One thing I REALLY liked about HERO over D&D

[Psion]

In D&D, if there is a potentially neat or useful ability, that in some situations could create problems for the game, what happens?

Online fans scream, argue how unbalanced it is, tear their hair out.

And sadly, sometimes R&D listens and guts the ability which in many cases wasn't really all that bad.


In HERO, what happens in a similar situation:

The author says "yeah, I can see how that would mess up some DMs plans. Lets put a stop sign or a caution sign next to it to let the GM know. But we should still have the possibility there for those games that can make use of it."


It seems to me sometimes that we as D&D players let fear of imbalance mess us up, sometimes without a problem ever bein demonstrated in play. And some of us whine loud enough that the designers listen to us.

Sometimes I wonder if HERO-philes and designers have a healthier attitude in this regard.

 

[MerricB]

The big difference is in how D&D supports tournament play, especially with the RPGA's Living campaigns.

Though HERO's method is superior in many respects, it runs into severe trouble when you look at resolving the matter on a global scale.

Cheers!

 

[PugioilAudacio]

HERO? What is this? You just described the biggest problem I have with D&D 3.0/3.5 . So many cool things were nerfed for the sake of "balance". Who cares about balance, what about all the cool abilities and things.

If the DM wants to restrict it, he should do so himself - or better yet, use that same "abusive" power against the PC's. The DM has as much and more tools than the players, it shouldn't be that hard to stop them from "unbalancing" the game.

 

[Psion]

The big difference is in how D&D supports tournament play, especially with the RPGA's Living campaigns.

Though HERO's method is superior in many respects, it runs into severe trouble when you look at resolving the matter on a global scale.

I've never played I hero tournament, but I wonder if they entertain handmade PCs if they simply just say "no stopsign powers."

That seems to serve the same function, without the "backwash" of nerfing powers for more general use that otherwise might be more interesting and engaging in non-tournament play.

 

[Psion]

HERO? What is this?

A points-based game system with a phenominally flexible power system, originally designed to handle superheroic games. One of the top 5 or 6 game systems on the market, currently.

You just described the biggest problem I have with D&D 3.0/3.5 . So many cool things were nerfed for the sake of "balance". Who cares about balance, what about all the cool abilities and things.

To be clear, I do care about balance. But I prefer not to gut potentially interesting feats, classes, and spells because of relatively narrow scenarios or for the balance to depend heavily on how the game is run.

 

[Thanee]

I've never played I hero tournament, but I wonder if they entertain handmade PCs if they simply just say "no stopsign powers."

That wouldn't work.

You can break the system in so many ways, it's really impossible to make a balanced environment without strict control. That's the biggest advantage and disadvantage of HERO at the same time (ultimate flexibility has its price ).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

If the DM wants to restrict it, he should do so himself - or better yet, use that same "abusive" power against the PC's.

That's better!?

Bye
Thanee

 

[PugioilAudacio]

That sounds really good. A few of my players have been saying they wish they could play a system like that. How would I go about getting/looking into this system? What stuff do I need etc...?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I think D&D 3.x is currently still suffering from a little backlash. Arcana Unearthed aside, there's more emphasis on playtesting in 3.x which wasn't really there in the later days of 2e. 2e had some wacky stuff and I think 3.x developers are a little gun shy.

... says the guy with very little institutional knowledge of the game's 1990s days.

 

[Psion]

That wouldn't work.

You can break the system in so many ways, it's really impossible to make a balanced environment without strict control.

I'm unconvinced.

This sounds like the same sort of "theorizing" that I am decrying. "Creating a balanced environment?" Unlike D&D, HERO is not predecated on existence of a balanced team of specific niches; if you are playing free form, there are no specific roles to fill. The absence of powers like "desolidification" or "precognition" is not going to throw a monkey wrench in the play environment. Due to their "stopsigned" status, it's quite likely to do the opposite: stablize it.

Further, do you know that they don't do just that? Does anyone know?