Apparently it broke, but nobody knows how…
I think it would have to be balanced in some way, and making it touch-only would be a good way (in my mind) to do that.
It would also be a good dynamic for your team mates to be a little wary of you. (And it might be difficult to code, but maybe those with a very low relationship score with the MC might speak out with distrust, those with low ones will only look at the MC with wary eyes. While those with high relationship scores will defend them)
If those with z-powers found out you had a nulifier, do you think they would embrace you as a friend or ostracize you as a clear and present danger?
If a person could betray you at any time, why would you hang around them?
I honestly don’t think the unintended consequences have been thought out - most still seem fixated on a very small part of the equation.
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I imagine that it would be the more powerful ones who would be the most wary of us: i.e. not the Speck students. But even if so, I don’t see why a little extra drama would be a bad thing. 
Indeed, the unintended consequences from this power are far more interesting than, say, accidentally shocking people with electricity.
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Sorry but to me just being able to null someone power is just blend to me. Let me just power down my enemy and friends so I could beat them easily. Really what’s the balance to this it just seems to be unbalance compared to electricity or to the Pow/Whoosh power. I still like the idea of having all six powers but having limit on our MC’s powers in order to get better with them your MC must train there powers. That just my opinion anyways.
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Yep, exactly. Taking away powers is not something that applies only to the enemy. Developing nullifier powers is like suddenly being given a gun (stun gun?). Your friends may trust you enough to think that you won’t shoot them, but the wariness will still remain no matter how close you are.
Just the thought that someone has the power to take away yours… well, that would deem the MC to be very dangerous. To all Zeniths. (Hm, come to think of it, it would be a very good villain power.) Would your teachers even want to teach you anymore? Although given the circumstances, such a power set might be their only hope.
Still, it would work wonderfully if it were to be applied the right way. Much much better than electricity powers.
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Oh yes. The drama! Much plus in my book
To be fair, that would apply to just about any powerful-enough power. The difference is that the nullifier power works far better on the more powerful Zeniths, while the ability to (say) electrocute people works far better on less powerful people.
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True enough but as I see it society has pretty much glorified Zeniths. As someone who can suddenly (and maybe temporarily) take those powers away… well, you would be feared more than loved. By Zeniths at least.But given the collateral damage and personal injury “heroing” causes, you might also be heralded as a savior (or something) by those who think Zeniths are a threat.
Really, the power is a wonderful idea and could be used to great effect in delving into the world’s universe of Zeniths.
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Well powering them down wouldn’t mean you’d be able to beat them easily, if anything it could make bad guys even more dangerous cus you’ll make them angry and you’ll actually have to fight them in a fist fight, and it’s really difficult to beat the piss out of someone until they’re beat enough to stay down. So, at least to me, being able to power enemies down will make the fights more brutal and possibly more dangerous.
That doesn’t really make sense to me. By that logic theZenith route shouldn’t even exist because u still have a super power and are using it to be a hero. This contradicts this whole fighting without power theme. You’re not exactly powerless if you’re basically walking Kryptonite.
Winning without powers but team work,info, and calculated maneuvers is what the tactician route is for;not to mention why it’s the most popular.
Taking the tech of a criminal, and turning it into a tool for justice while avenging your dead father is the vibe the Stench route was giving off.
Winning in a straight up superhuman brawl (and teamwork) makes more sense for the Zenith route. My main problem with the Nullifer is that as soon as you nerf the enemy you basically win but it doesn’t really feel like a real victory. The other routes get to take on all the enemies at thier best why does the Zenith route gotta get off easy?
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My opinion this game has being all since beginning more and more restrictive add limitations and more limitations and more limitations to the point third part would be a normal novel. Role-playing is totally out already. So well i hate the zenith route that became the game in insert a generic superhero game exactly like the dozens that are in market. But If I had to be limited TO ONE WITHOUT CHOICE WHATSOEVER i would go with the unoriginal blocking other people powers at lest have sense. I would love a mind one like reading emotions and altering weak minds. But whatever Totally I won’t play the zenith route if i can’t choose my power at all.
Aso beforehand fans jumps at me I love Eric writing skills and universe. And understand he has to limit his stuff to make a living he can’t spend so much time writing more branches.
I hope in future more games set in this universe and be like zenith high school and we have more powers or so without be a trilogy that need some much variables.
A possible solution to this is making the act of nerfing really hard to accomplish, or doing it at great risk to the MC. It could be that the MC has to really understand what makes the target tick in order to power them down (this could overlap with the tactician route in so that you have to investigate the enemy), or powering targets down is dangerous to the MC because of some biological/scientific mumbo jumbo (possible overlap with Dr. Stench route maybe?)
