Ideas/Combat

Controls

 * mouse-based system allows you to strike, block, and aim with the same two-button mouse (no scroll required)
 * Left click operates the Primary Strike
 * Primary strike uses your right hand weapon, if available, or left hand if not
 * holding down increases power
 * Right click operates the Primary Block
 * Primary block uses your left hand weapon, if available, or right hand if not
 * holding down keeps the block in place
 * Holding shift changes hands but not actions
 * Normal MW controls allow you to move
 * C casts a spell
 * holding down increases cast time and power
 * X selects a target for auto-targeting
 * _ (key near WASD) allows you to throw your weapon
 * action combinations can be stored in the number pad keys
 * hotkeys still allow you to select new items
 * -/ keys and [/] keys can be programmed with a "favorites" list
 * Comes with two action poses:
 * R is ready pose. No weapon drawn, you rise off your heels and prepare to dodge
 * F is fight pose. You ready your weapon AND rise off your heels

Hit Points System
This consists of the following:


 * Life
 * The general measure of your condition (MW health; D&amp;D Hit Points)
 * No life is death
 * Hit Points (local)
 * Measures the bleeding injuries on any given body part
 * Loss of hit points results in a slow blood loss
 * Blood Loss slowly drains life
 * Blood Loss is determined by Hit Point Percentages averaged among all body parts
 * No hit points means an unusable body part
 * Body parts bashed, broken, or sliced off require immediate medical attention to slow blood loss
 * Such body parts can be healed but only by a costly healing job. They are assumed gone and can't even be recovered by immediate medical attention and extensive rest.
 * No hit points on the chest or head allows all weapon damage to target life directly
 * Health (local)
 * Measures the damage caused without bleeding
 * Health is restored like fatigue but more slowly (say a point or two per five seconds)
 * Loss of health has no effect, but no health means an unusable body part
 * Body parts lost by health loss are restored as soon as local health recovers somewhat
 * If this body part is the head, neck, or chest, it results in a knockout until health recovers


 * All damage dealt carries over if it surpasses local limitations. Body parts with zero health start taking all hit point damage
 * As a side note, arms and legs with zero hit points DO NOT start affecting life if struck again; their collision data (and possibly visuals, as well) is disabled. Only head, neck, and chest shots will target life directly

Weapons
The inventory slot allows weapons to be equipped in either hand at will


 * Weapon stats are determined as follows:
 * Weapon speed is compound, as follows:
 * Balance, measured in feet from the grip.
 * Absolute weight
 * When these factors are added together, they produce a number on a spectrum
 * Based on the spectrum, its extreme ends (strength and speed) affect the speed
 * Following this adjustment, PC skill is multiplied into the equation
 * Weapon damage is compound as well:
 * Damage Type (blunt/bladed) for given attack (attack/damage type coded into animation)
 * Edge (for blades) and Focus (for blunt)
 * Absolute Weight and Balance Point (for slashing especially, the effect here is high)
 * PC skill and attributes (chiefly strength)

Styles

 * Weapon styles stay fairly close to MW lore, but differ in a few dramatic places
 * Two-handed weapons are, by definition, separated from single-handed weapons not only in animation but also in skill
 * Weapons use special bones and/or play off game physics to animate the weapons themselves

Styles of wieldin

 * Based exclusively upon animation (usage)
 * Serves as a basis for all weapon styles

This section is geared around the following basic animations:


 * Sword (1H/mix)
 * Great Sword (2H/mix)
 * Cudgel (1H/chiefly slashing)
 * Hammer (2H/chiefly slashing)
 * Spear (2H/chiefly stabbing (also long))
 * Knife (1H/chiefly stabbing)
 * Staff (2H/double-ended mix)

These may be expanded by:


 * Pole Hammers (2H/chiefly slashing, long)
 * Pole Swords (2H/mix, long)

However, these styles may be effectively covered by existing animations

Styles of weapons

 * Based exclusively upon physical characteristics
 * Filled with delightful complexities just waiting to be expanded
 * Please note that a weapon's physical characteristics have nothing to do with its specified animation, and weapon type determines about half of the total weapon skill

Styles include:


 * Sword Styles (MW Long Blade)
 * Longsword
 * Shortsword
 * Broadsword
 * Saber
 * Scimitar
 * Daltan (an extra-heavy Dunmer scimitar style)
 * Great Sword Styles
 * War Sword (hand-and-a-half or bastard sword)
 * Great Sword
 * Cudgel Weapons (1h Blunts)
 * Club
 * Mace
 * Mace&amp;Chain (a one-handed short flail, basically a mace with a couple links of chain)
 * Hammer Weapons (2h Blunts)
 * Hammer (common drudge's sledge)
 * Pick (pointy on both sides)
 * Pickaxe (axe-bladed on one side)
 * Pickhammer (blunt on one side)
 * Warhammer (longer and heavier than hammer)
 * Flail (comes in 1h and 2h varieties)
 * Axe Weapons (used both 1h and 2h in a unified style)
 * Hatchet (strictly 1h, small axe)
 * Axe (splitting axe)
 * War Axe (bigger and nicer than axe, 1h or 2h)
 * Battle Axe
 * Great Axe (battleaxe w/ four-foot handle)
 * Knife Weapons
 * Knife (short dagger, MW throwing knife)
 * Dagger
 * Dirk (long dagger, MW wakizashi or shortsword)
 * Polearms
 * Spear
 * Halberd (spear w/ spike or axe head on end, used in a mixed chop-and-thrust style)
 * Glaive (glaive varies from halberd in that it is a single blade)
 * Poleaxe
 * Polehammer
 * Scythe
 * Pike (little-used MW long spear)
 * Missile Weapons
 * Bow
 * Crossbow
 * Sling
 * Blowgun?

