04-08-2023, 07:13 PM | #281 | |||||
Join Date: Jun 2022
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Re: Math, GURPS, and its reputation for complexity
I think people are getting to hung up an "to hit", I used melee as an example because you should always know what penalties and bonuses you're facing in advance... it's rare a GURPS GM that should be springing penalties on you after you roll.
Inversely, in almost every D&D game I've ever played the GMs carefully tried to hide the enemies AC, for whatever reasons they had. Thus, in my opinion, it's a bit simpler (thus less complex) to make tactical decisions in GURPS where "do I reduce my to hit or not" is a key factor. Quote:
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In fact baring Quick or Regular Contests, which are rarer in my experience than general skill rolls, "did I succeed my roll" is always important. Quote:
There have been many times in the D&D games I've played where someone could take a penalty to their roll to aid another's roll. Knowing what the target numbers are makes those decisions easy. Not knowing makes those choices more vastly more difficult. Quote:
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Which, again, to paint the point I'm making (that you just reinforced) means these choices are easier in GURPS where your 'target number' is (almost) always known to the Player. That's literally the only point I'm making. The Player in GURPS knows what their skill level is, they know exactly how bonuses and penalties will effect it, they always know what they need to roll for a success (Active defenses and Contests aside). A Player in D&D (as I've experienced it) rarely knows what target numbers they need to hit*. And this extrapolates out into several other games as well, some games have very up front "this is what you need to roll to succeed", while others like to play silly buggers obfuscating that for "reasons". * This may have been changed in the latest edition, don't know, never played it long enough to get a good feel for it, and I don't own the rules. |
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04-08-2023, 07:17 PM | #282 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Math, GURPS, and its reputation for complexity
AC 16 isn't too unlikely once you're a few levels in, no, but that's not what I wrote. I said 16 or better on the d20. Not after modifiers, which are going to be significantly positive for a character with an attack ability like that.
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I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident. |
04-08-2023, 08:22 PM | #283 |
Join Date: Aug 2007
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Re: Math, GURPS, and its reputation for complexity
That's not universal. In my group about half the time the DM comes right out and announces what AC the opfor has just t simplify the process. The rest of the time the AC is easily guessed after a round or two.
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Fred Brackin |
04-08-2023, 08:38 PM | #284 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: Math, GURPS, and its reputation for complexity
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I think the point there was to demonstrate why not knowing the target's defense mattered - the optimal option is dependent upon what the target's defense is. Without knowing that, you're in the same place as the DnD player who doesn't know how much attack to sacrifice for more damage via Power Attack.
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GURPS Overhaul |
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complexity, math |
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