Combat choice: aim bodypart only

[MeTekillot]

A toggle for combat where you will only swing if you're going to hit a specific bodypart. Does not increase the chance to hit that part. Simply causes you not to swing if you are going to hit a part of their body other then that.

My ideal use is for non-lethally subduing people, either through only hitting their head with bludgeoning weapons or only hitting limbs with other weapons, but maybe it could have edge cases for testing out armor efficacy among comrades and things of that nature.

[Jihelu]

I would enjoy something like this. Obviously combat is kinda exciting and you can't always pick where you want to attack, but from fencing even when swords are getting poked back and forth I could probably 'aim' for the head and target it more times than not in the heat of 'battle'.

[Narf]

Making this a list might make it more useful.

Only targeting a single bodypart would be suicide for most characters in anything approaching a real fight. But if you could list the "acceptable" body parts it might be more winnable. There's a few high stun locations.

Also you could use a list to intentionally go easier on an opponent you were sparring with by only targeting extremities. This would eliminate the risk of accidentally decapitating someone during a friendly spar.

[Jihelu]

This would also allow for more non-lethal contact sparring. 'No hitting the head/neck, arms and chest only' type stuff.

[MeTekillot]

Good idea, Narf.

after thinking of it, it would also be a good way for buff characters to show off by saying I'm only going to need to hit your neck/wrist/leg to win this fight.

[The Gruffalo]

What I would like more than the ability to aim at bodyparts is to deliberately reduce the strength with which you hit. It might not be foolproof (a check of some sort) but the better you are, the more you should be able to pull your blows. it would also allow for situations where you want your opponent to deliberately underestimate you, or you deliberately want to lose (imagine the possibilities for throwing results when you're setting up gambling on pitfights).

Even middling strength characters can do insane damage once they have high weapon skills and it ends up being severely detrimental to training up your minions while also making progress yourself-- unless you turn yourself into a glorified sparring dummy until they can catch up with you. Which is fine, but it ends up stalling your own progress save for the slow crawl of defense gains. There's tactics you can use to make yourself less of a juggernaut, but they only go so far. Doing a horrendous blow with training weapons is always a special mix of "hot damn" and "god damn it."

[Riev]

Increased chance to hit defined location, reduced chance to hit overall.

Numbers could be toyed with, but if I'm aiming for your head, I have a better chance to hit your head. I have a reduced chance to hit you overall, but if I have a chance to tag your arm, I will.

[Krombat]

I like this idea and feel like if this was implemented that it would be a good chance to also implement another feature that people have been talking about. That feature being the option to shoot a warning arrow.

[th3kaiser]

You can already technically shoot a warning arrow. The real issue is that any arrow that doesn't hit people assume is a miss and not intentionally untargeted.

But shoot arrow n without a target works.

Edit: I win. Jihelu loses.

[Jihelu]

I like this idea and feel like if this was implemented that it would be a good chance to also implement another feature that people have been talking about. That feature being the option to shoot a warning arrow.

This is already possible, you can shoot 'near, far, very far' instead of targeting someone to send an arrow into their room.

[Riev]

Fake math:

Bonus to hit: +10
Chance to hit body parts 1d10: 1-3 body, 4-5 leg, 6 waist, 7 foot, 8 arm, 9 neck, 10 head

aim head

Bonus to hit: +5
Change to hit body parts 1d10: 1-2 Body, 3-4 leg, 5 waist, 6 foot, 7 arm, 8 neck, 9-10 head

effectively doubles your chance to hit someone's head but you don't hit as often.

[MeTekillot]

this is in my opinion mainly for people to use non-lethal reasons or whatever else. I don't want the current system where I want to chop somebody in the leg and I accidentally decapitate them somehow.

[X-D]

I would be with OP on offering no bonus. I mean, I am not sure I am with the idea...yet...but certainly would be against if it gave any type of bonus.

[Dar]

Id be up for an offense boost, but a big penalty to speed. A way for high agi celves to use their speed to offset the delay, but equal the damage output of high strength, by mainly hitting Crit areas.

