Re: Duelmasters : luck factor (LONG)

From: ccs012@shep.ucdavis.edu (Riff-Raff)

Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1992 10:36:51 +0000

In article <900667c.69@ace.acadiau.ca>, 900667c@ace.acadiau.ca (GERALD RICHARD CAMERON) writes:

|> 	And for my next lecture: luck factor.

I've already got an ally named "The Professor."  Maybe you should be called
"The Guest Lecturer"? :)

|> Some of the areas that I think it affects include:

|> 1. THE NUMBER OF WIT COMMENTS ON A CHARACTER'S OVERVIEW
|> On a character's rollup, under the comment that says how intelligent the
|> character is, are between 1-5 comments that give the character a bonus or
|> penalty in different skill areas, plus maybe a comment stating that the
|> character burns endurance at a lower rate than normal.  The number of these
|> statements appears to be totally random, although geared to be 3 or more.
|> A "lucky" character will get more of these comments.

Aside from the fact that a character can get between 0 and 6 wit comments,
including an endurance statement, this is true and has been pretty much
accepted for a long time.  It's a good thing to note, though.

I would say that the "average" is somewhat less than 3, and probably closer
to 2, but I'm not sure.  This may just be my bad luck, but also probably
has something to do with the fact that the dumber a character is, the more
likely that *less* comments mean a luckier warrior.  After all, it's better
for the roll-up to not to say "Stands around slack-jawed," or "Wastes his
endurance foolishly" than it is to actually have a comment.

Or maybe I just run too many bashers... 8-P

|> 2. THE NUMBER OF INITIAL SKILS A CHARACTER HAS
|> This is what I mentioned in my skills article.  While a certain base level
|> of skills is determined by the character's stats being at or above certain
|> breakpoints, all non-breakpoint numbers are checked for a chance of giving a
|> skill like a breakpoint does in the areas that the stat affects.  This is
|> determined by a random roll.  I don't think that some characters are
|> actually luckier than others because they have a higher chance of geting
|> these skills.  Instead, some characters are luckier than others because they
|> happen to get more of these skills than others.  This check is the
|> difference between two characters with the same stats not having the same
|> initial skill levels.

A fairly well documented occurrence in Duelmasters, which was apparently
instituted to keep manager's from "cloning" designs.  I'm not sure exactly
what "luck" does to skill ratings, since I have a Wall of Steel who started
with 5 WT comments, yet had the worst Dodge bonus ever recorded by a Waste
among my allies.  And his other ratings weren't so hot, either.

|> 3. A CHARACTER'S ENDURANCE RATING
|> A character gets a certain base enurance rating, based on his ST, CN, and
|> WL, and then this factor is multiplied by a randomly generated factor in
|> order to get the character's actual endurance.  I imagine that the factor
|> remains the same for any givin character throughout his career, giving him
|> his own, more or less unique, endurance stat breakpoints.

I don't know about this.  I tend to think that your endurance rating has more
to do with your character's particular ST/CN mix, as well as his SP (yes, SP)
and style.  Also, larger characters seem to get worse endurance ratings that
smaller characters.

This is one of those areas where there are too many factors involved in
determining the actual endurance rating to isolate any one thing as luck.  I
I'm sure that luck is involved somehow, I just don't know how.

|> 4. A CHARACTER'S QUICKNESS & ACTIVITY
|> Basically the same as endurance, except using different stats.

Possibly.  Luck definitely affects your chances to get comments like "Incredibly
Quick and Elusive - Making Even Dangerous Opponents Look Harmless," but I'm of
a mind that for the most part a character's Activity rating is a function of
WT/SP and style.

An interesting study was done by a friend of mine a while ago, and he found that
you can more or less tell how far a character is from Expert Init by what Quick-
ness rating he got.  "Sensationally quick and active" characters always got
Expert Init on the roll-up, while "Incredibly quick and active" characters got
it if they had an Init comment under WT.

