a method of subduing a meta is approved, it will spawn a flurry of tweaks to powers and refinements in an effort improve against the latest great advancement.

It is always the case in any arms race, but realistically speaking will we create a flurry of revamps and modification that, if requiring re-approval, will swamp the admin's with red tape?

Angelina's original post asks a timely question:

Could you imagine someone like Captain Strong wielding a gun that can slow down his opponents? Or how about some kind of blaster ray gauntlets. Though he was bad when he can only punch. Wait until he gets range! Just take any top tier super hero or villain and now imagine them with technology. Then you get into the the whole character sheet thing. If Strong has a super slow everything gun does it go on his sheet? Does it need re-approval? Is it temporary and one RP scene use? If not how long does he have it for? And yea.. I can see how this gets out of control fast.

In my opinion, Yes it should be included in the character sheet. A new or augmented power shouldn't be able to be introduced at the moment of its first use. Re-approval to me is a no brainer. Any alteration should be submitted for approval, other wise I could simply create a character with minimal powers, have her approved, then set about to change her making her impervious and omnipotent.

This is where I see the rather large can of worms, and hope we can all be realistic with regard to the CC arms race.

[Mr. Strong]

This may be me trying to over simplify things, but couldn't we just leave it at "power suppression restraint" and let the roleplay do the rest. Just roleplay the creation and distribution of it. I have never had to go through and explain the source of Arctica's powers and how they work in their entirety during a fight with someone. Likewise I have never asked anyone to explain theirs in entirety. Could we not just do that and have everyone accept there character is suppressed of their powers if they are captured by the police?

In the case of them having already been captured, yes, the power suppression "just works". However this universal power suppression shouldn't be available in the field "because reasons.". Functionally, it's because it's bad for the story and the RP to have any Tom, Dick, and Harriet walking around with a gun or grenade that can turn Superman into Mickey Mouse.

If someone wants to try and develop a counter-measure to myself, all I'll say is the same I say to anyone who tells me they want their character to take mine on or take him out: You're welcome to try. If your method makes would, imo, work and its deployed in a clever manner, then I'll go with it.

Could you imagine someone like Captain Strong wielding a gun that can slow down his opponents? Or how about some kind of blaster ray gauntlets. Though he was bad when he can only punch. Wait until he gets range! Just take any top tier super hero or villain and now imagine them with technology. Then you get into the the whole character sheet thing. If Strong has a super slow everything gun does it go on his sheet? Does it need re-approval? Is it temporary and one RP scene use? If not how long does he have it for? And yea.. I can see how this gets out of control fast.

As far as my own character is concerned... He's been time displaced anywhere from 15-25 years and so there's a "technology gap" for him. It's correctable in that he's learned to use some basic technology but he's never bothered to become technologically proficient (Sort of like how my dad doesn't know how to turn on a computer...but not quite to that extent). He's never had to be. On his world, he had teammates who were from the future who could handle that shit for him. On this world, he's been homeless without access to technology.

He does have some familiarity with various weapons of various types. He'd recognize things he's seen before, obviously. Apart from those weapons, he'd be stupefied by anything overly complex. He's also highly unlikely to avail himself of such weapons due to his pride. I could see a situation where he might pick up a dropped AK-47 or AR-18 and squeeze off a few, but he's not likely to be hoarding weapons to them carry into battle. Carrying rifles, etc, would just occupy his arms which could be much better used in other ways.

As for Lady Grey's statement. Yes, re-approval is required for any change in powers or added equipment. If you acquire someone else's weapon that they drop ... ok, fine. Just let us know. Kira's blade, for example, is currently in the possession of Umbra. Ghostwalker's Lazer-weapon is currently in the possession of Cyberlord. That happened through RP, so it's fair dues.

Cases of "Fire Sales" though, will be cracked-down on. Someone who has a shitload of "uber weapons" and just happens to "lose" them very often to the same people... We will notice. Your admin team is at least (if not more) competent than the GM of your Fantasy Football League.

If you're going around inventing random shit or scienceing up some super-powers for yourself, or leveling up your magic, or learning a new technique, or going Super Saiyan V ... You gotta get that approved.

[Butterfly of Doom]

Just to clarify: If Alicia grabs a sword from Bigbadwolf , if its just for that scene, that doesn't need approval right? Just if its permanent or plan on future use besides trophy.

[LillianVickson]

Collars then, like on Genosha.

The ability to nullify powers in comics is exceedingly rare.
We should take our cues from that.

If you're defeated and taken prisoner, it should be assumed and commonly agreed upon that your captor can render you powerless until you escape or are freed. "Because Reasons" is sufficient for this, unless you need a better explanation from your captor.

Agreed.

Plot is King and Character is Queen

Make sure to define how they work (May need several types too).
That way the more lucky and creative prisoners can still 'pick' them when the plot calls for it.

[Mr. Strong]

Just to clarify: If Alicia grabs a sword from Bigbadwolf , if its just for that scene, that doesn't need approval right? Just if its permanent or plan on future use besides trophy.

Exactly

[Butterfly of Doom]

thanks!

[Cybermonarch]

Actually Cyberlord is no longer in possession of it, because he destroyed it... as NO ONE needs that weapon's power.

[Lilith Quinzet]

Well, it would be nice if a lab out there begins to work with the police with that. I also think it would be nice if we can assure metahumans will work alongside police, given there are some metahumans in the force already.

[Angelina Sinclair]

Well here's the problem I see with new gear needing to be approved by staff. Prime example is the police department but the same can be said about any tech savy group that works together. So for example:

The Police department gets a shipment of power armor suits to help battle the metas. Every office is issued one.


PROBLEM.

