New Character Blog - Northstar (Classic) (1/9/20)

LakeStone
LakeStone Posts: 1,377 Community Moderator
Happy New Year Everyone!

The new character blog continues today with Northstar (Classic). We hope you enjoy some fun information that helps you get familiar with the character and the design from the team.

Enjoy the brief read!  
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Comments

  • DyingLegend
    DyingLegend Posts: 1,191 Chairperson of the Boards
    A marginally better quicksilver. Cool? 
  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 5,245 Chairperson of the Boards
    I appreciate the article and insight!  Thanks for keeping this going.
  • Godzillafan67
    Godzillafan67 Posts: 497 Mover and Shaker
    I echo @blankcanvas and @bluewolf's comments. Please continue to spend the time on these. 
  • JHawkInc
    JHawkInc Posts: 2,601 Chairperson of the Boards
    These design insight blogs are always highly appreciated. 
  • tiomono
    tiomono Posts: 1,651 Chairperson of the Boards
    I dont see how his being something of an inspiring figure: entrepreneur, icon, and having a well attended wedding, plays in the game? 
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,125 Chairperson of the Boards
    I also really enjoy these; I'd still like to request a Classic Character Design Post-Mortem blog where we look at older characters and how they fit into the meta. Also just higher level articles about the overall design of the game, incuding a discussion on the current meta.
  • shardwick
    shardwick Posts: 2,121 Chairperson of the Boards
    I think a case could be made that quicksilver is actually the better of the 2. At least he packs a punch with his cheap green.
    He's one of my MVPs for fighting Kaecilius. Quicksilver, Switch and Coulson. I love me some Quicksilver.
  • PuceMoose
    PuceMoose Posts: 1,445 Chairperson of the Boards
    shardwick said:
    I think a case could be made that quicksilver is actually the better of the 2. At least he packs a punch with his cheap green.
    He's one of my MVPs for fighting Kaecilius. Quicksilver, Switch and Coulson. I love me some Quicksilver.
    I usually use Quicksilver, Patch, and Coulson for Big K (the king of value), but I bet Switch works a treat there as well.

    As for the new character, well, I enjoyed the blog at least! I can't see myself getting too fired up to chase this one.

  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 9,576 Chairperson of the Boards
    PuceMoose said:
    shardwick said:
    I think a case could be made that quicksilver is actually the better of the 2. At least he packs a punch with his cheap green.
    He's one of my MVPs for fighting Kaecilius. Quicksilver, Switch and Coulson. I love me some Quicksilver.
    I usually use Quicksilver, Patch, and Coulson for Big K (the king of value), but I bet Switch works a treat there as well.

    As for the new character, well, I enjoyed the blog at least! I can't see myself getting too fired up to chase this one.


    Sabretooth, Patch and Elektra for me!

    Back on topic - I am not convinced in any way or form that Northstar is "fastest man in the Marvel Universe" unless all the characters who are capable of travelling through space to different planets under their own power are not being counted. I reckon Nova alone would have to be faster than Northstar before we even get to the cosmic powered ones...
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,125 Chairperson of the Boards
    on-demand line clears is pretty helpful, but i wish his black did more damage. 1-cover in black vs Kid Nova in the first Shield Training node was kind of hilarious just watching the board do nothing for a turn or two...
  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 9,576 Chairperson of the Boards
    On-demand line clears could be pretty useful against Ultron although Northstar will probably be dead before he even gets the 8AP or else somebody actually quite good has already killed Ultron...
  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 9,576 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited January 2020
    And he doesn't even counter Vulture! You would need him at level 5 just to stop Vulture getting all  most of the green from 1 turn airbourne but you still get the blue black and red in exchange for taking less damage than you might have from being on the ground...The blog was right - Northstar is a good guy, he is helping me destroy his team! Thanks Northstar!
  • TPF Alexis
    TPF Alexis Posts: 3,826 Chairperson of the Boards
    What's with Northstars ears?

    He's an elf. That's why he's so fast ;)
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,125 Chairperson of the Boards
    I think he and his sister are the Bootleg Wonder Twins, no?
  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 9,576 Chairperson of the Boards
    What's with Northstars ears?

    He's an elf. That's why he's so fast ;)
    Bill Mantlo  really did ruin Alpha Flight back in the day...😥😥😥
  • PiMacleod
    PiMacleod Posts: 1,716 Chairperson of the Boards
    Funny when they say 'speedster' and they address how Quicksilver and Northstar play....

    But when i think speed in traditional gaming values, i think 'more turns' or 'attacks' or 'dodgy'...

    But in MPQ, to get extra hits, you gotta be BEEFY (which, to me, beefy strong peeps should just hit harder period, not more often)...  See 4* Juggs, ME Hulk, 5* Hulk for common examples.  Or, for extra hits in MPQ, you gotta be tricky (Miguel's bite, Medusa's hair, any Torch's green, etc).

    Speed in MPQ seems to mean the ability to manipulate the board.  Okay, fine...  But if thats the case, less than speedy people do that too...

    I dunno.  I just scratch my head sometimes when i try to figure out a raw system of logic MPQ is based on.
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,125 Chairperson of the Boards
    This is why I say these blogs seem like retroactive fictionalizations of existing previously un-assigned movesets more than they do character-first designs. It's fine, that is the way game mechanics ought to be developed (in the absence of fiction to color your impressions of the efficacy), but it can lead to some fun disconnects between the text and the powers.
  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 5,245 Chairperson of the Boards
    This is why I say these blogs seem like retroactive fictionalizations of existing previously un-assigned movesets more than they do character-first designs. It's fine, that is the way game mechanics ought to be developed (in the absence of fiction to color your impressions of the efficacy), but it can lead to some fun disconnects between the text and the powers.
    I concede the point here, despite trying to push back on it earlier.

    We have 202 characters so far, with about 580ish powers already in game.

    I can't fault them too much if they are thinking about new powers independently of who they are pushing out.  It is probably harder and harder to find powers that are interesting and some stuff they want to do requires additional programming.  Which is probably why a lot of stuff feels like tweaks on existing powers, because it's easier/faster/cheaper/more achievable than doing new things.

    I suppose there's also some limit to how many interesting things you can do within the space of "manipulate a board of tiles".
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,125 Chairperson of the Boards
    The content furnace is ruthless.
  • leoperez90
    leoperez90 Posts: 66 Match Maker
    So after playing with him on shield simulator and on pvp. He wasnt to bad when paired with okoye (not that it really count) and when I used him with kitty/rocket and I was still able to get use out of him. 

    Will I still use him after this? Probably not.
    Am i gonna try to champ him? As long as I get 10 covers I'm good and champ him in due time not a priority. 

    It be nice if more abilities! New abilities that counter meta on meta are developed. That way it keeps the game healthy in my opinion. 

    Over all 4* land is still getting the better character.