tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post6585103019374693924..comments2024-03-29T06:16:21.012+08:00Comments on Monsters and Manuals: Ways of Describing CombatUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-84593424069031848612019-08-13T06:46:51.879+08:002019-08-13T06:46:51.879+08:00I'll have to give him another shot. I started...I'll have to give him another shot. I started with the first "Sharpe" and that's a pretty early work for him. I really have liked all the TV adaptions of his work.ligehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00652431558688176341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-65952444528866556032019-08-11T10:15:47.430+08:002019-08-11T10:15:47.430+08:00How about Moorcock? I want Moorcock. Why are you g...How about Moorcock? I want Moorcock. Why are you giggling?Claytonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10427928164050640466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-65337451502483569962019-08-09T21:26:30.128+08:002019-08-09T21:26:30.128+08:00It has been so, so long since I have read anything...It has been so, so long since I have read anything by David Eddings. I must still have the Elenium and Tamuli somewhere but can't really remember the fights. Maybe I'll go back to them at some point.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-1580096522795934482019-08-09T21:25:35.531+08:002019-08-09T21:25:35.531+08:00Yes, I agree with all of that really. I think old ...Yes, I agree with all of that really. I think old school D&D combat CAN be good at running Tolkien if you think of the combat round as being 1 minute and hit points as being an abstract representation of combat-readiness encompassing physical and mental endurance. More on that in another post, perhaps.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-5900884725634700442019-08-09T21:23:37.025+08:002019-08-09T21:23:37.025+08:00I think undoubtedly films - particularly martial a...I think undoubtedly films - particularly martial arts films - have an influence, as well as comic books. Most SF and fantasy writers are nerds across other media as well. There is a generic set of "geek interests" which are getting more and more uniform and universal.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-43421592169002471122019-08-09T21:20:11.152+08:002019-08-09T21:20:11.152+08:00I broadly agree, although I think Cornwell has mel...I broadly agree, although I think Cornwell has mellowed quite a bit in recent books. His "Azincourt" was really good.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-46420006041035402602019-08-09T13:52:46.365+08:002019-08-09T13:52:46.365+08:00I really love Vance's descriptions of action-o...I really love Vance's descriptions of action-oriented scenes, especially in Lyonesse. Though another author I have a soft spot for is Eddings - especially when it comes to "high-level" character types in the Elenium/Tamuli.<br /><br />The real interesting point with Eddings is the pacing of the rare "knight vs. knight" fight: rather than a steady rain of blows, it comes across as studying each other, going for a maneuver, and then going back to studying. It comes across as very close to the sort of thing you get with two Lords going at it. In contrast, a fight involving knights vs. "normal men" is going to end very badly for latter.Rosenritterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05708668233952612105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-47998829168912972272019-08-09T12:33:15.623+08:002019-08-09T12:33:15.623+08:00For the Tolkien one that works well with a lot of ...For the Tolkien one that works well with a lot of Indie scene instead of task resolution mechanics. Traditional games like old school D&D are pretty terrible at running Tolkien since they always end up sliding into Vance, which they work far far far far better for. As good as Tolkien is it's almost a shame he became so popular in gaming circles as a lot of people (including me as a teen) wasted a long time trying to jam square pegs in round holes.<br /><br />Vance-style has the merit of being probably the easiest to translate into RPG mechanics, most of the others are harder to really get to work at the table for various reasons as the cool bits tend to get drowned out by the sort of behavior that it actually tactically useful when it comes to keeping your character alive, while with Vancian fights it's pretty easy to translate into RPG terms. Old School D&D combat can get pretty tedious if you try to jam it into one of the other modes though...Boshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06908715118408289864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-31209367266600173042019-08-09T12:12:48.288+08:002019-08-09T12:12:48.288+08:00Updated this old post with a link to this one. Go...Updated <a href="https://trollsmyth.blogspot.com/2012/04/of-combat-acrobatics-and-not-so.html" rel="nofollow">this old post</a> with a link to this one. Good stuff! :Dtrollsmythhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01895349218958093151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-91492845352360095222019-08-09T07:45:39.460+08:002019-08-09T07:45:39.460+08:00In a book the first two methods are my favorites. ...In a book the first two methods are my favorites. It seems like a lot of modern fantasy authors are lot closer to the last two examples and I find myself just skimming over the combats to get to more interesting parts of the story. <br /><br />I don't know if you've read Patrick O'Brien or Bernard Cornwell but I think they show a similar contrast in their depictions of (hand to hand at least) battles. O'Brien is pretty close to Vance, battles are quick and long on chaos and short on deliberate actions. Cornwell tends to read like a Conan novel with exceedingly detailed description of all actions in a fight - much closer to the latter examples. I tried to read some Cornwell after reading several O'Brien books and I couldn't get past the superheroics.ligehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00652431558688176341noreply@blogger.com