Superhero values confrontations

Justin and I shifted over to one of his other designs in progress, Origin, which has a nice values-based resolution idea and lends itself to “but that wouldn’t be right” play among superheroes.

Part 1 (embedded below) goes right into my critique of one of his values-axes, i.e. a polarized spectrum, to address the perceived many/few or Trolley question as it applies to superhero stories.

Part 2 is the heart of the matter: whether and how “you get” the kind of multi-polar situational crisis in play Justin wants, or whether you can design for its likelihood and not front-load it.

Part 3 goes into the comics again to critique the perceived hard-ass/softie axis in superhero stories, using Wolverine/Cyclops and Punisher/Daredevil. Warning: not a standard analysis.

Part 4 dips into one of my Patreon posts regarding the Kalashnikov rifle (AK-47) as a relevant metaphor for role-playing design.

Part 5 applies the point to his overall design and to one of his proposed mechanics, Ethical Abilities.

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