Alverant

What's the fee? If I'm going to do more than chip in for pizza, I want to know how much.

I'm not in Indy, but there is an SF con called InConJunction around July 4th each year. I bet if you contact them or go to their Facebook page you could get a lead on some gaming groups or stores that host games. https://www.inconjunction.org/

Can you tell us a bit more about the campaign, please? Points? Style? Description?

Do I need to bring anything or have any software installed for the game?

I just saw a YouTube video about an ATV and it was mentioned that thousands of people died using them. I'm assuming most of the ATV accidents were from someone "failing a driving check" so badly that they were either thrown off or the ATV rolled over on them. So I was thinking, how would this be done in Hero? How would you make it so there were circumstances where operating the vehicle improperly could cause injury or death? IMHO even doing a critical failure (18 on 3d6) can happen too often to be realistic depending on how often you make the skill check. But if you tack on too many conditions (like failing a DEX roll after a critical failure) it becomes cumbersome an not worth it. So what's the best way to represent the kind of danger a vehicle like this presents to its rider?

Are you still taking applications for players?

If you ever take the game online.... My old gaming group was together for 15+ years. Yeah, stuff gets forgiven but if a player/GM crosses a line enough times then gets defensive about it, it can be impossible to really forgive and you have to separate yourself for your own mental health.

BoloOfEarth, can I join your campaign? You sound MUCH better than my old GM.

Sorry if this has been mentioned but you get more leeway to putting limitations on skill levels. For example: A magic sword that can help you fight can have a focus and "only with sword attack/block" limitations. A targeting computer could have a limitation of "needs to observe target for one turn" or an activation roll like on Find Weakness (if you fail, you can't use it on that target for the rest of the combat) A low-level TK field that helps you can cost END and have other special effect limitations Since, mathematically, giving yourself +1 OCV is the same as giving the target -1 DCV you could define your combat skill as messing up with the target's attempt to avoid your attack. But that may not pass GM's approval.

I ran a Dark Champions campaign once that fizzled out because while I was picturing something like Batman the Animated Series several of my players made characters too dark for Watchmen.

This may fall under "do whatever I want" but what about trolling? Villains who do bad things because they know it will make others mad. It could be augmented to fit a social agenda where they want to upset a group of people they don't like. Some of it may even be legal which would frustrate the heroes since they won't have a valid reason for fighting said villains. Think of it like a mean-spirited version of CLOWN. In my campaign I had a street gang that deliberately avoided crimes like drive-bys and drug trafficking because they wanted the police to focus their attention elsewhere. They went with low-risk/low-reward crimes to slowly build power. In some ways, that's a bigger threat than the constant struggle to be on top.

I have to disagree a little bit about how fantasy being first in the RPG world set it up for success. It implies that if the first RPG was (for example) a Star Trek game where you made your own crew and ship then sci-fi would be the default setting and it would be fantasy playing catch-up. I don't think that's what would have happened. There are other reasons why fantasy is more popular (tropes, general expectations, familiarity with at least knowing about medieval times, etc). Even if a Star Trek RPG was first, someone would make a Chainmail-esque system and it would take center stage leading to D&D and the like. Gamma World was released in 1978, around the time D&D (basic) and AD&D were released. D&D is well known, Gamma World is not and I don't think being first had much to do with it. D&D's name says it all while Gamma World could make people think of a planet of Hulks or something. If there was a game released in 1978 called Starships and Stormtroopers then we'd have something. (Yeah Stormtroopers are Star Wars but there's no space monster equivalent of dragons, much less one that starts with S).

I've asked a similar question but about sci-fi instead of superheroes. The reasons already given are good, but I'd like to add one from my own experience. Basically, it's because there's a thing called "generic fantasy setting" and there isn't one for sci-fi or superheroes. The settings are almost always described as something along the lines of "it's like [intellectual property here] but ...." and those that don't have a big info dump that may turn players off. OTOH everyone knows what to expect from a fantasy setting, forest elves, mining dwarves, dragons with a preference for sexually inexperienced females, etc. When describing a fantasy campaign on Roll20 or something you focus on what makes it unique. For other campaigns you have to explain more. Like "are there aliens?" "what superhero origins are not available?" "what is the tech level?" So in the end, a fantasy campaign is easier to set up.

Hopefully soon I will be getting a new computer and moving all my files to it. I'm using two versions of Hero Designer HERO Designer log file (build 2009012604) HERO Designer 6 log file (build 20110203) and I need to know which version of Java I should install so that both versions work. Also, do these programs work in the current version of Java so I don't have to install older editions with their security issues? Thanks in advance!

I'm going to go off on a little tangent and bring up that it should make a difference on who is getting killed. In a setting with special powers and inhuman monsters, the public would be more understanding if a superhero killed a villain who could rip out people's hearts with a gesture and thought it was funny than a superhero who killed some henchmen. Supers killing supers or normals killing normals is one thing. Supers killing normals (even well-trained normals) is another. The idea is with some training and some equipment nearly anyone could be a police officer, soldier, armed courier, etc. But having a suit of custom powered armor, mutant powers, or being an alien is pretty much out. It's a different league. It would be like professional sports players crashing a pick-up game and crooning about how they won. Superheroes should be held to a higher standard when dealing with normal people. If you can fly and punch holes through steel you should also be able to take care of some street toughs with guns without killing them. Otherwise, the public should turn on you.