Power Armour?

[Ultimo]

So... I have a number of characters whose concept includes powered armour (like Iron Man, or similar).  Pretty well all of them just use Invulnerability, but it seems to me there might be a place for an actual power set depicting powered armour.  Here's a quick rundown of some ideas, perhaps we can start a discussion and work out something they could consider making!

 

1. Armour Plate (Passive) Adds 20% resistance to Smashing/Lethal.

2. Ceramic Plate (Passive) Adds 20% Resistance to Fire/Energy/Cold.

3. Life Support (Toggle) Adds 10% Defense to Toxic/Radiation/Negative

4. Ablative Plate (Click) Adds a pool of Temporary Hit Points

5. Exoskeleton (Toggle) Resists Knock/Immobilize/Sleep/Immobilize/Hold/Disorient

6. Refractive Coating (Passive) +10% Defense vs Smashing/Lethal/Energy

7. Fusion Reactor (Passive) +20% Endurance Recovery Rate

8. Emergency Battery (Click) Immediate +50% Heal, +50% Endurance

9. Overcharger (Click) +40% Resistance to all, +50% Endurance discount

 

Obviously it needs work, but this is the first notion off the top of my head.

[FupDup]

I think if we were going to add a whole separate Power Armor set, it should come with some utility/offense powers because folks like Iron Man have a lot of gadgets up their sleeves. We're also a bit short of offensive/utility armors in general. Let Invuln be the "pure tanky wall of steel" armor set. 

 

One possibility could be a ranged AOE missile barrage, as a ranged counterpart to Shield Charge. Maybe a tractor beam to pull an enemy into melee range (Sentinels might get an inverted version that knocks them away instead). Perhaps deploy some Seeker Drones as a tool to eat alpha strikes and debuff enemy To-Hit. It'd be cool if the T9 could be a transformation like Granite that turns you into an enlarged Assault Bot with added firepower or something. Definitely needs some kind of "Enhanced Targeting" toggle with To-Hit and Perception buffs. 

 

Kinda just spitballing here. 

[Rudra]

The issue I have with the OP is the idea locks out other concepts. Why should a character have to be a power armor character for this?

 

Edit: You can just as easily call it the Resilience set or something. Maybe as follows:

Hardy

Tempered

Resilient

Robust

Impassive

Evasive

Quick Recovery

Second Wind

Overpower

 

Edited April 23 by Rudra
Edited to add missing "have to".

[megaericzero]

I feel FupDup hit the nail on the head for what a power armor set should have for its feel. To Rudra's point, I hadn't posted a version I thought up because I did think it should be more origin-neutral so it could be written off as protective runes and spells, gadgets and military training ("Arse Armor" 😉), living armor, etc. I just haven't gotten around to rewriting it as such.

 

The star power (in my version) was a tier 8 or 9 power called Countermeasures, themed as your character having prepped for multiple scenarios (or having built-up a backlog of responses to previous problems, a-la Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man).

In gameplay, you'd take the Countermeasures power and it would give you four other powers that shared one cooldown. The powers were watered-down expies of Thunder Clap, Burn, Energy Absorption, and Power Sink - either a pbaoe disorient, damage patch, self +absorb per mob, or self +endurance per mob.

Another possibility was having the self-heal be similarly split between options to behave like Reconstruction, Dull Pain, or Energize.

 

As a suggestion for additional power themes:

• automated defenses
  (for tech, your armor evading for you; for natural, your own reflexes; for magic, luck-manipulating runes, etc.)
• an active energy barrier
  (whether Force Field/Kheldian bubble or just a faint glow over your skin)
• nanites
  (for non-tech origins: serum, potion/salve, etc.)

Those are just some ideas. Your version is certainly interesting. It comes with a lot of auto powers and not so many toggles. Also seems to have its physical protection split between two passives instead of the traditional armor toggle.

[biostem]

2 hours ago, Ultimo said:

Obviously it needs work, but this is the first notion off the top of my head.

