When inspiration becomes plagiarisation?
By
Arctic_Princess,
Posted on: 2008-05-01 21:30 in Roleplaying
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1 Bounty hunter?
2 The Shadow
3 A mixture of Iron man and others including Iron Lad
4 Vision?
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If you say it like that all heroes or villains we create will be findable in marvel or dc. They have thousands of heroes already.
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True but he did ask.
Its not the starting point that matters character wise after all but how you develope him/her.
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Here here.
And from what I've read, that's the way the community see's it. No matter what your inspiration, it's the final execution that's important about a character. There's a difference between creating an homage to Spiderman and cloning him, the latter being punishable by shunning and banishment. 
It takes Chaos to move the world to Action.
Something Hates just said about Spider-Man clones rang a bell!
I have 2 current characters and 1 now-deleted one.
Henry Bansford, a.k.a. Beetle Boy - he may not have the powers of Spidey but he is an awkward teenager etc. Although I guess that's more of a character archetype.
Queen Bea - heavily borrowed from Nanny Ogg, without the sexuality of said witch.
Starlokk - basically Rogue (Southern Belle, super strength, invulnerable) - now deleted as she was dull to play.
Sorry for listing, but this topic has sparked interest for me in why I create the characters I do and also points out to me that, no matter how superbly original I consider the toons I create, they're all based on things I've read or watched.
My 2 cents.
Isn't it amazing how many multi-millionaires / corporate heads we have around? There are only going to be so many people in Paragon with enough personal resources to throw into making a stupidly high tech suit for their own personal plaything. Not to mention the huge amount of R&D you'd need. Take the Crey Corp. Huge multinational and they're still working on developing "tank" suits that are more than target practice.
It'd be nice if some of the new powerarmoured ones took some of the suggested routes other than the "self built" one. If a dozen people suddenly pop out of the woodwork with a few hundred mil in the bank and their own infrastructure, it'll grate. But just think of how many discarded / damaged suits there must be out there after all this time and all those heroes.
The heroic cannot be the common, nor the common the heroic.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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many discarded / damaged suits there must be out there after all this time and all those heroes.
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Which is kinda the route I'd be heading in....
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My 2 cents.
Isn't it amazing how many multi-millionaires / corporate heads we have around? There are only going to be so many people in Paragon with enough personal resources to throw into making a stupidly high tech suit for their own personal plaything. Not to mention the huge amount of R&D you'd need. Take the Crey Corp. Huge multinational and they're still working on developing "tank" suits that are more than target practice.
It'd be nice if some of the new powerarmoured ones took some of the suggested routes other than the "self built" one. If a dozen people suddenly pop out of the woodwork with a few hundred mil in the bank and their own infrastructure, it'll grate. But just think of how many discarded / damaged suits there must be out there after all this time and all those heroes.
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My armored one inherited after Russia government fonded the project for years. His father was the creator of it. No Multi-muljionair here.
- The Italian Job: The Godfather Returns #1151
Beginner - Encounter a renewed age for the Mook and the Family when Emile Marcone escapes from the Zig!
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Average - A new race of aliens arrives on Earth. And Vanguard has you investigate them!
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Advanced - Go back in time and witness the birth of a vampire. Follow her to key moments in her life in order to stop her! A story of intrigue, drama and horror! Blood & Violence... not recommend to solo!
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Isn't it amazing how many multi-millionaires / corporate heads we have around?
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^This is the main reason that Crimson Archer won his fortune in a lottery! He's still trailer trash at heart and is still a bit bemused by having so much money. 
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But just think of how many discarded / damaged suits there must be out there after all this time and all those heroes.
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Let's not forget the options of organic powered armour (i.e. Guyver) or magical armoured suits (i.e. the new Blue Beetle). There are more avenues available that just welding and rivets which still involve comicbook inspiration! 
Formerly @Crimson Archer, now @CA
The Militia - Protecting Paragon City through roleplaying since June 2006!
Part of the problem is inherent in the very concept of a hi-tech armour suit. Since it generally costs so much money, anyone who has one would tend to be either stinking rich, or is in hock to an army or corp. In the latter case they're not a hero, just another goon (cf. Paragon protectors.) 90% of the heroes with military backing at some stage in their careers have all gone either rogue, officially retired, or otherwise taken themselves out of the chain of command.
Nobody wants to be just a cog in the machine. Unfortunately, you kind of have to be, unless your suit is yours and nobody elses. Masses of money is one of the very few ways to truly achieve that (there are others, but it's a good standby)
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
I'm going to have to disagree with the above. Even heroes are "grunts" to one organisation or another. That's what the licenses mean - and joining Vanguard, Ouroboros, or any other organisation can be a good way to rationalise the use of a suit. Sometimes the more mundane explanation for acquiring something for your character makes things more believable than having your own personal billions-of-pounds organisation which you've handed yourself.
Jean-Luc has a suit? Why? Because he has a severe toxic reaction to rikti gas. Yes, a vulnerability! As a result he's testing one of their protective armour-suits, (more a spacesuit than battle-tech) and has to fight with Vanguard for the pleasure. There's ways to make it work and keeping your feet on the ground - whilst still reaching for the stars of course!
