What would you like to see HERO games produce next?

[dsatow]

Just curious, what would people want to see from Hero games.

[dsatow]

Sorry about adding more entries.  I kept hitting return after typing a line and it kept kicking me out.  Bad habit from typewriter days.

 

[archer]

I don't see why a Champions TV series is out of the question. There's all kinds of services creating new original content.

 

They could start out with gritty street-level adventures which don't require outlandish special effects and build a world from there.

 

Take something like Arrow from the CW network. It didn't even try to play up the series as being superheroes, DC-related, or even "this is The Green Arrow. They just wrote stories and built an audience before they got all weird with aliens, parallel universes, and such.

[Scott Ruggels]

Reprint the core rules and such?

 

[steriaca]

I went with EVERYTHING. To bad it won't happen.

[IndianaJoe3]

I voted for, "Setting Book" because Hero really doesn't have one. The Champions Universe is owned by Cryptic (or whoever bought them). A new setting would also be new material, which is more likely to sell to Hero's existing customer base than a reprint of 6e.

 

What I'd really like to see is for Hero Games to set up a Patreon project similar to what Evil Hat did for FATE. Hero fans chip in a few bucks a month, Hero produces a steady stream of new material, and Hero Games starts looking like a going concern again. (Of course, there's probably some reason why they aren't doing this already, but I am not privy to their reasons.)

[Duke Bushido]

I'm gonna need an "other" as well.

 

PDF the rest of 4e (doing it myself is rough on the fingers! ).

Then PDF 3e.

Then 2e.

 

You can see where this is going.

 

Book scans are fine; I don't need an indexed and searchable fresh-typed PDF for an eighty page book.

 

Then reprint the 5e genre books!  Or at least put some color covers on the PDFs!  What's the deal?  Did the colored pixels cost more or something?  Or us poor folk just don't deserve it?

 

And a full line of "complete" genre books for 6e (since I'm pretty sure creating new content for 5 and older is out ) like Fantasy HERO Complete, Champions Complete, and Monster Hunter Complete-except-for-this-other-book-because-I-felt-you-should-have-a-setting-book-even-if-no-one-else-does.

 

That _might_--- I seriously doubt it, but it _might_ make me pick up more 6e stuff.  I'm not getting the rules.  I finally got rid of my old encyclopedia (I cried.  No joke.).  I'm not in any hurry to get another one-- you know, like the what?  Three core books?  Creation, Adventuring, Martial Arts, Players guide(S!), Combat Handbook---

 

Ugh.  Bump that noise, particularly for a rules set I don't like to begin with.

 

 

 

[Beast]

1 Genre books from 4th ed and before(Horror and Western Hero)
2 more genre books (Victorian,  Renaissance, Fae Courts, middle and dark ages all the Hero/ICE Piracy, Viking, Mythic Egypy, Greece,etc... books)

3 restart Adventures Club as a pdf

 

[Pegasus40218]

I'm thinking developing genre/settings books would be good.  If you had campaign settings that fit various genres/subgenres that would allow GMs to simply pick up a book with enough information to run a campaign without having to build almost everything from scratch, I bet many GMs would find that helpful.

[Doc Democracy]

Well, online is everything these days and superheroes are as much about the visuals as anything else.

 

I think I agree with the idea about the setting.  I think you need to begin with building an audience.  Start streaming a group actually playing the game, find a group people will watch that is actively playing and give it some marketing and begin to spin off stuff from that.  

 

I would love love to see Darren Watts running Golden Age online with a group of players.  If you get enough traction you sell the campaign material, the city, the villains, the organisations.  You sell seats at the table.  Everything.

 

It has to begin with people seeing other people playing a game and enjoying it.  That in itself, if it is done well, generates cash but it builds a potential market for everything else.  

 

Doc

[Joe Walsh]

Since we're dreaming anyway, here's my dream:

 

First, recreate all the 1e-4e products digitally, beginning with data entry and going on through layout and the rest just as with new products, but with the goal being to create perfect digital copies of the originals.

