Layonara - View Single Post - PvP - Getting Hit Mechanically vs. Realistically/RP-Wise

LightlyFrosted · 01-24-08, 10:05 PM

I think the words 'abstract system' have to be said here. Sure there's a little animation that we shed blood every time we get hit, but Gulnyr said it best - just because we got 'hit' doesn't mean we're hit. It just means that our capacity to resist or avoid damage has been lowered, and we're getting closer to going into shock.

Realistically, the human body can only take so much punishment. No matter how strong or tough you are, we're practically riddled with areas that, if you get a good jab at them, can lead to major complications and death. It's possible you get cut up saber fencing, or it's possible that you don't actually start bleeding until 'badly wounded'. The trick is, you're not able to dodge blows quite as quickly, because maybe you got nicked, or maybe you're getting tired.

If someone swings a big, BIG sword at you, and connects, you're going to be pretty badly hurt. If someone fires a crossbow at an unarmoured bit of you, it's going to hurt. A lot. A lot of the time, when we get hit, we don't get hit - we just barely manage to avoid getting hit, or we get grazed. Our armour ablates the blow, and we lose a little bit of the energy, the vitality, the dumb luck or divine favour that our hitpoints represent.

Another way of looking at it is hitpoints as the ability to avoid going into shock. You aren't bleeding out until you can't stop yourself from bleeding out, after all; when your body has taken so much, or you've lost just enough of that spark that you're rendered helpless and dying.

What this says about healing potions (heavy narcotics?) and healing kits I'm not sure I want to know....

01-24-08, 10:05 PM	#34
LightlyFrosted Gamemaster Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 300 Thanks: 21 Thanked 138 Times in 61 Posts	Re: PvP - Getting Hit Mechanically vs. Realistically/RP-Wise I think the words 'abstract system' have to be said here. Sure there's a little animation that we shed blood every time we get hit, but Gulnyr said it best - just because we got 'hit' doesn't mean we're hit. It just means that our capacity to resist or avoid damage has been lowered, and we're getting closer to going into shock. Realistically, the human body can only take so much punishment. No matter how strong or tough you are, we're practically riddled with areas that, if you get a good jab at them, can lead to major complications and death. It's possible you get cut up saber fencing, or it's possible that you don't actually start bleeding until 'badly wounded'. The trick is, you're not able to dodge blows quite as quickly, because maybe you got nicked, or maybe you're getting tired. If someone swings a big, BIG sword at you, and connects, you're going to be pretty badly hurt. If someone fires a crossbow at an unarmoured bit of you, it's going to hurt. A lot. A lot of the time, when we get hit, we don't get hit - we just barely manage to avoid getting hit, or we get grazed. Our armour ablates the blow, and we lose a little bit of the energy, the vitality, the dumb luck or divine favour that our hitpoints represent. Another way of looking at it is hitpoints as the ability to avoid going into shock. You aren't bleeding out until you can't stop yourself from bleeding out, after all; when your body has taken so much, or you've lost just enough of that spark that you're rendered helpless and dying. What this says about healing potions (heavy narcotics?) and healing kits I'm not sure I want to know....