Advanced Heroquest, Where is the Love?

[The Admiral]

It is true that the vanilla version of AHQ is flawed and even broken, also that it needs a heavy dose of house rules to be playable at all. However, the system has enormous potential, and it can be easily modded. Some people (like me) may find it compelling rather than disappointing.

I played AHQ quite a bit when it first came out, just as I did the original WHQ. I enjoyed them both, but they just didn't have enough for me to carry on with them as I have with HQ, and it wasn't the rules complexity that put me off as they are both very simple games.

I have read other posters mentioning AHQ is flawed. I can't remember any flaws when I played. What are these flaws?

[Valnar Nightrunner]

It is true that the vanilla version of AHQ is flawed and even broken, also that it needs a heavy dose of house rules to be playable at all. However, the system has enormous potential, and it can be easily modded. Some people (like me) may find it compelling rather than disappointing.

I played AHQ quite a bit when it first came out, just as I did the original WHQ. I enjoyed them both, but they just didn't have enough for me to carry on with them as I have with HQ, and it wasn't the rules complexity that put me off as they are both very simple games.

I have read other posters mentioning AHQ is flawed. I can't remember any flaws when I played. What are these flaws?

Well, indeed, there are lot of errors, especially in the monster reference table of the Skryre White Sorcerer Skaven, the Warrior of Chaos (He have HEIGHT dammage dices !!! WTF ?? ) and the Spell "Flamming Skull of Terror" of the Daemonette. This spell is completely useless for that monster because it is ALREADY a Fearsome Monster. Those are some examples. Most of thoses flaws have been fixed in the Expansion "Terror in the Dark", but there are others flaws in that expansion too, especially in some quests. My opinion is that conceptors was in a great hurry before the publishing and they wasn't pay great attention in the rereading of the rules and scenarii.

[The Admiral]

More like errors and mistakes then. With the mention of 'flaws' I thought there may have been something more deep that I missed at the time. I never got as far as the TitD expansion, and never used anything but skaven. It has always been a wish of mine to convert the shattered amulet quest into HQ format, so that I can use all those great skaven figures I bought and painted. There's that Warpfire Thrower team again!

[Tryant]

I've always loved Advanced Hero Quest more. The Skull die in the original game is gorgeous, but eventually 6 sides gets limiting *unless you roll more). The D8 allows for more variety. The monster variety was also limited- but that's nothing house rules and miniatures from other games can't solve.
Despite this, the spells and armor of the classic game tends to hit harder and looks better.

I'm actually working on a combination of two systems- taking the best of both (in my opinion) and fusing them together.

[Thantos]

I'm actually working on a combination of two systems- taking the best of both (in my opinion) and fusing them together.

Would be interested in that ^
Good luck with the project!

I think I will give AHQ a go again soon. Local pub has a board games evening this week, so will bring some dungeon stuff and have a few ales and quests

[RECIVS]

More like errors and mistakes then. With the mention of 'flaws' I thought there may have been something more deep that I missed at the time.

Besides errors and mistakes, I believe the main problems in the original game are:

-The system for creating and developing heroes is flawed: The character-creation process is too randomized. Also, all the Heroes and Henchmen (except wizards) are basically different versions of the same character. Characters may be developed only by increasing their stats, as there are no abilities, feats, powers, or skills to choose from.

-Combat is not varied, and it is mostly conducted in "bottleneck" position. It may become repetitive after the first few encounters.

I'm actually working on a combination of two systems- taking the best of both (in my opinion) and fusing them together.

Sounds interesting. Have you checked out Toco's Allied HeroQuest?

[lestodante]

I never played AHQ because I never found it in my favourite toy shop at that time... sO I was not able to know about its existence before Internet become a common thing for everyone.
Anyway I have my idea about why it failed to climb the chart of the top board games.
I really think that the total product has a big lack of quality presentation and packaging. Appearence is so mean in this world!!! The first HQ was so trumpery but has a lot of defect and very simple in rules; but we fell in love for its miniatures, cards, graphic and all the rest...
I explain better: on the HQ box you can see the 4 heroes and the monsters painted by Les Edwards (a masterpiece paintjob in my opinion) and they represent exactly the characters you can find inside the box and play with. In AHQ the box is less attractive and shows people that are totally different from the content inside. When I finished to play HQ and put everything back inside the box, I continued to dream about this fantasy world by watching the box artwork. Also, AHQ is missing a barbarian miniature! There is instead a generic "warrior" that can be confused with any mercenary; he has a ridicule stand and his face looks so dumb; he is not a character to fall in love with. The other miniatures are also poor in design, except the elf that is a lot more better than the other 3 (in my opinion). The wizard on the box is young while the miniature is about an old guy with poor details and a strange "swelling" on dress and hair. Is beard is also too short to be a wizard beard.
The colors of the heroes is a grey... grey is not black not white.. it is just a middle way. HQ characters are RED! Red is the color of victory!! They stand up from the masses on the board.
The monsters in HQ has different colors that identify the race approssimatively: green for orc goblin and fimir (monsters with blood), white for the undead and grey for the chaos figures. AHQ has all white figures, both skaven (the only type of monsters available) and for the mercenaries. So on the board you have 4 grey guys hardly recognizable beetween lot of whites figures.
Tiles: heroquest board is very colorful, AHQ has almost all yellow rooms. Also the graphic is of less quality than standard HQ tiles.
Cards: 64 colorful cards in the HQ box, none inside the AHQ. They have tokens, but showing monsters that are not present in the box.
Furnitures: missing in the AHQ!
Painted minis on the side of the box: on the normal HQ you can see the metal prototypes of our heroes and fall in love with that paints and also dream about make yours similar. The AHQ box shows instead other figures. The four heroes are on the back and not even so appetible.
I guess if GW put better figures inside the game, it could be more successful!

