Need help fighting the dreaded MinMaxer.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Yes, this. I was trying to indicate that what is sometimes called 'fluff' should sometimes be given a higher importance. For example, I recently asked if Independent Body parts could use a character's innate attacks when they are separate. The answer some gave is it depends on where the attack is said to come out from, a matter not specified by rule, but suddenly significant.

That's not fluff. It actually matters in terms of game mechanics whether your energy beams come from your hands, eye or nostrils even though it doesn't cost points to choose between the options. Fluff is game material that has no mechanics whatsoever attached to it.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by trooper6

Car bought as an Ally is going to have to sentient in some way because allies are NPCs played by the GM. Allies are also going to want things from the PC and will leave them if they are treated badly. That is going to result in a really different dynamic than just some Sig Gear car.

Actually, you can buy a nonsentient car. You give it Compartmentalized Mind (Controls) and it has IQ 0 and can only act when you operate it. And it still counts as an Ally, but one without volition. In fact it's exempt from the usual upper limit on the point cost of an Ally.

At this point, what you have done is to spend CP on the vehicle, rather than cash, even cash paid for as Signature Gear.

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Actually, you can buy a nonsentient car. You give it Compartmentalized Mind (Controls) and it has IQ 0 and can only act when you operate it. And it still counts as an Ally, but one without volition. In fact it's exempt from the usual upper limit on the point cost of an Ally.

At this point, what you have done is to spend CP on the vehicle, rather than cash, even cash paid for as Signature Gear.

But that Puppet is going to cost more points right? An extra 5, plus the car will have to be statted out as character to figure out the point cost...the ally car would be quite a bit more expensive than the Sig Gear car, no?

[Langy]

Originally Posted by trooper6

But that Puppet is going to cost more points right? An extra 5, plus the car will have to be statted out as character to figure out the point cost...the ally car would be quite a bit more expensive than the Sig Gear car, no?

Puppet isn't required for that build - it's not a Possession build, it's a build with the car having the Compartmentalized Mind (Controls) advantage.

But yeah, it's probably going to be more expensive than the signature gear car - and designed in that way so that it can have special powers that other cars do not have (such as the power of flight, or rocket launchers, or whatever).

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by trooper6

But that Puppet is going to cost more points right? An extra 5, plus the car will have to be statted out as character to figure out the point cost...the ally car would be quite a bit more expensive than the Sig Gear car, no?

Very probably. The payoff is that you can give it abilities that aren't technologically realistic and can't be interpreted as purchasable devices.

[Kalzazz]

You can combine the two. Buy the car as Sig Gear, and then buy Ally for it. Is in Supers

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Langy

...
But yeah, it's probably going to be more expensive than the signature gear car - and designed in that way so that it can have special powers that other cars do not have (such as the power of flight, or rocket launchers, or whatever).

An always working car in a hypothetical Stone Age campaign would likely be absurdly expensive with the doubling per TL
"No time to explain. Get in the car, Ally Oop."

[Kalzazz]

If you are going to do the whole 'discuss game idea with players and get character ideas ahead of time', it is important to actually try to take player preferences into account. If the player describes their concept as 'modern tank', and the character in question is wearing SM+2 bright pink Ultra Tech battle armor (combat walker) and carrying a SM+2 large shield and has Shield Wall training perk and Defensive Imbuements, then chances are that the player did not actually envision their character as a stealth mission magnet

[ericthered]

I admit there is some derogatory meaning in 'fluff'. But most of the time to me it's 'my version is better' rather than 'fluff is worthless'.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

If you are going to do the whole 'discuss game idea with players and get character ideas ahead of time', it is important to actually try to take player preferences into account. If the player describes their concept as 'modern tank', and the character in question is wearing SM+2 bright pink Ultra Tech battle armor (combat walker) and carrying a SM+2 large shield and has Shield Wall training perk and Defensive Imbuements, then chances are that the player did not actually envision their character as a stealth mission magnet

Within limits. Sometimes the prospectus says, "We will be doing X and Y," and then if the players sign up I expect them to be ready to do X and Y. If Z is compatile with X and Y, they can do that too; but if P and Q are not, then they shouldn't build characters designed to do P and Q. Their preference for P and Q doesn't matter, because they agreed to set it aside when they signed up.