Overpower history: Power Players to OP

[JohnL]

Thanks for the info Theo. Since their names keep coming up I thought some of you might like to see the two characters that are responsible for the detailed minutia of Overpower (ie why that card is a level 4 rather than a level 5) and direction after Theo and his brother (and Bill Jemas) came up with the basic design. That would be Steve Domzalski and Ron Perraza. They were also pretty involved with the (short lived) Star Trek CCG and got to add themselves as red shirt characters.

[Dark_Lord_Tarkas]

That's awesome! Thanks for posting! I seriously thought one of them was Mr. Scott at first.

[Onslaught]

They were also pretty involved with the (short lived) Star Trek CCG and got to add themselves as red shirt characters.

Ha, this reminds me of designers I know from other games who would put in little things like this (putting a daughter's birthday in the number of a card, homages to other CCGs, etc). The only Overpower one I ever did was naming some attacks in the Yu Yu Hakusho TCG after Onslaught's special cards. I can't find any besides the one called Raw Power, but I think another one was Dark Enigma. Also, a ton of the cards in the VS. system have their names lifted straight from special cards, so there are smatterings of Overpower influences in various games here and there.

[Theo]

Yea, Steve and Ron were Fleer employees. My brother Michael and I were actually hired to design the game, and sold it to Fleer. Having said that, Steve and Ron had a lot of input and while my brother and I came up with most of the mechanics and card types, Steve and Ron decided a lot of the Hero stats, all those had to be vetted by the Marvel experts . They were great guys to work with and I had a blast doing the convention circuit with them. I would love to know where they are now.

[Jack]

Isn't Ron at DC Comics now?

[Theo]

That's what I have heard, no idea what happened to Steve

[KObossy]

I am new to this site but Overpower & baseball are probably the only things that I still actively play or look up from my childhood. To find stuff I've never seen before is definitely a treat. Thanks for the post

[Kal-el]

Isn't Ron at DC Comics now?

I believe Ron left DC to go to Comixology, and then just left (as in this week) there.

[Shoe]

Power Players seems like an AWESOME GAME!  I want to play it now!

Converted the rules to text:

Marvel Universe Power Players
Objective
Power Players is a game which simulates combat between super heroes, villains, and other characters. The object of the game is to knock all of your opponent's combatants out of the game before he does the same to yours.
Setup
To begin the game, each player chooses the three of her six character cards (heroes, villains), she wishes to begin the battle with and places them face down in front of her. She then selects three environment cards of her choosing and places them face down to the left of her characters. The remaining environment cards are set aside as they will not be needed. The three remaining characters are shuffled into the player's deck, to appear as reinforcements during the course of the game. After each player's deck has been thou thoroughly shuffled, he draws the top eight cards to form his hand. The remainder of the deck becomes the player's draw pool, and is placed to the right of the characters (see diagram).

