Combat Rules and Territory Wars

**Col. StaR** Tue Feb 22, 2011 3:26 pm

Combat is the toughest to put rules on because RP combat and gameplay combat do not translate very well nor very easily; just because someone can pick up a gun and shoot someone a mile away, doesn't mean that it'd be a possible kill IC. Combat is a crucial aspect of Desertia, so we've come up with a few rules that maintain a set amount of RP balance.

Basic Rules:

1. Accept the Consequences.
While everyone might like a good fight, no one wants to lose either. Unfortunately, fights usually end with a clear victor and a clear victim. Regardless of what happens, you must accept the outcome and the consequences because of it: squabbling about because things didn't go your way is not only immature and obstructive, but it also hampers RP with OOC whining. Fights happen and people die, but the RP must go on. You might not be able to win them all, but you can lose gracefully and with dignity, while potentially creating a great RP moment.

This would be a good time to review the PermaKill rules.

2. Obey the Rules and Circumstances.
Mainly, don't argue over nothing. The rules are there for mechanical and gameplay reasons, not to give an unrealistic or unbelievable edge to one side.

3. Shoot to Kill.
While some people believe in the shoot to miss philosophy, not everyone adheres to it, which creates a big mess of miscommunication and a lot of OOC arguments. Here's how we solve it: you don't enter a fight meaning to purposely miss, and we didn't code the weapons and mechanics for nothing. Guns are meant to be used, so use them.

4. Adhere to the Skills.
Especially in /me melee fighting. The skills system is there for a reason. Whoever has a superior skill would obviously hold an upper hand in a fight. We'll figure out some sort of equation or a /roll command for working with this.

5. Proper Places and Communication.
We all know that people don't love wandering into war zones randomly, nor do combatants love random people walking through their gunfights. However, we also know that fights can break out anywhere at any time, so it's hard to contain or control where fights can occur. To address this, we've come up with a simple system: if it's a small fight, it can happen wherever and without having to broadcast to everyone what's happening and where (an admin should still be present if the intent is to PK, however), but if it's an escalated fight that contains 4 or more people, then the server and admins must be notified, especially if it occurs in a very populated area (like a town). That way, people will be wary not to wander into combat zones unwarned.

Melee Procedures

Sparring VS Combat:
Sparring and Combat are two different variations of Melee combat.
Sparring is much more focused on fluid and flexible roleplay between two consenting groups. Sparring is more often used in situations that are preplanned, scripted, or have little to no actual impact on either group (e.g. casual bar fight). Most often, no exchange of goods occurs, but if it does, then it must be consented to by both groups. These fights are almost purely done for the spectacle.
Combat is much more critical, because it authorizes injury, robbery, and kidnapping. Melee Combat will rely solely on the Melee Skill and the /roll command inserver. This rest of this section will explain how Melee Combat proceeds.

Using the rp_roll command:
To use the /roll command inserver, simply type this into the console: "rp_roll". The results will automatically be relayed in chat to everyone closeby. By default, the rp_roll command is set to the default number range from 1 to 100, and as a result, it will randomly choose a number between 1 and 100. The number chosen will reflect the outcome of the attempted /me action.

Interpreting the Roll:
The number outcome reflects the outcome of the /me conducted, which reflects the effectiveness of the action based on the individual's Melee skill. If the roll results in a number that is within the Effective range of the respective skill, then the action is considered successful (such as a punch being thrown and hitting the opponent); vice versa, if the roll results in a number that is outside the Effective range of the respective skill, then the action is considered unsuccessful (the punch is thrown, but misses the opponent).

Skills and Effectiveness:
The following list shows the Effective range for each Melee skill level, respectively.
- Unskilled: 1-20
- Basic: 1-30
- Skilled: 1-50
- Advanced: 1-70
- Expert: 1-85

Before commencing melee combat, a few conditions need to be met:
1. If one or more groups want to consent
2. Both parties must consent to combat and any damage inflicted.
3. Any additional circumstances (either buffs or handicaps) must be mentioned beforehand.

Initiating Combat:
To start, both sides are assigned a set number of 5 hit points. Each side takes turns in choosing their character's action (i.e. attacking, blocking, or escaping).

Attacking:
Attacks allow a player to hurt their opponent, and thus rid them of one of their hit points with each successful hit. Obeys the Effectiveness list above.

Attacking with a Melee Weapon:
Melee Weapons do twice the amount of damage as an unarmed attack, resulting in two hit points being lost per successful hit. Obeys the Effectiveness list above.