The set seems like a resistance set with some defense-granting powers mixed in.  It's basically invulnerability or maybe a less variable version of bio armor.  I would adjust the set a bit to make it more "gimmicky".  For instance, maybe give the set something akin to a targeting drone or how invulnerability has a tohit buff in invincibility.  Maybe give the set some sort of special click that adds energy damage to attacks or a similar damage aura.  Perhaps, like kinetics, the set could include some movement powers - like a version of hover but with better movement speed and more defense.  Maybe take inspiration from bio armor and Crysis to give the suit some sort of "variable armor modes" - like one mode improves movement and recharge speeds and resists slows, another boosts damage and tohit, while the last improves defense and damage resistance, (all with appropriate tradeoffs, of course).

Edited April 23 by biostem

[Ultimo]

My thinking is that the armour itself should be mainly passive, but it should have some additional benefits that are toggles (eg. Life Support).  I like some of the other ideas, though.

 

I was basically starting from the standpoint of Invulnerability, which is a pretty decent defensive set, and turning it around here and there... I thought about adding things like sensors for targeting and such.  Some armour based gadgetry would definitely fit the theme.

[Rudra]

Why should the set be specifically power armor? This even cuts out other tech concepts. Cyborgs can have integrated defenses without power armor. Magic can too. So why specifically Power Armor as the set? Will it also apply physical, tech-based armors to characters that use it? (And if so, why?) Why not the Integrated Defense set for instance? Something that doesn't lock out other character concepts.

[biostem]

9 minutes ago, Rudra said:

Why should the set be specifically power armor? This even cuts out other tech concepts. Cyborgs can have integrated defenses without power armor. Magic can too. So why specifically Power Armor as the set? Will it also apply physical, tech-based armors to characters that use it?

I'm really just interested in an armor set that has a variety of tools available to the character, kind of like how ninjitsu has blinding powder or smoke flash.  Call it "integrated armor" or whatever you like.  The animations don't even need to be tech-themed; just generic enough to get the point across.  Also, though, I want to point out that "powered armor" itself can be magically powered, a psychic manifestation, and so on, so it isn't necessarily wedded to a tech origin, either...

[Rudra]

7 minutes ago, biostem said:

I'm really just interested in an armor set that has a variety of tools available to the character, kind of like how ninjitsu has blinding powder or smoke flash.  Call it "integrated armor" or whatever you like.  The animations don't even need to be tech-themed; just generic enough to get the point across.  Also, though, I want to point out that "powered armor" itself can be magically powered, a psychic manifestation, and so on, so it isn't necessarily wedded to a tech origin, either...

I don't have issues with what the powers do. And last I checked, a psychic manifestation of armor was psychic or psionic armor, not power armor. Cyborgs also use integrated weapons and defenses, but they may not have any actual armor, just a very robust frame. I don't care if @Ultimo creates a new armor set that works better for powered armor characters like Iron Man, by all means, go for it, I'm just asking for a more open presentation for it.

 

(Edit: Or at least a good explanation as to why the set has to be called Power Armor with power names reminiscent of hi-tech powered armor.)

Edited April 23 by Rudra

[Ultimo]

52 minutes ago, Rudra said:

I don't have issues with what the powers do. And last I checked, a psychic manifestation of armor was psychic or psionic armor, not power armor. Cyborgs also use integrated weapons and defenses, but they may not have any actual armor, just a very robust frame. I don't care if @Ultimo creates a new armor set that works better for powered armor characters like Iron Man, by all means, go for it, I'm just asking for a more open presentation for it.

 

(Edit: Or at least a good explanation as to why the set has to be called Power Armor with power names reminiscent of hi-tech powered armor.)

Think of it as a variation of Invulnerability.  The idea is that it should provide defense much like Invulnerability, but with some variation here and there (ie. generally more passive).  The idea of adding gadgets and such does appeal to me quite a bit... I'll tinker with the set using some of the suggestions here.

