| From: | shadowrn@*********.com (Ice Heart) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Matrix Init/Combat Pool (was [OT] from GM questionaire) |
| Date: | Thu Feb 7 10:35:01 2002 |
>Ya know I thought you were gonna back me there for a minute....until >you
>bombed me...LOL....your instincts in the matrix are just the same as
>your instincts out of it....if the combat pool is basically your
>"instinct dice" why couldn't you have them everywhere?
Good question. It is really a matter of what instincts are. The key thing
is, they happen without thought. I have been a student of the martial arts
for 12 years, a gamer for just over 20, and a computer user/programmer of
any merit for about 10. If someone asks what a Smartlink-II does, my answer
will be out of my mouth before I can think about it. If some asks me the
Japanese term for "kick" I will again answer without needing to think. The
anwers are ingrained, reflexive. If I am walking down the street and
someone suddenly tried to rearrange my features with their knuckles, I would
duck or block before I consciously registered the punch. (unless my sinus
meds were still going strong ;) ) If I am typing away furiously,
composing a response to an e-mail, I type a given word without thinking
about the location of the keys I need. Again, these actions are automatic,
instinctive movements. BUT, one set of instincts is trained into my
thoughts; while the other is embedded in my motor nervous system. And any
martial artist can tell you that the two do not play well together. If you
were to punch me, I would not appreciate my brain telling me the Japanese
term for your technique. I would like my brain to get out of the way and
let my body do what it has been trained for. Thinking about the keyboard
will similarly slow down the trained physical action of typing a great deal.
So, there are mental instincts, and physical instincts; and the two are
sometimes at odds. The instinct to flinch when your peripheral vision
registers sudden movement is deadly in a combat situation. My sensei used
to tap me the temple until I stopped jerking back and blinking. He'd say,
"One flinch is three free strikes for your opponent that you did not see and
had no chance to block." --This is my own best explanation, BTW, for
Willpower being included in the combat pool. Overriding the instincts that
would get you killed.-- The RAS in a deck is there to keep you from hurting
yourself with body movement, but DNI and RAS do NOT turn motor nervous
impulse into code. They turn the triggering synaptic activity behind
movement into code. The motor nervous system is entirely bypassed. The
signal never gets there because it is rerouted through the datajack.
Therefore, decking uses only mental instincts. The RAS supresses all
physical instincts. This is a really good explanation for why deckers don't
tend to enjoy combat. Their brain gets used to firing off signals and
experiencing immediate response, while the body gets used to spending long
hours getting zero movement signals from the brain. Some guy swings at the
decker, who's brain screams "Move!", and who's body goes "Who, me?".
:)
In retrospect, I would not even allow combat pool in a UV host. You are
still translating the trigger that comes BEFORE motor nervous activity.
--I just saw a great show on nervous ticks and twitches that discusses the
differences between movement and movement triggers, so this is all much
clearer to me than it probably comes across.--
Side Topic: Matrix Initiative
Base: D6 + (hmm...no rule book at work...what's base matrix reaction?)
+1D6+2 per level of Response Increase on the Deck
+1D6+2 when running hot ASIST
Other bonuses and penalties can be garnered from Reality Filters, Sculpted
Systems, and assorted gear/situations
This is drawn from VR2...someone with SR3 Matrix might want to correct any
inaccuracies in my numbers. Do you have any idea how long my mental
instincts have been geared for 2nd Ed.? :P
IM(often less than humble, for which I apologize)O,
Korishinzo =^.-
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