Re: Things players say to me
 

Honestly, arms are not easier to hit than torsos when it comes to swing attacks. Consider the problem in three dimensions. The torso is much thicker than both arms and much wider, so a swinging attack will be have a greater chance to hit the torso, even if the attack is coming from the side.

Re: Things players say to me
 

Yes, there are other optional rules to make kicking the face harder and stamping a foot easier.

You might think so in theory, but not in practice.

Re: Things players say to me
 

In practice, however, the arms are more likely to be hit in most cases because they are likely to be in the way - in melee at least, ranged combat is another beast altogether...

Re: Things players say to me
 

Arms are less likely to be hit because they can be moved out of the way quickly. It's only when you aim at the head or torso would they be placed in the way to block. Legs can also be moved quickly out of the way but not as quick as arms. The hardest thing to move out of the way is your centre of mass. That's why not called-shots are considered to aimed at the torso.

Re: Things players say to me
 

Barring some kind of alien species with giant heads or a human who is crawling toward you (or perhaps a very exaggerated crouch which thrusts the head forward and body back) it's hard to see how what your player is saying would be the case.

Unless he figures the arms tend to passively get in the way of the torso more than the head and you hit those instead, which can be true. It takes more effort to hold your arms up higher.

The kind who lean forward dramatically, denying the body and presenting the head tend to realize they need to guard their faces more and their bodies less so it would even out some. That would be an exhausting posture to maintain for longer fights.

Re: Things players say to me
 

Back to the OP. I think the problem is made too specific. In every simulation of reality there will be things that don't fit your world view. I have my issues about some GURPS-rules as well.

Avoid that discussion in a game session. If one of those people want to GM a GURPS game, they can give a bonus to kicking the head if they feel like it. If the players can live with it, have fun.

If it's your game, you decide the rules. If you stick to vanilla GURPS, that's your prerogative (I tend to make IQ, per, will independent attributes). Discussions about the validity of those rules should come after the game or in a GURPS forum.

Thinking a RPG is bad or unplayable because it doesn't fit your worldview about kicks to the head is silly IMHO.

Re: Things players say to me
 

The other thing to remember is this; if the players really want to argue that heads are easier to hit, remind them that means the bad guys can hit the PC's heads more easily as well. Are they happy with trading "realism" for a higher mortality rate?

Re: Things players say to me
 

I think the best thing I've heard from a player was Dripton's 10 minute rant about why on Earth mages would spend time making cursed items instead of useful one.

Next up would be:

Me: You see a door.
Player: I try to break it open with my shoulder.
Me: You don't try to turn the knob first?
Player: No.
Me: ...you hurt your shoulder. -.-

Re: Things players say to me
 

Sounds like the famous gazebo encounter. . . .

Re: Things players say to me
 

Had to reread this three times... the first two times I also asked "Why would Earth Mages spend time making cursed items?"