I touched it!

[FenrisUlf]

Re: I touched it!

 

To DrAnomaly: you lucky stumble-bum!

 

Myself: Woohoo! I cannot wait for this book to come out.

 

Though I do sometimes wonder just *why* Pulp roleplaying is so perennially popular. Is it the style? The history? the totally weird factor? (Nazi cyborg gorillas from the Earth's core!) Any input?

 

Oh yes -- will there be any sample characters (heroes and villains) in the book?

[Steve Long]

Re: I touched it!

 

I do sometimes wonder just *why* Pulp roleplaying is so perennially popular.

 

It's not. If it were there would be more successful Pulp games. One could even argue that there's never been a truly successful Pulp game (since I don't consider CoC "pulp," really). Pulp is a perennial favorite of game designers, and of a certain segment of fandom, but sadly it doesn't enjoy any particular popularity among the greater mass of gamers.

 

The things that makes it feasible for us to pursue as are genre are (a) the history of associating the genre with Hero via JI, ( the existence of a group of Hero fans that will buy just about anything Hero, and © the fact that Pulp does seem to enjoy a high degree of popularity among Hero gamers (at least if the comments I've been getting are any bellwether). If I were going to publish an all-new game of some sort, I probably wouldn't pick Pulp. But as a HERO System genre, I think Pulp has a solid chance at success. At the very least I expect it to do as well as DC or NH.

 

Oh yes -- will there be any sample characters (heroes and villains) in the book?

 

Soitanly! As in our other genre books, there are five heroes (Randall Irons, Hamilton Cross, Bill Ferguson, Lili Winchester, and Liz Murdock) and five bad guys (SS-Oberfuhrer Hermann Eichenwald, Dr. Emil Locke, Vinnie "the Axe" Coletti, Dr. Jennings Petrie, and Akash Varmandali).

[JTesla]

Re: I touched it!

 

( the existence of a group of Hero fans that will buy just about anything Hero

 

True, very true, fortunately I’ve not bought every HERO product, but the sad thing is a little voice in the back of my head is telling me I should. The Pulp book will probably be last, as I have no interest in the setting, but that little voice keeps saying “make the collection whole, it will contain little gems to use someplace else.†Must resist… will not buy every product… bah I give up.

[John T]

Re: I touched it!

 

It's not. If it were there would be more successful Pulp games. One could even argue that there's never been a truly successful Pulp game (since I don't consider CoC "pulp' date='" really).[/quote']CoC is what I refer to as Cosmic Horror; don't know if there's a "legit" term for the sub-genre. It just happens to be set in the generally accepted pulp era, and so tends to be really good source material... if you like to have the occasional mind-blasting cosmic terror lurking around some corners of your pulp campaign (I do ).

Pulp is a perennial favorite of game designers, and of a certain segment of fandom, but sadly it doesn't enjoy any particular popularity among the greater mass of gamers.

I'd almost go so far as to say that historical-fiction based games, in general, don't seem to do as well, but I'm no expert on the subject.

The things that makes it feasible for us to pursue as are genre are (a) the history of associating the genre with Hero via JI, ( the existence of a group of Hero fans that will buy just about anything Hero, and © the fact that Pulp does seem to enjoy a high degree of popularity among Hero gamers (at least if the comments I've been getting are any bellwether). If I were going to publish an all-new game of some sort, I probably wouldn't pick Pulp. But as a HERO System genre, I think Pulp has a solid chance at success. At the very least I expect it to do as well as DC or NH.

Well, for myself, there are a lot of Hero books I want ("Uuhhh... ALL of 'em, I think..." -John Connor, T2); Pulp Hero is one of the books I feel I NEED.

 

John T

[Steve Long]

Re: I touched it!

 

I’ve not bought every HERO product, but the sad thing is a little voice in the back of my head is telling me I should.

 

Not only is that little voice not sad, it's absolutely, positively correct. Stop fighting! Give in! Your life will be more meaningful and enjoyable. Food will taste better, women will be prettier, the sunshine will be brighter if you buy more Hero books.

