Freedom Force 3 please.

You're given control of a team of heroes who start off a weak nobodies and grow in power and fame.

Managing and cycling teams, serious injuries (which would add a strategic element to the game, certain characters would have weaknesses/resistances- which would mean they'd injure at different rates, and so you could have various builds of teams based on the required objective.

Of course going more towards the xcom style of game you'd basically get some "blank" low level characters which you could then build into your own based on attributes and special skills. (Brawling type, magic type, projectile type, jumping type, psychic type etc etc)

But I think a better system would be a bit of a hybrid.

Low level characters are blank-ish (not blank in the Xcom sense that they are indistinguishable). You may get a bunch of new recruits one month, at level 1 and their stats appear so. It might not become immediately clear who is going to become what role, but there will be small differences in abilities and stats.

This addresses the issue that xcom failed to do and one of the reasons i was unimpressed with it. Characters are boring and uninteresting. They're all the same. Outside of what... 2? different skill choices over time? Sniper A and Sniper B are virtually indistiguishable (oooh but one has pink armor and a cool afro!!!). Lame.

What you'd have is a bunch of somewhat random, but blank slates. You'd level them and they'd change and be definitely unique.

You'd have access to training as you'd expect, increase skill, combat abilities, attributes etc- but characters would also have affinities and characteristics. These would be semi-random. So, unlike xcom where you have virtually indistinguishable sniper A and sniper B, you could have a cool brawler type who was immune to nearly all phsyical damage but very very vulnerale to psychic attacks, or another brawler, just as strong who was resistant to fire attacks and himself, added a little extra fire damage to their attacks.

This meant that your fledling level 1 types would really grow into interesting characters.

You could have some xcom style strategic map and "reputation" system where over time you'd attract better characters (you'd get recruits at level 5 instead of level 1) and you could even have access to Hero characters. These would be prebuilt characters that are part of the lore (someone like Minuteman or El Diablo from freedom force) that you may have access to after certain story events, or perhaps if you play missions in a certain way. They would help drive the narrative, add some extra muscle and help fill in your ranks.

Just like in FF, levels would be freely destructible. Of course, it would affect your reputation rating if you blew up too much stuff but would add a nice chaotic atmosphere to combat. Strong characters could hurl cars and dumpsters across at other enemies etc.

Combat would be real-time, but pausable. I love turn based but it would be a disservice. The combat would have to be zany and fun, with strategic elements. Perhaps pausing you could give characters a queue of things to do (move here, shoot icebeam, move here etc)

Someone mentioned how xcom/JA games focus so much on cover mechanics to work- I think what would have to work for this is something sort of similar to this tactical "hedge your bets" kinda way.

It would be more about resistances and buffs/debuffs. Almost like Baldur's Gate. You've got this enemy, he's immune to elemental damage so you gotta get your brawler in there. Hit him with some psychic beams to knock down his phase shield them pummel. Maybe buff your brawler up with some rallying cries from The Maestro. Keep enemies off of your brawler with ice beams. Defend your raged projectile guys with force shields and lava traps. Freedom force, though a bit rough around the edges, was actually pretty good at this.