[MeTekillot]

They can just use melem tuek. I didn't create this thread for discussing how to balance low strength characters or balance adjust critical hits.

[X-D]

I see no issue with the OP as stated.

Only swings if the to hit roll was going to be the stated part, no bonus.

Looks fine and could have uses.

[najdorf]

it should increase chances to hit the specific location with a trade off, otherwise it would be useless (just like forage for <xxx>)

[Alesan]

it should increase chances to hit the specific location with a trade off, otherwise it would be useless (just like forage for <xxx>)

Those aren't two equal situations. Maybe you think they are, but others will not.

[triste]

Haven't given my smelly opinion on this.

In favor for smelly roleplay reasons. Many martial arts have rules around areas where you are and are not allowed to strike [boxing, kendo, etc], I've found it annoying to want to RP one thing but be left with completely random coded combat. Functionally speaking, it will help underarmored recruits as well. Should include a slight chance of missing the target you are aiming for [either hitting another area, or increase general miss rate].

Might lead to more nuance in boxing matches (add a rule no hitting below the belt, disqualify anyone who does), training (underarmored recruits), general combat (someone with high agi who misses the target less can take down someone much stronger -- like David vs Goliath -- with good aim), and most importantly it improves RP in all of these scenarios.

[Lotion]

Aim exclude would be useful.

[MeTekillot]

Bumping this. I still stand fully by the original proposal which is;

You will not complete your attack if you would hit any body part beside the targeted body part.

Code Select Expand


Aim body
You will only attack your opponent's body. This does not increase your likelihood of hitting. 'stop aiming' to disable this.

kill scrub
You attack the scrub.
You see an opening to hit the scrub's neck, but you disengage.

You bludgeon the scrub's body.

You see an opening to hit the scrub's leg, but you disengage.

aim body neck leg
You will only attack your opponent's body, neck, or leg. This does not increase your likelihood of hitting. 'stop aiming' to disable this.


[najdorf]

Combat micromanagement is a little bit plain in armageddon compared to some other muds.
This looks the like the most simple and fun addition to current combat mechanic.

[stoicreader]

You can toss an arrow into the other room as the syntax of a warning shot.

[LindseyBalboa]

If it's not giving any bonuses, it's the player choosing to be less effective in combat for role-played purposes of non-lethal fighting.

All about it why not.

In re: warning shots with arrows, I'd think someone was trying to shoot at me, too, unless they followed it up with a shout or something.

[Hauwke]

You can toss an arrow into the other room as the syntax of a warning shot.

You can also just shoot at a room as well, shoot east far or something is the syntax.

[Tisiphone]

You can also just shoot someone in the neck as a warning shot. He probably won't die, and if he does, it serves as a very effective warning to the others.

[Halcyon]

I really like this suggestion, but I think it would be bad for the game.  Targeting a location would make it much easier to train high str characters to greater levels of weapon skill.

[Brytta Léofa]

I really like this suggestion, but I think it would be bad for the game.  Targeting a location would make it much easier to train high str characters to greater levels of weapon skill.

Don't give skill gains when using a targeted hit location.

[Hauwke]

Or let it, it goes both ways. That beef cake can aim for the head only and whiff a few strikes.

But so can everyone else.

[Patuk]

The combat grind is already as stupid as it is tedious. Arguing that either of these qualities are good things is a habit I'll never understand.

[Lotion]

I really like this suggestion, but I think it would be bad for the game.  Targeting a location would make it much easier to train high str characters to greater levels of weapon skill.

Don't give skill gains when using a targeted hit location.

It would also allow you to target only body when sparring up a weakling without risking you just take half their health with a neckshot so they can get those def gainz

[najdorf]

The combat grind is already as stupid as it is tedious. Arguing that either of these qualities are good things is a habit I'll never understand.

I can't relate them. Grind is a different topic of time and effort. OP is suggesting a combat micromanagement option like *hack* or *riposte*