Well, it depends on the nature of the contest. I know we're talking about combat, but realy combat is a tactic, a means to an end, not usualy an end in itself. As the villain, if I defeat a hero and drive him to -100 AP, what am I trying t do? Am I trying to kill this guy so he's dead, dead, dead? Surely my main goal is to defeat him so that I can get to the princess, and carry her off? Will I spend extra effort making sure he dies, or extra effort to get past him so I can carrry her off? What's most important to me?
In a HQ contest, victory means you get what you want, and that's often not merely success at an individual action, but success at achieving a goal. Defeating the hero is simply a stepping stone to a greater goal. Looking at it this way, from the pont of view of the villain's actual goals, the player's death isn't necesserily all that important. Those 100 APs of victory points are relay 'Get the girl points' not 'kill the hero' points.
> From what you say, and this is not a criticism, could it be your
> players bid large because they feel they have to work pretty hard
to
> be in danger of losing a character and maybe it is that feeling
they
> are seeking? A hero is someone who puts their lives on the line
for
> what they believe after all.
That's true, they're people that are prepared to make hard decissions, and take extraordinary risks. For a real hero, there are more important things in the world that their own life, but the corrolary to that may be that losing or even risking those things is worse than dying. Ergo, death isn't necesserly the worst thing you can threaten them with.
Simon Hibbs
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