"Living" Hero

[TechnoViking]

Has DOJ given anymore thought about starting something similar to the RPGA "Living" worlds?

The reason I ask is because at CONduit (a smallish con in Salt Lake City) I had to wait in line for 90 minutes to schedule my Champions games for the weekend. The line was around the corner with all the people signing up for Living Greyhawk/Force/Spycraft games. People seem addicted to it.

I know DOJ is stretched pretty thin resource-wise, but I can't help but feel you are missing a opportunity to promote Hero Games.

Mike

[Steve Long]

We've looked into it, and it's not practical for a whole variety of reasons. That long line of people comes mainly from the fact that they're signing up for D&D/D20 games sponsored by manufacturers with a lot of money to throw at support and advertising, I think, not any inherent attraction for "Living" programs.

[Rage]

whats a living program?
Is it like a Larp?


*GASP!!!* HERO USED IN A LARP!!! no, wouldn't work. Or would it?

[Tom McCarthy]

I believe Living Greyhawk is a campaign setting run by volunteer GMs at conventions (under RPGA ?). There are several adventures set within the city, and convention goers use the same character at convention after convention, gaining XP and advancing the character. There's no small amount of bookkeeping involved to keep characters authentic and prevent the same character taking the same adventure repeatedly.

[TechnoViking]

Originally posted by Rage
Is it like a Larp?
*GASP!!!* HERO USED IN A LARP!!! no, wouldn't work. Or would it?

BAD IDEA!!!
Could you imagine the news coverage of the first person to fall from their wire that they used show they were flying.

Mike

[TechnoViking]

Originally posted by Steve Long
I think, not any inherent attraction for "Living" programs.

Probably true, but I do think some people like playing RPGA style games and only play D20 games since there is no other option.

Mike

[BobGreenwade]

With Tom's explanation (I'd been unfamiliar with the concept before), I think this is something that Hero Games should consider -- though not with any haste. I actually considered trying to organize something like this back in the 3rd-Ed days. The various settings of the Hero Universe would be just right for this sort of thing, once they're fleshed out. With the great breadth and variety of those settings and the limited time and budget for publishing books, this won't happen for a few years. I say wait until this fleshing-out process is well under way, see what happens to the idea of "Living" games in the meantime, and decide from there.

[rjcurrie]

I have to wonder though, that with a game that is as character-oriented as Hero, do players really want to play in adventures that are designed for any group of characters whatsoever? Also, such adventures would be completely devoid of any real hooks for the characters brought by the players. Certainly, these would not be games that I would want to play in.

Personally, I think that Hero Games would be much further ahead continuing with their current program of sponsoring and creating Hero-based events (most of which use standard Hero characters and settings) for major conventions. Such events with pre-generated characters can be designed specifically for those characters which, in my mind, yields a much more satisfying game.

[BobGreenwade]

Originally posted by rjcurrie
I have to wonder though, that with a game that is as character-oriented as Hero, do players really want to play in adventures that are designed for any group of characters whatsoever? Also, such adventures would be completely devoid of any real hooks for the characters brought by the players. Certainly, these would not be games that I would want to play in.

Personally, I think that Hero Games would be much further ahead continuing with their current program of sponsoring and creating Hero-based events (most of which use standard Hero characters and settings) for major conventions. Such events with pre-generated characters can be designed specifically for those characters which, in my mind, yields a much more satisfying game.

Not untrue at all. This is another good reason to leave this on the back burner for a few years -- though I'd still leave the eventual possibility open.

[Crimson-Hawk]

Originally posted by Mike Basinger
BAD IDEA!!!
Could you imagine the news coverage of the first person to fall from their wire that they used show they were flying.

Mike

Well, considering that most game company sanctioned LARP games follow a strict (and I mean strict) code of no touching, no weapons, and NO STUNTS, I seriously doubt such news coverage will ever happen. Most supernatural effects or statuses are indicated by how the player places his hands in respect to his body (crossing his arms across his chest to indicate he is invisible and so on).

However, that being said, it might indeed be difficult to make a Champions LARP. The obstacle isn't the concept of "Live Action." The obstacle is resolving skill checks, attack rolls, and damage rolls in a LARP environment. Needless to say, carrying around 16d6 and rolling them on the spot when you're walking around and play-acting your character is difficult in the least.

So, to transform Champions into a LARP, an alternative rules system, one less dice oriented, would have to be developed. A difficult undertaking, but a possible one.

[Jhamin]

Originally posted by Crimson-Hawk
So, to transform Champions into a LARP, an alternative rules system, one less dice oriented, would have to be developed. A difficult undertaking, but a possible one.

No disrespect intended, but why?

The whole point of Champions is that you play it with Hero system. There are alot of games where the world setting is the draw, this isn't one of them.

I love Dr. Destroyer and Mechanon as much as the next guy but when was the last time you heard anybody ask for Heros Unlimited stats for Firewing?

Larping is good, but tabletop concepts usually don't translate well. A Superheroic Larp would be great, but I wouldn't call it Champions.

[BobGreenwade]

Originally posted by Crimson-Hawk
So, to transform Champions into a LARP, an alternative rules system, one less dice oriented, would have to be developed. A difficult undertaking, but a possible one.

Go take a look at issue #1 of Digital Hero.

[MarkusDark]

I know that Dreams of Deidre, a LARP group that runs games at Cons out here in the Bay Area, produced a 'Dark Champions' LARP at the last DunDraCon. I so wanted to play it but apparently, if you knew who were the GM's, you got into the game. So I don't know how well it went.

[allen]

Originally posted by Crimson-Hawk
... to transform Champions into a LARP, an alternative rules system, one less dice oriented, would have to be developed. A difficult undertaking, but a possible one.

[emphasis mine]

au contraire, mon frere!

if you look here: http://www.herogames.com/forums/show...5&pagenumber=2

you will notice that I carry around dice in my pocket 'just in case'! all I would require is a flat surface to roll them on...

[TheEmerged]

As I understand it, the "Living" campaigns are basically an attempt to run an MMOG with humans instead of servers...