RE: Re: Scenarios from Matthew Cole on 2009-03-12 (HeroQuest-Rules)

From: Matthew Cole <matthew.cole_at_...>
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:45:03 -0000

I do understand the perspectives of everyone who has contributed to these threads. I've just been trying to show how HQ2 does things, to answer as many questions as I feel able and to demonstrate that there is less cause for concern wrt absence of stats and that HQ2's narrative design can set us freeeee.

Specifically on the PF cycle:

I just don't think that players need to have it waved in their faces. I think everyone, given the right prompting would agree that most good GMs are motivated by these kinds of considerations anyway. So its more a case that: watching the chef disembowelling the chicken might somewhat spoil the anticipation of the meal.

From: HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com [mailto:HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of L C Sent: 11 March 2009 22:49
To: HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: Re: Scenarios

Matthew Cole wrote:

>LC: a running tally of pass-fail presented visually
>
>- this is what Robin has hand-drawn in the rules I have

You could do it with an excel sheet, an abacus, a pile of jelly beans. Really, it hardly matters.

>- I think the pass/fail cycle should never be shown to players. It
>would be more than distracting it would be a suspension of disbelief
shatterer.

Interesting you should say that. It implies you understand Tim's complaints better than you are saying. In some way, all that he is arguing is that if you KNOW there is a pass-fail system, and no neutral scale, it is a suspension of disbelief shatterer. Hiding it behind the GM's screen doesn't prevent him from knowing it is there, so it remains a problem.

While distracting, I don't think having it up front should shatter the suspension of disbelief since presumably your players have signed on for a game that uses this system anyway. Or do you believe players should not know how the system works?

>(ducks in anticipation of flak)

*threw it above*