Do You Prefer a Cinematic Combat System?

[Seeker95]

I voted no.
Cinematic Combat is not a system. It is a skill in description.

 

[Psion]

"Cinematic" as a game descriptor is the most worthless and ill defined term in RPGdom.

Worse than munchkin, even.

So I cannot answer this question.

 

[sniffles]

I'd say I prefer cinematic combat, if by cinematic you mean people doing things that happen in movies but are completely unrealistic - swinging from chandeliers, sliding on carpets, kicking chairs at foes, etc.

I think the system and the style of combat are mutually exclusive. Cinematic combat in my experience relies more on the imagination and descriptive skills of the players than on the rules system in use.

 

[buzz]

Which sounds cooler to tell people: "I confirm the crit and do 18 damage," or "I slash the foul creature's arm, slicing through tendons and muscle, rendering the arm useless."

If the two options are mechanically indentical, I don't see that it matters much. The former certainly tells me more about what actually happened.

I opted not to vote, as I don't have a blanket preference. It really depends on the purpose of the game. Feng Shui is all about HK cinema action, so it dang well better have a cinematic (as in, larger-than-life, coolness-trumps-realism) system. HarnMaster, otoh, would make no sense with such a system.

D&D seems to demand "cinematic" combat. A hyper-realistic system would seem out of place.

 

[Arnwyn]

If someone feels they need to qualify their answer further, beyond the poll, by narrowing the general definition of a particular term, they are free to do so in a post.

Then why is there a poll?

 

[Stalker0]

I think the system and the style of combat are mutually exclusive. Cinematic combat in my experience relies more on the imagination and descriptive skills of the players than on the rules system in use.

While I think it has to do a lot with the players, the system can have a lot of impact on encouraging creativity.

Someone mentioned Iron Heroes, in that system you have skill stunts that actually give you benefits for doing something a little out of the box. Now in core 3.5 I can say I'm swinging from a chandelier flipping behind the opponent and stabbing him with my sword, but in mechanics its just as good as saying, "I move behind the orc, I make an attack, I hit, I do 8 damage."

 

[Aus_Snow]

Depends on the RPG.

 

[Mark]

Then why is there a poll?

Because most people don't really have a problem with binary polls as made plain by the number of people voting in past binary polls versus those who post to discuss whether or not there needs to be more options. I've just looked over my past polls and it is generally the same people who take exception to having only two options. There are even a few people who post rather long answers that, when boiled down, really do fit one or the other response. Plus, the poll is as much to allow lurkers, who prefer not to post at all, the chance to voice an opinion without increasing the post count above zero. Posting or not, in conjunction or in lieu of the poll, all comes down, I suppose, to whether or not someone feels comfortable with the general definition of cinematic. If it is anything like past polls, most people will vote and not post and for most of the rest who feel there needs to be more of an explanation for their position will politely post. It's in the province of the moderators to deal with anyone they believe has not been polite or who wishes to threadcrap, as they call it.

 

[iwatt]

Because most people don't really have a problem with binary polls as made plain by the number of people voting in past binary polls versus those who post to discuss whether or not there needs to be more options. I've just looked over my past polls and it is generally the same people who take exception to having only two options. There are even a few people who post rather long answers that, when boiled down, really do fit one or the other response. Plus, the poll is as much to allow lurkers, who prefer not to post at all, the chance to voice an opinion without increasing the post count above zero. Posting or not, in conjunction or in lieu of the poll, all comes down, I suppose, to whether or not someone feels comfortable with the general definition of cinematic. If it is anything like past polls, most people will vote and not post and for most of the rest who feel there needs to be more of an explanation for their position will politely post. It's in the province of the moderators to deal with anyone they believe has not been polite or who wishes to threadcrap, as they call it.

Actually, as I'm posting this response I can tell you that this thread has had 178 viewings and only 16 votes. IME that is a very low return. This is the first poll/thread in which I've ever posted without answering the poll, although I've voted in many polls without posting in the thread.

 

[Mark]

Actually, as I'm posting this response I can tell you that this thread has had 178 viewings and only 16 votes. IME that is a very low return. This is the first poll/thread in which I've ever posted without answering the poll, although I've voted in many polls without posting in the thread.

IME, Most threads average ten views per post. Heated discussions and polls usually can run double that or higher.