Time:Scene, Phase, rounds?

From: Charles MIALARET <charles.mialaret_at_...>
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 2000 12:49:47 +0200

I've not got access so far to the full rules, only to the on-line synopsis and
to what i've seen in this list.
Being an ol'timer of runequest, i'm used to the round concept and its flexibility.

I'm not sure i understand the new concept of time in HW.

I've seen the AP switching mechanism discussed before, and it looks a bit strange to me:

I understand an extended contest as a graphical exchange of blows(insults,
taunts, stealthy moves vs perception ...). I don't really understand how long it
lasts or how the environment would interfer with the ongoing action.

e.g.

After an extended contest to approach a lunar fortress, the Oscar Wild and his followers are discovered at the gates by a sentinel.

The sentinel wants to shoot alarm, OW want to neutralise the sentinel.

Well the sentinel is 10 meters, so OW decides to fire the knife he had in
his hand.

Any body has an idea of how we should manage it system wise?

Supose the sentinel has succeded to shoot the alarm and guards are now arriving
one by one.

This is probably an extended contest, but how do we quantify the rising force of
the guards system wise? how do we account for the various actions that the guards
could want to start (melee, magic, ...).