Rumbles Wars: Ideas for new tournament and *potential* signup

[KJ Stewart]

I've kinda been wanting to do something like this before and I think I might finally have both the time and urge to actually do it. However, the idea itself is still very rough, so I'm hoping to both gauge interest as well as get some input for ideas. And, if that's done relatively quickly, we can use this as a signup thread too.

So the basic idea is that, instead of the usual tournament formats (whether that be the free-for-all vote-based 5 member teams tournaments or the credits-based structured leagues), each participant creates what is essentially an army.

Each team would have a base of operations, a leader, a genius, a doctor, a pilot, an animal (you know the drill), but will also be allowed to pick things like a generic fleet of vehicles (as well as 1 main vehicle) and an army of generic foot soldiers.

So, for instance your team might be based at Castle Grayskull, the leader might be Superman, the genius might be Dexter, the animal might be Kong, the fleet might be real world M1 Abrams tanks, the foot soldiers might be Storm Troopers etc.

Other than that, the premise would be much the same as other tournaments. A mash-up of 'taculars and fight-based tournaments, so to speak.

So one week might be a simple versus match, the next week might be who copes best in fending off Galactus, the next week might be that the teams have to attack Apokolips etc etc.

Each slot (leader, genius, fleet etc) will have a power limit (so your leader might not be allowed to be more powerful than Superman, your genius might not be allowed to be any more powerful than Spider-Man to avoid people using Superman level people in this slot etc).

So would anyone be interested in this kind of thing?

It wouldn't necessarily have to be scheduled weekly either. We could just do it in a "the round is over when it's over" capacity.

I'd be interested in hearing ideas about slots and challenges and anything you would add/remove/change, especially from anyone who might be interested.

In a nutshell, it's the Rumbles Wars Tournament and it will be an army-building, team-based competition.

Lack of interest will result in me not running it, so don't worry, not a big deal or anything. Just an idea for something different.

[Stigma Rex]

Awesome, sounds really cool KJS, I've been looking for a game like this for a while.

EDIT: I'd suggest having a lower powered leader then Superman (maybe Spider-man), if the hero can take out the entire opposing army by himself then it kind of just turns into hero vs hero fight.

[vycesyn]

Intriguing idea KJ and the end of the round sort of thing will allow a better chance for those of such fleeting moments online, or even having a steady internet service working at times, like myself to be active yet not feel as if one was being imploded by the clock. I do agree with Stigma on the idea of a more lower powered leader..unless say the leader is more of the general in which case having generals facing generals only works. That would allow for a variety of different armies underneath them while giving high powered characters an equal standing against each other. Something like having Superman face character X who civilian media around would be stunned as to what was happening..something akin to when Superman faced Asmodel was it?,,,

Just got home from work but I'll mull around some ideas for challenges later.

[KJ Stewart]

I wouldn't take any notice of the power-levels specified, but I agree with you both anyway.

[mailedbypostman1]

I am interested. An army based tournament where large groups of relative weaklings can contribute would be cool.

[moonknight11]

This seems interesting. If it goes somewhere I'm totally in.

[Sharkerbob]

I'd be intrigued.

[Bobisbeast]

Same here, definitely seems interesting.

[vycesyn]

As stated before some ideas for challenges. Well at least static templates as most of what an army can be used for tends to fall into the basic conquest/ destroy defend. I think a lot of the challenges in specific will probably have to come from that sort of tier..i.e conquer/defend/ destroy planet Y, country z and so on.

However a few things to ponder in the challenges as well. Using natural disasters or even intergalactic sorts of phenomena and have the army try to make their way through or survive through it for a round. Toss out a few supernatural disasters, a curse or the like on the two current battling armies. Some might beat it will tech, some might have their own preternatural forces. Have a round where they are dropped into a locale and the major goal is to see which army could pull out more resources from that spot then the other; winner could advance with said resources into the next round if feasible. I was also thinking viruses or diseases; a lot of fictional ones there. Have a round where the armies must find a means to save as much as the core group as they could with whatever they have available at the time; make it even better if both armies were also attacking each other at the same time or being invaded by another force all together.

As I said just a sketch of ideas. Still working out exactly how I'd formulate mine but that'll probably wait until some sort of template conditions are settled.

[KJ Stewart]

Right, as the standard Rumblers League has lost its appeal and is no longer a draw (at least for the foreseeable future), we'll go ahead with this idea.

Initial interest was satisfactory and I'm sure we can get more once the format is confirmed.

Before I officially start signup, I need concrete ideas to put in to practice. My vision of this is vague, so some ideas for the slot categories (genius, mage, grunt etc) and their power levels would be good.

Also, how would we want to do the fights/challenges? Strategy based? Personally, I think strategies are going to be essential for such complex team setups, but I'd like an overall view from everyone.

