[MUD-Dev] Re: [rpg-create] Combat Abstractions (fwd)

[J C Lawrence]

A good and rather well explained set of base requirements for a
combat system.  A rather balanced needs definition actually
(slightly reformatted for clarity) that I'm not aware of any MUD
comabt systems fulfilling:

------- Forwarded Message
To: <rpg-create at egroups.com>
From: "Christopher Casey" <mirage5 at ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2000 22:06:30 -0500
Subject: Re: [rpg-create] Combat Abstractions

So spake "Nathan E Banks Paganini" <paganini at madisontelco.com>...

 > What do
 > you feel absolutely MUST be included in a combat system for it to be
 > playable? What do you feel absolutely must NOT be included for it to
 > be playable? :)

Hmm. Well, to me, a rules-easy kinda guy, combat absolutely MUST:

  -- have the potential to eventually kill characters - include the
     ability to knock characters unconscious without killing them

  -- have weapons and armor that "feel right", that is, a dagger
     does less damage than a bazooka, and a bazooka will almost
     certainly kill a character outright on a direct hit

And it MUST NOT:

  -- require the rulebook or any sort of reference once everyone
     knows how the rules work

  -- require more than two mathematical equations to determine final
    effects

  -- take more than two minutes to determine the outcome of a single
     attack

  -- require more than five dice to be thrown (sorry, Hero
     System-ers)

Beyond that, it would be NICE if:

  -- characters could be scarred or maimed

  -- there is an ever-present potential for one-shot kills, even
     exceedingly rare/lucky ones

  -- combat uses the same action resolution mechanic as the rest of
     the game

Those aren't necessary if the rest of the system is tight
enough. I'd trade a little speed/flexibility for the above, though.

--C.

------- End of Forwarded Message

--
J C Lawrence                                 Home: claw at kanga.nu
---------(*)                               Other: coder at kanga.nu
http://www.kanga.nu/~claw/        Keys etc: finger claw at kanga.nu
--=| A man is as sane as he is dangerous to his environment |=--


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