DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 01/24/2015 Duedate: 02/06/2015
NOBLISH ISLAND ARENA
DM-93 TURN-421
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
BRIENNE
DARK LOTUS (1659)
(93-9657) [8-2-1,66]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
BRIENNE RIAS GREMORY
DARK LOTUS (1659) GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
(93-9657) [8-2-1,66] (93-9704) [3-0-0,33]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
BRIENNE BRIENNE
DARK LOTUS (1659) DARK LOTUS (1659)
(93-9657) [8-2-1,66] (93-9657) [8-2-1,66]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. GREMORY DEVILS (1667) 38
2. THIRD HIGHWAY (1642) 29 BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
3. THE HEATHENS (1664) 18 Unchartered Team
4. DARK LOTUS (1659) 15
5. BASH BROS SCUM (1663) 12 GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1 BASH BROS SCUM (1663) 34 15 1 69.4 1/ 2 BASH BROS SCUM (1663) 9 5 0
2- 2*MY 60'S TV (1661) 28 17 0 62.2 2- 1*MY 60'S TV (1661) 7 3 0
3- 3*EINHERJAR (1665) 13 9 1 59.1 3/ 4 DARK LOTUS (1659) 7 5 2
4/ 4*GREMORY DEVILS (1667) 8 7 0 53.3 4/ 7*THIRD HIGHWAY (1642) 6 9 0
5/ 6 DARK LOTUS (1659) 23 24 4 48.9 5- 3*THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671) 5 5 0
6- 5*THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671) 8 9 1 47.1 6/ 6*GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669) 4 11 0
7/ 7*THIRD HIGHWAY (1642) 13 17 0 43.3 7/ 9*GREMORY DEVILS (1667) 3 2 0
8- 9*KULLISAARS (1670) 4 7 0 36.4 8- 5*EINHERJAR (1665) 3 5 0
9/ 8*GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669) 7 13 0 35.0 9/10*THE HEATHENS (1664) 3 6 1
10/11*THE HEATHENS (1664) 3 10 1 23.1 10- 8*KULLISAARS (1670) 2 4 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
HOW'S THIS D2 THING ACTUALLY WORK?
Or
THINGS YOUR MAMA SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU
D2, the game of Duelmasters, is just plain fun. It is so good that there has
even been a published book written about it! It must be great, then! Do you want to
have the fun and pleasures that hundreds of other managers before you have
experienced? Can't blame you! I have been enjoying Duelmasters-to-D2 for nearly 30
years. Perhaps this article will assist or simplify your introduction to this game
and speed up your enjoyment process. It goes something like this....
ACQUIRE A D2 ROLL UPS sheet from RSI. (Reality Simulations Inc., P.O. Box
22400, Tempe AZ 85285-2400, 480-967-7979) The first sheet/team is free. Subsequent
teams cost $5. Later, after your introductory 10 turns in the Noblish Island (DM93)
arena, you can transfer your starting team to another arena, or you may find you even
want to start up a new team/s in other arenas, or both. Actually, you can start new
teams any time, even while going through your learning process in DM93; but you may
want to "learn the ropes" first.
FILL OUT THE ROLL UPS and send the sheet to RSI. Other than the normal personal
information, the most important things to decide are: Team name, Manager Name, and 5
individual warrior designs. Let's discuss each of those briefly. Team name and
manager name can be anything you like that fits you. (RSI will edit inappropriate
naming.) They can be gladiator driven, silly ideas, great play on words, or
whatever. The warrior names can be closely tied to the team name, or not. My very
first team was: Bulldogs, manager Kennelworth, and names like--Tiger Lily, Sir
Smythe, Wild Wayne, and Flash. Etc. A team I admire in the game is Azure Clouds,
manager Slugbait, warrior names like--Black Bile, Violent Orange, Blue Note....
We could spend hours and hours on warrior designs, (Where to place the 14 points
on the fixed 70 points and what style to choose?) and there are many articles
available examining design, so I will offer only a few basic comments:
Offensive styles are easier to learn for a newbie. (Or anyone, for that matter)
Gender does not matter at all in the fight process.
Generally, fast & quick or brawny & strong rule the day. I said generally.
WT and WL are the most important stats.
There are reasons to design to odd numbers. (Exclude CN from that statement.)
Read newsletters and other RSI info, especially DM93 for design reviews
You have received your 5 warrior profiles. Time to fill out DUEL II STRATEGY
FORMS and send them in to RSI. "Goodness!" you say; "I wish I had a lot more
information about weapons and strategies and what the warrior profile means, and...."
Here are a list of places and methods for getting additional info:
"Phone a friend." Diplo, e mail, call, write, etc., beg from other players,
especially experienced players in the game.
"Put on your newbie outfit." Ask RSI, or better yet, diplo the teachers/coaches
in Noblish Island (DM93) the "starter's arena" and ask for information provided
there. If you are already in Noblish Island, ask Jorja or anyone there to make sure
you get the CIC or "fact sheets."
"Go electronic." The best information in the game is available at
reality.com/dm, or terrablood.com, or even try chatzy.com/42003746228981 as Dmers
chat there from appx 9AM to 2AM EST. and they seem to welcome inexperienced
questions.
So back to the strategy sheets. One for each warrior you plan to fight. Write
legibly! You would be very disappointed to have a code inputted improperly because
your scribbles were not so discernible. The basic stuff like warrior name and ID, or
game # and account # don't need discussion [But don't leave them out!]. But weapon
selection, strategy, armor and challenging do.
Weapon choice is your chance to select a best weapon against the opponent's
probable armor. Bigger weapons are probably needed against heavy armor. Some
weapons do especially well against certain armor types. (Hmmm; that information
mentioned earlier would help.) The most common weapon arrangements are a single
primary weapon and a small backup primary for offensive types, and a primary/
/secondary (secondary could be a shield) and zero to two backups for defensives/
/finesse warriors.
Strategy is more difficult to decide. Offensives usually start "hot and heavy"
and then slow down, as they will wear down/tire due to weight being carried and a
high activity level. Defensives tend to run moderately, but current arena defensive
warriors can be found fighting anywhere from "hot and heavy" to very slow. The
desperation strategy is important, because if your warrior is nearing defeat or
exhaustion, you may want to do something different in a last-ditch effort to pull out
the win.
Armor is really a matter of preference, but like every other choice in the game,
there are trade-offs. Heavy armor, while providing more protection, can slow down
and wear down warriors. Naked or light armor may be less restricting and faster but
offers little protection. It is easy to think, "I need lots of armor." but over-
encumbering a warrior greatly impacts his fighting ability.
Training is simple. The most common training is "skills," but stats can be and
are trained also. In general the amount of skills learned is based on your WT (the
higher the better), but it is also impacted by the knowledge of the warriors you
fight. (And other things) Stat training is very highly dependent on WL, as the odds
of getting a first stat train of a stat type are 5% times the WL. (E.g. a WL of 15 =
5%x15 or 75% chance.) There can be a luck roll impact also in almost everything that
occurs in Duel 2. Attempting to get a 2nd stat raise in a certain stat is halved.
(E.g. a WL of 15 = 5%x15x 0.5 = 37.5%)
Challenging and avoiding are very strategic components of the game. There are
quite a few managers who do not challenge or avoid or both. You can use that to your
best advantage. Challenge warriors (the warrior ID number) and avoid teams (the team
ID number). Several points about challenging/avoiding):
1. Challenging and avoiding do not work until after you have fought your first fight
in the arena.
2. Challenge warriors or styles you think you can beat, or who will teach you well,
or to attempt to advance in the rankings.
3. Avoid those teams who have warriors that can probably beat you, or who are likely
to challenge you.
4. Remember: challenge warrior ID numbers (not names) and avoid team numbers
5. Some arenas, usually Andorian, frown on down-challenging. (Usually defined as
challenging someone with fewer recognition points that oneself.) Beware of the arena
environment, history, and politics.
You have the option to use an alternate "special strategy" either (or both) when
you challenge someone, or when someone challenges you. You can use this alternate to
prepare a specific strategy for that challenge you just made, or surprising an
opponent who will likely challenge or blood feud you. To use these alternatives, "x"
the proper box or boxes and fill out the strategy info on the back of the strategy
form. This alternative strategy will not be used unless the conditions you selected
occur.
That was easy, wasn't it!? After sending in your strategy sheets, (in plenty of
time for the due date--or last minute via fax; no internet submittals allowed) the
computer utilizes everyone's inputs and the fights proceed. A few days after the
arena run date, the actual fights and arena newsletter will arrive in your mailbox.
