People complain about their players 'getting too powerful too quickly' or that they 'spend HPs even when they don't need to'. What's obvious to me is that a narrator should be far more than just the 'presenter' of the story.
You have to encourage a balance. I am definately not suggesting enforcing some kind of artificial rule on this but guidance on how to play wisely.
IMO the narrator's 'story points' are for use in keeping the story working.
For instance:
If the players begin to win a contest that, according to the planned story,
they would do better losing.
Not if your NPCs are not challenging enough for them - construct more
challenging ones next time.
Also, IMO, the players' hero points are, similarly, there to allow them to act more dramatically and affect the story in that way. The use for skill increases nicely balances this.
Maybe the whole hero point issue should be viewed from this point of view: It's not a game mechanic designed to allow people to 'cheat', it's there so that we are not slaves to the dice. Stories can become victims of a string of 'unfortunate' rolls.
Also, IMHO, HeroWars(Quest) is designed as a story telling game. I know we all (ok, most) derive a lot of pleasure in winning and experience displeasure in losing but these conditions should not always be so easily identified. Maybe they have to lose to win? Unfortunately, we live in a success oriented culture and most people, when they play games, play to win. IMO it's not the winning that's important, it's the *journey*. I know that's become cliched but I believe it's real wisdom.
-----Original Message-----
From: Ian Cooper
....
I think Graham is right in that this is not so much a rules issue as an
issue
of personal preference for different types of story.
Powered by hypermail