diff -r 3164c82ac16e -r bdef1afd1170 draft/dream19jun03.txt --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/draft/dream19jun03.txt Wed Aug 30 21:32:44 2006 -0400 @@ -0,0 +1,448 @@ +RPGnet + + + + Reviews Forums +News & Press Columns & +Info RPG Wiki + RPG Shop + + + + The Impossible Dream + + + #7: Assessing Damage + +*by Hunter Logan* +Jun 19,2003 + + +Last installment, I claimed this installment would be about play +samples. I changed my mind. I think people who read this column know +that play samples are scripts of a play session and that play samples +are good for demonstrating how a game works. Going on about that for a +whole installment seems like overkill, so let me sum up: Use play +samples because they're good and helpful. Now, on to something +infinitely more interesting: Assessing damage in game terms. + +Practical Considerations +A designer has at least four practical considerations that should +underlie decisions about damage in a game system. + + * *Complexity:* The number of steps and the difficulty of completing + those steps, elements that Brian Gleichman calls /Complexity of + Implementation/. As a designer, you can make the means for + handling damage as simple or complex as you like. + + * *Lethality:* The amount of punishment a character can take before + falling out of action. In a very lethal implementation, players + might actually avoid combat because of the real threat to a + character's life. In a less lethal implementation, players might + want to fight a lot, especially if fighting is rewarded. + + * *Realism:* The true-to-life aspects of damage in the game. A + realistic implementation will bring results that approximate what + would happen in the real world. In that respect, greater realism + brings increased lethality. Yet, I maintain that producing truly + realistic results is extremely difficult. The best a designer can + do is to produce consistent, believable results. + + * *Satisfaction:* The player's satisfaction with the methods and + results for handling damage. Satisfaction is an intangible result + and not strictly limited to issues of damage assessment. + +Damage and Play Flow +Like any other aspect of an rpg, the rules and mechanical processes for +handling damage can be expressed through play flow. A lot of this +overlaps with rules for combat, but I've decided not to approach combat +as a subset of game rules for two reasons. First, I think most people +have their own ideas about how combat should run. I don't really know +what I could add to that. Second, combat is not the only time characters +give or receive damage. So, I want to concentrate on the ways and means +for assessing damage. Here is an example: + + * *Event:* A character is faced with an otherworldly horror, a + creature so bizarre and disgusting that no words could express the + reality of seeing it. + + * *Decision:* The player doesn't want his character looking at any + horrific monstrosities. He declares, "I try to get the hell out of + there as fast as I can, and without looking at that /thing/!" + + * *Resolution:* + o *Device (unopposed):* The GM has the player roll dice to see + whether or not the character looked directly at the monster + while the GM rolls dice to see if the monster looked + directly at the character. + o *Evaluation:* The player rolls poorly while the GM rolls + pretty well. The monster and the character look at each other. + o *Device (opposed):* Looking into the face of such a monster + can cause a person to go insane. Thus, the player must roll + against the monster's effect to avoid psychological damage. + This is an opposed die roll. + o *Evaluation:* The player rolls against the GM and the + monster wins. The GM determines that the character takes 9 + points of /Horror/ against his /Stability/ attribute. The + character runs off in a panic, screaming the whole way. + +Two Specific Issues +I want to address two specific issues related to damage: Armor and the +death spiral. + +*Armor:* Designers decide how armor will protect a character. I have +seen three common methods for treating armor. The methods can be +combined as desired. + + * *Makes the target harder to hit:* This idea causes consternation + for some people, because good armor is heavy and wearing heavy + armor should make a person easier to hit. Yet, good armor should + make it harder for opponents to injure the person wearing it. So, + making the character harder to hit as a result of wearing armor is + one way to abstract the entire relationship. The trouble is, a + miss might not really mean an opponent missed. It might just mean + an opponent's blow bounced off the character's armor. + + * *Reduces the damage inflicted:* This idea seems to make people + happy. This way, good