Post originally by William A. Peterson at 2004-08-25 11:09:26
Converted from Phorums BB System

Buzz wrote:
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<i>Fifth edition now has an erratta list longer than the RULES used to be...</i>

The errata for 5e is 8 two-column pages. It'd be even shorter if it didn't include spelling/typo corrections (which isn't technically errata). Not bad for a 350+pp book. E.g., M&M has roughly the same amount, and it's half the size of 5e.

When I printed it out, at work (and that was, admittedly WITH the typo corrections, and not in 2-column format), it came out to over 50 pages... and I seem to remember that 1st edition was only 64!
[...]

<i>...and reading a lot of the Sidebar comments Mr. Long puts in gives me the impression that Fun is simply not allowed in Hero, any more, because it wouldn't be 'play balanced'!</i>

The sidebars in 5e are mostly example power writeups and guidelines. I'm not sure how this translates into "no fun". Maybe you have an edition that fell into our universe from a funless dimension. Or, more likely, you've haven't actually read 5e.

No, the problem is that I HAVE read Fifth Ed., and still can't get the taste out of my mouth! I *might* be wrong about the locations, though, and it may have been in the main text, rather than in the sidebars...
Things like saying that you can't have Growth, always on, but that you instead have to buy 'Growth-like powers', and take 'Growth-like Didsadvantages', if you want to do Godzilla monsters...
Things like not being able to put 0-Endurance-cost Powers into an Elemental Control...
Bunches and bunches of tiny little time bombs whose primary effect is to remind you that this is an exercise in Game Balance, and not anything you're supposed to have fun with!
I feel like I'm getting a lecture from a College Professor...


<i>And yet, if anything, the play balance seems worse than it was prior to fourth edition!</i>

You're welcome to love 3e as the Best Champions Evar(tm). I'm not sure what it has to do with this review of Sidekick.

It has little to do with the review, and a lot more to do with the person who mentioned having 3rd edition (though if you're really interested, my favorite is Second Edition)...
As an add-on to Sidekick, 3rd Edition should cover the holes nicely, I believe...