As for “Winning in a straight up superhuman brawl”, something about the idea just doesn’t stick well with me. The journey thus far has been so that the MC had to do everything without powers. It’s like Batman suddenly developing powers. Something about it screams deux ex machina to me.
At least with the nullifier power, the MC can make the target feel what it’s like to be powerless in a world (or city) of Zeniths. They can draw from their experience.
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Wow, I woke up to see so many posts discussing the nullifier!
Up until now, I haven’t been as excited about the Zenith path as the two others. Now, after some reflection, I’ve concluded that the nullifier choice not only is the most thematically consistent, but also best creates possible tension (possibly between teammates, other schools, etc.) . It could also lead to strange bedfellows (will folks like Dick Rycliffe suddenly cozy up to you?).
The only negative I see is that some might view it was “too thematically consistent” and “too convenient,” and might think that a standard power set would be more appropriate for the MC to avoid the “MC is special!!!” trope. And they would have a point about the first part, but I don’t think giving the MC a moderately useful power set really does the job either. Sure, it avoids the “MC is so special!” trope, but wouldn’t it be more realistic to write the MC a lame power set instead? The MC ends up getting “super digging” or “the ability to telepathically talk with dogs” and has to figure out how to contribute to the group.
I like the idea of either going the nullifer route (for reasons discussed above) or else 180 degrees the other way with a super lame power (to keep the MC firmly planted as “just another low-level Zenith who has to battle overwhelming odds!”
I think some reader would end up liking the unexpected move, but others would likely dislike it a lot. It’s too risky to write Parts 1 and 2 as build up, and then deliver in Part 3 with…super digging!!! Right!!! Now keep in mind that faculty would help MC hone the power to make it more useful than it would appear at first.
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If the null ability was touch base we when probably have to wear gloves so we won’t nullifer are allies powers
Just i like how Rogue has to because of her power
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I am going to address your points backwards in my follow-up post here.
The faculty would have incentive to both help the MC but try to put controls on them too. The dynamic of going from the “special-ed non-powered” student to the “potential risk” student can be a powerful dynamic to explore. Will the MC become resentful or will the MC stay humble and remember their roots?
I think this would be too thematically orientated and expected … no one is expecting the MC to morph into a MegaCat - it goes against the entire series to think this.
Gaining an unknown power that not only the MC but all the z-people around them need to learn and explore doesn’t seem convenient to me. Especially if you wrap in a strain of distrust about the MC’s powers being turned against the “good-guys” and if people find out about the MC’s father … that will add even more inconvenience, not less.
In this case it isn’t about being “special like a snow-flake” but rather “special like a stink-bug” major difference in making or breaking the trope.
This is its greatest strength - taking the status-quo and changing it, is what learning to become a super-hero despite what others think, see or believe about you or your background condemning you to repeat your father’s path - is all about.
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Oh don’t get me wrong. I love the Nullifier idea and will probably go in that direction.
It has the “special MC” problem but that can be lessened by stacking some limitations on the power. I want to make it no less/more useful than “perfect synergy” or “tank with poison gas”
I just like overthinking every aspect of…everything.
PS: and I can see DG giving the whole “snowflake/stink bug” analogy in-game.
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I think the thing is that every path is going to come with you getting some side eyes from everyone else. Yeah, nullifier might make your teammates feel kinda weird or unsafe about you, but don’t forget that you’re still a team and (depending on your playthrough I guess) you might not have given anyone any reasons to distrust you. If everybody hated everybody else just based on “you could maybe beat me up regardless of whether your personality lends itself to that being a thing that could happen” why would anyone ever wanna be around Stoic? Or Crook, or Stunner … I don’t think this is a series that should be directed by “well this makes you a threat to people so clearly that would muck up the story too much out of them now being unable to trust you” when it’s always struck me as being about a found family sort of group, community and coming together and that whole lot
And it seems to me like no power could ever make the MC so untrustworthy more than “by the way I’m taking up the mantle if my supervillain father I never told you about before,” or as just dislikeable as something as patronizing as “I think you guys could only work together if I’m telling you all exactly what to do.”
And clearly I don’t think that’s necessarily how it’ll go, but I think it’s a little unfair to protest a power based on group dynamics without thinking about how hard the other paths could potentially hurt that too
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Excellent point! MC is such an a-hole!
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I do have a question about the Zenith route that’s unrelated to what power exactly it’ll be–how will our scholarship be handled? Since we’re there on a scholarship specially for a student without powers, and then we get powers … will there be a new non powered student it would be given to or would you just kinda keep it since you earned it without powers?
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