From: jfzeigl@afterlife.ncsc.mil (Jon Zeigler)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Time mechanics
Summary: Basic GURPS Combat avoids this problem
Keywords: AD&D, GURPS, combat, time mechanics
Date: 5 Sep 92 14:50:19 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: The Great Beyond

In article <14838@mindlink.bc.ca> Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca (Nick Janow) writes:
>slp66@cc.usu.edu writes:
>
>> D&D is more forgiving and a more playable system. Your players can afford to
>> be more realistic...
>
>D&D more _realistic_??????  Hahahahahaha!  <rolling on ground laughing guts
>out>  "You can only shoot two arrows per minute."  What is a realistic figure
>for a skilled archer?  Ten? Twenty?  Getting hit by several arrows, spears and
>blows from a giant's club--and surviving--is _realistic_?
>

Ah, yes, the "hit points problem."  As in, "everyone has far too many of them."
Yes, I'm familiar with the EGG argument about how "none of the hits but the
last one actually do significant physical damage."  Unfortunately, almost none
of the other ways that one can be damaged in AD&D fit this argument.

>I'd agree that AD&D, with its slow rounds and combat/damage system, is a more
>playable system _for_heroic_gaming_, where realism is ignored in favour of
>monster mashing (while not being in any real danger of dying). Games with more
>realistic speeds and more realistic combat/damage are more playable for games
>that stress realism (as far as it goes).  The two gaming styles are quite
>different, and the players and GM act accordingly.  In AD&D, the GM would
>regularly surprise the PCs with ambushes from a dozen orcs or whatever is
>appropriate, knowing that the PCs can survive it.  The same tactic in
>Harnmaster would simply kill all the PCs unless they were very lucky and were
>very fast runners.  :)    Of course, in Harnmaster, or other games that stress
>realism, there are other interesting activities toreplace ambushes and similar
>AD&D fare.
>
>My advice is to choose a game system that suits your gaming style.
>
>
>--
>
>Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca

Absolutely.  And I might point out that the problem with playability in GURPS
time scales can easily be obviated.  As a concession to playability and drama,
all of the GMs in our group use a kind of "flextime" -- we don't worry too much
about the actual length of a combat round, and simply roleplay.  We expect that
some rounds are going to be "longer" than others in actual terms, as characters
hesitate, look around, shout orders to one another -- but we figure we can
ignore that "on the average."  Try it.  It works very well.

Meanwhile, as far as I know armor in AD&D *still* makes it harder to hit you
but absorbs none of the damage you take when you are hit. . .a high-level
fighter with average Constitution can *still* fall any distance and expect to
live. . .any attempt to Parry is *still* automatically successful. . .

Stacking the absurdities of AD&D against the absurdities of GURPS, I'll take
GURPS any day.

-- 
* Jon F. Zeigler (jfzeigl@afterlife.ncsc.mil)                           *
*  "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Emerson    *
* The US Government and the Department of Defense are not responsible   *
* for my opinions.  In fact, I try not to let them know I have any.     *
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy