TFT Defense

[tbeard1999]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

I'd say it's not- a deflection of as little as 1" at point of contact turns a solid thrust to a total miss. ... heavy weapons should require a heavy parry skill; with shields the shield skill.

I think we’re focusing on different things. I’m approaching the problem as a wargame designer - what I want is a reasonable result, and at the least cost in game friction. I think you want a mechanic that feels right and are willing to pay a higher price in game friction.

Neither approach is inherently superior to the other.

In my opinion new mechanics added to TFT should increase complexity as little as possible. Using a damage absorption mechanic is very low footprint because (a) it already exists; (b) it’s simple; and (c) it’s handled completely by ine player (I.e., it doesn’t require additional input or action from the other player). The downside is that it’s more abstracted than a parry roll and therefore more prone to weird results. And of course playtesting may show that it won’t get the job done at all.

For game speed reasons, I prefer a passive (i.e., it only requires one player’s input) mechanic if possible.

The defense mechanic I proposed at the start of this thread is also passive (it only involves the attacker), probably provides a better range of results, but requires a new subroutine.

The parry roll has been done in other systems so we know what we’re dealing with. I find that they slow combat down...often by a lot. Also, you get into some funky situations - can you parry a greatsword with a dagger for instance. Such issues can be handed, but require more friction.

As an aside, having shields absorb damage is obviously an abstraction. Shields should probably make one harder to hit. But the abstraction, in my opinion, is the better approach for TFT.