Jump to content

Claire Redfield

HERO Member
  • Posts

    141
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Occupation
    Author, game designer, part-time zombie fighter

Recent Profile Visitors

The recent visitors block is disabled and is not being shown to other users.

Claire Redfield's Achievements

  1. Also, can you tell me where in the 6E books it talks about removing Speed? I can't seem to find it, even on a search, in my 6E books or Champions Complete. Edit: Never mind, I found it in the "Speeding up combat" section.
  2. Yeah, the Advantaged Strength and DC addition is kind of a headache for me. As it is, I'm not even sure how you factor in "6.25 points of Strength" to begin with, you know? I really think there's gotta be an easier way to deal with this issue, but at any rate, maybe if I get to see it and use it in action it'll make things easier to grok. Interesting. I like that idea, though! She, first of all, is looking for ways to help mold HERO into what I want it to be. And no, you're right, congratulations. You've unsold me on HERO and by extension the group I was trying to get into playing it. I'll go play something else and never buy or recommend another HERO book to anyone, and if I ever see anyone being curious about HERO, I'll quickly convince them not to bother, since if you change it, well, you're not truly playing HERO, are you? You might as well just play a different game that you like better. Do you see why this general attitude is harmful? Because yes, I read that first reply as just more dismissal. I didn't come to the HERO board to ask about helping tweak things to how I want them in HERO because I really wanted to play another game. I have M&M 3E, I can indeed just go play that. HERO is purported to be a toolkit for creating just what you want. I'm not talking about jettisoning powers, or skills, or talents, or the entirety of the combat system. I'm talking about changing a few things I don't like: roll-under, SPD and multiple actions. Maybe they can't be done, or maybe they can, but I didn't come here to ask about them because I was just goofing around or confused about what game I really wanted. Hm. So in this case, is "per Turn" meaning the 12-segment turn? Though I really do want to figure out a good alternative to doing that, and hopefully with you folks helping I'll be able to. Yeah, as much as in theory I like Hit Locations, Bleeding, etc., especially for a game set in the Aliens universe or something like that, for the most part I don't bother with them. But I like the way HERO does Endurance, and the way it does powers, and I want to figure out if I can keep the stuff I want while changing the things I don't much care for. Here's hoping! Thank you, I will definitely check those out! I like to think you could accomplish this stuff fairly well via powers and other traits. The Martial Artist would presumably have a lot more CSLs and much higher DEX, have faster initiative, possibly faster movement speeds and traits representing their agility. Same with speedsters, for whom I would much rather use autofire attacks, area attacks, and various speed powers and traits rather than extra actions. That way, you can have the speedster still feel awesomely fast without having so many more attacks and actions than others, which feels like a "fun tax" in our group. Simply put, if you don't have it, you can't compete, and also running many actions per character per turn really slows things down. This seems like it might work well. It only takes up 10 points and might work out well. I'll keep checking out options. I'm okay with that, though. In other games (notably, M&M again), you don't need multiple actions per turn to do speedsters justice. I like to think HERO could compensate in various ways.
  3. This is where it loses me a bit, figuring out how to add DCs with Advantages. That sort of thing is quite difficult for me to process on the fly, and I often don't like feeling like I'd have to stop to calculate something if a player grabbed, say, a sword off of a fallen enemy and used it. At least improvised weapons rules are fairly easy, and I like the way they do that. I'm not anywhere near 100% on adding DCs with Advantages, though. Maybe if I did it a bunch or saw it in action. And see, this sort of thing is what makes me want to get rid of SPD. Chris Goodwin's suggestions about converting it to multiple actions is a great one; however, I've found that multiple actions in general are problematic, and basically a fun tax — if you don't pay it, you don't get to have as much fun as everyone else. I don't use them anywhere that it is possible to avoid. So, you roll OCV + 3d6 vs. DCV + 10? What about with skill rolls? I may go with a fixed SPD, as described below, or maybe I'll come up with something else. It would certainly make this easier on me figuring out how fast characters are and proper movement rates with a fixed speed value. A lot of what I would would be superheroes, including lots of high-powered stuff. But I would also use this for, say, an Aliens game or the like, because it would be fun for that. Also, I'd like to build lots and lots of characters like I do with other supers systems (have a big thread on conversions on the M&M site).
