Feints don't make sense to me...

Jovus · 01-14-2012, 12:25 PM

First, this should be read as an attempt as a plausible stab, not that I've 'figured it out.'

To be clear, turns in GURPS are not sequential. They overlap; this means, for example, that the proper one second measurement applies to the time between the start of one character's turn and the start of that same character's next turn, rather than the time it takes to go 'through the initiative order', to paraphrase from another game system.

This overlap also means that there's no waiting about in the combat round, unless your character takes the Wait maneuver. While, sitting at the table, it certainly feels like there are little concrete blocks of action-time - I feint, he attacks, I defend, I attack - the reality to the characters is much more fluid.

So, thinking about fencing (which will stand in here for all melee fighting, since it's the sort I have experiencing with), when you feint, you trick the enemy into thinking you're doing something you aren't. This can take basically two forms.

First, you pretend to attack, thus forcing your opponent to throw his guard where it is unnecessary, and then immediately switch to take advantage of the weakness this opens. (This seems possibly like a Deceptive Attack to me, as well, lowering your chance to hit but lowering his defense - changing attack angles and tactics so quickly is hard.)

Second, you pretend to do something clumsily or in some fashion that 'leaves you open'; often with the goal of goading him to attack where he oughtn't, and thus 'leave himself open'. Then you take advantage of the hole in his offenses.

Either one of these can be feints. Either one leaves room for your opponent to attack you before you can take advantage of it, though the second more clearly so. In the first case, the goal of making him defend where he oughtn't can be to put him in a bad position for response, thus making him open himself up if he attacks you (due to being off balance, on bad footing, whatever).

01-14-2012, 12:25 PM	#2
Jovus Join Date: Sep 2008	Re: Feints don't make sense to me... First, this should be read as an attempt as a plausible stab, not that I've 'figured it out.' To be clear, turns in GURPS are not sequential. They overlap; this means, for example, that the proper one second measurement applies to the time between the start of one character's turn and the start of that same character's next turn, rather than the time it takes to go 'through the initiative order', to paraphrase from another game system. This overlap also means that there's no waiting about in the combat round, unless your character takes the Wait maneuver. While, sitting at the table, it certainly feels like there are little concrete blocks of action-time - I feint, he attacks, I defend, I attack - the reality to the characters is much more fluid. So, thinking about fencing (which will stand in here for all melee fighting, since it's the sort I have experiencing with), when you feint, you trick the enemy into thinking you're doing something you aren't. This can take basically two forms. First, you pretend to attack, thus forcing your opponent to throw his guard where it is unnecessary, and then immediately switch to take advantage of the weakness this opens. (This seems possibly like a Deceptive Attack to me, as well, lowering your chance to hit but lowering his defense - changing attack angles and tactics so quickly is hard.) Second, you pretend to do something clumsily or in some fashion that 'leaves you open'; often with the goal of goading him to attack where he oughtn't, and thus 'leave himself open'. Then you take advantage of the hole in his offenses. Either one of these can be feints. Either one leaves room for your opponent to attack you before you can take advantage of it, though the second more clearly so. In the first case, the goal of making him defend where he oughtn't can be to put him in a bad position for response, thus making him open himself up if he attacks you (due to being off balance, on bad footing, whatever).