[RECIVS]

I know it is hard to look past the appearance of things when one is young.

EDIT: A goblin has appeared!

[knightkrawler]

Get to work and you'll see a Witch-Lord appearing.

[Valnar Nightrunner]

I never played AHQ because I never found it in my favourite toy shop at that time... sO I was not able to know about its existence before Internet become a common thing for everyone.
Anyway I have my idea about why it failed to climb the chart of the top board games.
I really think that the total product has a big lack of quality presentation and packaging. Appearence is so mean in this world!!! The first HQ was so trumpery but has a lot of defect and very simple in rules; but we fell in love for its miniatures, cards, graphic and all the rest...
I explain better: on the HQ box you can see the 4 heroes and the monsters painted by Les Edwards (a masterpiece paintjob in my opinion) and they represent exactly the characters you can find inside the box and play with. In AHQ the box is less attractive and shows people that are totally different from the content inside. When I finished to play HQ and put everything back inside the box, I continued to dream about this fantasy world by watching the box artwork. Also, AHQ is missing a barbarian miniature! There is instead a generic "warrior" that can be confused with any mercenary; he has a ridicule stand and his face looks so dumb; he is not a character to fall in love with. The other miniatures are also poor in design, except the elf that is a lot more better than the other 3 (in my opinion). The wizard on the box is young while the miniature is about an old guy with poor details and a strange "swelling" on dress and hair. Is beard is also too short to be a wizard beard.
The colors of the heroes is a grey... grey is not black not white.. it is just a middle way. HQ characters are RED! Red is the color of victory!! They stand up from the masses on the board.
The monsters in HQ has different colors that identify the race approssimatively: green for orc goblin and fimir (monsters with blood), white for the undead and grey for the chaos figures. AHQ has all white figures, both skaven (the only type of monsters available) and for the mercenaries. So on the board you have 4 grey guys hardly recognizable beetween lot of whites figures.
Tiles: heroquest board is very colorful, AHQ has almost all yellow rooms. Also the graphic is of less quality than standard HQ tiles.
Cards: 64 colorful cards in the HQ box, none inside the AHQ. They have tokens, but showing monsters that are not present in the box.
Furnitures: missing in the AHQ!
Painted minis on the side of the box: on the normal HQ you can see the metal prototypes of our heroes and fall in love with that paints and also dream about make yours similar. The AHQ box shows instead other figures. The four heroes are on the back and not even so appetible.
I guess if GW put better figures inside the game, it could be more successful!

Well, I can explain why it not visually as atractive as HQ design : HQ was INDEED designed to actract young players. Don't forget that HQ was an MB game under Games Workshop licence. Plus, AHQ is completely an EXPANSION for HQ with new rules. In those rules, you'll find not FOUR heroes, but HEIGHT, the four Heroes from Heroquest and the four new ones for ADVANCED Heroquest. Rules of AHQ are designed to use ALL models, elements and board of HQ. Don't forget that Advanced Rules was in fact the very first version of the rules for Heroquest. MB asked Games Workshop for more simple rules because it was destined for children. Indeed, AHQ and HAQ are very different games in terms of game machanics, but if the background of HQ is very evasiv and simple, AHQ take place in the true Warhammer world. It taking place in the Empire and the warrior is a classical Reiklander adventurer. The wizard is a Bright Wizard but NOT a battle wizard. So he is more shabby than a true Bright Battle Wizard. Consider that AHQ is a simple version of the rules from Warhammer RPG. Scenarii are although more dramatical, heroes have a very short live when they are young and unexperienced. The Old World is a dangerous land, full of vicious creatures and deadly dark magic. The background is really, really darker than Heroquest. Campaigns are depicted desperate battles, victory is always at hand but with terrible sacrifices. Cooperation between heroes and henchmen is the key to become King of the Hill.

You see, Advanced Heroquest need more narative and RPG spirit than Heroquest and Warhammer quest. In my opinion, imagination is taking a bigger place in AHQ than the two others.