[MUD-Dev] New topic: AI and NPCs

[clawrenc at cup.hp.com]

In <3.0.2.32.19970901122333.00b88a80 at mail.tenetwork.com>, on 09/01/97 
   at 12:22 PM, Jeff Kesselman <jeffk at tenetwork.com> said:

>Speaking of Centaur's and Judo/Jujitsu, I fidn it hard to believe you
>coudl throw any four legged creature.  Judo throws are based on the
>inhearent instability of human beings.  Things topple when their
>center of gravity moves beyond its base.  In the case of a quadraped
>yo uhavea very large, very stable base.

I've thrown horses.  Its not terribly difficult and doesn't require
immense strength.  The big requirements are speed and height -- short
guys just don't have the leverage or the ability to directly the force
properly (well, except on short horses).  Any reasonably fit man
should be able to muster the strength involved.  Mostly its a question
of snapping past the horse's neck muscle reactions -- thus the speed
requirement.

The trick is to make the horse lead with his head very quickly,
downward at about a 20 degree angle forward of a line drawn thru his
front shoulderblades.  Done right, the front leg will not be able the
come out and brace and will instead fold to prevent injury.  The
result is that the front of the torso will start to fall.  As you lead
his head sideways the balance of his torso over his now fallen front
knees unbalances and his rear legs have no choice but to topple.  They
can't brace as his torso has already started to twist sideways as he
falls over his front knees.

I suspect that centaurs wouldn't be much different, except that their
disproportional upper torso weight might make it easier.

--
J C Lawrence                           Internet: claw at null.net
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