Before submitting the new warrior strategies for the next round of fights, there is
much a manager can/should examine and review. Here are generic things that this old-
time manager evaluates:
1. Have I collected/recorded all the information I want from the fight so I can
access it quickly? (Ed Sullivan and his Consortium cronies record this for every
fight--opponent's name, stable, arena and ID number, size, handedness, record,
style, armor, and weapons plus my warrior's train results, armor, weapons, swing
info (criticals/swings/extra value hits). W or L, how many minutes, recognition
points, and political point status--if any. Also recorded are who, if anyone
challenged. This is manually recorded on a sheet with my warrior's name, ID, and
size, handedness, plus style.
2. Did each warrior fight as I expected from the strategy? Do I need to adjust or
change any strategies?
3. Did any warrior act over encumbered or tire faster than I thought? Do I need to
adjust strategies, armor, or weapons?
4. Did each warrior fight well with the weapon? (e.g. hit when he swung and had
critical hits--which are strongly stated weapon hit statements compared to the
norm) Do I need to change weapon selections?
5. Did another warrior out jump me when I did not expect it? Do I need to adjust
strategies or weapons?
6. Did the warriors learn what I expected and learn well? (e.g. earn lots of skills)
If not, what can I do about it? (Switch to learning stats/skills? Challenge a
very experienced warrior?)
7. Do I know anything about the arena warriors that I can challenge? (Have I and my
friends accumulated style and other information on opponents?) Should I challenge
or take the luck of the draw? (Remember--challenge warrior #s.)
8. Likewise, is there someone within range I just do not want to fight? (A warrior
that has beaten me? A warrior with lots more experience than me? A team that has
my number? Should I avoid the team with that warrior? (Remember--avoid team #s)
9. Have I written some personal ads or a spotlight to add to the enjoyment of the
arena?
Then it is time to turn in those strategy sheets again!
Duel 2 is a game of gladiators, comprised of knowledge, strategy, and a little
luck. Above all, it is fun. See you on the sands!
Ed Sullivan, Consortium affiliated
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
Assur's Guide to Pure Defensives
After the offensives, parry-based defensives are the easiest style to master, though
there are also dodge-based defensive warriors out there (the dodge-based defensives
are harder to win with in basic).
1) Design
In creating a pure defensive, the things that you should be concerned about are:
Hit Points, Carry Ability, Endurance, and your skills in parry and/or defense.
Again, other attributes and skills can't hurt, but those are the vital attributes for
how you'll be fighting.
Hit Points come from Constitution (mostly), Size, and Will
Carry Ability comes from Strength and Constitution, though if your Strength is
lower than your Constitution, the carry ability only comes from your Strength.
Endurance comes from Strength, Constitution, and Will (especially Will)
You get Parry Skills at
Str: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21
Siz: (5), (7), (15), (17), (21), (21)
Wil: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21
Dft: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
You get Defense Skills at
Siz: (5), (7), (15), (17), (21), (21)
Wit: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
Wil: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21
Spd: 5, 7, 15, 17, 21, 21
Dft: 5, 7, 9, 11, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, 21
Note that for parry and defense skills in size, you get penalized for having higher
sizes.
For parry based styles, it is highly recommended to have 11+ strength and as much
will as you can get. Eleven deftness is also very nice. You can't have too much
constitution. It is recommended to not be too big, because you don't typically have
enough points for the stats you really want. Wit is nice, but not necessary. Almost
always, 1 point of con is better than 1 parry skill.
For dodge based styles, it is much tougher. ABs are usually made with 21 deftness
because they get attack skill bonuses, but for a pure defensive dodging AB, the
deftness isn't as vital. If you're going open handed, strength can be sacrificed. I
do not know as much about pure defensive AB's, especially in basic. For Lungers,
you want lots and lots of endurance. Twenty-one will and as much strength and
constitution as you can get. Low size is highly recommended for dodge based
defensives. Somehow you also need to have enough defense skills from your other
stats to be able to dodge.
High speed is not desired either, simply because you want those points elsewhere.
Simply because of all the parry & defense skills, 11 deftness is suggested as a
minimum.
2) Style Choice
For parry based defensives, any style that learns parry naturally works fine. Style
is almost irrelevant, because in most of these fights, a couple of parry skills or
endurance burn doesn't come in to play. There are times when it does, which is what
makes Total Parries the king (good endurance conservation and best natural parry in
the game), but all of these styles can be very, very successful as pure defensives.
Total Parries are the most common pure defensive on the sands. There are plenty
of nicknames for Total Parries who are pure defensives, because of how frustrating it
can be to face them. They learn parry and defense skills naturally, are well suited
to all of the shields, and often ignore opportunities to attack. They also have the
highest parry base in the game.
Parry Strikers would be my next choice. They conserve endurance better than any
of the other parry based pure defensives. They learn parry naturally. They are well
suited to the Small Shield.
Parry Ripostes conserve somewhere around the same level as Total Parries. They
learn parry skills naturally. Because they also learn so many riposte skills, even
running defensive strategies they will tend to try to gain the initiative. They are
one of the best natural hybrids, but they make fine pure defensives as well.
Parry Lungers burn endurance much faster than the styles listed above. They
have much higher skill bases overall, but their parry is the same as Parry Ripostes
and Parry Strikers. They learn parry naturally.
Wall of Steels have the potential for the highest parry in the game. Total
Parries will never be bonused in parry skills, so while they start with the most, a
Wall of Steel can be bonused and start with two more parry skills than any other
style can. On the other side of things, they burn endurance faster than any of the
other styles listed and typically use heavier weapons. Like Parry Lungers, they have
a higher overall skill base, but for the discussion of the pure defensive, those
other skills don't matter as much.
The other option is a dodge based Pure Defensive. Most of the time, these styles are
run as hybrids in later minutes, but they both have the ability to run as pure
defensives for an entire fight.
Lungers are the king in basic. They learn defense naturally and have the
highest starting defense in the game. In fact, they are the only style other than
Total Parries that learns defense naturally. On the down side, they burn endurance
fast.
Aimed Blows are the other style that typically runs as a pure dodge defensive.
I do not know much about these warriors, but watching them is a thing of beauty. In
ADM, when they can start going open handed without concern, they rule the game, but
even in basic, they can be very successful. The down side for them is that they do
not learn defense skills naturally, so you're really hoping it is their favorite
learn.
As always, any style can be run as a pure defensive, for part of a fight or an entire
fight. The styles listed above are merely the traditional choices. And realize that
the dodge based styles I list are often run as hybrids in later minutes. The line
between a pure defensive and a hybrid is often blurred, because even some Total Parry
pure scum will attack and win fights after their opponent is exhausted (which is one
of the hybrid strategies I will mention later).
3) Weapon Selection (with requirements)
If you aren't planning to attack, it hardly matters what weapon you use, right?
Typically, parry based pure defensives use an off hand shield (and often a main hand
shield)
Large Shield (13 Str, 3 Wit, 7 Dft) (10+ Dft to use in off hand, depending on Main
hand weapon)
Medium Shield (9 Str, 3 Wit, 5 Dft) (7+ Dft to use in off hand)
Small Shield (5 Str, 3 Wit, 5 Dft) (7+ Dft to use in off hand)
ABs often use their Fists, because they get a bonus to their ability to dodge.
As with style choice, weapons selection often does not matter for these fights. The
fight outcome is more a function of your opponent's ability to take you down or wait
you out, not on your abilities or skills.
Main hand weapon is whatever you are well suited to. BA (requies 15 str, 7 wit,
and 11 deft; plus 9 size if using an off hand) is a nice high damage/low wit choice.
SS is a nice low wit choice for some other styles (9 str, 5 wit, and 7 deft). For
a dodging warrior, LS might also be a good choice (11 str, 9 siz, 5 wit, and 9 deft).
4) Strategy and Tactics
For your parry based pure defensive, 1-1 Parry or 1-1 Open works great. The response
tactic has some interesting uses, especially in minute 1 or minute 6. Note that this
strategy will usually make your fights quite boring to read, especially the 1-1 parry
strategy. This strategy and type of warrior is not meant to be fun, but good ones
can amass amazing records, especially before Advanced Duel2. Your best challenges
are styles that burn their endurance fastest (Lungers, Wall of Steels, and Parry
Lungers) or any warrior that does average damage and runs hot (Many bashers,
slashers and strikers). Stay away from Aimed Blows!!! Really not recommended for
a parry based defensive to run higher than 6-6 in minute 1.
For the dodge based pure defensive, High Activity Level is important. How high
depends largely on your warrior. Experiment to find what works best. Offensive
Effort is typically low. Dodge or Open for tactics.