 

As for the naming of it... you can really define any power set however you like.  Currently, my armoured characters all have Invulnerability, which I'm characterizing as powered armour.  I just thought it might be cool to have a power set specifically designed around the power armour concept, since it's a concept that's frequently used in comics.  Of course, if you like the functionality, you could define it as whatever you like.

[megaericzero]

@Rudra: the power names don't seem problematic, largely. Armor Plate and Ceramic Armor are already used medieval knight mail and modern bulletproof vests. Life Support, Emergency Battery, and Overcharger could be magical or biochemical. Fusion Reactor and Exoskeleton are really the only ones that need renaming to be concept-neutral but even their concepts are fine - the armor's power source giving end discount and muscle-enhancement as the mez protection.

 

@Ultimo: It's fine overall. A bit weird going against the grain on the smashing-lethal toggle shield that's usually in an armor's t1/2 (or melee defense for SR/Nin). It needs some flavor, though. Again agreeing/parroting what biostem said: make it the Ninjitsu to Invulnerability's Super Reflexes - similar start-off and feel, more gadgets.

 

 

[Rudra]

14 minutes ago, Ultimo said:

Think of it as a variation of Invulnerability.  The idea is that it should provide defense much like Invulnerability, but with some variation here and there (ie. generally more passive).  The idea of adding gadgets and such does appeal to me quite a bit... I'll tinker with the set using some of the suggestions here.

 

As for the naming of it... you can really define any power set however you like.  Currently, my armoured characters all have Invulnerability, which I'm characterizing as powered armour.  I just thought it might be cool to have a power set specifically designed around the power armour concept, since it's a concept that's frequently used in comics.  Of course, if you like the functionality, you could define it as whatever you like.

You are misunderstanding me. (This seems to be a running theme....) I'm fine with the powers in the power set. I'm fine with you pitching a variation of Invulnerability because it does look fairly different to me. I'm fine with you specifically designing the set to better embody a powered armor set from the comics. The issue I have is that the defenses and other capabilities found in powered armors like Iron Man et al, is that those same powers are also found in characters that don't use powered armor. Or any armor at all for that matter. However, naming the set Power Armor runs into the same problems we see with existing sets like Necromancy and Super Strength. There are characters that raise or manipulate the dead beyond just necromancers. There are other forms of adrenaline boosted performance beyond Rage. However, there are players that are upset that in order for them to have an undead master Mastermind, they have to be a necromancer. There are players that complain that their super strong character doesn't rage, but gets an adrenaline rush that performs just like it. There is a lot tied up in a name. That is what I am asking about. The proposed set? Looks fine to me, the devs will have to go over it and make any adjustments they see fit. All I am asking is why is the set called Power Armor and are you willing to consider alternate names that fit the same theme such as Integrated Defense or anything else?

[Saiyajinzoningen]

1st of all if bio armor and ninja themed powersets which are mutation and natural can exist

then there is no reason that this tech themed powerset cant exist as well

so +1 OP

crossing my fingers that the devs give it better animations than shield lol 

Edited April 24 by Saiyajinzoningen
GM knows why lol

[Haijinx]

This has come up before.

 

I'm pretty sure the idea was that "Power Armor" isn't a power set, but it's more of a Power Origin flavor thing.

 

For example your Power Armor grants you the Invulnerability and Energy Melee sets. 

 

With all the START stuff you can really gimmick things out.  

 

Now we have 3 powers that even suggest "Power Armor" specifically.  One is the cloaking suit in Devices/etc, another the Body Armor in the Weapons Epic.  And of course the "Power Armor" power in Energy Aura for Sents. 

 

While none of these suggestion threads are necessarily bad, they never seem to extrapolate what it would mean to combine Origin and Power Set like this across the board.   

 

I want a Danger Sense powerset, Super Reflexes just is wrong flavor wise .. 

 

I want a Flamethrower powerset, Fire Blast is just not the same...

[megaericzero]

4 hours ago, Haijinx said:

This has come up before.

 

I'm pretty sure the idea was that "Power Armor" isn't a power set, but it's more of a Power Origin flavor thing.