Second, apply all the errata. (Meaning legitimate errata like typos and such; no rules changes just because the old rule didn't work as well as some newer version did. We're not making new editions, just making them what they were intended to be in the first place.)

Third, make it all available via POD. B&W softcovers are fine.

 

And then, with the millions of dollars that will earn [ha!], buy back the Champions IP and then make a 4.5e that just folds in the most universally-applicable ideas from AC and the supplements.

 

Since that will be a tremendous hit [haha!], you'll then be able to start fresh from there with new genre books and so on.

 

Limit the rulesbook and the major genre books to 256 pages, limit supplements to 128 pages, etc.

 

And, most importantly, keep the product coming and the fan interaction high.

 

[BoloOfEarth]

I'd like an Enemies book, because IMO superteams are always in demand for GMs, and can serve as good sources of power writeups for players.  We have literally hundreds of hero and villain theme teams in the two threads which could be pulled from for ideas. 

 

It's not listed in the poll, but I'll second Beast's suggestion of returning to a monthly PDF as with Adventurer's Club or Digital Hero.  It doesn't have to be 60 pages long - maybe a page from Hero Games about upcoming projects / convention appearances, maybe a regular column (like Digital Hero's Heroglyphs or YGHC), a page or two of advertising on Hero Games products, with the meat of the periodical being a character writeup or three, or an outline for an adventure involving published characters, or a writeup of an organization, or something unusual (like Dave Mattingly's Knacks article in DH 23).  Something like 20-30 pages long would be fine.  Maybe ask fans for free content, and then make the PDF a free download. It serves as advertising, and builds interest in Hero Games and its products.

 

 

[Surrealone]

I'd love to see an effective/efficient way to play Hero/Champions online … with minimal work to make it happen on the part of the GM or players.  For context, MapTool is excellent if your GM builds Hero-centric macros and takes the (fairly sizeable amount of) time to do good maps and such for the story,  but there's a lot of up-front work on the GM's end to do so -- certainly more than there would be for a Hero-specific tool.  Roll20 has a following, too, but, again, it's something that someone's got to bang (with a fairly sizeable maul) into shape for use with Hero/Champions.

 

The ability to drop a .HDC file into place for an online game to upload a character to it, as well as produce/use  maps quickly as well track rolls for hits, skill checks, etc … while tracking SPD, DEX, stun effects, DMG, etc during a combat … -without- the GM having to work his tail off to make it happen or bang some non-Hero tool into usefulness with Hero  might breathe new life into Hero due to more people playing via such a tool.

 

This, of course, wasn't listed in the poll … and adding it after the fact wouldn't exactly be fair to such a listing since people have already voted.  Hence why I note I, here.

[Chris Goodwin]

I voted settings book and adventure modules.  Things that GMs can use to get more players playing with less work.  

 

[Tech]

19 hours ago, IndianaJoe3 said:

I voted for, "Setting Book" because Hero really doesn't have one. The Champions Universe is owned by Cryptic (or whoever bought them). A new setting would also be new material, which is more likely to sell to Hero's existing customer base than a reprint of 6e.

 

What I'd really like to see is for Hero Games to set up a Patreon project similar to what Evil Hat did for FATE. Hero fans chip in a few bucks a month, Hero produces a steady stream of new material, and Hero Games starts looking like a going concern again. (Of course, there's probably some reason why they aren't doing this already, but I am not privy to their reasons.)

 

Agreed. I believe Champions/Hero System can make a comeback, even if it's a total reboot of the world & villains. There are superhero series/films/movies aplenty going on and there's an appetite out there for this stuff.

 

Like Bolo, I'd like to see Adventurer's Club come back, even if only in electronic format.

[Heimdallsgothi]

I want to see a Genre Simulation How to book

 

What are the max active points for a star wars setting vs a Star Trek Setting
How do you reach that decision?  In a Yoda vs Q scenario, who wins?
Is 60 active points to much for basic jedi? Whats the active point cap on the Emperor or Darth Vader?
Is a phaser deadlier then a star wars blaster? how does the active point limits reflect that?

