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I don't get the dislike of healing surges
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<blockquote data-quote="JamesonCourage" data-source="post: 5699069" data-attributes="member: 6668292"><p>So, accepting mechanics that reflect standard genre tropes means you should accept other mechanics by the same people, just because they made the game, even if you feel they don't adequately reflect genre tropes? That doesn't seem right to me.</p><p></p><p>Hussar is right. It's a narrative issue. You can definitely wait until a point where a wound is definitively decided before describing it. It very much goes against the linear timeline I want to see in combat, since part of immersion is having a feeling of dread when you see your best friend take a claw through his chest and poke out the other side, before he coughs a little blood and falls to the ground. Having to say, "he hits you for 18 damage... that puts you in the negatives. So, you're down, I guess..." would really throw me off my game, and really draw my group out of immersion.</p><p></p><p>It's like rolling dice behind a screen. It pulls me out of immersion when a GM does it (not that I'd ever tell one not to, if that's their preference). I always wonder if they're fudging to help the party out. They may not fudge at all, but I always wonder, and it yanks my focus away from the game and thinking in-character. When you have a narrative that isn't resolved, it'd do the same thing to me. I'd want to know, in-character, does my friend look hurt? Does he have a hole through his left shoulder, or does he look winded? Should I rush over to help him, or should I fight on, even if I think my allies can handle it? And, as a GM, I want my players to know these things, too, so that they can make informed decisions in-character.</p><p></p><p>This is just a play style difference. Neither is objectively right or wrong, but I see big issues with it ever being able to fit my play style. And that's fine. It'd work well enough in my homebrewed RPG if it was limited to the THP pool, and I think that's an overall better model for the game, as I think it represents different kinds of play more easily, as well as allowing healing surges (or disallowing them) just as easily. It promotes a linear timeline in combat with descriptions, but allows for cinematic feel with surges for those who want them, while remaining easily abstract enough for many different descriptions. It also addresses falling damage, being on fire, being immersed in acid, and other such things that make hit points seem weird some of the time. But hey, that's just me and my group, and our preference.</p><p></p><p>In the end, it comes down to preference. The OP asked why some people don't like healing surges. I think there have been very clear, valid, and subjectively justifiable reasons why people dislike healing surges. He also asked what people would do to fix it, and some have given answers (myself included). Why's there's a debate when the question was about the opinions of other people I'm not sure (other than debating is fun), but I'll continue to enjoy this thread as long as it's civil. As always, play what you like <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JamesonCourage, post: 5699069, member: 6668292"] So, accepting mechanics that reflect standard genre tropes means you should accept other mechanics by the same people, just because they made the game, even if you feel they don't adequately reflect genre tropes? That doesn't seem right to me. Hussar is right. It's a narrative issue. You can definitely wait until a point where a wound is definitively decided before describing it. It very much goes against the linear timeline I want to see in combat, since part of immersion is having a feeling of dread when you see your best friend take a claw through his chest and poke out the other side, before he coughs a little blood and falls to the ground. Having to say, "he hits you for 18 damage... that puts you in the negatives. So, you're down, I guess..." would really throw me off my game, and really draw my group out of immersion. It's like rolling dice behind a screen. It pulls me out of immersion when a GM does it (not that I'd ever tell one not to, if that's their preference). I always wonder if they're fudging to help the party out. They may not fudge at all, but I always wonder, and it yanks my focus away from the game and thinking in-character. When you have a narrative that isn't resolved, it'd do the same thing to me. I'd want to know, in-character, does my friend look hurt? Does he have a hole through his left shoulder, or does he look winded? Should I rush over to help him, or should I fight on, even if I think my allies can handle it? And, as a GM, I want my players to know these things, too, so that they can make informed decisions in-character. This is just a play style difference. Neither is objectively right or wrong, but I see big issues with it ever being able to fit my play style. And that's fine. It'd work well enough in my homebrewed RPG if it was limited to the THP pool, and I think that's an overall better model for the game, as I think it represents different kinds of play more easily, as well as allowing healing surges (or disallowing them) just as easily. It promotes a linear timeline in combat with descriptions, but allows for cinematic feel with surges for those who want them, while remaining easily abstract enough for many different descriptions. It also addresses falling damage, being on fire, being immersed in acid, and other such things that make hit points seem weird some of the time. But hey, that's just me and my group, and our preference. In the end, it comes down to preference. The OP asked why some people don't like healing surges. I think there have been very clear, valid, and subjectively justifiable reasons why people dislike healing surges. He also asked what people would do to fix it, and some have given answers (myself included). Why's there's a debate when the question was about the opinions of other people I'm not sure (other than debating is fun), but I'll continue to enjoy this thread as long as it's civil. As always, play what you like :) [/QUOTE]
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I don't get the dislike of healing surges
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