I don't know that this means anything, but I thought you'd like to know.

|> 5. WHO GETS THE JUMP IN A FIGHT
|> At the beginning of a fight, the first warrior to act is determined by a
|> number of things, such as the character's DEC rating, what weapon he is
|> using, what his strategy is, and, in all likelyhood, a randomly generated
|> number.  The sum of these factors is compared between characters, and the
|> higher one gets the jump.

Who gets the jump in a fight is not affected by luck in any more than an
indirect manner.  As you duly noted, Decis rating, Weapon speed and range,
as well as a RANDOMLY GENERATED NUMBER  all determine who swings first.
Saying that a character is lucky only means that he rolls higher somewhat
consistently (which is hard to determine because we have no idea how a lot
of the factors intermesh), and nothing more.  Once a character gets his
favorite weapon and favorite strategy, things get even more cloudy.

This is definitely an overuse of the luck factor.  It doesn't pervade *every-
thing*.  My opinion is that it really only affects characters at generation,
and after that every character is on his own.

|> 6. WHETHER OR NOT A BLOW LANDS
|> Same as no. 5, as are whether ripostes are successful, whether a character
|> keeps the initiative, etc.

Please.  This is clearly a skill based area, and the only thing random about
it as that there is a proverbial die roll involved.

|> 7.  WHETHER A CHARACTER GETS DESPERATE/DIES
|> When a charcter gets hit he must succeed a WL check to see if he goes
|> desperate.  The difficulty level is determined by the amount of damage taken
|> relative to his damage taking capacity, and then a target number is
|> generated by whatever is needed for a character of WL x to pass a WL check
|> of difficulty factor of y.  The computer then rolls a number, and if the
|> check succeeds, the character does not become desperate.  If he fails, the
|> character becomes deperate.  Once a character is desperate, including the
|> blow that makes him desperate, another WL check of a lower difficulty is
|> made to see is the character dies.  Infirmary deaths are the result of one
|> of two possibilities.  Either the character just barely blew his last WL
|> check, or else a final WL check of even lower severity is made, and if it
|> fails, then the character dies in the infirmary.  I lean towards the second,
|> and the level of success/failure determines what, if any, infirmary comment
|> appears.

This sounds suspiciously like morale in AD&D.  Characters have a certain number
of hit points, and within this total number there are various critical points.
Once a character reaches a set breakpoint (it may be 50%, I don't know) of his
total damage taking ability, he must make a roll to determine if he or she goes
desperate.  If he or she does, then he must check to see if he will continue.
This roll is determined almost entirely by WL.  Past desperation, there is a
point where your character has so few hit points that he gives up.  When fight-
ing warriors who do a lot of damage, they may knock you into this "give up"
arena without ever entering desperation, but this is very rare.

Where luck definitely is a factor is in Arenamaster intervention.  He is more
likely to stop fights when "lucky" characters are involved and about to die;
unlucky characters die.

I guess this could be the final acid test.  :)

I personally think that too much is made about a character's luck.  To me, it
is the same as SZ: it's determined by RSI and there's nothing you can do about
it.  Luck definitely affects various areas, and it's effect is independent
in each individual area.  No WT comments doesn't meant that your character
doesn't excel in certain areas (the best ST I've had so far started with 0
WT comments, then went on to go 12-2).

I don't know if my comments enlightened anyone, but I thought I'd throw my
thousands of dollars worth of DM experience over 7 years out there for dis-
cussion.  If I contradicted myself, I can only say "I contradict myself?
Very well, I am large.  I am a complex creature."

Trump

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References

Re: Duelmasters : luck factor (LONG)
900667c@ace.acadiau.ca (GERALD RICHARD CAMERON)
Wed, 11 Mar 1992 22:25:31 +0000
Duelmasters : luck factor
dao@d62iggy.mitre.org (David A. Ondzes)
Tue, 10 Mar 1992 16:32:16 +0000

Referenced By

Re: Duelmasters : luck factor (LONG)
900667c@ace.acadiau.ca (GERALD RICHARD CAMERON)
Wed, 11 Mar 1992 22:25:31 +0000
Duelmasters : luck factor
dao@d62iggy.mitre.org (David A. Ondzes)
Tue, 10 Mar 1992 16:32:16 +0000