So far I've only played HQ over the net, where augments are easily handled--it is pretty easy to write the list of augments and how they apply, and is quick to read (much faster that talking them out).
But I can see how, face to face, the same thing could be very bothersome. A couple of thoughts occured to me.
First, at the social contract level, try to get people to agree to keep it under control, to focus on the augments that make sense in the story. After all, in the end the narrator will probably be setting resistances based on hero ability, so everyone finding five more augments doesn't really matter that much. This is a very nebulous point, but a few focussed augments are cooler, and more interesting, that piling everything on every time. So if you are in a bar brawl, augmenting only with "agile," "swashbuckling" and "hold drink" gives a lot of imagery of how you are fighting. The reward is not a higher score, but rather better spot light time.
Second, to add some risk to using augments, say that the contest outcomes apply to every ability used as an augment. This should help make the first point resonate more--if adding in Proud, Resolute, Enduring, Loyal to Shipmates and Piercing Yell gives you +10, but automatically causes the opposition to go up by +10 (they augment similarly), AND gives you the risk of having damage done to all of those abilities.....is it worth it?
Third, in an extended contest, allow augments only proportional to the chances being taken in the bid. Sure, there are some contests where the hero would go "All In," and should be augmenting with everything on their character sheet--but that should correspond with a major bid. If you are all in, SHOW that you are all in with a big bid. Yes this might take some time to find the augments and narrate how they apply, but surely there are some occasions where this is appropriate? And what occasion, if not one where you've deemed an extended contest is appropriate and the hero is going to make a high stakes bid.
Fourth, like with magic, you could have players indicate which augments they have on stand-by. It is pretty hard to be focussed on your pride, your bravery, your loyalty to the crew and your hatred of teh Vadelli all at once. In the case where the heroes get to prepare, then it is more appropriate to pull in more augments--and that feels right for when you are prepared. But when you are trying to avoid a Vadelli ship that has you almost pinned against a fireberg as a storm is blowing, choose one virtues that the hero is focussed on at the time, one physical trait that is relevant, one additional skill that is helping, and maybe one more ability from whatever cluster you have the most potential augments from.
One final thing from a player perspective. When your hero has a core competence, that one thing that he or she is really good at, with MANY augments possible, you do want to be able to use a fair number of those, as that is part of what makes that character special. So the ship's lookout who has a high "Awareness" score, but also has a Watchful and Focussed personality, has Keen Eyesight and Sharp Senses, has Keep Watch and Scan Horizon skills and See Through Mist, Farsight, and Eagle Eyes feats, well, he _should_ get to use more augmnts for seeing something than most heroes would. Quite how to balance that out with all of the above I'm not sure, but it does feel like robbery when you don't get to be good at what you are good at (or conversely, when someone else uses less relevant augments to come up to the same total ability).
-Bryan
Powered by hypermail