RE: Contest Questions from Alexander Entelechy on 2009-10-03 (HeroQuest-Rules)

From: Alexander Entelechy <alexanderentelechy_at_...>
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2009 16:07:06 -0700 (PDT)

By the rules, extended contests have one prize, you can't change prize during them. Otherwise the game would work in a similar way to The Shadow of Yesteryear and that is a pretty good escalation mechanic. Only in HQ2 penalties are actually given out until the end of the extended contest so the carrot/stick aspect of the extended contest isn't there. If you applied penalities as they happened and allowed changing intent before each part of the contest you would have a pretty awesome escalation mechanic though.

On Sat, 3/10/09, Mike Holmes <mike_c_holmes_at_...> wrote:

From: Mike Holmes <mike_c_holmes_at_...> Subject: RE: Contest Questions
To: heroquest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, 3 October, 2009, 10:01 PM

>"Use extended contests, they handle escalation really well, simple contests don't. If you're a point away from defeat in an EXTENDED contest you can always change ability and tactics to get what you want - at the risk of upping the ante somewhat."

That's an excellent point, and one I never considered. Yeah, simple contests (it should be obvious), allow for only one shot at establishing intent and stakes, etc. But the extended contest rules have explicit features that allow you to modify your intent, mid contest.

That actually gives you a good criteria for whether or not to use an extended contest, if you turn it around. Ask: might the players decide mid-contest to change their minds about what they're after? Or do we only care to go directly to resolution? If the former, use an extended contest. If the latter, stick with simple.

I like that a lot.

Mike

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