Once again, the line between pure defensive and hybrid can become very blurred. Not
attacking at all may not be your best way to win fights. What if in a later minute
you raise your offensive effort and do not use a defensive tactic? You're suddenly
not fighting as a pure defensive. For many warriors, this is a much better strategy
than simply trying to wait until your opponent drops from exhaustion. The mechanics
of the game can allow for some very strange results. I had a basher with very little
endurance and 3 will refuse to drop from exhaustion and finally won after 6 minutes
against a total parry. This is probably more important for dodge based defensives,
but can also be true for parry based defensives.
5) Armor
APA/F is the norm. ASM/x is a nice choice, especially against that nasty SC.
For dodging defensives, I've experimented a lot and don't have a conclusion as to
what armor is best. I try not to overencumber for a dodge warrior, but even though
warriors don't dodge as well with APA/F, it is not clear to me that you shouldn't
wear APA/F.
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Lighthouse ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Where do you go when you leave Noblish Island?
(note that this article is old, but still mostly relevant)
After ten turns, just when you're getting used to the everlasting rain here on
Noblish Island, you're going to have to leave forever. Everyone (except me) leaves
after ten turns.
You have to go, but you get to choose your destination. Out of sixty or so
possible arenas, how do you choose?
Some of you will be following friends who have already gone, and for you this
question is moot. Otherwise....
Fast or slow? Noblish Island is a "fast" arena in that the fights are run every
two weeks. For some of you, this may not allow enough turn-around time. "Slow"
arenas run every four weeks. The slow arenas are 8, 28, 31, 39, 45, 47, 50, 52, 54,
59, and the three slow transfer arenas, 71, 72, and 73. You may have an unlimited
number of teams in a transfer arena, and many managers do; I would not recommend
choosing a transfer arena for your first non-Noblish home.
Regions--the world of Duelmasters is divided into four regions, which have
slightly different preferred style of management.
The Andorian region as a general rule tends toward a role-playing, non-killing
style of play. By "non-killing," I mean that Andorian managers perfer not to seek
kills and disapprove of down-challenging. In most (but not, alas, all) cases,
Andorian arenas will have lively personals. The Andorian arenas currently open are:
8 (slow), 11, 14, 22, 24, 25, 26, 30, 40, 41, 46, 52 (slow), 63, and 71 (slow
transfer).
The Delarquan region, except in the case of some of the slow arenas, is not much
prone to role-playing and convesation. For Delarquans, the win is all. Down-
challenging is an accepted tactic used when desired by any manager. Deaths may be
more frequent than elsewhere. The Delarquan arenas currently open are: 1, 2, 3, 5,
6, 7, 10, 18, 21, 36, 38, 39 (slow), 42, 51, 54 (slow), 59 (slow), 62, and 72 (slow
transfer).
The Free Blades region tends to be very active in the slow arenas and less
dogmatic in either direction about style of play. Free Blades arenas currently open
are: 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 19, 28, 29, 31 (slow), 32, 33, 35, 43, 45 (slow), 47 (slow),
50 (slow), 56, 61, and 73 (slow transfer).
The Lirith Kai region is the youngest and is currently very small, having only
arenas 65, 74, 75, and 78 open at the present time. There is a tendency to prefer
the Andorian-style, "no down-challenges and no deliberate killing," but the managers
seem to be less dogmatic about it.
Note that currently contests of various kinds are being held in some arenas,
which I can't list for sure, they keep changing. If you're interested in a contest
arena, let me know (a personal ad will do), and I'll look around. Contest arenas
will tend to be bigger than others while the contest is going on, and full of
often-confusing personals.
Large arenas or small ones?
There are advantages for a new manager in either choice. In a large arena,
there are lots of managers who will be willing to help a novice. There will be a lot
of variety in the kind of competition your warriors come up against--varieties in
style, management, levels of skill. You can learn a lot in large arenas. But there
are drawbacks, too. You can get lost in the crowd, maybe find no one or only a few
of the available managers responding to your personals. You can get caught between
feuding factions.
In small arenas, you soon get to know every manager's playing style and what to
expect from their warriors. If you write personals, they will be noticed and
probably responded to. But just as you get to know all the managers and warriors
sharing the arena with you, so will they get to know you. You may see a lot of
standbys fighting, and while they are relatively easier to beat, they don't teach as
well. After a while, you won't meet with many surprises.
If you have access to the internet, I strongly recommend that you check out
RSI's website and sample the newsletters of various arenas to get the flavor of them.
If not, ask for advice. Diplo managers mentioned in the Regional Arena News from
arenas you're interested in, as they are likely to be leaders in those arenas. Ask
questions here, in the personals or by diplo. I'd like to see you all have the best
possible Duelmasters experience that's consistent with other people doing the same,
and I ALWAYS have opinions!
Jorja
The Middle Way
+>]H[<+-----+>]H[<+ Question of the Week #1 +>]H[<+-----+>]H[<+
Hanibal, manager of Cannibalz in Aruak City (DM 11) and formerly of Noblish
Island, has asked a series of questions of the experienced managers of that arena. I
believe you might find these questions and answers instructive, or at least
interesting. Feel free to comment or question in response. That goes for other
experienced managers, too; I'm sure your input would be valuable. -- Jorja, The
Middle Way
Question, turn 396:
All -- If 2 identical warriors (theoretically) ran 10-10-2 and 10-10-8, who
would swing first? Would they both have an equal chance? -- Hanibal's question of
the week
Replies, turn 397:
Hanibal -- Of the three numbers, I think KD is least influential in determining
who swings first. I'm not discounting its involvement entirely, but there are many
factors that weigh more heavily. I ran aimers 10-10-1 for a long time, when it was
the 'in' thing to do, and they fought quite aggressively. KD might be more important
in determining who swings LAST. -- Generalissimo Puerco
Hannibal -- I firmly believe that 10-10-2 will sometimes outjump 10-10-8. And
vice versa. -- Kennelworth The Seasoned
See also Captain K's article on "Getting the Jump." It was printed in this
newsletter a few turns ago, but if you want a copy and don't have it, email me at
jputney@zianet.com and I'll send it to you. Okay, okay, if you don't have email,
request it in the personals or even send me a diplo. -- Jorja
P.S. I believe this may now be included in the regularly cycling articles.
Question, turn 397:
All -- If two warriors have a good damage rating, one has 11 str. and one has 13
str., would it make a difference in the amount of damage they do? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
P.S. Warriors are same size.
Replies, turn 398:
Hanibal -- Regarding your QoW, it is a very good question. I think that there
is a difference in damage done between warriors with different strengths but similar
damage comments. Of course the attack rating a warrior has can make a world of
difference too. I've got a piker (the Consortium may know Lustra from DM 52) that
has a 5 str. and does normal damage with a blow. Yet, she performs like a warrior
that does little damage. (And I have a lot of experience with those.) Not only
that, she has normal endurance, too, but she seems to get tired awfully quick for a
piker with normal endurance. So that's one example. Another is my overall look at
warriors that do 'little' damage.
If you take one with 9 str. and another with 13 str. I think a clear Difference
can be discerned. On the high end, my experience doesn't go much past 'good' damage.
But what I can say is that my warriors that do 'good' damage seem to do more damage
than my few warriors that have done 'tremendous' damage. That is probably because
those big strong warriors have relatively lousy attack ratings. So in a nutshell I
would say yes, there is a minor but still noticeable effect. What you might be
finding is that there seems to be differences within those broad categories given on
the warrior overview. It's just like if you raise con you improve your warrior's
ability to sustain damage a little bit, even if the comment on the overview stays the
same. Your questions are getting at some of the interesting subtleties of the game.
Keep asking them! -- Generalissimo Puerco
Q.O.W. (Hanibal) -- I don't think so. -- Adie
Pagan's replies:
Question, turn 396:
All -- If 2 identical warriors (theoretically) ran 10-10-2 and 10-10-8, who
would swing first? Would they both have an equal chance?
This is a loaded question. There are a number of factors which will determine which
warrior swings first. In speaking of this I can only tell you what I have a 'feel'
for. In no way does anyone know all the factors or how this works exactly unless
someone gets to look at the source code for the program. I will ignore the KD
dispute simply because I don't know.
The Factors:
1. At warrior creation, the program initiates a random string class to be used for
your warrior. Each string has a series of numbers that are pre-generated and always
the same. It however appears random except for the facts that some strings are good
for some warriors and bad for others. You'll notice this only over time. This
string class is permanent and not all of them are created equal. This is above and
beyond any total number of skills.
