Safe Haven for Those Who Demand More

[SoulManX]

Bat tracer to vehicles and such. Tagging people...Actually I would call the game Legend of the Dark Knight.

Yes Gordon should be the commish...though you could have flashbacks when Gordon was the Lt. Playing as Gordon.

Don't forget Nightwing...

 

[Zev]

Don't make me send you to the corner, Zev.

By the way, when was the last time you updated your Veronica Mars/Batman crossover story? I thought I had subscribed that thread so as to keep up with it, but I'm not sure. What I read before was good stuff.

Whoa, I didn't know anyone was reading that. I'm gonna have to update. 'Scuse me.

 

[Herr Logan]

Bat tracer to vehicles and such. Tagging people...Actually I would call the game Legend of the Dark Knight.

Yes Gordon should be the commish...though you could have flashbacks when Gordon was the Lt. Playing as Gordon.

Don't forget Nightwing...

Ah, tracing devices. Absolutely. I forgot that I haven't yet posted the full list of equipment the Batman would use, but I have that as something you can shoot at objects with a miniature launching device or manually place on things and pieces of clothing (which is riskier, as they could be found). The same applies to the listening device. The tracing device can be tracked using the GPS, and the listening devices send the audio recordings to the Batcomputer, so you can listen in realtime or play back what's been going on already, just like law enforcement agencies.
I should stop being a perfectionist and just post the equipment list I've got already.

I can't concede a name change until I get feedback on the credit ratings system from several people.

 

[Zev]

Did Green Arrow and Black Canary also live in Gotham City? Green Arrow was almost a complete rip-off of the Batman in the early days, but then the Batman is supposed to have learned marksmanship from him (which could have happened anywhere, since Wayne was travelling the world while training in general), and they crossed paths relatively often in Gotham City.

Green Arrow lives in Star City (nowadays he's basically Bruce Wayne, only a lot more liberal and a lot more of a dick) and Black Canary lives in Seattle. Not that that last bit wouldn't preclude Batman meeting her or Huntress while visiting Oracle in the Clocktower.

That would be a fun mission. Going to the Clocktower and having to defend it from a villain attack (and maybe walking in on Dick and Barbara doing a flirty moment. "Oh! Bruce! We were just... talking!") alongside the Birds of Prey.

 

[kame-sennin]

It's about damn time you showed your face around here! Good to see you, again, Kame-sennin. I hope everything is okay with your shattered, so-called social life. If you wanna talk, feel free to do it here (anyone who would respond insensitively will answer to me) or in PMs.

How kind, but not to worry, it's not that bad. My friend and I got involved in my college film club, and things got pretty catty because the slackers who were running it didn't take too kindly to having the club shaken up and being forced to actually do things (how can you have a club without meetings?). It's been resolved however, the kids who were running it lost interest and my friend was voted president. I've just been really busy trying to make the most out of the club so people notice the contrast between our leadership and the previous regime. Thanks for the concern though.

Thanks, man. I appreciate that. Feel free to tell me how this new system would fit in with the concepts discussed here, but please remember that I'm almost completely ignorant of the real technical stuff behind computers and video games. Dumb it down to my level, if you're talking mechanics.

Not to worry, I'm not a tech junky myself. I'll break it down rather simply. The system uses a wireless controller that acts as a 3D mouse. The system can sense the motion of the controller in any direction, including rotation and depth. The advantages for FPS and sword fighting games (I pray for a lightsaber game every night) jump out the most, but it can be applied to a lot of things. It also has an analog stick attachment. Here's what it looks like:

There are some trigger buttons that you can not see, but that's basically it. There's not much more to say without being a shill for a heartless corporation. I'll put up my comments on the X-men idea in a bit.

You have followed the rules perfectly, Kame-sennin. You've set a fine example to all those who would sin in this holy place. Thanks for your consciensiousness and for your comments. Feel free to add more of your ideas.

Cool.

Btw, remeber when I said I had nothing to add on the "Batman: Dark Knight Dective" game? I lied. I just thought of an interesting way to work with allies/character cameos (forgive me if this was already brought up). You've said that you will be able to controle Nightwing, Robin, and Alfred from time to time. Concerning Nightwing and Robin, using these two characters will be very straightforward as they would play the same way Batman does, but with varied stats (i.e. faster, more agile, less powerfull). As for Alfred, he would be a nice change of pace for a mini game or two. However, things get more complex, and the game can get rather stretched out, when you include a variety of other heroes/anti-heroes from the DC universe. In my opinion, you shouldn't divide the players attention to much by allowing them to play as Green Arrow, Black Canary, Catwoman (maybe), Huntres, ect ect. At the same time, simple cameos have limited value. So, now I finally come to the point. I think there should be a team based control system (similar to the X-men game) were you can give orders to the CPU. Why should Green Lantern or Green Arrow listen to Batman? Because "If you're going with me, you're going to play by my rules", as Batman would succinctly say. This a great way to allow the player to use other characters to help them defeat large threats without switching the focus from Batman. I imagine that the commands for Batman's allies would be mapped to the d-pad and would include:

-Crowd containment
-Watch my back
-Split up and take on seperate enemies

And things of that nature. Like I said, my apologies if this was already thought of, I went through ten pages in a few hours, so I was bound to miss something.

EDIT: In case you are wondering Herr, the N Revolution controller (from no on referred to as 'revmote' would allow the player to control Batman's hand as he reaches into his utility belt, grabs a batarang, and throws it, making Batman's ability to throw dependent on the player's own skill. Most people would find this level of detail unnesessary, but I figured you'd find it interesting.

 

[Herr Logan]

Coming up next is my current equipment list for 'Batman: Dark Knight Detective'. Some of these descriptions are my own, based on the diagrams and brief descriptions in 'Batman: the Utlimate Guide to the Dark Knight', and some of these are taken straight from http://www.classicmarvel.com/cast/batman.htm and http://braveandthebold.net/characters/traits/757.html&section=Techs. In my text document, I have footnotes that specify which entries come from which website, but for right here, there are no notations on that. If anyone wants the text document e-mailed to them, let me know.

This is subject to further editing and the detailed nature of this list serves to give an idea of the full range of activity inherent in the game (concept). Comments and suggestions are welcome.

 

[Herr Logan]

EQUIPMENT

Batsuit: a durable, fireproof uniform with Kevlar panels to protect against indirect gunshots, stab wounds and blunt trauma. You have a certain amount of protection against most attacks, but don't push your luck. Most direct gunshots will put you down for the count, and plenty of other types of dangers are ones you can't walk away from. Color scheme is black and medium/dark gray.

• Cowl— has bulletproof Kevlar built-in to protect against gunshots, stab-wounds and blunt trauma. It includes:
  • Starlite lenses—provide night vision (toggles on and off). These lenses can also protect the Batman from flashbang grenades and other bright flashes as long as the lenses aren’t set on night vision mode.
    
  • Directional microphones (can be turned on and off from a menu) that amplify sounds such as speech, machinery noise (like a car getting ready to take off or a bomb ticking), sounds of a struggle occurring, etc. In general, these amplify the noise coming from straight ahead most of all, so turning will change the focus of the amplification.
    
  • Radio—provides a number of functions. It's your link to your allies such as Alfred and Robin, and it can act like a phone when you need to call Commissioner Gordon. It also acts as a police scanner (turns on and off) so you can hear crime alerts when you're not in the car. It also plays audio information received by bugs planted by the Batman or an ally.
• Cape— is fireproof and mostly bulletproof. By blocking with the cape, you can avoid major damage from most semi-automatic fire and shotguns fired from a distance, although you'll still feel pain (there will be a pain factor, tied in with a realistic body damage system for the Batman). You can use the cape to slow a fall. Depending on the height from which you fall, you may still get hurt, injured or even killed, so choose wisely.
  The cape can act as a way of extending your reach in a fight, as the tips of the cape scallops contain small lead weights. You could use these to knock a handgun out of the hand of a close by enemy as well as inflict damage to the enemy himself by holding the cape and whipping the tips at them. Perhaps this could be done automatically when you're confronted with an enemy that is just out of punching range but within the range of a swung cape (a couple extra feet). That seems like the simplest way to make it work.
  Another major function the cape serves is the dramatic value of it. There are a series of dramatic gestures the Batman uses to strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, and many of these involve the cape. This is actually the original, primary reason the Batman chose the cape in the comics, so it is important that it be used in the game in the same fashion.

