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Old 02-13-2014, 11:10 AM   #1
Damurack
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: US
Default Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

I am new to GMing,
I am also new to both of these systems,
I am planning on creating a Sci Fi setting from scratch.

I know this will be a lot of work, and reading. I have asked the people who are wanting to play in this game ( which we are aiming to be playing a long time ) many questions about what they want. These are a few types of things they want.

A quick and understandable battle system ( after being learned, of course ),
Highly adaptable character creation,
More of a 'Role Playing' type game, ( more Star Trek, than Star Wars )
Limited or no reduced abilities from damage.

I have collaborated on homemade RPGs and got tired of the lack of a stable game system to develop stories with. I am planning for this to be a long term project so any recommendations would help ( I hope, anyways )
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Old 02-13-2014, 11:36 AM   #2
Randyman
 
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

First, I hope you are asking the same question on the Hero message boards, just to get a balanced set of responses. :)

Second, any game mechanics can be "more role playing"; that's a matter of what happens at the gaming table (real or virtual).

Third, I'm not a game mechanics expert, so I can't address the combat system concerns. But both games are "highly adaptable" in character generation.
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Old 02-13-2014, 11:37 AM   #3
Grouchy Chris
 
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

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Originally Posted by Damurack View Post
Limited or no reduced abilities from damage.
I can't say anything about Hero, but this issue might be a problem for you in GURPS, where the model is that damage is damaging. As a transient effect, any damage you take reduces your Intelligence and Dexterity (and all skills based on them) for your next turn only, to a maximum of 4 (unless you have the High Pain Threshold advantage). As a more lasting effect, when you are reduced to less than 1/3 of your original Hit Points, your Move and Dodge scores are cut in half.

Additionally, large amounts of damage can cripple a limb, or cause Knockdown and Stunning, which will put you on the floor and make you drop your weapons. Because of these various effects, combatants who take any damage at all will often go into a death spiral, where they can't hit back effectively and can't defend themselves. It's a tendency, not a universal, but the GURPS model for injury is very much a different model than, say, D&D, where you're fine until you're in negative hit points.

I like GURPS a lot, but if being able to shrug off a lot of damage is important to you, you might be better served with a different system.
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Old 02-13-2014, 11:50 AM   #4
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

Quote:
Originally Posted by Damurack View Post
I am new to GMing,
I am also new to both of these systems,
I am planning on creating a Sci Fi setting from scratch.
I have played in a Space Hero game (5e though) and I have GM'ed several Gurps Space games and I would recommend Gurps .

Hero will let you build any sort of character possibly even moreso than Gur[ps though it's to a different level of resolution. The problem for a Star Trek-like game is that it doesn't handle fine distinctions between non-exotic humanoids very well.

In our Space Hero game out of 4 players, 3 had exactly the same Dex and Spd because that's where the breakpoints are. The Space Marine had he same Spd but enough more DEX to get a +1 in combat. Pretty much the same IQs and so forth too. The best that can be said about it was that once you calculated the roll for one player you'd done it for all the players.

If you were going to run a very high-powered game with PCs who had lots of special abilities I _might_ recommend Hero. Otherwise the possible added detail of Gurps makes it the more flexible choice.

Gurps is also much better for support from supplements. It's got Ultra Tech (and Bio-tech) and the Spaceships line of pdfs. Hero has only a little bit of stuff like the Spacer's Tool Kit which I can not truly recommend.
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Old 02-13-2014, 11:59 AM   #5
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

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Originally Posted by Damurack View Post
These are a few types of things they want.

A quick and understandable battle system ( after being learned, of course )
That pretty much says 'Neither system'. Both combat systems are complex and slow, and generally have quite steep learning curves. Hero is generally less lethal and more friendly to having superhuman abilities, GURPS has a much more detailed skill system (Hero has 50-odd skills, GURPS has more like 500). GURPS has a lot more pre-statted out tech, which may or may not be useful depending on whether it's tech you want to use.
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:14 PM   #6
Johnny Angel
 
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

I think it boils down to what areas of work you feel more or less comfortable with. It also depends on what style of game you want. In either system, you'll have prep work to do.

My exposure to HERO is far less than GURPS; I've also never played HERO 6E, so take this with a grain of salt; it may be that I am misremembering how it works. From what I remember, HERO doesn't have gear in the same way that GURPS does. You have to build the ability to use a piece of equipment with points. HERO tends to start with a cinematic base, but can, with work, be made to run more gritty... though still likely falling shy of how gritty GURPS can be.

While GURPS has a larger skill list and some other things to dig through, it has equipment list, and you don't generally need to spend character points on the ability to use a piece of equipment. GURPS tends to start with what I'd call a more plausible and grounded base, but can, with the right options turned on, be made to run more cinemating... though likely not being as cinematic as HERO can be with all of the cinematic HERO options turned on.

Both games have some similarities in design, and both can (in my opinion) reasonably mimic what the other can do. However, the approach each game takes to doing the same thing, and the roots of each game are different enough to create different feels even when doing the same things.

I make no secret about the fact that I prefer GURPS. I'd suggest trying GURPS Lite if you want an idea about how GURPS works. It's free and can help teach you the basic concepts of the game. However, I can't assume that what's right for me is right for every gaming table. That being said, I hope you do choose GURPS. I like to see more people joining the community of GURPS players.
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:15 PM   #7
kirbwarrior
 
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

Although, once you know the battle system, everything does become organic. To compare, a game like MERP or D&D let's you get into combat with little learning required, but takes far longer to actually internalize everything. I don't know enough about HERO, but I've heard it's a weird halfway point (where it's somewhat complicated and never gets simple).
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:20 PM   #8
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnny Angel View Post
From what I remember, HERO doesn't have gear in the same way that GURPS does.
There are 'heroic' vs 'superheroic' options for how gear works, you don't necessarily have to buy items with points, and there are some resources with tech items prestatted, but Hero does tend towards focusing on points and looking at cash after the fact.
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Originally Posted by kirbwarrior View Post
I don't know enough about HERO, but I've heard it's a weird halfway point (where it's somewhat complicated and never gets simple).
Eh, no. It's probably simpler than GURPS, it's just got quite a bit of bookkeeping and die rolling.
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:45 PM   #9
David Johansen
 
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

Well, if having the scaling of damage and combat effectiveness built into the points system matters to you then you want HERO.

HERO's combat is more complex and has segmented movement and actions at the most basic level.

HERO generally handles high powered stuff a bit better than GURPS because it has stuff like that built into the foundation where with GURPS you have to tack them on somehow.

But you can dial GURPS way down in the complexity level or way up, however you like it. Don't want shock or stun from hits? Just ignore it and the hit point system just keeps trucking on fine with out them.

I like GURPS better but there are places where it emulated HERO just a bit more.
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Old 02-13-2014, 12:45 PM   #10
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
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Default Re: Can't decide on Gurps 4e or Hero 6e

GURPS and Hero are both universal systems, but Hero is more optimized for representing superbeings. GURPS is more optimized for representing capable human adventurers. Either can do the other, but it takes more work.

Hero abilities tend very strongly to be priced by combat utility; abilities that have little combat relevance, such as Comeliness or Profession skills, have low cost. GURPS abilities are more evenly priced, in terms of general (including social) utility as well as combat utility.

To my personal taste, the Hero combat mechanics is a beautiful engine, but Hero character creation is actively painful. I understand that a lot of people feel differently, at least about the latter.

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