Opinion Gathering: Flavor of Fighting Games

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

I suggest this:

Each player has a hand of cards. They have to be put down one at a time, but they can be put down as fast as you like. When you put one down, you may optionally refresh your hand. That is, taking a breath to strategize (refresh your hand with new options) gives your opponent time to slap down more cards if they're not doing the same. I'm not sure if there's a problem with someone being allowed to take as many cards as they like, so long as they only draw one at a time.

Cards are attacks, feints, blocks, dodges, throws, what-have-you. There are rules about what will work and what won't, and scoring is done when the deck is depleted. Maybe you get a certain number of each kind of card for different styles of fighting.

There are three active piles for each player: Head, Torso, Legs.

Some example rules:

Feint is placed on a particular pile; until the defender covers it with a Block, the defender can't Block or Dodge. So, for instance, I place a Feint on your Head. You can still strike at all heights, but you can't Block at all until you've Blocked your head.

Range cards: Long, Reach, and Close allow you to change ranges. Implicit in this is that different attacks work at different ranges.

Kick: Costs 2 points at Reach range, 1 at Long range.

Sweep: Can only be played on Legs. Target discards hand. If blocked completely (see below), attacker discards hand.

Block: if played before an attack, completely negates the attack. If played immediately after an attack, reduces the attack by 1. If played twice in a row, costs the defender 1 point.

Punch: Costs 2 points at Reach range, 1 at Close.

Throw: Both players shuffle current hands into their Draw decks. Target loses 1 point.

... and so on.

Whoever's lost the fewest points at the end, wins! When fighting against mooks, you probably want to run them out of cards, not actually tally points, except your own. I think you can probably tap out any time.

Now, if you're using this as an RPG mechanic, you probably want to have some sort of stuff on the line here, and work this tightly into a CR system. So, for instance, you might have narrative rights altered by the degree of success, or the type of success, or other factors. Maybe there are cards that have to do with your story arc that you shuffle in.

I think something like this could offer both the adrenaline speed and tactical relevance of an RPG. What I'd most like is to be able to play a game like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with this: lots of plot points and motivation, really fast and graceful fighting.

[Hereward The Wake]

I also think that cards are the way to go, as they offer a simple way to ristrict what the fighters can do. They also offer a way of keeping your avaialbe moves secret from the opponent, which is harder to do with dice driven systems I worked with.
The problem I've run up against is the vast number of options that are avaiable. Where systems like Swashbucklers matix comes in.
My current system works with cards for Movement. Action and reaction. Using a number of drawn cards based upon skill the players can create their actions etc. Here movement improves the chances of an action or reaction working, and also goes toward cancelling out the opponents movement.
Movement I define as the fighter trying to control distance and position in the fight as well as a way to generate power in action. my plan is that the cards can be used on their own, but can also be sued to make specifc tactical options, such as those in TROS and BW as the palyers get more familiar with the system, or for those who have experience in WMA etc. They are also used as a way to help create the narrative for the combat.
The addition of a matrix defining specific actions etc to drive this and allow for waht types of thing can be strung toegther.

As has been mentioned what will drive the excitement of the system is not alwasy to do with speed but a balance of speed with the effects of the players decisions, and the possible results of getting things wrong. As has been mentioned else where, a coin toss is a simple system, which is not very exciting, but if you suddenly start betting £100 per toss, the excitement builds!

Best

Jonathan

[Hereward The Wake]

I forgot to mention that my system also includes, a roll for Timing/Awarness. This represents the players ability to "read" what the opponent is doing and get inside their action. What this means is that though one or both fighters may declare an attack, the one with better A/T will probably get inside their action before that properly attack. What this menas in games terms is the winner of the A/T, gets to see more of the other players cards before they decide to changes cards in their hand, so they are better able to counter/act.
I am also toying with Attitudes. Thsi would be like stance in TROS. Aggressive, neutral and Defensive. This could be keyed into the charecters fighting style, or could a racial thinsg or something that fighters choose before each exchange.

JW