Gauntlets have hardened scallops that allow the Batman to block sword attacks and some other melee weapon attacks. Small knuckle pouches in he gloves contain finely ground lead shot to enhance the impact of a punch thrown. The armored gauntlets also block others’ punches, kicks and even single gunshots at close range if timed properly (although you'd have to be pretty damn confident to even try this, since even the cape may not protect against so close a shot and it has to be exact timing for the gauntlet to deflect the bullet).

UTILITY BELT (belt capacities listed for expendable items):

Utility Equipment:

Bat-Grapnel—This wall-penetrating grapnel launcher contains four piercing darts, each equipped with a tiny diamond drill head. The darts can attach to numerous building materials, and the grapnel has a mechanism for reeling, braking, and clipping the line. This is used for scaling walls, ascending heights and swinging to traverse gaps and distances.
It can also launch a sophisticated Grappling Hook that snaps open after firing and clamps shut once the button at its joint hits its target. Each dart or hook is attached to 200 feet of de-cel cord, which slows the user's fall the further he descends and supports 400 lbs. indefinitely and 800 lbs. for shorter periods.
The launcher's internal CO2 cartridge is good for 10 firings, and these can be replaced with filled cartridges by swapping them out via the launcher handle.
Launcher capacity = 4 darts, 1 grappling hook, 200 feet of de-cel cord per grappling device (1000 ft total).
Belt capacity = 1 launcher, 1 extra grappling hook, 5 extra CO2 cartridges.

Mini-Launcher fires tracking devices and listening devices (and Audio/Visual devices when they are available) from reasonably long distances. If you're on a rooftop across the street from someone you want to listen in on (especially if they are on a lower level than you), you can fire a bug and enjoy the show.

Tracking Device is a tiny transmitter that attaches to a surface (including clothing) transmits coordinates to the Batman's portal and GPS system (and the ones in the Batmobile and Batcave). You can place these by hand (good for planting them on people you've gotten close enough to touch) or launch them with the Mini-launcher. Belt capacity = 5 max.

Listening Device is a tiny transmitter that attaches to a surface (including clothing) and transmits audio input to the Batman's Communications Hub (which can also be routed to his headset, car and cave). You can place these by hand (good for planting them on people you've gotten close enough to touch) or launch them with the Mini-launcher. The listening bug can record important conversations even if you aren't listening to them at the time they occur. Belt capacity = 5 max.

Finger-light is a powerful, finger-mounted LED that is useful for working in the dark when you'd rather not use night vision (which discolors your view and can be a hindrance if not strictly needed or in the presence of people you'd rather were kept in the dark). It is aligned with the center view of the player and can be used while performing manual tasks, as the Batman can use the rubber mouth-grip when he needs both hands.

Universal Tool: Used to aid in electronics work. Tip contains various Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, wrenches, lockpicking device, drill bits, and other implements. Inside the base are full lineman's kit, multi-line analyzers, cell phone analyzers, and other electrical analysis gear. Can record and play back audio and video signals. Tool can be safely used as a hammer.
As an example of use for traditional tools, if you were locked in a windowless room with a heavy steel door with no visible lock and the room was filling with volatile gas, you couldn't use your laser torch or use a metal object to smash the hinges, so you'd have to unscrew a few screws or bolts to get out. Situations like that. With the Universal Tool, most of those functions would be automatic instead of manual (as in mini-games).

Miniaturized Tools are tiny, standard-type tools for use when your utility belt—and thus Universal Tool—is taken from you. There is always at least one set hidden throughout your costume outside of the belt. They include manual screwdrivers, lock picks, rope cutters, skeleton keys and other escape implements. These will suffice in lieu of the Universal Tool, but they will be manual (min-games) instead of automatic.

Lock Picks are used to open locked doors and remove padlocks, etc. Each set includes a miniature rope-cutter (for if your primary cutter is confiscated with the rest of your gear and you're tied up with rope; this one takes longer to cut through regular rope than your primary cutter takes to cut through Bat-rope). The Batman has several sets of picks stored in various places of his costume, so as long as your wearing the Batsuit, you'll never be out of lock picks. Keep that in mind if you are tied up or handcuffed and/or locked in a room with most of your equipment taken away.

Rope-cutter is diamond-edged, allowing the Batman to cut through any rope or chord, including Bat-rope, and his own Bat-cuffs. Useful for releasing hostages and prisoners (even your own, but be careful who you let go), and cutting ropes to initiate context-specific operations (dropping suspended objects on or near unsuspecting bad guys).

Gas Mask/Rebreather folds down small enough to be carried in utility belt and can be quickly retrieved and placed on the Batman's face when needed. It protects against every kind of gas that could be used by and against you including tear gas, air-born toxins, etc. The gas mask also doubles as a rebreather, allowing the user to breathe underwater for an extended period. Belt capacity = 2;
In situations where an enemy is also wearing a gas mask, is immune to gas (like Poison Ivy, I think), or is really good at holding their breath and/or is fast enough to get a real fight going before the gas' non-respiratory effects get them down (I'm thinking Killer Croc here), they might be able to knock or pull your mask off. In case you lose it, you have another one. Don’t lose your second gas mask! It can also be given to a second person, such as a trapped civilian or rescued hostage.

Ninja Climbing Gear consists of barbed add-ons to the gloves and boots that aid in climbing trees, scaling walls, etc. Climbing walls with this gear is slower than using the grapnel-line

Laser Torch is a strong miniaturized laser used as a cutting tool. Could also be used to weld or seal metal.

Bat-rope is a De-Cel Monofilament Jumpline that slows the user's fall the further he descends. It supports 400 lbs. indefinitely and 800 lbs. for shorter periods. You can cut it with your rope cutter, so therefore you can use it continuously in several pieces of various lengths. Can be used to hang perps from poles, etc., and to dangle from a height during interrogations.
You can attach the Bat-line to a Batarang and use it as a Makeshift Grappling Hook if you've lost your Bat-grapnel and spare Grappling Hook or don't wish to use them now (it won't retract or fire automatically the way the grapnel works, so it takes a hell of a lot longer to climb it, but you've got more line and Batarangs than grapnels). Belt capacity = Unlimited.

Multifunction Binoculars magnify view up to 60 times. Equipped with infrared and limited ultraviolet imaging (toggle on and off) that can detect heat signatures, security lasers, certain dyes, and more, as well as frame capture, stop-motion camera, and computer uplink. Can be handheld or attached to Batman's cowl by electrostatic clips.

Water mist spray can make security laser beams visible, as an alternative to the infrared vision capabilities of your binoculars and/or a way to let other people see where the lasers are.

Infrared Paint Marker: Contains 8 oz. of paint, virtually invisible unless looked at through infrared optics.

Foaming Explosive: Contains 8 oz., detonates when charged electrically. Good for opening doors or destroying expendable devices.

Electronic Device Freezer: Contains 8 oz., disables electronics for 10 min.

Quick-Acting Knockout: Contains 8 oz., aerosol spray that renders targets unconscious for 3 hours and without memory of the 5 minutes preceding exposure. Works on one target at a time, only with direct sprays to the face while the target is perfectly still.

Mini Computer is a miniaturized collapsible laptop computer used by Batman in the field. It has the latest and greatest in modern computer hardware packed into its collapsible frame, and is able to create and work with a wide variety of media-storage. It can be used as a remote control console for the Batmobile and other vehicles, and has a global positioning system and encrypted wireless uplink to the Batcomputer. The software is primarily focused on aiding investigation and research tasks.

• Flash-RAM Drive is used for quickly copying information on computers to assimilate into the Batcomputer
  
• Auto-Hacking Device hacks computers and security systems automatically, but takes some time to do so.
  
• Phone Tap makes the Batcomputer privy to and records all conversations on a particular phone line.
  
• Bat-Vehicle Remote Control allows the Batman to control his vehicles remotely.
  
• GPS gives you access to a full map of Gotham City. From here, you can check up on tracking devices, plan your travel route and search locations. The Batman already knows every square foot of Gotham City my heart. Through the pause menu, you can access his contemporary memory and you'll get a map almost as complete as the GPS can give you, but the difference is that you can only determine certain things from the Batman's "mental map." The mental map can tell you where you are in the city, the names of every street and landmark, the various gang territories (this is actually something you probably wouldn't see on the GPS, so it's good to check both), and the last known locations of several characters (namely your allies and characters you deal with during game play, as permanent residences and known hangouts for every character is listed in the Bat computer). The GPS is the link between your mental map and the Bat computer. It can mark an address you pick out of the database, it can tell you the exact distance between two points, the quickest route by car between two points (you might decide it's easier to go by car or to go on foot over rooftops or through back alleys), the distance and estimated time of a multi-point route, and other similar advanced functions. It also gives information about the z-axis, telling you how high up you are, how high a tracker is (telling you what floor its on as well, since the GPS knows the layout of all the building in Gotham). It can tell you how fast a tracker is moving in any direction as well. It's an awesome device.

