Freeform superpower games?

[sXeth]

In some idle chatter while playing Warframe, this came up as a discussion.

Warframe, like many other games with super-powers, you have the characters actual superpowers... but they're manifested as some 4-10 or so specific abilities.

Obviously, this allows for a lot simpled game balance, and helps to corral the characters into roles for multiplayer affairs.

But has there ever been a super-power game where it was just "Well, you can control fire now, you figure out how to make that work for you". And the like Even getting into more exotic powers like controlling molecular density (which is the Rhino Warframes ability in that game, even though it manifests just as basic tank mechanics).

 

[Trunkage]

In some idle chatter while playing Warframe, this came up as a discussion.

Warframe, like many other games with super-powers, you have the characters actual superpowers... but they're manifested as some 4-10 or so specific abilities.

Obviously, this allows for a lot simpled game balance, and helps to corral the characters into roles for multiplayer affairs.

But has there ever been a super-power game where it was just "Well, you can control fire now, you figure out how to make that work for you". And the like Even getting into more exotic powers like controlling molecular density (which is the Rhino Warframes ability in that game, even though it manifests just as basic tank mechanics).

So... you get a power but then dont get a tutorial? Is that what you mean?

 

[sXeth]

So... you get a power but then dont get a tutorial? Is that what you mean?

No you get, for instance, thermal powers.

Just that.

Not Fireballs, fire beams, heat auras that do damage, and some ultimate that boils everything nearby and causes explosions.

You just get the ability to make something hot or cold, and have to put it together to achieve the effect you want.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Morrowind's spell creation system is pretty diverse, and you can mix and match different effects. Area of effect. Duration.

Tabletop RPGs...

-Mage: the Awakening (COD 2E)

The new edition of MtA is pretty fucking special. That is truly a game where the spells are freeform, and you can change everything about them on the fly. Ritual casting with other players. Extended casting where you can just pretty much create the spirit bomb if you're willing to spend that amount of time doing so. Paradox system is a lot of fun. The problem is that it drags down player turns like nothing else. Particularly when players are new to the system and just trying to get their head around it.

Board games...

-Gloomhaven

It's a legacy-lite dungeon crawler roleplaying game, with adaptable card abilities. So as you level up, you can select new character-based cards from your specific character deck.Andonce you unlock acertain global achievement, you can even upgrade your character cards to do practically anything within therules. You want acard to have piercing? Go for it. To empower an element? Yep. Hit additional targets? No problems.

It's expensive though, depending on your upgrades. So you won't be doing it too often.

-Champions of Hara

A brand new board game I just got in the mail after backing the kickstarter of it ... well that involves some really cool character-centric in-game stat boosting involving pre-existing and unlockable character-centric abilities as you play.

 

[PFCboom]

D&D immediately leaps to mind; ingenious players can take the mechanics of their characters' class and do some crazy things. Depending on the DM and the setting, one could even homebrew some magic to do whatever your little heart desires.

As far as video games, though, I can't rightly think of anything as open as what you seem to envision. There are a handful of games I can think of that have a sort of magic "crafting" system, such as Tyranny or the Elder Scrolls games.
OOH! Scribblenauts counts, right? You have a problem, there's a few dozen ways to solve it, it's up to your imagination to make it happen.

 

[gsilver]

The Freedom Force games (at least the first one, anyway) had quite the elaborate superpower editor.

 

[Asita]

Magicka comes to mind. You get your elements, then it's all on you to figure out how to use them...and how not to use them...and how to use it to kill your friends.

 

[Trunkage]

As a semi example, Diablo 3 has different spells that you mix with one rune for different effects

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

In some idle chatter while playing Warframe, this came up as a discussion.

Dude, what MR are you? What timezone? What clan are you in?

But has there ever been a super-power game where it was just "Well, you can control fire now, you figure out how to make that work for you". And the like Even getting into more exotic powers like controlling molecular density (which is the Rhino Warframes ability in that game, even though it manifests just as basic tank mechanics).

The first thing that came to mind wasn't a whole game per se, but my favourite class from a game. The Warlock in Neverwinter Nights 2 was the most unique spellcaster I'd ever encountered in D&D. Casting eldritch spells, they had a small selection of spells but with no casting limitations.

