brief combat (what does it do?)

[nauta]

Hi!

I will forever be a new player!  But, in any case, I think this is a new player question: what does brief combat do?  For you combat-heavy players out there, do you use it?  If you use it occasionally, what circumstances do you use it in?

I'm just lost in the combat spam.  So much combat spam.  Help!  I find myself digging through my logs just to figure out what the heck happened there.  (Any other tips for dealing with combat spam, e.g., bold macros for the client, etc. etc.?)

[BadSkeelz]

I know it hides dodges. It may also hide parries but I'm less certain about that off the top of my head.

It will definitely show landed hits.


It cuts back a little on the combat spam, especially when you're fighting agile opponents. It's very useful when you have a bunch of inexperienced PCs fighting as they're going to be missing a lot.

I don't use macros or colors, so my advice for dealing with combat spam is to A) Keep an eye on your HP and B) watch out for anyone you're supposed to be protecting getting hit.

[shadeoux]

Another interesting idea would be if you have the guard skill, for the thing/person you would be guarding, if you could/get a prompt of their status, excellent, minor cuts and bruises, moderate, ect...until dead. Have it show up as a possible addition to a custom prompt?!? Ideas suggestions?

[whitt]

I know it hides dodges. It may also hide parries but I'm less certain about that off the top of my head.

It hides clean misses.  Parries will show up as will failed skill uses (kick, disarm, bash).

ETA: Just remember you have it on, or you might think you're not swinging at all when fighting some elf.

Also ETA: some color macros help, but those are dependent on what client you are using.

[Asmoth]

I had an AI Agilty D Elf and I wish I had used it, seven screens of swings in like a minute... Wanted to stab myself in the eye.

[whitt]

Another interesting idea would be if you have the guard skill, for the thing/person you would be guarding, if you could/get a prompt of their status, excellent, minor cuts and bruises, moderate, ect...until dead. Have it show up as a possible addition to a custom prompt?!? Ideas suggestions?

Occasionally using: ass -v <client> will help.

[BadSkeelz]

Just using assess (non-verbose) on someone will tell you how they're doing damage-wise.


One caveat for Brief Combat I learned is that you should probably only have it on when fighting things that are reasonably safe, or if you're in a group.

As Whitt says, brief combat can hide just how effective (or not) you are in attacking something. If you're a 60 day warrior fighting a tarantula who is dodging a lot... you may have run into something with higher stats than you expected.

[Armaddict]

On the flip side of brief combat being nice...I had brought a new player to the game, and they joined the Byn, and I didn't know brief combat was on by default.  They thought there were no attacks, and I couldn't figure out why nothing was working...until it dawned on me to check this.  I don't think it should be on by default, because that threw her (and me) for a loop.

[BadSkeelz]

...it isn't on by default. They must have turned it on by accident somehow.

Maybe that Brief menu thing briefs everything else too.

[Armaddict]

Huh, weird.  Must have been something strange because they didn't even know what brief was.  Figuring that one out was a pain.