I'm told that Issaries have put some care into rewriting the examples in the next edition of the HW rules (HQ), which might help. I suggest an important mental adjustment: don't try to figure out how to narrate an augment. Instead, have the player describe what their character does (or tries to do), then work out what that means in rules terms. It might be an attack, an augmentation or an unrelated action. It might be large or small in effect. Changes of emphasis can cause different rules effects.
As I wrote in an earlier message:
[Consider a Vingan using their Run on Treetops feat, thus:]
'I repeatedly attack with my sword, darting from cover in trees
then leaping back again, running around on the treetops to gain a
good position.' --- which sounds like an attempt to gain a
[augmentation] bonus.
Different wording could change the emphasis. giving an offensive edge
('... darting from cover... gain a good position') [or] defensive
edge
('... leaping back again...'). Being able to use feats for special
moves, edges and bonus as the situation and intent dictates is a good
feature.
...
> It's been said that a W5 character would not stand idly by
> as the W3 character came at him with +60 augment or +120 edge. I was
> wondering how the W5 character would know about the edge or augment.
Magic has visible 'special effects': lightning sparking from blades, weapons appearing superhumanly large. Some abilities are inherently obvious (Large, Strong).
> Personally, in my very limited experience playing the game, I'd
> expect such a large augment to require special time or materials
> (possibly both)
Wrong emphasis. Don't think 'time and materials', think about the description. Emphasis on time and materials is trying to simulate the game world process. HW (HQ) is about narrating. Ask yourself, if this were a film or TV episode, what would appear on screen? Sure, the sword might have taken vast effort to be forged, and building the phaser might have required a high tech factory, but is that shown when the hero grabs the sword/phaser for self defence as the monster/alien approaches?
> and that it might be difficult to gather these things
> without attracting attention.
Actions are conventionally visible... unless declared otherwise. Note that the abilities 'Strong' and 'Surprisingly Strong' are different abilities. Trying to be surprisingly strong (that is, appear weak but be strong) when you are merely Strong should require an improvisational penalty.
In our group, we are open about even sneaky abilities; its all part of telling a joint story. Bruce Ferrie's character has a 'Deceptively Kind' ability, which (IIRC) he has never rolled in secret.
> I'd think that the target might become
> aware of preparations and attempt to hinder them, physically or
> magically. This would even be more fun to play.
Appropriate if the preparation is a ritual, but not if it is a simple augment. A simple augment has the resistance given only by the magnitude of the augment. Too complicated and messy, otherwise. You can model attempts to thwart the allies of your enemy as either an attack on those allies, or an attempt to augment your own champion.
> Would it be useful to have a guide to time required for larger and
> larger augments?
It already exists: the HW rules state that each augmentation requires one ('unrelated') action. How 'long' is such an action? Wrong question (see 'time and materials', above).
...
> Would preparations necessarily alert intended targets of such magic?
> What skills etc might be used to give warnings?
...
How likely are your opponent to discover that you are dancing skyclad around some standing stones on a windy hilltop? It depends on your opponents.
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