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From: req@warwick.UUCP (Russell Quin)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: combat rounds (was:Re: command spell & ropes)
Message-ID: <281@snow.warwick.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 8-Aug-85 18:16:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: snow.281
Posted: Thu Aug  8 18:16:34 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 22:57:37 EDT
References: <3073@pur-ee.UUCP> <1899@hcrvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: req@warwick.UUCP (Russell Quin)
Organization: Computer Science, Warwick University, UK
Lines: 44
Keywords: AD&D,combat,round,melee,socks,foot
Socks: brown
Xpath: warwick snow snow ubu

In article <1899@hcrvax.UUCP> jims@hcrvax.UUCP (Jim Sullivan) writes:
>> Tying someone up in one round is o.k. if you go by the AD&D
>> combat round, which is 1 minute long.  [...]
>Agreed, I find it difficult to believe that a fighter can only swing once
>in one minute !
To be fair, the DMG s quite clear on this point (although perhaps not VERY
clear :-] ) :- a combat round lasts a minute, during which time many blows will
have been struck.  The assumption is that only one of these is serious enough
to be worth considering.

>What I've always done is maintained a two-tier system.
>During regular play, a round is a minute, but during melee, things speed
>up a bit.  This makes battle more realistic, and since my players know
>that I treat time this way, I don't get any wild statements about attempting
>strange feats during melee ("well, I have the time")
>Jim Sullivan

I think that perhaps this is most worthwhile when based on a clear
understanding of what already exists.  [no offence is meant here; this isn't a
flame]
Many people change to a "blow-by-blow" combat system, but keep the assumption
that it always takes the same amount of time to get a blow in.  Even AD&D has
weapon speed factors.....  using (say) a 10 second round & dealing with one
blow/feint/parry/thrust/riposte/action per Person per round means that Time is
quantified in 10sec intervals, so that in the same time that Coke'un has swung
his mighty Classic Axe, I have kicked him exactly 3.0 times with my foot.  Or
whatever.
Now, it's very difficult to run a combat where individuals have `rounds' of
differing lengths...  I certainly don't know if I could cope... but I thought
that I'd point out that the whole concept of `round' is a little forced.
Although that's not to say that it isn't useful.

How many kicks do I get in with my bare left foot while Mhvrik is binding the
arms of a wounded Droopian warrior?  Two and a half?  Is it a function of my
Quickness/Lissomeness/Agility/leg-length/mass/strength?  At any rate it
certainly sounds an individual thing...  (If my victim is wearing armour, I
accede that I only make one attempt (at most)!).
Hmph, sometimes game design is complex.
Those are the easy days.

		- Russell
-- 
		... mcvax!ukc!warwick!req  (req@warwick.UUCP)
"How beautiful are the socks of them that preach the gospel of peace..."