armor can be heavy. It can even make the + person wearing the armor an easy target, but the armor will absorb + some (if not all) incoming damage. + + * *Absorbs damage until destroyed:* This idea always struck me as + being very strange. Armor should be destructible. It's just that + most designers who treat armor this way fix it so that the armor + takes /all/ the damage until it's /completely destroyed/. Then, + its value as protection is completely gone. I think it's better to + treat the armor as a means for reducing damage; but after so many + hits, the armor becomes less effective. Eventually, the armor will + need repair or it will wear away to nothing. + +*The Death Spiral:* Each time a character takes damage, the character +becomes weaker and easier to kill. Death spirals are often enforced with +loss of character ability and penalties to the die roll. As a designer, +you have to decide for yourself whether or not a death spiral is +appropriate for your game. + +The Deal with Damage +Damage is a universal phenomenon in rpgs. Most every game has rules for +hurting PCs, smashing monsters, and destroying stuff. The means for +doing that are part of the game's rules. The best way to figure things +out is to answer questions. + + * What sort of damage will the players have to track? + * How is damage inflicted? + * How is damage quantified? + * What effect does damage have on the recipient? + * How is damage avoided or reduced? + * How is damage repaired? + +Damage Types +Not all damage is the same. The sword slash that hurts the body is +different from the bad news that damages the psyche or the blast of +ghostly energy that pierces the character's very soul. In the end, I +think designers choose from four types of damage: + + * *Physical harm* is simply damage to the character's body. This + happens when a character is shot, stabbed, smashed with heavy + objects. This may result in bruises, contusions, broken bones, + assorted internal injuries and a whole lot of pain. Physical harm + is by far the most common sort of damage in rpgs. It may affect + the character's ability to do things. + + * *Psychological harm* is damage to the character's psyche. This is + practically guaranteed to any character in a /Call of Cthulhu/ + game. This may cause the character to lose his grip on reality or + just go insane. Psychological harm is less common than physical + harm, but it shows up in a surprising number of rpgs. + + * *Spiritual harm* is damage to the character's very essence, + spirit, soul, or whatever. This most often happens to characters + that leave their bodies behind and project themselves into other + dimensions; but certain monsters in various games are capable of + bypassing the body to inflict direct spiritual harm. + + * *Material loss* is damage to or loss of a character's stuff. This + happens whenever a weapon breaks, a crash trashes a vehicle, or a + character loses the use of any piece of equipment. Players like to + give their characters toys, and sometimes those toys get broken. + +Means of Inflicting Damage +There are plenty of ways to inflict damage, but most of them fit in four +categories. + + * *Weapons* include fists, feet, and any sort of tool or device + intended to kill people and blow stuff up. These are a primary + means of inflicting damage in many games. + + * *Character Ability* includes cast spells, psionics, or any other + means a character can use to project or trigger an effect without + a weapon. + + * *Unknown forces* include all the creatures of dream and nightmare + that may or may not exist in the game world. Even seeing one of + these things might be enough to harm a character, though it might + be enough for the unknown forces to see the character. + + * *Player decision* includes all the things a player decides to have + the character do in the game. Certain decisions may damage the + character, but the player will have the character do these things + anyway. This is a causal relationship that usually has more to do + with psychological or spiritual damage than physical damage; but + anything is possible. A character that uses performance-enhancing + drugs may develop a dependency; a character with too much + cyberware may edge toward psychosis; and a character who delves + too deeply into the Necronomicon will surely go insane. + +Quantifying Damage +Once the means for inflicting damage are decided, a designer needs means +for quantifying damage. Here are some possibilities. + + * *Hit points* express damage as an abstract unit. No one really + knows how much damage a hit point represents. For a small creature + with a few hit points, a single hit point of damage is a serious + wound. For a powerful monster with dozens of hit points, a single + hit point of damage is a scratch. It doesn't even really matter + how much damage a hit point represents. All that matters is one + simple relationship: The more hit points a character has, the more + punishment he can endure. + + * *Attribute reductions* express damage as a direct reduction in the + recipient's attributes. A light wound might reduce a single + attribute by a point or two. Serious wounds may cause several + attributes to drop simultaneously. Of course, this is really just + a variation on hit points. Instead of subtracting the damage from + a pool of points, the player subtracts the damage from his + character's attributes. The big difference here is that an effect + is immediate. Lowering an attribute reduces the character's + capabilities. + + * *Damage monitors* express damage in levels with descriptors. They + are represented as a table on the character sheet. A light wound + might count as a bruise or scratch. Mortal wounds put the + character near death. + + * *Descriptions* express damage verbally. This might well be the + most explicit way to express damage. It is often used to support + other methods of damage measurement. + + * *Combinations* allow the designer to use more than one method to + produce a more complex, more complete method of quantifying + damage. A designer might combine hit points with verbal + descriptions or damage monitors with attribute reductions, and so on. + +Damage Effects +Once the damage is measured, it usually has some mechanical effect. Here +are some possibilities. + + * *Reduced Resource:* Many games include some sort of + damage-absorbing resource, such as hit points. Damage causes a + reduction in the resource. When the resource is completely spent, + the character falls out of play. + + * *Special effect:* The damage produces a specific effect with + undesirable consequences. Special effects may make a character + extremely vulnerable using results such as stunning, holding, + petrification, or loss of limbs. They might also radically affect + a character's behavior, inspiring fear, confusion, or changes in + allegiance. + + * *Reduced abilities:* As the character takes damage, the character + suffers a reduction or loss of abilities. This is a real problem. + As the character's abilities are reduced, his likelihood of + suffering further damage increases. This results in a death spiral. + + * *Increased abilities:* As the character takes damage, the + character's abilities actually increase. I haven't seen this in + too many games, but it seems the idea is to make characters more + determined to succeed, more motivated, and more dangerous as they + approach the end. + + * *Altered player decision:* As the character takes damage, the + player may have to alter his plans or make decisions about the + plight of the character. A player has many motivations and the + situation certainly plays a part, but adding damage to the + equation may make the player more cautious, more daring, or more + willing to sacrifice the character. + +Avoiding and Reducing Damage +In game terms, damage is usually best avoided. If a character can't +avoid taking damage, the player can at least take steps to reduce the +amount of damage. Of course, a lot of this is up to you as the designer. +You can provide the means for reducing or avoiding damage as part of +your game design. Here are some possibilities. + + * *Character Ability:* The designer provides abilities that allow + characters to reduce or avoid damage. A very stealthy or invisible + character may be able to vanish from enemy view. A very fast + character may be able to dodge attacks. A heavy, thick-skinned + character may be able to ignore or absorb attacks. A very skilled + character may be able to outmaneuver enemies, never giving them + the opportunity to do any harm. + + * *Expendable resources:* The designer provides hero points or other + expendable resources that allow characters to avoid or reduce the + damage taken in a situation. + + * *Equipment:* The character employs a startling array of equipment + for reducing damage including personal armor, energy shields, + magical rings, potions, spells, or advanced technology that allows + a character to avoid taking damage. All this stuff has the net + effect of increasing character ability. + + * *Player Decisions:* The best way to avoid damage is to stay out of + situations that result in damage. That includes combat and the + dark, terrible places in many game worlds. Of course, the GM might + have something to say about that. If the situation is unavoidable, + some characters may still choose not to participate. Players can + always have characters hide, run away, or surrender in order to + avoid the situation. The designer can't really