dmjalund

I didn't expect that

I didn't expect that

Hugh:
 
With all sincerity and all respect, you know I _love_ discussing just about anything with you. 
 
But we are not going to be able too discuss this.  Our experiences with the game have been too different.  You can't accept, for whatever reason; presumably your own experience with the game, that there are a shocking number of us who play this game and don't give a rat's runny crap about "what the math says" in terms of X better than Y because two steps from now, and when you factor in-- and on and on.  If I got my joy from that--  well, I got my first RPG (Traveller) at a book store.  They had calculus text books, too.  I didn't leave with one of those, though. 
 
I am not math ignorant.  I don't even find math particularly difficult.  But fun?  As far as fun, I'd put it somewhere around having a colonoscopy done with a golf umbrella that had to be opened before extraction.  I spend, like a lot of other people, the best part of my working day juggling numbers, running math, etc.  And the reason I get _paid_ to do it is because it is not fun, which makes it hard to find volunteers. 
 
When I have a bit of time to relax, you can damned well bet "doing math" isn't on my list of things I might do. 
 
And I'm not alone in that.  I'm not even a minority in that.  According to stories you stumble across now and again on the news and on the net, I live in a country _dominated_ by a general dislike of recreational math (why do you think the most common complaint against HERO is "it's so....  Mathy..."?) 
 
Do I ignore the math?  No.  It has to be tracked so you can get your totals or what-have-you.  It has to be figured so when a proposed Limitation or Advantage pops up you can get a good idea just how much discount or additional charge is being suggested; all that "let's get our concepts down on paper and start the game" stuff. 
 
Am I going to diddle around with it so I can see which power has the best chance of inflicting an extra pip of BODY every four uses?  Frack no; I ain't. 
 
 
And there are those of you to whom that is part of the fun, or in some sense of "more fair" becomes important, and is broached with introductions that suggest your lack of understanding of how a large number of us play concept-first: things like "but you'll be hobbled against the other players" or "voluntarily being the least powerful at the table" or "outclassed by your teammates..." 
 
You don't seem to really appreciate that this is not happening because _none_ of us are interested in points effectiveness, splitting and round overs, squeezing out another pip every seventh shot, making sure we spend every single character point we are allotted, spiking up dead to the campaign limits, or any of that other "but the math is the best part!" stuff.  None of us.  Not one single player. 
 
You can't get your heads around that any more than we can understand why the hell you _would_ waste all your play time trying to figure it all out. 
 
In short: it's not you.  It's not us, either.  It's the simple fact that we are so far away from each other (semi-formal plural, of course, meaning the two "camps" of play style) that we can't understand each other enough to discuss what the rules "need" or the "proper use" of a mechanic or the "perfection" of a system or even the validity of a character construct in any meaningful way. 
 

would you call a G-rated Deadpool, Kiddie-pool?

would you call a G-rated Deadpool, Kiddie-pool?

it seems appropo that the thing you are slicing up while your wife sleeps would be Horror Hero
 

are you sure that isn't a stevepaca named Al?

Don;t ask me? I didn't vote for him.

it seems appropo that the thing you are slicing up while your wife sleeps would be Horror Hero
 

Let's not mince words - the "1 pip penetrating is always penetrating" is simply a bad rule.  The fact that it has survived multiple editions does not make it a better rule.
 
To me, the rule should be "for +1 point, roll a d6.  That one point will be penetrating only on a 6".  That avoids the 1 pip being better than 1/2d6 and averaging like 1d6.  You want 1 point penetrating guaranteed, buy 1d6 and apply standard effect.

Well, it’s not exactly kosher is it?

Well, it’s not exactly kosher is it?

Well, it’s not exactly kosher is it?

I hear they only affect orbital minds.

do we include "Band Camp™" applications?

two moons enter
one moon leaves
 

King Solomon's Mimes