HQ BG vs. HQ RPG

[knightkrawler]

You could be replaced with a computer. Why even bother?

I think you're talking in RPG terms again. You're drifting out of the very tight rules and storylines that HQ gives us.
It's not an RPG. It. Is. Not.
Play it as such, I'm pretty sure games at your table are awesome, but if you're serious about how HQ with its ideas is not fun without implementing your gamemaster way, then you don't understand what GB, me, or, heck, Goblin-King, among many many others love about that game.
The EWP is not a computer. He's also not a gamemaster when played vanilla. There's nothing wrong about playing vanilla. There's also nothing wrong about playing it (though it is not HQ anymore) your way.
But it's not only two different games, but two different genres.

[Gold Bearer]

You could be replaced with a computer. Why even bother?

By that logic the hero players could also be replaced by a computer. The EWP has the same level of control over the game as the hero players combined, and that's assuming the EWP didn't create the quest and not taking into account that the EWP decides what to do when the rules aren't clear. Also by that logic, the vast majority of other games are pointless, scrabble, chess, etc.

You're drifting out of the very tight rules and storylines that HQ gives us.

Very tight rules? I know what you mean, the basic rules are tight, the details are anything but.

[Gold Bearer]

I might have been a bit too blunt, I didn't mean to cause any argument or offend you. As I've said, if you and your players are happy with it then that really is ALL that matters.

Apparently from what I read D&D is actually designed to be played that way. I've only played old computer D&D games where the 'GMing' is done by the computer which sort of validates your point that the traditional EWP could be replaced by a computer (it is sometimes, there are HQ computer games) but the hero players could just as easily be computer controlled as well with the actual player taking on the role of the monsters (which would be an excellent addition to the cpu games, especially if you could make your own quests because you'd be able to play them without it being ruined by knowing the quest).

The reason I suggested you try doing one quest completely pre-prepared is because it would force you to take the role of an actual player. Not only would this add something for you but the hero players wouldn't have the luxury of the quest being tailored to their current health, it would become more of an actual adventure for them and for you because nobody knows what's going to happen until it plays out. You might find that you like it that way.

If you want to break up the standard limited monster behaviour you mentioned you could try using this.

Events
The GM rolls two standard dice at the start of each of their turns and compares the result to the event number.
Above the event number = Nothing.
Equal to or under the event number = Random Event.
1 = Wandering Monster.
2 = Wandering Monster added to the nearest unexplored room.
3 = A random Adventurer triggers a Hidden Trap and loses 1NP on the roll of a skull on one combat dice.
4 = Activates the nearest room to a random Adventurer who's in sight of a door to a room with Monsters.
5 = A random Hero draws a Treasure Card.
6 = A random Hero finds treasure: Skull = D6x10gp, White Shield = Random potion, Black Shield = Random scroll.

[MadMickyG]

So thats why is Sifu getting targeted all the time with the -1BP. Probably just my awesome random luck.

[Gold Bearer]

No that's not why. There's no -1MP on the random events and if you look at the rolls it happens before the event roll. I'll let you figure it out.

[MadMickyG]

Figured it out. Wasnt even thinking about it. Then it hit me like a staff to the head! Damn your sneakiness!

[cynthialee]

I played the game by the book for a long time. Then the issues started to get to me and I modified the rules. The biggest change was a player requested change:
Play it like an RPG lite.

I am not ignorant of the rules and systems of this game. I am very familiar with the game to the point I am confident in my abilities to play it fair.

Consider this...
My premise is that the Evil Wizard is watching the heroes through his crystal ball or pool of virgin blood or whatever he uses. When the party is down a number of heroes, why wouldn't he reduce forces and send them elsewhere? Or when the monsters are getting pwn'd hard, you may move your troops from less important rooms to more vital rooms.
As for potions...that is up to the treasure deck and their purchasing power at the local temple. Now I will stack the deck so that it better represents I feel would be found in the dungeon. Mainly to prevent a string of great luck or terrible luck. Nothing stinks like the players saying they are no longer looting, they're there for the mission alone. Then I had to adjust all sorts of things. Once I promised to fix the deck, they started looting again.
The dungeon has a set amount of monsters in the notes. If they get repositioned to react to the situation at hand that makes sense.

The original situation that got me thinking I had to mod the game was the mage who liked to use the earth spell to peek in a room or to run through a few of them and get an idea what was there. You can't tell me the monsters/villains didn't just see a human wizard just walk through the walls. I can picture two orc soldiers after seeing the wizard walk through the room, or peek in through the wall:
"Um...Thag-Thag...did you just see that?" "Me Thag-Thag!! Me see the food also!!" "We need to go catch and eat the wizard." "We go look in Hallway! Thag-Thag eat puny humans!!!"

[knightkrawler]

The dungeon has a set amount of monsters in the notes. If they get repositioned to react to the situation at hand that makes sense.

I can live with that. In fact, I have this in my rulebook:

As soon as a villain moves outside the lines of sight of all heroes, it is taken from the gameboard. It is not dead or otherwise defeated; rather Morcar can set it up again any time an area is explored, in addition to the components defined by the quest map and notes. In any case, villains can only be set up in already explored areas.

"To explore", of course, has a very strict meaning, which y'all be able to guess.

[Gold Bearer]

I just don't like anything being decided 'out of game' because I see it as rigging. I think everything that happens during play should be decided in game, nothing should ever be decided by what somebody thinks should happen. That way it feels a lot more real.

[cynthialee]

I just don't like anything being decided 'out of game' because I see it as rigging. I think everything that happens during play should be decided in game, nothing should ever be decided by what somebody thinks should happen. That way it feels a lot more real.

???

The players don't work scripted. Why should the EWP in all things?

I see the EWP as a smart and dangerous dude. He would not just let the Heroes walk all over his property unchallenged.

Way I see it, is as long as I stick to the basic dungeon design I develop before play, (which includes me sitting down with my tiles for a few minutes to design the basic layout) and I do not raise the number appearing monsters in my dungeon as written out in the notes...it is fair.