  4. Are there any quirks in the math to be wary of? As far as adding DCs, what about picking up a knife, a sword, a chainsword (why not)? The book (Champions Complete is what I'm reading) leaves me sort of confused on how it works, especially when Advantages are involved.
  5. And I disagree with the idea that modifying one part of a toolkit system (indeed, touted as the toolkit system) is somehow fundamentally altering the game. That goes against HERO's core aspects, really, and is no more changing HERO into a different game than removing Attacks of Opportunity would be changing D&D into something completely different. Worse still, this kind of pushback is what's going to turn away a lot of players. If I'm a new player looking to get into HERO, and a bunch of grognards try to dismiss any idea of modifying a toolkit system in any significant way, I'm going to put down that game and go somewhere a little more receptive. Especially when HERO already looks so intimidating based on its size and density. This kind of attitude will ensure that the game dies a slow death, rather than accepting any form of change at all. See also: Palladium games and the refusal to adapt, and the fall from prominence, relevance, and good word of mouth. And even then, Siembieda finally licensed out Rifts to Savage Worlds. If there's hope for Palladium, there's hope for HERO, but it doesn't start with insisting that any change destroys the game's identity and purpose.
  6. Poor time and turn management by players is lethal no matter what you do, definitely. I still have some problems (and they're just preference) with certain mechanics, but slow players can't be fixed by any trick of the rules, that's for sure! As far as the game becoming inscrutable, I suppose so. It's very intimidating to a lot of new players. Combine that with the general trend toward more simplified and streamlined mechanics, and away from heavily-detailed simulation systems, plus tons of alternative options for supers gaming or whatever genre, and you have this perceived difficulty with getting people into HERO. The question is how do you dial it back without losing that robustness and flexibility? I'm sure there's an answer in there somewhere.
  7. Hi there! I would like your help in coming up with some alternate/streamlined rules for HERO. While I don't necessarily want to strip away everything and make it into a different game, I would like to see what options we can come up with that won't require rewriting vast chunks of the system. Also, this stuff is pretty much all subjective. I'm not really interested in a debate over the necessity or lack thereof here; mostly I want to see what options are doable, and then go from there. Roll-Under to Roll-Over Purely an aesthetic thing, but I really dislike roll-under. I especially dislike it when mixed in the same game (possibly in the same turn, even), such as rolling low to hit and then rolling high for damage. I would like to convert all target number rolls to roll-over, but preferably without breaking anything. Is this possible? If so, how do we do it? SPD Chart = RIP Chart I don't much care for the Speed Chart and multiple actions per turn. I'd prefer to simplify it down to a single round's worth of actions per turn, without necessarily having to lose Post-12 Recovery, or at least having Recovery still be a thing. Related: I'd also like to make this easier when figuring out movement rates in more common/intuitive values. For me, MPH (even KPH) is a little easier to grok than "moves 2500m in a half-phase action." Or at the least, the "move 2500m as a move action" thing would be easier if I didn't also have to consider each segment in a turn. Since a lot of the games I'd like to use HERO for would involve trying to figure movement stuff like this, I'd like to find a way to make this much simpler. Examples of Play and of Character Builds I might need some help on specific builds or examples of play in action, to get a better feel for how things work, if anyone would be up for that. If so, I will come up with a few things and list them here. For now, I want to start with the above two items. Oh, I guess one thing that comes to mind is adding DCs, especially with HKAs involved and such. Can someone break down a few different examples of how it would work if a character used an HKA, and what would happen if that character picked up, say, a broken bottle, a staff, or a boulder?
