>From: "sarahnewton111" <sarah.newton_at_...>
>
>So, two separate approaches to the same situation, with two very
>different results: in the first contest, if Side B wins then the
>distance has been closed and close combat can now begin; in the
>second, if Side B wins then the distance has been closed AND Side A
>has been defeated in close combat.
Brand Robins wrote some good narrator advice that says, basically, that it's player preference here, but that the narrator should require an appropriately large AP bid to reflect the amount of action that will be resolved and reflected in situation change. In other words, the charging cavalry stands to gain a lot from closing, as suddenly they can bring superior abilities to bear. So the bid should be large to reflect them getting to change the situation so.
Other than that sage advice, I generally allow players to resolve as much action as they prefer in one round. Up to and including actions that would end the contest if successful, if they can bid enough to bring that about. Your example gives that as the case. If, in fact, they cannot bid that high - if subtracting the AP bid from the opponent will not end the contest - then I generally don't allow that to be the goal of the declared action.
That said, sometimes they roll a double exchange or something and the contest ends. This is important. What the player says is his character's action informs the output narration, but not in a binary fashion. So, let's say that the player only has enough to bring his opponent down to 10 AP on a charge from 30 (a bid of 20) on a straight deduction result. The charging cavalry always has as their end goal to defeat the opponents. But for the action in question, I limit the declared goal to "We close with them" or such.
If, in this case, the roll is a double exchange, however, that would put the opponent to -10AP. In that case, I'd narrate that the charging cavalry ignores the missile fire, and so violently comes down on the archers, that the archers surrender right then and there.
The point is that the AP bid gives an idea of what the results may be. But on different results of the roll, different results of the action may occur. The narrator is charged with figuring out a narration that fits whatever results comes up on the dice (and in terms of remaining AP). Which isn't hard, once you start thinking about it that way.
Mike
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