This is actually a weakness in HQ, As best I can determine HW and HQ were designed to maximize support for role-play, at the price of ignoring complexities needed to support simulationism and power gaming.
There are two problems with this. The first is that simulationism and storytelling are actually related, by the necessity for "suspension of disbelief". If people cannot accept a game's simulation assumptions for storytelling purposes, because they do not feel real to them, the game's utility for telling stories is limited. This was actually an issue as far back as RQ I; since one of the main issues the other designers of RQ had with D&D was that D&D was such a wretched simulation of SCA combat that they had trouble suspending disbelief in D&D long enough to enjoy the game. Some of my players had this problem with Hero Wars, in that the limited assortment of skills often mean that you would be opposing a skill with something that seemed inappropriate. The bidding system in Hero Wars was pretty much loathed and despised. The second is that many decent players actually like powergaming. If the group I'm in has someone I've known for ten years andgenerally like, am I supposed to throw him {or her, though femaile powergamers are very rare} out of the group because he or she likes to powergame? Why not look for another set of rules instead?
So HW and HQ are good sets of rules, but they are not for everyone.
Ray,
If at some point you do want to run HQ with this player, there are ways of making it work (or at least, keeping him happier and less disruptive for the rest of you): but that's a separate question.
> So what kind of scenario works well on introducing > new players, without requiring a great knowledge of > glorantha, but can showcase the system? Any thoughts > on ways to introduce gamers used to other systems?
My immediate thought is that it's usually combat where players used to more "crunchy" systems get confused. So choose a scenario where there is no combat: or at least, none to start with. Almost any other form of conflict, yes, but not combat.
Also, if your players are used to the system being something for them to try to beat, it may be worth being explicit about the fact that in HQ, it isn't. "Losing" a conflict may well be far more fun than "winning" it, and the end result is never going to be one that stops them from going further or limits their options to the point where play is no longer enjoyable. "Oh, great, I've rolled a fumble!" is a concept that does make sense.
Yes, I know, a bit unspecific about scenarios there, but it's one of the main points of confusion and unhappiness I've seen, where the players are trying to aim at the wrong target: success rather than fun.
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