Jump to content

The Hero System is bland and over complicated


RPMiller

Recommended Posts

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

TheTravellerBook.jpg

 

I found this at Powell's Bookstore.

 

Got that. Got everything for Traveller other then Traveller HERO, simple because I could never find a copy of it anywhere. Some day, at a convention perhaps, heh.

 

~Rex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 389
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

Was it the Chaosism system where you only got a chance of improving only the skills that you used in the game' date=' so if you never used a skill, it never went up?[/quote']

Don't know, but Call of Cthulhu was like that (at one time). Any skill you used during a session had a chance of increasing at the end of it. And the chance increased more dramatically when you failed at the skill roll, so the better you got at it, the less you would improve and the more you'd have to find challenging applications for the hope of growth. Pretty neat. Too bad for the rest of the system and quality of play....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

In D&D' date=' for example, you use all manor of dice.[/quote']I'd like to get some manor dice, but they tend to be more expensive than Dwarven Stones.

 

I don't get it.
His sig states that he uses the system. Not that he plays the game.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

Have you?

 

I don't get it.

 

His sig states that he uses the system. Not that he plays the game.

 

Actually, I was referring more to the "Quit bashing other systems: it isn't doing you any favors" in comparison to the "I would rather watch paint dry, than play HERO" than anything else :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

The XP thing was a big deal for my group when I was trying to get them to make the switch to HERO.

 

 

True story: I just finished running a D&D4 game, which lasted for about a year, and then I started a new Fantasy Hero game a couple weeks back. After the first session of the Hero game, I gave my players 5 XP. One of them says, "Great! Now I just need 1995 more to make second level!" :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

Could it be that...

 

... you've played with gamers wanting to try something *GASP* different???

 

Habits are hard to change (ask any Grognard) When you do not really want to change, you'll pick out whatever bothers you most and complain about it... Hum.. isn't that what we're doing? ;p

 

That's a good point... People specifically looking for something new are probably less likely to react badly when exposed to it. :think:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

Don't know' date=' but Call of Cthulhu was like that (at one time). Any skill you used during a session had a chance of increasing at the end of it. And the chance increased more dramatically when you [i']failed[/i] at the skill roll, so the better you got at it, the less you would improve and the more you'd have to find challenging applications for the hope of growth. Pretty neat. Too bad for the rest of the system and quality of play....

 

CoC at one time was part of the Chaosism family I think one version of Runequest was too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

Was it the Chaosism system where you only got a chance of improving only the skills that you used in the game' date=' so if you never used a skill, it never went up?[/quote']

 

In Runequest you got better at stuff if you used it successfully or paid a master in the skill to train you. Made sense to me...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

Was it the Chaosism system where you only got a chance of improving only the skills that you used in the game' date=' so if you never used a skill, it never went up?[/quote']

 

All of what's known as the Basic Role Playing System (Cthulu, Runequest for the most part, Basic Role Playing itself (highly recomend Aces High btw) etc) is like that. Some of us mean GM's, even went do far as to implement the mechanic in reverse, where skills that are never used actually degrade.

 

~Rex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

All of what's known as the Basic Role Playing System (Cthulu, Runequest for the most part, Basic Role Playing itself (highly recomend Aces High btw) etc) is like that. Some of us mean GM's, even went do far as to implement the mechanic in reverse, where skills that are never used actually degrade.

 

~Rex

 

Don't forget Elfquest (along with D&D and Talislanta) one of the first games I ever played.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

That skit is what pops to mind every time I see one of those posts that pops up where folks can't figure out if a comment was directed at them or not, heh. And hell yeah the costuming is great, but the skit, DEFINES a forum conversation.

 

~Rex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

It's fairly pointless arguing with folks like this reviewer. HERO is a system that is powered by the imaginations of its GMs and players. If you have a limited imagination, you will find the system bland and boring. If you have a great imagination, you will find it compelling and interesting. Unlike other gaming systems, the authors haven't done all the imagining for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

That's a good point... People specifically looking for something new are probably less likely to react badly when exposed to it. :think:

 

 

When you go to a Con and you see a few really obscure RPG being demoed, it is sometimes played by fans of that RPG, but mostly by curious gamers who likes to try stuff.

 

There is the gamer who "Collects RPG" in the sense of having many RPGs/supplements from almost everything and those who "collects RPGs" in the sense of having everything of a few RPGs...

 

Both are Gamers, but one is most likely to say XYZ is the best and ignore the rest...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

CoC at one time was part of the Chaosism family I think one version of Runequest was too.

 

Runequest was the original game to use that system. Just as Champions came first in the Hero System.

The best experience system ever devised.

 

I still think of it as the "Runequest System" even though it's officially called Basic Role Playing.

 

and given what a great game Runequest is, and that it came first, I have never understood how it came to be eclipsed by Call of Cthulhu.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Call of the Palindromedary Quest

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re: The Hero System is bland and over complicated

 

Never played RuneQuest. Did a few sessions of Call of Cthulhu and hated it, though I did find the skill advancement interesting.

 

My recollection of the play experience:

 

"Something moves in the shadows. Roll to see how much Sanity you lose."

"You see a fish with legs. Roll to see if you go insane."

"You learn an ancient spell that you're not even sure will work. Roll to see if you go insane."

"You learn that the First Mate is trying to summon demons. Roll to see if you go insane."

"Oh. You DO go insane. You black out and the world is a blur for a while. You finally become coherent in a mental hospital, and can only vaguely remember everything that transpired before you lost a grip...."

 

Yeah. Barrel of fun. :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...