So I'm playing around with recreating some 5th edition characters in 6th just to see, and came across this jewel...
OCV and DCV were completely detached from DEX in 6th, a fact that neither greatly upsets nor to any degree excites me of and by itself. You start off with a default of 3 in each and buy them up at the cost of 5 points each.
With that in mind, an Overall Combat level costs 10 points (btw, this is not the 5th edition Overall which costs 10 points as that now costs 12). So for 10 points I can get a plus 1 OCV or DCV for any attack... meanwhile for 10 points I could a buy +1 OCV and +1 DCV.
But you say, that Overall applies to mental combat which OCV and DCV doesn't- nope. Seems 6th edition changed that rule and now all mental combat levels must be specifically bought and the standard Overall Combat Level does not apply.
Sort of makes Overall Combat Levels a poor buy unless you're in campaign with one cap for OCV/DCV characteristics and a different one for skill levels. But I had thought Long's entire reason for 6th was to make the points more balanced- not to make you buy stuff because of campaign caps...
Now the one thing the skill level will do is allow you to increase damage (using multiple skill levels) instead of OCV/DCV. So all is not lost- except I hate those rules and have long removed them from my campaigns. Not that they would have much effect even if I allowed them due to how expensive they are (in terms of lost OCV/DCV), at least for how I run my campaigns where I design the balance such that it's important to not be hit.
Default HERO is more like D&D in that respect (easy hits, each less dangerous), and so likely makes far more use of the ability to use skill levels to increase damage.
On such fine points does game design turn.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Review: HERO System Martial Arts 6th Edition
That trend certain continues with the 6th Edition version Hero System Martial Arts.
Like those before, it presents the game system's mechanical versions of most of the major martial arts styles in the world, together with suggestions for fictional styles and abilities. On top of this are rules for making up your own styles.
There is little to dislike, expect perhaps for the genre advice which is as normal for HERO boring in its presentation and only useful to someone who has no knowledge of the movies or books that drive such settings.
Compared to 5th Edition, the various real world styles have seen some revision and additions. And of course the martial powers sections are built using the 6th edition renaming conventions. In general however, there is little here that wasn't in previous editions.
Even given that, if one is going to invest in the 6th edition books they should buy this one as well. Nearly usable in any setting, I've always consider it 'core' and a must have. Easily the best treatment of martial arts (with properly built characters) ever presented in a published rpg.
Review: HERO System Ultimate Base
It shows all the typical Long styling- heavy cut and paste from other books (Ultimate Vehicle in this case) and very little value add.
He did make the attempt, there's a whole section on medieval castles and floor plans for a number of bases. There's even a section on how to in effect create 'Kingdoms' as characters and the play thereof. This is better than average for HERO Games as maybe as much as half the book isn't cut and pasted from elsewhere.
But half is and the half that wasn't just isn't interesting. So close, but a miss. The floor plans are boring, but usable for those who don't have the time to do better. There isn't anything here that really connects, coming across as something the author had to complete more than something he was interested in.
The cover actually reflects this. It shows the HERO Games' ripoff of Marvel's Helicarrier. Only one problem- it doesn't appear in the game book. That's because it can't appear- the rules inside quickly note that such a thing isn't a base but a vehicle.
Opps.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Growing the Hobby?
One of the blogs I follow is hosting the RPG Blog Carnival, with the subject of 'Growing the Hobby'. A timely subject when one hears of falling sales and hard times. People have been predicting doom for a while now, with even the former head of D&D claiming that the end of PnP RPG era is approaching.
Maybe they're right. Maybe they're not. Time will tell. I know I'll be playing them for a good while longer because nothing else does what they do for me.
Back to original question. Reduced to its basics, 'Growing the Hobby' means gaining new RPG players. While regaining older lapsed players add numbers to the current pool, its not new ground and does little for the long term. So, yes new players...
Not really a subject I care about much. Not when phrased that way.
Now I have introduced many new players to the hobby, but never considered it as anything beyond growing my own group. In fact, I'm rather certain it didn't grow the 'hobby' because I doubt they'll ever play in a campaign outside the ones we do ourselves.
Yes, we're that good. And yes, the play style we have is going out of fashion when viewed with respect to the hobby as a whole (if the current games being produced actually reflect that hobby). So much so on that last point that I really don't care of the 'hobby' dies, because it hasn't been supporting me for a while now anyway.
If I had a larger ego, I'd claim at this point that if the industry made games I'd like to use, the hobby would grow on its own. Beh, maybe it would. Maybe it wouldn't. I couldn't say either way.
I can say that all anyone who isn't one of the big gaming companies (and maybe that's only WotC, and maybe this is beyond even them) can do is grow one's own group. Anything more is wishful thinking. And the hobby's wishful thinking has brought us to where we currently are...
...given that track record, it may be best to work on those things we actually have our hands on.
Maybe they're right. Maybe they're not. Time will tell. I know I'll be playing them for a good while longer because nothing else does what they do for me.
Back to original question. Reduced to its basics, 'Growing the Hobby' means gaining new RPG players. While regaining older lapsed players add numbers to the current pool, its not new ground and does little for the long term. So, yes new players...
