Some time back Steve Long (the 'industry's' best RPG editor, but likely it's worst designer) let it be known that he was hard at work on the 6th edition of HERO System- but this time he had the freedom to make any and all changes his little heart and large ego demanded.
Anyone making that claim at any time is reason enough to cause thoughtful men to cringe in dread. Seldom indeed does that golden road lead to anyplace good.
We now have some tidbits of the upcoming changes.
They show Long's typical tunnel vision- a bunch of changes to the construction rules. He's been all over that from the beginning- seeming to think that one can actually play balance points in the abstract instead of balancing them in the campaign (see my view of Point based construction here and here).
There's some simplification in the listed changes, getting rid of figured characteristics and the like. This comes at the cost of disengaging related traits and the easy shorthand defaults they provided. There's a fair list, and promise of yet more to be detailed in the future.
He's getting rid of hex maps, because you know some of the hobby is insulted when people mention hex maps.
And...
...take a look yourself, I'm too bored to detail everything and given I don't have the real numbers and costs yet- it doesn't pay to consider them too closely anyway.
The thing is, it doesn't matter from where I set. I'll build characters the way I want to build them- and I just don't care what the costs in the book are. I'll still achieve my goals.
Now it's possible that some of the unknown changes may alter HERO greatly. For example, the 1d3 stun for Kill Attacks (with normal defense applying vs. Stun) is quite the nerf- and alters the balance of those abilities greatly... well maybe it is and does or maybe it doesn't. You see we don't know the cost of the power yet, it may well not be 15 per d6 anymore.
And heaven only knows what he intends to change about how the game is played as opposed to how much it costs to make something. This could be the death blow to the whole company if it goes too far.
So it's wait and see more before making a real judgment.
Well, there is one real judgment I can make now. There was no need for a 6th edition that was any more than a cleanup of the 5th. The rules worked fine for anyone who actually understood them, and if someone doesn't- no amount of change will make them make the effort to do so now.
No, this is all about Long's own ego, making his own mark, and selling a new edition of rules and cut & paste supplements that he's become famous for.
That much I'm certain of.
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3 comments:
As soon as Steve Long announced this little project last year, I stopped going to the boards. I'll wait until the 6th edition comes out and then pick up all the 5th edition stuff I want for cheap on e-bay and elsewhere.
I've loved the Hero System since I started playing Champions back in '84 but the more previews I read about the upcoming 6th edition, the less thrilled about it I become. I guess I now have some idea about how some people feel about 4e now.
Hasn't this new edition been rationalized because of the MMORPH that is coming/came out?
I grabbed 5th edition a few weeks ago. Been digging through but I'm pretty lazy when it comes to reading new games and this one is big. I'd love to sit down and discuss the finer points with you sometime.
@Steve V: From what I've heard, the MMORPG is just using the Champion's Setting- and nothing of the mechanics.
Also many things in the list of changes have been on Long's short list for some time.
So no, I don't think one can honesty rationalizd the changes that way.
@Helmsman: Might be fun. You can email me questions if you like. I may even use them for a blog post or two.
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