Hack n' slash? - Page 5

Peter V. Dell'Orto · 01-12-2012, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sniperkitty

GURPS is much more geared toward story telling, correct?@

As the co-author of a whole book on killing stuff in GURPS, and as someone who originally converted from D&D because of the GURPS combat system, I can tell you that it's not. It's more geared towards detail than abstraction - defenses are rolled, not subsumed into AC or to-hit reducing actions, hit locations have a damage effect, each blow is one blow not a single telling blow, HP are actual ability to suffer real damage not a combo of that and luck and divine blessings and other stuff, etc. Some of those abstractions changed from edition to edition in D&D, but abstractions remained. GURPS tends to err on the side of details.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sniperkitty

Is it true that the combat is weaker in GURPS? if so, what can be done to enhance the hack n' slash fun? or have i gathered and heard wrongly?

Gathered wrongly, I think. It's not weaker but rather much,much deadlier. Even powerful characters tend to be vulnerable to a single good hit even if it's harder to get that on them. As a general rule anyway.

As others suggested, if you want out-of-the-box hack-n-slash, look into Dungeon Fantasy. It's what it's all about.

sheldrine · 01-12-2012, 11:50 AM

My two cents on the subject:

In D&D, you walk into a room. There are three Dire Wolves, six Human Thralls, Four Vampires, and a Vampire Lord. You kill all of them -- because you are a bad-a**.

In GURPS, you enter a town that has been plagued by disappearing livestock. You investigate and find that a trio of Dire Wolves have been hunting in the region. You set a trap to kill one, then engage the other two in frantic combat before killing them. In the process of searching their lairs, you find clues that show they were being controlled by several humans in the village. Watching them, it becomes apparent that they are Thralls. You collect evidence and turn it over to the Sheriff, and help the guardsmen to capture the six -- who are hung the next morning. Before dying, one of the Thralls threatens the village with destruction when their masters come.

Seeking out these masters, you go through a series of challenges to hunt and kill each of the four Vampires. Clues acquired at each lair lead you to the true power behind the attacks -- the Vampire Lord. After preparing for a daring daytime-raid of the Vampire Lord's lair (and with every bit of equipment or knowledge you could acquire), you fight this undead nightmare.

Finally you manage to kill him and end the threat to the region -- because you are a bad-a**.

Note, that isn't to say one cannot handle another. But that seems to me that the systems have a style they are particularly effective for. D&D is Zelda -- explore and fight and have fantastical magical adventures as long as you don't look too closely at what is happening (it is fun). GURPS is Demon's Souls -- plan and cautiously fight and do your best not to get two critters to surround you so you don't die; you can stare at the details all you want, and it will still hold up (also fun).

01-12-2012, 11:50 AM	#42
sheldrine Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Utah by way of West Virginia	Re: Hack n' slash? My two cents on the subject: In D&D, you walk into a room. There are three Dire Wolves, six Human Thralls, Four Vampires, and a Vampire Lord. You kill all of them -- because you are a bad-a. In GURPS, you enter a town that has been plagued by disappearing livestock. You investigate and find that a trio of Dire Wolves have been hunting in the region. You set a trap to kill one, then engage the other two in frantic combat before killing them. In the process of searching their lairs, you find clues that show they were being controlled by several humans in the village. Watching them, it becomes apparent that they are Thralls. You collect evidence and turn it over to the Sheriff, and help the guardsmen to capture the six -- who are hung the next morning. Before dying, one of the Thralls threatens the village with destruction when their masters come. Seeking out these masters, you go through a series of challenges to hunt and kill each of the four Vampires. Clues acquired at each lair lead you to the true power behind the attacks -- the Vampire Lord. After preparing for a daring daytime-raid of the Vampire Lord's lair (and with every bit of equipment or knowledge you could acquire), you fight this undead nightmare. Finally you manage to kill him and end the threat to the region -- because you are a bad-a. Note, that isn't to say one cannot handle another. But that seems to me that the systems have a style they are particularly effective for. D&D is Zelda -- explore and fight and have fantastical magical adventures as long as you don't look too closely at what is happening (it is fun). GURPS is Demon's Souls -- plan and cautiously fight and do your best not to get two critters to surround you so you don't die; you can stare at the details all you want, and it will still hold up (also fun).