VP/WP vs MDT

[STARP_Social_Officer]

I'm about to start a d20 Future campaign but, in order to make combat a bit more perilous (my players love to start fights they can't win ) I was going to use the Vitality/Wound system from Spycraft instead of standard HP. But then I discovered the idea of a Massive Damage Threshold, whereby if you take damage greater than your Constitution from a single attack you make a DC 15 Fort save or fall to -1 hp.
Which do you think is a better system? The ideas behind using either is so that a 1st-level NPC holding a gun is still a potential threat, even to a 20th-level character. I want combat to be a tad more realistic, forcing PCs to get behind cover, evade, etc. rather than just standing there and getting shot which is what will probably happen otherwise.
One idea I toyed with is using MDT but increasing the Fort save by one for every point you take over your Constitution. So, if you have a Constitution of 12 and you take 20 points, the Fort save is 23, not 15. This will mean that you won't be able to overcome the problem simply by having a high Fort save.
Opinions? Comments? Rocks to throw?

 

[Felix]

I'd go with Vitality/Wound rather than Massive Damage Threshhold; as they level up, a wound that doesn't take a large portion of their HP may take them out completely.

It would indeed make it more perilous.

[Monty Python]

"Can I have just a little bit of peril?"
"No. It's too perilous."
"I bet you're gay."

[/Monty Python]

 

[Ranger REG]

Opinions? Comments? Rocks to throw?

Try HP + Condition Track from Star Wars Saga.

Unlike MDT, if you exceed the value, you automatically drop one condition track down (there are five tracks). No saving throw required, which is what high-level characters can beat (vs. DC 15).

Unlike VP/WP, you don't drop immediately. Just feeling the pain (via penalty) to most of your rolls, depending on what track you're on.