Watchmen in DCUO

Discussion in 'Gotham City (General Gameplay)' started by MisterMeanwhile, Mar 14, 2020.

  1. Illumin411 Loyal Player

    As much as I love The Watchmen (see my alts name in my sig), it's already a long shot to get one DLC so I highly doubt we'd get two. So if we DID get just a single Watchmen episode, it'd probably be the one that takes place in the DC Universe, Doomsday Clock. I'm pretty sure DC Comics only acquired the rights to the characters and not the original Alan Moore graphic novel content so it would have to be Doomsday Clock.

    Since it's a pretty massive and episodic narrative, it'd probably pick up with Batman contacting us and telling us that a strange man calling himself Rorschach somehow broke in to the Batcave to seek his help to find someone or something called Manhattan but it made no sense. Being clearly insane, he was able to trick him and lock him in Arkham.

    What's funny is there is another thread discussing how DCUO had to move away from separate hero and villain story lines. Doomsday Clock would actually be perfect for this format as there's a whole parallel villain story line during the first half of Doomsday Clock with Marionette and Mime palling around with the Joker and later Adrian Veidt and Lex get together finding kinship in their both being considered the smartest person on the respective earths.
    • Like x 1
  2. Quantum Edge Steadfast Player

    Alan Moore would have an aneurysm if the watchmen showed up in a video game.
    • Like x 2
  3. MsTickle Fate Devoted Player

    When DC makes things right by returning the rights to Alan Moore, let me know.
  4. PhilOsyfee Active Player

    Just leave Watchmen alone please. Enjoy the amazing story for what it is and stop trying to expand it or have them fight the dc universe or any of this other silly nonsense.
    • Like x 1
  5. Panderus Senior Producer

    Our CEO, Jack is always asking about this to us and DC. There are a lot of legal issues around Watchmen but I think all of us would love to do it at some point.

    I would want the Doomsday Clock villians Marionette and the Mime, they were so fun.
    • Like x 14
  6. GoldenDodge Dedicated Player

    Everything DC has done with the Watchmen characters outside of the original story is utterly horrible.
    I would hope you guys don't get the ability to do anything with them because unless you are creating something entirely new for those characters and not following any of the printed material, it will be bad.

    Mime and Marionette would be nice but after reading the latest attempt by DC to do something in that world, I pray that they do not try again. Because Rorschach was absolutely horrid.
    • Like x 1
  7. BumblingB I got better.

    Could we get some of the characters that the Watchmen are based from? I know Jack was excited to talk about Blue Beetle and the Charlton Comics universe.
    • Like x 2
  8. TheLQ-DCUO Loyal Player

    If we eventually get to Death Metal, Watchmen would be quite important as Doctor Manhattan and his power becomes very important in that comic.

    Particularly if we eventually need to face The Darkest Knight.

    While building Perpetua as a big villain starting with next episode, introducing a Watchmen episode in 2022 or 2023 would definitely be relevant to the story.
    • Like x 1
  9. EconoKnight XIII Legion

    This is what I’ve been thinking. DCUO can do Watchmen without Watchmen. Even Alan Moore wanted to use the original Charlton characters - Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, Question, Peacemaker, Nightshade and Peter Cannon (though Peter is a separate license and couldn’t be used).
  10. willflynne 10000 Post Club


    Versions of two of the five you listed are already in the game. In fact I think they made a newer version of Captain Atom for the House of Legends.

    And yes, the Question we have in the game isn't the original, but it's still The Question. :D
    • Like x 1
  11. RunfromDanger Man Dedicated Player

    What about Wildstorm? There are some great stories and characters there.
  12. PhilOsyfee Active Player

    OR maybe we go with Punch and Jewelee?
  13. Hunted2468 Well-Known Player


    I had to trim down the post above because thats the point at which I had to stop reading it. Dr Manhattan is a Quantum being. He doesn't need help with time. He never will. He basically lives outside of it and exists at all points in time, at the same time.

    "We're all puppets laurie, i'm just a puppet who can see the strings".

    When Geoff Johns was discussing Doomsday Clock before its release, he even stated that the biggest challenge was constructing a meaningful conflict between Dr Manhattan and Superman that didn't end in a fist fight. That it can't end in a fist fight, because Superman, arguably DCs strongest hero, would lose in seconds. Manhattan is THAT powerful. He can make or destroy or rearrange anything, in any way, with a single thought. The thing that makes Manhattan interesting is his gradual depreciation of humanity, whilst being the only person who could literally solve the worlds problems.