Crime Scene Kit (unlimited materials):

• Micro Camera/Recorder (saves and files information in Batcomputer and Mental Log)
• Swabs (for all residues)
• Tweezers (for hair samples)
• Fingerprinting kit
• Odor-analyzing Chromatograph
• Luminol (for detecting bloodstains)
• Sample bags (for storing all samples)
• IR foot print dye (works in concert with infrared vision to track foot print trails)

First-Aid Kit helps you make it through the night without having to return to the cave for medical attention. Includes sterile dressings for shallow wounds and burns, sutures for closing wounds, foldout splints for bracing, antibiotic cleansing agents to disinfect and prevent infection, painkillers, and injections of epinephrine, anesthetic and anti-toxins. These items can be used to help civilians as well as the Batman himself. Only certain items are used per kit use, and different items have different amounts per kit. Odds are you won't use the whole thing up unless you wait until you have one of every kind of wound and give aid to civilians (or even criminals). Belt capacity = 2 full kits max.

• Bandages (7 max.)
• Sutures (7 sets max.)
• Splints (3 max.)
• Antibiotics (unlimited)
• Syringes (5 max.):
  • Anti-toxins (10 max.)
  • Epinephrine (2 max.)
  • Anesthetic (3 max.)
  • Painkillers (5 max.)

 

[Herr Logan]

Offensive Equipment:

Batarangs are good for disarming enemies, knockouts (making a person unconscious in one strike), killing light bulbs, activating switches from a distance and other long-term tasks that require or can permit a strong blow from a hard object. Sometimes they can just cause a diversion through the noise they make on impact. Batarangs can make a wide arc that hits many targets and return to the Batman's hand if thrown in an open enough space. One can also be retrieved if found on the ground or lodged in surfaces. Belt capacity = 10 max.

Bat-shuriken are small, sharp, stylized throwing stars that perform many of the same functions Batarangs do but not all, and to lesser degrees most of the time. They can still disarm and shatter light bulbs, but may not activate distant switches with equal success as the Batarangs. They cause pain in almost all enemies they strike (which lessens the enemy's effectiveness and often forces them to pause), and can disarm them when thrown at their weapon hands, but will likely not knock them out unless they are already beaten up pretty badly. They cause noisy diversions if thrown close enough to an enemy. They can be retrieved, but are much more likely to get lost than Batarangs. Through the menu, the player can choose how many the Batman will throw at once. Belt capacity = 20 max.

Bat-bolas are weights (2 or 3 usually) connected by cords that are thrown in order to trip and/or tie and incapacitate a target. On striking a target (usually the legs), the weights will cause the cords to wrap themselves about it, tripping the target. A traditional bola is not a friendly weapon. It often damages the target by breaking bones and causing other blunt trauma, but the Batman's are plastic, relatively lightweight and specially designed to cause minimal damage. Bat-bolas can be set to launch via the Bat-Launcher, for longer distance. Belt capacity = 2.


Smoke Pellets are small hardened-gelatin spheroid capsules (each containing enough gas to fill a 100-square-foot area) that, when broken, release a thick, dark, billowing fog through which enemies without thermal or infrared vision cannot see and which acts as cover. The Batman will at times need his thermal vision while moving through the smoke. This smoke is harmless, but causes decreased effectiveness in characters in the effective range after a few seconds. They can be used as diversions as well. Belt capacity = 12 max.

Tear Gas Pellets are small hardened-gelatin spheroid capsules (each containing enough gas to fill a 100-square-foot area) that, when broken, release Riot-Control Gas that causes severe irritation for skin, eyes and mucus membranes (such as the nose, mouth and throat) in people exposed to it, and usually results in uncontrollable eye-watering, coughing and vomiting. The Batman's lenses protect him from the eye irritant, but he needs to put on a gas mask if he spends more than 10 seconds or so in an area filled with tear gas. He can hold his breath for over two minutes, but the tear gas is also a skin irritant that will reduce the Batman's efficacy due to the pain. The Batman needs the specially fitted miniature gas mask to cover his exposed lower face while in an area filled with tear gas. Belt capacity = 8 max.

Flashbang pellets are small hardened-gelatin spheroid capsules (each containing enough gas to fill a 100-square-foot area) that, when broken, cause a deafening noise and blinding flash of light on impact. The Batman is mostly protected from the effects of this device (everything might be a lot brighter, decreasing your visual accuracy for several moments, but you can still see reasonably well enough to see where you’re going) by his cowl's lenses and the fact that he will automatically shut off his directional microphones and rely upon audio-protective countermeasures in his cowl at the time when the flashbang is expected to go off. There is also a small shockwave released upon detonation, so some enemies will fall backwards or down. Flashbangs can temporarily incapacitate those looking in the grenades direction when it goes off, even make them drop their weapons, but some enemies may blindly swing their arms or melee weapons or blindly fire weapons in anticipation of attack. Thus, it might be a good idea to keep moving while the effects of a flashbang stun your foes and especially to protect (block or shove to the ground) or extract (physically prompt or carry out) any hostages or bystanders. A good set-up for a Batarang-disarm or blitz attack. Belt capacity = 5 max.

Bat-Cuffs are restraint devices, based on police-issue Ty-Cuffs, made of a sapphire-laced nylon with a stranded metal cable center. The only way to remove them is with either superhuman strength or a special diamond-edged cutting tool, the latter of which Batman typically carries in his utility belt.
The Batman can use these on anyone he wishes to restrain, usually an enemy he has incapacitated. He can also cuff someone to an object like a street lamp, etc. by putting the prisoner's hands on either side of the object and then cuffing them (this would be done automatically in response to the player's commands) after which he can leave the perp where they lay or transport them somewhere else (you can also have them walk on their own power while cuffed). Belt capacity = Unlimited.



Special or Earned Items:

Knockout Gas Grenades are canisters (each containing enough gas to fill a 100-square-foot area) that release a strong, airborne sedative that can incapacitate people without the need for the user to come into direct contact with the targets. The Batman can use these to take down quickly individuals or small groups of people in an enclosed area. A very limited amount of these can be carried in the utility belt when they become available.

Controlled-Concussion Grenades are canisters that act as a non-lethal variant of the more traditional antipersonnel device designed to damage its target with explosive power. It can knock out everyone in a designated area through force and leave all others directly outside the blast radius incapacitated as if by a flashbang. A very limited amount of these can be carried in the utility belt when they become available.

Rapid Room-Filling Fogger is a freestanding cylindrical unit that emits large amounts of gas to fill up a medium-sized room or a good portion of a large, indoor space. It can even be effective outdoors in a limited area if there is no wind. Effective range is 400 square feet. The kinds of gas the Fogger can emit include smoke, tear gas, and sedative.

Explosive Door-lock Assembly

Remote controlled, Guided Batarang

Gliding Memory Fabric Cape: from 'Batman Begins'

Subsonic Bat Call: Attracts all bats within a certain radius. From 'Year One' and 'Batman Begins'

Audio/Visual Bug: used with the Bat-Launcher; it's basically the same as the Sticky Camera from 'Splinter Cell'

Electronics Scrambler/ EMP

 

[Herr Logan]

VEHICLES:

Batmobile: His primary mode of transportation is the sleek and silent Batmobile. The current Batmobile uses one of Bruce Wayne's sports cars as a basis and then redesigning it completely. The body is an advanced plastic/polymer composite with Amazing damage resistant properties. The windows are all bulletproof, polarized one-way glass, and the mirrors, headlights, and taillights are all bulletproof. The tires are self-sealing. The Batmobile has an internal computer that allows for limited voice-activated controls. It also has an internal navigation system with global positioning system hookup, video and radio receivers/transceivers, scanner set to monitor police, fire, medical, and military emergency frequencies at all times, and a satellite hookup to the mainframe in the Batcave. Room for 1 passenger, 6 cubic feet of cargo capacity (in addition to equipment refills), Speed 162 mph.
It can go through alleys and on off-road terrain to a reasonable degree, but it may be slow going if the car is parked far away from where you are and there's traffic out (which is why you park and get out of the car in the first place in many cases) Gotham City seldom sleeps, but some areas of the city are more busy than others at night, and at varying times. The Batmobile can go extremely fast, but it will not run over pedestrians or barrel through cars in its way
The current Batmobile is a low slung two-seater sports car roughly the size of a .1985 Corvette. The headlights, located in the hood, contain powerful lasers, useful for disabling getaway cars or for vaporizing the occasional road hazard left by criminals. The body of the automobile and dual-bubble windscreen are coated with a unique bullet-proof ceramic. The exhaust system allows for smokescreen generation. A microwave-linked terminal allows Batman access to the Bat-Computer. The Batmobile is also capable of off-road movement.
Smokescreen: (from rear exhaust)
Laser-Beam Headlights
Portable-Lab (in trunk): for chemical analysis.
On-board computer: information storage/analysis/retrieval with satellite linkup to Batcave mainframe .
Radio-Telephone: Excellent range, has direct link-up to Gotham City PD.
Ejection Seats:
Snow Tires: allows traction in snow and ice.
May be self-sealed (security mode) with bands of steel-alloy and wheel-sheaths allowing protection from outside forces.
Self-sealing/inflating tires seal and reinflate in case of a blowout
Voice-controlled driving either while in car or via remote
GPS system
Bulletproof windows, headlights, taillights, and mirrors
Multi-band scanner
Audio and video transceivers

Batboat: The Batboat, a modified two seat hydrofoil, is one of the world's fastest small warships, capable of speeds over 100 MPH. Its radar/sonar system is state-of-the-art. It is coated with the same bulletproof ceramic that protects the Batmobile. It also shares the microwave link with the Batcomputer.

Radar/Sonar:
Bat-Torpedoes: Sonar/radar tracking, Incredible explosive damage.
Ejection Seat: allows a Remarkable rank leap.
The Batboat also has full scuba and underwater gear onboard.

Batcycle
A modified heavy-duty motorcycle capable of high speeds. It also has a microwave link to the Batcomputer. Batman sometimes uses this silent-running bike in his missions.
Snow Tires- provide excellent traction in snow and ice.
Batman wears a protective helmet when riding this cycle.


Most of the Vehicle section was directly taken from http://www.classicmarvel.com/cast/batman.htm, and I haven't checked every detail. I decided maybe it's a good idea to leave the Batwing and the idea of visiting R'as Al Ghul out of this game concept for now.


I realize that the huge chunk of stuff I just posted is... well... huge. Read it through carefully if you can and post your ideas of how it works well or could be modified better.

 

[Herr Logan]

How kind, but not to worry, it's not that bad. My friend and I got involved in my college film club, and things got pretty catty because the slackers who were running it didn't take too kindly to having the club shaken up and being forced to actually do things (how can you have a club without meetings?). It's been resolved however, the kids who were running it lost interest and my friend was voted president. I've just been really busy trying to make the most out of the club so people notice the contrast between our leadership and the previous regime. Thanks for the concern though.

No problem. Good to hear things are okay.

Not to worry, I'm not a tech junky myself. I'll break it down rather simply. The system uses a wireless controller that acts as a 3D mouse. The system can sense the motion of the controller in any direction, including rotation and depth. The advantages for FPS and sword fighting games (I pray for a lightsaber game every night) jump out the most, but it can be applied to a lot of things. It also has an analog stick attachment. Here's what it looks like:

There are some trigger buttons that you can not see, but that's basically it. There's not much more to say without being a shill for a heartless corporation. I'll put up my comments on the X-men idea in a bit.

Ah, thanks. I look forward to hearing what your ideas are.

Btw, remeber when I said I had nothing to add on the "Batman: Dark Knight Dective" game? I lied. I just thought of an interesting way to work with allies/character cameos (forgive me if this was already brought up). You've said that you will be able to controle Nightwing, Robin, and Alfred from time to time. Concerning Nightwing and Robin, using these two characters will be very straightforward as they would play the same way Batman does, but with varied stats (i.e. faster, more agile, less powerfull). As for Alfred, he would be a nice change of pace for a mini game or two.

Nightwing and Robin would also have some different hardware. Robin's would be closer to the Batman's (although not as complete, and he'd have a couple things the Batman wouldn't), but Nightwing has far less gear in general, doesn't he? I'd be less interested in seeing him in action than Robin, personally, but there's every reason for him to make appearances in a game like this.

I should qualify the thing I said about Alfred before. I said he'd retrieve the Batman when he's badly injured and also keep the authorities at bay when they come to question Bruce Wayne. That's still true, but in the cases where the Batman has been injured badly and the player would rather go through the process of getting him back to the cave as he is now instead of going back and replaying what they just did (if they got some good progress done in a difficult mission and and don't want to have to redo it), then only time Alfred or Robin are needed to get the Batman are the times where he can't get himself into the Batmobile by himself. If the Batman is on the street level, calls the Batmobile to either his exact position or very close by remote control and can make it on his own to the car and into the car, the Batmobile can take him home automatically. The car should almost always have the autopilot feature. But if the Batman is on a rooftop and can't make it down, inside a building and can't make it out, or just is too badly hurt to climb into the car, then he needs someone to come get him. This has to be done at least once in the game, but most of the time, you have the option of going back to an earlier save point and skipping this altogether.

However, things get more complex, and the game can get rather stretched out, when you include a variety of other heroes/anti-heroes from the DC universe. In my opinion, you shouldn't divide the players attention to much by allowing them to play as Green Arrow, Black Canary, Catwoman (maybe), Huntres, ect ect. At the same time, simple cameos have limited value. So, now I finally come to the point. I think there should be a team based control system (similar to the X-men game) were you can give orders to the CPU. Why should Green Lantern or Green Arrow listen to Batman? Because "If you're going with me, you're going to play by my rules", as Batman would succinctly say. This a great way to allow the player to use other characters to help them defeat large threats without switching the focus from Batman. I imagine that the commands for Batman's allies would be mapped to the d-pad and would include:

-Crowd containment
-Watch my back
-Split up and take on seperate enemies

And things of that nature. Like I said, my apologies if this was already thought of, I went through ten pages in a few hours, so I was bound to miss something.

That's okay. I appreciate your thoughts on that. I personally would not want this to be a team game in general. You certainly shouldn't be controlling Green Arrow in a game where the main purpose is to simulate the life of the Batman as closely as possible (the Batman in his own books, not the JLA, to be specific). Having Robin, Nightwing or Catwoman back you up in a fight isn't much different than how it was in the recent Punisher game where he ran into Nick Fury and the Black Widow, so that's not stretching it too far if it only happens rarely. You wouldn't switch back and forth between characters in the midst of gameplay, and heroes who aren't directly connected to his information and tactical network shouldn't play more than very minor roles. Hell, I don't even want Batgirl in there, since I don't much care for Cassandra Cain, and Barbara Gordon is better suited to computer work (although I'd be fine if she didn't play much of a role in this game as well, since he relied too heavily on Oracle in the comics and I prefer Alfred talking to the Batman over the radio than anyone else most of the time). The Batman should be mostly self-sufficient in this game, but it's also important to include the mainstays of the mythos like Robin and Alfred.

EDIT: In case you are wondering Herr, the N Revolution controller (from no on referred to as 'revmote' would allow the player to control Batman's hand as he reaches into his utility belt, grabs a batarang, and throws it, making Batman's ability to throw dependent on the player's own skill. Most people would find this level of detail unnesessary, but I figured you'd find it interesting.

That is interesting. But that would also be going too far in this instance, I think. I mean, the Batman is the one who studied how to throw boomerangs and shuriken and everything else he does with his hands. A video game should for people who read and watch this stuff, but don't have the skill or interest to do it. Real life gangland scumbags don't play 'Grand Theft Auto,' and I doubt many cops play the various police games there are. They don't feel the need, because they live the life (I won't speak for soldiers playing 'Halo,' since that game crosses all demographics, it seems). Conversely, I don't think a player should have to live the life to play the game. That's just my take on it. I' know damn well not going to learn to throw a boomerang properly just so I can play video game.

Anyway, I really appreciate you posting, and anything further you want to add is welcome... nay, demanded!

 

[kame-sennin]

That's cool, I figured I'd throw that stuff out there as I wasn't sure exactly where you were headed with the game. I figure it's better to have more options than less. Also, I didn't play the punisher game, which is why I suggested the team-based gameplay for certain scenarios.

