View source for Post:Combat 3.0: Basic Styles - 03/07/2012 - 11:11

{{Post
|a=DR-DARTENIAN
|t=Combat 3.0: Basic Styles
|d=03/07/2012 11:11 AM CST
|n=173
|f=Combat - Weapons and Armor \ Game Master and Official Announcements
|c=m,d
|p=Heyo!

As we get closer to {{PRel|Combat 3.0}} being finished, I'm going to start giving more detailed posts on how things work. This post will be the first of those, and covers the basic attack styles (ie verbs) and how they fit into the new scheme of things. I will also try to explain why things are being done this way in an attempt to both clarify the overall system and provide a basic framework for combat strategy and tactics.


'''*Overview of Basic Styles*'''

On many levels, Combat 3.0 isn't that different than the previous system in that each attack type has certain pros and cons. The big difference is simply that an attempt has been made to balance the various attack styles a little better against each other, and to place more focus on the differences and how to use them effectively while also freeing you, the player, to choose your own approach to combat rather than being pushed into predefined "combos".

On the most basic level, we have two generic attack styles -- ATTACK and JAB. In addition, we have three pairs of additional attacks -- each pair being a moderate and a hard-hitting attack that focuses one specific damage type. Now to get a little more specific....

'''* ATTACK *'''

The {{PRel|Attack command|ATTACK verb}} retains its role as a simple "one verb fits all" attack style. It does not favor any specific damage type, nor does it favor any particular defense. Compared to most other attacks, it is balance neutral and of average accuracy, and is also squarely in the middle ground as far as attack speed is concerned In short, it can be used by any weapon in pretty much any situation, and be perfectly average. It is the perfect attack option for beginners, or for the very lazy. Or for those times when you are just hunting at level and don't really need to get fancy.


'''* JAB *'''

The {{PRel|Jab command|JAB verb}} is another verb that is damage and defense neutral, meaning that it doesn't favor or disfavor anything. The primary thing that separates it from the ATTACK verb is that it generally inflicts less damage on average, but is more friendly to building and/or maintaining balance. It is also one of the faster attack options. The primary role of JAB is to potentially sacrifice some damage in order to potentially build balance. As with ATTACK, it is equally effective across all weapons as it favors no particular type of damage.



'''* PUNCTURE ATTACKS *'''

'''JAB''' Light neutral attack for building balance<br />
'''{{PRel|Thrust command|THRUST}}''' Moderate damage attack that favors puncture damage<br />
'''{{PRel|Lunge command|LUNGE}}''' Heavy damage attack that favors puncture damage<br />

As is the case with all these basic damage-specific attack styles, the light attack tends to be weak in damage but faster and better for balance and defense, while the heavy attack emphasizes accuracy and damage at the expense of fatigue, balance, and defenses. The moderate attack lies between the two extremes, being fairly average except in the fact that like the others in this set, it favors Puncture damage over slice or impact damage.



'''* SLICE ATTACKS *'''

'''JAB''' Light neutral attack for building balance<br />
'''{{PRel|Slice command|SLICE}}''' Moderate damage attack that favors slice damage<br />
'''{{PRel|chop command|CHOP}}''' Heavy damage attack that favors slice damage<br />

As is the case with all these basic damage-specific attack styles, the light attack tends to be weak in damage but faster and better for balance and defense, while the heavy attack emphasizes accuracy and damage at the expense of fatigue, balance, and defenses. The moderate attack lies between the two extremes, being fairly average except in the fact that like the others in this set, it favors Slice damage over puncture or impact damage.



'''* IMPACT ATTACKS *'''

'''JAB''' Light neutral attack for building balance<br />
'''{{PRel|swing command|SWING}}''' Moderate damage attack that favors impact damage<br />
'''{{PRel|bash command|BASH}}''' Heavy damage attack that favors impact damage<br />

As is the case with all these basic damage-specific attack styles, the light attack tends to be weak in damage but faster and better for balance and defense, while the heavy attack emphasizes accuracy and damage at the expense of fatigue, balance, and defenses. The moderate attack lies between the two extremes, being fairly average except in the fact that like the others in this set, it favors Impact damage over slice or puncture damage.



'''* STRATEGY SUMMARY *'''

For the most part, the above scheme isn't really new, although the verbs involved have been rebalanced a bit to make them fit their distinct roles a bit better and to insure that they are more closely balanced against each other. Some may wonder why we have three separate sets of styles focusing on three damage types, rather than just doing a light/moderate/heavy trio of attacks that just treat each weapon equally. The reason is fairly simple -- different armors and creatures have different resistances to different damage types. This means that in some cases, it may be more advantageous to use an attack style that isn't best suited for your current weapon in order to emphasize a damage type that your opponent is weak against, or possibly to overcome extreme resistances or even immunities to specific damage types. For example, if you are using a slicing weapon against vykathi, you may find yourself having serious difficulties inflicting damage at all, let alone killing the creature. If, however, you start bashing (impact style) or thrusting (puncture style) with your weapon to focus the damage more towards impact or puncture, you may actually be able to do more damage than with a slicing attack even though those attacks are normally best for your weapon.

There are three attacks (including the generic balance builder JAB) for each damage type for similar strategic reasons. It gives the player options to trade off on damage and defenses depending on the current combat circumstances, without forcing them to follow a set chain of attacks like the current system. A light attack to build balance while maintaining defenses, a moderate attack to more or less balance offense and defense, and a hard-hitting "finisher" attack that puts a high focus on offense at the expense of defense.


I hope this helps clarify the basic combat styles and where the new system is headed. You will notice a few non-brawling attacks missing -- [[feint command|FEINT]], [[draw command|DRAW]], [[sweep command|SWEEP]], [[pummel command|PUMMEL]], and [[slam command|SLAM]], for example. These are certainly not going away; they will be special attacks with unique features, and will be covered in a future post!


- GM [[Dartenian]]
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