Consecutive Hits (Combos):
If an attack is successful, the player has the opportunity to attack again to further damage their opponent. These consecutive hits rid the opponent of 1 hit point per successful hit. If the hit is unsuccessful or successfully blocked, then it becomes the opponent's turn. Obeys the Effectiveness List above.

Blocking:
Blocking or Dodging can negate any damage done by a previous attack if successful. It can only occur if the individual is being attacked, and thus cannot be used as the first move of the match. If the Block attempt succeeds, then the attacker forfeits their turn and the player can attack. If the Block attempt fails, then the damage incurred stays. Obeys the Effectiveness list above.

Disarming:
If the opponent is armed, and you have successfully attacked or blocked, then you have a chance to disarm the opponent immediately afterwards. If the Disarm is successful, then possession of the weapon is turned over to you. You may use it immediately in the fight (where it will factor in normally as a melee weapon), or it may be discarded and permanently removed from the fight. Obeys the Effectiveness list above.

Escaping Combat:
At any time during combat, an individual can /me an escape attempt, where they will disengage from the melee range to escape. The escapee must roll between 1 - 50 for Unskilled, Basic, and Skilled, 1-60 for Advanced, or 1-80 for Expert in order to successfully escape. If not, then they have failed to escape and must stay within the fight.

Concluding Combat:

Territorial Combat
Territory is key in Desertia, since a limited amount of real estate means that only so many people can inhabit. Whether in use as a safehouse or a headquarters, both recognized Groups and Factions can inhabit a designated Territory. It is expected, then, of an inevitable contest between parties to compete and acquire territory. Because of the changed circumstances with Territorial combat, another set of rules apply, in addition to the Basic Rules of combat.

1. Everything must be overseen and authorized by an Admin
No exceptions, especially since we're expected to be working with a smaller population who may not be able to fully staff and provide security for said locations constantly. Between the PKs, the change in territory, and the overall management and execution of the territory contest, an admin's input, setup, and set circumstances are crucial to a believable and balanced execution.

2. Admins will Authorize Combat Operations
For OOC reasons, an Admin will act as a moderator in order make sure that the fight itself is believable and fair, as well as authorize the outcome afterwards: having a group run in and claim the CE base at 4 in the morning in an empty server is neither believable nor fair. Additionally, the admin will oversee the outcome of the battle.

2.1. Assaulting a Faction Headquarters
If one team wishes to assault a Faction's Headquarters territory (e.g. Devil's rock formations, CE's Fort Bastion, Entanglement's base), then the admin leading the Faction whose territory is being invaded must be notified and given specific consent. Otherwise, the assault is deemed impossible.

3. Combat initiation must be planned at least one day ahead of time; admins will announce them one day ahead of the predetermined time.
Admins can't be everywhere forever constantly, and not everyone can be present for a raid all the time (we aren't WoW here, people). For this reason, both parties will be notified OOC and perhaps IC of a combat deployment one day beforehand in order to give both parties a chance to prepare a response. You can notify members and admins more than one day ahead of time, but either way admins will notify both parties one day ahead of time. Be sure to be on time to the assault, as well.

4. The Ticket System.
Applying specifically to engagements where a Faction is involved, a ticket system will be put in place (For those of you who've played Battlefield before, this should be familiar to you). This system will tally up the total number of additional troops that the faction would have deployed to the battlefield, and they will be shared between all members of the Faction's party. When a member of the Faction's party is killed, a ticket is used to replace the casualty with another character as if they were part of the original group, but on reserve. Once all the tickets are used up, there are no more NLR respawns, and they will result in PKs.

5. Victory Conditions.
In order to achieve victory, one party must remain standing at the end of the territory raid, whether they be the offensive or defensive party. Killing the opposing team is a possibility, but if the opposing team leaves the area of operation and escapes, then the team assaulting is victorious, and claims the territory.

6. Defeat Conditions.
Related to above, a team is defeated if they are eradicated by force, surrender, or exit the AO. In order to be considered escaped, a member must be away from the main complex and hidden from the direct line of sight of the opposing team and not conducting any hostile action to the other team; from there, an escapee is free to do or go wherever they like, but they cannot reenter the battlefield.

7. Treaties and Surrender Options.
Enacting a Treaty or Surrendering are valid options as well, and are much more open to RP interactions. While an admin cannot dictate or enforce any articles or conditions, individuals can RP the choices and outcomes from these interactions.

