Tactical Interest Was Re: [MUD-Dev] Re: MUD-Dev digest, Vol 1 #142 - 4 msgs

[Ilya]

On Fri, 17 Sep 1999 15:16:36 -0700 (PDT), Adam Wiggins wrote:
))On Thu, 16 Sep 1999, Spin wrote:
))>   If shield affects some combat statistic (damage avoidance) which is
))> affected by other factors as well, eg character speed, then some players 
))> will indeed survive both encounters with a light shield, or a heavy shield,
))> or neither. Obviously this opens the system up to abuse by power gamers, 
))> but this is really a game balance issue, which I don't even want to open 
))> the lid on.
))
))This gives me an opening to plug one of my favorite concepts: the idea
))that a given attribute is neither good nor bad, but simply affects your
))character and the world around it in many ways.
))
))To apply this to a shield, consider: the bigger your shield, the more likely
))you are to be able to block an attack (even without being very skillful).
))But the bigger your shield, the less you can see, and the less likely
))you are to notice anything from someone hiding in the shadows to an
))incoming fireball.
))
))<snipped and summarized>
  - heavier shields take more punishment but may be slower
  - large hide shields can be light but get cut easily (good vs bludgeon though)
  - metal shields might be susceptible to 'heat metal' spells

))Etc etc...the attributes of the shield are not only single-bit values, but
))they do not have a 'best' value.  It's simply up to the character to
))decide what is most effective for them.  And a player who is well aware of
))these interactions is going to do better overall: for example, being smart
))enough to put away their hide shield when faced with an opponent wielding
))a razor-edged katana, or knowing to throw their metal shield at that mage
))standing in the corner casting those nasty 'heat metal' spells.


Gotta love this topic -- this is also one of my favorites.  I'd offer a
bit of expansion.  There should always be several factors to be considered,
making for interesting trade-offs.  I would offer the clarification/amendment
that there would indeed be a 'best' shield, or spell, or combat stance, or
fighting maneuver given any particular situation.  And thus many bests in
toto, one for each of those.

This doesn't mean it would all be tradeoffs.  Some things would be just
plain better.  Take the mighty blade of irresistible cutting, blinding speed,
total weightlessness, and imperviousness to all magic.  It's obviously
way better than a common kitchen knife.  Ya, ya, there is a trade off -- the
kitchen knife is probably better cutting small vegetables.   And maybe you
add a few fun tradeoffs of other kinds (give it a personality, give it a
geas, give it an angry previous owner, give it life draining aspects, etc).
Whatever!

I do agree that adding lots of factors makes things much more interesting
though.  Mass affecting encumbrance and effective dexterity; size affecting
field of vision; material and construction affecting resistance to various
forms of attack, including magical, and so forth.

Ilya

--
  Ilya, Game Commandos     http://www.gamecommandos.com     





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