Bare Bones Basic - Combat

[doulos05]

Originally Posted by Nymdok

Precalculating isnt simplyfying. Sure it will definately speed things up, but what would you change to eliminate those calculations entirely?

Nymdok

Pre-calculating is simplifying for the player (all the time) and the GM (at the table). I should be clear that I'm assuming the GM knows GURPS. If the GM knows the system, then having him precalculate everything and write it out for the player most certainly is simplifying the interface for the person most likely to need the simplification (ie, the new player).

Besides, even that other game has calculations. I think the thing (in every game) that makes it feel complicated is math at the table. It's not a trivial task to figure out the Caster level of multi-classed caster or to add in all the of the modifiers from feats and special attack modifiers for an attack on the fly. But nobody playing that other game does that. They write it all out on the character sheet when they first make the character, then they just update the sheet when something changes. In GURPS, on the other hand, you have to calculate slam damage every time (because your velocity probably isn't the same every time). You have have to calculate the exact range penalty every time because it's exact instead of in broad range rands. You have to calculate weapon damage for each weapon. Now, none of those require difficult math, and in fact the last two are simple table look-ups. But they feel complex because you'd never have to do that in that other game.

GURPS combat is not any more complex than D&D combat when you add in the special attacks, magical effects, grapples, etc, etc. But it is more calculation-heavy and it's more detailed, which makes it seem complex. D&D front-loads the math to put the tactics front and center. GURPS doesn't because it let's you game the math more granularly (just how big a penalty are you willing to take to accomplish x?) and that enriches the tactics. But they're both complex.

[Nymdok]

Originally Posted by doulos05

Pre-calculating is simplifying for the player (all the time) and the GM (at the table). I should be clear that I'm assuming the GM knows GURPS. If the GM knows the system, then having him precalculate everything and write it out for the player most certainly is simplifying the interface for the person most likely to need the simplification (ie, the new player).

Im looking at ways of making there 'less for the GM to know' or 'less for the GM to apply' or 'less to precalculate'.

We talk often about how GURPS can be as simple or granular as you like and Im looking at a way to scale the intricacy and difficulty of combat in a way similar to what Mook did so that when groups sit down, combat can move faste, easier and more intuitively with less understanding.

Nymdok