Aimed Blow article From: 900667C@ACE.ACADIAU.CA (Demon) Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1992 16:29:06 +0000 Folks, My facilities are rather crude here, and where they any better I would not know how to use them :) To re-reply to DEMON's reply, I am forwarding the entire file and adding my comments. Forgive the improper porotocol. ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Steve, Here's the first part of what I wrote in reply to you comments on ABs. I save the stuff on strategy (as I say below) for another article, which I'll send you after I get it written. From: 900667c@ace.acadiau.ca (Gerald Cameron) Subject: Re: AB Article in rec.games.pbm Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1992 16:22:15 GMT In article <9203181838.AA06116@bullwinkle.ucdavis.edu> dfcleary@UCDAVIS.EDU (Riff-Raff) writes: >Folks, > I don't have direct access to USENET, but this was sent to me for comments >and it looks like a lot of fun, so here goes: >(I have no idea how to "properly" reply other than to just comment as I go) IMHO, you did a fine job. *******>>> Why, thank you. :-) >>Hi everyone. This time, instead of lecturing, I'm asking. I have a few >>ideas on how Aimed Blows should be designed and run, but I don't really know >>if I'm on the right track or not. So, I decided to post my thoughts on the >>subject, and see what all you on the net think. >>First, stats: >>ST: 5-13 5 is kind of risky. I'd say 7 is the minimum I'd >> recommend, since it gets you EP, the minimum I'd >> recommend for scum hunting. 11 is really nice if >> you can get it. >---> I agree with the five minimum, but I would not put any maximum >---> on the strength. Obviously, there is no need to add to someone starting >---> with a high strength, but there's no need to exclude the AB style either. >---> Two of the better AB's I've seen started with 21 and 19 ST. The biggest >---> thing to keep in mind is this is the third most important stat for an >---> AB, behind deftness and wit. I suppose that your arguement on not excluding AB just because of high ST is true, but I argue with your order of importance of stats. I'll summarize in a bit. *****>>> I may want to retract ST being third. Or at least condition *****>>> it on making it third IF you already have a 13 will, or as *****>>> close as you can get with a breakpoint. >>CN: ? Really, this depends on how survivable you >> think these guys are. Theoretically, lower is better, >> but this style has the highest death rate in the >> game, probably. I personally like 7-13, depending on SZ. >---> As with any offensive style, take what you are given and _don't_ add >---> to it. I agree, but what I'm saying (although not explicitly) is that if you get a roll-up that's good, but has a 3 CN, look elsewhere stylewise (maybe PL). I *****>>> Why? If I want a fantastic AB, I'm not gonna shy away because *****>>> he _might_ die. Almost ALL aimed blows die anyway! :) That *****>>> sort of mindset would lead you to settle for less than the *****>>> best AB you can get. I guess we will agree to disagree, eh? happen to know a couple very good managers who agree with this, since they' re the ones who pointed it out to me one time when I was going to make an AB with a 4 CN. In essence I'm saying that having the best character in the world isn't worth a hill of beans if he's going to die the first time he loses. *****>>> Well, I take no stock in what "very good managers" say. Some *****>>> of the very best in the game agree that a decent AB would make *****>>> a better something else (Copyright 1988, Frothingslosh Inc. :) *****>>> Besides, without innovative thinking, where would we be? By *****>>> "going against the grain", Riff Raff made the only AB I have *****>>> ever seen to start ADEX attack. Take the con you get and, if *****>>> you feel it is too low, TRAIN it. Adding initial points is as *****>>> much a waste as it is with any other offensive style. >>SZ: ? Again, this is open ended. I actually have a semi- >> practical SZ 17 AB design that is due to debut in a >> couple weeks. In general, though, I think SZ 12 is >> a max. >---> I disagree. The only thing a high size does is detract from the >---> amount of points you have to spend on the "real" stats. If the high >---> SZ is balanced by a low con and speed, (leaving