 

How do I use the rules to define setting?

 

I'd love to see several well designed and complete campaign guides. Say for a Historical Rome/Greek Setting, a crusades era setting similar to the Mongoliad series. Add in Clan Feuds in England, the American wild west, World war 1 and 2, a recon setting for Vietnam. X files, mid 70's cop drama like Starskey and Hutch etc. Even some space opera for Flash Gordon,  Star wars, Battlestar Galactica etc

 

A clearly worded and defined guide to how to set up the background rules set to emulate some of the most popular IP out there with explanations and why the rules are adjusted to specific levels and how those levels affect/alter the overall game would be ideal.
 

[Scott Ruggels]

6 hours ago, Surrealone said:

I'd love to see an effective/efficient way to play Hero/Champions online … with minimal work to make it happen on the part of the GM or players.  For context, MapTool is excellent if your GM builds Hero-centric macros and takes the (fairly sizeable amount of) time to do good maps and such for the story,  but there's a lot of up-front work on the GM's end to do so -- certainly more than there would be for a Hero-specific tool.  Roll20 has a following, too, but, again, it's something that someone's got to bang (with a fairly sizeable maul) into shape for use with Hero/Champions.

 

The ability to drop a .HDC file into place for an online game to upload a character to it, as well as produce/use  maps quickly as well track rolls for hits, skill checks, etc … while tracking SPD, DEX, stun effects, DMG, etc during a combat … -without- the GM having to work his tail off to make it happen or bang some non-Hero tool into usefulness with Hero  might breathe new life into Hero due to more people playing via such a tool.

 

This, of course, wasn't listed in the poll … and adding it after the fact wouldn't exactly be fair to such a listing since people have already voted.  Hence why I note I, here.

 This! So much this!

[bluesguy]

I think having a compelling setting with adventure modules that all fit together.   In the fantasy genre there have been a few attempts at this (Narosia, Valdorian Age, Turakian Age, etc. which I own).  I ran VA as a setting and was able to successfully run a campaign for almost 3 years using the setting.  My son use TA and he was successful with it as well.  I haven't run Narosia and after having read about 1/3 of it I gave up with trying to figure out how to use it.

 

I think TA has the most potential for growing into a very usable Hero Fantasy setting and having writers work on modules for the setting.

[dsatow]

Yeah. I personally think the system could revive but they would need to broaden the sales product base and online presence.  That's something that costs $$$ so it would be as likely as the Champions movie unless a halo investor came along.

[Chris Goodwin]

I never picked up VA nor TA, partly because of the "Hero Universe" thing (which left me cold), partly because every review I ever read said that while TA was extremely well done it was also extremely generic, and partly because for all of that there weren't any sample adventures.  We were looking at an $80+ outlay between the 5th edition rules, Fantasy Hero, and the setting book, and I still couldn't sit down and run the game.  I mean, I know adventures don't sell, but they do help GMs run games, and without GMs there are no players.  

For settings, I'd like to have seen something a little different.  We don't need more generic, rewarmed D&D; I don't mean any offense to Steve, but I wasn't all that interested in D&D-type fantasy, and if I'd wanted to do D&D-type fantasy in Fantasy Hero I could have used any of the other generic, D&D-type fantasy worlds that were out there.  

 

I harped on this for years, and we finally got Fantasy Hero Complete.  Which is something; while I mean no offense to Mike Surbrook, it was pretty generic as well.  But at least I could sit down with the provided materials and run a game. 

[Ninja-Bear]

I voted Enemies and Adventures. Which I would combine into one book. The main thing is that the book must be usable for Champions Complete like Micheal Satran’s adventures are. I’m wondering if there aren’t several adventure ideas that you could mix in different style of villains to suit your team. 

