What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

[itsalwayssunny]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I could be an anomaly, but I wouldn't be interested in getting 100 hero/superhero write-ups by other players since I'd generally find 99 of them useless to me, the same way I find all the characters published for the official Champions setting to be pretty lame. Anyway, making up PCs and NPCs is the easy part. It's making up the stories that's hard.

 

What would be really useful would be a cheap, easy-to-use basic rules set and a bunch of semi-pro quality sample adventures in various settings. (Those I would be able to adapt or steal ideas from. I think a lot of prospective GMs would like that as well.) That might help attract more people to the game.

 

At least I think so. I've been wrong before.

 

--Kap

[megaplayboy]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I could be an anomaly, but I wouldn't be interested in getting 100 hero/superhero write-ups by other players since I'd generally find 99 of them useless to me, the same way I find all the characters published for the official Champions setting to be pretty lame. Anyway, making up PCs and NPCs is the easy part. It's making up the stories that's hard.

 

What would be really useful would be a cheap, easy-to-use basic rules set and a bunch of semi-pro quality sample adventures in various settings. (Those I would be able to adapt or steal ideas from. I think a lot of prospective GMs would like that as well.) That might help attract more people to the game.

 

At least I think so. I've been wrong before.

 

--Kap

 

Well, veteran gamer fans can probably write up sample adventures. I think a fan-made basic rules set is likely problematic and counterproductive from an intellectual property/marketing standpoint, though. Sometimes the value in writeups is seeing how people accomplished or emulated a particular ability or character concept. If you have a bunch of different players doing it, you get to see a variety of philosophical approaches to character creation.

 

"Instant Hero", or a quick-and-dirty set of basic rules, is likely something that would have to have an official stamp upon it, and most likely be funded through Kickstarter. It doesn't necessarily mandate that it be written by people who have written for 5th or 6th edition, though.

[Manic Typist]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

Probably complete "game" books under the HERO umbrella would be the best, as already suggested. Has everything prebuilt in there, people just slap modules together to make the characters they want, no character creation rules (but all the necessary combat rules), setting information, plot seeds, go.'

[dmjalund]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I kinda like the idea of fans putting together a free series of books' date=' like say a "100 X" series--100 heroes(for non-superhero games), 100 superheroes, 100 vehicles, 100 bases, 100 followers, 100 power sets, 100 adventure ideas, 100 options--Powers, 100 options--Skills, 100 options--Combat, 100 campaign setting ideas, etc. If you put out a bunch of these, then essentially you are creating a huge public database of free writeups, that new and existing players and GMs can reference and use in their games. The catch is you have to have 1) people willing to do it for free, and 2) enough people to sustain such a series over time.[/quote']

 

Perhaps we should aim a little bit smaler. Start with something a single person can do. Ideas that are not feasible won't solve anything' date=' because they are never done.[/quote']

 

we could put u[ a thread and when we get 100 that pass the quality control test, we publish them

[ayinde]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

Maybe have the guys from hero itself pick the builds

[Sean Waters]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

There are a whole bunch of characters uploaded to the Hero Designer vault that (subject to creator consent, and here is mine) could be made.public domain and more accessible.

[itsalwayssunny]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

Maybe have the guys from hero itself pick the builds

 

Isn't it "the guy from hero" now?

[The Main Man]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I think "100 X" is too high and lofty a goal, but if all HERO players, rookies and veterans, are invited to create at least one specific thing every month, it could become an annual tradition that gradually builds a large database of fan-made submissions. Easier to do in the long term, and it allows new players to join, thus encouraging them to toolkit with the HERO system and reap the fruits of each other's labors. I think we should leave all publication decisions up to the company, but maybe we could have some means of rating each other's work for new players to get an idea of what may be good design, as subjective as that is. Maybe multiple fields could qualify builds, like Simplicity, Accuracy, and Cost.

 

I think a wiki approaches the right idea for storing such things, but a simple database seems simpler and more intuitive. I also like the idea of a podcast or blog.

[Christopher]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I too think simplicity should be a mayor factor. I see lot's of writeup that use the least known rules and pretty cheesy combinations to archieve an effect, especially in those "Comicbook adaptions".

 

The podcast and blog have one big advantage: One person can do it. And could start right now.

[Vondy]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I could be an anomaly, but I wouldn't be interested in getting 100 hero/superhero write-ups by other players since I'd generally find 99 of them useless to me, the same way I find all the characters published for the official Champions setting to be pretty lame. Anyway, making up PCs and NPCs is the easy part. It's making up the stories that's hard.

 

What would be really useful would be a cheap, easy-to-use basic rules set and a bunch of semi-pro quality sample adventures in various settings. (Those I would be able to adapt or steal ideas from. I think a lot of prospective GMs would like that as well.) That might help attract more people to the game.

 

At least I think so. I've been wrong before.

