Combat improvements discussion

[EvilRoeSlade]

Swords=deathbringers.

It's a game, not RL. If the game were "realistic", then it would no longer be a game, but merely a world with the same limitations as Earth. And that's not really cool. Sounds rather boring, actually. =P

Making people use weapons other than swords isn't going to hurt playability, nor will it make the game boring by imposing a RL limitation.

If anything, it would make the game-world more unique.  I can't think of any better way to remove Zalanthas from a standard D&D setting than to replace swords with a variety of tribal, exotic weapons as the staple of melee combat.

Personally, after reading Mundane Dwarf's post, I'm never going to use a sword again.

I call to the staff to gradually phase out swords.

[Forest Junkie]

Swords=deathbringers.

It's a game, not RL. If the game were "realistic", then it would no longer be a game, but merely a world with the same limitations as Earth. And that's not really cool. Sounds rather boring, actually. =P

This is a game, but it's not Diablo 2.  I'll also remind you that it's described as a simulation, and is meant to be realistic (with the addition of magick and alien creatures, of course).

Sigh. Then who is to say we can't have swords, if we can have the things you specified above? *Gurgle*, I submit, you win. No more posting over it, practically pointless.

[UnderSeven]

Wow, this sword discussion is pretty flat lame.

Weapons are implements of breaking stuff, ususally people and tehy were all forged with that in mind and they all had a purpose and they're usually all pretty damned good at what they do period.

[Gorobei]

Sigh. Then who is to say we can't have swords, if we can have the things you specified above?

The materials that the swords are made of are governed by the same laws that govern the materials on Earth.  Magick is a completely foreign concept, so who knows exactly how it works?  As for the alien creatures, there are plenty that wouldn't be able to function in my opinion, but that's a different thread, and the ones that would work simply evolved in a different pattern than Earth creatures.

[Angela Christine]

You forgot a couple materials: chitin and shell.

I can't think of any shelled creatures on earth with shells large enough to make anything bigger than a dagger.  Anybody know of shelled terrestrial weapons?

We don't have critters with big enough exoskeletons for chitin to be useful for much of anything around here, so it's hard to speculate on its qualities.  I think it would be more springy than bone or rock, not so brittle. I imagine getting a good edge would depend on working with the "grain" of the material.  

* * *

As for swords, I can see the problem with long narrow edged weapons like longswords.  But where does it end?  Are scimitars out too, or does the curve of the blade give it enough strength hold and edge and survive?  What about short swords, or long knives?

* * *

Finally, the existance of weapons and objects that are not usually developed in pre-metal cultures could be partially explained by the fact that the Known World is not a pre-metal culture.  There is metal working, although it is rare.  There is also the possibility that the pre-apocolyptic world was more advanced, there may even have been more metal circulating in the past, for all we know before the world might have been just like the Forgotten Realms back then.   Swords could be in use despite the inappropriate materials because they are legacy weapons, they are what the ancients used.  The old songs and stories, paintings and tapestries feature swordsmen, so people wanted swords.  Since they knew about swords and desired swords, they found ingenious ways to make swords.


AC

[Tamarin]

When you fight, your stamina should drop.

[Forest Junkie]

When you fight, your stamina should drop.

And have a no-lag critter spam hunt/scan/kick/bash the fuck out of my hunter? No thanks.

[Tamarin]

When you fight, your stamina should drop.

And have a no-lag critter spam hunt/scan/kick/bash the fuck out of my hunter? No thanks.

Not drastically...just maybe one or two points every 10 attacks or so.

[Agent_137]

THANK GOD.

I'm SO glad we're back on track. I read through all 7 frikken pages of Half-giant bullshit and that somewhat interesting but totally worthless sword discussion. Let's stick to basic improvements that are necessary and not impossible to implement.

Four things:

When you are attacked, you should automatically move to defend yourself, but not automatically attack. Defending and attacking are TWO separate things. One is nearly reflex and the other relies on volition. Defense can be automatic, but attacking is a decision that should be left up to me, and how I think my character would react. less automation = better RP | more control for PC = better RP | etc. The PC has so much control in emotes and crafting and everything except combat.
RESPOND TO THIS IDEA HERE:
http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=65754#65754


Creatures should lag. I don't know how the code is applied to PCs for lag, but damnit, no lag is just dumb. Very unbalancing. Why hire a PC guard when you can get a no lag NPC? There's all sorts of horrid implications of no lag creatures that everyone has brought up. Yet it remains unchanged. I take this to mean it's very hard coded, and a change would be very difficult. Yet I see this as a vital to balancing the combat code, maybe the Imms can take it up as a long term project, revitalizing and re-writing the combat code for NPCs. Please please, give it a go. I don't expect it to be fixed tomorrow, but for the long term playability of Arma, it should be changed. This isn't a H&S MUD, but it certainly involves combat with NPCs, thus this should be changed.
RESPOND TO THIS IDEA HERE:
http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=65755#65755


Stamina should drop when fighting. Anytime you EXERT yourself, your stamina should drop because you become TIRED. I was incredibly surprised when I first started playing arma because I didn't lose stamina by fighting. Of course, the disadvantage to this is the PC has so little control over the actual fight. One could easily assume that your character is automatically fighting only enough to not wear himself out, and thus while fighting might drain his stamina, he controls it himself to where it becomes a non-issue. Therefore, I propose that stamina should only be drained in combat once the PLAYER has the option of when to strike with his weapon. Then the player could gauge how many strikes to make and when in reference to his stamina and the need to kill the other guy. But as it stands, having stamina drain you would be absurd with no control.
RESPOND TO THIS IDEA HERE:
http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=65756#65756


I forgot the fourth topic I wanted to post about, but I'm sure it was important, and I'm also sure you would have agreed heartily with it.