All-Out Attack (Double)

All-Out Attack (Double) (or AOA2) is a maneuver found on B324. It invalidates text highlighted on B52:
:Extra Attack: The “default” assumption in GURPS is that you can make one attack per turn, no matter how many limbs you have.
B53 elaborates "You can attack more than once per turn." which wrongly implies people can't do that anyway using AOA:D
B369 refers to the maneuver (perhaps because it is a specialized OPTION of the overall All-Out Attack maneuver) as a "combat option":
:Some advantages (e.g., Extra Attack) and combat options (see All-Out Attack, p. 365, and Rapid Strike, p. 370) let you attack more than once.
==Martial Arts==
MA126 initially overlook the "double" option in it's summary of Multiple Attacks:
:Each combatant – however numerous his limbs and whatever his weaponry – starts with one attack per All-Out Attack, Attack, Committed Attack, Defensive Attack, or Move and Attack maneuver,
But then acknowledges it among the "Three situations" which "modify these basic assumptions"
*one situation which is overlooked is Uncontrollable abilities which (like an Ally) is a way to get "free attacks" since the character isn't making them: some other factor they don't directly control (but can influence) is
**another is "free action" attacks like Damage from Locks or damage people take from striking your Aura or Spines\
***or how they might hurt themsleves from hitting your Damage Resistance or giving you a slam
It neglects to repeat the "same foe" distinction when comparing it to the other two: Altered Time Rate and Extra Attack.
==Warriors==
MA126 also describes "lets a warrior add one attack to his usual number".
The emphasis on "warrior" implies that Double might not be an option that should be available to non-warrior attackers.
MA113's Limited Maneuver Selection paragraph of Untrained Fighter discusses something similar:
*"Anyone can attempt a Telegraphic Attack. Unskilled fighters are more likely to choose this option"
Determined gives a bonus to hit, just as Telegraphic Attack does, so it could be implied that low-skill fighters will tend to take Determined rather than Double, even if it's not explicitly forbidden.
This aligns also with the suggested restriction against:
:exercise combat options such as Deceptive Attack, Defensive Grip, and Rapid Strike
Although it only specifies Rapid Strike and not Dual-Weapon Attack or AOA2, it should be considered these emulate and actually EXCEED the Rapid Strike technique being used with AOA:Determined:
*AOA2 allows 2 unpenalized hits against same foe instead of at -2: the only drawback is you can't target same foe twice with same weapon
*DWA allows 2 unpenalized hits against same or different foes: the only drawback is you can't use the same weapon
Based on that, applying the RS restrictions to AOA2/DWA are probably implied (though not explicitly stated) which would like up with MA126's "Warrior" reference.
This would also explain why creatures like Zombies (untrained in combat) aren't seen attacking quickly: low-skill people just tend to either focus on accuracy (determined) or strength (strong) or reach (long)
For high-DX low-skill foes who don't need the determined +4 bonus they would probably opt for strength/reach.
Grappling note: in Martial Arts: Technical Grappling it would make sense for zombies to attack at +8 to skill to initiate a grapple if targeting a hit location (even if it's 0 control points because they have low ST) and then use AOA(strong) to improve control, since improving control does not suffer hit location penalties.
This even makes sense against torso (which has no penalty to hit) because establishing even a 0 CP grapple prevents retreats until a break free is done, and since reducing CP to -1 is what ends a grapple, 0 CP grapples can spend 1 CP to influence a roll in exchange for ending the grapple.
==alternative==
All-Out Attack (Determined) giving +4 to skill cancels out the -4 penalty for using DWA which is a better option for someone who has 2 weapons: against a single foe there is a defense penalty and it allows attacking TWO foes, which AOA:D does NOT allow.
This is not an option for making two attacks with a single weapon though.
Also it is possible to combine DWA with AOA:D to get 1 attack at full skill and 2 attacks at -4 to skill (3 attacks total) which isn't possible if using the "Determined" route.
==Expansion==
As of GURPS Martial Arts it effectively also replaces All-Out Attack (Feint) since Feint (technique) can replace any attack.
The requirement for this maneuver is "two attacks against the same foe". This can be done with the same or different weapon.
This requirement is different from Dual-Weapon Attack which can be split an attack w/ two weapons against two different foes: with the downside that the benefit of -1 to defenses is lost.
==Rapid Strike==
Like DWA this could be an alternative (using Determed for a +4) but since it's a -6 penalty it doesn't fully cancel it out (-2)
*Trained By A Master and Weapon Master are exceptions since they take halved rapid strike penalties, +4-3=+1 (better)
*B357 Flurry of Blows is another exception, which can halve the penalty for FP, something which is not an option for DWA
B370 describes this as different from "Double" because it allows targeting two foes.
*an option to nerf this is given in Martial Arts under M126 Multiple Targets: an "attack" is "wasted" if you skip 1 yard/hex between foes.
**this does not impact AOA:Double since it's limited to a single target: it only impacts the DWA/RS options and EA advantage.
Category:Rules