[Steve Long]

Re: I touched it!

 

I'd almost go so far as to say that historical-fiction based games, in general, don't seem to do as well, but I'm no expert on the subject.

 

That's a fair statement. At best, what most gamers want is not a historical setting or historical info, but a historo-dramatic "feel." Witness, for example, the relative success of L5R (a fictional Japan) and Sengoku (a game with so much cool historical data that I'm told it's been cited by college professors in papers). Obviously there are other factors there, but it's a telling point, methinks.

 

OK, enough thread derailment! Back to Pulp Hero!

[Lamrok]

Re: I touched it!

 

CoC is what I refer to as Cosmic Horror; don't know if there's a "legit" term for the sub-genre. It just happens to be set in the generally accepted pulp era' date=' and so tends to be really good source material... if you like to have the occasional mind-blasting cosmic terror lurking around some corners of your pulp campaign (I do ).[/quote']

 

I think the Cthulhu stuff is pretty inextricably linked to the era it is set in. For many readers, the Cthulhu horrors were horrors of science, driven by certain allowances for mass hysteria. Lovecraft was thinking about legends of Mu and contemporary astronomy when he wrote the stories. Most of his readers were born in the 19th century. I think the juxtaposition of frighteningly old vs frighteninly new was what gave the stories a lot of their staying power.

 

This tension between old and new is part of the fun that drives the whole pulp genre. It will undoubtedly be covered in Pulp Hero. (see, back on topic)

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: I touched it!

 

...there are five heroes (Randall Irons' date=' Hamilton Cross, Bill Ferguson, Lili Winchester, and Liz Murdock) and five bad guys (SS-Oberfuhrer Hermann Eichenwald, Dr. Emil Locke, Vinnie "the Axe" Coletti, Dr. Jennings Petrie, and Akash Varmandali).[/quote']A-yup! I'll vouch for that. And watch out for Randall Irons' hook! He really packs a wallop!

[Curufea]

Re: I touched it!

 

Not only is that little voice not sad' date=' it's absolutely, positively correct. Stop fighting! Give in! Your life will be more meaningful and enjoyable. Food will taste better, women will be prettier, the sunshine will be brighter if you buy more Hero books. [/quote']

 

Aside from the 4th ed superhero-specific books (a genre I stopped collecting after the 3rd ed) - I think I'm missing the pre-1st ed Hero stuff (ie Autoduel Champions). Otherwise - a nice shelf full of stuff

Although I think I have given the 1st ed away to someone as a present a few years ago

[Steve Long]

Re: I touched it!

 

And watch out for Randall Irons' hook! He really packs a wallop!

 

Well, sure, when the player rolls a frickin' 31 or whatever it was on 7d6. I don't remember the player's name, but his dice were definitely hot that game!

[st barbara]

Re: I touched it!

 

7d6 with a punch ! What's that guy's strength ?

[Steve Long]

Re: I touched it!

 

It's 15. Then he has some Boxing maneuvers.

[TheImperialKhan]

Re: I touched it!

 

Probably only a 15. But a Hook is +4D6 according to the Modern Boxing manuevers in UMA.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: I touched it!

 

Well' date=' sure, when the player rolls a frickin' 31 or whatever it was on 7d6. I don't remember the player's name, but his dice were definitely hot that game![/quote']

Yeah. I thought I'd done pretty well with the damage I'd rolled with Lili's martial arts kick, but that just totally left me sitting in the dust! (And I'm afraid I can't remember his name, either.)

[FenrisUlf]

Re: I touched it!

 

Well' date=' sure, when the player rolls a frickin' 31 or whatever it was on 7d6. I don't remember the player's name, but his dice were definitely hot that game![/quote']

 

Well, this is Pulp; the heroes are supposed to give the villains a good pounding in the end!

 

And it will be good to see Randall Irons & Hamilton Cross statted out; I've been wondering what they looked like, character-sheet wise, for years.

 

And if I may ask, just what support material is ahead for Pulp Hero? Or has that been covered elsewhere?

[Lethosos]

Re: I touched it!

 

And it will be good to see Randall Irons & Hamilton Cross statted out; I've been wondering what they looked like' date=' character-sheet wise, for years.[/quote']

Should I say it?... should I?

 

Yep.

 

Sidekick, p.82 "Example Character." There's Randall Irons right there.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: I touched it!

 

Okay, but I don't have Sidekick and probably won't be getting it anytime soon. Definitely not as soon as Pulp Hero.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: I touched it!

 

I touched it! My precious!

 

I held Steve's Pulp Hero notes / manuscript rough in my hands.

 

I got to read some bits and pieces of it.

 

 

Pulp Hero is going to be so frikkin' awesome that everyone must buy 2 copies!

 

Uhmmm... Heh Steve you better check the manuscript to see if there was anything added. I wonder if the good Doctor might turn up in those sacred pages as an anomaly.

 

Serieously

 

QM

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: I touched it!

 

Uhmmm... Heh Steve you better check the manuscript to see if there was anything added. I wonder if the good Doctor might turn up in those sacred pages as an anomaly.

It just so happens I didn't have a copy of my character sheet with me!

 

 

...'cause I would have had to have converted it to the pulp era first, and I didn't, because I didn't know I was going to have such a wonderful opportunity...

 

 

 

 

 

( )

[Steve Long]

Re: I touched it!

 

just what support material is ahead for Pulp Hero?

 

In the "Our Pages" section, there are pages detailing the 2005 and 2006 schedules that cover this.

[Mister E]

Re: I touched it!

 

It's not. If it were there would be more successful Pulp games. One could even argue that there's never been a truly successful Pulp game (since I don't consider CoC "pulp' date='" really). Pulp is a perennial favorite of [i']game designers,[/i] and of a certain segment of fandom, but sadly it doesn't enjoy any particular popularity among the greater mass of gamers.

 

The things that makes it feasible for us to pursue as are genre are (a) the history of associating the genre with Hero via JI, ( the existence of a group of Hero fans that will buy just about anything Hero, and © the fact that Pulp does seem to enjoy a high degree of popularity among Hero gamers (at least if the comments I've been getting are any bellwether). If I were going to publish an all-new game of some sort, I probably wouldn't pick Pulp. But as a HERO System genre, I think Pulp has a solid chance at success. At the very least I expect it to do as well as DC or NH.

I've been a fan of these kinds of stories, since I started reading... so yes, I'm picking up this book. I just finished Dark Champions, and I really liked it. It might even be by favorite genre book, so far... though that's a tough call I'm not going to make.

 

Another interesting fact, at least to me, is that one of my best friends, (a guy in my gaming group who, up till now, still only owns the main 5e book), has told me that Pulp Hero, if it's as good as you say it's going to be, will be the first suppliment he buys for the game.

 

He's a big fan of Flash Gordon, and has even picked up a few of the old talking black+white movies, as well as several hours of the really old radio broadcasts, (which I've listened to... and I must say, Max Von Sidhow's voice is much easier on the ear, than the freak they used for Ming the Merciless, back then.)

[Old Man]

Re: I touched it!

 

( the existence of a group of Hero fans that will buy just about anything Hero' date=' [/quote']

 

You mean we're not all like that?

[BigJackBrass]

Re: I touched it!

 

Should I say it?... should I?

 

Yep.

 

Sidekick, p.82 "Example Character." There's Randall Irons right there.

 

Probably the funniest thing in HERO for me is the fact that Randall is hunted by a character called Bruce Forsythe. Might not make much sense outside of the UK, but this link http://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2004/04/22/comedancing/ or a quick Internet search should clue you to the fact that Brucie is in his late seventies, has been in showbusiness for over sixty years and wears a decidedly dubious toupee. Maybe Randall isn't as tough as he's been made out...