Principles of Combat
I would like to preface this entire discussion with the fact that these are my express opinions. They are not the only way things can be done. Some terminology may be unique to me, as each roleplayer has learned in different formats.
The purpose of this is to assist in creating potential frameworks for a variety of threads that may incorporate combat. I have split the topic into key categories: How to Combat, Developing a character for combat, Combat as a Plot Device, and Incorporating Combat Into Your Thread.
How to Combat
At first threads incorporating combat can be daunting for the new roleplayer. However, by and large, combat is merely logic.
One of, if not the most important principle those that participate in combat need to understand is time. All actions in combat consume some amount of time. Being aware of this will be incredibly important to the effectiveness of you and your character in combat.
Understanding time in combat is best done in examples.
“X charged at Y and punched Y’s face.”
In this simple statement, X’s post consumes some amount of time (this could vary depending on a number of factors) for the charge as well as the punch. You can now consider Y to have whatever the time X consumed to do what they would like, such as prepare a spell or ability, draw a weapon, switch stances, or a variety of other actions. Of course, this also assumes that X’s post is entirely plausible, but that is an entirely different matter. Let us clarify our original combat statement a bit further. X started at a distance of 50 feet and is in great physical shape and doesn’t have any special ability augmenting him currently. Let us assign 3 seconds to the charging action for X’s post considering X must also be able to orient a punch, which isn’t practical at a sprinting speed for that distance.
Innue Note: I would refer to X existing in +3s time while Y exists at 0 time.
Since X cannot control what Y will do during this time, they are free to do what they want within that timeline. Let us say in this example that Y is practiced at utilizing throwing weapons and flung one off of his hip early in X’s charge with the response, “Y, seeing the charge directly at them from X, flung their [insert logical throwing weapon] at X’s chest.”
Give Y’s response post, there is little reason for that weapon not to be lodged in X’s chest. This is due to two reasons, the first being more important – X defined his action as an absolute. Secondly, given the speed we assume X is moving at to close that distance, as well as the speed a throwing weapon could be moving at him in response, it would be difficult to dodge even independently of that. But what is an absolute? An absolute is an action that has stated to occurred – it has happened, it already exists and cannot be undone. X has not only stated he completed his charge, but also punched Y. While great for the time example, it is a poor combat post because X has done those actions with little recourse for him to react to Y’s post without contradicting his original post that Y is reacting to (this sounds more confusing than it actually is)!
X would have much greater success utilizing a post such as this, “X began to charge at Y, aiming to close the distance swiftly, fist ready at their side to punch at Y’s face should the opportunity be there.”
While this is not a perfect post in itself either, it does address a number of the fundamental issues with the original statement we used in our time explanation. I have bolded key statements that should be examined closer, as the inclusions of that wordage are key to the effectiveness to the post. In our modified statement, X is only beginning to charge, which means the time consumed isn’t absolute. If you look back to our definition of an absolute, you will see that he has not stated anything other than the beginning of an action. The distance he is closing is not defined, Y will likely have a harder time abusing the time that X is potentially consuming. The onus is now on Y to define exactly when he is now reacting to X’s charge, giving X potential time to react to Y’s reaction. Y’s throwing weapon post no longer is ‘guaranteed’ to hit because X is not committed to punching Y.
Y is now forced to post something of the sort, “Y saw X’s swift charge and immediately flung their [insert throwing weapon] at their chest before they could close much distance.”
Innue Note: You will note in the new Y reaction statement that I have opted not to define distances. This is mostly due to working with non-specifics in the original statements, as well as to address the ‘discussion’ phase that often happens in combat.
X can now respond to Y’s reaction with, “X dipped slightly to the left, narrowly avoiding the weapon as they closed the remaining gap between themselves and Y, fist still ready to strike at Y’s face.”
Again, not a perfect post, but for the simplicity of the explanation, it demonstrates the utilization of certain qualifiers in combat. You will note that good combat has a slightly different structure than many other types of posts. The actions tend to lean on the more variable side, dealing a lot with absolutes and potential outcomes.
These same principles apply to special abilities too. However, there are wide arrays of them and stylistic implementations of them depending on the universe will affect how much time they would take to complete the action. Always have a general sense for how long each of your abilities should take to prepare and in the instance of projectile abilities a general sense of how fast they travel. Some abilities, in some universes, will potentially require no time to prepare and implement, while in others they will take time.
Let us take a second look at time utilizing the new examples. In the new example, X is only potentially consuming an amount of time. Y defines the amount of time consumed by X by utilizing his weapon throw at X’s charge. Because of X’s original post in the second example, they are both at the same (or very near to it) point in time when he begins his second post. This is an effective tool to utilize in serious and competitive combat.
However, inevitably you will run into conflicts between IC (in-charater) posts between two players that need to be resolved. Knowing how to properly engage in a discussion with other players is an art in itself. It is key to approach these out of character discussion calmly. Present your case, dissect the amount of time each person is using, and have a rational base for how your abilities or motions are working within the universe defined (as certain special fandom universes may have different logics that exist within them). It would be very common to have a discussion about distances from the second example exchange between X and Y.
Finally, when engaging in combat, be thoughtful about your details. Be cautious in our usage of absolutes (you will have to use them occasionally). And make sure to remember – reaction times often will consume logical time!
Innue Note: Do not monologue during serious combat.
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