Striking
Strikes are activated by the left mouse button (or some keyboard shortcut may be enabled). They become effective when the weapon mesh strikes armor or flesh.

Critical Strikes

 * Each critical strike is unique. They do NOT mean extra damage, only unusual effects
 * Critical strike is determined by contact with specified critical areas in the mesh
 * Armor can alleviate critical strikes, if present, but will not remove them completely
 * Stealth offers no bonus to critical striking
 * Target being flat-footed (unready) eliminates all chance of dodging, which increases chance of critical hits.

Critical strike zones used by all weapons include:


 * Head
 * Strikes here do extra (200%) damage
 * If health or hits drop to zero, character is knocked down and cannot move until both are above zero
 * Neck
 * Strikes here do normal damage, but blood flow rates are doubled
 * If hit points drop to zero, character is permanently paralyzed
 * Throat (front of neck)
 * Health loss here is fast (300%)
 * If health drops to 0, character takes knockdown until health returns
 * If hit points (determined normally) drop to zero, character dies
 * Heart (center of rib cage)
 * Strikes here do extra (200%) damage
 * If hit points of chest drop to zero when heart is struck, character dies

Parrying
Parrying does nothing (by default) except place a weapon mesh between yourself and a blow. In a clash (defined as two weapons meeting), the clash generates a number based on:


 * Attacker strength
 * Attacker weapon stats (weight, balance, focus/edge)
 * Attack power
 * Defender agility
 * Defender skill (higher skill reduces the number)

This number is then applied to both weapons. If either weapon's strength is exceeded by this number (call it energy), that weapon shatters and disappears. It may or may not be scripted to reappear as scrap metal. Energy not expended in the broken weapon carry through to its wielder. If strength exceeds energy, a portion (1-3% or so; very low) is transferred to the weapon's condition, which affects and determines its strength, and another portion (maybe 5%) is transferred to user fatigue.

Note that the chances of breaking your weapon are minimal. With quality weapons well-maintained, you'd have to be a demigod fighting another demigod to have even a chance of breaking them.

Armor

 * Armor Value dependent upon two variables:
 * Reflectivity
 * Absorption
 * Condition depends on normal condition and strength
 * Strength refers to the armor's ability to take shock hits
 * Strength is never shown to the character
 * Condition refers to gradual wearing away of the weapon's strength

Unarmored - Cloth
Cloth armor is defined as lightweight, generally very flexible material with minimal armor stats. In essence, clothing.


 * Based on a toughness factor which directly affects local health
 * Movement with only this type of armor is restricted, in combat, by fear, which lowers your ability to dodge (skill reduces fear)
 * Cloth armor is basically here only to allow certain clothing slots (gloves, shoes, helms...) to be used only for one actual clothing slot, and also to allow certain types of clothing (enchanted, obviously) to provide some protection.
 * Netch armor may be included here, as it is described in MW lore as "lightweight and stretchy membrane ...depending on skilled evasion". If so, netch apparel will become the only protective nonmagical clothing.

Types of Cloth armor include:


 * Dresses and Robes
 * Cloaks
 * Shirts
 * Pants
 * Shoes
 * All other clothing

Light Armor - Leather
Leather armor is defined as highly supple, often lightweight armor whose chief mode of defense is evasion.


 * Includes a toughness factor for local health, like cloth.
 * Provides minimal protection from swords, hammers, etc.
 * Most leather armor can be combined with heavier armor to produce more protective suits
 * Leather has a high absorption rate, compared to its weight, and generally no reflectivity.

Leather armor comes in clothing-like arrangements with the damage to each body part separated. Arrangements as follows:


 * Tunics - chest and arms
 * Breeches - groin and legs
 * Vests - only chest
 * Chaps - only legs
 * Robes - arms, chest, legs

Leather styles include:


 * Leather
 * Studded Leather
 * Boiled Leather (or hardened leather)
 * Quilted Leather
 * Fur (also padded leather)
 * Heavy Fur

All the above are available in the following materials:


 * Alit Hide
 * Kagouti Hide
 * Guar Hide
 * Deerskin (buckskin)
 * Trollhide (e.g. off a Grahl)
 * Dragon Scale
 * Wolf Pelt
 * Bear Pelt
 * Boar Leather
 * Fish Scale
 * Dreugh Hide
 * Racer Leather
 * Daedra Skin/Hide (consider hide thicker and more protective)

Medium Armor - Mail
Mail is defined as armor that is supple, or mostly supple, yet heavy.