[Pegasus40218]

On ‎10‎/‎31‎/‎2018 at 5:06 PM, Heimdallsgothi said:

I want to see a Genre Simulation How to book

 

What are the max active points for a star wars setting vs a Star Trek Setting
How do you reach that decision?  In a Yoda vs Q scenario, who wins?
Is 60 active points to much for basic jedi? Whats the active point cap on the Emperor or Darth Vader?
Is a phaser deadlier then a star wars blaster? how does the active point limits reflect that?

 

How do I use the rules to define setting?

 

I'd love to see several well designed and complete campaign guides. Say for a Historical Rome/Greek Setting, a crusades era setting similar to the Mongoliad series. Add in Clan Feuds in England, the American wild west, World war 1 and 2, a recon setting for Vietnam. X files, mid 70's cop drama like Starskey and Hutch etc. Even some space opera for Flash Gordon,  Star wars, Battlestar Galactica etc

 

A clearly worded and defined guide to how to set up the background rules set to emulate some of the most popular IP out there with explanations and why the rules are adjusted to specific levels and how those levels affect/alter the overall game would be ideal.
 

I know at one time there was a "Mythic Hero" book in the works that sounded like it would be interesting (though it sounded like something that would operate at a much higher power level than I'm personally interested in).

 

More generically, I'd like to see more guidance / advice in the "how to" department when it comes to designing a campaign setting.  In particular, providing additional guidance that would help new GMs on things like:  determining effectiveness caps (and everything that goes in to determining a power / attack's "effectiveness), advice on designing magic systems (again with an eye toward managing effectiveness and creating the flavor that the GM wants).  These are all things that, as a new player/GM I have found challenging.

[C-Note]

6th Edition Vehicles and Pulp Hero.

[Killer Shrike]

A lite-hero book similar to Basic Hero or Sidekick, priced to sell.  I intro'd way more people to the Hero System successfully using those books than by any other means combined. I used to buy 5-10 at a time and give them away. If the game isn't gaining new players, it's dying. The way to get new players is by lowering the bar / making the product more accessible, available, and attainable. 

 

 

[Killer Shrike]

10 hours ago, Chris Goodwin said:

I never picked up VA nor TA, partly because of the "Hero Universe" thing (which left me cold), partly because every review I ever read said that while TA was extremely well done it was also extremely generic, and partly because for all of that there weren't any sample adventures.  We were looking at an $80+ outlay between the 5th edition rules, Fantasy Hero, and the setting book, and I still couldn't sit down and run the game.  I mean, I know adventures don't sell, but they do help GMs run games, and without GMs there are no players.  

For settings, I'd like to have seen something a little different.  We don't need more generic, rewarmed D&D; I don't mean any offense to Steve, but I wasn't all that interested in D&D-type fantasy, and if I'd wanted to do D&D-type fantasy in Fantasy Hero I could have used any of the other generic, D&D-type fantasy worlds that were out there.  

 

I harped on this for years, and we finally got Fantasy Hero Complete.  Which is something; while I mean no offense to Mike Surbrook, it was pretty generic as well.  But at least I could sit down with the provided materials and run a game. 

 

I agree in spirit; I never cared for the attempt to link all the timelines of the various product lines together either. Didn't make any sense to me. But it was easily ignored. I also didn't care for Turakian Age or Valdorian Age, and used other settings (mostly Greyhawk) for my Fantasy Hero campaigns.

 

But to be fair, they were kind of in a can't win situation as far as settings books went. A classic universal system conundrum: print universal "generic" rulebooks, license IP and staple it onto universal mechanics (pricey and risky but may come with a ready made audience), or homegrow your content (expensive and time consuming, and you have to build an audience). The underlying genius and flaw (from a business perspective) of the HERO System was always that you really only needed the main rulebook. 

 

Unlike in most product lines, the most hardcore Hero fanboys (of which I would include myself) had the least impetus to buy more product while the people who benefited from it the most were the inexperienced, casual, or less invested customers. In other words, those who used the system the most were also most able and likely to make their own content using the building blocks in the main rulebook, while less extreme fans more directly benefited from the write-ups and ideas and genre coaching in the various supplements.