Re: DM-Question

From: johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu (John White)

Date: Fri, 29 May 1992 11:46:31 +0000

In article <1992May28.234208.25861@adobe.com> jgould@adobe.com (Jim Gould)
writes:
>Hi,
> I would like to thank Ben of Hell's Zeroes and John White for the
>suggestions on my Roll Ups.  While I await RSI to send me more rules,
>I would like to ask you the questions the rules would probably answer,
>but I'm to impatient to wait for.
>
>1.)  What is 4-9-4.  I know that this is how I describe my fighting
>strat., but could somebody give me a little more detail.
>
>  I would like to know why something works, not just that it works.

From the DM - FAQ:
WHAT IS MEANT BY "RUNNING" A WARRIOR?
This can mean the particular selection of armor and weapons but
usually centers around the most variable aspect of the game: The
strategy input area of the strategy sheet.  This part has five
variables for each minute 1 to 6+ of the fight and a desperation
strategy as well.  The five variables are Offensive Effort, Activity
Level, Kill Desire, Offensive Tactic, and Defensive Tactic.  The first
three are mandatory for each minute, and vary from 1 to 10, 10 being
highest.  The last two are optional and have letter codes for the the
tactics (Bash, Slash, Lunge, Decise or Parry, Dodge, Riposte,
reSponsive).  So to say that I run my Lungers 10-10-10-L in minute one
means that I use a 10 offensive effort, activity level, and kill
desire with a Lunge tactic for the first minute of his fight.

Does that answer your question?  Basically, this means that your warror
isn't trying to attack very hard (4), but will take an opportunity to
riposte.  He is moving almost constantly(9), which greatly increases his
chance of dodging an attack.  He isn't really trying to kill his
opponent(4), but he really isn't timid in riposting.  Basically this is a
defensive strategy that says, "I'll try to dodge, then riposte the attack."

Anything else?

>2.) A short-term warrior or long-term warrior, I've seen the diffrent
styles
>or reasons that someone plays DM, but if your warrior is not Killed isn't
>he eventualy going to get better.  "That which does not kill us makes us
>stronger" type thing.

To a certain degree, yes.  Every warrior can get better with time.  Everyone
can try to train a stat.  Everyone can try to learn some skills.  However,
it comes down to how quickly you learn the skills (the main means of getting
better).  A 3 wit warrior may learn skills, but it may take a decade to
learn all 120 (there's 20 in each area).

Even a warrior with a 9 wit won't learn quickly enough to be effective soon
enough.  Please keep in  mind that this point of view is mine, and isn't
necissarilly yours.  It all depends on how you want to approach the game.  I
want warriors who conform to conventional standards of "good."  If that's
what you like, then listen to me!

>3.) Is there a formula for what styles need (work best with) what stats...

Kind of.  More like, they need high this and lower this.  What styles are
you interested in?

>            ---------------------------------------------------
>            |  You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish  |
>            |            jgould@adobe.com (Jim Gould)         |
>            ---------------------------------------------------

That's really horrible...

--
John White
johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu
|===============================================================|
|                    Reasons to go to Caltech:                  |
|000)  Food?  Sleep?  Reading?  What?  Huh?                     |
|001)  I saw a woman.  Once.  I think.                          |
--
John White
johnjohn@cco.caltech.edu
|===============================================================|
|                    Reasons to go to Caltech:                  |

References

DM-Question
jgould@adobe.com (Jim Gould)
Thu, 28 May 1992 23:42:08 +0000