Fight, Kill, Roll Dice

I've been thinking again about the math and mechanics of combat in role-playing games. This is of course of importance for me since I am working on at least two games of my own design. It remains to be seen if both will run off of the same system mechanics. Just because I would like that to be so, doesn't mean that it will manifest. I started with the idea that for my fantasy setting I would use easy if not actually simplistic rules. There is no need to model your game entirely after physics and reality. There can be a certain disconnect, through short hand or the quality of being an abstract version of the concepts involved.

The point where I have a problem, both in decision making, and perhaps even in development, comes at the point where one has to move from one sort of combat into another. In particular I am thinking about the transition from unarmed combat to melee combat (hand held weapons with range being only a function of the weapon's own length) to ranged combat. Even within a medieval type setting there are troublesome issues that arise when moving from one form of combat to the next. Then it worsens when you consider modern weapons of varying types. Or, even if you stay medieval you have magic to deal with as another kind of combat. Maybe even psychic powers.

Above and beyond this, which isn't necessarily all that much of a struggle to work with, there is the consideration of movement during combat. Here at first blush you have changing from one form to another, the affect on accuracy of moving and fighting at the same time, and dealing with changing ranges. The faster the movement from either or both opponents the greater the effect it has on the combat and therefore the rules. All of this involves--yet at the same time doesn't take into consideration--the difference between grace or prowess, and hand eye co-ordination, not to also mention the difference in how fast the character is at either kind of combat driven by those factors.

Mood: deep-thoughs thinking.
Music: Cum On Feel The Noize by Quiet Riot and Shoot 'Em Down by Twisted Sister.

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