 

[Herr Logan]

That's cool, I figured I'd throw that stuff out there as I wasn't sure exactly where you were headed with the game. I figure it's better to have more options than less. Also, I didn't play the punisher game, which is why I suggested the team-based gameplay for certain scenarios.

What do you think about the selection of gear? I think that should get you through a good chunk of the night before having to return to the Batmobile to refill, and it'd be very useful on a regular basis.

Also, what do you think of the ratings system?

 

[kame-sennin]

The X-men game synopsis: I'm only going to add little comments here and there, and skip everything else. Like I said before, I really like this concept, so I don't have much to add.

The members of the team with long-range powers or who use projectiles will have something akin to a crosshairs on their screen at most times, thus making it easy for Cyclops to knock the **** out of somebody by aiming the center of the screen at him/her and for Gambit to deal a hand with accuracy, etc. Actually, with Gambit, you'd have the option of tossing several cards at once, for which you would choose that as an option with buttons on the control most likely, and then several crosshairs in a line would appear. Each specific character would have variances in the basic set-up to accommodate their powers and abilities.

On crosshairs. I was thinking about how it would apply to each character and figured that for:

Cyclops he would have two parenthises () as a reticle that get larger and/or father apart as you vary the beam's size and and an energy meter on the side for intensity.

Gambit/Storm I was thinking about how both Gambit and Storm could hit multiple targets at the same time. For this reason, like you said, Gambit should be able to toggle between a single target crosshair, and a multiple target crosshair. Similarly, Strom would have the same thing, but her multiple target crosshairs should appear as large circles on the ground in front of (and below her when she's flying). That way, when she hits multiple targets, it would be more like lightning from the sky than Emporer Palpatine's sith lightning in SW.

While there are several ways in which the X-Men’s powers can complement each other in specific maneuvers, there would be no ridiculous, flashy-named power combos like in ‘Legends,’ and certainly no annoying voices screaming “Combo!” every time you show a little bit of teamwork.

I was thinking about team manuevers like the fastball special, and I definatley agree with you that there is too much emphasis on 'leveling up' in games. However, the player needs to learn how to pull off these manuevers. I think this is where the danger room comes in handy. All of the combos and special moves that the X-men are famous for doing as a team should be taught to the player in a danger room training session (preferably at the beginning of the game). I don't know how these moves would be executed in-game, but I'd like it if I could figure all that out in the danger room before I start playing, and then go into the game with my X-men fighting as a cohesive unit. BTW, I agree with the "no obnoxious combo sound fx".

X-Men video game ideas continued:

Now, individual characters:

Wolverine Wolverine will not detect scent trails from fellow teammates who are within visual range from any angle (i.e. if he had his back to Cyclops but could see him if he just turned around, Cyclops wouldn't have a scent trail until he's well out of visual range). I want it this way so the player doesn't get startled every time a scent pops on the screen, even if the scent is labeled.

I think Wolverine should only be able to smell his teamates if the mission requires you to find them. As you said, the player can get startled by the sudden scent, and it's additional information on the screen that the player already knows. Better yet, since you suggested that the player can control what information appears on the scren, you might as well allow the player to "shut off friendly scents" or something to that effect in the pause menu. You also said that you could use the pause menu to ignore tear gass and sewer order. I'd like to point out however, that I think Wolverine and Beast should take more damage from tear gas, whether the player shuts off the olfactory display or not. Overall, good job on making him more than the 'hack and slash' dull player that he normally is without resorting to lazer/energy claws (I hate that so much).

Storm. The other thing about Storm is that she can detect wind direction as well as weather patterns. Like I said before, I'm not a Goddamn meteorologist, and I don't know much about weather patterns, but I do know that certain temperatures and certain areas make for different kinds of weather malleability for Storm, which means that Storm will have an easier time performing different acts of weather manipulation in different places.

I'm thinking that her display could be very similar to Wolverine's. Where Wolverine has different labelled scent patterns floating througn the air, Storm can see wind direction, and things like temperature or moisture level could be labelled. When flying, you could actually aim your body toward faster moving wind currents which might be out of the way, but end up moving you faster. You also said that location/enviroment would affect her powers. How about, the closer Storm is to large bodies of water, the more powerful her hurricane/snow/rain attacks are? Assuming at least part of this game takes place in NYC, and you'd have a map of the surrounding area, you'd know if you were close to the ocean and could make an educated guess as to what attacks would be most effective.

I’m torn as to whether or not Cyclops' POV screen should be slightly tinted red, but I’m leaning towards not wanting that.

If the game is in 3rd person, perhaps Cyclops would have the option of switching to first person to pull off diffuclt shots. In that mode, which would be used sparringly, the screen could be tinted red.

The player would be able to control the intensity and duration of the optic blasts and perhaps its dimensions (a wider beam or a more tightly focused beam), and should also be able to enable a vision mode where the HUD marks points in the environment where, if you hit those spots, the beams will ricochet and hit other ricochet points or a target (the energy beams shouldn't bounce unless you use this function). You would choose this function through a button on the controller during game play or through the pause menu, probably the controller in Cyclops’ case. Time would slow down drastically for everyone and everything at this time so the player can move the targeting reticule around and see the infinite ricochet paths resulting from where you point the crosshairs.

I know you debatted being able to use this in real time with another poster for use in multiplayer. This is what made me think of the new Nintendo controller. It's possible, that if the HUD labels deflection points, you could point and click (as the controller is essentially a 3D mouse) on whichever point you wanted the beam to deflect off of within a set time limit. In other words, when you select 'ricoche blast', you'd have say... three seconds to click on all the deflection points you wanted before the shot went off. While Cyclops has the uncanny ability to calculate geometry in a split second, it would add a slight level of difficulty for the player if they had a time limit. I personally prefer slowing time down, and simply having blasts that ricoche on their own in multiplayer mode (like the wookie bowcaster in Dark Forces and Jedi Outcast), but I thought I'd throw that out there as I usaully do.

... and he also increases the performance of the A.I. controlled characters when he communicates to them (a special talent reserved for him, Professor X, and maybe Storm).

Definatley storm

Nightcrawler His main mutant power is teleportation, which would require an extreme slow-down mode to execute properly. The way I see it, the best way to set this up is to have the X-Men keep a three-dimensional map of where they’ve been if they are in an unfamiliar area, and a full three-dimensional map of the mission site with which they are familiar. I suppose you could also use schematics if the team had been fully briefed before a mission begins. Anyway, I’d have the screen go to the 3-D map when the command is entered to teleport, and you move a cursor along this map and send Nightcrawler directly there with great accuracy. I want it like this in some form because Nightcrawler can’t jump blindly for fear of solidifying inside something, so he needs to teleport only where he knows is clear of obstacles.

I think Nightcrawler should have two modes of teleportation. The map teleportation for long ranges, and an 'in-battle' version. The same debate arises here that came up with Cyclops' ricoche blast. However, I think Nightcrawler needs slow motion in order to execute the telport/fight combos that he is known for using.

I have a tentative idea for Rogue; when she absorbs people’s energy, power and personality, she temporarily gains at least one (sometimes all) unique ability from whomever she drained (if they were metahuman especially) but has flashes of that person’s memories flash suddenly and distract the player. This may be implausible, since they would have to make up small pieces of life history for every character in the game that could be absorbed by Rogue, but it would be really great if you could get the kind of effect in “The Suffering” where sudden images flash across the screen with a shriek, throwing you off balance.

I don't think that'd be difficult at all. You don't have to show all the thoughts she is experiencing, just as long as she is clearly incapacitated. Another aspect of this I feel needs to be in the game, is for the player to absorb important information from enemies via Rogue's absorbtion. You mentioned that Jean would be able to seach the enemies mind to glean information. Well, if a player failed to select Jean for a mission and finds out that you need to extract information from a villain to complete the level, the player could settle for using Rogue to probe the character's mind. In this instance, you would see the character's thoughts as it only hapens at a few key points in the game. I think this is a good way to bring in strategy seeing as how both Rogue and Jean can accomplish the same goals, but Rogue will have to face much harsher consiquences. Perhaps, if Rogue holds onto someone too long, there could be a berserker mode where Rogue goes out of control. Now I'm just going on a tangent, but you get the idea.

The Beast. I haven't decided if his intelligence can be an asset on a mission in this game.

Perhaps Beast could be used to call in tactical strikes with the Blackbird, when you need that extra fire power.

Gambit. The player should have control over how long he charges a card, the number of cards he throws at a time, and the trajectory of those cards (probably an extreme slow-motion mode where the player can widen or narrow the spray of cards).

