05-19-2011, 10:04 AM | #141 |
Dog of Lysdexics
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Melbourne FL, Formerly Wellington NZ
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
Not by itself, However it possible for a lull to happen where everyone slip out of combat time and back into native time for the encounter then later slip back into combat time.
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05-19-2011, 10:32 AM | #142 | |
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Belém, Pará, Amazônia, Brasil.
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
Quote:
If mr. 6 were the 1st and changed to last, if just used a do nothing maneuver, if won't act twice. I don't see any problem in delaying. See, there is no such a thing as a back to the top of the order. No universal turn, only individual turns. So the original sequence would be Adam, Beth, Carl, Dani, Eric. Ok, Adam chooses to act after Dani, delaying his turn, so he will be doing nothing until then. After that, if will need to wait his turn again (after Dani) to have the opportunity to act again. So, if delays again, acting after Eric, returning to original sequence. So: a b c d e * b c d 'a' e b c d * e 'a' b c d e. * = original sequence of Adam without delay. 'a' = new sequence of Adam after delay. It will only be a problem if many people starts using that at the same time. But, as I see it, it is a complexity problem, not a balancing problem. See, he is not acting slower, he is delaying the action. So, it is not reversible, he can't anticipate the next action, he can only delay again, in his turn. |
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05-19-2011, 04:22 PM | #143 | |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: in your pocket, stealing all your change
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
Quote:
If the sequence is... a > b > c > a > b > c ... You can slow down a bit and it becomes b > a > c > b > a > c ... Slow down a bit more and the sequence is re-established... b > c > a > b > c > a .... So if you wait enough you've effectively taken a Do Nothing maneuver. |
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05-19-2011, 04:51 PM | #144 |
Join Date: May 2011
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
This may be a stupid question (new to GURPS) but can't the Knight just state he goes after the Wizard without all this complicated rules stuff? Then next round, state the same? Or any PC state he goes after any PC/NPC?
This seems terribly complicated for a fun game night. |
05-19-2011, 05:21 PM | #145 | |
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
Quote:
Longer answer: The knight's player wants a rules interpretation grounded in the rules as they were written that he can present to his GM as a rationale for doing so. Really long answer: The GURPS rules are designed to work together, especially the combat rules. An alternate interpretation or change of a rule can send unexpected shock waves throughout the system. In this case, several game mechanics, including active defenses, movement, and spell durations rely on the sequence of combat turns not changing during the course of a combat scene. There are ways of doing so, chiefly the Wait maneuver, that allow some effective changing of the turn sequence. The Wait maneuver puts restrictions on what it does and how; we're exploring those consequences. At the same time, we're trying to find a way to accomplish what the knight's player would like to do without the systemic shock waves disrupting the rest of the rules. Allowing the Knight to choose to go later in the turn sequence for the entirety of the combat scene but not to change the turn order each time seems to have the fewest negative effects on the rest of the rules and the verbal support of the game's official authority: Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch.
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An ongoing narrative of philosophy, psychology, and semiotics: Et in Arcadia Ego "To an Irishman, a serious matter is a joke, and a joke is a serious matter." |
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05-19-2011, 05:23 PM | #146 | |
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Göttingen, Germany
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
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But at a point you may face abuse... The simple and RAW answer is: Before combat is starting, you can state that the Knight goes after the Wizard for the whole combat time (thus effectively operating at a lower basic speed). Indeed all the other details are complicated, but IMO you can safely ignore them until you feel the need ;-) Last edited by OldSam; 05-19-2011 at 05:38 PM. |
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05-19-2011, 05:58 PM | #147 |
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
Well, so far as I can tell, the one-reset for the whole combat is not RAW. If you can choose to be one Speed slower, there is nothing to stop you from slowing down even more.
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05-19-2011, 06:23 PM | #148 |
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Göttingen, Germany
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
At least Kromm said there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to do it and there is also nothing in the Basic Set that would speak against it. For me that's like RAW. Of course the Basic Set also doesn't say that it is an option to operate at lower speed, but apart from Kromm's words it would be consistent and totally makes sense as you can also operate at a lower level of move for instance.
Last edited by OldSam; 05-19-2011 at 06:27 PM. |
05-19-2011, 08:30 PM | #149 | |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
Quote:
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05-19-2011, 09:01 PM | #150 |
Banned
Join Date: Apr 2008
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Re: Altering the Initiative Order
He also said that you can choose to use less than your full abilities, including choosing to operate at a lower Basic Speed.
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Tags |
kromm answer, kromm explanation, wait |
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