Now the unique part of the Warlock was the "Eldritch Blast" ability. It levelled with the character and was the basis for most of their attacks. By itself, it was a ranged spell that hit one target for XD6 damage. But where it ties into this topic is what you could do to the blast. You could alter the delivery mechanism and the damage type as separate things. For example, you could change the Eldritch Blast among the following: Single target ranged, chaining ranged, short range cone, PBAoE, single target long range and melee attack (my favourite). Further, you could alter it to do fire damage, acid damage, cold or negative damage, or it could do a handful of CC effects, like fear/confusion or whatever. The Warlock could pick these different shapes and elements as they levelled and it was really very cool.

Next thing I can think of is the spell creation podiums in TES IV: Oblivion. Once you learned a spell of a given type (ranged, attack, heal, fire, buff, etc) you could create new spells which take different elements and to create something new. Maybe you learned a new Fireball spell and a lightning spell...now you can create a spell that has both effects AND change the magnitude of the effect (ie. low damage/mana cost or higher damage/mana cost). You could create a spell that simultaneously harms an enemy and heals you and so on.

Skyrim had something sorta similar but a bit more limited. Once you "disenchant" an item, you learn the enchantment and can then apply that effect thereafter. Similarly, in the Dragonborn DLC you gain the ability to create magic staffs based on what spells you already know.

Last one I can think of is Lichdom: Battlemage. Essentially you have control over the different elements, and you can alter and level up the different delivery mechanics and damage dealt. As I remember, you could for example specialise in channeling a beam of fire, throwing chain lightning and a cone of cold. but you could change it up on the fly and rain hail down from above instead or focus on single target, etc. It was a first-person spellcasting game and worth checking out.

 

[sXeth]

In some idle chatter while playing Warframe, this came up as a discussion.

Dude, what MR are you? What timezone? What clan are you in?

In my own clan (with about 15 people), MR 14. EST. On PS4.

I'm a Limbo main, so a social pariah, naturally. (And Oberon for those situations where Limbo is actually useless) Been trying to pick out an actual tank character to use sometimes, but Rhino's overused, and the rest all have a common issue of needing your team to let you get kills, lol.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

In some idle chatter while playing Warframe, this came up as a discussion.

Dude, what MR are you? What timezone? What clan are you in?

In my own clan (with about 15 people), MR 14. EST. On PS4.

I'm a Limbo main, so a social pariah, naturally. (And Oberon for those situations where Limbo is actually useless) Been trying to pick out an actual tank character to use sometimes, but Rhino's overused, and the rest all have a common issue of needing your team to let you get kills, lol.

Oh, PS4. I'm on PC. :-(

Anyway, WhoTF mains Limbo!? If you want a Rhino alternative my favourite two are Nezha and Mesa. Nezha is a faster, fiery and more nimble Rhino, but sadly without Roar. Every ability does multiple things and is great fun to play. Put the halo on, build for health and armour and you can play it either melee or ranged, both work. For Mesa, between Shatter Shield and Shooting Gallery abilities and her Staggering Shield augment, she is crazy tanky and has really great survivability. Damage reduction from the shield, from jamming enemy weapons and further staggering enemies that do hit her, then just hit 4 and clear the room.

Both of these frames are great on any mission type, don't rely on anything your teammates do and, in the case of Limbo, well Mesa and Limbo are pretty much the most powerful pairing in-game (ignoring Trinity).

 

[sXeth]

In some idle chatter while playing Warframe, this came up as a discussion.

Dude, what MR are you? What timezone? What clan are you in?

In my own clan (with about 15 people), MR 14. EST. On PS4.

I'm a Limbo main, so a social pariah, naturally. (And Oberon for those situations where Limbo is actually useless) Been trying to pick out an actual tank character to use sometimes, but Rhino's overused, and the rest all have a common issue of needing your team to let you get kills, lol.

Oh, PS4. I'm on PC. :-(

Anyway, WhoTF mains Limbo!? If you want a Rhino alternative my favourite two are Nezha and Mesa. Nezha is a faster, fiery and more nimble Rhino, but sadly without Roar. Every ability does multiple things and is great fun to play. Put the halo on, build for health and armour and you can play it either melee or ranged, both work. For Mesa, between Shatter Shield and Shooting Gallery abilities and her Staggering Shield augment, she is crazy tanky and has really great survivability. Damage reduction from the shield, from jamming enemy weapons and further staggering enemies that do hit her, then just hit 4 and clear the room.

