Re: (TFT) Reality vs. Game Mechanics

["gem6868" <gem6868@verizon.net>]

Aside from the physical properties of the weapons themselves, it's difficult 
to get people to agree on their usage and effectiveness, and the more people 
think they know, the more muddy the water gets.  It's a game, so within the 
parameters of the game as designed, it seems like there's an attempt to 
match the realistic damage from a small impaling rapier and a massive war 
axe.  As people seem to acknowledge, GURPS provides a much more detailed 
approach that appears to be more realistic.

The main muddle seems to be between the various versions of Melee (at least 
two) and Advanced Melee / TFT.  Probably the best way to correct something 
or fill in details, would be to steal it from GURPS.  Certainly if you 
wanted to go into great detail in a specific period (Rome, Renaissance 
fencing, whatever) it would be worth picking up a GURPS book or two.

-----Original Message----- 
From: PvK
Sent: Monday, October 10, 2011 1:08 PM
To: tft@brainiac.com
Subject: Re: (TFT) Reality vs. Game Mechanics

--- barnswallow@sbcglobal.net wrote:
...
"In the end it looks like SJ just decided to use names of weapons based
on how powerful they sounded, rather than how accurately they reflect
reality. The problem could be fixed by just renaming weapons things
like, "Sword wielded by a ST X figure", or "Wimpy Sword" vs. "Giant
Honking Sword". But that just doesn't have the same ring to it."

PvK: Yes, though there are also differences in the sizes of the weapons. In 
GURPS, SJ has it as (from memory):
Shortsword, ST 7, cutting swing +0 reach 1, impaling thrust +0 reach 1, 2 
pounds
Broadsword, ST 10, cutting swing +1 reach 1, crushing thrust +1 reach 1, 3 
pounds
The actual damage is done based on both the user's ST, and the weapon 
modifiers, where you have a progression like:
...
ST 10 swing 1d, thrust 1d-2
ST 11 swing 1d+1, thrust 1d-1
ST 12 swing 1d+2, thrust 1d-1
ST 13 swing 2d-1, thrust 1d
...
So ST 10 with a broadsword does 1d+1 cutting swing, or 1d+1 crushing thrust
ST 13 with a shortsword does cutting swing 2d-1, or 1d impaling thrust
etc...

"As far as rapiers and Two Weapons... if you have that talent, you
should be able to wield any two weapons you have the ST for (given
practice with that particular combination). If you're ST 20-odd and
can wield two Giant Honking Normally-Two-Handed Swords (aka
greatswords), why not? PC's with that many attribute points are death-
on-legs anyway."

PvK: You can do that. The only limit to rapiers is when you try to combine 
Fencing with Two Weapons. That's where the porous reasoning about teaching 
habits of the Florentine school are cited (maybe it was a joke like "For 
Greeks Only" - a hint that a house rule could reasonably allow it?).

"I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on the relative merits/
drawbacks of axes vs. swords, and how that could be reflected in terms
of game mechanics."

PvK: I think an axe tends to be heavier, less balanced so generally slower, 
shorter so harder to defend with, have less edged surface, usually no hilt 
and a wood handle, be easier/cheaper to make, and to concentrate more force 
on a point, and be better at getting through armor. If you're just trying to 
hit an unarmored target with a sword, it's easier since a sword tends to be 
faster and to sweep out much more area with blade, but a sword doesn't get 
through heavy armor as well. GURPS tries to represent a fair amount of that, 
but doesn't go far enough making axes get through armor better, and goes too 
far making them slow (for realism and balance purposes).
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