>Sounds like a distinction without a real difference, and a confusing
>one, to boot.
Eric Rowe:
<< It is clear that you have not yet grasped the paradigm shift the Hero Wars is bringing. It is one that I as a GM am having a great time with. The real difference you are looking for is in whether or not the 'ordinary' characters are important to the GM/story/plot or not.>>
But surely if they the character is competing with a PC in some way (be it combat, debate, or whatever) he is, by definition, important to the GM/story/plot. He may only be important for as long as it takes the contest to finish, but as long as its continuing in the contest then he *is* important. So you're effectively saying that you get a bump up in the odds against a character so long as you don't actually use that bump up...
Now, OK, so the above paragraph may not describe everyone's GMing style - - though I personally would feel uncomfortable as either a GM or player in a game where the above wasn't the case. But it seems to me that this bonus- -ordinary-guys really ought to be an optional rule rather than a fixed part of the system. It has the advantage of being a rule that is pretty easy to ignore, but its the kind of thing I'd like to see more clearly flagged as 'optional'.
<<If they are not, why waste a bunch of time with dozens of rolls to defeat
the town
beggar?>>
Well, if the PCs are fighting him one would hope they have a good reason. The alternative is to make him easier to defeat than his basic abilities ought to suggest, simply because he 'isn't important to the plot'. Now, you might have to do that if you're running out of time in your game session and everyone wants to go home for the night, but I think its something that should be avoided as far as possible.
<< As a GM this is a refreshing change of increased flexibility.>>
It doesn't sound very refreshing to me, although I can see why many GMs would find it otherwise. All of this type of discussion leads me to worry not so much about the system (although its sounding like I'll have to modify so much of it to suit my style of play that I might as well just use my old system and save myself the bother) but about the scenarios and so on that are going to be published for it. I hope they aren't all going to be rune-level equivalent and action-film in tone; I don't mind a few like that but I'd be disappointed if they were the norm rather than the exception.
<< I think everyone who GMs Hero Wars for a while will be pleasantly surprised.>>
EVERYONE?? That's a bit optimistic isn't it? Personally, I doubt it's possible to design a system of which that would be true. :-)
However, lest this post appear to be overly negative in tone, I would like to add that for all my reservations about HW as regards my own gaming, I think it has a good chance of appealing to potential newbies out there and I certainly don't see any other way forward at present!
I don't think I'll be using it, but then I don't use RQ either (my last players hated that system...)
Forward the glorious Red Army!
Trotsky
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