Comments on: By way of crow: the ICONS Contest http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/ One man's blog about games and social media Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:23:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Ryan Macklin http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1118 Ryan Macklin Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:36:59 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1118 Closing this post. The results will be announced soon! (Today or tomorrow) - Ryan Closing this post. The results will be announced soon! (Today or tomorrow)

- Ryan

]]> By: Aaron http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1115 Aaron Tue, 01 Jun 2010 23:52:04 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1115 I shall make one last appeal – It is superheroes! How many superhero RPGs are there? Okay, besides M&M. That doesn't use FATE, and FATE is awesome. I shall make one last appeal –

It is superheroes! How many superhero RPGs are there?

Okay, besides M&M. That doesn’t use FATE, and FATE is awesome.

]]> By: Chris Czerniak http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1108 Chris Czerniak Mon, 31 May 2010 06:30:09 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1108 I got to play Icons at Strategicon this weekend. Here is the character I rolled (from memory). USAssasin Origins :Transformed (+2 power or ability) Prowess: 6 (8 with bonus) Coordination: 2 Strength: 3 Intellect: 4 Awareness: 4 Willpower: 5 Determination: 1 Stamina: 8 Powers (4) Movement-> Teleportation lvl 4 Offensive-> Strike lvl 5 Mental-> Mind Shield lvl 5 Alternation -> Chameleon lvl 4 Specialties (3) Military Stealth Weapon Quality: Government Agent Challenge: Protecting assigned target Femme Fatal (another PC) Jeb Sparks was special forces who was shot and killed. The government was able to bring him back using experimental drugs. He was then trained as an assassin with Femme Fatal, an alien. When she went rogue he was sent to exterminate her. He has reported her dead and helps cover her tracks from the government while they both work for Team US. After playing Icons I found it is not the be all, end all of super hero games. I still think there is plenty of room for other games. For me it is a silly and fun pickup game like In Specters, Low Life or Paranoia. You also get some really random silly results. We had a player he got gimmick with two powers: Life Support and Super senses. He made "Lost Astronaut" who basically a guy always in an astronaut suit. I got to play Icons at Strategicon this weekend. Here is the character I rolled (from memory).

USAssasin

Origins :Transformed (+2 power or ability)

Prowess: 6 (8 with bonus)
Coordination: 2
Strength: 3
Intellect: 4
Awareness: 4
Willpower: 5
Determination: 1
Stamina: 8

Powers (4)
Movement-> Teleportation lvl 4
Offensive-> Strike lvl 5
Mental-> Mind Shield lvl 5
Alternation -> Chameleon lvl 4

Specialties (3)
Military
Stealth
Weapon

Quality: Government Agent
Challenge: Protecting assigned target Femme Fatal (another PC)

Jeb Sparks was special forces who was shot and killed. The government was able to bring him back using experimental drugs. He was then trained as an assassin with Femme Fatal, an alien. When she went rogue he was sent to exterminate her. He has reported her dead and helps cover her tracks from the government while they both work for Team US.

After playing Icons I found it is not the be all, end all of super hero games. I still think there is plenty of room for other games. For me it is a silly and fun pickup game like In Specters, Low Life or Paranoia. You also get some really random silly results. We had a player he got gimmick with two powers: Life Support and Super senses. He made “Lost Astronaut” who basically a guy always in an astronaut suit.

]]> By: Brian http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1086 Brian Tue, 25 May 2010 02:16:03 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1086 Read it on the flight - best case for it would be to play. I will light the Macklin Signal (soon), run it for you and the "Demo Squad", and then we shall close out this contest. After all, ICONS - like SotC - seems best experienced. Read it on the flight – best case for it would be to play. I will light the Macklin Signal (soon), run it for you and the “Demo Squad”, and then we shall close out this contest.

After all, ICONS – like SotC – seems best experienced.

]]> By: Pookie http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1082 Pookie Mon, 24 May 2010 21:42:16 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1082 As soon as I have ICONS, the first villain I create will be called "Counting Crow." His first victim will be Ryan Macklin, who will be found gorged on humble pie for not saying sorry soon enough... His next victim...? As soon as I have ICONS, the first villain I create will be called “Counting Crow.” His first victim will be Ryan Macklin, who will be found gorged on humble pie for not saying sorry soon enough… His next victim…?

]]> By: Eddy http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1081 Eddy Mon, 24 May 2010 20:56:00 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1081 I got so many ideas for characters that I had to start fleshing out a wiki just to keep track of them all: http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/needs-must I got so many ideas for characters that I had to start fleshing out a wiki just to keep track of them all:

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/needs-must

]]> By: Josh Rensch http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1078 Josh Rensch Sun, 23 May 2010 11:33:09 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1078 That's the nice thing about these kind of systems. But it does require some buy in by the players. That’s the nice thing about these kind of systems. But it does require some buy in by the players.

