Common Worlds

I've got my copy of HQ version 2.

I like it.

There are differences. Unsurprisingly.

Biggest difference: AP are gone, except as an option. Robin has redesigned extended contests into something very like a series of simple contests that link together. It is easier, faster, and also carries along the interesting effect that unlike V1 extended contests, both sides can end up hurt. You can win and still be dying!

Here are the basics of the extended contest rules now:
Much like simple contests, you roll against each other each round and note the result, very similar to simple contest results ranging from complete defeat to complete victory. But this isn't the end, that's the result in that round. Those values become some rating from 0-5, as do yours on your opponent. First side to 5 points loses, but the number of points the other side has stays in effect on them. 5 points is Impaired, a minimal defeat. 8 points is dying (if I recall correctly.)

The other big change: Augments
No more fiddling and stacking. For any given contest, you get to augment ONCE and it has to be entertaining and unusual. Quoting from a review:
One major change is augmenting is now usually with one ability, and you roll for it (or in some campaigns the GM can use the optional static augment – but then it’s now a 5th of your skill.) The need to think up something new to do each time you augment to justify it appeals to me, but some GM’s may wish to ignore it I guess.
This will really speed things up, but it will change some stuff too.

There is a change of emphasis in v2 that is explicitly threaded into the rules too: the idea that what the game does is to enable us to experience a shared story, not to experience another world as a simulation. How does that change things? It encourages the Narrator/GM to modify resistances in the game based on the needs of the story, not the simulation of a set world. Do I need to explain that more? Here's one simple example.
The recommended default moderate resistance in v2 is supposed to go up by one point for every 2 sessions of the campaign.

And another:
Resistances in general are supposed to be tailored to the needs of the story, not the reality of the game world.

I solicit your thoughts about embracing this. Personally, I think it can make for more exciting stories, but at the cost of feeling like, as characters, we are truly accomplishing something.

http://jerome23.wordpress.com/2009/07/01/heroquest-2-0-the-first-mini-review/
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=110832951683
http://rpg.geekdo.com/thread/450352/heroquest-transforms-to-a-generic-rpg-engine