I was thinking of mentioning Cairn…
Someone needs to try an Odd-like haha
It sounds like he’s dissatisfied with retro-style OSR combat for similar reasons that I am. It just doesn’t scratch the itch I feel like old-school play is particularly good at scratching in the other “systems.”
I sympathize deeply with James and Clayton here. Even the most rules-lite combat system (Oddlikes excluded) bring combat to a screeching halt at the tables I usually play at. I tend to have to drag combat along (especially when the party is composed of characters with lower attack bonuses). And as much as Oddlikes do make some headway on resolving this issue, I think there are fewer interesting things going on during combat in those games than at any other time.
What I will say in favor of round-by-round combat rules is that they are a chance for your players to be stuck with the consequences of their actions. Once combat begins, it is dice until their enemies are dead, they are dead, or someone has suffered some cost and ran away. In games where you typically have some kind of meatpoints, fighting people with those meatpoints on the line is valuable as a way to lose.
There are good and bad combats, just like there are good and bad puzzles, and good and bad social encounters. Grognardia suggests as much.
The problem then, is the frequency of the misses.
Perhaps bad combats are more likely since we might trick ourselves into thinking that the combat rules will provide the juice for an engaging scene, when in reality it’s all the set dressing that makes it fun and engaging.
I think It might be easier to remember to bring the fun with you in other encounter types. Easier to remember to add stakes and drama.
I agree with queuedawg. Combat is critical for limiting GM fiat when a character’s life is on the line. Players don’t mind being killed by impartial dice. Without them, I think they would mind if they died because the GM said their idea wasn’t creative or clever enough.
I’ve experienced combat slogs. Played in and ran them. Rarely, though not never, would I blame the slog on the rules.