Budget System

[Keeper()fTime]

I've been running a game for a while and I've noticed something that doesn't make sense to me. The budget system. Now, for the most part I can find a balance in the creation of characters, (for the most part) but anytime a budget is implemented, I find my players end up with almost everything on their wish list (meaning nearly everything in the book) without attaining the highest budget and they remain with hundreds of thousands of dollars remaining. Can anybody point out the part of the Heroes Unlimited 2 book where the budget system is explained in a manner that doesn't end up with a budget of $8.2 million (random ranges 34-49) or even $7 million doesn't end up getting every body part replaced with outrageous capabilities for damage?

[KillWatch]

I persanlly give everyone the same budget typically half the top end amount

and yes parts is good

[Keeper()fTime]

I don't believe we ARE using it properly, (being the reason why I'm here) I'm going to attempt to make a cyborg to start and we'll see how much budget I spend by starting with everything and then toning it down one step at a time. Although I think everybody in this group (including myself it seems) have missed the note where the PS increase is for each individual limb, as with PP increase. But we'll see how far I get with this.

[Keeper()fTime]

*note from last post*

by this group I mean my current playing group. All of you seem to have figured out the budget system, or at least have found a means to make it work for you.

[KillWatch]

Although I think everybody in this group (including myself it seems) have missed the note where the PS increase is for each individual limb, as with PP increase


that is SO annoying


I view it as a system
to have a PS over your natural strength both arms need to be romoved, same with legs
I make them by Reinforced frames at a PS of 30 and 50+
Same deal with PP and Spd. These frames help the unit act more fluidly and allow it to handle the stresses involved in moving at mach, lifting 2 tons etc

[Wayne_Breaux]

As a side note, I did experience the same problem with the eugenics category. That is one that needs a slight modification to keep it balanced.

Slight? I think I saw this quote in the definition of understatement in the dictionary.

If I remember right (I've only read the PUs once), you can stack on a dozen full blown super abilities and still come in a quarter million or more under the minimum budget (and I think you could pile up more than 25 super abilities for millions less than the maximum budget). That being the case, I think the phrase you were looking for is closer to 'overhauled with extreme prejudice'.

[KillWatch]

Me I/ve cut out anything that mentions a powre that isn't biological in essence. I do allow the psionic bits though as it has a direct link to the brain. I like to keep a mystique about the unknown X-Factor. Also we have a super powered experiment class anyway

[Wayne_Breaux]

Some of the prices for things (borg and hardware) need a revamp form their 1980's prices...and as for the budgets...take a look at some of the hardware ones. Many weapons specialists (rolling low to average) can't have moe than a handful of UNMODIFIED standard issue guns with ammo, let alone the electrical who could blow the entirety of the low end budgets just on a computer let alone tools and such. Some of these amounts were fine in the 80's, but there are a lot more options now, and way more mandatory items (with big price tags) than back then

The listed prices are not supposed to be accurate by time or era. They are simply a system for building a character using the listed gear and the equipment sections of the HU books, which is one reason the budgets are usually limited to purchasing the items listed in special sections (Hardware categories are exceptions since they can outfit with standard gear, but it should still come from the equipment sections of the book and not the real world). When I get the chance (nothing even remotely close to a promise on when that might be), I'd like to replace the dollar/credit based budgets with generic point based ones, that way no one could complain about 'prices' since the 'cost' of everything will be based outside monetary considerations.