So, I'll be brief on combat since there really isn't much to talk about because it will require a poll to really solidify how people want to play it. As it is now, there are two different ways to do it, both having their benefits and trade-offs and both making combat an entirely different game. Mechanically, it's mostly the same, just how it plays out is different.
As I described before, PAR (Playing Adaptive roles) is a system based on the decisions you do with the character, not necessarily emphasizing how strong your character is or the stealth training they've gotten since those do play a part of play. With this in mind, the system being a 'story-based' system, one would think that combat would be story based as well. Which leads us to the split:
- We can do the 'standard combat ' per round. Stats determine what players can do in a round, have special abilities based on current form or skill, etc. I'd say think CoC or TiTS, but I don't personally like Fenoxo's style of combat - it best emphasizes my point of 'per round combat'.
- Technically not a different one, but another idea is If we want to be a bit different per few rounds. It'll be slightly cinematic in the sense that fighting isn't just clicking a button and getting a short description with a number and effect.
- We can to have the winner predetermined with how you 'approach' the combat as an additional option. Don't think rock-paper-scissors - all of your stats will contribute to the fight, you simply state HOW you want to fight, then the entire fight scene and results are written out in a story-like manner. Some give temporary boons and penalties to stats for that fight, depending on what you fight. For example, you'll be given a set of actions that sorta define how you want to do that fight: You're a spell-sword (mage who melee fights) and are fighting a goblin mage. You'll be given several choices, each one having it's own benefits and drawbacks - you can counter spells and fight in melee, you can ward yourself and wade into combat, or you can do a spell-casting exclusive fight. What you might not know is that Goblin Magic versus your particular magic is far stronger, so while you may still win through sheer ability or however you fight, there could be some... side-effects. Magic vs Magic would not end well (but you could still win!) where as countering long enough to get into melee and wreck his face would be the most effective - warding versus a spellcaster who could penetrate it quickly? Just as doable, but each one would have different effects, and again, different consequences.
Of course these will be randomized, and I'm completely fine with writing SEVERAL different scenes for EACH option to keep thing different and cinematic.
I hope that gives a bit of insight as to what Alteratio combat may look like after I nail down NPC interactions, which I'll be going over a bit more next week (or random post in the middle~)!
Remember, your vote does matter! Thank you all so much for sticking around and clicking those 2 buttons to vote :)