2. At fight time, the program calls a random string to be used for BOTH warriors.
This string affects the string of the warrior. This is why you will never see two
fights that are line-by-line exactly the same. But if the fights were constantly run
with exactly the same string, and no strategy changes are made then you will
consistently have the same fight line-by-line.
3. Fight-String modified Warrior-String# are taken for each warrior and #Decise-
skills + OE + string# + tactic + weapon-weight + style-adjustment equates to a
number.
4. These bonuses could be negative in adjustments also: IE. Running responsiveness
would be the addition of a negative number equal to warrior's Decise. Running decise
would increase a lot, running lunge, slash, or bash use initiative instead of Decise
if higher than current #decise skills.
4. Biggest controllable factors are OE, tactic, & weapon-weight
5. If the number for JUMP does not have a disparity of a specific number then a
continued clash will occur until that disparity is shown. Then the fight actually
begins. You can have a series of 8+ clash statements until the program finds who
starts and initiates the fight sequences. Example: fighterA ends up with a jump# of
60 and fighterB ends up with a jump# of 65; if the disparity had to be 10 points then
what would happen is a clash statement would be printed and the steps repeated. The
next number from the Fight-String is called along with the next number in each of the
Warrior-strings ; the computation is done again until the disparity (for the computer
anyway) becomes true. Then the fight sequence is activated. -- Pagan
Question, turn 397:
All -- If two warriors have a good damage rating, one has 11 str. And one has 13
str., would it make a difference in the amount of damage they do? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
P.S. Warriors are same size.
Most definitely. Weapon damage is equated to Strength + damage class. So damage is
done like this:
1. Armor weight + 12 + any bonus it has vs weapon type is a negative to the damage
done. (How the hell did he get 12!?)
2. Damage done is strength + damage class variable + weapon variable.
3. Slashing & Bashing increase the damage done.
4. When the damage done equals 1 or less then there is a weapon bounce statement.
The minimum damage a blow can do is 1 point of damage. The program knows there's a
hit before it knows damage so you can't reverse a hit, you merely take a minimum of 1
point of damage to your hit-points.
5. The lower your strength then more bounces you will see. The lower your damage
class the more bounces you will see. The lighter weight a weapon is vs the armor its
hitting the more bounces you will see.
6. In reverse to #5, all of those secondary-damage statements (often referred to as
extra-damage statements) such as "it was a devastating blow"... "what a massive blow"
-- these merely show that you hit your opponent with enough damage to exceed the
computer secondary-damage statement threshold. Your warrior caused enough damage to
exceed a programmed set number (whatever that number may be) and the fight is only
showing that you exceeded that number. The programmed number for the secondary-damage
threshold is a Hard number: it is constant within the program and is used for all
fights and all warriors. It is not random. It has nothing to do with how much
damage you did in relation to your opponent's hit-points either. If you exceed that
number in damage, you get a printed statement showing that to be the case. There is
no such thing as Extra-Damage. -- Pagan
Question, turn 398:
All -- If you lower your kill desire in desperation, do you have less of a chance of
being killed? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Replies, turn 399:
Q.O.W. -- I think that if your KD is lower in desperation, you're more likely to
surrender than draw out the fight. Drawing out the fight by having a higher KD gives
the attacker more chance to kill you. But you could defend and make a come-back.
But that higher KD also lowers your defensive ability somewhat. -- Adie
Hanibal's Q.o.W -- Yes, lowering your own KD helps keep you alive and allows you to
surrender...hopefully in time. -- Armalias
Hanibal -- The choice of kill desire in desperation seems to be a very tactically
important one. I do believe that lowering kill desire will tend to preserve a
warrior's life by making him give up (and end the fight) sooner. This also means
the warrior may end up losing fights he could have won if he had hung around. I
think scum strategy is a good example of this. While it may be counterintuitive, a
good scum strategy involves using a moderate to high kill desire. This is done to
prevent them from giving up prematurely. Also, most managers don't care too much if
their scum gets killed, so there's no point to running with a low KD. There's a very
good article on the total parry written by Scrag, in which this scheme is discussed.
Maybe you saw it in Noblish. Personally, I either lower or raise KD in desperation,
based on my expectations for a particular warrior. I think it was Miles that first
wrote on this way of looking at kill desire, and I believe it to be the most correct.
Other published theories, such as Jessie Jest's, are variably more questionable.
(But then, everything Jessie Jest wrote should be taken with a grain of salt.) --
Generalissimo Puerco
Question, turn 399:
All -- If you have 18 HP and cannot take a lot of punishment and raise con once to
normal--20 HP, does the rating affect the rate at which you take damage or do you
just have 2 more Hit Points? -- Hanibal's Q.O.W.
Replies, turn 400:
Hanibal's QOW -- I think you just get a bump in hit points. But that little bump
makes a big difference. I think armor and warrior experience are the only factors
that affect the rate of damage per blow. -- Adie
P.S. There's a new chart for hit points that is more accurate and does not involve a
luck factor.
Hanibal -- I think the amount of damage a warrior can take is not variable but
constant. The variables in the equation are: the weapon being struck with and the
armor it is striking, and the attack and damage-dealing ability of the warrior doing
the swinging. Not to mention kill desire, as discussed last turn. -- Generalissimo
Puerco
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
Day is done. Gone the sun. Gone is me. I am so outta here! By the time you
read this, I will have completed my tenth fight and me and the whole My 60's TV team
will be gone. Gone, I say. Where? Who knows, maybe into the Outer Limits.
For those who forgot that Ed Sullivan posted all our designs at the beginning of
our run, I may be a beautiful horse, but I am but a mediocrely designed warrior:
11-9-8-15-9-21-11 striker, bonused in decise, and lucking into normal endurance. Not
a very good skill learner at a 1.38 skill per fight rate. Only an expert in decise.
I may have found my favorite weapon, either the SC or BS with a combined 9/40/3.
I wish you all the best. In all likelihood, you will not see the Consortium
team or The Bash Bros team on the podium for quite a while. That is a good thing!
Fury, ive-time Duelmaster
SPY REPORT
Greetings warriors! It is I, Zontani Sharp Eyes, here to bring report of the
clash and bustle of the weekly NOBLISH ISLAND games. Former top team MY 60'S TV was
unseated this week as BASH BROS SCUM moved up from 2nd ranking to take the top spot
with a 2-2-0 record for the round. Warriors--remember that glory waits always around
the corner! Witness how this week THIRD HIGHWAY went 3-2-0 to move up 3 in the
rankings. Did only my eyes note the 3-1-0 record which DARK LOTUS managed to post
this round? I don't doubt that such a record will draw challengers! GASPER VLADI
caught the eye of many in the gladiatorial commission as he skillfully bested
KYGOMAI-LOVEGRL and was awarded 20 points in recognition. In one of the week's more
notable duels, GASPER VLADI put down KYGOMAI-LOVEGRL, causing her to lose 11 points
of recognition in the process. Due to his absence and inability to defend the
throne, FURY has lost the title of Duelmaster. The city has turned out in honor of
BRIENNE, for with hers arena victory she may now lay claim to the highest position in
the city! Heed this! A seer has warned that if exactly 6 die in duels this week,
the whole city shall perish! Just remember...5 or 7!
I have been in deep conclave with my spies who watched all that has recently
transpired. Indeed there is much I would report. I saw one fighter that warriors
avoided when this week's challenge seeking began. THIRD HIGHWAY is feared. This
much I can say. If you didn't look down dark alleys you'd have been hard pressed to
find any of GOAT'S HAI-5 last week. Busy avoiding THIRD HIGHWAY?
Vendettas. Bloodied blades and broken spears. Indeed the city has seen more
than its fair share of red in recent times. Dark alleys may hide both secrets and
assassins. In the arena there is only the brightness of steel. Keep vigil always!
