Official: GM Finros Calls for Unarmed Combat Messaging Help

[Fallen]

I'd like to invite player contributions to flavor messaging for the upcoming Unarmed Combat System. Flavor messaging refers to the small blurb describing the hit, as per the bolded line in this example from the standard combat system, below:

You swing a mace at a greater ice giant!
AS: +191 vs DS: +71 with AvD: +38 + d100 roll: +84 = +242
... and hit for 46 points of damage!
Right elbow smashed into a thousand pieces.
The ice giant is stunned!
Roundtime: 5 sec.

Of course, that bit of flavor text is fairly straightforward. There's plenty of room for sarcasm, wit, cleverness, and snark as well, such as in these other existing examples:

- Horrid jolt to forehead amplifies brain waves. You hear the kobold scream in your head.
- Acid dissolves abdominal muscles. No sucking in the gut now!
- Tap to the arm pricks some interest but not much else.

The new Unarmed Combat System will feature four primary attack types. Each of them will require flavor messaging for the various body parts, and for all severity levels. There's plenty of room for player creativity in there for those of you who are interested in having your contributions built into the combat system. Here are the parameters:

1.) Each message can apply to one of four attack types: jab, punch, grapple, kick. Grappling can include sweeps, throws, locks, wrenches, and similar attack subtypes.

2.) Each message should apply to a single body part: head, neck, right and left eyes, chest, back, abdomen, right and left arms, right and left hands, right and left legs. Right and left can usually be substituted for each other in any message to have it apply to both body parts.

3.) Messaging can be for any level of hit severity, from "love tap" to "instant death" and everything in between.

4.) Messages should not refer to side effects. In other words, a message about damaging the leg should not refer to knocking the target down or stunning it -- this is handled separately. Messaging about instant death is allowed, but not preferred.

5.) Messages should not be any longer than 120 characters or so, on at most two lines. That isn't a hard limit, but I probably won't use anything longer unless I think you've been exceedingly clever. Remember, brevity is wit.

6.) There's no need to include a full set of 1st/2nd/3rd person messaging if it would apply. Only provide the 3rd person messaging and I can make the necessary adaptions myself where needed.

Feel free to post your contributions here on the forums, or you can send them to me directly through email. I'm not running this as a contest, but it is a way to make your mark on a Gemstone system that will be in constant use throughout the game.


If anyone wants me to x-post their ideas, let me know. The thread is here: http://forums.play.net/forums/GemStone%20IV/Monks/Developer's%20Corner%20-%20Monks/view/91

[Drevihyin]

http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t197/riverduck/imagesCA9TSIAG.jpg

[Wharde]

I suspect that they'll add KAPOW! now.

[phantasm]

jab, punch, grapple, kick

boring...where is the drunken monkey style punch.

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/646/ongbak3screen4.jpg

[Latrinsorm]

Why? Jabs, punches, and kicks all do crush damage, and there's already both an ensnare and an unbalance table. For a project as comically overdue as monks, does it really make sense to spend time making up 4 new crit tables?

[SpiffyJr]

Why? Jabs, punches, and kicks all do crush damage, and there's already both an ensnare and an unbalance table. For a project as comically overdue as monks, does it really make sense to spend time making up 4 new crit tables?

Does it really make sense to pay $15-$40 for an online text game in the 21st century? Nope, but people do it. :)

[waywardgs]

Where's the bitch slap?

[audioserf]

Does it make sense to pay $15-$40 for a text based game and then have the GMs ask the customers to do the work for them? lmao @ this entire thing

[Androidpk]

Why? Jabs, punches, and kicks all do crush damage, and there's already both an ensnare and an unbalance table. For a project as comically overdue as monks, does it really make sense to spend time making up 4 new crit tables?

Jabs should do pierce too.

[Latrinsorm]

Jabs should do pierce too.Disirregardless.

Also, I'm having some crazy deja vu with your remark.

[Androidpk]

Disirregardless.

Also, I'm having some crazy deja vu with your remark.

wut

[Latrinsorm]

wutlul

[kookiegod]

Does it make sense to pay $15-$40 for a text based game and then have the GMs ask the customers to do the work for them? lmao @ this entire thing

Think about how many messages this is to write.

13 body parts x 9 crit ranks = 117
x 4 attack styles = 468 minimum

And then likely, there will be different ones for crush, pound, and impact

So 468 x 3 = 1404

If they have slash or puncture crits, it goes up again.

Honestly, that's a lot of writing, then coding that all in, I'd want some help too.


