Kem

Re: Unsure how, why, where... or _whether_ to start! That two-pager is handy, thanks. Or will be. Now to decide between buying the two big books (on special, locally) or going for the quite reasonable option of 2 books + 2 PDFs for $80. Hmmmm. Whichever, I am going to give the game a try. Not as intimidating as I had been led to believe, so, good.

Re: Unsure how, why, where... or _whether_ to start! It is good to see that the reputation of these boards is deserved. Thanks for the expert tips. Also, it was very interesting to hear about your experiences, Kaimont. Thank you. I... would rather not have to use character creation software though. Am I therefore going to be in trouble, if I plonk down the money on the core books, and set about learning the system "by hand" as it were? Other games and forums have taught me that looking at others' builds is highly instructive, so I would be planning to do that. And, as you can probably tell, asking questions is second nature for me. Is it common for Hero Designer not to be used? Follow-up: Is there some kind of quick reference (hard copy) that could substitute, to an effective degree? These, I am accustomed to using.

HERO is a game I am not familiar with, but am curious about. As far as RPGs that sometimes get lumped in with HERO, I have mucked around with Mutants & Masterminds, and read some GURPS. Mostly, I have played other styles of RPG. If I were to pick up a book or two, where should I start, and what will they do for me? What are the strongest points of HERO, particularly in its 6th edition form, and especially in comparison to other games out there? Crucially, how difficult is it to grasp and nimbly utilise, for your "average player"? Or, in my case, your "average GM"? On that note, can it be fast-paced, and is it likely to be? I have heard many an offhand comment about its complexity, even its unfriendliness, but then, I also hear that about games I have no issues with, so... As far as genre books and other supplements go, what are their collective defining characteristics, again especially in comparison to equivalent books written for other systems? And better, worse or equal aside, what style or attitude do they tend to possess or suggest? So yes, I have a few questions! Hopefully this is the right area, and not the wrong way to go about things.