A thought before I go. Each warrior practices one style, but must not the wise
manager learn the secrets of them all? Sadly warriors, now longer can I keep thy
company nor savor the ale of thy fine city. Depart I must and soon! Till next we
meet remember - the pen is mightier than the sword, but a maul is a different
story!-- Zontani Sharp Eyes
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
BRIENNE 9657 8 2 1 66 DARK LOTUS (1659)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-FURY 9671 5 4 0 66 MY 60'S TV (1661)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-PERRY MASON 9670 5 4 0 44 MY 60'S TV (1661)
-ASTRID 9696 4 1 1 41 EINHERJAR (1665)
DO NOTHING 9679 6 4 0 40 BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
MODE PARRY 9683 8 2 0 35 BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
THE RED VIPER 9659 5 5 0 35 DARK LOTUS (1659)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
RIAS GREMORY 9704 3 0 0 33 GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
VIOLENT J 9658 6 3 2 29 DARK LOTUS (1659)
-ROLLO 9694 3 2 0 29 EINHERJAR (1665)
BORING 9681 8 2 0 28 BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
YUUTO KIBA 9707 3 0 0 28 GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
-ACEOTIS 9729 4 0 1 27 THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)
-BATMAN 9736 2 2 0 26 MY 60'S TV (1661)
GASPER VLADI 9706 2 1 0 26 GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
SARATOGA LEE 9726 4 2 0 25 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
TALLAHASSE MOON 9727 3 3 0 25 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-BRAZZ 9740 2 0 0 25 THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-MICKEY MOUSE CLUB 9669 6 3 0 23 MY 60'S TV (1661)
QUINCY JONES 9724 4 2 0 21 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
ROOKIES AND DONE 9680 5 5 0 20 BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
-STONG BELWAS 9685 2 4 1 19 DARK LOTUS (1659)
MORI-ZUMA GRL 9745 2 0 0 19 GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669)
-BERYLLIOSIS 9719 2 1 0 19 KULLISAARS (1670)
-LAETHA 9693 3 2 0 18 EINHERJAR (1665)
-OUTER LIMITS 9735 4 0 0 13 MY 60'S TV (1661)
-DREWSKI 9731 2 2 0 13 THE BRAIN BUSTERS (1671)
SHAGGY 2 DOPE 9684 1 8 0 13 DARK LOTUS (1659)
-AUTUMNBE 9643 3 2 0 12 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
KYGOMAI-LOVEGRL 9717 3 1 0 10 GOAT'S HAI-5 (1669)
ROCHESTER KING 9725 2 4 0 10 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
MORGUE-FILLER 9691 1 2 0 8 THE HEATHENS (1664)
WIDOW-MAKER 9688 1 2 1 7 THE HEATHENS (1664)
-DRAXXUS 9644 1 4 0 7 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-TAMAGRAMAFLU 9722 1 1 0 7 KULLISAARS (1670)
-SVEN 9734 1 2 0 5 EINHERJAR (1665)
SIX FOOT DOWN 9689 1 2 0 5 THE HEATHENS (1664)
-EL GUARDO 9720 1 1 0 4 KULLISAARS (1670)
-SEARRUS 9645 0 4 0 4 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-PERSEPHONE 9642 0 4 0 4 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
-AGRISEL 9646 0 4 0 4 CAVEAT EMPTOR (1657)
VERMONT OLSON 9738 0 4 0 4 THIRD HIGHWAY (1642)
AKENO HIMEJUMA 9705 0 3 0 3 GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
ISSEI HYOUDOU 9703 0 3 0 3 GREMORY DEVILS (1667)
-SUBLIME MAX 9718 0 2 0 2 KULLISAARS (1670)
-TOMASTICUS 9721 0 2 0 2 KULLISAARS (1670)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
TERRIBLE ATTACKE 9682 7 2 1 BASH BROS SCUM 1663 BRIENNE 9657 420
HERGER 9692 2 1 0 EINHERJAR 1665 VIOLENT J 9658 418 REVENGED
HARI-YUKU GIRL 9716 0 1 0 GOAT'S HAI-5 1669 ACEOTIS 9729 418
PINK-YOMI GIRL 9715 1 3 0 GOAT'S HAI-5 1669 SPYMASTER 421 NONE
PUFFY-AMI GIRL 9741 0 3 0 GOAT'S HAI-5 1669 SHEWISH GIANT 421 NONE
SANGO-GOTH GIRL 9713 0 4 0 GOAT'S HAI-5 1669 SPYMASTER 421 NONE
YUMI-KAI GIRL 9714 1 1 0 GOAT'S HAI-5 1669 STONG BELWAS 9685 419
B TWO 9733 0 1 0 THE BRAIN BUSTE 1671 ROMULUS 9712 417 NONE
BRAXIUS 9737 0 1 0 THE BRAIN BUSTE 1671 WIDOW-MAKER 9688 419
CORPSE 1 9748 0 1 0 THE HEATHENS 1664 SHEWISH GIANT 421 NONE
CORPSE 1 9747 0 1 0 THE HEATHENS 1664 MASTER SEN GANAM 421 NONE
PERSONAL ADS
Me and you, Assur. One and one this round. (sigh) I will never catch you. Perhaps
the next Consortium rep will fare better. -- Ed Sullivan
Strong Belwas -- Let's get something clear; a 7 or even a 6 are solid high kill
desires. While KD is not the only, and probably not the most important, requisite of
a kill, it matters. Probably more important is the attack location. (HE, CH, AB are
kill zones.) -- Ed Sullivan, My 60s TV
P.S. Let's get something else straight; you have every right to choose any strategy
number or location you wish.
M. Chardinee -- I reared up and kicked you to the ground. It was smart of you not to
get up. -- Fury, My 60s TV
Mode Parry -- You and Assur and all the scum you rode in on are a bunch of no-good,
rotten jerks. But Ed says he loves you anyway and will see you in Tempe at The Face.
-- Batman My 60s TV (Whose "biff, bam, pow" didn't work so well.)
Tomasticus -- First let me greet you and The Kullisaars as you enter Noblish Island.
Howdy. Secondly, let me say that it was my pleasure to beat you. Yay! Third, let me
say good-bye as My 60's TV is soon out of here. -- Outer Limits, My 60s TV
Quincy Jones -- You made my day. Thanks for losing to me. Now you can come and
collect your ears. -- Mickey Mouse Club, My 60s TV
Boring -- There was nothing at all boring about that fight. It was exciting, wasn't
it? Nanana. -- Perry Mason, My 60s TV
Hey all you new teams and managers out there, thanks for coming to Noblish Island.
Read the spots and personals. Ask questions. Jorja or Assur or The Consortium Rep
or all three will answer. -- Ed Sullivan, My 60s TV and Consortium Rep
All -- Could you please diplo me a copy of the "Enchiridion Handbook" and the
"lavender activity statement chart"? Many thanks from team Dark Lotus (1659), in DM
93 right now but transferring to Blackstone (most likely) this next turn, so ask RSI
where they've imprisoned--I mean placed us. *smile*
Tallahasse Moon -- Although my experiments are FAR from complete (for it has only
been a FEW fights with you as a 'control') since the 'powers that be' seem to be
having a coniption fit over me continuing to challenge you, I shall graciously grant
you a reprieve and challenge someone else this time as my team must leave this arena
afterwards and thus, I shall have to acquire a NEW 'control' anyway. (By the way,
there does NOT seem to be ANY connection between challenging someone well above or
well below oneself and how many SKILLS one will learn whether one wins or loses those
disparate matches!!) Hope to see you around, sweetheart! -- The Red Viper
ALL -- Wait, wait, wait, please Violent J. I must confess! My love for you has
consumed my passion for the fight. Before our graduation you must acknowledge me or
I will fall on my blade. -- The Red Viper
The scum will now depart (and good riddance). While they may be highly effective,
they are not the most enjoyable fighting style out there. My next team should be
much more 'normal' -- Assur
Red Viper -- The Inputter asked a good question. Attack skills aren't just accuracy,
and deftness does figure into that. -- Tallahasse Moon
One-four. Bummer. But at least *I* got a win, and you'd better believe it! --
Saratoga Lee
Red Viper -- Yep, the old "knock-down win." Good work, though I didn't like it much
myself. -- Tallahasse Moon
Sven -- Wow, a one-shot! That's my slightly greater experience (maybe) and getting
the first blow. Some days you've got to be REALLY fast off the mark. -- Saratoga Lee
Drewski -- Drat. That was my "Achilles hand." -- Rochester King
Mori-Zuma Grl -- Shows you what experience will do: My experience is in losing, and
I lose really well.... -- Vermont Olson
P.S. It's probably the snow.
Zodiac Goat -- Ey Cimmit Seepukoo Toe Reestoor Me Uner. -- Pink-Yomi Girl
Zodiac Goat -- I will commit sepaku, to restore my honor. -- Puffi-Ami Girl
Zodiac Goat -- I will commit sepaku, to restore my hoor. -- Sanyo-Goth Girl
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
SANGO-GOTH GIRL was butchered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
PINK-YOMI GIRL was slaughtered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute gruesome Dark Arena battle.
PUFFY-AMI GIRL was murdered by SHEWISH GIANT in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
CORPSE 1 was slaughtered by SHEWISH GIANT in a 1 minute Dark Arena brawl.
CORPSE 1 was butchered by MASTER SEN GANAMIR in a 2 minute gory Dark Arena fight.
