frame scene
identify any meaningful conflict(s)
identify opposing parties goals (the 'why are you in conflict' part) or
prize(s)
determine how they are opposing (what the names of the abilities/resistances
are)
...?
Next step is:
player(s) narrate any meaningful/interesting/revealing augmentation
narrator determines resistance using words: moderate, hard, very hard,
nearly impossible
roll augment
roll conflict
this is hardly described in terms of numbers at all, right?
As far as comparisons go, resistances are relative: is it Hard for the Experienced guy to overcome the Veteran? This seems a no-brainer to me. If I had both of their skills written down I wouldn't be able to answer that question so easily.
Surely this means that numbers are actually harder?
From: HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com
[mailto:HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tim Ellis
Sent: 10 March 2009 13:15
To: HeroQuest-rules_at_yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: The merits of relative and
absoluteresistances (HQ1 and HQ2)
Actually, we are looking to play a role-playing game that uses numbers (and dice) to resolve conflict. So let's describe those conflicts in terms of numbers ab initio, so that it is not incumbent on every person running the game to translate the narrative into "game-speak" at every juncture. If you don't like the numbers given, you are always at liberty to make up your own, so having numbers does nothing to impact people who don't want to use them, but not having them does impact people who do find them useful.
Narratives, Keywords, 100-word descriptions and all the other bits of Heroquest are great. I'd much rather play Heroquest than Runequest, but if the "Experienced" Orlanthi Weaponthane is supposed to be a better swordsman than the "Vetran" Lunar Guardsman I'd rather that be reflected by the numbers assigned to their skills than by trying to compare different adjectives...
Powered by hypermail