Some officers already have powers but denying said powersuit doesn't make sense, at all. It's like someone gave you a bulletproof vest to use while on duty and you said no. So here we got these power armors to help police out but some officers are definitely more powerful than others. Would each officer need to get their sheet updated and approved? What happens when you run into one officer who with their current power set and powersuit they become OP and are denied? How will that officer explain not using said powersuit in combat?


Sure for individual players they would need to get approved but even then. What about those that use said gear for one time missions but always get new/different gear per mission?

[Mr. Strong]

Those cops who have powers are usually keeping their identities secret, so they wouldn't use both simultaneously.

Someone like Umbra for example, would only be slowed down by a power suit.

[Montyjack]

Maybe the Mayor's office in conjunction with the Chief of Police put out a tender for tech companies to provide equipment. The equipment before it is offered would have to be admin approved, but once approved this gives good opportunities to testing it, to negotiating prices.

[Angelina Sinclair]

Maybe the Mayor's office in conjunction with the Chief of Police put out a tender for tech companies to provide equipment. The equipment before it is offered would have to be admin approved, but once approved this gives good opportunities to testing it, to negotiating prices.

Mayor's office is already working with Millennium to build new high-tech equipment. Though this is being done in secret. So shhh..

But yes they will need to test their creations as well to make sure it all works.

[Montyjack]

Nice

[Lilith Quinzet]

About officers keeping their identity secret... well, Elizabeth Harrison already threw that out of the window, as she utright reveals she's a metahuman even while acting as a police officer. Of course, she only works with Missing Persons, so her chances of facing metas (and thus, needing equipment) are slim.

[BluePhalkon]

Justice League: Doom sounds much better than Tower of Babel. Those plans worked really well.

As for the prison cells, cryogenically frozen in tubes is the best plan I've got. It solves a lot of problems to just ice meta prisoners in an unconscious state.

As for capturing, we could have weapons that counter abilities rather than nullifying them. Like flame throwers against Arctica. Sakura and I were headed in that direction before she disappeared.

I'm dead set against anything that detects metas. If we have a meta-detector, that's one step away from no one having a secret identity anymore. And since there are so many sources for abilities, it would be just as difficult to make a detector as it would a nullifier.

[Montyjack]

Jack Monty has a nanite round which on impact sends a billion nanites all over a meta. They borrow through skin pores, nostrils, earlobes anyway they can to get into a meta and knock them out. That could work for your boys and girls in blue, Blue

[Mr. Strong]

Justice League: Doom sounds much better than Tower of Babel. Those plans worked really well.

As for the prison cells, cryogenically frozen in tubes is the best plan I've got. It solves a lot of problems to just ice meta prisoners in an unconscious state.

As for capturing, we could have weapons that counter abilities rather than nullifying them. Like flame throwers against Arctica. Sakura and I were headed in that direction before she disappeared.

I'm dead set against anything that detects metas. If we have a meta-detector, that's one step away from no one having a secret identity anymore. And since there are so many sources for abilities, it would be just as difficult to make a detector as it would a nullifier.

^All of this. Making something to take out specific metas ... ok. "My power is I negate everyone else's powers"... or having equipment that does the same thing is shitty.

And yes, the plans in Doom made way more sense. A rare occasion where Mark Waid was improved upon.

[Yionel]

I recently been talking to Mai and Chyleste about a little project of a Corp/Villain group that one f there buisness is running a Private Security COmpagny with a mesh npc High Threat Response Division wearing power armors wich im working on the stats right now.. the purpouse of those guys is to make single officer players a threat to super be it villains or heroes who kinda dont really care about colateral damage. They should be Individually powerful enough to deal with street level criminals and threatening enough in a group of 5-10 to be a match for medium to upper range supers. I was originally thinking of setting up CCPD with those by Chylest suggest I tried to add em to the villain group im working on front compagny to create some rivalry around town

[Butterfly of Doom]

I like that idea. I think having people, even npcs with power armor/weapons set to counter a metas advantage makes more sense.

[GreenGoddess]

I do think that the Police need an edge to help with the meta human problems...but the one thing that always made me confused is. Why doesn't the Police have a clear R&D department who's sole purpose is to find out the weaknesses of all threats? I mean yes when I was nightshade I was grossly powerful but a security guard with a taser could drop her. WE are all required to have weaknesses and even LEx Luthor uses Kriptonite to fuck up superman.

My point is, that I don't think that people need super special weapons..they just need to crack books, watch footage of Metas to find weaknesses. But that's just my two bits.

[Butterfly of Doom]

I do think that the Police need an edge to help with the meta human problems...but the one thing that always made me confused is. Why doesn't the Police have a clear R&D department who's sole purpose is to find out the weaknesses of all threats? I mean yes when I was nightshade I was grossly powerful but a security guard with a taser could drop her. WE are all required to have weaknesses and even LEx Luthor uses Kriptonite to fuck up superman.

My point is, that I don't think that people need super special weapons..they just need to crack books, watch footage of Metas to find weaknesses. But that's just my two bits.

I mean stuff like an exoskeleton or slight power armor to stop bricks, and a hazmat suit to counter acid spewers, fireproof to try to stop fire metas, etc. Like swat will take some mobilization allowing metas to handle it first

[Mr. Strong]

The trick is drawing the line between realistic case of Technology-Adapting-to-Current-Needs and constantly coming up with gear that has everyone's weakness.

Blue runs the CCPD and I help her with it, so maybe I'm a little biased, but what we want is for the police to be a credible threat and a real obstacle to overcome, without them making villainy impossible.

[Butterfly of Doom]

well I don't see exoskeletons giving 50 tons of punching. More like 5-10. And flamethrowers can be overcome. Fire/heat proof suits..the meta can still melt the area around etc.