]]> By: Josh Rensch http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1076 Josh Rensch Sat, 22 May 2010 18:48:00 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1076 Here is a character I just rolled up. A little weak, but will try to do better next time. Dr. Weirdo Origins : Gimmick (+2 Mental) Prowess: 4 Coordination: 5 Strength: 4 Intellect: 6 Awareness: 4 (6 with bonus) Willpower: 6 Determination: 1 Stamina: 10 Powers (5) Defensive-> Invulnerability lvl 2 Offensive-> Blinding lvl 5 Mental-> Illusion lvl 6 Control -> Time Control lvl 4 Specialties (2) Occult Mental Resistance A rare book dealer until the day he came accross the book, "Tessarcs and Other Strangeness". He made the mistake of reading the opening section and a suddenly he was watching his proposal to his wife again. It turned out this book was full of real spells. Halfway thru the book, he found that the book started to form images in his head. Here is a character I just rolled up. A little weak, but will try to do better next time.

Dr. Weirdo

Origins : Gimmick (+2 Mental)

Prowess: 4
Coordination: 5
Strength: 4
Intellect: 6
Awareness: 4 (6 with bonus)
Willpower: 6
Determination: 1
Stamina: 10

Powers (5)
Defensive-> Invulnerability lvl 2
Offensive-> Blinding lvl 5
Mental-> Illusion lvl 6
Control -> Time Control lvl 4

Specialties (2)
Occult
Mental Resistance

A rare book dealer until the day he came accross the book, “Tessarcs and Other Strangeness”. He made the mistake of reading the opening section and a suddenly he was watching his proposal to his wife again. It turned out this book was full of real spells. Halfway thru the book, he found that the book started to form images in his head.

]]> By: Steve http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1075 Steve Sat, 22 May 2010 15:01:48 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1075 I don't know that I'm eligible to play, but I just wanted to share something I found awesome about ICONS: During one of my playtest games, when the heroes were faced with a really tough bad guy and their initial attacks weren't cutting it, one player picked up the dice and asked if he could roll for his hero (who is pretty smart) to figure out some sort of weakness or tactic they could use. I basically said, "Hand over a point of Determination [ICONS' "Fate/Hero/coolness" points] and you can tell me what the villain's weakness is." The player totally got it and spun out this technobabble story of how to beat the villain. With some more die rolls and Determination spending, the heroes pulled it off! Way better than, "This sucks. We'll never beat this guy..." I don’t know that I’m eligible to play, but I just wanted to share something I found awesome about ICONS:

During one of my playtest games, when the heroes were faced with a really tough bad guy and their initial attacks weren’t cutting it, one player picked up the dice and asked if he could roll for his hero (who is pretty smart) to figure out some sort of weakness or tactic they could use.

I basically said, “Hand over a point of Determination [ICONS' "Fate/Hero/coolness" points] and you can tell me what the villain’s weakness is.”

The player totally got it and spun out this technobabble story of how to beat the villain. With some more die rolls and Determination spending, the heroes pulled it off! Way better than, “This sucks. We’ll never beat this guy…”

]]> By: Daniel M. Perez http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1073 Daniel M. Perez Fri, 21 May 2010 18:33:56 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1073 Not sure if you know, but 3rd-party ICONS products will go on sale as of August (I've a couple planned myself). Not that this affects your contest but for reason I felt this detail needed to be mentioned. My random superpower is to state uncalled-for factoids that may or may not relate tangentially to the topic at hand! Not sure if you know, but 3rd-party ICONS products will go on sale as of August (I’ve a couple planned myself). Not that this affects your contest but for reason I felt this detail needed to be mentioned.

My random superpower is to state uncalled-for factoids that may or may not relate tangentially to the topic at hand!

]]> By: Scott http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1072 Scott Fri, 21 May 2010 18:12:49 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1072 Planning on putting something here but won't have time til the weekend. Still reading the PDF (which never seems as understandable as printed version). It'll take a bit more for me to create a character. Thanks. Planning on putting something here but won’t have time til the weekend. Still reading the PDF (which never seems as understandable as printed version). It’ll take a bit more for me to create a character. Thanks.

]]> By: Aaron http://RyanMacklin.com/2010/05/by-way-of-crow-the-icons-contest/comment-page-1/#comment-1070 Aaron Thu, 20 May 2010 22:40:23 +0000 http://www.ryanmacklin.com/?p=308#comment-1070 Day One of ICONS: I create a hero whose power was to shoot oregano out of his nose, and whose weakness was pasta sauce. Where else do you get that kind of experience? (Yeah… obviously I don't actually have ICONS. But I wanted to enter anyway). Day One of ICONS: I create a hero whose power was to shoot oregano out of his nose, and whose weakness was pasta sauce. Where else do you get that kind of experience?

(Yeah… obviously I don’t actually have ICONS. But I wanted to enter anyway).

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