Comments on: How to Design Outstanding Superhero Costumes

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Sat, 21 May 2011 08:19:26 +0000

I really liked New Vegas. The game engine is pretty much the same as in vanilla Fallout 3, but I thought it was a lot smoother.

–There’s more variety of enemies.

–I thought that getting rid of the Big Guns skill (merging the weapons into other skills) was a nice touch. I would have liked the weapons skills to be a bit better balanced. In particular, I thought that Firearms was too much better than Energy Weapons–the game got SO easy when I acquired an anti-tank rifle and a sniper rifle.
I tried playing through the first time with Energy Weapons and it was unbelievably difficult to get through the first few towns with the **** energy weapons I managed to find.

–Fewer of the skills felt completely worthless. There were a surprising amount of speech checks that hinged on Barter and even some Medicine ones.

–The graphics were a lot easier on the eyes. Las Vegas and the surrounding terrain were bombed-out and relentlessly ugly than the aptly-named Capitol Wasteland in vanilla Fallout 3.

–One of the vaults (the one with the nefarious elections) was very interesting. It almost made up for the two that infuriated me (the one overrun with plants and the one that was badly irradiated).

–The game did a better job keeping the character getting incredibly powerful weapons and armor until too late in the game.

–The game designers obviously put a lot more thought into the ending cinematic based on the decisions the character made throughout the game. I still don’t think it was as well-polished as Arcanum’s ending cinematic, but it was a vast improvement over vanilla Fallout 3. Likewise, the ending bosses were much more satisfying than the one-shot wonder at the end of vanilla Fallout 3.

–I don’t really feel like the character’s decisions actually affected the gameplay enough. For example, your main quest at the start of the game is to get revenge on Benny for shooting you and stealing your package. There are two main paths through the quest I found and they work out exactly the same.
1: You can scare Benny off and track him down to Caesar’s camp, where he’s been taken prisoner. Caesar GIVES you the package.
2: You can kill Benny (difficult but not impossible, especially if you have the Sneak to smuggle large weapons past the guards) and retake the package. Then you have to go to Caesar’s camp to use it.

After a lot of effort, I managed to kill Benny before he could flee, but the plot STILL railroaded me to go to Caesar’s ugly-ass fort of shacks on the ****ing edge of nowhere.

–The game has two main factions, the New California Republic and the Roman Legion. NCR (the more or less good guys) is practically EVERYWHERE. There are at least 50 (maybe hundreds) of named NCR characters and related quests. In contrast, the Roman Legion (misogynistic slavers) have pretty much only two tenements, including the aforementioned ugly-ass shack fort on the ****ing edge of nowhere. They have extremely few quests compared to NCR and, given that they also hate technology in addition to liberty and women, have pretty much no useful ranged weapons and are thoroughly unlikable to boot. Also, I think I made first contact with the Legion around ten hours into the game, compared to maybe one hour for the NCR. So… if the game is set up so that one of your major choices is whether you side with the NCR, the Legion or none of the above, I feel it would help to balance out the choices a bit better. PS: Navigating through the aforementioned ugly-ass shack fort on the ****ing edge of nowhere is frustrating and generally an assault on the senses. The NCR settlements are generally much easier to navigate.

–For most of the game, deathclaws will kill you nearly instantly! I loved this, actually. It worked an element of fear into the wilderness that I thought was missing from vanilla Fallout 3.

–I liked the challenges system. (For example, killing several hundred enemies makes you Lord Death, which gives you +1% damage against everything, and killing several hundred MORE makes you Lord Death of Murder Mountain, which gives you “+2% damage against everything, because you like killing everything.”

By: Ragged Boy

Ragged Boy — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:26:04 +0000

I liked The Pitt, they had a cool gritty feel and their armors were great, but I wasn’t that big on Anchorage (I got the Gauss Rifle out of it, though). It was okay in my book. I loved Desmond Lockhart and The Backwater Rifle in Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta was my kinda creepy alien goodness.

By: ShardReaper

ShardReaper — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:53:35 +0000

@RB Operation Anchorage and The Pitt were the best out of the 5, especially The Pitt’s cage fighting.

By: Wings

Wings — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:52:17 +0000

…I will never understand fanboys, I will never understand fanboys, I will never understand fanboys.

