Re: Re: Question about play

From: Stuart Laird <bugbear_at_...>
Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 08:46:54 +1000

Hmm,
My feeling is that what might not be clicking for you is the drama. If the scene should have dramatic impact then you use a dramatic resolution mechanic.
If it is something that is not 'in camera' then at most a simple roll should be used.
In the basics of what you have written there is not much difference. But in HQ though there is not a huge list of modifiers and qualifiers that need to be added and subtracted and factored in. IMHO the elegance of HQ is the single conflict resolution system allows the players and GM's more flexibility on how to dramatically achieve their goals. You don't just have to beat the paste out of your opponent with a stick to win. You can out talk them, out run them, humiliate them all as part of the same contest. Me and my players took several sessions before we managed to get our heads around how it worked for us. Invest some time with your players and try out some situations and see how it works for you.
Run a traditional sword duel. Then a social/legal argument. Then a small battle with many participants. Then a battle against a single large opponent. Then a romance/tryst between two people. Encourage your players to challenge the situation with a different way of resolving it. My players always look at their opposition an try to find the weakest point to attack them. Legalese or Bluff or Combat or Magic or a Chase. But also remember sometimes people just want a good beatdown.

On 14/04/2010 11:21 PM, rlbeaver wrote:
>
> My experience is mostly crunchy games D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, GURPS,
> Burning Wheel, and WHFRP 1st ed. In lighter games, I have played
> Savage Worlds, Hero's Banner, Mouse Guard.
>
> It's difficult for me to clearly state what's not clicking. I guess
> it's more of how abstracted skill and conflict resolution is compared
> to games like D&D. In attempting to understand it, I wrote up below:
>
> In my reading of it, it really doesn't seem that different as far as
> play, there's just a single resolution mechanic.
>
> For instance, using a combat conflict, my interpretation of play is:
>
> H1. GM Describes Situation
> H2. Players describe what they would like the outcome to be and what
> actions (skills) they are going to use to achieve it.
> H3. GM Describes opponent's actions
> H4. Dice are rolled, results applied
> H5. If player/opponent not defeated, goto step 2
>
> If the player's action were "I Kill it with my BFG" and they had a
> high enough margin of success, then combat is over in "one roll". As
> compared to D&D, it would go:
>
> D1. GM Describes Situation
> D2. GM Determines order of actions
> D3. Player/opponent describe action they are attempting
> D4. Dice are rolled, results applied
> D5. If player/opponent not defeated, goto Step 3 for
> next player/opponent
>
> It would be very rare for combat to end without at least one iteration.
>
> My interpretation of HQ's strengths are:
>
> - There's one resolution mechanic that is not modified by another
> rule. While D&D has one resolution mechanic, the rules of how it's
> applied are modified depending on the action, for instance grapple.
>
> - Step H2 above give players more "say" in successful results.
>
> If that's it, then it just clicked as I was writing this, if not, then
> I'm still lost and will just have to try and find a game in the open
> gaming at GenCon.
>
> --- In HeroQuest-RPG_at_yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:HeroQuest-RPG%40yahoogroups.com>, "orlanthumathi"
> <anti.spam_at_...> wrote:
> >
> > Not online that I know of. What is it that is not clicking? What
> kind of game have you played before? What kind of game do you have in
> mind for hq?
> >
>
>