Like Nightcrawler, Gambit is a character that needs slow motion do to his (seemingly) super-human reflexes. I'm still on the fence about Cyclops though.

X-Men video game continued:

Jean Grey, Jean can lock onto any tractable object and move it in three dimensions.

This is another area where I think having a 3D pointer for a controller would be advantageous. You'd have an unpresedented level of control over how she lifts and moves objects in the game. Think about the gravity gun in Half-life 2, and add rotation and depth. Also, everything you mentioned about slow-motion, holding patterns, and selecting specific areas of the enviroment would be greatly expidited without the need to cycle through every object on screen. You could simply point and click on an object, and then move it in any manor you please.

Jean Grey also has the ability to project her astral form, a function has been used in ‘Second Sight’ and similarly in ‘Psi-Ops’ (although that was first-person “remote viewing,” which made it so you couldn’t see an astral body), which allows her to explore now areas that are not psi-shielded. It’s psychic reconnaissance, basically, and it could be very helpful, although Jean’s body will be defenseless while projecting herself astrally, so you’ll have to find either an extremely safe spot in which to do this or have one or more X-Men guard her body for the duration.

You mentioned that when using Nightcrawlers teleportation, certain areas of the map would be innacessable because you haven't visited them. Players should be encouraged to use Jean to explore the surrounding area and then telepathically send this information to Nightcrawler. This kind of team coordination is what the X-men are all about, and it really challenges the player to think creativley and maximize the teams efficiency.

More to come.

 

[kame-sennin]

X-Men video game continued:

I realize my description makes Jean Grey the most powerful and versatile X-Man, and that’s how it is in the comics, even without the actual “Phoenix Force.” She is also the most complicated character to use in the game, I would think.

I like the concept that not all characters are equal in strength. It's not done often enough in video games, most likely out of fear that the strongest character will be the only one used. In this instance, due to the versatility of the characters, the presumed complexity of the missions, and general fan love for each of the X-men characters, I don't think that will be a problem. Additionally, if a player maxes out Jean's concentration meter, it could temporarily incapacitate her, leveling the playing field a bit in a way that is accurate to the comics.

Overall, it's an excellent idea. What I like most is how easily these concepts can be ported over to an Avengers game. Someone needs to send a letter to activision (the makers of SM2) and tell them we need an X-men game.

 

[Hunter Rider]

The hell? Where's Tony's father? Shouldn't he be the main villain here? Will you at least make the faceplate transparent so that the actor's face can be seen at all times?
Dammit, Hunter, why don't you have any artistic vision like Avi Arad does?!



This sounds really, really cool, Hunter. I'm not a huge Iron Man fan, so I don't have too much to say on the subject, but I think this is great as a proposal. I think the ending could be a bit more... not "cheery," but maybe more hopeful. At the every least, hopeful in terms of "there might be a sequel."

I assume that his early or most popular supporting cast from the comics will fill out the rest of the characters. There should also be at least one scene where Iron Man and Tony Stark appear in public (preferably on nationally-aired television) together, with the suit either "driving" itself or being supported by a robot structure with pre-programmed maneuvers and a few pre-recorded comments.

Great job, Hunter! Thanks for posting.

Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!! you mean i can't get a job for Captain Shill on the good ship Bull**** ?

Thanks for the feedback Herr sorry i took a while getting back
My ending foreshadows where Stark is heading,around him you see the money and the success he has but the lone figure standing looking out the window as the rain washes away the city filth is sort of a symbol of him washing away his pain with the bottle prior to standing at the window

The cast would certainly feature Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan but i would leave Rhodie and a love interest until the sequel

 

[kame-sennin]

What do you think about the selection of gear? I think that should get you through a good chunk of the night before having to return to the Batmobile to refill, and it'd be very useful on a regular basis.

Also, what do you think of the ratings system?

Needless to say, the selction of gear is more than comprehensive. If I think of something you missed, I'll be sure to mention it. As for what you can carry, I think we debated the it a while back. My stance on it now, is that as long as the player is forced to be resourcful when they run out of gear, and plan ahead when selecting gear, they can carry as much equipment as needed. I think my previous opinion was that Batman should have limited belt space, but that's not really important. Just as long as the player is vulnerable while heading to the batmobile/waiting for it to arrive, and is forced to think on his/her feet, that's fine.

If by raitings you mean trophies (and if not, you'll have to refresh my memory) I say, have Batman earn villain costumes/weapons to put in his display case when the player defeats said villain skillfully. The other awards should be costume varients as well as comicbook nicknacks for the player to cycle through in their spare time. As you said, they shouldn't be floating around Gotham city, but should be given to the player in between levels. I think you and some other people covered that already though, so in summation, I agree .

 

[Hunter Rider]

Nice work, Hunter. There's only one real problem...I didn't come up with this.

I like how you left the image of Tony's alcoholism at the end. It wouldn't be pronounced, but there's a hint that this is how Tony copes with varied pressures. Myabe after a couple of drinks, we see Tony growing more frustrated in regards to having to stop the production of the armor (people have proven not trustful). As his anger reaches a crescendo, Iron Man is needed. Tony quickly composes himself and goes to retrieve the amor. There is a sense of calm and confidence as Tony sees his reflection in the Iron Man suit.

Or not, I don't know.

Again, excellent work Mr. Rider.

Thanks Mister J
In the sequel i could definitely see a scene like that playing out,like many professionals in high powered jobs fighting personal demons,the only time they function is when it's big game time

 

[SoulManX]

Other DC Comics characters outside the Batman-related titles also reside in Gotham City. Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, is based there and Plastic Man has been said to operate out of Gotham City as well. The original Black Canary was shown as residing in Gotham in the Justice Society of America series, and in later years, her daughter resided there during much of the Birds of Prey series. In the original Justice League of America series, it was revealed that Zatara and Zatanna also resided in a mansion known as Shadowcrest, located in Gotham. Tommy Monaghan, the title character from the Garth Ennis comic-book series Hitman, is a hired killer from Gotham's "Cauldron" neighborhood. Also operating in Gotham City is the superhero team Section 8.

 

[Herr Logan]

I think we debated the gear issue a while back. My stance on it now, is that as long as the player is forced to be resourcful when they run out of gear, and plan ahead when selecting gear, they can carry as much equipment as needed. I think my previous opinion was that Batman should have limited belt space, but that's not really important. Just as long as the player is vulnerable while heading to the batmobile/waiting for it to arrive, and is forced to think on his/her feet, that's fine.

The player would have to have lost all of his grapnel darts and both grappling hooks to be in a position where they could not get away from a dangerous situation out in the city. That may occur, though, and even with the ability to use a Batarang and some free-reel Batrope to fashion a make-shift grappling hook, it might take at long as 15 seconds to do that, you need to have at least one Batarang and there aren't an infinite number of spots where a grappling hook (as opposed to a wall-piercing grapple dart), much less a Batarang, will find sufficient purchase. Even then, you can still scale most buildings without the use of ropes, but it's relatively slow, and you can be shot down while scrambling up a wall. That's for outside.
While inside, grappling devices might not even help, depending on what kind of space you're in. If you're in an enclosed environment and you're completely out of gas capsules, Batarangs, bolas, and shuriken, you'd better hope most of the enemies facing you don't have guns. If they're unarmed, they shouldn't be much of a problem, but if they are, you go on the defensive. There would be a lot of times when you're on the defensive, even though ordinary thugs are easy prey for the Batman. Guns make the difference, usually.

The Batman wouldn't be all-powerful, but I'd like for there to be a sense of competence and ever-preparedness that even the pre-"Bat god" Batman had. Some obstacles take longer and some investigations drag on a long time and some enemies and gangs are harder to beat and survive than others. The trick is to make the hardcore villains crafty enough to give the Batman real trouble, without having the game developers resort to something as pathetic as having regular thugs-- even in groups of 2 or 3-- be able to beat the Batman in hand-to-hand combat.

If by raitings you mean trophies (and if not, you'll have to refresh my memory) I say, have Batman earn villain costumes/weapons to put in his display case when the player defeats said villain skillfully. The other awards should be costume varients as well as comicbook nicknacks for the player to cycle through in their spare time. As you said, they shouldn't be floating around Gotham city, but should be given to the player in between levels. I think you and some other people covered that already though, so in summation, I agree .