BRIENNE savagely defeated DO NOTHING in a crowd pleasing 10 minute Title competition.
MODE PARRY outlasted SHAGGY 2 DOPE in a tiresome 10 minute struggle.
THE RED VIPER viciously subdued ROCHESTER KING in a popular 4 minute competition.
VIOLENT J viciously subdued ROOKIES AND DONE in a action packed 9 minute duel.
BORING overpowered AKENO HIMEJUMA in a 2 minute uneven duel.
SARATOGA LEE overpowered MORDANT DESERTER in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
QUINCY JONES slimly won victory over WIDOW-MAKER in a 2 minute gory bout.
TALLAHASSE MOON demolished EMBEZZLING SCRIBE in a 1 minute mismatched match.
GASPER VLADI handily defeated KYGOMAI-LOVEGRL in a 1 minute one-sided contest.
YUUTO KIBA demolished PERSISTANT BEGGAR in a 1 minute one-sided brawl.
RIAS GREMORY handily defeated SIX FOOT DOWN in a 4 minute one-sided conflict.
ISSEI HYOUDOU was devastated by MORI-ZUMA GRL in a 1 minute uneven duel.
MORGUE-FILLER beat VERMONT OLSON in a 1 minute amateur's brawl.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|TOTAL PARRY 6 PARRY-LUNGE 4 - 2 - 0 67 |
|AIMED BLOW 5 TOTAL PARRY 52 - 29 - 1 64 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 5 SLASHING ATTACK 22 - 15 - 2 59 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 4 AIMED BLOW 25 - 20 - 3 56 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 3 LUNGING ATTACK 16 - 13 - 1 55 |
|BASHING ATTACK 2 STRIKING ATTACK 28 - 29 - 2 49 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 BASHING ATTACK 18 - 25 - 1 42 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 PARRY-STRIKE 9 - 14 - 2 39 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 0 WALL OF STEEL 8 - 18 - 0 31 |
|WALL OF STEEL 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 5 - 18 - 0 22 |
Turn 421 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:
PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 0 STRIKING ATTACK 2 - 3 3 TOTAL PARRY
BASHING ATTACK 2 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 2 2 STRIKING ATTACK
AIMED BLOW 3 - 2 TOTAL PARRY 2 - 4 2 BASHING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 2 2 AIMED BLOW
SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 0 1 SLASHING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0 1 LUNGING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
STRIKING ATTACK BRIENNE 9657 8 2 1 66 DARK LOTUS (1659)
TOTAL PARRY DO NOTHING 9679 6 4 0 40 BASH BROS SCUM (1663)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is BRIENNE 9657. The most popular warrior this turn
was BRIENNE 9657. The ten other most popular fighters were VIOLENT J 9658, THE RED
VIPER 9659, RIAS GREMORY 9704, QUINCY JONES 9724, WIDOW-MAKER 9688, BORING 9681,
SARATOGA LEE 9726, TALLAHASSE MOON 9727, GASPER VLADI 9706, and YUUTO KIBA 9707.
The least popular fighter this week was MODE PARRY 9683. The other ten least popular
fighters were ROOKIES AND DONE 9680, SHAGGY 2 DOPE 9684, VERMONT OLSON 9738, ISSEI
HYOUDOU 9703, SIX FOOT DOWN 9689, KYGOMAI-LOVEGRL 9717, AKENO HIMEJUMA 9705, DO
NOTHING 9679, CORPSE 1 9748, and PUFFY-AMI GIRL 9741.
FACE-TO-FACE TOURNEY LIV
The Effects of Coordination
Coordination has long been ruled as having no effect on a warrior. I have
noticed a few things that may be the cause of certain coordination levels. So I
decided to write this article to give the general DM populace something to ponder.
Below is the coordination table:
Coordination = SP + DF
06 - 16 = Clumsy
17 - 20 = Slightly Uncoordinated
21 - 27 = Normal
28 - 31 = Highly Coordinated
32 - 39 = Very Highly Coordinated
40 - 42 = Marvel of Fighting Coordination
Since I run a lot of bashers that have a clumsy rating most of the time, I
noticed a few things that happen to them and not the high coordination warriors I
have. Most people don't have clumsy warriors, save some bashers and TPs, so it may
not be paid that much attention to.
The first thing I have noticed is that a clumsy warrior seems to drop his weapon
more often than a higher coordination warrior. So I think that maybe he has a higher
chance to do this than normally coordinated warriors.
Second, I noticed that clumsy warriors have harder time trying to quick draw
their back-up weapon, causing them to fumble around trying to get it.
Third is that the clumsy warrior also is slower to get up after he has been
knocked down. It may also influence the roll on whether you get knocked down or not,
along with other factors.
These things aren't as noticeable the higher the coordination becomes. That's
probably why a lot of people don't place any value on coordination. At the higher
levels of the game there aren't any clumsy warriors, so coordination isn't noticed.
You can still get knocked down, lose your weapon, and draw your back-up quickly, but
the odds are more in your favor with a higher coordination in my opinion.
Well, may joy and happiness be with you. If you would like to chat , I can be
reached at 103260.3347@compuserve.com
You may diplo me at LORDS OF THE ABYSS, in DM 11, or any of the JOKER'S WILDS
scattered about.
Ta-Ta,
Sir Jessie Jest
(He who always gets the last laugh......)
The Basic Ripper
Why isn't one of basic's most entertaining styles, a style capable of beating all
others, a common sight upon the sands? The myth that rippers are difficult to run and
inherently prone to dying is widely accepted. True, the graveyard is full of rippers
that began their careers running little numbers and the parry tactic. This is no
mystery given that very few rippers start with great defenses and the parry tactic
destroys a young ripper's offense. In their efforts to make better punching bags,
many managers have turned to big constitutions and heavy armor. A dose of sanity is
long overdue. If you would like to run some rippers who will survive and win, read
on.
DESIGN: My approach is somewhat unorthodox. I maintain an evolving list of
physical requirements for each style, i.e., endurance, punishment, damage, and carry
capacity. If you don't have the means to accurately forecast these ratings, ask
around. If at all possible, I first max out a new rollup's WL at a value of 15, 17,
or 21 and then compare the rollup's physical potential with each style's physical
requirements. Generally, the style that matches up best and requires me to add the
least number of points to ST and CN is the one I want. It isn't absolutely necessary
for a fighter to be physically fit at the beginning of his career. Plan ahead. Will
a few preselected attribute trains make him so? Must points be added to the rollup's
ST or CN so that he can make the grade with no more than two trains per attribute?
Which weapons will he use? With these questions answered, it's simply a matter of
taking WT to the highest odd value possible (avoid 19) and then doing the same with
DF. Godlings are not born as a results of how many points you can pump into WT, WL,
and DF; that's luck's job.
Young rippers need to be able to go fast for two minutes without tiring. If your
ripper isn't physically fit, he will slow down. If he slows down, you are gambling
with his life. The more frail the warrior, the greater the gamble. That said, if
your ripper can quickly meet the following criteria and learn reasonably well, you
will get your money's worth.
Endurance: Something in the neighborhood of 350 (that's {ST+CN}WL)
Punishment: Anywhere from the high end of very frail to midrange normal
Damage: Normal
Capacity: Cannot carry a lot (minimum ST/CN combos: 9/8, 10/7, 11/6, 12/5)
ST: 9 + Midgets need an 11 or better.
CN: See Endurance, punishment, and capacity requirements
SZ: Small (3-8) to medium (9-14)
WT: 15+ If your ripper doesn't learn, he's toast.
WL: 15+ See endurance and punishment requirements.
SP: Though frequently unimportant, it helps to have points here if you're stuck
with a few 15's in WT, WL, and DF.
DF: 15+ 13 will do if you're fortunate to have a big WT and/or WL.
Strats: X 8 9 5 5 5 8
X 8 5 3 3 3 10
X 6 7 7 7 7 5
ARM ------------------------- >
HE -------------------------- >
N --------------------------- >
N ------------------------ > R
Why the missing numbers in the first minute? You'll want to find what works for
your new ripper and possibly change his numbers as he develops. 8-8-6 is probably the
best opening minute for a young ripper. If your youngster has a high speed, try 10-
10-6. 6-8-6 is a bit slow for my taste. Nevertheless, this might be the way to go
even if your ripper doesn't need to build up his endurance. Something I call "the
change" occurs when your ripper approaches his master in riposte, his AD Ex in parry,
and Experts in attack, defense and initiative. This is a moment of decision. If your
ripper takes normal punishment, this is when you can opt to slow him down. I don't do
this, but I have seen 5-7-5 and 5-5-5 parry work rather well. It's probably wise for
a slow-running ripper to run fast in desperation. If your ripper continues to run
fast after "the change," a first minute strat of 8-10-4 often works well.
WEAPONS: A scimitar or longsword belongs in your ripper's hand. After he starts
critting, check to see if the epee is his favorite. I don't believe in heavy backups
for youngsters; a dagger will do. Most youngsters will benefit from an offhand dagger
(preferred), hatchet, or shortsword. After "the change," rippers who don't slow down
can improve the quality of their attacks by getting rid of their off hand weapons.
These guys will need a backup scimitar, longsword, or epee. Rippers who do slow down
should keep their offhand weapons.
ARMOR: Very frail rippers should debut in ASM/H. After ten fights or so, it's
probably best to go with APL/H. Guys who cannot take a lot of punishment belong in
ARM/H for their entire basic careers. Put them in ALE/H if you're feeling gutsy.
Rippers who take normal punishment can debut in APL/H, ARM/H, or ASM/H. After ten
fights or so, it's definitely time for APL/H. If you decide to slow one of these guys
down, you'd better put him back in ARM/H or ASM/H.
CHALLENGES: Scummers deserve numbers like 4-1-6; keep that big desperation,
though. If you know that an opponent is out to kick you when you're down, go with 5-
8-5 or 5-5-5 while he's playing dead and 8-8-5 and 9-5-7 when he's active. Good aimed
blows are a pain. Still, like every other style, they can be beaten with standard
strats.
Many people have contributed indirectly to the content of this article. Foremost
in my mind are The Lunatic, Scrag, Voo-Doo, U-Star, Shark, Moriarty, and Wormtongue.
Thanks. If you have a bone to pick or a story to tell, you know where to find me.
Cadmus
Wild Oats (479)
Solven, DM 22
Stimpy's Thoughts on Total Parries
part II
Well, when we last spoke I gave you a rundown on I feel TPs should be designed.
Now I will give you my ideas on how to run them.
First, you need to consider what type of warrior you now have. A total parry is
what its name suggests. Total defense. The idea around a TP is to concentrate on
defense first and utmost. Only when the situation arises will the TP decide to
attack. With this in mind NEVER run a TP with an offensive effort (OE) above 5. In
doing so you have just told your TP to do what they weren't designed to do. Go
offensive. If you want to run your TP above 5, you should have made an offensive
styled warrior, NOT a TP. By using a high OE, you cause your TP to ignore defense and
go offense. This results in numerous "flailing" and "wild" attacks. So don't do it.
While running your TP, you may find that he tends to really turn on the offense
often. That is typical, typical of a warrior who favors initiative skills. This does
not mean that you should boost your OE. What is happening is that one of your
warrior's favorite learns is initiative. So he/she will be naturally adept in
initiative. And remember that initiative is the skill that allows you to continuously
make attacks on your opponent. Since your TP decided to attack, your opponent should
be relatively worn down. So it will be hard for your opponent to steal that
initiative back from you. Hence the reason that your TP looks like an offensive
killer. But that's good. It means that you have a very dangerous warrior on your
hands. High endurance burning styles, look out!
I know, I know!!! There are managers out there still that believe in the
offensive TP and suggest using higher OE. That's all fine and dandy. Let those
managers do just that. I personally guarantee that if you run your TP with a low OE
like the style was designed to do, you'll win fights. Experiment with unorthodox
strategies when you get a better hang of the game.
Activity level (AL) is the variable in TP strategies. I would definitely begin
running a TP with a moderate/low AL. Try a 3 at first. After a few fights you'll see
if your TP likes to dodge more or parry more. It should be quite obvious; your TP
will learn more skills in his "favorite" area. Chances are, though, if your TP has
received the statement: "avoiding rather than trading blows," or "relying on his speed
to stay out of danger," your TP would rather dodge than parry. And that's just fine.
Boost your AL to about a 4 or 5. If you choose to use the dodge tactic in defense,
use AL up to 7. Beyond that tends to hurt your warrior more than it helps.
So why not go with an AL of 7 all the time if your TP likes to dodge more than
parry, you might ask? That's simple; your TP may like to dodge more, BUT HE STILL
PARRIES. So you'll need to be less active to allow your TP that choice. With an AL
of 4-5, your warrior will dodge when it is more advantageous, parry when it isn't.
Kill desire varies greatly from warrior to warrior. To be on the safe side, I
always go low KD with my TPs, until they gain expert in attack. After that point, I
may begin to experiment, seeing how my warrior reacts to various KDs. Generally, if
your warrior learns attack skills relatively well, then a higher KD won't inhibit them
at all. If this is the case, I believe that your warrior is not looking for landing
several blows to win the match (favoring initiative skills), but is instead looking to
land a few good blows (favoring attack skills). In the latter case, a moderate to
high KD may help. Keep in mind though that your TP is still defensively oriented. An
extremely high KD will cause any warrior to behave like a berserker, and may cause
your TP to make lots of bad attacks. With this in mind, stay below 7.
Now to place it all together...
Minute 1 2 3 4 5 6on Desp
OE 2 ------------------------ > varies
AL 2 ------------------------ > "
KD 2 ------------------------ > "
or
Minute 1 2 3 4 5 6on Desp
OE 2 ------------------------ > varies
AL 4 ------------------------ > "
KD 2 ------------------------ > "
These show my general strategies for parry and dodging oriented warriors,
respectively. Seldom do I use any tactics, unless I am making a challenge and wish my
warrior to behave differently to that challenge (i.e., using the dodge tactic against
a lunger). At that point I would refer to the paragraphs in the beginning to
customize that particular minute to fit the tactic.
Attack and protect locations are totally up to you. I like to protect the head
and body, while attacking the head, arms, and legs. This protects my vitals, yet can
allow my warrior to land blows on parts of the body that can cause a warrior to lose a
fight with the minimum number of hits.
Desperation is my opposite area. If I was relying on a low AL in the regular
minutes, I will boost it in desperation. While going vice versa if I had a high AL in
regular minutes.
Now the one tactic I haven't touched on is the riposte tactic. Occasionally your
TP will favor this tactic. When he does, I like to raise my OE to 3, sometimes 4, and
the AL to 4. If I use the riposte tactic, I will use 4-5 OE and a 3-5 AL. When these
numbers are any lower, your TP may refrain from attacking in a riposte situation in
favor of more defense.
I have found that these strategies work well whether your warrior fights as a
SCUM or skilled TP. If you remember from my last article, the difference between the
schools of thought are the amount of damage the warrior is willing/able to take.
Well, I hope that this has been informative for the newer players, and the older
ones, too. Good luck and see you on the sands.
Stimpy
MORE ADVICE FOR BEGINNERS
Many essays dwell on style specifics. This piece describes a playing philosophy.
When you just want to WIN, create scum TPs and size 17 monsters with impunity. Don't
worry about getting these warriors into ADM! YOU'RE concerned with winning those "Top
Team" and "Team on the Move" awards.
By comparison, managers with an excellent setup shouldn't be too concerned with
the team win/loss record. Their character must develop, gain every skill possible, in
order to blossom into a deadly duelist. THEIR goal is to advance this fighter into
ADM, and eternal life.
Here are some broad parameters for assessing a warrior's value, and a few
representative samples:
Primus Bound:
- WT, WL and DF total 49+.
- 4 or more wit statements.
- Start with Expert rating or gain it in one or two skills.
- [13-5-5-21-13-10-17, 6-6-9-17-21-9-17, 11-7-9-17-17-6-17, etc.]
Basic/ADM Only:
- WT, WL and DF total to 35+.
- At least 3 wit statements.
- Gain Expert rating in no more than five skills.
- [17-9-10-17-9-9-13, 13-11-11-17-13-8-11, 9-13-10-15-21-5-11, etc.]
Dark Arena: [Any two of these qualify the character as "expendable"]
- WT less than 13.
- Less than 3 wit statements.
- Is clumsy.
- Has very little endurance.
- [15-15-16-11-13-5-9, 7-18-13-17-5-13-11, 13-15-13-13-17-6-7, etc.]
The Primus Bound setups are rare; they are coddled, protected and sometimes
sandbagged for a year or so in order to build up a few Ad Experts to help them survive
in the arena.
The Basic/ADM Only fighters have mediocre to decent stats, and are going to be
very dependent on their overview for that elusive "luck factor." This class of
warrior should be highly competitive. Most of the fighters seen in the arena are in
this category.
Finally, the Dark Arena fighters: conceived from pitiful setups with little
chance of being competitive. However, these rollups might prove useful. Don't fight
the system; learn to use it to your advantage! Many managers send fighters to the
D.A. who might have provided them with a successful (if brief) career in Basic.
