Changes to the CombatEnvironmentActivityTrackingSystem
by Juri Memmert
Updated: September, 15th, 1997
After having played the CEATS combat system for quite a while, my players an I came to the conclusion that this system, as good as it may be has some distinct disadvantages.
Our solutions for these problems are shown below:
Add timings for Thrown Weapons
Although the attack with a weapon has to be seen as a series of attacks (ask I.C.E.), which then add up to the damage described in the attack tables, this visualization only works for melee attacks. Missile attacks, such as throwing a knife, work different (obviously you can only throw a knife once, it doesn't return for a second attack). This can only leave the solution, that damage from a missile attack is dealt by only one single strike.
When a melee attack consisting of x attacks takes 10 seconds a single attack should take 10/x seconds (totally obvious, I know).
Upon examining the CEATS, we can see that there is no timing for thrown weapons at all, only for bows and crossbows.
OK, no sweat. Either decide that melee and thrown attacks take the same amount of time.
This not only contradicts the reasoning stated above, it simply isn't practical. I have fought with swords, polearms, bows and thrown weapons in my training for Martial Arts and can assure you, that ten seconds for a thrown knife is simply ridiculous. Upon examining the CEATS, the 'Fire Firearm at full ROF' row most closely displays the time which I have determined for an attack with a thrown object.
This timing value is less reasonable for a bola, a net or any similar weapon. For those 'slower' thrown weapons, the same time as for a short bow seems in order to me.
As you can see in my customized CEATS Timing table, I have added combined timings for drawing and throwing weapons in one single action. This allows players to throw a couple of knives against an enemy (or vice versa) at an acceptable timing value. The timing based for such actions is based on a Base Time of (Draw Weapon + Aim and
Throw Weapon)
Due to the CEATS's algotithms, is the duration of the action is lower than performing the actions separately. This enables the attacker to do more, but you should not allow a change of target.
If you use a rule for canceling actions such as: You'll face a 20% time penalty, when you cancel it (i.e. an action which takes 10 seconds that you want to cancel costs you 2 seconds to stop the action and return to base position), then you'll have to either face a possibly larger penalty but a shorter time to execute the action, or a lower penalty but two actions and a longer total time of execution.
Change Attack Times for all attack types
If you have looked at the CEATS, then you've read, that a melee attack, a creature's attack, the time to reload, aim and fire a longbow or the time to cast a class 1 spell are all 10 seconds at base time.
If I remember the standard combat procedures correctly, you could move 50% of your movement allowance and attack in a single round of 10 seconds.
This lead, after a lot of checking, double-checking and tests against various enemies to a Base Action Time of 7.5 seconds. Thus, you can move 25% of your movement allowance without any penalties to the following combat action.
Change Attack Times for Animals, Monsters and Natural Weapons
In my campaign, which is really high-powered, the average attack time of monsters was never fast enough to make them hit my players (they heavily rely on thrown weapons). A small change in timimg seemed a better solution, than changing the enemy's attack speeds.
The reason for this approach is really easy:
Changing the attack speed would, in my opinion, signify that the creature moves faster through the combat movements. This higher speed is not reasonable, if you imagine e.g. a Troll, being rather slow and having a low racial Quickness bonus.
The other approach is more reasonable, since a Troll would only have to move his arm, a weapon, he knows since birth and which weighs nothing in comparison to a club, sword ot other weapon.
Having played several years with the CEATS, I always wondered, why Ogres, Trolls or even Skeletons were such a threat to the good races. A decent elf could attack several times more than an unarmed Troll during a normal combat. Should only one attack (and since the Elf has a higher initiative, it'll probably be his attack) result in a Stunned result, the Troll probably won't ever get any attack at all.
By decreasing the base attack time by a second, the fighters with natural weapons recieve a relative speed advantage of about 15-20 points in quickness. This makes them really deadly. Now even a small Skeleton is a real adventure.
So that's about it for now.
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pigeon.
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