~Paul

[Lord Orbstar]

and you get the satisfaction, one day, of seeing some shit YOU wrote in the game. I think it is cool.

[SpiffyJr]

and you get the satisfaction, one day, of seeing some shit YOU wrote in the game that no one plays. I think it is cool.

Fixed!

... okay, I'm done trolling.

[Stry]

1404
If they have slash or puncture crits, it goes up again.

Honestly, that's a lot of writing, then coding that all in, I'd want some help too.

This.

Yeah, I think people drastically underestimate how many messages there needs to be and how long it takes to write some of this stuff. I'll certainly submit a few. It's always neat to see your ideas become reality in game.

[Latrinsorm]

Yeah, I think people drastically underestimate how many messages there needs to be and how long it takes to write some of this stuff. I'll certainly submit a few. It's always neat to see your ideas become reality in game.I for one am still not convinced there needs to be any new messages.

[Stry]

I for one am still not convinced there needs to be any new messages.

Huh? It's an entirely new combat system. How would it make any sense at all to use old messaging?

That's like saying they should have used the messaging for Blunt weapons when they designed the Acid Spell crit table.

Really?

[Stry]

I'll add that I'm VERY glad to see them ask for help with this. That is a huge amount of work. It lets players contribute and also helps to avoid GM burnout.

I can't imagine trying to design 1400 ideas by myself for this new system.

[Makkah]

I agree with Lorminstra. Why waste all this time with new messaging when the effect will be practically the same. Just swap in the crushing and unbalance table.

[Stry]

I agree with Lorminstra. Why waste all this time with new messaging when the effect will be practically the same. Just swap in the crushing and unbalance table.

/facepalm

At both of you.

Sure, some of the messaging could work and so could some from Voln Fu. But not all of it and most would need to be tweaked to make sense.

It makes no sense at all to have the exact same messaging when using your fist/heel/knee or bodyweight to fight compared to using a weapon or spell. Unbalance scripts for the flares and spell are incredibly vague in most cases.

[Makkah]

So by all means... let's add another 6 months to a project that is already 5 years late.

[Stry]

So by all means... let's add another 6 months to a project that is already 5 years late.

Or, you know, we could help a little like they're asking for instead of half-assing the project.

Damn, I guess that's asking too much.

[Smythe]

Naw, stick wit' it, Stry.

I like!

- Smythe

[Danical]

Think about how many messages this is to write.

13 body parts x 9 crit ranks = 117
x 4 attack styles = 468 minimum


There are 10 crit ranks, zero is a crit rank. Use (right|left) you have 9 body locations * 10 crit messages * 4 styles = 360. Still, too many for my tastes.



And then likely, there will be different ones for crush, pound, and impact

So 468 x 3 = 1404


This is highly illogical. Why introduce multiplicity when the original 4 styles are self-contained? It will be the jab critical table, kick critical table, etc.



If they have slash or puncture crits, it goes up again.


No, it doesn't. All previous crit tables are already defined and these new ones will be self-contained.

[Makkah]

What about the weapon types they're including in the new UAC? Aren't there 3 or so they're allowing into the fold? Does that further add clashing/puncture?

[Danical]

What about the weapon types they're including in the new UAC? Aren't there 3 or so they're allowing into the fold? Does that further add clashing/puncture?

From what's been released about that, it just increases the "damage" of the attack and reduces the chance to "hit" slightly.

EDIT: From Nilandia Notes --

f) Most existing unarmed weapons won’t work (3 will)

i) More damage, but lowers accuracy

ii) Tiger claw and brass knuckles

[Makkah]

Don't see how it will make any sense with the tables. Crush vs crush/slash for tiger claws. More work.

[Androidpk]

Has anyone submitted anything yet?

[Stry]

I've written up 50 basic ideas I'll be submitting later tonight if I have time after work. Some need more work/thought especially considering I'm sleep deprived at the moment.

May write more if work stays slow. Mmhrm. Good employee am I.

Most of my ideas I've tried to go off of my meager knowledge of martial arts and how someone trained in hand-2-hand combat would actually approach taking down something like a frost giant with their bare hands, targeting weak/soft spots of the body etc.

(Monks suddenly seem very bad ass in my mind...)

Example of a few:

Grapple - Eye - lvl 6-7 crit? - 'Eye socket provides a convenient finger hold. That eye wasn't needed anyway!'

This would cause a knock down and lvl 3 hit + stun depending on the creature.

Kick - leg - lvl 3-5 crit? - 'Swift kick snaps knee backward. That isn't supposed to bend that way!'

Would cause a lvl 2 wound/possible knock down.

