psychohist wrote:
> My own favorite initiative mechanics are of course those in my own home
> brew Eastern Isles system. This system is designed primarily for melee.
> In each round, each character has a certain number of active blows, and
> may also have some reactive blows, with small variations in the numbers
> based on attributes and experience level. At any given point, the
> character with the most active blows has the option to act; of
> characters tied for the most active blows, the character with the most
> reactive blows may act; in case of a tie there as well, the character
> with the most endurance remaining acts. Typically an action is an
> attack that uses an active blow; when attacked, a character may use a
> reactive blow - or an active blow if no reactive blows are available -
> to parry. Typically, an unparried attack is likely to hit and a parried
> attack has a much smaller chance of hitting, though the specific chances
> depend on skill level.
You run out of defences pretty quick against multiple opponents in
such systems, though I suppose that's the intent. I presume you'd scale
HP and number of blows the same.
Interesting, but it reads like it'd bog down in a free moving 5 vs 10
fight, with the constant checks for init.
Any option for converting defence into attack, to encourage attacks
to be spread around a little? 2:1?
> Between evenly matched characters, this typically results in the
> characters taking turns attacking, as attacking reduces the active blows
> that are primarily used to determine initiative. However, if a
> defending character runs out of reactive blows and continues to parry,
> he'll stay below the attacker in available blows. This permits an
> attacker with a sufficient superiority in blows to keep the opponent on
> the defensive. The defender can tem****arily regain initiative by
> refraining from parrying a blow.
Or, presumably, if there's a flat miss. Hmm, you'll not often attack
someone who's got twice the att/def numbers, but if there's three of you
with those same numbers it's pretty dangerous for him to attack you at
all. Depending on the odds. Heh, not enough information.
> Most of the people who have played this system like it because it
> provides a lot of choices - whether or not to parry, when to attack,
> when to pass the initiative - which affect the flow of the fight.
Passing would seem a cheat. Get your weaker buddy to use up the
enemy's defence, wait 'till he uses up his attacks, then smash his
defenceless self. If characters can easily survive the whole round, that
seems the optimal pattern.
Unless, perhaps, defences don't really matter.
Plus, it's more to my liking waiting just burns up your actions.
> Initiative is dynamic, but as a result of decisions the players have
> control over, rather than as a result of a random die roll.
>
> There is a certain amount of focusing of attacks, but since people have
> to move to melee a different target, this does not trivialize the
> strategy.
You must have some threat in the game that forces people to close
with their opponents, as a ****eld-wall of PCs should really just wait and
attack on mass anyone who approached. Their own spellcaster could hang
out behind and do his own thing.
OK, that's kinda true in most systems, and still players don't do it.
Usually because they're the agressors and are quite keen on getting at
and killing the bad guys before they up and leave.
> For firearms combat, [...].
UFO: enemy unknown. Teamwise moves (interspersed as seen fit) with
action points per unit (effectivly 12 APs, with shots using 3, 4, 6, or 8
APs). Unused APs can be used to fire as the enemy team moves, depending
on who has the higher remaining APs+reactions.
APs reset at the start of each turn, fatigue eventually dragging down
the maximum you can spend on movement per turn.
Interestingly, if you're in a good defensive position, it's usually
not worth moving out to attack, but getting into that position without
getting wiped out across open ground can be quite tricky. Picking a good
door man with very high reactions is key to weeding out the last couple
of enemy, as guys with good accuracy hang back on guard.
Probably far too complex for a tabletop game, and perhaps not much
fun for the snipers, but a great system on the PC.
--
tussock
I'm like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gunna get.
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