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Old 10-25-2017, 11:53 AM   #2
Blue Ghost
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Spinward Marches
Default Re: House rules feedback

Tire sniping is one of those "potential jackpot" effects that could make or break a session. It's like being in a Tae Kwon Do or professional boxing tournament, and kicking the groin when you're told not to. If the guy your fighting is skilled enough, he can block or avoid that strike. Unfortunately with Car Wars all the armored wheel hubs and well covers won't protect you from a lucky hit.

Having said all that, none of the groups I've ever been with have ever actually employed that ... maybe once, but I can't really remember. Our thinking was that it was part of the game. You have a tire, and if you can see any part of it, you can hit it.

-DMs for maneuvering, to me, should be an optional rule. Any fighter pilot or professional online FPS gamer worth his salt will tell you that your movement tends to be independent of your aiming. It's integrated in that you can use movement to adjust your aim, but it's only one tool you have to put your crosshairs on a target. Likewise, if you were in an actual autoduel in the Car Wars-verse, I would think that as you drive your car you would be aware of "traffic" in the arena as you both aim and maneuvre your vehicle.

When I occasionally, (though rarely these days) do Counter Strike, you're multitasking and negotiating your movement with your aim. If you're suddenly taking fire from the side or someplace, your movement is only affected in terms of you reacting to gain cover, dodge, or otherwise to throw off your attackers aim, but, at the same time, you're moving your mouse to rotate your in game character to aim in response to that fire. All FPS games are like that, and if you're good you really don't have a -DM as you return fire. It just usually who gets the drop on the other guy to score more damage the decides who gets killed.

The one difference to that is when two players are at "long range " and using longarms like a sniper rifle of some kind to hit the other guy. Then moving left to right can throw off your aim as both of you jink to get a better shot. In that situation a -DM is noticeable. I think the same would hold true for cars in an arena. Ergo I don't like negative die modifiers for people maneuvreing.

I really don't have an opinion about turrets on race cars. Eh, I would think they might effect the top speed because of aerodynamics, and possibly maneuvreing at high speeds, but I don't see an issue with them in and of itself.
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