[Lord Orbstar]

do one for the abdomen that is some sort of shocker hold

Strike to the abdomen jams two in the pink and one in the stink. Shocking!

[Latrinsorm]

Huh? It's an entirely new combat system. How would it make any sense at all to use old messaging?

That's like saying they should have used the messaging for Blunt weapons when they designed the Acid Spell crit table.

Really?For starters, the closed fist already uses crush crits. It made enough sense for 20 years, a monk using it instead of a warrior doesn't change anything.

Obviously different messages would be needed for grapple, but it would be very easy to use the ensnare or unbalance tables. Here are some examples from ensnare:

Tough leg grapple followed by a *snap* in the left leg!
Chest grapple, decent grip.
Decent blow to the head, may leave a bruise.
Solid chest grapple, you are winded!
Weak grapple around the neck bruises windpipe.
Strong wrist lock, tendons strained!
Fierce arm lock twists your right arm!
Hard head twist sends jolts of pain up the neck!
Hard pull to the arm throws you off balance.

[Wharde]

do one for the abdomen that is some sort of shocker hold

Strike to the abdomen jams two in the pink and one in the stink. Shocking!

:rofl:

[Wharde]

Nice, Stry.

[Stry]

64 ideas up on the officials.

Note to self: Orbstar's idea of unarmed combat is not at all the same as mine...

[phantasm]

Please take time to submit critical message ideas that involve doing combat with your penis.

Penile Crit Table
Rank 0
Rank 1
Rank 2
Rank 3
Rank 4
Rank 5
Rank 6
Rank 7
Rank 8
Rank 9 Hard slam to the cervix. NNNggGhh!

[GS4_HappyTimez]

What did I tell you people? They had to scrap a few things and redo a LOT of things, but they're right on the money here. Submit some good messaging and this bad boy is finally done and will revolutionize this game. Told you.

[pabstblueribbon]

What did I tell you people? They had to scrap a few things and redo a LOT of things, but they're right on the money here. Submit some good messaging and this bad boy is finally done and will revolutionize this game. Told you.

Ugh.. too easy.

[joehollywood]

With the amount of time and number of missed deadlines associated with this.

I'll be satisfied with nothing less than the unarmed combat system, and the flavoring messaging along with it, to be based entirely upon the finishing moves used by members of the WWE!

Old WCW, NWA, and AWA moves are also acceptable ( other than the diamond cutter, that one was just dumb )

If I don't get to administer a "perfect-plex" against a kobold, I'll be pissed.

[kookiegod]

With the amount of time and number of missed deadlines associated with this.

I'll be satisfied with nothing less than the unarmed combat system, and the flavoring messaging along with it, to be based entirely upon the finishing moves used by members of the WWE!

Old WCW, NWA, and AWA moves are also acceptable ( other than the diamond cutter, that one was just dumb )

If I don't get to administer a "perfect-plex" against a kobold, I'll be pissed.

What was wrong with the 74 variations of the Diamond Cutter??? A variation was the Stone Cold Stunner, The Hardy's Twist of Fate (twist of hate for Jeff now that he's a bad guy) and now the RKO.

Still, I'd love to use the Koji clutch vs a kobold, or the Space Flying Tiger Drop or my favorite finisher, Double A's spinebuster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIl8rH4smiQ&NR=1

As the kobold runs into your waiting arms, you jack him up and twisting sharply, you plant him into the ground as blood runs out of his mouth and spinal fluid leaks from his broken neck.

and oh...the superkick of doom...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJLKXq8MGEk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-RcSahbrjE

[Archigeek]

More messaging for more fun.

[Fallen]

>Should we be concerned about what degree of severity it is--"rank 5" versus "rank 8"--or should we just write stuff, and let you guys assign severity?

Unarmed combat doesn't follow the existing crit rank pattern, so don't worry about severity in that regard. I'll fit the flavor messaging into the appropriate slots for the new mechanics.

>Just a kind of request here. I love voln fu but some of the moves it uses does shouldn't happen here is an example.

I intend to carry over as much Voln messaging as possible, but not all of it will be appropriate. Duplication of status effects (like knocking something down multiple times) will be avoided, as you say.

http://forums.play.net/forums/GemStone%20IV/Monks/Developer%27s%20Corner%20-%20Monks/view/106

[Stretch]

I will return to GS if they replace fireball messaging with pchew pchew pchew

[Jack]

you will return anyway....

[Danical]

I will return to GS if they replace fireball messaging with pchew pchew pchew

The VA earthquake made you realize just how awesome Teras is . . . DIDN'T IT?!!?!?1