Aroooo

Originally posted by paul_runstedler

I'm sorry to say that my development environment is setup for PocketPC apps. Not Palm apps. PocketPC apps don't run on Palm (maybe their is some PocketPC emulator that runs on Palm. Don't know - if anyone else knows, please post)

What is your code written in? One of my gaming buddies is a programmer - and does PalmOS stuff. Maybe he can do a straight port? Feel free to contact me off list if you want to give it a try.

Aroooo

A great multi-game PalmOS dice Program is DicePro, which can be found here:

http://www.rivalgamelabs.com/

And yes, it can calculate HERO damage, as well as an amazing array of other features.

I'd like to add my voice for a Speed/Dex/etc. PalmOS app.

Aroooo

I was thinking about the 'make a hole' under someone today, and I'd do it as either a Transformation, or probably an Entangle if the purpose is to trap someone. Just make the SFX 'hole opens up underneath target.' Add a limitation like "Climbing roll can escape (-1/2)" and you're set. That way, you don't have to worry about the DEF of the floor. With Desolid, you have to think about what happens when the power goes away. Does the victim just pop back up to level ground?

I concur with Uncle Shecky; put various powers (Teleport, Desolid, etc.) into a multipower. It will be cost effective, and a multipower can represent a single object or power. Just look at TUV or Star Hero for examples of how DOJ built real world weapons with multiple functions.

Aroooo

What about Teleportation 1" with the Gate limitation? Possibly also add Extra Time to represent Doorman must remain still while he creates the 'hole'? If not Teleport, then Extra Dimensional Movement with the Gate lim...

Aroooo

The Ultimate Vehicle (TUV) also has starship writups that are not in Star Hero. If you're going to run a Star Hero game, get TUV - its a must have!

Aroooo

Originally posted by Toadmaster

I agree, but it is just one of those things I have come to accept with HERO, since most games involve the lower end of the damage scale it doesn't come up much. Even when it does it rarely involves multiple vehicles so again it doesn't stand out, a tank will clean heroic characters as it is and against supers tanks are not supposed to be that tough so it seems to work out. On those occasions I want to play something with tank vs tank or star ship vs star ship I typically use another game (blasphemy!!!!! )

 

I hesitate to suggest HERO can not do EVERYTHING but naval combat on the high seas between WW2 battleships is not one of HEROs strong points.

I think this needs clarification. Its not WW2 battleship vs. WW2 battleship that is the problem. Its WW2 vs. WW4 battleships. Its high tech vs. low tech. Supers vs. Normals. Large scale vs. small scale.

Aroooo

What are some GM's house rules (if any) for critical success/failure in Hero? I'm more interested in how they apply to Heroic level games more than Supers games, but would would like to hear any and all input.

Thanks

Aroooo

Originally posted by Toadmaster

...for example you might rate an 17th century 12 pounder naval gun as 4d6 RKA, with a big stun X mod and a lim 1/2 damage against metal armor, while a modern 20mm cannon might also have a 4d6 RKA and the beam lim, so while both look similar a 12 pounder cannon ball will knock large holes in stone walls, wooden hulls etc, and the 20mm will penetrate armor better but only leave a small hole behind...

I have to ask this, partially because you reminded me of something I read in TUV last night. Why put a STUN X mod on a weapon designed to attack a vehicle? I understand that cannons and other vehicle weapons can attack people, but why use the advantage on a weapon designed to attack other vehilces? (Its been a long week - I hope that made sense.)

Aroooo

Originally posted by Zaratustra

I still think FTL should be bought as Extra-Dimensional Movement with Extra Time. Much less frustrating when you find out the star is 10000 light years away, not 1000 light years away, and you will need ten weeks instead of one to get there.

I still think it depends a lot on how space travel is defined in your universe. For a Trek setting, I'd use FTL. For Star Wars, your example above works. I think Star Hero and TUV did a good job of breaking down the various possibilities and modeling them in Hero terms.

Just my thoughts...

Aroooo

Originally posted by JmOz

I beleive in the concept of simplicity of design, if I can use one power to simulate something with no advantages (or adders) or Lims, cool, if it takes 3 advantages one way and 7 advantages another way go with 3, even if 3 is cheeper.

Good point. I forgot to mention that last night, although I did imply that in the TUV anchors thread.