And you say that the fangirls are weird.

- Wings

By: Ragged Boy

Ragged Boy — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:48:13 +0000

New Vegas!! *Bangs head on a wall in excitement*

@B. Mac: You never found Oasis? It was right at the top of the map in the very center. You didn’t meet Harold whose roots were set in Fallout 2, you’d get the roots joke if you’d seen him. He’s a tree-man.

You should look into the DLC’s The Pitt, Mothership Zeta (MPLX Novasurge Plasma Pistol!), Operation Anchorage, and Point Lookout (my personal favorite). They are definitely a different change of pace.

By: Wings

Wings — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:28:19 +0000

I recall P being rather obsessed with this “Fallout” game. If I remember correctly, just mentioning the words “New Vegas” in front of him caused him to start banging his head against a wall in excitement.

…It’s times like that when I believe myself to be the only sane being left.

- Wings

By: ShardReaper

ShardReaper — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:49:29 +0000

@B Mac, I’m still trying to think of effective ways to merge the two together. I think I might replace the helmet with something like a balaclava. Or I just might have them go with their own costumes, much like other superheroes do.

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 03:40:38 +0000

The final boss died in one shot. What.
Also, in no particular order:

The game was fiercely depressing and there were no plants or clean water even in the ending. (I hear there was a forest preserve somewhere, but I never found it). In contrast, Fallout 2 was pretty light-hearted for a game about a nuclear war. And hilarious.

Everything in the game looks bombed-out and ugly (after a nuclear war, go figure, right?). In contrast, the biggest cities in Fallout 2 (San Francisco, New California Republic and even Reno) looked much more pleasant than Megaton or the aircraft carrier. The refurbished hotel looked neat, but it only had two quests and a few shops.

The plotting and scene selection were pretty forgettable. The Matrix-meets-Pleasantville Vault was a lot of fun, but besides that and the initial glimpse of the Washington skyline, I can't think of anything else in the game that really felt awesome.

It would probably have helped if there were more variety in the monsters/antagonists. I'd guess 75% of the creatures I fought in the game were mutants or supermutant brutes.

I thought Washington, DC was the star of the show. (Abraham Lincoln's rifle for the win!) I would have liked if the Vaults had played a bigger role.

Many parts of it felt slapped together: most of the vaults, the closed-off White House, the ending (especially), the end battle, forgetting that Fawkes is immune to radiation and could have gone in the death chamber instead of you (they later rewrote the ending to fix this), etc.

The music was extraordinarily bad, particularly for a game meant for massive replay.

I had a few problems with quests breaking. Particularly the superhero one.
So, yeah. I don't think it was a bad game, just a below-average one.

By: Ragged Boy

Ragged Boy — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:16:41 +0000

“If you’re into postapocalyptic sci-fi, I’d also recommend looking into Fallout 3. It was a below-average game but it had a strong visual style.”

Opinion strikes. I love Fallout 3, I’m patiently waiting on the drop date for New Vegas.

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:17:04 +0000

Hopeful said: “I was thinking of an trench coat/hat combo with a black mask extending down to his nose.” If it fits your story, great.

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:09:18 +0000

SR, I like your top reference a lot. I liked the subtle medieval touches. One minor quibble: the ornamentation on the helmet is bugging me a bit and I'd probably cut out the three pieces that hang out at the very top of the helmet. Across the board, the ornamentation might create manpower issues for your artistic team if each issue had 75+ panels with this suit of armor. But I suspect that it'd be easy to work out something similar.
If you're into postapocalyptic sci-fi, I'd also recommend looking into Fallout 3. It was a below-average game but it had a strong visual style. Also, the cover of Fallout 2. The game is very old, but the cover had an interestingly sinister flavor.
The Loonatics are not working for me. For one thing, the series looks to me like anime that wasn't very well-executed. Personally, I think the frail-looking limb proportions and other stylization elements undermine what I imagine* is supposed to be a mostly serious, gritty feel. It'd be vaguely like dipping Pokemon in black paint. There's more to noir art than just dark colors. Also, in the picture above, it was REALLY hard for me to tell Daffy apart from Road Runner.
I'm not very familiar with sci-fi anime and manga, but I think Evangelion and Godzilla convey a foreboding mood more effectively. As for darker Japanese series outside of sci-fi, I think Death Note and Battle Royale are worth checking out.
*I've never seen the show. My only knowledge of it is a New York Times article about how hard it is to try a new style without alienating or angering the old fans.

