I'm new to the Multiverse, so I'm playing a bunch of random set-up solo games.
I play 3 random heroes with a random villain and a random environment.
If I lose, I play 4 random heroes with the same villain in a new environment.
I'm currently stuck on the Chairman, who I've had to face at the Pike Industrial Complex and Rook City, both unsuccessfully. My next game will be with 5 random heroes, but I was looking at most of the environments, and they don't make a lot of thematic sense. It seems I would only find crooked cops and hit men in Megalopolis, Rook City and Pike Industrial Complex. I can't figure out why they would be in Atlantis, on Mars or and Egyptian Tomb.
Should I just get over myself and fight him whereever? My initial feeling is that Rook City and Pike are harder environments. Am I handicapping myself too much by facing him in these places?
We tend to play mostly random where we are - or what feels like fun.
Or if we are looking for a specific type of game, we'll cherry pick. The Randomizer on spiffs website (spifworld.com/sotm) is great for that.
But you are correct. Rook City is regarded as one of the hardest environments in the game at the moment. It's great that you are playing them Thematically, but part of the wonder of the game is that you can mix and match so many different variables that you can create an endless stream of games. You might consider playing in Insulis Primalis or Tomb of Anubis just to get the hang of the Chairman (I consider those the most friendly (hah!) environments, from my experience) and then return to the story aspect that you have going on when you have a better feeling of how he works.
I play The Chairman exclusively in Rook City simply for the extreme challenge it poses.
But I've become more open to the idea of playing him in different environments. I understand that's how the game is supposed to work. But part of me is still a little bothered by the idea of this criminal organization being on Mars or Atlantis. I'm not saying I wouldn't play him on those environments; if I'm at a convention with other people from here or strangers who wanted to play the Chairman, I'd gladly play with him on other environments. It's just that I like the challenge and how intense Chairman + Rook City is.
All of this applies to The Ennead and the Tomb of Anubis as well. I'd play them in other environments, but I love the challenge and theme.
Do not think of the Chairman as just simple organized crimes, if you notice the similarities and homage of the organization to the League of Assassin in Batman :)
I do find fighting the Chairman in Tomb of Anubis. Especially when he plays Rook City is mine. I imagine him getsuclating and then a spike trap and a giant mummy take out his underbosses. Classic.
But as to the question, I really tend to avoid Rook City, as I don't want to be jacked by both the villian and the enviornment deck. I also think I won't play Nightmist and Unity together. I don't think they get along, especially with oblivion killing all of Unity's friends.