    You say Manhattan needs help with time, and yet with his omnipotent command of time he rearranged the DC Universe into its New 52 version because he simply wanted to see what would happen if he moved a lantern, and stopped one of Jonathan Kents childhood heroes from existing. Destroying the JSA. He tore Jor El from Kryptons destruction just to see the effect it would have on Superman too, and once done, he returned Jor El to Krypton to die. He removed Speedsters, who command time-travel themselves, from existence and from everyones memories.

    The entire story wouldn't work because its foundation is built on flaws and misunderstandings. Thats not me saying "give up" btw, you obviously put a lot of thought into the idea judging by the length of the post. But re-read Watchmen and/or Doomsday Clock. You need to understand the characters to write motivations for them, and Manhattans motivation here was completely wrong from the get-go.
    • Like x 1
  14. Illumin411 Loyal Player



    I'm fairly certain at this point Alan Moore starts every day off with an aneurysm, three cups of black coffee and two shots of whiskey.

    You KNOW that if you did a Doomsday Clock DLC that included them you'd have to bring back the separate and different hero/villian versions since in the first half they were mobbing with Mr. J while Batman, Adrian and the new Rorchach were doing their thing.

    Also, I'm not sure what/who the last boss fight in the sequentially first raid would be. But the cutscene after it's beaten should be the Dr. Manhattan showdown on Mars and when it's over the whole group should be wiped/knocked out (still receiving loot drop of course). Not only would it be canon, but it would be a cheeky way of referencing some of the issues some past raids have had with getting KO'd during cutscenes.

    The Rorchach sub-plot was definitely odd and really failed to land as anything more than a little extra character background context. But I love and find it hilarious that the entire reason Rebirth happened (in the story, not DC Comics' reasons) was ***SPOILER ALERT*** because Dr. Manhattan was bored and trying to entertain himself. I also really liked the two greatest genius intellects of two different worlds meeting, interacting and both thinking "Ok, I like and respect this guy but he better know he's #2 now or I'll destroy him!"
  15. Catastrophic Repercussion Dedicated Player

    Leave the most abused Alan Moore work by DC alone. The Charlton characters they're based on weren't given enough attention already, and if you really want to adapt a story of that nature, Pax Americana of Earth-4 is perfectly available.

    For reals, prestige is the actual reason Watchmen gets milked so much. It's not a power fantasy story you can build gameplay around it, bowdlerization is unavoidable regarding its subject matter and explicitly, and the near non-existent reusability would either result in waste of Watchmen material or waste in creating exclusive assets. Just don't.
    • Like x 1
  16. PhilOsyfee Active Player

    Legit.
  17. MsTickle Fate Devoted Player

    Preach it!
  18. Aduzar Light Dedicated Player

    Watchmen should remain what is to Watchmen and DC should remain what is to the DC Comics universe, Watchmen the movie is an excellent cinematic work and a universe far too specific to be mixed with the universe of batman superman and company, I think, that it is necessary to respect this work and its universe, in this sense and to say "stop" to mix all the things in the same basket !!!

    I loved the film immensely, but I wouldn't like to see this mix of worlds!

    If you want something like that, I think we could exploit the golden age or the silver age of the DC universe to include that in DC Universe Online, the golden age can have a little reference to Watchmen ;)
  19. Multiverse 15000 Post Club


    One way to bypass any copyrights issue might be to use the DC Charlton characters that the Watchmen characters are based on?

    There even was an issue of Multiversity that was made somewhat around that idea. Pax Americana

    It would even give us the Ted Kord Blue Beetle.

    It would be a two for one deal for Ted Kord fans. ;)

    Heck the Squid at the end of Watchmen could be replaced with Starro. ;)

    So imagine a Watchmen inspired DLC with Murder Mystery.... Intrigue... Blue Beetle... Captain Atom.... The Question.... and the EEViLLL Starro the Conqueror as the final boss.

    It writes itself. ;)
    • Like x 1
  20. GoldenDodge Dedicated Player

    Rorschach started off good but then went off kilter trying to imitate Moore and his sub plots and side stories. Which by the end made the series an absolute waste. Tom King needs to focus on one thing only because as he is trying to do more and more, his writing is getting worse with each issue that gets put out. And the fact DC is in such a state of flux still since last year's turn over it is likely they will milk the rest of the characters with sub-par and mediocre stories.