the prime stats in a >---> reasonable range), then it makes no difference. An AB of mine, size >---> 14, died at 14-6, and another is now at 11-8-2, having lost the last >---> to superior (quicker) opponents. As long as the high size isn't the >---> result of lost WT, DF, ST, or WL there is nothing lost. Ummm, isn't that sort of what I just said? The last sentence is a rule of thumb, not something I meant to be carved in stone (is anything in this game :). *****>>> When I am on a roll, I try to argue with anything... :) >>WL:13+ I actually go lower than this in practice, but I >> don't hold out much hope for survival due to poor WL >> checks. It's also nice to have the Att, Def, and >> Par that this gives you. >---> NOT. Will can safely be anywhere between 7-13 with no need to go >---> above 13 unless you started with it. I don't suggest a 7 if you can >---> at all help it, but I think you can enjoy success with as low as a 7 >---> will. The 8-1 guy (above) had a 7 will. Anything over 13 is completely >---> wasted. The points will net you more skills on wit or DF, and the AB >---> conserves endurance better than anyone else. Training is the biggest >---> concern, but if you start with a 9+, I don't consider it too much of >---> a handicap. Obviously, if you can safely get to 13 without hurting WT, >---> DF, or ST, go for it. Hokay, this is the main reason that I'm writing this. I know you didn't see it, but I recently wrote a piece that, among other things, mentioned that WL plays a part in how easily your character gives up and is killed. *****>>> I agree completely, but disagree on which side you take. Essentially, the higher your WL, the less likely your character is to die *****>>> The higher the will, the greater the desirre to "hang in there". *****>>> The more often you hang in there, the more chance you give *****>>> the other guy's kill routine to kick in. The lower the will, *****>>> the more apt you warrior is to giving up rather than take another *****>>> hit. The 14-6 warrior had a 13 will. Others have had 12, 15, 15 *****>>> etc. from X amount of damage. The fact that your warrior died the second time he lost was probably due to his 7 WL. Had his WL been 15 or so, he'd probably still be with you (of course, you never know for certain, but hey). I will concede that this theory IS hard to prove conclusively, but I think that if you look at your record you'll find that high WL guys survive beatings that the low WL guys don't. *****>>> It _is_ hard to prove... :) But I didn't find anything of *****>>> the sort in regard to my dead AB's. And there are LOTS... :( If it wasn't for that fact, I'd agree with you wholeheartedly. >>SP: 5-13 5 is the min, but I'd rarely go much higher than 9. >> After SZ, I'd say that this is the lowest priority >> stat. I does sort of affect your defensive strategy >> of choice, though (high SP = dodge, low = parry). >---> I agree here. Higher than 13 means you are passing up a great PR >---> for an AB who didn't need the speed. I dunno about the parry tactic, >---> unless your particular AB likes the QS. I'd say dodge in any other case. I'd have to say that the parry dodge thing is personal preference. Still, if your AB has a 5 SP, he won't dodge as well as one with a 9 SP, but his parry isn't really affected, meaning that it is likely to be more reliable. I suppose the safest thing to say is that it's a judgement call here. *****>>> To be honest, I wasn't looking at the different skill base btw *****>>> 5 and 9 SP, only the experience I have had dodging vs parrying *****>>> over 6 years of running AB's. *****>>> I guess the strategy debate will rage shortly... *grin* I am *****>>> looking forward to it. >Vlad, who doesn't have a damn "header" to put at the end of his files, but runs >House Jhereg (35, 103) Almost Exactly (29, 103) and occasionally: Hey, try making one up. It's fun :D *****>>> Vlad, who has just founded the "Dare To Be Different" secret *****>>> society for those who refuse to bend to peer pressure. *****>>> Encypted information to follow! Oh, and he runs *****>>> House Jhereg (35,103) and Almost Exactly (29,103) and... : >Take The Fifth (13, 103) >Lyric Legends (30) >The Long Run (57) >Doli Capax (27) [end of article] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Referenced By Up