The game itself tends to fit heroic and dynamic play, and the sorts of people in the setting that most consistently are able to act this way are concentrated magic users.
So if the game rules actively call the character towards an expected path then that seems consistent with the themes in Glorantha.
However…
I always felt that the double cost issue was just plain wrong in action. When I decided to bite the bullet and play an un-concentrated magic user it felt like I was swimming against the stream of the system even when my character felt natural and the concept seemed to fit well in the world.
I also struggled with this issue when I decided to run my main campaign in a mixed magic area. Sure I soon learnt to stop worrying about it, especially as the in-world perspective was not an issue so why should my game make it one.
I do find the split of concentration as a concept and devotee etc. as an in world level as artificial, but it is easy to ignore the difference and always concentrate at devotee level. And I believe I have read somewhere that this split will be removed (I do hope so).
On the economics I think this is a wider issue.
>From a game design perspective Hero Points sit wrong for me, in areas
where concentrated magic users are rare and every player is using
mixed magic it feels far more natural to just ditch the rules.
I guess, as Mike points out, it seems to hinge on what Hero Points actually are. The text doesn't adequately address this issue, and the mix of character advancement and dice modifier feels unnatural.
If Hero Points are an indicator of which skills the player is most interested in as a definer of character then there isn't adequate advice on this.
If they are supposed to simulate character advancement then this seems to cause more problems and divisions than they are worth, by making this reminiscent of the prescriptive (and often house ruled) elements of RuneQuest.
In conflicts they appear to be purely a mechanical means of players modifying the dice results, without representing any setting aspect of the conflict.
If they are meant to be reflected in the narration, which to me seems logical and natural (i.e. I spend a hero point, I strive to climb that wall despite its difficulty, my muscles visibly straining under the effort), then there should be some advice on this in the rules.
In general they can be a fantastic tool for players controlling and expressing character, but you would never guess this from the text. Some of my group even dispute the whole idea, which is very frustrating when I read their expenditure in either manner as a reflection of character and they see it purely as an economic or tactical choice.
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