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Traithe · 02-21-2004, 06:53 PM

Hey,

I guess it really depends on the environment you're trying to create, and the sort of player you'd like to cater to.

The system I've designed over on my own project is completely numberless, at least from a player's perspective. Everything is based on prose descriptions and prompts, from skill levels to the wounds-based representation of combat damage we use.

Our combat system is also quite brutal - just like in real life, a single good shot with a longsword when you aren't properly outfitted can pretty much spell the end of your character. This, of course, raises a few interesting issues.

When you hide the workings of the mechanics from your players, the price you pay is that the system has fewer eyes able to review it, and hence has a correspondingly higher chance of containing some flaws. While I've got a lot of faith in my own sense of judgment, and in that of the other staffers I run a lot of these changes by, and although I can honestly say I'm quite happy with the way our system has turned out, I'm sure that if we allowed our players to see all the underpinnings and accepted their feedback it would be even more balanced than it already is.

This is probably where the sort of player you're looking to cater to comes in. Personally, the few times I've played the game with a mortal PC and engaged in combat, I found my adrenaline level through the roof. Permadeath, combined with the fact that one lucky shot on either side could spell the end, tends to create that sort of a rush. The system is balanced to the point where such "lucky shots" between opponents with significantly differing levels of skill are quite rare, but just like real life, they do in fact happen - a weak, cowardly goblin with a rusty shortsword just might get in a lucky jab, slip between the overlapping plates on a knight's coat, and cause serious damage.

On the other hand, if your average player is looking more for maxing out a character mathematically, exploring all the different strategic avenues of combat, and in general is focused more on the code than on the sense of immersion and roleplay, I have a feeling that giving them access to the mathematical underpinnings would be the more productive route to take.

Just some ramblings. Hope they help.

Cheers,
T.

02-21-2004, 06:53 PM	#5
Traithe Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Name: Kite Posts: 131	Hey, I guess it really depends on the environment you're trying to create, and the sort of player you'd like to cater to. The system I've designed over on my own project is completely numberless, at least from a player's perspective. Everything is based on prose descriptions and prompts, from skill levels to the wounds-based representation of combat damage we use. Our combat system is also quite brutal - just like in real life, a single good shot with a longsword when you aren't properly outfitted can pretty much spell the end of your character. This, of course, raises a few interesting issues. When you hide the workings of the mechanics from your players, the price you pay is that the system has fewer eyes able to review it, and hence has a correspondingly higher chance of containing some flaws. While I've got a lot of faith in my own sense of judgment, and in that of the other staffers I run a lot of these changes by, and although I can honestly say I'm quite happy with the way our system has turned out, I'm sure that if we allowed our players to see all the underpinnings and accepted their feedback it would be even more balanced than it already is. This is probably where the sort of player you're looking to cater to comes in. Personally, the few times I've played the game with a mortal PC and engaged in combat, I found my adrenaline level through the roof. Permadeath, combined with the fact that one lucky shot on either side could spell the end, tends to create that sort of a rush. The system is balanced to the point where such "lucky shots" between opponents with significantly differing levels of skill are quite rare, but just like real life, they do in fact happen - a weak, cowardly goblin with a rusty shortsword just might get in a lucky jab, slip between the overlapping plates on a knight's coat, and cause serious damage. On the other hand, if your average player is looking more for maxing out a character mathematically, exploring all the different strategic avenues of combat, and in general is focused more on the code than on the sense of immersion and roleplay, I have a feeling that giving them access to the mathematical underpinnings would be the more productive route to take. Just some ramblings. Hope they help. Cheers, T.