[POLL] are there more EUR or NA Heroquesters?

[Kuromadoshi]

I didn't know there were so many differences between NA and EU rules. I think EU rules are actually not bad at all, and I intend to incorporate a few of them in my games as house rules.

[Pancho]

I guess after reading the first post in that thread, I'm not quite sure why one would think the EU rules are better.

I have to agree with you. I just went to full nerd and made a tally using the rules comparison in that thread; one point for UK if a rule was better than its NA counterpart, and one point for NA if the opposite was true. I ignored cosmetic differences, and situations where it was not clear whether there was actually a difference, and expansion specific rules that aren’t core.
The score? United Kingdom 3, North America 12. Just my own personal score of course, others may come to a very different conclusion.

Even as a lifetime UK player I have to admit the NA rules are better overall. Arguably, I should even have weighted the key rules about body points and Chaos spells heavier than the other things, making the final score even better in favour of our American cousins.

That said, I would still take UK and adapt it with the NA improvements, rather than the other way round. Why, you ask? Well, UK looked much better. I know it’s superficial but all the cards, character boards, quests, booklets etc just look much, much more stylish than what was produced for NA. So I think it makes sense to use those things and just have the EWP lay down the improved rules on top. Also, the vast majority of expansions were made here, so why not just use the originals and adapt them.
Just like with democracy and lots of other things, the Yanks stole Heroquest from us and made it better

[j_dean80]

Technically both sides of the pond had the same number of expansions unless you count Dark Company. I like the EU layout but definitely prefer the NA colored maps. They make it a lot easier to see.

[Pancho]

Technically both sides of the pond had the same number of expansions unless you count Dark Company. I like the EU layout but definitely prefer the NA colored maps. They make it a lot easier to see.

I’m really talking about stuff that was written for Heroquest. Most of the official expansions, not to mention the game system itself came from the UK.
Not sure about the one off quests. Were some of them written in the US?

[j_dean80]

I believe the Brazil Quests, Japanese HeroQuest, Elf Pack, and Barbarian Pack are the only “official” stuff not originating from the UK.

[wallydubbs]

Technically both sides of the pond had the same number of expansions unless you count Dark Company. I like the EU layout but definitely prefer the NA colored maps. They make it a lot easier to see.

I’m really talking about stuff that was written for Heroquest. Most of the official expansions, not to mention the game system itself came from the UK.
Not sure about the one off quests. Were some of them written in the US?

Only the Frozen Horror and Mage of the Mirror came out of the US. This was done some time after the collaboration between Milton Bradley and Games Workshop came to an end, hence the addition of Polar Warbear and Yeti. These weren't really playtested, as they were quickly rushed out into stores as Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers moved into the same building.
In regards to the additions that North American made to the original game system, I'm not entirely sure who was the creative mind behind Choas spells and monster body points, or why search options (traps and secret doors) as well as trap disarms were split up.

I would still take UK and adapt it with the NA improvements, rather than the other way round. Why, you ask? Well, UK looked much better. I know it’s superficial but all the cards, character boards, quests, booklets etc just look much, much more stylish than what was produced for NA. So I think it makes sense to use those things and just have the EWP lay down the improved rules on top. Also, the vast majority of expansions were made here, so why not just use the originals and adapt them.

How would you explain adopting UK to NA improvements as opposed to NA adopted to UK? What would you say is the determining factor that makes the game more UK to US?

[The Admiral]

Search for traps and secret doors are done in the same action. There's more variety in the Treasure deck, and items cannot be sold back to the armory without a Potion of Alchemy.

Also once you buy a mercenary you only need to pay him 10 gold to keep him, unlike Frozen Horror, where you need to pay for him all over again.

And herein lies the problem with absolute statements such as "Everything is better in EU except for the monster BP." It is all subjective. For example in your 4 examples above of the superiority of the EU version, I actually prefer the split searches, selling stuff back and the costlier Henchmen, whilst agreeing with you about the treasure deck.

Each to his own.

[The Admiral]

I guess after reading the first post in that thread, I'm not quite sure why one would think the EU rules are better. I do think that it is odd that pass through rock specifies you can land in solid rock but also allows in the NA version that you can backtrack.

I don't think the EU is better, quite the opposite. The backtracking is also a massive. It is totally unrealistic, in my humble opinion, not to allow it.

[The Admiral]

I didn't know there were so many differences between NA and EU rules. I think EU rules are actually not bad at all, and I intend to incorporate a few of them in my games as house rules.

Yep, I do that alot for the EU bits I like, such as the EU Fire of wrath spell.

[Pancho]

I would still take UK and adapt it with the NA improvements, rather than the other way round. Why, you ask? Well, UK looked much better. I know it’s superficial but all the cards, character boards, quests, booklets etc just look much, much more stylish than what was produced for NA. So I think it makes sense to use those things and just have the EWP lay down the improved rules on top. Also, the vast majority of expansions were made here, so why not just use the originals and adapt them.

How would you explain adopting UK to NA improvements as opposed to NA adopted to UK? What would you say is the determining factor that makes the game more UK to US?

Heroquest was created by a British games designer working for the UK division of Milton Bradley, in partnership with the UK company Games Workshop, to release a game in the UK (before it was released anywhere else). The first expansions were written in the UK, and released there first. This was supported by material in a British Magazine (White Dwarf). The world that Heroquest is based on derives from Warhammer Fantasy, which was itself created in the UK by Games WorKshop. As JDean said earlier, only the Brazil Quests, Japanese HeroQuest, Elf Pack, and Barbarian Pack did not originate from the UK.
The idea that Heroquest was not a British game is really weird, actually. Significant material was produced for it afterwards from the US, for which I am massively grateful, and I believe the US rules are an improvement, but that doesn't change anything that happened before.