[MUD-Dev] Modelling combat

[Travis Casey]

Wednesday, July 19, 2000, 1:14:51 PM, J C Lawrence <claw at kanga.nu> wrote:

> On Mon, 17 Jul 2000 13:24:17 -0400 
> Travis Casey <efindel at earthlink.net> wrote:

>> Comment: movie combats are not a good place to look to see how
>> real combat works.  

> Movie combat also has a large problem which are also their strength:
> Movie combats are scripted and choreographed to be interesting in
> regard to the hero.  Its all about the movie's hero, his survival,
> and what he overcomes, which is excellent from a MUD perspective in
> that many/most PvP players are their own heros and love
> opportunities to seem heroic, but also falls down for PK where
> they're both trying to be the hero against each other.

> How do you script a fight where all sides, including the losers,
> appear heroic?  

Here's a few ideas... you could have messages which don't just tell
what happens to you, but also what *would* have happened if it
weren't for your skill.  For example:

  Bubba swings at you.  You dodge to the side, and the blow opens a
  gash on your left arm instead of splitting your skull.

or

  Bubba swings his war axe with bone-breaking force, but you
  skillfully intercept it with your shield.

Another possibility is to focus on the character's ability to do
things that "lesser mortals" can't.  For example:

  Bubba's axe smashes your side, and you feel ribs break, but
  you merely grit your teeth against the pain and fight on.

Remember "taking it" is also considered a heroic trait in our culture.
"Big boys don't cry" and all that.

With the second method, you may want to play up the blood, guts, and
gore some, to make it seem that these characters are taking massive
damage and still going on.  However, you don't want *realistic* blood,
guts, and gore, because tripping over your own entrails or dying from
blood loss generally aren't considered heroic.
  

>> Now, for a mud, you're probably more interested in making it "seem
>> right" than *be* right, so movie combats can be good examples...

> They're certainly familiar to the player base.  

Yep -- that's why I emphasized the "seem right".  Since most people
don't have any experience with real combat, things that match the
preconceptions they've gained from movies and other entertainment will
seem right to them, whether they *are* right or not.

--
       |\      _,,,---,,_    Travis S. Casey  <efindel at earthlink.net>
 ZZzz  /,`.-'`'    -.  ;-;;,_   No one agrees with me.  Not even me.
      |,4-  ) )-,_..;\ (  `'-'
     '---''(_/--'  `-'\_)   





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