 * Offers fair reflective values with minimal absorption.
 * Can be combined with leather for higher absorption.
 * Quite effective against most swords, but not against hammers, maces, and flails.
 * Skill refers chiefly to familiarity with the armor's weight and confidence in its abilities:
 * A user of cloth or leather would feel constrained in mail
 * A user of plate would be frightened by the lack of solid protection
 * In either case, movement would be restricted

Mail comes in many packages, some similar to clothing and others closer to plate, dependent on style


 * Brynie (or byrnie; also known as tunic) - Chest, Arms, Upper Legs
 * Vest - Chest
 * Chaps - Legs
 * Long Vest - Chest, Upper Legs
 * Pauldrons (heaviest, most rigid styles) - Arms
 * Greaves (heaviest, most rigid styles) - Legs

Mail comes with many style, including the following:


 * Mail
 * Ring Mail (rings on leather)
 * Mesh (extra fine mail, produced exclusively by dwarven forges or exceptionally good smiths)
 * Scale Mail (small scales riveted to a mail coat)
 * Scale (small scales riveted to leather)

All the above come in many different materials, including the following:


 * Iron
 * Steel
 * Ebony
 * Daedric
 * Orcish
 * Adamantium
 * Dwarven

Heavy Armor - Plate
Plate is defined as completely or nearly-completely rigid armor, regardless of weight.


 * Usually heavy and always hard to move in
 * Skill with plate refers chiefly to familiarity with the movements it allows
 * Very hard to dodge in plate armor, even with fairly high skill
 * Plate boasts high reflectivity and fair absorption
 * Plate is also highly expensive in any form, since it requires being crafted specifically for each wearer.

Plate comes in the traditional MW packages of:


 * Cuirass - chest
 * Pauldrons - arms
 * Greaves - legs
 * Boots - feet
 * Gauntlets - hands

Plate armors consist of the following styles:


 * Plate
 * Brigandine (nearly-rigid armor of overlapping plates)
 * Plate Mail (large plates placed selectively for maximum protection)

These come in the following materials:


 * Adamantium
 * Steel
 * Iron
 * Ebony
 * Daedric
 * Orcish
 * Dwarven
 * Elvish
 * Ordinator armor

Shields
These are included as another category of weapon and dependent only on their own unique skill.


 * With a larger mesh, blocks with shields are easier to manage than blocks with blades
 * Shields can bash or chop, though their real strength is defense

Shield styles include the following:


 * Buckler - small shield held in the hand
 * Round Shield - arm shield basically contained in a flat, wide cylinder
 * Tower Shield - arm shield of roughly rectangular shape, always both wide and long
 * Kite Shield - arm shield tapering to a bottom point

Why all the types of shields?


 * Bucklers are small, fast, mobile shields, perfectly paired with light skirmishers
 * Round Shields are mobile and all-purpose, most effective in brush or on a ship
 * Tower Shields are heavy and highly protective but cause hindrance in brush, on a ship, or on a horse
 * Kite Shields are almost as protective as tower shields but gain bonuses from horseback

Why don't these get included with armor as in MW?


 * Shields are, by definition, rigid. Thus, fitting them with armor styles based in flexibility automatically shifts them all into plate.
 * Shields have no defense bonus, only a highly effective parry, and can be used in striking
 * They fit well on or in the hand--ideal for dual-wielding GUI

Headgear
This are defined as armor/clothing specifically for the head. They are unaffected by armor skill and have no effect on dodging except based on the visibility they allow.

All these types exist solely for preventing critical hits to the head area (or just for wearing, as a feathered hat or a night cap)

Headgear is broken up as follows:


 * Caps; round items fitting exclusively over the hair
 * Full visibility
 * Protects only the top of the head, so evasion is necessary
 * Best headgear for rangers, who demand good visibility
 * Helms; caps fitted with cheek guards
 * Good visibility
 * Adds the sides of the face to the protection
 * Good for most melee fighters, especially those involved in skirmish, and for rangers
 * Helmets; full-face implements with slits for eyes and poked holes for air circulation
 * Poor visibility
 * Finest head protection available
 * Good only for heavily armored fighters with no need to evade (full plate) or to see the sides (as in a tourney)

Spells

 * Casting a spell requires one of two things:
 * A free hand
 * A weapon tuned to magic. These include the following:
 * Scepter (single-ended staff)
 * Wand
 * A weapon enchanted to channel magic
 * It should be noted here that two-handed weapons CAN be held while casting spells, but they will be held on the side, in one hand, to produce the free hand
 * Spells deal damage--or effects--based on varying skills, the time you've held the cast key, and other factors discussed here (look up Ideas/Magic or Wishlist for more info on magic).