I can understand that thinking. I can agree with it. If we could have set up at the cave mouth without compromising our line and opening ourselves up to AoO breath weapons and giant attacks, it would have been an optimal tactic just in case we had to run. I just didn't think we would have been able to do it. Flamestrike did an effective job of setting up a situation that required a fight absent the ability to negotiate effectively with giants.
This thread could use another five pages or so of people telling [MENTION=6777052]BoldItalic[/MENTION] he wasn't playing optimally enough.
This thread could use another five pages or so of people telling [MENTION=6777052]BoldItalic[/MENTION] he wasn't playing optimally enough.
Optimized for what? Mindless slaughter? Yeah, I don't optimize for that. I optimize for maximum fun.
That's funny (I gave you a "laugh") but what the thread really could have used was five pages of you, Flamestrike and Celtavian smoothing things over and running the experiment as planned. None of that is BI's fault -- to the contrary, at least he was willing to take the hook and participate. It's just that he isn't the kind of player, or creating the kinds of characters, that were presented in the original challenge. The experiment doesn't have much value as an experiment if it's going to be played this way.
I didn't put any work into it so I don't have any skin in the game. I'm just kvetching because I actually come down on the side of you and Flamestrike in this debate and wanted to see it played out. So anyway, have fun with the roleplaying. It's very entertaining.
The rough terrain and the opening positions would have made it difficult, for sure, but I would have attempted to move the party in the direction of the cave exit as much as possible if battle broke out. Absent a chance at diplomacy, I agree that battle was pretty much a given, and under the circumstances, it would be best to commit to the battle 100%.
I don't know if I agree that there was no room for negotiating with the giants, but other than that, I think I agree with how you view the situation. Escape in this situation without somehow negotiating with the giants would be incredibly difficult and costly.
I would have attempted to convince the giants to let us go, and then if need be to intimidate them, and if those did not work, then I would have annhiliated them.
There was room to negotiate. We didn't speak Giant. Would have made life much easier.
I don't know if that goes against the parameter of the challenge, though. I didn't take the exercise to be about combat specifically, but maybe I misunderstood.