> In my game melees are over VERY quickly. Once they have found out AP
> levels (one exchange) and an idea of skill levels, then it is usually
> 'determined' or 'reckless' all the way. There is no pussyfooting
> around. And this to me is entirely realistic, nobody wants to be in a
> deadly fight longer then they need to be. Certainly my players are
> totally ruthless and efficient at defeating opponents.
>
> As a GM I was initially lulled into fights with the idealistic
> descriptions in the HW rule book about extended combats being...
> extended. Well they arent, they are bloody and quick, as I expect is
> the reality (not confusing reality with cinemareality). SO while I as
> GM was making initial bids of 1 AP to find out AP levels, and then
> fencing with opponents in a cinematic way, my players simply cut me
> down. The harder I tried to play it in the style of the book the
> quicker my players ignored what I was doing and got on with the job
> (like characters out of David Gemmell books do, kill or be killed).
I was interested in reading this as my group are very much the same. I was
wondering what people's experiences are?
Personally most contests in my game are now simple ones and I crave more
realistic ones as per the book. Instead I have a steady stream of simple
contests where the characters slowly accrue Hurts through the scenario -
healing magic in my Glorantha is rare and limited in the timescale of
scenarios. The final challenge is often more of a challenge due to the
depleted state of the heroes rather than an exciting cut and thrust extended
combat...