Combat mode

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Combat mode is the mode of play in which the game enters a strict turn-based mode, in order to resolve conflict between opposed creatures. When in combat mode, every turn and every action performed during each turn must be accounted for.

Combat and fighting are an essential element of playing MazeWorld. After all, what good are all those weapons if you can't use them? Learning all of the aspects of combat is important for your survival.

Turn order

As stated in the opening paragraph, every turn must be accounted for in Combat mode, meaning that overall, the pace may be slower than in Normal mode, but comparatively more intense. Every turn is roughly five seconds. Normally, most fights are resolved in a few turns, suggesting that, much like in real life, single rounds of combat tends to be resolved in a matter of seconds. In turn, it is relatively rare for a given fight to last longer than 10 turns.

At the start of every new turn in Combat mode, all creatures in the room (even if there are creatures who are reluctant to fight) must decide what type of action to perform. As explained in Basic mechanics, every action falls in one of three categories: Combat actions, Non-combat actions, and Free actions. When in Combat mode, knowing the type of action you wish to perform is very important, as it determines where you will be on the turn order.

Turn order is a term which refers to the order in which every creature in the room will perform their actions. Certain actions are faster than others and will therefore be attempted first. Generally speaking, free actions take a backseat; very few free actions are allowed while in combat mode, and although talking is considered to be a free action, it should be kept to a minimum; a sentence or two at most. Most of the time, you will be performing Combat actions and Non-combat actions.

Initiative Speed

"Initiative Speed" and "IS" redirect here.

In order to accurately determine the turn order of any combat turn, the Initiative Speed or IS of every action must be checked. This value is what determines the turn order. The lower the Initiative Speed value, the faster the corresponding action. You can think of it as a ticket number; the lowest numbers go first.

The Initiative Speed of combat actions is either assigned to a technique or a natural attack, or tied to the corresponding weapon's weight.

Initiative Speed has both a minimum cap (0) and a maximum cap (C); IS can never go lower than 0 or higher than C. See below for the table of IS speeds and tiers.

Certain effects may cause the Initiative Speed of your combat actions to be modified. Instead of being modified by a flat amount, it is usually referred to as "(increased or decreased) by one tier".

  • Example: Kaz is equipped with an MP5A3, which is a weapon with a Weight of 9. If he wants to use it in combat, he will normally have an Initiative Speed of 9. However, if he benefits from an effect which decreases his IS by one tier, every action he performs during combat will be one tier faster than normal. Since the tier under 9 is 5, if Kaz still wants to use his MP5, then he will have an Initiative Speed of 5, making him faster than normal.

If two or more creatures have the same Initiative Speed before resolving a combat turn, this is called a speed conflict (or IS conflict), which must be resolved in order to determine the turn order. There cannot be any creatures that act at the same time. To resolve a speed conflict, the GM may choose to roll to randomly determine who goes first, or simply designate an order without rolling for it. If there is a speed conflict between two player characters and they aren't on opposed sides, it is customary to ask both players if they have a preference on who should act first.

Table of IS speeds and tiers

Initiative Speed value 0 1 2 3 5 9 14 18 22 26 30 U C
Tier level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

The final two IS levels, U and C, use letters rather than numbers before they correspond to a name rather than a Weight value.

  • U corresponds to Unsparable Weight, and is the IS of weapons of that Weight.
  • C corresponds to Concentrating speed; see Concentrating for more details.

Non-combat actions

Every non-combat action has an IS of 0. This is fixed and unchanging, even with effects that modify one's Initiative Speed tier, as such effects only affect combat actions. Although it is possible, with enough IS tier modifiers, for a combat action to be so fast, it is as fast as a non-combat action, it is impossible for a non-combat action to be slower than IS 0.

Turn order resolution

Once the turn order has been determined for the turn, each creature will act in accordance to their chosen action, in the order that was set by their Initiative Speed and any resolved IS conflicts.

The steps of a typical combat turn are as follows:

  • Game Master (GM) declares that a new combat turn is about to begin.
  • GM requests the players to describe their next action, while secretly preparing the next actions of every NPC.
    • If, for one reason or another, player characters are on opposed sides of a fight and must not reveal their plans to one another, players may instead provide their next actions to the GM secretly.
  • GM resolves any outstanding IS conflicts.
  • Once the turn order is determined, GM announces the turn is beginning.
  • Every creature resolves their actions in the determined order.
  • Once every action is resolved, GM announces the turn is ending. This is the point where counters, effects or anything relying on turn counting can be ticked up or down, and the point where the GM must check whether or not Combat mode may continue or end.
    • If at least two opposed creatures are still standing and willing to fight, then combat goes on to the next turn - Return to the top of this list, rinse and repeat the above steps as many turns as needed.
    • Otherwise, combat ends and the game returns to Normal mode.

Keep in mind that combat can end in more ways than simply killing or incapacitating all of the opponents. Fleeing, surrendering, asking for a truce, or any other reason to end a fight and cause opposing creatures to stop fighting one another, are all equally valid reasons to end Combat mode.

Executions

Certain circumstances may lead to one side being completely at the mercy of another. Maybe you've incapacitated a dangerous creature, maybe the raiders you were fighting all passed out from Pain; but the downed party is not quite dead yet, they're simply helpless. In situations like these, Combat mode is over, but the winning side still has the opportunity to put the downed side out of their misery. These situations are informally referred to as executions; they refer to the use of attacks or weapons to kill (or in this case, finish off) opponents even as Combat mode has already ended.

However, always remember that YOU too, can be downed and rendered helpless, and at the mercy of another creature; and they may not all be inclined to let you live!