RATING SYSTEM:

Dark:

• Stealth—ratio of time unseen by enemies , police and civilians to total time in costume (barring a range of circumstances where it's necessary, helpful or acceptable to be seen)
• Theatricality—timing, entrances and exits, successful fear tactics; movement style
• Identity—ability to keep secret identity by maintaining distinct behavior in each persona, elude police looking to question Bruce Wayne

Knight:

• Rescues and Saves—ratio of known individuals endangered to individuals saved by the Batman
• Fighting Ability—average duration of battle from opening strike to submission/defeat of opponent; ratio of strikes thrown to strikes connected; style and variation
• Resourcefulness—creativity to escape danger, attack, captivity; escape efficiency; ratio of injuries avoided to injuries suffered, close calls not due to own mistakes

Detective:

• Thoroughness —ratio of cases pursued to total cased; ratio of cases closed to cases pursued; ratio of clues and evidence gathered to clues and evidence available; ratio of suspects caught to total suspects;
• Efficiency—average duration of investigation from first knowledge to close; ratio of convictions and probable convictions to total arrests;
• People Skills—cooperation with police; interrogation success rate, style and variability; mastery of disguise and pretense; profiling and personality estimation, psychological manipulation;

REWARDS:

• Alternate costumes
  [*]FMVs (classic moments in Bat-lore, memories associated with artifacts in Batman’s residences)
  [*]Upgraded equipment in the field and in the Cave
  [*]Comic book covers, artwork

The ratings aren't trophies, and the trophies aren't rewards. The trophies are already in the Batcave, but special FMVs that show the significance or memories associated with them can be rewards.

 

[Herr Logan]

The X-men game synopsis: I'm only going to add little comments here and there, and skip everything else. Like I said before, I really like this concept, so I don't have much to add.

On crosshairs. I was thinking of about how it would apply to each character and figured that for:

Cyclops he would have two parenthises () as a reticle that get larger and/or father apart as you vary the beam's size and intensity.

A shaped reticle that reflects the dimensions of the beam! Excellent idea! It should probably be more wide than tall, reflecting the shape of his visor.

Gambit/Storm I was thinking about how both Gambit and Storm could hit multiple targets at the same time. For this reason, like you said, Gambit should be able to target between a single target crosshair, and a multiple target crosshair. Similarly, Strom would have the same thing, but her multiple target crosshairs should appear as large circles on the ground in front of (and below her when she's flying). That way, when she hits multiple targets, it would be more like lightning from the sky than Emporer Palpatine's sith lightning in SW.

I think that's a great idea! Very ominous!

I would say that the "ground reticle" should be used only when Storm (or at least her target) is outdoors, where the sky is visible and unobstructed. Indoors, the lighting should come straight from her, for obvious practical reasons.

I was thinking about team manuever like the fastball special, and I definatley agree with you that there is too much emphasis on 'leveling up' in games. However, the player needs to learn how to pull of these manuevers. I think this is where the danger room comes in handy. All of the combos and special moves that the X-men are famous for doing as a team should be taught to the player in a danger room training session (preferably at the beginning of the game). I don't know how these moves would be executed in-game, but I'd like it if I could figure all that out in the danger room before I start playing, and then go into the game with my X-men fighting as a cohesive unit. BTW, I agree with the "no obnoxious combo sound fx".

I very much agree. All tactical actions, including team maneuvers, should be practiced in the Danger Room toward the beginning. Certain basic combos should be mandatory in tutorials, and other tutorials are available whenever the player is controlling X-Men at the mansion (when they aren't under attack in their home). If you go out and complete a mission but screw up while attempting one or more maneuvers (or fail to use certain maneuvers that would have been helpful), you should be compelled to practice those in the Danger Room after the mission.
"We were luckier than we deserved out there, people. We need to be better than that!"
"Yes, Cyclops...." *they go grudgingly to the Danger Room*

I think Wolverine should only be able to smell his teamates if the mission requires you to find them. As you said, the player can get startled by the sudden scent, and it's additional information on the screen that the player already knows. Better yet, since you suggested that the player can control what information appears on the scren, you might as well allow the player to "shut off friendly scents" or something to that effect in the pause menu. Overall, good job on making him more than the 'hack and slash' dull player that he normally is without resorting to lazer/energy claws (I hate that so much).

Fair enough. I figure the X-Men's scents should only appear if the team has been separated for a time, or one is being sought after.

I'm thinking that her display could be very similar to Wolverine's. Where Wolverine has different labelled scent patterns floating througn the air, Storm can see wind direction, and things like temperature or moisture level could be labelled. When flying, you could actually aim your body toward faster moving wind currents which might be out of the way, but end up moving you faster. You also said that location/enviroment would affect her powers. How about, the closer Storm is to large bodies of water, the more powerful her hurricane/snow/rain attacks are? Assuming at least part of this game takes place in NYC, and you'd have a map of the surrounding area, you'd know if you were close to the ocean and could make an educated guess as to what attacks would be most effective.

Good thinking!

If the game is in 3rd person, perhaps Cyclops would have the option of switch to first person to pull off diffuclt shots. In that mode, which would be used sparringly, the screen could be tinted red.

Excellent!

I know you debatted being able to use this in real time with another poster for use in multiplayer. This is what made me think of the new Nintendo controller. It's possible, that if the HUD labels deflection points, you could point and click (as the controller is essentially a 3D mouse) on whichever point you wanted the beam to deflect off of within a set time limit. In other words, when you select 'ricoche blast', you'd have say... three seconds to click on all the deflection points you wanted before the shot went off. While Cyclops has the uncanny ability to calculate geometry in a split second, it would at a slight level of difficulty for the player if they had a time limit. I personally prefer slowing time down, and simply having blasts that ricoche on their own in multiplayer mode (like the wookie bowcaster in Dark Forces and Jedi Outcast), but I thought I'd throw that out there as I usaully do.

Interesting idea. So is this new controller a bit like the 'Duck Hunt' gun from the original Nintendo? If the reticle is there for the manual aiming, then this is a very viable option. Thanks for your thoughts on this.

Definatley storm

Sure thing. I just don't want to have this apply heavily to everyone who's ever been a leader of the X-Men. That's like practically everyone aside from Wolverine (who's obviously been the best choice since Storm), Colossus and Jubilee.

Although, I suppose it would be interesting to incorporate the varying degrees of leadership potential of each member. Wolverine would be the most able in this regard next to Cyclops and Storm, who would be official field leaders (yes, even more so than Nightcrawler), although Jean Grey is definitely a close second (or fourth, depending on how you're counting it). I think this would come in handy if Cyclops and Storm were unavailable for certain missions-- like if there were several missions going on simultaneously (although you'd still actually play them one-by-one) and you put both of those on the same team.
Also, having Wolverine be a sufficient stand-in for the team leaders in terms of the leadership benefits would not only honor Claremont's obvious thoughts on the character back in the day (he actually had Xavier comment on his potential as a leader, had James Hudson strongly regretting that Logan wouldn't lead Alpha Flight, and Nightcrawler told Logan that he should be leading when Storm lost her powers and took a vacation), but it would further compensate for the fact that Wolverine can be next to useless against certain foes (like Magneto) due to his limited range of tactical powers.

I think Nightcrawler should have two modes of teleportation. The map teleportation for long ranges, and an 'in-battle' version. The same debate arises here that came up with Cyclops' ricoche blast. However, I think Nightcrawler needs slow motion in order to execute the telport/fight combos that he is known for using.

Sounds good to me.

I don't think that'd be difficult at all. You don't have to show all the thoughts she is experiencing, just as long as she is clearly incapacitated.

In most cases (not all), it wouldn't be so much "incapacitated" as hampered or distracted. You still need to be able to function, or else there'd be very limited use for this trick in the first place.

Another aspect of this I feel needs to be in the game, is for the player to absorb important information from enemies via Rogue's absorbtion. You mentioned that Jean would be able to seach the enemies mind to glean information. Well, if a player failed to select Jean for a mission and finds out that you need to extract information from a villain to complete the level, the player could settle for using Rogue to probe the character's mind. In this instance, you would see the character's thoughts as it only hapens at a few key points in the game. I think this is a good way to bring in strategy seeing as how both Rogue and Jean can accomplish the same goals, but Rogue will have to face much harsher consiquences. Perhaps, if Rogue holds onto someone too long, there could be a berserker mode where Rogue goes out of control. Now I'm just going on a tangent, but you get the idea.

That's an excellent idea! I can't believe I didn't consider that before!

