Re: (TFT) TFT and the SCA in your front yard

[raito@raito.com]

Quoting mejobo@comcast.net:
> Sure its a lifetime in combat, but thats just words. When you try to quantify
> distances for movement, and what can be done in five minutes, TFT is pretty
> close. 

I don't think so. According to TFT, I can throw 60 blows in 5 minutes. 
That's off by at least a factor of 10. It also says I can move 800 
yeard in 5 minutes full out, without being able to strike anyone. 

> You are right about the being able to move between people thing, I hadn't
> thought of that. Maybe a sort of "zone of control' is implied, but that is a
> pretty big difference. 

I regularly push myself between people in combat. 

> Saying that according to Fiore HTH is when you are within reaching 
> range may be
> true in Fiore, but in Melee that would include being one hex away. Same term,
> different meanings, is the way i view it. In TFT it says HTH is when 
> you fall to
> the ground with a foe and wrestle them. Punching and slashing with swords is
> covered by normal combat. I agree that the names are kinda misnomers (HTH
> implies most kinds of fighting that aren't ranged, in my opinion), 
> but its the
> rules, not the names, that matter. 

What I'm implying is that TFT HTH bears little resemblance to 
historical HTH. Again, using Fiore as an exmaple, he does his wrestling 
standing up, with a sword in both hands. TFT has no analogue for that 
at all. And it's very possible to use a sword while grappling an 
opponent -- nearly Fiore's entire section on armoured fighting with the 
sword is grappling. 

> Yea, HTH doesn't make that much sense to me either. I suppose the 
> logic behind
> it was that the very short range meant you couldn't actually poke the 
> other guy
> very well with a sword (or have the area to swing an axe) and that, 
> in effect,
> you might as well just punch and use a small dagger. I do like that its kinda
> hard to get into HTH, though.... I think that covers the "trying not to fall
> over" aspect, and then, once you ARE knocked down, things more or less work. 

And that logic is flawed. It's no accident that TFT is the way it is. 
Jackson was once the treasurer of SCA, Inc. (and by all accounts, 
didn't do a very good job). And SCA doesn't allow grappling. 

For gameplay, it's good that entering HTH is hard. In real life, it's 
pretty hard to keep someone from grabbing you while staying within a 4 
foot hex. 


> Overall, I think we can all agree that TFT is pretty fun and at least 
> tactically
> interesting (and hopefully realistic enough for those of us who 
> care), or else
> we wouldn't be on this group! =D

We agree on that. I'm on the side that likes that TFT combat is fairly 
deadly. The armour rules are pretty unrealistic, but excellent as game 
mechanics, as is most of the system. 

Neil Gilmore
raito@raito.com
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