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30388: Re: [MUD-Dev] Better Combat
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From: Byron Ellacott <bje@apnic.net>
Newsgroups: nu.kanga.list.mud-dev
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 2004 08:49:51 +1000
References: [1]
Organization: Kanga.Nu
David Kennerly wrote:
> I'm assuming these are quasi-D&D derivatives. If so, then being
> offensive IS a risk-averse strategy when in a team. And even as a
> solo character, a high-offense is more efficient than a
> high-defense character. It seems counterintuitive, but in D&D
> derivatives, the usual victory condition is reducing the opponent
> to 0 or less hit points. No amount of defense will do that.
For that matter, I've yet to find a game featuring combat in which
defense is the better strategy. I can't find the quote, but I
believe Sun Tzu's Art of War agrees with me here.
In essence, the best outcome you can hope to achieve from a
defensive combat is a draw. While personal combat is somewhat
different to strategic planning, the principle remains: if you are
being defensive, you are trying to survive, not to win, and so
you've preselected yourself to lose.
Or, as you said, defense won't get your opponent to 0 or fewer hit
points. It's just not limited to D&D style combat - all combat
follows this property.
(If someone has a counterexample, I would love to hear it!)
--
bje
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