Give BIG numskulls lots of ST and SP; these are your killer LUs and STs. More WL
= LU; Higher DF = ST. (I don't advise making Bashers unless you have a 17+ wit and 15+
points in WL.) Give LITTLE morons a boost to WL, ST and CN; these are your TP scum.
If they have absolutely no WT or WL, escort them to the Dark Arena.
Of course, some fighters have good stats and decent overviews yet still lose most
of their fights in the beginning of their career. The "old" method of dealing with
this phenomenon was to bump all stats by two or more. Now, it's generally agreed that
this increases performance at the cost of future skill learns. This takes away from a
duelist's competitive abilities in the higher levels of play. Competitive fighters
should be making as few stat raises as possible until they have "maxed out" in at
least three of four skill areas. (Some managers advocate waiting until a character is
completely "maxed out" before raising stats; this will take a long time for most
warriors.)
Some warriors (particularly the finesse styles: AB, PR, PL, PS) take a little
longer to develop. If they DON'T have the stats or the overview to raise visions of a
Primus inductee, take a HARD look at their potential. Will stat raises help? Well
they come easily? Is the rest of the team strong? How much money are you willing to
invest in this character?
ANYONE can create an awe-inspiring fighter by adding a couple of points to key
stats. It means the fighter may lose some of its long-term potential, but so what?
Duelmaster, Most Popular Fighter, Best Win/Loss Record, etc. all equate into free
fights and recognition. If you don't have that Godling in your stable, what other
goal might you have but to excel in your arena?!!
I urge new managers to run EVERY setup at least once in the arena. Look on
rollups as a challenge; try to make the best killer or scum possible out of Dark Arena
material. There's a tremendous amount of experience to be gained by this.
See what effect a high ST or DF has on specific styles; compare overviews to find
what works and what doesn't; gain new insights on character design. You will enjoy
playing far more than you do now! You might even come up with a better way of
designing a character for a specific style, and write an article to share your views.
The point is, DON'T wait around for the "right" rollup, or waste time and money
(or sentiment) on characters who aren't doing anything for you. Play the percentages.
If a promising warrior is losing repeatedly, be patient. Once a few AdExperts are
gained he will probably turn things around. If you Dark Arena Mutant loses a lot and
his scumminess or killer-design aren't working, either bump a couple of stats or DA
him. If your scum/killer goes out there and wins a few, start paying attention to
challenges/avoids (which you SHOULD be doing anyway). Send that scum against a LU or
ST; send that monster ST against a midget Parry-whatever. Style vs. style matchups
are crucial in the early careers of EVERY fighter.
Generally, even lousy STs, LUs, BAs and TPs do well starting out. Later the
finesse styles--PL, PS, PR, AB--usually take over. Summary: Recognize the difference
between playing "to win" and playing "longterm." Start noticing which teams have high
win/loss percentages: what kind of warriors are they running? Start sending diplos;
don't be bashful. You can bring that win/loss to a respectable level with careful
play, short-term Mutant killers and scum, and the occasional stat-bump for those
mediocre fighters whom you plan on retiring later. Try it and see. It gives the game
more spice, you win more often, and you have more FUN! And just remember... I told
you so!
Diplo me with comments, questions, rebuke:
-- The Arcane Kid, of Astral Kin in Osksi (DM-3)
"Favorite Weapons"
One of the best ways to improve a warrior's record in basic is to find his
favorite weapon. The effect of using a favorite weapon is that a warrior's attack
ability will improve. A warrior will throw more critical attacks, improve the odds to
inflict critical damage, and make attacks that are more difficult to dodge and parry.
There are two methods used to find a favorite weapon. The first is, "Don't worry
about it. They tell you when you get to ADM anyway." While some managers have the
patience to wait that long, I would rather have my favorite in hand in fight one!
The second method is called, "Charting." The way I chart weapons is I break
down, statistically, my warrior's attacks with a particular weapon. (No, it's not
difficult to do!) I chart 4 categories, (1) Total number of attacks, (2) Total number
of crit attacks, (3) Total number of crit damages, (4) Total number of knockdowns.
(1) Total number of attacks (#ATT) -- Record the total number of attacks with the
weapon in question, including hits, crits, misses, parried attacks, dodged attacks,
and wild swings.
(2) Total number of crit attacks (C ATT) -- Record the total number of critical
attacks with the weapon in question. Do not get good attacks confused with critical
attacks. A good attack is a statement that is more descriptive than, "strikes with
dagger," but is not as spectacular as a critical. An example of a good attack is,
"Bats outward with her quarterstaff," or, "Makes a lunging attack wielding a short
spear." These are more descriptive but are not outstanding. A critical attack is
exemplified by spectacular statements such as; "Catapults forward, longsword stabbing
cruelly at his foe," "Punches with piston-like horsefelling power," or "Hatchet
flashes with snake-like speed and accuracy." As you can see, crit attacks are very
obvious.
(3) Total number of crit damages (C DAM) -- A crit damage statement will signify
a significant amount of additional damage and is typified by a statement such as;
"Spectators cringe as the horrific power of the blow strikes home" or "It was a
devastating attack."
(4) Total number of knockdowns (# KD) -- Record every time an opponent is knocked
off his feet with the weapon in question.
The next step is to convert this data into a usable format. To do this I divide
the last three categories by the first. This gives a "batting average" of sorts.
EXAMPLE: Dark One fights his first three fights with a scimitar. In those three
fights Dark One made 16 attacks, 2 crit attacks, 4 crit damage, and 1 knockdown. This
breaks down as such:
C ATT = .125
C DAM = .25
# KD = .06
Remember, the more fights with the weapon, the more accurate your chart will be.
Looking at Dark One's performance with the scimitar we can conclude that it is
not his favorite weapon. I determine this by looking at the three categories in order
of precedence.
First I look at C ATT:
.00-.25 Doubtful
.25-.35 Slight possibility
.35-.50 Very possible
.50 + BINGO!
If your warrior is critting 50% of the time, stick with that weapon. Favorite or
not, it is VERY effective.
Next is crit damage. This is trickier to look at, as the primary chance to do
critical damage is primarily based on strength.
Does little 0%
Normal 1-5% (style dependent)
Good 10%
Great 25%
Tremendous 50%
Awesome 75%
Look for increases in the expected average crit rate. These numbers may be a
little off as I don't have a large enough sample of warriors with high damage ratings.
In the example, Dark One rated at 25%, and with his great damage rating it appears he
is not doing any additional crits.
Finally, knockdowns. I don't have a fast and easy rule for this, but anything
over 15% or 20% if attacking the legs, could bear investigating. It's best to look at
all three and infer a weapon's performance.
Dark One switches to a short spear and after 4 fights has 15 attacks, 7 crit
attacks, 6 crit damages and 2 knockdowns.
C ATT = .466
C DAM = .40
# KD = .13
This weapon suits him much better. His crit percentage is up for all categories.
This weapon has a very good chance to be his favorite weapon. In this example it
wasn't, but his W/L record improved with 6 straight wins. (By the way, the names and
weapons have been changed but the numbers are from one of my ADM warriors.)
Okay, I've figured out that the weapon I'm using is not my favorite. What now?
There are some indicators to help you. Look at how your warrior uses his current
weapon. If he likes to slash a lot, stay with a slashing weapon. Also, look at good
attacks. If a warrior makes quite a few good attacks with the weapon, try a weapon
that is used in a similar fashion. I.E. epee is used in similar fashion to a long
sword. Dark One loved to lunge with his scimitar at a 3:1 ratio. Try weapons that
fit your stats at first but don't be afraid to try a weapon that is out of your stat
parameters. Should you find your favorite and you don't have the strength, size and
deftness to use it, who cares. The fact that it's your favorite will nullify or
minimize all those penalties.
I know that this is a question on the mind of new managers, as it was for me when
I was new to the game. I hope someone can get some good use out of this article and
expand upon the charting method in their own way. If you have any questions,
comments, additions, or criticism please feel free to Diplo.
-- Abe
Ango (DM 64, 103)
Imploding Ducks (DM 19, 103)
NEW TEAMS IN THE TEMPORARY TOURNAMENT ARENA (DM 85)
Please note that all new teams created at the Face-to-Face were temporarily placed in
a temporary Tournament Arena, DM 85. If you requested that your team be placed in a
specific arena, it has already transferred to that arena. Effective immediately, any
teams placed in DM 85 and not transferred out to another arena, will be automatically
deleted a month after the tournament. If you have questions about any of your teams,
please contact Customer Service. -- RSI