But please... throw ideas at me, as requested, for slots and power levels.

[vycesyn]

I agree that challenges should in part fall into strategy , with both use of the terrain and conditions set into place. By conditions I'm suggesting as I said above something like a disease running through the camps and your teams have to work around sickly combatants needing aid, looking for a cure it, finding a way to use it as a weapon etc. Another idea as well is having two groups battling each other while contending with a third NPC group; whether by coercion, blackmail, out and out assault and so on.

I like both Stigma's original and my own as far as the general slot go but maybe a compromise can come into play here. How about having the general being at least Spider-man's power but have an epic hero/villain slot. This persona only battles against the other side's epic on the battlefield; this is the drama unfolding away from the main battle in a story arc for example..something akin to there's tons battling around them but all eyes sort of still watched Hector and Achilles sort of deal...where these two can go off to challenge themselves in midst of the battle about them.

Genius slot works also but I'd say maybe Stark's range and lesser? Hard for me to sort out without a more diverse idea of some of the IQ's.

Mage is a good idea as is a healer/first aid.

Combat orientated fiction is not my cup of tea however some ideas of slots to think on would be:

Aerial unit:
Marine/Naval unit
Light infantry
Calvary
Animal: By which I'd keep it to one core creature like say LockJaw o r Mouse something like that...they should help in the battle more as support then be direct battle sorts unless they are part of the general's ensemble i.e He-man and Battle Cat. Else we'd have dragons and the like everywhere; not a bad idea but probably needs to be in it's own sort of named slot.

Grunt is good. Artillery would be another slot to add in I think. Maybe special forces. Marital Artists/Ninja. How about a Spy Ring/Covert group used to steal ideas, sabotage units and cause havoc on the other side.

Could also have a communications and/or propaganda unit depending on some of the locales and scenarios that come into play.

Edit: Working on thoughts for power levels for said slot ideas. Just wanted to get them out in the main view for thought and building onto.

[Sharkerbob]

Captain Avenger did a couple things like this sometime ago. Could dig through that, if it helps.

http://forums.comicbookresources.com...ion-Tournament

http://forums.comicbookresources.com...eation-Tourney


In particular, I suggested this thing as a possible tourney template.

http://forums.comicbookresources.com...25#post8862625

[Stigma Rex]

I know we started lists for bases, and armies at one point, but I can't seem to find them.

Anyways I think we need to limit the power level to Spiderman/Movie Ironman levels, with additional considerations for magic/telepathy/other esoterics. I'd propose a power level something like this:

Level One: human level opponents with limited combat experience/gear, or their equals Example: Walkers (the Walking Dead), Attack Dogs (Call of Duty)

Level Two: Human level opponents with modern soldier levels combat experience/gear Example: Jaffa Warriors (Stargate), Marines (Halo),

Level Three: Above human level with either enchanced weaponry or stats, also include low level vehicles in here Example: Xenomorphs (Aliens), Universal Soliders, Brotherhood of Steel (Fallout 3), as well as things like Technicals (Call of Duty), and Mantas (Unreal 2004)

Level 4 elite level soldiers whose stats and equipment far out weigh your average soldier, they may have powers, this should also include mid level vehicles Examples: T-800s (Terminator), Jedi (Star Wars), and things like M1 Abrhams (Real World), and the AT ST (Star Wars)

Level 5 - Literal Super Soldiers, and top tier vehicles Examples: Predators, Decipticons (Movie Transformers), and T-Xs, and vehicles like the AT AT (Star Wars), the Prawn Mech in District 9, and Justin Hammer's Hameroids (Iron Man 2)

Just a rough idea of how I'd think to do it anyway.

[vycesyn]

No much time to look at Sharker's links tonight but I'll try to check that out tomorrow after work. I really like like some of Stigma's examples for levels especially level three since I have more then a passing knowledge with the Fallout series of games. Still suggesting that we at least have a slot for hero sort with, going with Stigma's idea, that person being Level 6 or however high a level one wants to take this too. Although we'd might have to play a little more in depth in terms of Jedi and Sith. Considering the fluctuation of Master vs say student of the force some of them would fit in that Level 4 while others might be a bit higher; might apply to other types of organizations like them as well.

[KJ Stewart]

There's not going to be a series of 'levels' for foot soldiers, I'll get that in there early. You get one type of soldier who must, individually, not be able to beat a certain character (as yet unspecified).

Having 5 or 6 kinds, all of differing levels, gets way too RPGish for my liking and adds 500-600 members per team, which is beyond the size of tournament that I'm really prepared to control.

Essentially, you'll get the slots, one type of soldier (around 100 of those) and a fleet of one type of vehicle.

The bases are another thing I'm unsure of. Dunno how to really give these a power cap.