Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-12-2004, 02:11 PM   #51
Kromm
GURPS Line Editor
 
Kromm's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Montréal, Québec
Default Re: Combat- Why not contests of skills?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DreadDomain
So I am a little bit surprise that you believe contest of skills for combat "silly" and that they "make no sense" since you (or maybe Pulver) felt necessary to include just that option.
It isn't the same thing, however. First, it's not random -- you pick a fixed margin ahead of time, in effect setting the "stakes" for the combat. Second, the penalty assessed applies to active defense, not to skill.
__________________
Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com>
GURPS Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games
My DreamWidth [Just GURPS News]
Kromm is offline  
Old 10-12-2004, 05:51 PM   #52
DreadDomain
 
DreadDomain's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Combat- Why not contests of skills?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
It isn't the same thing, however. First, it's not random -- you pick a fixed margin ahead of time, in effect setting the "stakes" for the combat.
Yes, I made that distinction somewhere in one of my posts. If fact, I quite like that it is a conscious choice. More tactical choice to the attacker.

Deceptive attack was a very good addition (at least I don't remember this option in 3e) but it was a necessary one. In fact, Deceptive attack is a given as soon as your effective skill is 18 or higher. I don't see any reason not to use it beyond that point. I am not sure it it is good or bad.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm
Second, the penalty assessed applies to active defense, not to skill.
Only because GURPS makes a difference between skill and defense. But effectively, the effect is the same.

In any case, like I said, my surprise was in the "silly" and "makes no sense" expletive while mentioning "Deceptive attack" almost in the same breath (:-))

What about range attacks? Is there a way for the attacker to diminish the active defense in that case? If not, the problem remains the same if the defender has a high dodge. I agree though I have a hard time to picture a "deceptive" range attack... Look, it can only be a cinematic rule, something to provide for it in high powered games. I didn't find any in Basic Set 1 or 2.
DreadDomain is offline  
Old 10-13-2004, 10:50 PM   #53
S41NT
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Default Re: Combat- Why not contests of skills?

I just wanted to say today I got back to this issue and made a very very simple matlab program (LOL) to calculate the probability os an attack hitting (the attacker being successfull and the defender not) considering just the skill difference and the toHit chosen by the attacker (supposing the rest of his skill goes to a deceptive attack.

I don't have a good place to post the pretty 3d surface the script generates, but I will post the maximum possible chance of hiting a blow for each difference in skill :)

The difference is added to the attacker, so +10 means the <attacker skill> is 10 + <defender skill>

Difference :: Best to hit :: probability

-10.0000 8.0000 0.0241
-9.0000 9.0000 0.0349
-8.0000 10.0000 0.0465
-7.0000 9.0000 0.0608
-6.0000 10.0000 0.0810
-5.0000 11.0000 0.1013
-4.0000 10.0000 0.1295
-3.0000 11.0000 0.1619
-2.0000 12.0000 0.1919
-1.0000 11.0000 0.2344
0 12.0000 0.2779
1.0000 13.0000 0.3142
2.0000 12.0000 0.3705
3.0000 13.0000 0.4190
4.0000 12.0000 0.4631
5.0000 13.0000 0.5237
6.0000 14.0000 0.5669
7.0000 13.0000 0.6210
8.0000 14.0000 0.6721
9.0000 15.0000 0.7069
10.0000 14.0000 0.7601


I was a bit affraid of posting this because if it becames common knowledge, the game looses something, cause everybody will allways use the best value. But i thought you experts of this forums could find it interesting. If you think its a bad thing, please tell me and I will erase this table :o)
S41NT is offline  
Old 10-13-2004, 11:36 PM   #54
cmdicely
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Default Re: Combat- Why not contests of skills?

Quote:
Originally Posted by S41NT
I was a bit affraid of posting this because if it becames common knowledge, the game looses something, cause everybody will allways use the best value.
I don't know. Most GMs probably don't show players their NPC opponents' character sheets.
cmdicely is offline  
Old 10-14-2004, 05:40 AM   #55
Rupert
 
Rupert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Wellington, NZ
Default Re: Combat- Why not contests of skills?

Quote:
Originally Posted by S41NT
I was a bit affraid of posting this because if it becames common knowledge, the game looses something, cause everybody will allways use the best value. But i thought you experts of this forums could find it interesting. If you think its a bad thing, please tell me and I will erase this table :o)
I wouldn't worry too much - the table suggests that for most skill ranges about 12 is the best, and I suspect that's what most people's gut feeling would've settled on anyway (mine certainly did).
__________________
Rupert Boleyn

"A pessimist is an optimist with a sense of history."
Rupert is offline  
Old 10-14-2004, 07:40 AM   #56
S41NT
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
Default Re: Combat- Why not contests of skills?

I guess you are right... And it only goes higher than 15 for HUGE skill difference, like 15 - 20. Which makes sense like you said.

I find it curious that the balance is not in a single contest, but in the combat as a whole. Defending is easier, even if your skill is 4 levels higher (46%). But when you defend, its a LOT easier, with the enemy's best shot having 13% chance of hiting.
S41NT is offline  
Closed Thread

Tags
combat, contest

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:47 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.