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| Power Rangers Hyperforce: Tuesdays at 6pm Pacific Source: @Hyper_RPG |
Afterthoughts:
Power Rangers Hyperforce - Episode 02
Episode 02 has come and gone, but before I get into the actual afterthought portion, let's talk about the basics of the game system. Power Rangers Hyperforce uses a d6 system developed by the show's game master, Malika Lim. The exact details haven't been released for general consumption, though word around the water cooler is if Saban sees there is enough demand for it, it may yet be released commercially. And while we haven't seen character sheets yet for stats and the like, the following is what I've gathered about the rest of the system
The system uses a scaled d6 mechanic:
Roll 1d6 when unmorphed.
Roll 2d6 when morphed.
Roll 3d6 when in your zord.
Use all 15d6 player die when in the megazord.
Pretty straight forward there. It seems when perfoming a task or action, the players have to roll over a preset difficulty, while when attacking, they roll against their opponents roll. Before rolling, players can then amp up their rolls or damage (or both) by using either Super (+2 roll), Mega (+2 damage), or Ultra (+1d6 to both roll AND damage) boosts. On the show, these boosts are earned through viewer donations. It is unclear if these boosts would be a normal part of the system in some form, or a mechanic specific to the live show.
There is a team mechanic the players can use, where all the players involved in the team action roll, and the assisting players add a +1 to the main acting character's roll. However, it seems to be an all or nothing mechanic as well, where if one of the players in a team action fails, they all fail. Players also get a +1 to a roll the first time they use a skill or ability they have.
The system makes use of cards to detail different equipment and abilities the characters have, which, again, the exact nature of the cards is unknown, but they appear to have general info on the equipment, in game mechanics for them, and their damage. There is also an energy mechanic involved, which is used for morphing (seems to be a 4 or 5 energy cost to morphing), possibly for some weapon usage, for summoning zords (we haven't seen the zords yet, but it seems likely), etc. The energy, it seems, is given out to players at the whim of the GM, based on the players roleplaying in character well.
If more significant information regarding the system is released, or the game itself gets an official release, I'll be sure to pass that info on.
Also, I'll be posting fan art between article sections. I'll be linking to the source, but if you see your art on here, and would like it removed, you can leave a comment here or send a private message to the Mighty Morphin Super Sentai Facebook page (I'll likely see the private FB message before the comment here).
Spoilers!
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| Source: @evilspacewhale |
I can't say I'm fond of episodes ending earlier than planned, but that is because I want more. As a GM, I understand that sometimes things reach a point where you have to end it, because you can't go on for another few hours to resolve everything in one go as players may like. And sometimes, early or not, a good stopping point has to be grabbed when it shows up. I imagine this is especially true when running a game as scheduled content as part of an entertainment channel, and not just a group of friends meeting in their free time.
If you'd like a summary of the episode, keep reading. If not, you can skip down to the next section.
Episode 02 begins with the Rangers still messing about their time ship, and the team accidentally discovers their Hyper Blade Blaster Ranger weapons. After some time, they realize they never took off, and Alpha and Vesper launch the ship into the time stream. The team soon arrives in 1994 Angel Grove on Halloween night. The team teleports out of the ship, and get caught up and confused briefly by trick or treating, with Chloe learning she absolutely loves candy corn.
Eddie realizes they aren't doing a good job of blending in since they are wearing normal 90's clothes, not costumes, and asks Alpha to synthesize costumes for them. Alpha can't, but the Rangers just happen to have arrived near a Party City, and costume up after some awkward interaction with the past and briefly working as employees to clean up the costumed chaos that is the sales floor.
Marv then has Alpha scan for areas where the enemy time ship could have landed, but there are a lot of possible places. While looking about, the team ends up at the Angel Grove Youth Center and Gym and Juice Bar, where they spend some time doing gymnastics and drinking liquid fruit until a news broadcast shows the rogue time ship is in the park (and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers nowhere to be seen). The team makes a plan, and springs into action, which includes getting a lot of the general public to rush to the Youth Center and out of danger by making up a lie about a costume contest going on.
A lot of the crowd goes to Ernie's, and while they're planning how to take the ship, the team sees a group of 6 Putties attacking a civilian. The Rangers spring into action to save the citizen, but have some trouble stopping the Putties due to the fickle nature of dice rolls determining the outcome of events. Marv calls on his Hyper Blade Blaster to take out a Putty with a well placed shot. Meanwhile, Jack throws Chloe at one of the Putties, but she flies to high overhead and misses. The fight goes on, much longer than anyone would expect from a fight with the Putties, but hey, new Ranger team and all that.
And as the Rangers finish the Puttie fight, a candy corn-themed monster named Candius Cornicus comes out of the enemy time ship, and the Rangers morph for the first time. At this point, it is, as they say, on.
