What gets me playing Draw Steel and not Pathfinder 2e?

[Enrahim]

Not by the rules so can't check easily, but can PCs still move at full sprint speed whilst below 0, and what if they get hit again?

Fastest I can see anyone can move without powers are move + main action degraded to move (which from my reading do not trigger bleed). If you get into a position where you are not chargeable this should be enough to prevent melee main action against you. Similar if you get cover against line of effects. In most typical fantasy skirmish scenarios, I would think these conditions typically would be available within 10 squares.

But wouldn't that cut both ways? It gives a mechanical incentive to tightly pursue PCs to prevent that from happening.

Possibly. But see last section in monster book page 25 (possible spoiler for players, so not quoting just in case)

Sorry not arguing for the sake of arguing, if DS! does have a better retreat options than other D&D-ish games, that's major like the way Worlds Without Number is one of the first D&D-ish games which has proper "stealth kill" rules and it genuinely changes how you can approach situations (for the better imo).

It is something like that I am thinking as well, which is why I am really curious if this actually can work the way I hope it does.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Essentially retreating is not viable in 3E, 4E, or 5E D&D. Retreating, RAW, and without the DM being intentionally generous, is just a good way to ensure a TPK (or perhaps a TPK for all but one PC, if there's a PC who is a lot faster than both all the other PCs and all the opponents, and can sufficiently outrange enemy ranged attacks/spells) in all those editions, short of things like magic which teleports the entire party away or temporarily CCs the enemy (which is not very accessible).

You need to fundamentally design with retreating being a major and viable mode of play if you want that to really work, and few games do that, because they simply don't simulate the factors that make retreats viable IRL (particularly that being that pursuing enemies don't want to die or even become exhausted IRL, whereas in easily 95% of D&D combats, enemies are run as 100% uncaring for their own lives and well-being - HP existing makes this issue much worse because DMs can be too certain enemies can "safely" pursue even if they incur some damage, which helps make retreating invalid as a strategy in D&D), and far too many fantasy beings and monsters are far too good at killing people fleeing battle.

Honestly, its not even limited to the D&D-sphere. As you say, only reason it works without a game making active effort to support it is the GM either overly, or by--very selective--reading of movement and related rules to allow it. This is not helped by the fact frequently opposition in fantasy games are faster than the typical PC.