By: Hopeful

Hopeful — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:30:19 +0000

I was thinking of an trench coat/hat combo with a black mask extending down to his nose

By: ShardReaper

ShardReaper — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:56:07 +0000

Costumes like these for a futuristic setting, perhaps?

http://u6.popcornfor2.com/show/PLr65e63.jpg

http://www.onedigitallife.com/images/loonytoons-loonatics.jpg

By: B. Mac

B. Mac — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:16:25 +0000

"What kind of costume would a psychic character have?" I think it depends more on the story's setting and mood and the character's personality than on the powers. Also, the target audience. The origin story might also play a role, too.
Setting: something appropriate with the character's region and time and any unusual background circumstances. (For example, in a world where everybody is very impoverished, clothes that were gaudy rather than utilitarian would probably warrant an explanation).
Mood: what emotional impression are you going for? The hero of a grim and gritty story would probably dress differently than the child hero of a PG series.
Target audience: I think adults respond better to relatively sober colors and more utilitarian clothing. Bright capes and spandex are fun, but they're harder to take seriously.
Origin story: something that fits with the character's background and his resources. For example, somebody who got psychic powers through a gypsy curse would probably wear a different uniform (or perhaps even no regular uniform) than somebody who was selected for top-secret government experimentation and became a psychic commando. Depending on professions, these characters may have symbolic clothing/accessories such as labcoats or military-style camo or whatever.
Character's personality: There are a lot of ways this could go. What's the character's personality like?
The needs of the character: for example, stealthy characters would probably want to wear something that is less likely to get caught on stuff while they sneak around and would probably want colors that stick out less. If keeping the character's identity secret is important, I'd recommend a mask of some sort (either physical or one that's mentally generated). Depending on the logistical needs of the story, you might have psychics dress themselves psychically because it'll be faster than having them sneak into a bathroom (or whatever) whenever they're needed. If the character moves around in space or water a lot, I'd recommend something airtight like Ironman. (Alternatively, Batman does both with minor adjustments to his default suit).
If the hero usually wears his costume under civilian clothes, I'd recommend something relatively tight and trim. (IE, not capes).

By: Ragged Boy

Ragged Boy — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:18:32 +0000

Loysquared: I’m glad you like my style. I’m still getting there and it takes forever. I think I’m at the part where I’m supposed to be learning by trying to draw other people’s art until I get the concepts down. I plan to upload more new art soon, so maybe give it a look. Where’s your work?

Hopeful: Realistically, a character can wear whatever you they want and be a superhero. Showtime wears flashy clothes with alien armor on top. However, You’re probably going for a psychic feel with their costume. In that case, I’d recommend deep colors: blues, indigo, purples, and pink or black could work as an accent color. Conversely, white strikes me as something a psychic would wear. Of course, the mixing and matching is all up to you.

As for the look, that can go many ways as well:

Cloaks and robes: (especially one’s with dramatic tails and sleeves) These remind me of Final Fantasy, but could work very well depending on the setting.

Suits: I think psychics are at their coolest when they look sharp and this goes with a more modern setting. Gloves, shades, and hats could add a touch of mystery. A long coat will make them the gangster of psychics. Also, If you’re working in a visual medium like comics, suits can vary more in appearance if you like your character to stay fresh. A three piece can turn into a vest and shirt, roll up the sleeves and he looks like a brawler, loose the vest and he’s ready for a swim, etc.

Bodysuit: These have more of that superhero feel, but can still be super appealing. I tend to put pieces of armor on my bodysuits, but you could do this with psychic accessories. Visors, scarves, bracelets/bracers, belts, earrings, etc. You could easily justify things that look flashy by saying something like “The earrings (or other jewelry) are made of an organic metal that boosts telekinetic waves” or “The bracelets, belt, choker, and boot cuffs work as a unit creating a protective psychic barrier around the wearer”.

Regular/Thrift Clothes: If your character has a budget (like mine) they could hit up the local thrift store and put “super” outfits together. They could use an old hockey mask and paint it black or something. Or wear a shades and hood combo. This one is very believable and fun to play around with.

Do you have an ideas?