Aroooo

Steve,

I've got a question about the total point cost of the Mark 15 Phalanx Point Defense System on pg 141 of TUV. The total cost includes 13 points for the Phalanx Targeting System (PTS). The PTS references the tactical computer on pg 162, which has a total cost of 9 real points (after dividing by 5). Shouldn't the cost of the PTS be 65 points (45 for the tactical computer, 15 for radar, and 5 for IR)?

I thought there was a rule (or FAQ or post to this board) that said vehicles don't get to divide by 5 for their equipment, since the total cost is divided by 5.

Thanks

Aroooo

Originally posted by Doug Limmer

If you take Rule #6 too literally, then you wouldn't by the power Armor at all, but rather Force Field with 0 End, Persistent, and Invisible Power Effects.

 

I'd include the idea of how simple/straightforward a construction is as part of the word "valid".

True. Valid also applies to the SFX and character concept in question.

Aroooo

Just wanted to remind us all of Rule #6:

"If two powers (or other game elements) are equally valid ways to create a particular ability, you must use the more expensive of the two."

Actually, all 8 rules are a good read from time to time. Page 348.

Aroooo

(okay, you can flame me now...)

Originally posted by Agent Escafarc

For my Star HERO game I'm using Megascale Flight linked with EDM instead of FTL but it's more of how I conceive of Hyperspace than an opinion of which is better.

Thats along the same lines as how I built my B5 jump gates. From effect to power. Since there are no ftl engines in B5, having the gate apply the megascale advantage to a ship's normal flight made the most sense - despite the fact that it was a more expensive way to build the power.

Aroooo

Originally posted by GamePhil

As another example, one not in the current rules (but one that has been touched on in this thread, if my memory of the three pages isn't failing me), instead of having Armor and Force Field and PD/ED/DR, you just have PD/ED/DR, and can define a new power Armor as the three together, and Force Field as the the new Armor power with Costs Endurance.

Having played Hero for many years, as well as some published and fan Fuzion games - and I even have a copy of the Fuzion Champions, I'd just like to add my opinion to this conversation.

I'm not sure simplifying the Powers is a good thing, especially for new players. We've all seen posts from newbies sating that they are having problems making their first few characters. I remember making my first Champions character way back when. I was confused for a while.

Don't oversimplify the powers because "you" know the rules really well and know the difference between Armor, Force Field, and Force Wall.

Aroooo

Keeping it simple

I'm of the continued opinion to Keep It Simple. I think we loose site of that sometimes with Hero - trying to find the 'best' or 'cheapest' way to build a power. If you can get past the technicalities of how something works and just work from effect, STR for holding a ship in place works just as well as any of the other valid suggestions - and it's simple.

And don't forget the special effect of what a power represents - in this case a rope or chain tied to a heavy object to hold a ship in place. Knowing what something is, and how it should work, a reasonable GM or player should know and be able to not abuse that in play by working through a rules loop hole.

And finally, I don't think you have to define everything in 'life' as a power - especially in a heroic level game. Just because a ship can be tied to a dock does not mean you need to buy Shore Lines as a power.

Just food for thought...

Aroooo

No Supers?

As far as a 6th edition goes, I'm still absorbing 5th edition, so I'm in no hurry. Our group does more heroic level games than superhero level games, so I'm not going to talk about any changes to 5th just yet - the more obvious ones have already been mentioned.

I will only mention that folks should keep in mind that Hero is not just Champions and super heros, so don't go overboard with large or sweeping changes to make the rules more effective for one genre or another. Aside from a few minor points already mentioned, I think 5th ed. finds that hard-to find ballance of "universal" system.

Aroooo

Originally posted by Lisa Nadazdy

How about a 'rule-lite' variant? One of the great things about 4e, is that I bought a copy of the BBB, and several copies of the basic rules (the softcover ones), and handed them out to players during a game for reference.

 

Having a stack of 5e books would give me a hernia, I'm sure.

I think after a while, DOJ should release a Hero Lite PDF to the net. Small 20 page doc with the basic rules for character construction and combat. It would be a handy reference, and a good way to get new players into the fold.

Aroooo

Everything you wanted to know about anchors (and boating) but were afraid to ask:

http://www.boatsafe.com/nauticalknowhow/boating/7_4.htm

Above page details procedures for anchoring. Needless to say, your anchor needs to touch bottom to work. Dropping anchor in deep water (where it does not touch bottom) will either a) help you maintain position; or pull you off your location faster. It all depends on how the undercurrents are running.

If the -2 Partial Coverage lim includes the requirement that you must be relatively close to shore, then I think its worth -2.

