Activity % and the 10 second round

[Archlyte]

So is the Activity % supposed to be the percentage of 10 Seconds of time? If this is true why is the Activity cost to load a bow 80% when it actually takes about 4 seconds (40%)? I also tried it with a bow shouldered and even that is about 7 seconds on the average. If a character is firing repeated shots it would definitely be more like 40% to reload. I believe the cost to fire is 30% which makes sense because aiming and firing is typically a 3 second action IRL. But 8 seconds to load seems too long.

I know I can overrule but I don't like to do so if I don't have to. Am I misunderstanding the Activity% to Time relationship as modeled in the rules? Any thoughts?

[Andraax]

If this is true why is the Activity cost to load a bow 80% when it actually takes about 4 seconds (40%)? I also tried it with a bow shouldered and even that is about 7 seconds on the average. If a character is firing repeated shots it would definitely be more like 40% to reload. I believe the cost to fire is 30% which makes sense because aiming and firing is typically a 3 second action IRL. But 8 seconds to load seems too long.

Were you trying this while someone was shooting arrows at you and someone else was trying to beat you with a flail?

[Archlyte]

No, but I'm not an Elf Warrior who has fought Orcs for 250 years either. Obviously it's not supposed to be a question of pure accuracy, but it becomes difficult to describe the pause when a competent archer fires at range against a target and readies another arrow. Thank you for chiming in, I did laugh when I realized my mistake.

Anyone know if 100% activity is supposed to be 10 Seconds, or is it parsed out between combatants and abstract?

[Archlyte]

I took to the ICE forums but would still like to hear how people describe and conceptualize the combat round and what happens in it.

[Dakadin]

I usually try to keep it abstract since when I look at the percentages they don't always make sense to me when I break it down into seconds. So I usually just go with what they say and only use seconds when something comes up that isn't on the list.

Feel free to change them to suit your game. Just be aware that reducing the reload time on bows will make them much more powerful. Long bows are already one of the deadliest weapons in Rolemaster so I would be very careful with giving them that much extra time to fire.

[Andraax]

No, but I'm not an Elf Warrior who has fought Orcs for 250 years either.

You'd think that with 250 years of training, you'd have taken "Subconscious Preparation" which halves your reload percentages (ie, long bow becomes 35%)...

[Ardem]

The reason for the percentages is not the actual time it takes, but it takes into account the thinking time, the actual wait for the best opportunity and then the load and fire.

So Bill wish to hit a bird, it decides to hit the bird, takes a 1sec, he watches the bird for another 1-2 secs to roughly estimate it distance and travel direction speed etc. He then goes through the actual action of loading and firing the bow. He holds the loaded bow a few seconds to steady his aim and then fires.

A lot of this is abstracted in the game into a load and fire result.

It more understandable in hit and parry combat, the actual hit takes a second, but it the waiting for the right opportunity to take the hit in those seconds that are abstracted. If you even watched a proper medieval match after the inital flurry there is a lot of waiting for opportunities.

This is my reasoning around the times.

On Bow combat I have a player that plays and elf with a composite bow. She is by far the most powerful attacker. She has a bow of speed, so her delay is in the reload as the fire is a 0 action. This has made her close to OP. I wish I never gave it to her. <smile>

[Archlyte]

You'd think that with 250 years of training, you'd have taken "Subconscious Preparation" which halves your reload percentages (ie, long bow becomes 35%)...

I'm new to Rolemaster so I haven't learned to Min/Max yet

[Archlyte]

The reason for the percentages is not the actual time it takes, but it takes into account the thinking time, the actual wait for the best opportunity and then the load and fire.

So Bill wish to hit a bird, it decides to hit the bird, takes a 1sec, he watches the bird for another 1-2 secs to roughly estimate it distance and travel direction speed etc. He then goes through the actual action of loading and firing the bow. He holds the loaded bow a few seconds to steady his aim and then fires.

A lot of this is abstracted in the game into a load and fire result.

It more understandable in hit and parry combat, the actual hit takes a second, but it the waiting for the right opportunity to take the hit in those seconds that are abstracted. If you even watched a proper medieval match after the inital flurry there is a lot of waiting for opportunities.

This is my reasoning around the times.

On Bow combat I have a player that plays and elf with a composite bow. She is by far the most powerful attacker. She has a bow of speed, so her delay is in the reload as the fire is a 0 action. This has made her close to OP. I wish I never gave it to her. <smile>

Thanks for this reply, I see what you mean. I'm disappointed though because I was hoping for once to have something that was more quantified where combat is concerned.

[Ardem]

You cannot account for combat unless you add these mental and obscure parameters in otherwise it becomes unrealistic and combat. It be like two robots hitting each other.