Hide skill percentage/make duels more random

[m2rt]

Title: Hide skill percentage or make duels more random

Summary: Today you see nobles skills by percentage when training in academy. It generates rather exact knowledge who will win a duel. I propose that we hide the exact percentage and keep only a rough representation, like: poor, mediocre, true master or whatever OR make duels more random so the skill percentage does not play big part anymore.

Details: As people know exactly, that their character is stronger than other character, then they will bully other characters to join in on a duel. As everybody knows exactly that this guy has 80% swordfighting skill (usually bullies tend to brag about their skills), then people really think if the duel is worth it. In real life skills are not measured in percentage, there can be no sure winner...

This is very annoying as you know duels were for honour and to settle an argument.

Other way is to just make duels a bit more random... To make it so that if 40% fights with 70%, then its not always a sure pick.

Benefits:
* People will duel more when there is a reason.
* There is less bullying with duels as people dont know that they win.

Possible Exploits:
* People will duel too much.
* Hard training will not pay off as much.

[vonGenf]

make it so that if 40% fights with 70%, then its not always a sure pick.

Is it really? I don't know the exact percentages but I've seen fights won by the underdog.

Nevertheless it would help immersion to hide percentages (just like it helped for region stats). If this is done, the same should be applied to showing off at tournaments.

[^ban^]

As everybody knows exactly that this guy has 80% swordfighting skill (usually bullies tend to brag about their skills), then people really think if the duel is worth it. In real life skills are not measured in percentage, there can be no sure winner...

That's absurd. 80% swordfighting skill is essentially a master swordfighter. Everyone would know who such a person is in real life, and they might recognize his 40% opponent as someone with "talent" being cut down in their prime.

Not to mention that duels are far from as straight forward as "pick the guy with the higher skill". If I recall correctly, they have only slightly less random influence than tournaments.

[Anaris]

First of all, duels are already hella random. I don't remember the exact figures, but there's a huge spread that you have to have between the skills before a duel is anything like a sure thing.

Second of all, no one knows anyone else's skill unless the other person has shown off at a tournament. If they trained at the academy and then told you their skill, they could perfectly easily have lied. Bullies also tend to inflate their skills.

Third of all, if someone with known high swordfighting skill is challenging everyone and his dog to death duels, there's a perfectly simple way to prevent him from harming anyone: Just don't accept. There is no penalty. In fact, this is why there is no penalty.

[Eirikr]

First of all, duels are already hella random. I don't remember the exact figures, but there's a huge spread that you have to have between the skills before a duel is anything like a sure thing.

To elaborate somewhat, in my own experience, the style you choose for the duel matters A LOT. I've won at least one duel as the inferior fighter because I chose the superior strategy. Now, these strategies do unlock as you get more and more skill, and I believe they're tuned as rewards. For example (and it's been a while since I dueled anyone, so forgive the errors in names):

The basic three are rock-paper-scissors rules. Offensive > Neutral > Defensive > Offensive
The new ones are more dynamic: Trick Moves is extra weak to Defensive, but great against Offensive and Neutral.

There's enough variety and no way to know what your opponent will choose that duels have a pretty big random chance already.

DISCLAIMER: This information may be entirely incorrect. The rules I wrote for the strategies are just an example and likely have nothing to do with the actual coding!

[Dishman]

Third of all, if someone with known high swordfighting skill is challenging everyone and his dog to death duels, there's a perfectly simple way to prevent him from harming anyone: Just don't accept. There is no penalty. In fact, this is why there is no penalty.

I would also go as far as saying that someone who attempts to bully too many people into a duel should get a vulgarity report. I'm all for playing a hot-headed brute who will cut down teenagers for the slightest offense, but it is still unbecoming of a noble.

[Sacha]

The three tournaments I've won so far were all with skills ranging in the 60-70%, against several opponents who showed 80% and upwards. One time my 65% guy beat someone who showed 90-95% during the tournament.

Also, if you got the skill, why not use it to trick unsuspecting enemies into running to their doom? Usually the master swordsmen are well-known, as they win tournaments where they usually show off several times. If realm-mates don't warn you about the sword masters, maybe you should blame them too for getting yourself killed ;)

[m2rt]

First of all, duels are already hella random. I don't remember the exact figures, but there's a huge spread that you have to have between the skills before a duel is anything like a sure thing.

Second of all, no one knows anyone else's skill unless the other person has shown off at a tournament. If they trained at the academy and then told you their skill, they could perfectly easily have lied. Bullies also tend to inflate their skills.

Third of all, if someone with known high swordfighting skill is challenging everyone and his dog to death duels, there's a perfectly simple way to prevent him from harming anyone: Just don't accept. There is no penalty. In fact, this is why there is no penalty.

If you say so. Last 3 duels I saw, were won by the higher skill. Once skill was higher 10%, two times around 20%. Doesnt seem random at all. But yeah, true random and humans perception of random are very different...

Close the tread as people dont share my opinion.

[Zakilevo]

My character actually won a death duel against someone who had 20-30% higher skill level but things like that rarely happen.

[Indirik]

How do you know? How often do you know the exact skill of both participants? And have you really had that many that you can make statements like that?

[Eirikr]

If you say so. Last 3 duels I saw, were won by the higher skill. Once skill was higher 10%, two times around 20%. Doesnt seem random at all. But yeah, true random and humans perception of random are very different...

Close the tread as people dont share my opinion.

It's not really a matter of opinion; we could all be entirely wrong and you could be spot on. I'm personally always glad when someone points out something like this... Inevitably, I learn something new.

Besides, the only thing that can actually put this to rest is knowing the code, and that's a closely guarded secret.