From: esper@cs35b.cs.umn.edu (Dave Sherohman)
Subject: Re: SRII Combat System: Bugs
Organization: University of Minnesota
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 03:46:47 GMT

Well, it's been over a week since I last got current on news...  Time to post
a horde of replies to things in that timespan...  Maybe they'll even reach
your site in the same order as I post them...

In article <1993Jan18.154457.541@otago.ac.nz> wintermute@otago.ac.nz writes:
>Hey guys, I've been worried about a number of bugs/anomilies in SRII's combat
>system. They seem to stem mainly from the new way of treating armor.
>
>1) It is possible to kill someone in full suit armor with a burst of shotgun
>shot fire at maximum effective range.

My solution:  Power level reductions below 0 become extra dice for the body
resistance test (ie power 3 ballistic attack vs full heavy armor = adjusted
power level -5 = 5 extra dice for body resistance vs effective power level 0).
Note that this almost (but not quite) makes armor in excess of power level into
autosuccesses.
>
>2) The same shot to two people could easily do a deadly wound or no wound at
>all, depending on how much Body they have.

No fix suggested (I don't think one is needed - this is the main incentive to
get a moderate or high body instead of a 1), but keep in mind that the same
was true in SR1 if you assume that both people are equivalently armored.
>
>3) Unless you allocate combat pool to dodging, a narcoject dart will
>automatically penetrate your armor (even if you are in full suit).

My solution:  Instead of reducing the dodge target by impact rating, use the
impact rating as extra dice for dodging.
>
>The problem seems to be that armor has no stopping power on its own, it simply
>magnifies the stopping power of Body dice and Combat pool "dodging" dice. Even
>Woody Allen should be able to avoid taking damage from fairly light calibre
>rounds if he's in Full Suit.

Personally, I think it's ridiculous that wearing armor makes dodging _easier_.
I'll post my version of the dodge-TN-based-on-weapon-class-instead-of-power-
level system (also known as "it's easier to dodge a big, clumsy assault cannon
than a lightweight pistol") in the near future (probably tomorrow).
>
>4) It doesn't just matter where the grenade was when it went off, but how
>skillful the person throwing it was.

My solution:  Throwing successes _only_ affect scatter.  Use (modified power
level)/2 dice vs target's body to stage up damage instead (ie offensive grenade
goes off at the feet of a body 5 human standing 3 meters from a wall.  Power
level = 10 (grenade at 0 m) + 4 (10-1/meter over 3m to wall and 3m back) = 14.
Base damage is 14S with 7 dice vs TN 5 (his body) to stage up damage; this will
probably get 2-3 successes, just enough to stage it up to deadly.  Of course,
if you're in a small room taking backblast off all four walls, a grenade in the
room with you will turn you to paste...)
>
>5) It is possible to use combat pool dice to "dodge" grenade blasts.

My rationalization:  You aren't actually dodging the blast, but rather turning
your body, curling up, etc. to protect vulnerable regions of your body from the
blast effects.  Of course, if you're right next to the grenade, this won't be
easy without armor (in which case it you're taking it on the armor, right?)
>
>6) A SMG minigun (assuming such existed) would be able to damage a GMC Banshee.

Nope.  An SMG minigun would have a base power level of 6 or 7 (don't add auto-
fire mods!).  As this is less than half the Banshee's 18 armor, the bullets
would just bounce off.

esper@ima.umn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc