Saying Good-Bye to Marvel Champions

I recently wrote a post about saying goodbye to Torchbearer. That post was an attempt to say that I found Torchbearer objectively fine, but not my cup of tea, something that I regret. That is not the case with Marvel Champions. I think it's got some foundational, objective flaws, which have slowly poisoned my enjoyment of the game, to the point to where I do not wish to play anymore. If you still like the game after reading the post more power to you. While I've no vitriol in mind I will not pull punches either. If I think something wrong I will say it.

Let's give the props where it's due: Marvel Champions is a fantastic pick-up LCG. The rest of my critiques need to be taken in this context. This is a good enough game, mechanically speaking. It is fun to play and can be quite engaging, particularly in a group setting. As the game ages and as the designers get the villain design down we're going to see some truly spectacular things from this game. And that's great! But I won't be along for the ride.

For the record, most of my comments come as a solo player of this game. If your response to any of my points is "But it doesn't work that way in a group!".... first off I doubt it, as I'm talking about some pretty foundational stuff. But second off, I've already given the disclaimer: because of logistics I've mostly played this game solo.

The number one, biggest problem, is that I find deckbuilding unsatisfying. The tricks just do not seem to matter to me. There isn't that kick of adrenaline for the vast majority of the game. It's feels too simple for me: do damage, remove threat and that's it! There's not enough dials for me to tinker with. Remove threat. Deal damage. Rinse. Repeat. And the tools just don't do it for me. The only aspect that I really connected with, Protection, just seems to be so hampered by... well... everything. Quicksilver finally did something substantial to address the issue, but it's something, not an actual fix. Regardless of whatever little boondoggle you've done the very next turn that threat will go up and possibly damage may be healed. It just doesn't feel like I did anything. Because there's only two things to really muck with it's hard to feel like I'm making progress.

And that brings us to actual scenario design. Again, there are only really two ways to interact with said design: keep the threat down while knocking the dude out, twice. 

Yes, yes, three times for Kang. 

Thank you, but that's not a substantive enough difference for me.

Given that there's no real way to interact with the game beyond threat and damage, you can't really do very much. Norman Osborn's scenario is a great idea... until you realize you have to beat him to a pulp, and that's all you can do. Ooh, there's scheming tokens or whatever? They go away when you deal damage. Goody, not only have you not invented a mechanic to deal with this unique and great idea, but you've made player's cards feel less effective because it's not even doing what it was designed to do. And that may be a bit mean, but considering just how discouraging it is to essentially waste your time because the designers wouldn't reach a bit more out of the box?

I don't like that. And I don't think it unreasonable to do so.

But the ultimately damning thing for me is that this is all the designers think Marvel is about. Marvel is about people being heroes, despite themselves. No, really, that's it. If you disagree, tough. Because that's what Marvel has been about since Lee and Kirby and Ditko started churning out their amazing stories. Period. Yes, if you disagree you're wrong. Flat. Tough if you don't like it.

Now, part of that formula includes kick-ass action. That is absolutely true. And I want that in a Marvel game, don't get me wrong! That's part of it. But what makes those villains compelling has so much more to do with them as people. Doc Ock is an abused child looking for respect. Red Skull wants his golden age back. Rhino is heartbroken from losing his wife and is trying to find purpose again. The Masters of Evil are common thugs who just want to pull off their big score. Kang wants a proactive approach to the problems of the world. Spidey doesn't punch his problems most of the time, he solves them with science and heart. Captain America is struggling with feeling irrelevant. Tony is an asshole who doesn't want to be one.

Okay, that last part was a bit mean.

Oh well.

Point is. 

I feel like the most important part of Marvel is missing. No, having Obligations doesn't cut it. Having cute little alter-ego cards isn't what I'm look ingfor, either. What makes a Marvel hero work is who they are under the costume. There needs to be more levers in alter-ego than healing and a few cute tricks surrounding supporting your super hero form. But that would require more going on with the villains than what they have. Which would require a significant amount of tweaking with the base system.

And that's really what I'm left with. The base system is myopic. I don't care about the fights if character isn't involved. And the thing is that card games can do this. It's not outside the realm of possibility. The game can be fun, but the lack of goals beyond threat and damage really hurts the game. A lot more can be done with this property. And it could have been. And it wasn't.