Aroooo

(Always wear your life jackets)

Re: Answering My Own Question

Originally posted by Just Joe

At the risk of engaging in a public conversation with myself . . . (and also to repeat something I wrote in another thread . . .)

 

GURPS High-Tech has been slightly useful to me, though it focused on weapons even more heavily than I had anticipated. In it, there is a reference to a 1900-1930 price list in GURPS Horror. Has anyone seen this? How extensive is the list? Does it (or anything else in GURPS Horror) give much information about the kinds of everyday technology available in this era? Are there other GURPS books I should check out?

GURPS Cliffhangers 2nd Edition is very well done. And like others have mentioned, Sears catalogs are great. In the '20's, you could order a Tommy Gun mail order. How cool is that?

Aroooo

Originally posted by TheImperialKhan

I don't think that anything has been chisled into stone yet, but the lettering seems to have already been traced on it.

 

None the less I have to agree with Aroooo and Lord Liaden on this one. I also prefer the title Justice Inc. If it must be tied to the system why not employ a sub-title. Something like For the HERO System or The HERO System game of two-fisted action in the Pulp era.

 

Just a thought.

Its been a while since I looked at the schedule, but from the established trend, wouldn't Pulp Hero be the rules guidleines (aka Star Hero), and Justice Inc be the background book on 30's comic pulp - possibly the Champions universe opposite of where Terran Empire is today?

But as I was typing this I was about to say Ninja Hero, but then I remembered that Ninja Hero from 4th Ed. is now The Ultimate Martial Artist, and Ninja Hero is more a campaign book. So maybe there is a bit of precedence for Justice Inc = Setting Book, and Pulp Hero be the campaign book (if they don't kill 2 birds with one stone).

Or how about:

Mad Scientist Hero

Justice Hero

Cliffhanger Hero (Steve Jackson would have a cow)

Porn Hero (just ckecking if you're still reading )

Cinema Hero

Okay, I just realized I'm rambling... I'm going home now... Sorry.

Aroooo

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

Yep, it's the name that gets to me. The pulp era produced some wonderful fiction, and Justice Inc was an exceptional game book. It's just that Pulp HERO sounds incredibly bland to me; makes me think of some guy working in a lumber mill, which may be a great job but not one I personally would seek to roleplay.

 

I readily acknowledge that this is a matter of personal taste. As the above examples point out, there are plenty of "generic" names for books that sell well, so this may very well be smart marketting strategy on DoJ's part. And as I said, I think Star HERO is actually a pretty snappy name. For my part, I just like game names that have style and impact in and of themselves, without necessarily tying in to a game line. And Hero Games already has a really good one in JI that I would hate to see disappear.

Since I know what Pulp Hero will be, I'll buy it. But I sure wish it were called Justice Inc. instead. You're right, there is a lot to be said for a name... Even GURPS broke from 'tradition' and called it GURPS Cliffhangers.

But as i understand it, the jurry is still out on its official name; or am I mistaken? Steve?

Aroooo

Another resource I've found in the past to help new players, regardless of the system, is to use character generation guides. One of my players has some published books, but can't remember their names at the moment. You can also look at Fuzion System resources on the net for what they call the Lifepath. Since Fuzion is an offshoot of 4th Ed Hero, its very compatible. Feel free to email me off list - I can email you some expanded Lifepath PDF's.

Aroooo

Originally posted by Lord Liaden Ah well, at least we can still look forward to Dark Champions. But I dread the coming of Pulp HERO. [/b]

Why? Because of a name, or is it just not your cup of tea? Personally, Pulp is one of my vavorites, and I can't wait for PH. (Okay, I'll admit to missing the name Justice Inc., but I'll get over that.)

Aroooo

Opinions

I try to stay out of conversations like these, since they are mainly opinions and not facts. But I have to add this to the conversation:

GURPS Basic Set, 3rd Edition

GURPS Horror

GURPS Space

GURPS Magic

GURPS Mecha

etc.

etc.

etc...

Same theme as Star Hero, Fantasy Hero, etc... Immaginative or not, leave it up to the informed consumer. But it is up to the gaming companies to make sure the dealers know about their product, get their product, and display their product.

I won't mention the store chain by name, but it took 4-5 months for one of the FLGS in my area to get Hero, despite the fact that employees knew it was out (and that trend continues with the rest of the DOJ line). Their parent corporation (so the conspiracy theory goes) held off ordering it so they could push their own products.

Aroooo