 

For example your Power Armor grants you the Invulnerability and Energy Melee sets. 

 

With all the START stuff you can really gimmick things out.  

 

Now we have 3 powers that even suggest "Power Armor" specifically.  One is the cloaking suit in Devices/etc, another the Body Armor in the Weapons Epic.  And of course the "Power Armor" power in Energy Aura for Sents. 

 

While none of these suggestion threads are necessarily bad, they never seem to extrapolate what it would mean to combine Origin and Power Set like this across the board.   

 

I want a Danger Sense powerset, Super Reflexes just is wrong flavor wise .. 

 

I want a Flamethrower powerset, Fire Blast is just not the same...

Danger Sense and Flamethrower are no less redundant than what we have here.

 

As for combining with origin and power set, that's why some of us are suggesting ways to shift it to be non-origin-specific. Both mechanically and thematically separating it from the other power sets you listed by making it a "gadget" or "tricks-up-my-sleeve" armor set in a similar vein to Ninjitsu but more tanky than stealthy.

[Haijinx]

6 minutes ago, megaericzero said:

Danger Sense and Flamethrower are no less redundant than what we have here.

 

As for combining with origin and power set, that's why some of us are suggesting ways to shift it to be non-origin-specific. Both mechanically and thematically separating it from the other power sets you listed by making it a "gadget" or "tricks-up-my-sleeve" armor set in a similar vein to Ninjitsu but more tanky than stealthy.

 

I was only trying to make a point.  This is probably the 100th Power Armor suggestion thread I have seen.  I get the appeal.  It even exists in Champions Online from what I can remember. 

 

But you all may need to answer the key question, why is it needed? 

 

Because just "Power Armor doesn't exist yet" runs into the problem I was trying to describe. Though who knows? I am not a dev. 

 

[GM_GooglyMoogly]

Please discuss the pros and cons (if any) of the suggestion and not the pros and cons (if any) of each other.

[PeregrineFalcon]

18 hours ago, Ultimo said:

So... I have a number of characters whose concept includes powered armour (like Iron Man, or similar).  Pretty well all of them just use Invulnerability, but it seems to me there might be a place for an actual power set depicting powered armour.

Serious question.

 

What's the benefit of having a specific powered armor set instead of simply using an armored costume and Invulnerability or Willpower?

[DrIlluminatis]

You could add a variant like how Dual Pistols have different types of Ammo with the "Swap Ammo" power, you could have a "Special Defenses" power where you can select what you're resistant to.  like Elemental / Physical / Psychic. as your 3 choices. Could give a bit of tactical gameplay to the set

Edited April 24 by DrIlluminatis

[Herotu]

18 hours ago, Ultimo said:

So... I have a number of characters whose concept includes powered armour (like Iron Man, or similar).  Pretty well all of them just use Invulnerability, but it seems to me there might be a place for an actual power set depicting powered armour.  Here's a quick rundown of some ideas, perhaps we can start a discussion and work out something they could consider making!

 

1. Armour Plate (Passive) Adds 20% resistance to Smashing/Lethal.

2. Ceramic Plate (Passive) Adds 20% Resistance to Fire/Energy/Cold.

3. Life Support (Toggle) Adds 10% Defense to Toxic/Radiation/Negative

4. Ablative Plate (Click) Adds a pool of Temporary Hit Points

5. Exoskeleton (Toggle) Resists Knock/Immobilize/Sleep/Immobilize/Hold/Disorient

6. Refractive Coating (Passive) +10% Defense vs Smashing/Lethal/Energy

7. Fusion Reactor (Passive) +20% Endurance Recovery Rate

8. Emergency Battery (Click) Immediate +50% Heal, +50% Endurance

9. Overcharger (Click) +40% Resistance to all, +50% Endurance discount

 

Obviously it needs work, but this is the first notion off the top of my head.

You've listed your powers without a theme. Latter powersets were implemented with secondary mechanics - you know, dual blades has combo system, other sets have other side-effects going on.

