RTFM combat system
                             = = = = = =

(Note: The word "player" is used to mean any attacking living object.)

- RTFM system (Realistic Time Fragment Management system)
      - The player divides their concentration in combat between three
        different activities
         - attacking
         - defending
         - spellcasting

The player starts out with 80 combat points / combat turn.
1 combat point is the equivalent of 1% time usage. The total amount
of combat points depends on player's statistics and skills.  You can
adjust how you divide your combat points with the 'battle' command;
see 'help battle'

 * attacking

    The size, weight, and type of the weapon used, plus the strength
    and dexterity stats of the player, will determine how many offense
    combat points are needed to make an attack.  If the amount of
    combat points assigned to offense are less than is required for
    making an attack, then it will take more than one combat round to
    land a blow.  For example:

      I need 50 combat points to make an attack.  I allocate 30% (and
      therefore 30 combat points) into attacking. On the first turn
      the 30 combat points are not enough to make an attack, but on
      the next turn I collect 30 more, giving me the required 50 cp
      and 10 cp extra, to be used for attacking the next turn.

    If you are not wielding any weapons, your right hand is your
    primary weapon. This means you will hit most often with your right
    hand. You'll hit slower with other weapons.
         
    When you wield a weapon, it is wielded as a primary
    weapon. Weapons wielded in left hand are secondary weapons.

    The skill 'concentrated 'attack' will give you more combat points
    which can be assigned to the attacking.

 * defending

    Each defending action costs combat points.  For instance, you
    won't be able to dodge or parry very often if you only allocate 10
    points for defense.

    Also, the weight carried and your shape affects your ability to
    defend. Being in a very bad shape reduces your ability to avoid
    hits.

    The skill 'concentrated defence' will give you more combat points
    which can be assigned to defense.

 * spellcasting

    How quickly you will cast spells during combat depends on how many
    combat points you allocate to spell casting, similar to how
    physical attacks work with offense points.

    There isn't a lot to do in the combat system for spell casters;
    see the combat portion of 'help magic' for more information.

To master the art of combat perfectly, one must possess the knowledge
in certain groups of skills. The skills that affect one's damage dealt
in combat, one's hit chance in combat, and so on, come in groups of
increasing difficulty:

    The most basic offense skill is 'melee', which helps in attacking
    your opponent, no matter how you are doing it.  There are also the
    basic defense skills 'dodge' and 'parry'.

    The next step up in offensive skills are general knowledge about
    broad classes of weapons: 'piercing weapons', 'slashing weapons',
    and 'bludgeoning weapons'.  'slashing weapons' helps with swords,
    axes, and any slashing type weapon, 'piercing weapons' helps with
    daggers, spears, and any piercing type weapon, and so on.

    Next, after you get a generic weapons skill, you can specialize
    with skills like 'swords', 'axes', and so on. 

    After that comes combat styles.  One style might concentrate on
    waiting for the right moment to strike, while another would
    concentrate on dealing the most damage possible, at the cost
    of accuracy and defense.  See 'help combat styles' for more
    information.

    Next comes hit styles, which combines weapon types (slashing,
    piercing or bludgeoning) with combat styles in order to strike
    more deadly blows.

    The ultimate set of fighting skills is battle strategies knowledge
    of how to fight. A player with combat style knowledge can
    sometimes predict what's going to happen, and can vary the style
    he fights, but a player who does know battle strategies can
    instantly perceive the current combat situation, and predict the
    opponent's possible next move.

You are also able to use combat maneuvers in combat as explained in 
'help battle'. In addition to manually using them you can experience
'combat momentums' in battle that allow you to perform a combat 
maneuver instantly. When you get one of these momentums you have 
a short window of time to enter a command to use the maneuver before
the opportunity fades away. For example if you get a combat momentum
that allows you to perform a strike you would type 'use strike'. Note
that you may not target the maneuver or use any special options 
available to some of the maneuvers. There simply is no time for fancy
stuff like that.

Using triggers to perform combat momentums is strictly forbidden as 
explained in 'help triggers'.


See also: help battle, help combat points, help combat styles

(C) Jaa RY 1995-2000