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<blockquote data-quote="Greenfield" data-source="post: 7565285" data-attributes="member: 6669384">To be fair, I don't think the subject was what RAW says.&nbsp; It's what we think RAW could/should say.Continuous time flow in game, rather than segmented time (rounds, standard and move actions, swift and immediate actions etc.) doesn't really exist.True, continuous time, where actions can occur simultaneously can't actually be done in a tabletop RPG.&nbsp; We can approximate it by going to smaller and smaller time segments (and correspondingly more of them) in play.&nbsp;&nbsp; Hackmaster was cited as an example of such a system.Even then, PC 1 declares an action that takes 3 seconds/segments/whatever, then effectively skips the next two times around the table while other characters initiate or complete their declared actions.&nbsp;&nbsp; Not unlike a spell or movement that takes several rounds in RAW D&amp;D.&nbsp; (Example, Lesser Restoration might be needed to keep someone from dying in battle, but it takes three rounds in D&amp;D 3.5, so the caster and recipient are out of the action until it's completed.)But whether your rounds are a full minute (AD&amp;D), six seconds (D&amp;D3.*, 4, 5 and Pathfinder), 12 seconds (Hero system), or whatever else, it still isn't true, continuous motion/action.In all cases it's just a question of granularity and how far you want to take it.&nbsp; For many, the Standard Action/Move action format works just fine.Side note:&nbsp; As melee types advance, the damage they dish out with a single blow also tends to increase:&nbsp; Magic weapons improve, Feats or weapon properties increase Crit' range, ability scores increase etc.&nbsp; Simple fact is, when trying to dish out pure damage to a single target a well made Fighter character at level can drop a hundred points of damage in a round, damage the Wiz type can't really match short of epic level stuff.The part that relegates the melee types to also-rans isn't the raw damage, it's the wider and wider variety of things the casters can do, outside of raw damage.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Greenfield, post: 7565285, member: 6669384"] To be fair, I don't think the subject was what RAW says. It's what we think RAW could/should say. Continuous time flow in game, rather than segmented time (rounds, standard and move actions, swift and immediate actions etc.) doesn't really exist. True, continuous time, where actions can occur simultaneously can't actually be done in a tabletop RPG. We can approximate it by going to smaller and smaller time segments (and correspondingly more of them) in play. Hackmaster was cited as an example of such a system. Even then, PC 1 declares an action that takes 3 seconds/segments/whatever, then effectively skips the next two times around the table while other characters initiate or complete their declared actions. Not unlike a spell or movement that takes several rounds in RAW D&D. (Example, Lesser Restoration might be needed to keep someone from dying in battle, but it takes three rounds in D&D 3.5, so the caster and recipient are out of the action until it's completed.) But whether your rounds are a full minute (AD&D), six seconds (D&D3.*, 4, 5 and Pathfinder), 12 seconds (Hero system), or whatever else, it still isn't true, continuous motion/action. In all cases it's just a question of granularity and how far you want to take it. For many, the Standard Action/Move action format works just fine. Side note: As melee types advance, the damage they dish out with a single blow also tends to increase: Magic weapons improve, Feats or weapon properties increase Crit' range, ability scores increase etc. Simple fact is, when trying to dish out pure damage to a single target a well made Fighter character at level can drop a hundred points of damage in a round, damage the Wiz type can't really match short of epic level stuff. The part that relegates the melee types to also-rans isn't the raw damage, it's the wider and wider [I]variety[/I] of things the casters can do, outside of raw damage. [/QUOTE]

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