>In previous editions it was often possible to game the system to
>consistently gain large augments
In HQ1 (not HW), and it wasn't gaming the system IMO but playing as designed. Our rule of thumb was that if you couldn't muster at least a +20, it wasn't a contest you were interested in. (I think my warrior was +25 in fights she wasn't interested in, but this could easily climb if she were defending her clan against a hated enemy.)
This was time-consuming and made it harder to GM because you had less idea what the player numbers would be.
I think it also reflected a simulationist approach. Of course a Strong character should have a bonus, compared to a normal character. And a brave character, compared to a normal one. And one fighting for his clan. And one with good gear. And... Whereas in fictional sources, characters usually mix up their augments to keep the text from getting boring. Or another way to look at it: by using only one ability at a time to augment, HQ2 lets the augmenting ability make a difference, rather than getting lost in a crowd.
-- David Dunham Glorantha/HQ/RQ page: www.pensee.com/dunham/glorantha.html
Powered by hypermail