  8. This kind of dismissive nonsense is part of the problem. When your tribe is already small and not exactly growing, dismissing any alternate ideas or desires that don't align with your own as "Might as well go play FATE or D&D or something" is killer. If just removing the Speed Chart makes the game not worth playing, or completely changes it into a different game, then there's a big problem with the game. However, I don't believe that's the case, and that the problem lies with the perception that such a change is fundamentally the same as not using HERO at all. So, you roll 3d6 + your OCV vs their DCV + 10. I like it. Simple enough. How do we make that work with Charisma or Skill rolls? If the math works out the same, there shouldn't be any problems? What all do we need to do to make it happen? This is fully an aesthetic thing, of course. It's just a particular (very strong) preference I have, especially when you have roll-high damage and effect. As far as SPD goes, I'd honestly rather remove multiple actions per Turn entirely. I don't like them, and don't see much of a need to have them in any game, really. Even speedsters and the like (or Dragon Ball warriors, like I want to do) can model this sort of thing with various effects and maneuvers, rather than having lots of discrete actions per turn. This would speed things up (so to speak) in combat and also streamline some of the stuff I don't much like in my games anymore. Do you have any ideas for alternatives to multiple actions? I really like what you suggested here, although I would rather just like to get rid of multiple actions per turn in general. I think there's plenty of room to change things while still remaining true to the HERO core identity. For example, if the game was slimmed down even significantly, I think you could still keep what makes it so great. Shoot, M&M 3E does a lot of what HERO 6E does, but its ranks and measures are a lot more manageable and the effects are typically doing the same thing without quite so much detail. As one example I mentioned earlier, movement. Right now, in HERO, can you make a character who flies at escape velocity (about 25,000 MPH)? Sure! But what do you have to do to get there? You have to buy Flight, of course, but you also have to calculate your travel speed based on your Flight level plus how many phases/segments you move (via the Speed Chart). It's an unintuitive headache for someone like me. In M&M, I buy 13 ranks of Flight. I can fly 16,000 MPH with a single move action, or up to double with a full move. A single move action lets me fly up to 30 miles. That's very easy to figure out, look at the Ranks & Measures table, and intuit. M&M is using slightly more broad levels (like the old DC Heroes AP system, from which it liberally borrowed), but the trade is much faster and easier to deal with in play. If for some reason it's necessary, I can just use my Flight rank 13 as a modifier on a roll, such as in a tense aerial race. I can also apply Extras and Flaws to my power in much the same way; if somewhat less detailed, it's also significantly less work to craft these things. Now, it may just be me, but I do think HERO could endure a streamlining along somewhat similar lines and still remain HERO. It could still keep its most unique features, and have more detail than its brethren without having significantly increased workload. As much as I really want to use HERO — for a wide variety of games — there's a lot of investment needed. For me that's not necessarily a problem (I do a lot of writing for games anyway, since all I play is PBP), but I actually need a calculator or HERO Designer when it comes to figuring out more intricate powers and stuff. Again, not a problem for me, but it does feed into this perception of HERO as this dense beast that's very difficult to get into. At any rate, I think I'm going to make a thread dedicated to some of the simplifying options I'd like to bring about.
  9. True, and while I get the need to charge for it, I wonder if Hero Games isn't shooting itself in the foot a little by not making HERO Designer free. It is, after all, a great way to help people just learning HERO learn how to build things and see it in action. At the least, I think offering it for free to anyone who buys the HERO books would be a good idea.
  10. Yeah, and I played it. I have some fond memories of it. But ultimately it breaks down, because it wasn't that great a rule system. I want to use something much more robust, like HERO, to really capture the feel I'm after. I forgot one more item: roll-under. I actually hate roll-under. One option I wish was in the game? An option to convert the system to roll-over. But anyway, I guess I would have to get some more experience of the game in action, particularly when the Speed system is stripped away as I touched on earlier. The thing is, finding a HERO GM is very, very difficult online.
