Vordak

Arena Chat Thread

The input is much appreciated. I feel like i'm now a step closer to becoming a master in playing pretend. :^)

Arena Chat Thread

Having contemplated this for a while and experienced the subject matter firsthand (courtesy of MelonHead), i'd like to ask all you folks (and i might as well pose the same question at the GCL while i'm at it) whether you agree or disagree with me that offense in a roleplay melee is harder to execute properly than a defense?

To expand on it, here's my main argument: in most cases, you aren't going to be hitting your opponent unless they make a mistake and set up a situation that allows you to capitalize on that; and who is at a greater risk of making that very mistake - the attacker or the defender? If you go in first and your opponent is an experienced fighter who knows how to defend properly, chances are, the scales are going to tip in their favor, not yours; you open yourself up to a counter and commit yourself to an action, while they have the choice, whether to counter or not.

In real life, there's such a factor as pressure: the attacker may lock their opponent down and force them to panic, eventually failing to defend and attack and getting hit. But what is the equivalent of that in a roleplay fight? How can you seize the initiative as the attacking side when going up against a fighter of equal skill?

I do have a few ideas myself, but they're still quite vague, and while i will give it a bit more thought, i'd also be glad to see someone else contribute to the topic.

EDIT: i am also going to sleep right now, so expect no replies from me personally until morning. :P

Black Mountain Tournament: Sigurd vs Gigue

Gigue wouldn't've actually drawn it until he was on his feet, as his initial attempt at a stab was interrupted.

Black Mountain Tournament: Sigurd vs Gigue

I meant that it would be hard to see the actual knife itself, not the strike; perhaps it was a bit clumsily worded, but that was the intention. And no, the part about the kick was pretty clear; no misunderstanding here.

Black Mountain Tournament: Sigurd vs Gigue

Gigue well remembered that there were two axes and a shield lying nearby, so when Sigurd chose flight over fight, it came to him as no surprise – the warrior would be putting himself in a far better position if he got either of those. Likewise, he too would be expecting Gigue to try and stop his retreat – yet what he wouldn’t be prepared for was the knife in the brawler’s hand.

A viper quick thrust, aimed for the closer foot, plunging deep and leaving only a split-second window of time to react: Sigurd wouldn’t even see the blade coming, its path obscured by his opponent’s large body. The only sign of something coming would be the movement of Gigue’s arm; however, seeing as the warrior prepared himself to answer with a kick, rather than simply pulling his leg back, that might’ve just further ensured the imminence of his doom. If only by luck, Sigurd could be spared of what was to come next; but if he had none to spare, a painful trip was waiting ahead.

With the knife lodged in its target, Gigue would wrap his hand around tighter, turning the looser saber into a firm hammer grip, and twist it around, so that the blade would no longer be in line with the wound channel, effectively making it stuck in his opponent’s foot. A violent yank, and the brute would reel Sigurd in, pulling the man’s ankle underneath his left armpit, with the foot hooking around the front of the shoulder. Standing higher allowed him to lift the man slightly off the ground as he did so, reducing traction and thwarting any attempt to resist; overwhelming strength coupled with better positioning would prove to be decisive, bringing the advantage to his side.

Maintaining the hold would cost the wrestler a few moments of hell, as he'd have to fight against Sigurd's foot with his badly injured left side; arm crossing over his body to grab onto the right shoulder, he hoped to at least elevate the strain and recruit the strength of his uninjured muscles - the pectoral, bicep, deltoids - to buy himself a few extra seconds.

Fortunately, Gigue knew exactly what to do in this time. The knife would slide out and plunge into flesh again, seeking to now bury itself near the femoral artery, on the inside of Sigurd's right thigh; punch through the leather, force it handle deep and then slice through it all on the way out, leaving a large, gushing hollow in the leg. If there wasn't enough blood pouring out - rinse and repeat, to make it a fact that Sigurd's death would be minutes away.

A method as good as any to make to strip the man of his defiance - that is, if all went smooth for Gigue.

Writing question

You could call the ones that can interact with the physical plane 'Manifests', seeing as their actions would have some sort of physical manifestation.

Black Mountain Tournament: Sigurd vs Gigue

Gigue would be right next to him, his left knee about half a foot away from Sigurd's side and in line with his chest. And yeah, it's a bit confusing, but Gigue has his left side turned towards Sigurd, not his back - however, the positioning is such, that his back will be what Sigurd is seeing. Its as if two people were laying down next to each other, and one sat up - the other will see their back.

Black Mountain Tournament: Sigurd vs Gigue

I was a bit confused a to what exactly i should describe, and since it isn't of utmost relevance, i didn't go into detail. At this point, it's already assumed that Gigue is going to tough out spikes of pain and then collapse right after the half minute mark is reached.

If he rolls onto his knee, it the pommel would probably hit the ground, and in fact, almost wrench the sword out of the wound; so that's why i described it as 'hanging loose' in the wound. But i wasn't quite certain.

Black Mountain Tournament: Sigurd vs Gigue

Aye. It's not like he's hopping around on it.

Black Mountain Tournament: Sigurd vs Gigue

With Sigurd exactly where his pugilist approach needed him to be, it seemed like the best opportunity yet for Gigue to go ham on his opponent and start crushing bones, stamping jagged shards into flesh with his brazen fist – however, the circumstances under which he had got the pin were far from ideal. Body battered, left arm hanging limp and a sword stuck in his leg, it would be nigh impossible to keep the fight under his control, Sigurd needing just the smallest amount of effort to unbalance Gigue and bring the advantage back on his side. If the brawler were going to win this tug of war, it would be not through monstrous strength, but through his sharp cunning.

Knowing this, Gigue held back and kept a clear head, retaining acute situational awareness; and when he landed right on top of his opponent’s arm, it did not escape his attention, as it may have in an adrenalin fueled rage. Bad news, as it was now in a position where he couldn’t lock it down, leaving it as a loose factor that crippled his chances of success in a grapple. However, Sigurd’s options would be limited, and with a bit of endorsement, Gigue intended to puppeteer him: as he moved in for an attack, the brawler intentionally took a position which was easy to unbalance, making a push or shove an evident and easy escape; no doubt, Sigurd would take the bait, hurrying to get out of the pin and failing to realize the significance of one crucial detail: a foot, placed square on top of his shoulder.

The ploy worked indeed, and within a second, it was already carried to completion. The foot rammed down on the stone encased shoulder, metals heel biting into marble, leg heaved his torso upwards and hips spun it around in a counter-clockwise motion. Rather than falling onto his side, Gigue would roll onto his left knee, thigh brought off the ground, and then set down his right foot next to it, amplifying the push Sigurd gave him to assume an upright position, left side turned to his adversary. A tricky move to pull off if not for his strength, which allowed him to alter his momentum in such a manner with the subtlest of moves.

Why would he pick this over an immediate assault while he still had the warrior mounted? Perhaps it was him being overcautious, but with the body crippled, Gigue but more trust in a knife to finish his opponent than his fists, so he chose to setup a perfect situation for just that. All Sigurd would be able to see now was his back, anything he held in his hands hidden from view; and the sword, still stuck, but hanging loose in the wound. The man was left unarmed, and getting back his weapon would be tempting - little would he know that it would be certain death: hand held close to his chest, Gigue had a blade of his own at ready.