Wait Maneuver clarification

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

Originally Posted by Adversary

I am not sure I buy that the longer fighter has to stay on the defensive to take advantage. Look at boxing, MMA, etc. Certain attacks--jabs, kicks with the lead leg--are longer ranged than others, and some fighters have more reach than others. But not all fighters that utilize jabs and front leg kicks do so defensively. It is certainly possible to attack behind the jab, or launch a lead-leg kick to the opponent's front leg, without the shorter-armed opponent always getting to land a hook or an uppercut first.

All things being equal, you're right.

But one guy is taking a Wait, the other is not. That makes it not equal anymore.

GURPS chooses to hand the advantage to the Waiting fighter, since he's given up a lot of options in order to attack first if someone sets off his trigger and moves within the range he can attack within. I think that's fair.

3e made it a contest of skills, which had the effect of making Wait useless against highly-skilled opponents because they went first anyway, so you really gave up your advantage by trying it. You could go back to that, but to me that's going back to a less accurate and more inherently unfair rule, which says "skill trumps all" instead of "Wait trumps the person you're waiting for."