control player + decisions, but the decisions a designer makes about damage will + influence player decisions. If characters can take a lot of damage + without much trouble, the player might make different decisions + than he would if character performance really starts to suffer + after just one or two hits. + +Repairing Damage +Once characters take damage, players will want some way to make repairs. +This might also extend to pets, vehicles and other important equipment, +because a player may consider a character's pet, vehicle, or equipment +as an important aspect of the character. Thus, when any of these take +damage, the player will want to repair them, as well. + + * *Time:* Given time, most wounds heal. Depending on the wound or + circumstances in the game world, the character may suffer some + sort of permanent effect as a result of the injury. + + * *Expendable Resources:* The player may be able to spend points or + use disposable items such as healing potions or stim packs to heal + the character's wounds. + + * *Character Ability:* Just as a character may have the ability to + inflict damage, a character might also have the ability to repair + damage. Doing this may or may not require parts and equipment. + + * *Extraordinary Means:* When the inflicted damage is beyond normal + means for repair, the player may still have options. The GM may + thoughtfully provide more extensive healing and/or repair + facilities for rebuilding characters or vehicles, such as + hospitals and dry docks. + +End Note +Designers can really tweak game play by choosing appropriate methods of +assessing damage. This is an important part of an rpg design; and good +design is a matter of conscious thought, logical choices, and deliberate +decisions. I can't tell you how you should design your games; that's up +to you. All I can do is offer a way of thinking about design. I'm +interested in your opinions about this article; so don't be shy about +posting. Next time, I'll go one step further and talk about designing +death into a game. Thanks for reading. + + + What do you think? + +Go to forum! + Go to Top | New Topic + | View Threads + | Search + + + Topics Author Date Latest Reply + cooldog cotangent + (1) new +cranial_index 01-31-2006 20:46 01-31-2006 20:46 new + CORONA (1) new +corn_chamomile 01-31-2006 20:25 01-31-2006 20:25 new + Fendi Spy Bags WHOLESALE@WizardReplica.com + (1) new 514 +12-02-2005 10:55 12-02-2005 10:55 new + Designer Handbags Wholesale@WWW.WIZARDREPLICA.COM + (1) new 868 +11-14-2005 19:41 11-14-2005 19:41 new + REPLICA HANDBAGS LOUIS VUITTON REPLICA WHOLESALE@ + (1) new 794 +10-20-2005 21:37 10-20-2005 21:37 new + Death/playing style + (1) new Searcher +09-22-2003 11:35 09-22-2003 11:35 new + Death and actual immortality + (3) new Cpl Ferro +07-19-2003 08:53 01-13-2006 15:22 new + Non-death death + (5) new Sérgio +Mascarenhas 07-18-2003 03:07 07-23-2003 02:38 new + Thanks, Hunter + (4) new Allan +Sugarbaker 07-16-2003 00:18 07-17-2003 19:34 new + Realism (3) new +Robin 06-20-2003 01:23 06-25-2003 02:34 new + Something you might have mentioned. + (3) new Yamo +06-19-2003 16:13 06-19-2003 18:11 new + BTW, excellent column, Hunter! + (2) new flyingmice +06-19-2003 13:11 06-19-2003 18:13 new + Armor and Damage Thereto + (2) new The Student +06-19-2003 08:45 06-19-2003 11:44 new + Armor (9) new +flyingmice 06-19-2003 08:29 06-20-2003 06:12 new + Death spiral and unconsciousness + (7) new Torben +Mogensen 06-19-2003 07:31 06-20-2003 06:52 new + lucky or skilled + (2) new rhyme +05-12-2003 18:49 05-13-2003 09:25 new + Absolute, unopposed and opposed + (2) new Torben +Mogensen 04-16-2003 02:19 04-16-2003 09:26 new + 0-9 open ended = brilliant! + (8) new Vibropod +03-12-2003 10:41 07-18-2003 01:28 new + Smooth rerolls + (10) new Torben +Mogensen 03-12-2003 00:47 03-16-2003 23:57 new + Resolution Mechanics + (8) new Kyle +Schuant 03-11-2003 22:14 03-29-2003 21:28 new + + Go to Top | New Topic + | View Threads + | Search + + + Newer Messages + | Older Messages + + +------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + + Previous columns + + * #8: True Death by Hunter + Logan, 17jul03 + * #7: Assessing Damage by + Hunter Logan, 19jun03 + * #6: Putting Theory to the Test + by Hunter Logan, 12may03 + * #5: Resolution Mechanics II + by Hunter Logan, 14apr03 + * Resolution Mechanics I + by Hunter Logan, 11mar03 + * Player Goals by Hunter + Logan, 10feb03 + * Balance of Power by + Hunter Logan, 20jan03 + * Play Flow First by + Hunter Logan, 01jan03 + + + Other columns at RPGnet + +[ Read FAQ | Subscribe to RSS + | Contact Us | +Advertise with Us ] + +Copyright © 1996-2006 RPGnet & individual authors, All Rights Reserved +RPGnet® is a registered trademark of Skotos Tech Inc., all rights reserved. +