thaeldes Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 When did the hero system first come out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pawsplay Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first That depends on what you mean. - Champions? - The first HERO-like game? - Fantasy HERO, probably the first modern HERO variant? - The first standalone HERO rulebook? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first 1981, I think, is the official launch date of the original CHAMPIONS game. But don't quote me on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first 1981' date=' I think, is the official launch date of the original CHAMPIONS game. But don't quote me on that.[/quote']You are correct, sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first You are correct' date=' sir! [/quote'] Go me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opal Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first The original Champions! came out in 1980 or 81, from 'Hero Games.' It was followed by other games using similar systems: Justice Inc and Espionage. Then they put out Fantasy Hero. By that time, Chaosium has labeled the common mechanics of RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu a "system" called "Basic Role Playing." Hero started refering to the common threads of thier games as the Hero System sometime after that. Arround the time GURPS came out, IIRC ('86?). (And this is all based on personal recollection). It wasn't until 4th Edition (the BBB came out in '89, I think) that Hero published a sepparate 'Hero System Rules Book,' that was decoupled from the Champions! game. But, even then, Champions! 4th ed was published /before/ the HSR. Ten or so years later, the 5th Edition (FRED) was published with Champions! published as a genre book, and you could finally say that the Hero System, itself, was the flagship Hero Games product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaeldes Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Thank you all very much me and a co worker were arguing about when hero system had a first game and he tried to tell me that GURPS came out first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Check out this thread for more details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opal Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Thank you all very much me and a co worker were arguing about when hero system had a first game and he tried to tell me that GURPS came out first.The first edition of GURPS credited Champions as one of it's inspirations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first As a quick addendum to Derek's fine history, I note that my boxed set of JUSTICE INC., dated 1984, uses the term "HERO System" on the back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Okay, here's a trivia question: does anyone know when it was first referred to as the Hero System? My copy of third edition Champions says something like: "Champions: the Super Roleplaying Game is Hero Games' superhero roleplaying game using the Hero System". Does anybody know if the earlier books used similar verbiage (or has them and can check)? Edit: Dang, too slow! Does anyone know if it appears prior to Justice, Inc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first The "Hero System" phrase appears on Espionage!. I think its very first appearances are in Adventurer's Club, leading up to the release of Espionage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Derek probably has all that stuff easy to find... Though just to note, GURPS as a predecessor had Fantasy Trip which had some inklings of what hexes and char point costs could have. It's what got me to pick up Champions quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opal Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Yeah, GURPS's debt to TFT (Wizard & Melee) was obvious in it's very small number of stats, for instance. I never got around to playing TFT, so I didn't realize it's 'areas' were hexes like the GURPS 'people tubes.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aylwin13 Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first GURPS is a direct descendant of TFT (which grew out of the Microgames Melee and Wizard, all designed by Steve Jackson). That is why they are all extremely alike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vestnik Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first The Hero System has always been part of the bedrock of reality. However, it was only dictated to wise men by angels back in 1981. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first The Hero System has always been part of the bedrock of reality. However' date=' it was only dictated to wise men by angels back in 1981.[/quote'] Too true, too true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Re: When did the Hero system first I'm glad this thread is here. I had a question I was going to post and now, it can go here. I know about 1981 since I still have a copy of the original 1st edition. However, my question goes even deeper... exactly when did it first come out in 1981? If an exact date isn't known, what about the month? This Champions veteran wants to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted February 1, 2008 Report Share Posted February 1, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first It was released at the 1981 Origins Game Fair, which was held in San Mateo, CA that year. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the exact dates of the convention in 1981. But (at least since 1986) Origins has always been held in late June/early July. Is that specific enough to be helpful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaeldes Posted February 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Yes quite thank you all i was trying to prove that this came out prior to GURPS. Hero has changed my life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Hero has changed my lifeYes friend, another testi-monial to the Power of HERO! Praise the Heroman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dust Raven Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Yes quite thank you all i was trying to prove that this came out prior to GURPS. Hero has changed my life Yes, as it has changed Steve Jackon's life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Yes quite thank you all i was trying to prove that this came out prior to GURPS.Umm... Steve Jackson acknowledges Champions as an important influence on GURPS in the GURPS introduction. How could Champions not have come first? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Umm... Steve Jackson acknowledges Champions as an important influence on GURPS in the GURPS introduction. How could Champions not have come first? That's why they had the GURPS Time Travel line... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaeldes Posted February 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 Re: WHen did The Hero system first Oh yes, and to note, the one who saved me and brought Hero to my eyes is known as courtfool on the forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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