local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

[Hyper-Man]

This is just an informal survey question for HEROdom.

 

Does anyone think that being the AnswerMan of your local HERO gaming group means you HAVE to be the GM? Does knowledge of the rules always equate to good storytelling and refereeing?

 

I have been in good games run by both a good rules knowledgable GM and by a GM who house-ruled almost everything and used the basic rules as a very very loose framework.

 

Everyone's opinions are welcome.

[JMcL63]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

If I get you right Hyper-Man, this is about knowing the rules better than the GM versus being the GM yourself? Well, I can recall, in my old Aftermath days that my GM always relied on me to answer rules questions. This didn't stop him running a great campaign. I guess it's all down to the balance between rules knowledge and rules lawyering.

 

A rules lawyer who works only for their own character and against the GM can be the worst player imaginable. But a rules-knowledgable player who uses their knowledge to help the players understand what their characters can do, and helps the GM make calls about events in play can be a real asset.

 

On the other hand, the simple ability to understand rules mechanics does not a good GM make. Otherwise anyone who could understand the rules of Monopoly would immediately be a good GM. Good storytelling involves a knowledge of dramatic structure (however basic), and applying good storytelling in an rpg (ie. good refereeing) involves insight into group dynamics and other equally ephemeral aspects of interpersonal relationships. In other words, learning rules is one thing (and being good at this is enough to learn how to play, and win, competitive adventure games), but learning how to use rules to GM an enjoyable roleplaying session is another.

 

Hope this helps.

[TheEmerged]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

Can I spin you for a moment, Hyper-Man?

 

One could argue that it's impossible to know the system better than the GM, since at least in his campaigns he's the ultimate authority on how it works (except in situations where there's an uber-GM that oversees other GM's, like the "Living d20" situations).

 

Personally, the last time I was a player in a HERO campaign was... 1994 I think. Part of that is that my inner Idea Hamster is constantly cranking out settings so I'm generally the one wanting to start a new campaign

[Hyper-Man]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

I appreciate the feedback.

 

I tend to agree that good storytelling trumps generic rules knowledge as well as the point that the GM is the final say on the rules in his or her game. I just wondering what everyone else's opinion on this was.

[AngryBug]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

The best GM I ever played with didn't give a flying fig about learning the rules of any game system... He used an extremely simplified combat system of his own devising to speed up combat, and was kind of fuzzy on the rules in general...

 

Nobody cared, though, because his sense of storytelling and dramatic timing were phenomenal. I'm quite convinced that his "combat system" involved more dramatic storytelling on his part than actual dice effect, and, again, nobody cared because combat, like the rest of the game, was exciting, dramatic and fun.

 

In fact, his "loosey-goosey" style of GMing created some of the best, most cinematic combat sequences I've ever played in, as characters were always rewarded for dramatic risk-taking (even if a PC was KO'd, it would still be rewarding for the action sequence!) and role-playing.

 

The non-combat aspects of the game were the most challenging and rewarding I've ever played in, and gave every character lots to do outside of just fighting. He turned everyone in his campaigns into real role-players.

 

So, no, I don't think being a HERO guru is absolutely necessary to good GMing.

[Dust Raven]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

I started GMing backbefore I realized these silly games actually had published rules. We were just a small group of high school geeks, some of us had played other games and knew the rules, but I learned them from word of mouth because no one had the books.

 

So, without a hard set of rules and only a vague idea on how to adjucate random events, we started playing. Our character's were total munchkin, our plots involved saving stolen planets from transdimensional raiders, and we had lot's of fun playing it out.

 

Then came books and rules and formula and stats and all of that has lead to arguements and heated debates... but we still have fun despite that (in some ways, because of it).

 

Currently, as far as HERO goes, I'm the local Answerman as well as GM. I've taught the system to all my friends, and they like it enough to play, but it seems all but one (Descant) has the nerve to try their hand at GMing. So it doesn't really mater what we play, I'm the default GM.

[Dust Raven]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

Oh yeah... forgot this part.

 

Being the answerman that I am (and whatever I can't answer I'm sure there's someone on the boards who can answer it for me), I wouldn't mind if someone else not as knowledgable of the rules as I am GMs, or if someone else more knowledgable plays in my games. Like others have mentioned (and what I tried to hint at in my previous post), knowing rules won't make you a GM. Only knowing the elements of a good story, and knowing your players and their desires will make good.

 

Of course, knowing the rules rarely hurts.

[Col. Orange]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

I've become the AnswerMan for most games our group plays because I got tired of GMs using the system against the players.

 

Well, that and I like to know my chances of success when doing "X" before I do it.

 

Well, that and I like to know how to build a character without "wasting" points (or mini-maxing as the unenlightend call it [grin]).

 

End result is that I'm no better at GMing the games I don't regularly GM, but I am able to help out when a Player needs help building a character or when the GM can't remember some little used or overly complex rule.

[zornwil]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

No, I don't think being "answer man" means being GM but OTOH if you are the only one with a passing knowledge of the rules it kinda does in practical experience. The problem is if the GM doesn't know the rules somewhat, the game really does bog down. Someone has to understand them reasonably well. In my current group (unlike the prior 2 groups) I am definitely not the strongest on rules knowledge but GM as much if not more than others.

[zornwil]

Re: local game HERO AnswerMan vs. being GM?

 

I started GMing backbefore I realized these silly games actually had published rules. We were just a small group of high school geeks, some of us had played other games and knew the rules, but I learned them from word of mouth because no one had the books.

 

So, without a hard set of rules and only a vague idea on how to adjucate random events, we started playing. Our character's were total munchkin, our plots involved saving stolen planets from transdimensional raiders, and we had lot's of fun playing it out.

 

Then came books and rules and formula and stats and all of that has lead to arguements and heated debates... but we still have fun despite that (in some ways, because of it).

 

Currently, as far as HERO goes, I'm the local Answerman as well as GM. I've taught the system to all my friends, and they like it enough to play, but it seems all but one (Descant) has the nerve to try their hand at GMing. So it doesn't really mater what we play, I'm the default GM.

That brought back memories - I also started GMing a weird variant of D&D and I didn't have the books at all, either, and barely had a grasp of the rules. Actually one could argue the "barely" point!