  11. D&D combat is agonizingly slow, I think, especially 4E. I've never known it to be fast. I can understand the "myth of HERO" phenomenon. I've been struggling with it myself, trying to get my group into the game, and having issues with various parts of the game. In fact, I even made a thread about it, but that thread seems to have vanished. I may make another, but in the meantime, here are some issues that apply to the "myth" for me. Front-Loaded Character Creation This part is never the problem for me. Yes, if you want to really get into detail, character creation and ability design are highly involved. However, this is largely front-loaded, and that's okay. I like that you can design things to whatever degree you want, and often do it better than many other systems. Now, there is some option overload, but since I largely like to use more Superheroic rules, that's not too bad. Gameplay Post-Character Creation Here is where I have the biggest trouble. Especially since all my gaming is done via PBP now. I don't like the Speed chart, overall, and I don't like trying to convert varying Speed values plus varying movement power values to try to get real-world speeds. "Can move 55 meter per phase" is basically meaningless to me. I can sit down and figure out how much distance that ultimately covers, but it doesn't register in any kind of pattern or intuitive estimation to me. Compared to saying "Can move 150 meters per turn/X MPH," where I have a much more intuitive grasp of how that works, it's more difficult. I'd like to remove Speed as a variable entirely, either by just assuming everyone is Speed 3, or finding an alternate system that preferably involves a single action/movement per turn. On top of that, it feels like combat options are rather complex. This is something I have grown to dislike as a gamer over the years, combats that take too long unless specifically set up to do so. Mostly, figuring out things like DCs that might be affected by maneuvers or simply picking up a broken bottle or the like seems like more work than it ought to be. A lot of martial maneuvers seem fairly simple, modifying OCV or DCV in easy enough ways. But I've seen some examples of play bogged down with minutiae that doesn't look fun to track. If I want to have, say, a high-octane shonen hero fight, or something like Spider-Man swinging desperately through the city pursued by Electro, I want things to go fast, keep the excitement rolling. To that end, and because again PBP, I always use Standard Effect for everything. A current example is that I want to run a Dragon Ball game for my friends. I have some great ideas. Few systems do it real justice, but I think HERO could. The issue is that while fights might take a while (when they're the big epic clashes), I want individual turns to be fast, and things to move quickly. It should be dynamic, fluid, and in no way clunky or slow. A game like M&M tends to offer similar things, but at an easier to manage level. Like with my movement rate example, it's far easier to say "Add 9 ranks of time (1 hour) to your movement speed rank to get MPH," and make it easier to get a "feel" for how it works. So if I have Speed 11, I can look and see that I move 4000 MPH, or about 8 miles in a single move action. Great! Now with a list of benchmarks that fit to the various ranks and measures, I really feel like I can intuit what these values mean. Or "Light speed is rank 28 movement" is great. Makes things easy, isn't a ridiculous number, gives me a feel for what I need to know. The thing is, HERO does things that I really like. I love the way Aid works, and I like Endurance as a mechanic. I like that it'd be easier to build a character like Frieza, galactic tyrant capable of destroying whole planets with one finger (RKA 10d6, and it just goes up from there in the series), rather than in M&M giving him a +45 energy blast and dealing with the sort of wonky way that area attacks work in M&M. But the numbers are in general easier to manage. And I'm not sure how to reconcile the differences enough to make HERO the more attractive option for my players, at least a couple of which are predisposed against it. So, for me, the "myth" is in truth less about character creation and more about the stuff that happens after. For some, like my players, it's character creation, but I think if they got a taste of it, without having the usual hearsay on the internet informing them, they'd be okay with it. At that point, it's a matter of whether or not we can make gameplay after character creation streamlined and fun.
  12. Thank you for the links! And so far, no questions. Sounds about right. Of course, I'm not exactly the best judge of something....
  13. I have two I'd like to see. One is Mantis, my original hero, who is sort of like Spider-Man in terms of powers, only with those of a praying mantis rather than a spider. She's very, very fast. Quicker than Spidey, even, but similar in other ways: wall-crawling, low-level flight/enhanced leaping, superhuman strength, heightened senses. The other is high-powered. So I can wait on that if the other is easier to do.
  14. Hm. Interesting. And thanks, folks. I'm still pretty lost, but I will keep trying. Right now, all I have is Champions Complete. My copy of 6E1 is somewhere in storage, and I was never able to get a copy of 6E2. Anyone feel like walking through character creation with me in this thread? We could create one of a couple concepts, get a feel for what it's like in action, along with some guidance from more experienced HERO players.
×
×
  • Create New...