Combat

Surviving combat, maybe even winning, is mostly a matter of correctly set combat values. The following chapter discusses the different flags and the impact they have when set.

Combat values

Combat help

This flag defines if your character helps group members that are attacked by other factions. How this flag shall be set depends mostly on the outlook of the group. A knightly order normally always requires it active while a duelist society or a secret thief's guild might prefer it deactivated.
You must never forget, that with an activated COMBAT HELP flag the chance of actually helping a group member is still very small.

Combat position

Combat knows two positions: the front rows where melee is handled and the back row, where only ranged weapons and combat spells can be used. Note, that the front row can only attack the enemy's front row, while the back row can attack any row. Normally every character can fight in any row. It's the question where he is most effective.

Combat flee

This flag requires two percentile values that define how much damage your character can receive before he retreats to the back row or flees entirely from the combat. Be sure to set the value not too low because the chance to flee is low and even lowered by heavy armor making it especially hard for front fighters.
On special occasions the retreat value is taken instead the flee value. This happens for example when the retreating character is the only one left.

Combat style

You can define how your character fights with this flag. NORMAL means just that, nothing special. AGGRESSIVE increases the offense value by 50% and decreases the defense value by 50%. DEFENSIVE does the same vice versa. This flag makes only sense when used on an attack from the front row. It has no effect when using an item, skill, spell, miracle, etc.

Combat action

Combat is divided into three phases: PRE, IN, and POST. While the IN phase can have several rounds, the remaing phases each have only one. Every round your character can use a skill or item or cast a spell. However, most of these actions are limited to a specific phase. For example area effect spells can only be cast in the PRE phase. A healing spell on the other hand takes so much time, it is limited to POST phase.
You can set up to five combat actions (3 in the IN phase). Combat actions in the IN phase always replace a normal attack. However, some actions imitate the effects of an attack.

The flags in combination

Combining the flags can give you tactical advantage over an enemy. Do you know how strong he is? Or how many allies he might have? Better set to a defensive style or prepare some special items and/or spells. Is he a mage without front row? Make an all out attack.