combat/conflict resolution system development

[wyzzarrdd]

I just finished my proof of concept roguelike in Unity and I'm pretty confident I can handle any kind of game mechanics I decide to throw at it.

The step I'm at now is building the combat/conflict resolution system and I'm looking for ideas.  What I don't want is to use is the standard critical existence failure hit point pool or the usual attack roll vs armor class and damage roll vs damage resistance mechanic.

I'm a big fan of wound/incapacitate/kill abstract systems from more story-based rpgs but I don't think that would work in a combat heavy, single character game like a traditional roguelike.  I also really like the anatomy/location based damage system of dwarf fortress but think that can definitely be abstracted away from that level of pure simulationism.

My first attempt was cribbing the old TSR Marvel Super Heros universal table http://www.classicmarvelforever.com/cms/universal-table.html tweaking the power curve and adding critical failures.  I like the concept of an agent rolling against his rank to determine outcomes with opposition and other circumstances modifying either the roll itself or adjusting the rank at which the agent rolls.

So does anyone have examples of interesting resolution systems in roguelikes or in pnp gaming in general that I could study?

[Quendus]

IVAN's system is the first thing that comes to mind when talking about alternative damage mechanics and limb systems: http://roguebasin.com/index.php?title=IVAN#Body_part_system

The player and most monsters have 4 limbs and 3 other body parts - limbs are expendable and replaceable (and limb replacements can make the player very powerful), and the other three all need to be preserved (as well as the player's overall HP).

A limb that takes enough damage will be unusable until the player rests it off, and with enough damage it will be severed or destroyed. In this case it (or another limb) can be reattached by the priestess in town for a small fee, regrown with troll blood, or replaced with wood, metal, paper, expensive fabric, etc. by a sufficiently happy god.

If you lose a leg or two, your carrying capacity and speed will drop (as you are reduced to hopping or crawling).
If you lose an arm or two, your combat potential drops and you might also lose the ability to do things like zapping wands.

Overall, it's not the most balanced system, and some of it might be inherent in the system, but a lot of it is due to IVAN's overall design which focusses on killing the player.

[lithander]

A fighting mechanic i once experimented with wsas trying to simulate swordfighting as a process of trading blows that usually don't deal damage until one combatant fails to parry. But hits are very likely to be severe if not fatal. To score a hit you need an advantage. Advantage builds or diminishes over time like the combat in a DOTA match can flow back and forth. Usually when the enemy has advatage you can  sidestep or take a step back fom your oponent to regain advantage.

[guest509]

  I made a tabletop game where hits did very little until they reached a certain threshold (target defense), at which point you'd roll on a table.

  For example:
  Conan has a great sword worth 6 attack dice.
  His melee skill is 2+
  Conan rolls 6 attack dice vs Juma. 3-4-5-1-2-6.
  He hits 5 times (all rolls of 2+ hit). His roll of 6 is a critical hit, he rolls it again and scores a 3.
  So that's 6 hits total. 
  Conan re-rolls 6 dice. 1-1-2-4-5-6. Juma has high agility of 5, so he dodges rolls lower than that. The 2 rolls of 5 and 6 hit Juma. Conan rerolls the 6, but only gets a 3. Juma dodges that crit. [6's always get the reroll for extra critical hits.]
  So that's 2 hits not dodged.
  Juma isn't wearing armor, but he's tough so has armor of 1.
  So he ignores 1 hit.
  That leaves 1 hit left.

  Roll on the following table for each hit.
1- Stunned
2- Stunned
3- Wounded
4- Wounded
5- Knocked out.
6- Knocked out.*

  A knocked out character can be captured, killed, healed, robbed, saved, etc...it allows for RPG plots.

  If you stick with the "6's are special" theme you can have a second table for fun effects other than knock outs.

1-2 - Sucking gut wound [Die of sepsis after 1-6 days without treatment, half ability scores until then.]
3-4 - Permanent disfigurement
   1 - Lose ear. 1/2 hearing
   2 - lose eye. -hit
   3 - lost finger. -skill
   4 - lost nose. 0 charm.
   5 - lost hand [serious!]. no 2h weapons/shields.
   6 - leg. -movement, req' peg leg.
5 - Bleeding out, die after 10 turns if you aren't healed/treated.
6 - Beheaded!

In summary.
  Weapon = Dice rolled.
  Attack Skill = Hit #
  Enemy Dodge = Hit number on the reroll.
  Armor = Ignore hits.
  6's are always crits, reroll for extra hits.
  Remaining hits roll on the table.

  Fun for RPGs, but roguelikes are not narrative games generally, they are mechanics and HP games.

[requerent]

I like that. For a roguelike it would just need to be more scaleable so the player doesn't randomly die all the time.

[guest509]

  Yeah. That's why games have HP, at least partly. To smooth things out.

[guest509]

  I play a simpler version with my nieces, with their toys. We practice counting.

  Each picks 5 toys. Puts them in order of toughness, 1-5.

  On their turn they move 1 toy next to one of mine and have a fight. With full sound effects.

  The attacker rolls dice according to toughness, roll again any 6's.

  Hits are scored with a 4+ on the dice.

  If you roll hits equal to or more than the toughness of your target, then the target toy is beaten. They are now "out" and have to be put on the couch.

  Last toy standing is the winner. I generally choose the dump truck as my toughest toy, with a pony in the back as my weakest.

  The key is that even a weak toy can take out a tough one if they roll enough 6's. The pony will probably never take out the truck but barbie better watch it.