Some Super Mission Force Questions

[punkrabbitt]

As I am exploring Super Mission Force a bit more, I am trying to stat up some of my favorite teams from the comics. The game seems to be optimized around around four Standard heroes, but one of the normal comic tropes is the Duo, like Batman and Robin, Captain American and Falcon, Marvel Two-In-One, etc. Does the game work well with a Duo against a Standard and a couple of Street Levels or a Duo versus a Standard and a group of Henchmen? How about four Street Levels against a Powerhouse? Two Street Levels against a Standard? I guess what I am really trying to ask here is if the game's own scaling is consistent across the scales, or if there is a breaking point?

I am still working with the first edition, making sure I am committed enough to the game to warrant purchasing the second edition; I'm not sure if this makes a difference in answering my questions about this.

[Cusm]

I have followed several other's leads (and in the book) and assigned a value to each character. Street levels are 0.5, regulars are 1.0 and Powerhouse 2.0. Base your team on a value total and it should be pretty balanced. I have found I have overpowered or under powered several heroes and just make adjustments.

[punkrabbitt]

Thank you, Cusm. I understand the ratios, I just wasn't sure if they held up outside the 4-point paradigm, likevmaybe four Street Levels against a Powerhouse, or playing a team of just two Standards. But it sounds like it will all work out fine.

[fourcolorfigs]

I wrote that stuff in as a rough reckoner of power and effectiveness, but as you will find, an optimized Street-Level can give a non-optimized standard character a rough time. It all depends on what you select in terms of powers.

Also, don't sleep on your pre-battle background checks. Those can give you a nice pool of extra dice to use at optimum moments in the game.

I am so glad you've found SMF! Let us know if you have more questions.

[Cait Sidhe]

You might also find extreme numbers difference tips the balance as each character general gets one action even if they're a powerhouse. So 4 street levels are theoretically equal to a powehouse but they'll get 4 attacks in to a powerhouse's one. I haven't actually tried anything that extreme with Super Mission Force but it was a problem in Super System.

[fourcolorfigs]

Anytime you have a 4 on 1 battle like that I would make the Powerhouse a Titan, giving them extra activations and a few extra little abilities.

[punkrabbitt]

Anytime you have a 4 on 1 battle like that I would make the Powerhouse a Titan, giving them extra activations and a few extra little abilities.

Wisdom is granted!

Thank you!

[aro]

Hello there
Excuse me. Are the characters made for the first edition worth playing with the second?
What differences or adjustments need to be made? Thanks

[fourcolorfigs]

Hello there
Excuse me. Are the characters made for the first edition worth playing with the second?
What differences or adjustments need to be made? Thanks

They should work pretty well. We added an archetype, some new powers, and made a few other tweaks. Nothing too big.

[aro]

Hi there. Thanks for answering, I think he is the creator of the game. Congratulations, I think he is very good.
I am finding many characters already generated with three minor powers where there should be two, what is the reason?

[fourcolorfigs]

Hi there. Thanks for answering, I think he is the creator of the game. Congratulations, I think he is very good.
I am finding many characters already generated with three minor powers where there should be two, what is the reason?

I would have to see the characters in question. In some cases an archetype will give up a major power to get extra minor powers, like the Wildcard.

[aro]

Thanks for your reply. As I see more characters, I think whoever makes them adapts the rules with ease.
Lastly, the Street-Level archetype, no maneuvers?

[fourcolorfigs]

Sorry I did not see your question on maneuvers for Street-levels. I left them out as further divider between them and the "higher" power archetypes.

It would not be too hard to devise a few simple ones for them. Here's a cool one:

Giant-Killer. Once per game use a free action to make a Chance roll and apply your result as a dice modifier to your next attack or defense check against a non Street-Level archetype foe.