Not really a subject I care about much. Not when phrased that way.
Now I have introduced many new players to the hobby, but never considered it as anything beyond growing my own group. In fact, I'm rather certain it didn't grow the 'hobby' because I doubt they'll ever play in a campaign outside the ones we do ourselves.
Yes, we're that good. And yes, the play style we have is going out of fashion when viewed with respect to the hobby as a whole (if the current games being produced actually reflect that hobby). So much so on that last point that I really don't care of the 'hobby' dies, because it hasn't been supporting me for a while now anyway.
If I had a larger ego, I'd claim at this point that if the industry made games I'd like to use, the hobby would grow on its own. Beh, maybe it would. Maybe it wouldn't. I couldn't say either way.
I can say that all anyone who isn't one of the big gaming companies (and maybe that's only WotC, and maybe this is beyond even them) can do is grow one's own group. Anything more is wishful thinking. And the hobby's wishful thinking has brought us to where we currently are...
...given that track record, it may be best to work on those things we actually have our hands on.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
HERO System 6 Edition Review Part II
I likely should have mentioned this in yesterday's review but it was a bit long to include there. So I'll go back and add an link.
HERO System was always a very detailed and map focused game system. The game spoke in terms of 'inches' and 'hexes'. The entire rule set was written around the use of the hex map with powers defined to match. The environment and breaking things rules made the entire map something to interact with.
Like any game one could alter it and play it without the map, but at that point you're paying points not for defined abilities (movement, area of effects, range limits, reduced by range, indirect, etc) but for abstracted 'somethings' that one could only hope the GM took into account. If one really wanted to do this, they should switch 1" of running costs 2 points for things like "Perk- Fast Runner I" for x points. But whatever, that mindset seldom is worried about consistency.
I've never encountered anyone in real life that was in the least tempted to do that, much like I've never seen a D&D group in real life do it either. But it's all the rage online and Long himself claimed that's how he played (thus perhaps explaining why he seems so tunnel-visioned with minor updates to character creation rules and nothing else- for him that's the entire game it seems).
In contrast with WotC who in their new edition embraced it, HERO Sixth did away with the map, inches and hexes providing the most minor of 'if you're using these" hints in their place.
Well sort of did away with. Really he just converted everything to meters. Which just makes the book clumsy to use. If you want to use the old HERO scale of 1 hex = 2 meters you're having to make constant conversions as you play. It's unnecessary, and really addresses nothing.
If I was actually going to switch to 6th, I'd likely deal with this at the character sheet level- making all the conversions there as I use a Excel spreadsheet of my own. But it makes HERO Designer clumsy along with any of the published books, so those the value of those resources are reduced.
Oddly enough, this combined with the unnecessary expense of replacing my 5th edition books caused me to pass on any purchases from HERO Games in the future. They were already borderline with mostly dull supplements, and this kicked the can over the edge.
The owners of HERO Games have recently brought controlling interest in the Indie Press Revolution, so perhaps they'll overextend themselves and one day end up selling HERO System to someone who actually understands and plays it as more than a character generator.
Well, one can hope can't they?
HERO System was always a very detailed and map focused game system. The game spoke in terms of 'inches' and 'hexes'. The entire rule set was written around the use of the hex map with powers defined to match. The environment and breaking things rules made the entire map something to interact with.
Like any game one could alter it and play it without the map, but at that point you're paying points not for defined abilities (movement, area of effects, range limits, reduced by range, indirect, etc) but for abstracted 'somethings' that one could only hope the GM took into account. If one really wanted to do this, they should switch 1" of running costs 2 points for things like "Perk- Fast Runner I" for x points. But whatever, that mindset seldom is worried about consistency.
I've never encountered anyone in real life that was in the least tempted to do that, much like I've never seen a D&D group in real life do it either. But it's all the rage online and Long himself claimed that's how he played (thus perhaps explaining why he seems so tunnel-visioned with minor updates to character creation rules and nothing else- for him that's the entire game it seems).
In contrast with WotC who in their new edition embraced it, HERO Sixth did away with the map, inches and hexes providing the most minor of 'if you're using these" hints in their place.
Well sort of did away with. Really he just converted everything to meters. Which just makes the book clumsy to use. If you want to use the old HERO scale of 1 hex = 2 meters you're having to make constant conversions as you play. It's unnecessary, and really addresses nothing.
If I was actually going to switch to 6th, I'd likely deal with this at the character sheet level- making all the conversions there as I use a Excel spreadsheet of my own. But it makes HERO Designer clumsy along with any of the published books, so those the value of those resources are reduced.
Oddly enough, this combined with the unnecessary expense of replacing my 5th edition books caused me to pass on any purchases from HERO Games in the future. They were already borderline with mostly dull supplements, and this kicked the can over the edge.
The owners of HERO Games have recently brought controlling interest in the Indie Press Revolution, so perhaps they'll overextend themselves and one day end up selling HERO System to someone who actually understands and plays it as more than a character generator.
Well, one can hope can't they?
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