 

What's the secondary mechanic? The overall concept: A reason why the power suit is different from the other defense sets. What's it's Unique Selling Point? Does it have a battery that charges up as you get hit and discharges when it's full, for example? Or does it have a battery that starts a battle at full power and runs out of juice as you get hit, somehow regaining charge in another way?

 

[megaericzero]

1 hour ago, PeregrineFalcon said:

What's the benefit of having a specific powered armor set instead of simply using an armored costume and Invulnerability or Willpower?

FupDup, biostem, A.I.D.A., and myself at least seem to view it more as a "gadgets" armor set as a cousin to Devices and Traps, in a way that primary, pool, and epic picks wouldn't be able to fill - both mechanically and thematically.

 

46 minutes ago, Herotu said:

You've listed your powers without a theme. Latter powersets were implemented with secondary mechanics - you know, dual blades has combo system, other sets have other side-effects going on.

 

What's the secondary mechanic? The overall concept: A reason why the power suit is different from the other defense sets. What's it's Unique Selling Point? Does it have a battery that charges up as you get hit and discharges when it's full, for example? Or does it have a battery that starts a battle at full power and runs out of juice as you get hit, somehow regaining charge in another way?

 

Can't speak for Ultimo or anyone else in specific but some of us are tired of every new and reworked set having to have a special mechanic gimmick. Let some sets just be good without jumping through hoops. That said, storing damage taken and unleashing it back definitely fits and is a rather unique mechanic it could have, especially looking at (MCU?) Black Panther as the "sleek" representation for this as-of-yet undecidedly-named power set.

[Ultimo]

I tend to agree, I'm not one for gimmicks.  My thinking for the Power Armour set is to make it less reliant on toggles.  I mean, it's just armour, it would provide protection just by being there.  Enhancing it in some way might require power, or some other resource, of course.  Thus, things like a powered exoskeleton, or life support systems, or advanced sensors (or other gadgets) would need power... but the actual armour plating wouldn't.  That was the "gimmick" I had in mind, but there's some really good ideas here already.

They may not make use of any of the ideas here... but one never knows!

[biostem]

Hmm... What if this set sort of had a mechanic where, as you attack, you build up "charges", which each provide a defense and end cost bonus, (similar to savage melee), and at the same time, some powers consume these "charges" for other effects - like maybe a heal, a temporary damage boost, and so on.

[Haijinx]

4 hours ago, Ultimo said:

I tend to agree, I'm not one for gimmicks.  My thinking for the Power Armour set is to make it less reliant on toggles.  I mean, it's just armour, it would provide protection just by being there.  Enhancing it in some way might require power, or some other resource, of course.  Thus, things like a powered exoskeleton, or life support systems, or advanced sensors (or other gadgets) would need power... but the actual armour plating wouldn't.  That was the "gimmick" I had in mind,

 

Hmmm I have often been interested in how Master Brawler works.  Where having X powers leads to Changes to earlier powers.

 

And with how fighting synergy works ... where the more powers taken make each individual power better. 

 

A whole Armor set like that could be  interesting. Of course it might prove unpopular with the "I need to skip half the set so I can have Vengence and 2-3 travel powers" crowd.  

 

≈=======

Could such a set exist utilizing the current "power armor" powers also? Perhaps? 

 

Maybe use some of these:

 

Body Armor (auto)- from munitions/arsenal mastery 

 

Cloaking Device (toggle) - from Arsenal Control / similar to Field Operative from devices.

 

Power Armor (auto) - from Sent Energy Aura

 

Energize (click) - from Energy/Electric

 

Durability (auto) - from Sent Invul

 

Environmental Resistance (auto) - from Sent Invul

 

A bit how Willpower borrows from other sets, even with other names for the powers, these will sort of define what numbers would look like for an Auto Power heavy Set.

 

 

[Haijinx]

I wonder if you could latch on to the recent Arsenal efforts by the dev team.  

 

Call it Arsenal Armor

 

Not that I think your name is bad. But hey they have already given us two sets and pools with the name recently ...