It shouldn't be an absolute requirement that you reach into someone's head and take the information (unless Jean is going to be available for sure), but there could be missions where it would be significantly simpler to do this instead of searching for long periods of time for something there's almost no clues about. In these cases, you could finish the level without Jean or Rogue, but having either one of them would be so much of an asset, a player wouldn't dare go without them if he/she knew what they were in for.

Perhaps Beast could be used to call in tactical strikes with the Blackbird, when you need that extra fire power.

I'd very much prefer not to rely on heavy firepower and weaponry, but maybe in extreme cases. In any case, it should be fun as hell to play as Beast

Like Nightcrawler, Gambit is a character that needs slow motion do to his (seemingly) super-human reflexes. I'm still on the fence about Cyclops though.

Fair enough.

This is another area where I think having a 3D pointer for a controller would be advantageous. You'd have an unpresedented level of control over how she lifts and moves objects in the game. Think about the gravity gun in Half-life 2, and add rotation and depth. Also, everything you mentioned about slow-motion, holding patterns, and selecting specific areas of the enviroment would be greatly expidited without the need to cycle through every object on screen. You could simply point and click on an object, and then move it in any manor you please.

Sounds good. I haven't seen this in practice, so I can't say much about it, but I'm certainly open to that possibility. I do think that control system is limiting if there aren't two analogue sticks (the directional pad should be in addition to, not a replacement for a stick). Or is manual 3-D movement supposed to be the replacement for a stick?

You mentioned that when using Nightcrawlers teleportation, certain areas of the map would be innacessable because you haven't visited them. Players should be encouraged to use Jean to explore the surrounding area and the telepathically send this information to Nightcrawler. This kind of team coordination is what the X-men are all about, and it really challenges the player to think creativley and maximize the teams efficiency.

Magnificent!! Jean's ability to do "psychic recon" with her astral form could easily fill in Nightcrawler's mental map! Creative thinking is the name of the game (not literally... I haven't thought of a name yet, and "Creative Thinking" isn't what I'd likely choose)!

More to come.

Sweet.

Thanks so much for posting, man. Really, really good stuff coming from you today.

 

[Herr Logan]

X-Men video game continued:

I like the concept that not all characters are equal in strength. It's not done often enough in video games, most likely out of fear that the strongest character will be the only one used. In this instance, due to the versatility of the characters, the presumed complexity of the missions, and general fan love for each of the X-men characters, I don't think that will be a problem. Additionally, if a player maxes out Jean's concentration meter, it could temporarily incapacitate her, leveling the playing field a bit in a way that is accurate to the comics.

Overall, it's an excellent idea. What I like most is how easily these concepts can be ported over to an Avengers game. Someone needs to send a letter to activision (the makers of SM2) and tell them we need an X-men game.

Thanks, kame-sennin. Your ideas have been very interesting and insightful, and I agree that these dynamics could also apply to an Avengers game or other team game. I don't know nearly as much about the Avengers as I do the X-Men, so I haven't imagined much about that. If anyone wants to put their thoughts on that as well, they are welcome.

 

[Herr Logan]

Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!! you mean i can't get a job for Captain Shill on the good ship Bull**** ?

Thanks for the feedback Herr sorry i took a while getting back
My ending foreshadows where Stark is heading,around him you see the money and the success he has but the lone figure standing looking out the window as the rain washes away the city filth is sort of a symbol of him washing away his pain with the bottle prior to standing at the window

The cast would certainly feature Pepper Potts and Happy Hogan but i would leave Rhodie and a love interest until the sequel

No love interest?! How can you have a superhero movie without a love interest?!

Why can't you do anything right, Hunter?



I still think there should be something more hopeful at the very end. The first Spider-Man movie almost ended on a terribly depressing note, but then it featured the most amazing superhero action sequence ever created, which compensated. If Iron Man quits, that can't happen, so I don't know what else could lighten the mood.
I'm not saying superhero movies should be all cheery and such, but... damn, Hunter, is everything okay with you? Like, at home? What's with the intent on utter gloom?

The way I see it, he could shut down production of all powered armor suits, disassemble all the ones made except for one or two that only he has access to, retrieve all known sources of information on the suits (to limit the possibility of replication), and keep Iron Man as at least a possible part-time persona. He could be drinking while looking at a proposal for Stark Solutions, a completely new and wholely benevolent direction for his company, and then toss the proposal aside like he can't even think about business now. Maybe at the very end, if not an actual sequence of Iron Man flying around, there could be a news report of a supervillain causing a ruckus and Tony could finish his drink and then pick up his helmet, considering whether to suit up or not.

Rhodes could also conceivably be in the movie, but just not privy to Tony's alter ego and not an actual friend yet. It seems to me that if Iron Man is just Stark's bodyguard and a mascot for the production line of armor suits (though that's very unlikely to be an official position, that is how he'd be seen by the public, you know that), someone who's a full-time person and not a part-time persona needs to keep things secure at the company while Stark and his bodyguard are somewhere else.

Personally, I don't like even the idea of War Machine as a character (I mean, that name really evokes the image of superheroes and what they're supposed to stand for, huh?), but I'm sure he's got fans that would be very jazzed about the possibility of Rhodie suiting up in a sequel.

Just my thoughts on it. I think you've got a very solid idea for a plot overall.

 

[Herr Logan]

Other DC Comics characters outside the Batman-related titles also reside in Gotham City. Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, is based there and Plastic Man has been said to operate out of Gotham City as well. The original Black Canary was shown as residing in Gotham in the Justice Society of America series, and in later years, her daughter resided there during much of the Birds of Prey series. In the original Justice League of America series, it was revealed that Zatara and Zatanna also resided in a mansion known as Shadowcrest, located in Gotham. Tommy Monaghan, the title character from the Garth Ennis comic-book series Hitman, is a hired killer from Gotham's "Cauldron" neighborhood. Also operating in Gotham City is the superhero team Section 8.

So much for "Gotham is my town." They ought to have a friggin' union based in Gotham City!

 

[Herr Logan]

Okay, I've totally scared everyone away with the sheer volume of stuff I posted yesterday. I knew I should have disseminated the information gradually instead a huge chunk at once.

The only other explanation is that this is the weekend and you people have lives outside of the Superhero Hype. Yeah... I ain't buyin' that one either.

 

[Hunter Rider]

No love interest?! How can you have a superhero movie without a love interest?!

Why can't you do anything right, Hunter?

Maybe i need AVI's guide to movie adapting 101

I still think there should be something more hopeful at the very end. The first Spider-Man movie almost ended on a terribly depressing note, but then it featured the most amazing superhero action sequence ever created, which compensated. If Iron Man quits, that can't happen, so I don't know what else could lighten the mood.
I'm not saying superhero movies should be all cheery and such, but... damn, Hunter, is everything okay with you? Like, at home? What's with the intent on utter gloom?

The way I see it, he could shut down production of all powered armor suits, disassemble all the ones made except for one or two that only he has access to, retrieve all known sources of information on the suits (to limit the possibility of replication), and keep Iron Man as at least a possible part-time persona. He could be drinking while looking at a proposal for Stark Solutions, a completely new and wholely benevolent direction for his company, and then toss the proposal aside like he can't even think about business now. Maybe at the very end, if not an actual sequence of Iron Man flying around, there could be a news report of a supervillain causing a ruckus and Tony could finish his drink and then pick up his helmet, considering whether to suit up or not.

Rhodes could also conceivably be in the movie, but just not privy to Tony's alter ego and not an actual friend yet. It seems to me that if Iron Man is just Stark's bodyguard and a mascot for the production line of armor suits (though that's very unlikely to be an official position, that is how he'd be seen by the public, you know that), someone who's a full-time person and not a part-time persona needs to keep things secure at the company while Stark and his bodyguard are somewhere else.

Personally, I don't like even the idea of War Machine as a character (I mean, that name really evokes the image of superheroes and what they're supposed to stand for, huh?), but I'm sure he's got fans that would be very jazzed about the possibility of Rhodie suiting up in a sequel.

Just my thoughts on it. I think you've got a very solid idea for a plot overall.

Good points Herr,i should have been more clear,i never intended to imply That Tony would be giving up being Iron Man just that he wouldn't be able to use the greats tech to help out his country because it was to powerful to have in the hands of nations
I like your update on my ending,instead of it ending with Tony staring out the window we could have the part you suggested where outside the window in the street is an explosion and Tony turns presses a button on his watch and a secret door opens up to lead him down into stark industries where we see his face reflect in a glass cabinet containing the Iron Man Armour
As for why my story is gloomy,i just always tend to write melancholy and now Bond is driving a freaking mondeo my misery is greater