Both of these frames are great on any mission type, don't rely on anything your teammates do and, in the case of Limbo, well Mesa and Limbo are pretty much the most powerful pairing in-game (ignoring Trinity).

Ah yes, Mesa. Been working on getting her, but its literally the most annoying farming process in the game lol (Nekros is close, but at least his co-ordinates don't rely on limited event supplies).

As maining Limbo goes, he has a lot of versatility. Can banish wardens for rescues, walk through spy lasers/banish sentry drones, lock down any defense based stuff completely. Near infinite energy sustain. He's basically unkillable unless he's allowing stuff in the Rift unstasised for whatever reason.

Though he completely sucks a big one in assassinations because bosses ignore his entire powerset, lol. And while he can be an excellent Lure shepherd in Eidolon hunts, thats about the end of it (he can also banish the vomalysts from healing it, though that tends to start interfering with the people trying to damage the Eidolon inadvertently)

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

In some idle chatter while playing Warframe, this came up as a discussion.

Dude, what MR are you? What timezone? What clan are you in?

In my own clan (with about 15 people), MR 14. EST. On PS4.

I'm a Limbo main, so a social pariah, naturally. (And Oberon for those situations where Limbo is actually useless) Been trying to pick out an actual tank character to use sometimes, but Rhino's overused, and the rest all have a common issue of needing your team to let you get kills, lol.

Oh, PS4. I'm on PC. :-(

Anyway, WhoTF mains Limbo!? If you want a Rhino alternative my favourite two are Nezha and Mesa. Nezha is a faster, fiery and more nimble Rhino, but sadly without Roar. Every ability does multiple things and is great fun to play. Put the halo on, build for health and armour and you can play it either melee or ranged, both work. For Mesa, between Shatter Shield and Shooting Gallery abilities and her Staggering Shield augment, she is crazy tanky and has really great survivability. Damage reduction from the shield, from jamming enemy weapons and further staggering enemies that do hit her, then just hit 4 and clear the room.

Both of these frames are great on any mission type, don't rely on anything your teammates do and, in the case of Limbo, well Mesa and Limbo are pretty much the most powerful pairing in-game (ignoring Trinity).

Ah yes, Mesa. Been working on getting her, but its literally the most annoying farming process in the game lol (Nekros is close, but at least his co-ordinates don't rely on limited event supplies).

As maining Limbo goes, he has a lot of versatility. Can banish wardens for rescues, walk through spy lasers/banish sentry drones, lock down any defense based stuff completely. Near infinite energy sustain. He's basically unkillable unless he's allowing stuff in the Rift unstasised for whatever reason.

Though he completely sucks a big one in assassinations because bosses ignore his entire powerset, lol. And while he can be an excellent Lure shepherd in Eidolon hunts, thats about the end of it (he can also banish the vomalysts from healing it, though that tends to start interfering with the people trying to damage the Eidolon inadvertently)

I got lucky on her drops but didn't have a bad time with Mesa. My best advice, drop 3p a key for three or four prebuilt keys and join a keyshare. You'll have her before the end and can sell any leftover keys. She's one of the best frames in the game. I love all the exalted frames

 

[wings012]

Problem with with so called 'complete freedom', even if it's over a specific thing is that you can't possibly implement every single permutation of how that power could work or how the environment could react to the power. There isn't some convenient switch you can flip and say, well the world just works like ours except this guy can create fire.

And even if they manage to create many combinations for the player to figure out,

generally there's only going to be so many useful or optimal ways to use said power and the player will simply just default to a few specific uses. How is it even going to control even? How does the player just 'figure it out'?

A more focused design with limited but properly thought out and balanced skills is probably preferable to simply having a lot of superfluous abilities.

I think the Gravity Gun from HL2 is actual a decent enough 'parallel' to how a rather free form telekinetic power would work. You pick up stuff, you fling it at people and stuff has mass. And if you pick up sharp or pointy objects, they will slice and skewer as you fling it at stuff. And there's physics puzzles.

It'd probably sorta work if its a relatively simple power, with just a lot of potential execution through just a few key actions.