Stupid question

[Wolf]

I have a friend who is wanting to get into Hero, however he is rather.... intimidated by the size of Hero 5th. I have looked however not found the name and expected releise time of the Hero- EZ stuff that was being talked about (last month I think).
Anyhow, thanks.
-Wolf

[RavensPath]

The name is Sidekick. I don't see the release date listed on the 2003 or 2004 schedule but if I remember right Steve was going to be testing it or Gen Con So Cal this weekend.

Matthew

[Wolf]

Thanks.
-Wolf

[Monolith]

My understanding is that Sidekick will be published in February.

[L. Marcus]

As I recall, Steve said that Sidekick had no definite release date because it is a rather low-priority product. He´s writing it, as I understand, in his "spare time" when he hasn´t got anything better to do . . . So Sidekick might easily have to move its slim arse to make room for something more important on Stevie´s desk.

[Monolith]

Originally posted by L. Marcus
As I recall, Steve said that Sidekick had no definite release date because it is a rather low-priority product. He´s writing it, as I understand, in his "spare time" when he hasn´t got anything better to do . . . So Sidekick might easily have to move its slim arse to make room for something more important on Stevie´s desk.
Sidekick is finished, has gone through the test-readers hands, and is currently in layout. I think it was somewhere in these message boards (I think in Company Questions) where Steve said he expected it to be published in Feb.

[L. Marcus]

Found the quote:


Originally posted by Steve Long
The hope is we can finish SK, send it off to print, and have it ready no later than DunDraCon in mid-February; that'd be a good place to debut it. But since it's not on the schedule, it has to make way for things that are on the schedule. We do our best to get books out when we've said we will.

[Jon]

I'm just a bit skeptical about how well this product is actually going to do. To draw an unually analogy, I've always looked at HERO like the hardcore drug of gaming. Almost nobody came into it as their first game. Most of us wound up getting in through the "gateway" games like D&D or WOD.

HERO has always seemed like the Mt. Everest for gamers who tired of loping over the rolling hills of TSR's old stuff. Maybe Sidekick will allow HERO to be more accessable to the noobies. It will be interesting to find out.

[GrimJesta]

Almost nobody came into it as their first game. Most of us wound up getting in through the "gateway" games like D&D or WOD. Aint that the freakin truth...

I agree about it being the Mt. Everest. My old D&D group always said there was a "spell of confusion cast on the book" about somewhere in the middle...

Hhehehe.

I dunno though. It might do OK, as Sidekick will sort of ease people into this hardcore system (hardcore = awesome, too).

-=Grim=-

[AnotherSkip]

more likely it had a Symbol: Confusion right after the character building section.....

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Jon
I'm just a bit skeptical about how well this product is actually going to do. To draw an unually analogy, I've always looked at HERO like the hardcore drug of gaming. Almost nobody came into it as their first game. Most of us wound up getting in through the "gateway" games like D&D or WOD.
I think there are many gamers who have become disinterested in d20 and would be willing to make the change. But I also think they look upon FREd with dread. It's expensive, it's intimidating, and it is complicated. I have always found though, that once you let a d20 player just play the game a few times, without the need to worry about character creation, they enjoy the game and are willing to play it more often. Hopefully Sidekick will help some of these people get past their initial fears.

[zornwil]

Originally posted by Jon
I'm just a bit skeptical about how well this product is actually going to do. To draw an unually analogy, I've always looked at HERO like the hardcore drug of gaming. Almost nobody came into it as their first game. Most of us wound up getting in through the "gateway" games like D&D or WOD.

HERO has always seemed like the Mt. Everest for gamers who tired of loping over the rolling hills of TSR's old stuff. Maybe Sidekick will allow HERO to be more accessable to the noobies. It will be interesting to find out.

I wonder, too, as it's also still a fairly thick book. I was thinking it would be on the order of 64 pages but it's double or more than that.

I do think I'll probably get one as a "ready reference" sort of book, although I'm not sure.

[Vex]

The perceived difficulty with learning Champions has always been its hardest selling point. Several of my friends have played a few times so it isn't too much of a problem but I don't think they have ever made a character. The first few characters are always the worst. One of my friends has created a speedster (20" of running), 10 Str and no martial arts....but he took EVERY skill he could afford because he wanted to make sure that the group was covered!!! I am remaking his character into a useable form and I am amazed at how much the extra 100 points helps in fleshing out characters and making them more diversified.

As a newbie to these boards, what is FREd and where do I find it?

[Monolith]

Originally posted by Vex
As a newbie to these boards, what is FREd and where do I find it?
FREd is the slang term most of us on the boards use for HERO System 5th Edition.

We were asking what she should call it, as we all called 4th Edition the BBB (Big Blue Book) and Steve said he did not care what we called it, we could even call it FREd as long as we bought it. So it has been FREd ever since.

FREd was later retrofitted to me Fifth Rules Edition. :)

[zornwil]

Originally posted by Monolith
FREd is the slang term most of us on the boards use for HERO System 5th Edition.


Well, the vast majority understand it, but I'm not sure whether "most" use it as many prefer not to. Just my 2 cents as I can't stand the name for whatever admittedly-arbitrary reason. :)

[Keneton]

I have been playing hero since objects had no defense! I have also played d&d since the chainmail days. I know both games very well, but still during the course of d&d games find myself having to look up rules. This almost never happens playing hero. The reason is, SYSTEM...

What I mean is that once you learn the system, it all flows logically. Other games simply don't. (I know I am generalizing but bear with me.)

Sure character creation is hard, but as another aside, it took me 21/2 hours to fully complete a d&d character the other day for 3.5. Sorting through encumberance, armor check penalties, feats and other things without any good software (lets face it e-tools and the code monkey stuff suck and still dont support 3.5) takes much more time than using HD 2.04!

As for cost argument voiced by Monolith, (Note: I am taking liberties with what he said), d&d cost way more to play than hero. You also get your moneys worth with the DOJ version of hero. Can anyone name a book worth more pound for pound than Fantasy Hero?

I play many games, but I only love one, HERO!:)

[lemming]

Originally posted by zornwil
Well, the vast majority understand it, but I'm not sure whether "most" use it as many prefer not to. Just my 2 cents as I can't stand the name for whatever admittedly-arbitrary reason. :)
Put me in the "Well, that's a pretty stupid nickname" camp. Fifth works for me.

[Fuzzy Gnome]

Fred: repelling rodents and reptiles since 2002!!
Fred
Fred
Fred
Fred

[Wolf]

Keneton
I have been playing hero since objects had no defense! I have also played d&d since the chainmail days. I know both games very well, but still during the course of d&d games find myself having to look up rules. This almost never happens playing hero. The reason is, SYSTEM... etc.

I agree, however D&D "looks" cheeper. at $30 for the PHB you aren't aware that your spending another 30 for your class book, and whatever else you can come up with to justify the spending.
I love Hero, and the Sidekick to me is a way to show people how easy it really is to play Hero. I hope.
-Wolf

[L. Marcus]

Originally posted by Fuzzy Gnome
Fred: repelling rodents and reptiles since 2002!!

Well, it didn´t work on either zornvil or lemming . . . :D