Is it wrong to enjoy playing super powerful characters? I enjoy this, or would enjoy this, since I've only ever played the "Excuse me, sir, I would like to be a weaponthane, too, please" type. *Of course* there should be a narrative to justify the PC's development, *of course* it should be "earned" (however you define that), and of course power is only one of the many things that are enjoyable about HW.
But hey, I'd like my PCs to have a shot - a really good shot - at changing Gloranthan history. Things like putting that traitorous Yanafal in his place - for good. Or wiping out the Tusk Riders and "doing a Harrek" on their evil god (sic?). Or making Prax fertile. Stuff that really messes with the Compromise, to make the world a "better" place.
Narrators may be understandably hesitant to have events like this happen, since they tend to be of the one-time-only kind. But the whole point of gaming is that you can replay the same basic situation and get different outcomes. After saving the world from the Red Godess once (or failing), why not try again with a different set of characters, from a different point of view?
In fact, could it be better to have a slightly more playful or experimental attitude towards Gloranthan history in general? Ie, why not play it out and see what you think is appropriate, rather than trying to get it absolutely "perfect" the first time. Sheesh, most of the people on this list seem to be in the Glorantha Knowledge 10W2+ level anyway... Certainly most of you are eminently more qualified than I am to decide the course of Gloranthan history.
Clearly what I am attempting to describe is a different kind of gaming than that exemplified by the old RQ. And there is nothing wrong with gritty, low-power gaming - Stickpicker Wars, if you will. But is it really so bad to play at a heroic level?
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