Yet Another New Power Proposal : Martial Arts

Discussion in 'War Room (Powers, Artifacts, & Builds)' started by Ultra Lightspeed, Dec 6, 2017.

  1. Ultra Lightspeed Active Player

    Yes, yes another power proposal. :) There are many of these suggestions on the forum, so I will keep this short and hopefully to the point.

    Well here it is: Martial Arts.

    I was watching an episode of Batman: the Brave and the Bold cartoon, where Bronze Tiger makes an appearance in a martial-arts themed adventure. It occurred to me that martial arts itself is a distinct superpower in the DC Universe. There is a category of hero and villain that derives their power from the strict and unwavering dedication to a single martial art or an attempt to master them all. These characters can gain near supernatural abilities for their efforts and are far beyond even highly skilled fighters.

    For example in addition to Bronze Tiger, as mentioned, we have Wildcat, Lady Shiva, the Al Ghuls, and Karate Kid (not the kid from New Jersey who moved to California- look it up ;)).

    I know what some of you are thinking: isn't this redundant with the martial arts weapon style?

    I would say, "no." The DC Universe's writing has drawn a difference between single-minded martial artists and gadget-using characters like Batman and company. In Batman: the Brave and the Bold episode I mentioned, Batman acknowledges that Bronze Tiger is the superior fighter and that to win he had to "cheat"- in this case use his gadgets to edge out the win. Despite being credited by some writers as one of Earth's greatest martial artists, Batman has also been defeated on occasion by more skilled martial artists. Batman's primary power was and always will be his technological gadgets- which he spends extraordinary time and resources to developing. As outstanding a martial artist the Bats is, this is always his ultimate edge over others.

    There are a ton of possibilities for a power set of this kind. We already see through the League of Assassins mission the kind of fun potential it could have. I would not classify any of these characters as gadget-based. Plus, who has never thought about being a ninja? Currently, I don't think the current powers really say 'ninja' or 'martial artist'. To me a martial artist doesn't have a ton of flash at every moment, but uses deceptive and powerful attack to wear you down for a devastating coup-de-grĂ¢ce. The flashiest powers always seem to end fights rather than conduct them.

    Imagine warping around the screen in a smoke cloud or landing a crazy combo like we see Owlman and Saint Walker use. Perhaps pepper in some other powers for a bit of personality like Serpent Claw or Lying Claw. With a little imagination, one can create some very fun characters to play.

    All I'm saying, is that *I* want to be a ninja! Is that too much to ask?

    Wouldn't you like to be a ninja too? o_O
    • Like x 2
  2. Kanmaru Dedicated Player

    Inb4lock
  3. Owl Devoted Player

    The active powers in the Acrobatics Movement tree can be used to simulate a "Martial Arts" character:
    • Forward Flip Attack: Flips you forward at blinding speed to assault your enemies.
    • Backflip Attack: Flip away from your target, damaging and knocking back nearby enemies.
    • Launching Roll: Spring from the ground to launch your target into the air.
    • Devastating Flip: Kick your target and nearby enemies into the air as you flip away backwards, damaging and knocking them down.
    • Zip Tie Attack: Entangles an opponent in zip-line cable, damaging and stunning it.
    • Throwing Knives: Throws an arc of knives to damage and knock back enemies
    • Grapple Line Attack: Snags and pulls your target in close, damaging it.
    Your loadout could consist of 5 of the above powers combined with your main power tree Weapon Buff power to increase damage from Martial Arts Weapon combos.

    For a Ninja character build, you could use either Stealth (Gadgets) or Invisibility (Mental).
  4. Ultra Lightspeed Active Player


    Yes, you could do these things. And I have had builds with a loadout like you suggested. It always felt underpowered and weak sauce compared to a power-based loadout. Stats revamp may have made this more viable- I can't say for sure.

    I think the game designers have created some really fun and creative things for powers and abilities throughout the game. I would really like to see a little more imagination and creativity put into the martial arts element in DCUO, as can be experienced by the player.
    • Like x 1
  5. ThePhilosophy Loyal Player

    With the companies limited resources, they don't have the luxury of redundancies. If they're gonna add something it will be a new concept.
  6. Ultra Lightspeed Active Player


    I don't think a martial arts powerset would or should be redundant. I think it can be something new, interesting, and creative. For now, it seems to be a supplementary or cosmetic element to the game that is not nearly as impressive as it should be. There are fifty billion games out based on martial arts. I'd like to have a way to create an entirely martial arts-based character in DCUO.

    The ninja and martial art mythos within DC Universe and fiction as a whole can be mined for a lot of cool things added to the game. The power of "oneness with the universe", "ki", "chi", or whatever label is applied can be developed in the game as it has been in fiction.
    • Like x 2
  7. xD25x Dedicated Player

    Or new time capsules
    • Like x 1
  8. Ascended Well-Known Player

    I dont know if I'd be too thrilled with a martial arts only power, but I wouldn't argue at all with a "martial arts/mystic monk" type of power.

    Munitions basically just took Rifles and turned that into a power. So there is a precedence for a "martial arts" power. But with limited resources as ThePhilosophy mentioned, I think leaving out the more fantastical elements of Hong Kong cinema is a mistake. Since we can already emulate this sort of build, a power would need to bring even more to the table to make it worthwhile, otherwise everyone will be complaining about not getting Air, or Shadow, or whatever their personal favorite is. Now, the Acrobatics powers still feel underwhelming to me but that's a reason to buff those powers, not a reason to create a whole new powerset.

    Make half the power martial attacks and the other half manipulations of Ki energy and go all Dragon Ball Z with it. That gives players different ways to play the power. You gonna be a Bruce Lee type ultra fighter or an energy blasting kung fu alien like Goku?
    • Like x 2
  9. Ultra Lightspeed Active Player


    It occurred to me earlier today that I should have said that my vision of a martial arts power vs a martial arts weapon/acrobatics build would be analogous to what rifle/dual pistols vs Munitions would be. Essentially taking the concept to a more fantastical presentation. I agree you should definitely have access to both the flashy powers and the more cool-but-subtle ones, like every power. I wasn't pitching that flashy powers be excluded, just that I would love a build like I described. I might not have been clear on that point, but I agree with you completely. I meant to draw a comparison between martial arts as a skill vs. martial arts as a power.

    Hopefully, with the end of PS3 there will be more resources for future powers. As I understood it, they were pretty much up against the wall now with powers and the PS3 memory limitations. For the most part, I trust the developers and designers' creative vision and implementations for the game. I've been playing a while and really never felt let down by a new power or DLC. That's why I kept my suggestion open-ended, as well as to promote discussion here on the forums.

    As far as people complaining about their personal, favorite power not being in the game yet: I'm sure that will happen no matter what, always, and for all time. :D

    I have no complaints about the variety of Powers in the game as it is now. But like everyone, I just like more of what I like. :cool:
  10. Ascended Well-Known Player


    Oh, okay. Then yeah, I'm all for it. I know exactly which toon would be getting a Power Respec too. :)