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Part of the problem is inherent in the very concept of a hi-tech armour suit. Since it generally costs so much money, anyone who has one would tend to be either stinking rich, or is in hock to an army or corp.
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One of the reasons I shy away from tech origin and powers. I overthink things, true, but playing someone who has a suit, or gloves, leads me to think of a few things:
We're super rich (not just rich) in order to afford it.
We're super smart to have made it and also repair it.
We are *not* super smart, so instead we are part of an organization which leads back to us being super rich or being employed by said organization.
None of these entice me for RP purposes. Being employed, being rich, being super smart.
So personally I stick to characters a la Lea, self-powered and independent, even if struggling for a living but their powers sure help in said struggle.
Though it's true that there are organic armors and magic ones, neither of them really fits the theme of a battle suit. They are the new kids. Battle armor is Iron Man such as saying a super-man hero is SS and Invuln.
Irad has a power suit that let's him control earth and compress it into radioactive material.
He's not uspersmaart, super rich or part of an organization.
Of course when whoever made it finally try get it back that'll be a different story!
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Irad has a power suit that let's him control earth and compress it into radioactive material.
He's not uspersmaart, super rich or part of an organization.
Of course when whoever made it finally try get it back that'll be a different story!
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So he nicked it? What about maintenance, repairs and refuelling/recharging?
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
It's fairlyself sustaining in regards to fuel, being able to make nuclear material is pretty handy! I'm sure it'll eventually run out of power, but not any time in Irad's lifetime.
Repairs and Maintinance are done be a seperate repair robot, it bugs him for new parts all the time.
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ne of the reasons I shy away from tech origin and powers. I overthink things, true, but playing someone who has a suit, or gloves, leads me to think of a few things:
We're super rich (not just rich) in order to afford it.
We're super smart to have made it and also repair it.
We are *not* super smart, so instead we are part of an organization which leads back to us being super rich or being employed by said organization.
None of these entice me for RP purposes. Being employed, being rich, being super smart.
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What about the possibility of the suit or tech being given to the character by an older hero? The whole "passing the torch" idea is a staple of comic book culture. It doesn't even involve the character fully understanding the tech they're given, which gives rise to an explanation for leveling (finding a new trick on the tech). Look at "Batman Beyond" for a great way for this to work with mentor and character working together and providing lots of RP possibilities!
The DC heroine "Manhunter" makes use of villain tech which she borrows from Police evidence stores. She doesn't always know what it can does, but does have it available. Always a nice idea to turn the weapons of the enemy against themselves.
The point is that this is a comic book game, you can justify anything from a tramp with an alien tech power ring which encaes him in a power suit to an executive in a tower of glass and steel with 20 suits of hi-tech armour. Don't think that money is the only way to become a hero. 
Formerly @Crimson Archer, now @CA
The Militia - Protecting Paragon City through roleplaying since June 2006!
For what its worth here is my quick run down on my 3 AI machine toons in the same vain as what others have done on this thread.
Iron Works, Steel House and Impervium Tower were not created by Dr Roberts, but a former student of his, Neil Wilson. For Iron Works, the first creation to function is nothing short of a miracle because Neil could only scrap together what he could find. If you look it Iron Work's first build (Which is still pictured on Iron Works wiki page) it looks like it has been put togeher with sticky tape!
The only reason Steel House (2nd Creation) and Impervium Tower (Final creation) were as advanced as they are, was because Neil could steal better materials and equipment with the help of his previous creations.
The Dunelm Group only inherited Iron Works and Steel House after Neil's death, just like The Court of the Blood Countess have Impervium Tower as it was found by The Countess herself on the beach of Primeva in Nerva.
Iron Works and Steel House are maintained by Dr Roberts at base using his knowledge as a Doctor of engineering. While he certainly has the funds to buy material to upgrade or repair the units, they are usually repaired with salvaged material from the groups engagements as a way of linking the Invention system in game to the RP situation. Its also down to Dr Roberts being big on recycling as he was influenced greatly by his late wife who was a bit of an eco crusader.
Dr Roberts also gets assistance from students at Paragon University due to the team being based there until they can gain access to their original base in Durham. Students being able to use Iron Works and Steel House as part of their study, is part of the deal between Dr Roberts and the University which allow the group to be based at the University campus in Steel Canyon.
In the case of Impervium Tower, his power is self sustaining (Thank you Power Sink ) and purposely generates a surplus in order to create the units electric armor. Any other repairs or upgrades are done by The Courts mad scientists and materials used would be gained from ether salvage or anything that can be stolen, which is typical of any villain group really.
Credit goes to FrankyT49 for animated avatar
List of toons on Union Handbook
Leon Tasker: "Dunelm Group! What is your profession?"
Dunelm Group: "OOOOORRRAAAAH!"
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1 Bounty hunter?
2 The Shadow
3 A mixture of Iron man and others including Iron Lad
4 Vision?
[/ QUOTE ]
If you say it like that all heroes or villains we create will be findable in marvel or dc. They have thousands of heroes already.
[/ QUOTE ]
True but he did ask.
Its not the starting point that matters character wise after all but how you develope him/her.
Brawling Cactus from a distant planet.