 

--Kap

 

Even if it were a free download?

[Vondy]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

There are a whole bunch of characters uploaded to the Hero Designer vault that (subject to creator consent' date=' and here is mine) could be made.public domain and more accessible.[/quote']

 

One way to make them more accessible would be to port them to .pdf for people who don't have Hero Designer....

[Teflon Billy]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I think doing Hero Netbooks (as online fanmade stuff used to called) is a great idea.

 

I have a bit over 500MB of AD&D 1st & 2nd Ed fanmade netbooks from the old MPGN.net FTP site, and a few others. They are some of the best stuff I have run across.

 

It doesn't have to be flashy, I think Killer-Shrike, Susano, and yes even Worldmaker's stuff was/is great, but it needs to be formatted from being Web-centric into being pdf/print centric for the purposes of having a self-contained, single download, print off the pages I need at the time format, for it to achieve the threshold of being a fanmade player aid.

 

Right now, for Hero, we have tons of Super-Hero write-ups from the Red October Site, and others. But it's all one off stuff, not a cohesive whole, only single character sheets.

 

I think Shadowcat (if I remember the user's name) does awesome ship write-ups, but he doesn't add flavor/description text of what exactly those ships do, so I often have a hard time being inspired by the write-ups for later use. I only have the ships name/class and a bunch of stats that as a moderately in-experienced Hero Player isn't very helpful.

 

The write-ups are also scattered across these forums in several threads, that again, don't help new-players to have a single place/single download solution.

 

I also will add, and might get some grief for saying this, but Haymaker! being only available to the actual article authors doesn't do much for the community as a whole either. It might be awesome for the authors that gives them a venue to have other authors read their articles/critique their work/cut their teeth on write semi-professionally, but it doesn't help the Hero Community. It's a Walled Garden that the rest of us, who either don't have the talent/time/self-confidence to write have access to.

 

Me personally, I would make all Haymakers (including scanning all the old ones) available as PDF downloads (actually, seeing of HeroGames couldn't host them to save a bit on bandwidth to any single person)

 

 

TB

[Hyper-Man]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I too think simplicity should be a major factor. I see lot's of writeup that use the least known rules and pretty cheesy combinations to archieve an effect, especially in those "Comicbook adaptions".

 

The podcast and blog have one big advantage: One person can do it. And could start right now.

 

I disagree with where you are going with the simplicity comment. HERO is about possibilities to model ANYTHING. Sometimes it takes complicated builds but at least there is a method to the madness not offered in other systems where GM's just have to 'wing it' and make up rules on the fly if it's not in one of the rulebooks. There is nothing wrong with showing prospective players the extremes of what can be modeled in HERO. That should be a selling point, not something to be ashamed of.

 

Anyway, regarding Blogs & Podcasts there already are some of both:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/blog.php/3632-The-Workshop

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php/85675-Hero-System-on-Canon-Puncture-podcast

[Ninja-Bear]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I think for write ups whether simple, complex, or something in between, the author explaining some of the decisions why the build was the way it is would be nice. For example, in the Normals Unbound, there is an A.I. that the authors give a vpp for skills. They actually explain that they know that it is illegal, but for this specific case they felt it worked the best. (Which I agree with, fwiw)

[megaplayboy]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I think for write ups whether simple' date=' complex, or something in between, the author explaining some of the decisions why the build was the way it is would be nice. For example, in the Normals Unbound, there is an A.I. that the authors give a vpp for skills. They actually explain that they know that it is illegal, but for this specific case they felt it worked the best. (Which I agree with, fwiw)[/quote']

 

Yeah, that could be useful.

 

I have a question for the Hero folks. What would it take for Hero/DOJ to get pdf publishing rights to all the old Hero stuff(1st through 4th edition)? I'd be willing to spend a few bucks each to reacquire(I sold a bunch of stuff back when I moved in with my now-wife, so I wouldn't overwhelm her with my alpha-nerdiness) books like Classic Organizations, Mystic Masters, the various early adventure books and so forth. Seems like you'd just have to get the document files from wherever, or else do a high-quality scan to pdf. Maybe you'd need author permissions too, but it's not like they're making any money off that stuff with it out of print for 15+ years.