Next, each player flips over her environment cards, leaving them face up. The players then select one character out of three face down in front of them, and simultaneously flip this card, revealing the two adversaries who will commence the fight.  The players determine who will take the first turn by flipping a coin, or similar method, and the battle is ready to begin.
the Play
Play is broken up into rounds, during which each player has one turn.  During her turn, a player has performs any or all of the following options, in the order shown below:
1.   Activate One Character
2.   Place Reinforcements
3.   Have each character Perform One Action
When both players have finished their turns, the round is over and at this time they both fill their hands from their respective draw pools, back to the maximum eight cards. A player may choose to "pass" his turn for a given round, forfeiting any actions for that round. A player who passes may discard as many cards from her hand as she wishes before filling it back to eight cards.
Note: if there are not enough cards in a player's draw pool to fill his hand to eight, his discard pile is then shuffled and put in place as his new draw pool and the rest of his hand is filled from there. 
Activating Characters
At the start of his turn, a player may activate one character by flipping it over so that it is face up. This character is now considered to have entered combat, and may be used to perform actions. Activating a character is optional unless the player has no active characters, in which case a face down character must be activated
Placing Reinforcements
A player may place any and all characters he currently has in his hand face down in front of him.  Reinforcements which are so placed may not be activated until the following round.
Performing Actions
The actions a player may perform during her turn consist of the combat, maneuver, and special cards she currently holds in her hand. During her turn a player may have each active character perform one action. Characters that are face down but have not yet been activated may not he used to perform actions. In addition to those options available during a player's own turn, he may also play defensive cards to actions taken by his opponent during the opponent's turn (see below)
Choosing and Using Actions
Actions consist of combat, maneuver and special cards.
Combat and Maneuver Cards
Combat cards are broken up into four types of skills (hand-to-hand, weapons, brute force, and energy), and maneuvers into three types climb, jump and fly). Each combat or maneuver card has a number value which determines the power level of that specific action. The value ranges tram 2 to 8, with 2 being the weaker and 8 the strongest. Combat and maneuver cards may be used to attack, move or defend. The attack or move skill is listed at the top of the card and the defense skill at the bottom.
Special Cards
Special cards are specific to a certain character, and may only be used by that character. The effects and values of a specific card are listed on the card itself as well as the conditions under which they may be played.
Playing Action Cards
In order to have a character perform an action, the player must first determine whether or not that character is able to perform it. To do this, compare the number value of the action card with the number value listed under the same skill on the character card, if the value on the action card is equal to or less than the value of that same skill on the character's card, it may be used. If the action card has a higher number than the character's skill value, it may not be used by that character.
For example, in order to perform a level 7 energy blast, a character must have an energy skill value of at least 7 listed on her card. This character would not be able to use an energy blast 8, however, as it is greater than her skill value.
Note: each skill listed on a character's card has an attack action, make sure that you check it against the attack skill value on the character's card (also check a maneuver against move, and a defensive action against defend). To make this easier, attack values are listed in red, defend values in blue, and move values (for maneuver cards) are in green.
Once a player determines that an action may be performed by a given character, he must decide which of the opponent's characters that action will be taken against.  When that choice has been made, the attacking player places the action card in front of the card of the character he wishes to attack. The opponent may immediately play a defensive action which may prevent the attack action from succeeding.  IF he fails to do so, the action is considered successful, and the character being attacked has taken a hit.  To indicate this, leave the attack action card In front of the victimized character's card.
Note: characters that are face down and have not yet been activated may not be attacked.
Defensive Actions
Defensive Actions are the only cards which may he played during the opponents turn. A defensive action may he played in response to an attack on a certain character.   As explained above, it must first be determined that a character is able to play the desired defensive action, by comparing its number value to the appropriate defensive skill value on the character card. A defensive action is played immediately after an attack is placed down in front of a character.  If it is successful, the attack is negated and both cards are placed in the discard piles of the players who played them. A defensive action is successful if it is of equal or greater value than the attack card it is being used to counter. Any type of defensive skill may be used to defend against any type of attack.  For example, a character being attacked with a weapon strike of 5 may successfully counter that attack with an energy shield of 7 (or for that matter, a jump – evade, hand-to-hand, dodge, or any type of defensive skill may be used, provided a has a value of 5 or greater).
Range
Characters who are flying or atop a building or other large object are to be considered to be "at range" from those on the ground.  Characters at range may only be attacked by ranged attacks.  Ranged attacks include all energy blasts, any weapon which may be used at range indicated on character card), or by hurling an object at the intended victim).
Hurling Objects
In order to hurl an object at a character at range, the player must use a brute force card. First, it must be determined that the attacking character may perform that action by comparing values as described above.  Next, the value of the brute force card is compared to the brute force value listed on the environment card of the object he wishes to hurl.  If the brute force action card has a value equal to or greater than that of the object, it may be picked up and thrown. The attack value of the hurled object is then used to make the attack at the ranged character.
Note: the objects on both players environment cards may be used to hurl or maneuver (see below)
Maneuvers
Maneuver cards are used to put a character at range, or to evade attacks. Playing a maneuver counts as a character's action for the round, and may not be combined with any other actions. As with any other action, the maneuver card value number must he checked against the character's skill level to see if he is able to perform that maneuver (see above).
To use a fly card to put a character at range, simply place the card sideways across the character to indicate that she is flying. The same card may be used to land that character, simply declare that the character's action for the round is landing, and place the fly card in the discard pile. 
To use a jump or climb card to put a character at range, first check that the card is usable by the character.  Next, check to see it there is an environment card in play which has an object that the character might use to get in range. Climbing of jumping atop an object with a jump/climb level of three or higher will put a character at range.  In order to jump or climb atop that object, the maneuver card played must be equal to or greater than the jump/climb level listed on the object's environment card. If the maneuver is successful, place the character's card across the object to indicate that he is atop it, and place the maneuver card down where the character card was (keeping all accumulated hits intact). As with flying, the same card may be used to get down to street level, it is then discarded, and the character card is returned to its place in front of the player. 
Destroying Objects
During the course of play, a player may wish to have a character destroy an object, either to force an opposing character down from it, or prevent them from using it to get to range.  If an attack action is played against an object and its value is equal to or greater than the defense level of the object (Indicated on the environment card), it is considered destroyed and the card is removed from play. If a character is atop an object while it is destroyed, he is forced to the ground (the maneuver card he used to go to range is discarded, and the character card is returned to the spot in front of the player).
Hits, Knock-outs and Victory
As described above, when an attack is not successfully defended, the action card is left in front of the victim's character card to indicate that he has taken a hit.  When the number of hits piled in front of a character equals the toughness level indicated on the character card, that character is considered to be knocked out of the fight and the card is removed from play.  All accumulated hits (action cards) are returned to the player who played them, and placed in her discard pile.  If all of a player's active character cards are knocked out, he must immediately activate one (if possible) on his next turn. If all of a players characters cards are knocked out and he can not activate one on his nest turn, the game is over and he has lost.
Note: if at the end of a round a player has no active or inactive characters in front of her and she draws one from her draw pool, It is unfortunately too late. Since it would take her one turn to place the reinforcement and another to activate a character, she would still be unable to activate a character on the turn following her last active character being eliminated, and therefore she loses the game.