8. Reinforcements and Support Elements.
Another topic mainly pertaining to Factions, reinforcements and support elements are always a possible game-changer in territory wars, and must be handled accordingly. Usage and Conditions are dictated by the asset type as follows:

8.1 Unprepared Assets and Reinforcements
To call in support assets, one only needs to communicate with the managing admin. At their discretion, they will either accept or deny the request. Typically, an unprepared requested asset will take about 10-20 minutes to arrive on the scene after the initial call, depending on the request and the admin's judgment on travel time.

8.1 Prepared Assets and Reinforcements
Faction leaders and Faction Lieutenants (For CE specifically, NCOs at SSGT and above, COs at Captain or above) can communicate with the conducting admin prior to the mission's start, and can request early activation and prepared response from a support asset, such as a helicopter, artillery strike, or additional infantry. Typically, a prepared asset will take about 5 minutes to arrive on the scene, depending on the request and the admin's judgment on travel time.

8.2 Infantry Reinforcements
Infantry Reinforcements will be allowed to arrive on the edge of the the battle zone in the direction that their headquarters is, depending on whether they were requested ahead of time or not (if the faction scrambles unprepared reinforcements, most likely they will be scattered). Infantry will either arrive by vehicle or by foot, depending on the capability of the summoning team, and they will be considered as full combatants once they are within visual range of either team.

8.3 Ground Vehicle Assets
Vehicles are expected to be one of the more likely assets to be called in, or ridden in to insert into the battlefield. The same timing rules apply, but vehicles in a sense act as their own unit. Regular cars, bikes, and other civilian vehicles are not considered to have any additional weaponry on them, so no shooting out windows (the script makes us do that. People inside vehicles don't take damage). Armed vehicles, such as humvees, are expected to have a .50 Caliber M2HB on the coaxial mount, so a team may assign either a player or a Redshirt (played by the admin, who will use judgment in the weapon's usage) to man the gun or drive. Heavier vehicles, such as tanks and APCs, can also have their weapons used to a much more devastating effect. Vehicles can be destroyed with explosives, such as C4, RPG7, or ATM6.

8.4 Air Transport Assets
Air Vehicles can either provide reinforcement insertion, or gunship support. If they are providing insertion support, the helicopter will be piloted into the AO normally and set to drop their troops at a designated location. The troops inside cannot fire out from inside the helicopter, but whomever is piloting may choose to have a gunner to provide assistance if possible. If the helicopter is shot down a considerable distance from the air, the players inside are considered killed unless a special circumstance exists. If the helicopter is destroyed while on the ground, the helicopter is considered grounded and destroyed, and cannot be used for anything other than possibly cover. Explosives will damage or destroy a helicopter.

8.5 Air Gunship Assets
Air Gunships provide a pretty self-explanatory role: insert, patrol the area, and kill any targets of opportunity. Usually, they will bank from place to place periodically, assaulting any potential targets, but depending on the distances and circumstances, the gunship's duration within the AO will most likely be limited to its fuel supply. Again, explosives will damage or destroy the helicopter.

8.6 Artillery Assets
Artillery, after the allotted set-up time, can be called in anytime after the asset has been prepared. The leader of the team can call in a fire mission at any position by relaying the position/coordinates to the managing admin. The admin will then use a custom SWEP to call in the strike, using their judgment to determine the accuracy and effects of the rounds. Do note that conditions such as distance from base and any special circumstances will affect accuracy and effect.

Note regarding Groups and Factions:
Do note that Groups and Factions, while similar, are actually different in some respects, especially in terms of territorial combat.
Recall that Factions are large and organized, often of upwards of 100 people IC. Because of this, Factions gain a certain amount of leniency when it comes to casualties. If a faction enters a combat zone, they are able to send in so many "faceless nobody" individuals who'll act as additional members who use a faction's standard equipment (I'll call 'em Redshirts). If there are still spare tickets available on that side, then they will not be killed and PK'ed normally: instead, the casualty will be seen as a Redshirt, and will only consume a ticket as normal. Once there are no tickets to spare, however, there are no Redshirts to expend, and any additional casualties taken will be considered PKs. A player may choose to play as an identified, non-Redshirt character, however, and is thus able to use their specialties and equipment that they had purchased (e.g. Sniping, Medical, Mechanical, ect.); however, the risk is that if a player chooses to play this character, they put this character in immediate risk to be PK'ed if they die while playing this character, with the option to continue the fight as a Redshirt afterward. This applies to both offense and defensive scenarios.
Groups, on the other hand, do not possess such additional, expandable manpower. They are, quite literally, only a group of 5 or more guys. As a result, every casualty results in a PK unless some special circumstances exists.