Although if you really want to play somewhat heroic figures, announce that this will be the nature of the campaign (or a new campaign), and make heros with, say, 15W2 best skill, 5W2 for the two next best, 15W in all all professional and magic key word skills, and perhaps something like 17 or 1W or 5W in all other cultural and write-up related skills. (numbers off the top of my head).
People who really want their cult secret shouldn't be too far away from it with those numbers, but wouldn't be starting the game with it. Bring up the numbers a bit more if you want proven heroes who start knowing their cult secret.
I suppose the other alternative is to simply announce "a year has past, and many small things have happened. Add +3 to as many abilities as you want to."
It is really the same issue any other game has, be it role playing or computer game or even to some degree many board games. They have to set the advancement rate that seems to fit well for the steady player, or else things feel silly to them. Then the less regular player feels things move too slowly. Personally I've never had a starting character progress beyond reasonable competence and toughness in accordance with the rules in any gaming system, in over 20 years of gaming. This doesn't mean that I haven't had a chance to play super-powered characters once in a while.
*shrug* I really view it as a "you can't please all the people all of the time" type situation. The only important thing is that there are cool things to do any level of power. HW scores pretty well in this regard, I think. Not that it isn't easy to look at the cult secrets and start drooling at how thoroughly _cool_ it is, then almost weep at how you'll never achieve it....I mean, you don't get the Tatouth or Niskiss secret because of the sheer raw power of it, you get them because they are fun! But the feats and even the affinities can be fun too.
--Bryan
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