[Discuss] Duels.

[Gloria Santos]

On 9/4/07, Robert Croson, Jr <robert at arcm.com> wrote:
>
> On 4 Sep 2007 at 10:46, Gloria Santos wrote:
>
> > On 9/3/07, James <TheKobald at tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > I know Tom has said in the past he does not want people to be forced
> to
> > > duel.
> >
> > Refusing a duel to death should be an inalienable right, IMHO.
>
> There is at least one case in the game already where a ruler cannot refuse
> a
> duel challenge from a noble who's title has been stripped. They can still
> run
> away from the challenger, though.
>
> I do agree that adding irrefusable challenges is, in general, a bad thing.
>
> > If it is a duel to death, and your character does not want to die, and
> she
> > knows she does not have the skill of the challenger, I think common
> sense,
> > whether you are a honourable noble or not, forces you to refuse the
> > challenge.
>
> Hmm... Honor can often be inconvenient, and hazardous to your health. Do
> you
> want to be seen as honorable in the eyes of your peers? Then you may need
> to
> put your life on the line to demonstrate your honorable nature.



When you pledge to defend someone with your life,  you cannot just lose it
whenever you want.
A character must be more interested in staying alive to serve her Lord than
in backing up what she knows is true.


So at times you
> will have to choose which you value more: Your honor or your life?



Let's see, if you arrived to a realm after being wounded more than four
times by infiltrators on your way there, would you accept a duel to death
from someone you don't even know?

Well, I am sorry, but as a roleplayer I'd rather stay true to who my
character is than play this cardboard noble role.





> On the other hand, if such character does have the skill, and kills the
> > superior challenger, then the winning challenged will be hated by
> everyone
> > else for killing him.
>
> Quie possibly, yes. But you will have avoided the loss of honor in the
> eyes of
> your noble peers.
>
>
Not really.  You will be more dishonourable for having killed Lord Someone
of Somewhere, Minister of Something, Marshall of Some Army.  You will not be
seen as a winner of a duel, but as a murderer.   So refusing a duel is
sometimes a honourable option.

Game mechanics alone cannot include all the levels of appearances,
shouldbes, realities, and perceptions that require a human being to
understand.  I think the game should only decide whether or not you die if
you accept the duel.  What comes after that should be decided and played by
the rest.

Trust the other players, damn it!
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