The fight is long and hard, with Candius Cornicus melting candy corn all over the Rangers. Eddie runs off to grab smoothies from the Youth Center to use to try and weaken the candy monster. Back on scene, the Rangers keep fighting the candy beast. Vesper literally takes a bite out of the monster, while Marv fails to maul their foe and gets a candy coating with a burning sensation. The fight continues, Chloe gouging out one of the monster's eyes as it does and the tasting the sugary eye juices.
Jack becomes a whirling dervish of fist and feet and horns, but misses their foe. Around this time, Eddie comes running in with the smoothies, and notices the door to the ship is opening as he tries to cover the monster in sugar-softening liquids. He slips and makes a mess of the juice, getting it all over himself and the monster. An electric blast comes out of the ship, destroying the monster and seriously hurting Eddie as it surges through liquid and hits them both.
The mysterious dark baddie from episode one emerges from the ship, the ship closing behind him as it fades away and takes off. The Rangers all use their Hyper Blade Blasters against the dark figure as he nonchalantly walks towards them, and all five hit their target. Their foe stands their ground and took the blast, seemingly not being phased at all. The foe then says they are the leader of the Alliance, and will continue with their evil mission all through time, and continue to grow their legacy.
Jack tries to use the Time Force badge's capture sequence to feeze the villain, but their foe simply raises their hand to counter it, and grabs the energy from the badge. Manipulating the energy, they pull Jack towards them, and counter with a major energy blast, seriously hurting Jack.
The Rangers run.
Alpha starts teleporting the Rangers, but as they teleport, Jack is blasted yet again by their foe. They arrive on their time ship, Jack on the verge of death. As they get Jack set up in the medbay, their time ship comes under attack from the Alliance, losing power. And as all the Rangers are knocked to the floor, end episode.
- Highlights -
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| Source: Leanne Hannah |
* Burrito Button & BurritNo
* "The 90's would do that"
* "They're roleplaying." "Ooooooh."
* "The currency is force." *cracks knuckles*
* Tubucal, radiclar, Reaganomic
* "He has some value to his face."
* "I do a jump."
* Stone Canyon
* "Between Spring Cove and Fall Cove."
* "That is not how you throw a punch, your thumb should be right here."
* Repartee & Reconnoitre
* Udderly possible & moo-velous
* "Oh no, just Chloe."
* Catball special
* "They're mimicking us, so they should be fighting badly."
* A morphing sequence cutscene for the Hyperforce Rangers
* Eye candy
* "The juice is loose."
* "I try to arrest him."
* "You ain't got no feet, dude."
* And did I mention, a ******* morphing sequence cutscene for the Hyperforce Rangers?
- The Suspects -
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| Source: @inuitakumi23 |
If we continue to assume the threat is a known character from Ranger history, with an emphasis on the big bad figure have a white electricity based attack, my mind immedeiately goes to this handsome gentleman.
Not only would this fit the energy description, Lord Zedd is a good choice for a character who would have a goal of being evil and evil being their goal. Sure, sure, last we saw he had turned human, but a lot can happen in a few thousand years. And really, if Rita could regain her magic, there is no reason to think Zedd couldn't come back into power of his own.
Of course, my previously mentioned idea of Thrax could potentially still be on the table, as he did have lightning powers, and mentioned trying to restore his parents evil legacy. Again, sure, he appeared to be destroyed, but, you know...
It could of course, be someone else entirely, or an entirely new villain. But until their identity is revealed, I'll keep taking what little tidbits we get and go all over the map with them.
* A trip to the distant past, fighting along side Sentinel Knight, before he became a disembodied spirit.
* The Hyperforce Rangers playing a secret, but important, part in the Legendary Battle.
Story-wise, Power Rangers Hyperforce is already shaping up to be the sort of anniversary season most fans wished they'd have gotten from Super Megaforce, and it shows no sign of stopping. If you missed the live show, you can subscribe to the Hyper RPG Twitch channel and watch the episodes again pretty much immediately after airing. If you'd rather not subscribe (though you totally should, they've a lot of great content beyond Hyperforce), you can catch up the following week when they post the latest episode to Youtube.
In fact, if you haven't seen the first episode yet, or would just like to watch it again, I'll leave you with this:
Story-wise, Power Rangers Hyperforce is already shaping up to be the sort of anniversary season most fans wished they'd have gotten from Super Megaforce, and it shows no sign of stopping. If you missed the live show, you can subscribe to the Hyper RPG Twitch channel and watch the episodes again pretty much immediately after airing. If you'd rather not subscribe (though you totally should, they've a lot of great content beyond Hyperforce), you can catch up the following week when they post the latest episode to Youtube.
In fact, if you haven't seen the first episode yet, or would just like to watch it again, I'll leave you with this:
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