Simulationist Combat

[Water Bob]

Which RPG has the most simulated combat?

You know what I mean....each throw of the dice represents a particular hit, not an abstraction.

 

[Nagol]

Leading Edge Game's Phoenix Command and Sword's Path Glory probably.

Morrow Project is up there for RPGs that are playable.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Yeah, everyone says Phoenix Command is the most detailed. GURPS at its crunchiest must be up there too.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Millennium's End had a cool overlay where you could shoot at pretty much every part of an NPC's body with each roll of the dice. Because, sometimes, you want to blow someone's earlobe off.

 

[mmadsen]

Which RPG has the most simulated combat?

You know what I mean....each throw of the dice represents a particular hit, not an abstraction.

I think you mean to ask, What game has the most detailed, concrete, simulationist combat?, because the actual war games used to analyze real-world conflicts are much less detailed than D&D.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

Of the games that I am familiar with, GURPS (with Martial Arts expansion) is the most detailed.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Millennium's End had a cool overlay where you could shoot at pretty much every part of an NPC's body with each roll of the dice. Because, sometimes, you want to blow someone's earlobe off.

Millenium's End definitely got into the fine details of combat (great game!). Someone mentioned GURPS as well, and I think that's up there as well.

 

[Water Bob]

I should have narrowed my question fantasy (and maybe historical) rpgs. I'm interested in detailed sword thrusts and maneuvers.

I'd like to find a game that gives players options like: If you chop with your axe, this happens....with your sword, you can use the point, and this happens, or you can slash with it, and this happens.

Looking for melee combat simulation ideas.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I should have narrowed my question fantasy (and maybe historical) rpgs. I'm interested in detailed sword thrusts and maneuvers.

I'd like to find a game that gives players options like: If you chop with your axe, this happens....with your sword, you can use the point, and this happens, or you can slash with it, and this happens.

Looking for melee combat simulation ideas.

I've never played it, but it sounds like the (now OOP) Riddle of Steel may be what you're looking for.

 

[chaochou]

I should have narrowed my question fantasy (and maybe historical) rpgs. I'm interested in detailed sword thrusts and maneuvers.

I'd like to find a game that gives players options like: If you chop with your axe, this happens....with your sword, you can use the point, and this happens, or you can slash with it, and this happens.

Looking for melee combat simulation ideas.

The Riddle of Steel might be an interesting game to look at. Lots of maneouvre options, areas of the body to target with slashes and thrusts, charts of detailed effects based on the wound level and clear differentiation between weapons.

Combat is absolutely lethal, though. One hit is usually enough to take someone down - or at least cause so much shock and pain that they're not left with enough dice to stop the killing blow a round or two later. When someone stabs you, you don't keep fighting.

I should add that although melee combat has quite a crunchy 'sim' feel, I wouldn't say TRoS is designed as a 'sim' rpg. Beliefs are very important - they give you extra dice which can make all the difference so long as you're pursuing them. So it has important metagame mechanics.

It's also a bit of a mess and fairly horribly laid out (imo). But still, definitely worth a look, if only to lift ideas.

ETA; Gaaah, crossposted with Dustyboots