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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7457703" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>At a guess, as I'm not [MENTION=6802178]Caliburn101[/MENTION] , I think it's a combat-as-war vs. combat-as-sport thing.</p><p></p><p>Cali, I suspect (and please correct me if I'm wrong), sees combat as war almost all the time, save for a few exceptional situations as posted.</p><p></p><p>I'm also in this camp. The as-war aspect and risk of death (or worse) is what makes it entertaining and (usually) suspenseful; vastly more so than it would be were it sport without the possibility of lasting (or any!) consequences.</p><p></p><p>If a character is plot-protected then any combat - no matter how superficially exciting or suspenseful it may be at the time - is redundant, and merely an exercise in going through the motions; because one way or another the end result is preordained*. This is even more the case if-when the player is aware of said protection.</p><p></p><p>* - that the PC will survive. The manner of that survival - as a prisoner, as a slave, as a triumphant victor - remains in doubt; but as the plot protection is almost certainly going to extend to being afforded ample opportunity to escape from prison or slavery or whatever it still doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things: the PC will still win in the end.</p><p></p><p>Heroic, perhaps....and fine once or twice, but it quickly loses its appeal if done every time.</p><p></p><p>Lan-"and yes, I find the 'good guys always win' aspect of movies books and other media also gets boring sometimes"-efan</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7457703, member: 29398"] At a guess, as I'm not [MENTION=6802178]Caliburn101[/MENTION] , I think it's a combat-as-war vs. combat-as-sport thing. Cali, I suspect (and please correct me if I'm wrong), sees combat as war almost all the time, save for a few exceptional situations as posted. I'm also in this camp. The as-war aspect and risk of death (or worse) is what makes it entertaining and (usually) suspenseful; vastly more so than it would be were it sport without the possibility of lasting (or any!) consequences. If a character is plot-protected then any combat - no matter how superficially exciting or suspenseful it may be at the time - is redundant, and merely an exercise in going through the motions; because one way or another the end result is preordained*. This is even more the case if-when the player is aware of said protection. * - that the PC will survive. The manner of that survival - as a prisoner, as a slave, as a triumphant victor - remains in doubt; but as the plot protection is almost certainly going to extend to being afforded ample opportunity to escape from prison or slavery or whatever it still doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things: the PC will still win in the end. Heroic, perhaps....and fine once or twice, but it quickly loses its appeal if done every time. Lan-"and yes, I find the 'good guys always win' aspect of movies books and other media also gets boring sometimes"-efan [/QUOTE]
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