[itsalwayssunny]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

Since you brought it up The Main Man' date=' one thing important as I see it that we can do as posters, not (unitentionally) scare away potential new people, or lurkers. Here is an example of what I'm trying to say. Maybe two months or so, a new poster asked what do I need to play a fantasy game with Hero? One poster, who I believe was sincere of intent, wrote you need Both 6th ed books, Fantasy book, maybe a bestiry book, and hero designer would be a good buy too. Now I haven't check the going prices, but the poster was recommended over a $100 in stuff to drop on a system that he may only be causal gamer. I think that the tone is set is that the game is overly expensive and too complex. I recommended the Basic book. At the time I forgot that Hero games under their free stuff has the Hero system genre by genre. In it it has the basics of Fantasy, two character write ups and sample spells to boot. So I think that we can also point out this document to new people and use it to help them jump right into a game. And one way to show the flexibility of the system is to show that with little or no effort you can port one character from one genre to another. Building on the fantasy theme, you can also point out that the sample kung gu guy easily lifts from its "game" into the fantasy game. From Sci-Fi genre you have a lizard character and I believe a race template, so you have instant monsters or at least a fantastic race. From pulp you have an explorer, with a little rewording of skills and a couple of replacements such as Bows instead of pistols, you have another character. Now there are some higher point sample characters that need more adjustment to pull them down, but I think you get the point. Fwiw I don't know why but there are a few differences in the hero genre by genre that is free, and what is in Hero 5th rev.-just characters, nothing important. That's my big two cents.[/quote']

 

I think there's more we can do to avoid scaring off lurkers and new registrants to the forum: veterans can stop being A-holes to folks who post questions the veterans think are stupid, or folks who post on threads the veterans consider "dead." I've seen a lot of the latter especially. That's no way to win friends or influence people.

[itsalwayssunny]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

Even if it were a free download?

 

Even if what were a free download?

[megaplayboy]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

Even if what were a free download?

 

The aforementioned 100 character writeups. Presumably in both pdf and HD formats. Although my original suggestion encompassed every conceivable kind of thing one could be interested in--plot seeds, adventures, organizations, heroes, villains, monsters, vehicles, bases, weapons, new powers/skills/stats/talents/perks, maps, new combat rules options, etc--done for free and en bloc.

[Steve]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

If the sales numbers for the basic rule books are already low, Hero might consider making the PDF version free to try and expand the base. Maybe more eyes seeing the rules for themselves would add more players.

[Christopher]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I disagree with where you are going with the simplicity comment. HERO is about possibilities to model ANYTHING. Sometimes it takes complicated builds but at least there is a method to the madness not offered in other systems where GM's just have to 'wing it' and make up rules on the fly if it's not in one of the rulebooks. There is nothing wrong with showing prospective players the extremes of what can be modeled in HERO. That should be a selling point' date=' not something to be ashamed of.[/quote']

When we talk about introduction peoples to hero or helping people new to hero (possibily ones who don't own all the rulebooks or even no rulebook), simplicity is the key.

 

When I was teached Martial Arts for the first time we didn't started with Black Belt Moves/Throws. We start with White Belt Moves/Throws. As funny as powers with 10 Modifiers (half of them custom) can be, it won't help somebody new to cope with the system (or decide for it).

Things that aren't simple, straight foward won't help.

[The Main Man]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I think for write ups whether simple' date=' complex, or something in between, the author explaining some of the decisions why the build was the way it is would be nice. For example, in the Normals Unbound, there is an A.I. that the authors give a vpp for skills. They actually explain that they know that it is illegal, but for this specific case they felt it worked the best. (Which I agree with, fwiw)[/quote']

I like that idea - not taking HERO experience for granted when posting writeups.

[itsalwayssunny]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I like that idea - not taking HERO experience for granted when posting writeups.

 

I second that.

 

Explanations of WHY go a long way when explaining your write-up.

 

Also and explanation of WHAT it's supposed to mean the character can do is good. Sometimes I see a power written up and scratch my head wondering what the intention/motivation was.

[The Main Man]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

This reminds me of how I always try to get my players to write backgrounds for their characters. In saying this, I think we need to show just how potent HERO is for role-playing rather than just glorified miniatures as the combat system may make things seem. Reason from effect is, after all, one of the core concepts of HERO, and the more we can convince new players that it is meant to facilitate role-playing.

[itsalwayssunny]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

The aforementioned 100 character writeups. Presumably in both pdf and HD formats. Although my original suggestion encompassed every conceivable kind of thing one could be interested in--plot seeds' date=' adventures, organizations, heroes, villains, monsters, vehicles, bases, weapons, new powers/skills/stats/talents/perks, maps, new combat rules options, etc--done for free and en bloc.[/quote']

 

I'd like PDFs of maps and adventures or plot seeds. Those are usually easy to adapt if they're well done.

 

Maybe the occasional vehicle or weapon write-up, especially if it's a real-world item that I could use or adapt. For instance, a good write-up for a 2002 Ford F-150 or a .44 Magnum rather than fantasy/superhero/sci-fi vehicles and weapons. But that's just my preference.

 

Others might be into a write-up of somebody's flying pirate ship with batwings powered by dragon's breath, but if it's fantasy/superhero/sci-fi I'd just as soon make up my own.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: What Can We Do To Serve HERO?

 

I thought the point of this thread was to see how we on the board can help advertise the game to those unfamiliar with it to encourage them to spend money on HERO and help the company through its current financial crisis.

 

Not, "what can I get for free".