Max engage question

[glynn]

That doesn't make any sense. Is using an sblade settup abuse because it gets around max engage? No.

I'm not sure if this is a player debate or a statement of the rule by someone with authority. If it's a statement of the rule, I will never use my fists, but it seems exceedingly strange to say it is abuse of max engage to use a weapon with lower engagement points that has associated down sides. If you punch an opponent because your fists can reach them but your enormous axe cannot, that seems entirely reasonable. If you're not supposed to punch anyone but we don't have the coders available to enforce that, then someone who knows something should please be clear. Punching is abuse.

EDIT: I looked back at the posters and I see at least one is staff. It sounds like punching is abuse, regardless of whether you rewield or not. No fists from me then.

[Rig]

I am fearful of the reading comprehension of many of our players!

1. Removing then rewielding to allow more players or mobs to engage bad. This is bad because if you remove your weapon, you ALLOW more PLAYERS or MOBS to ENGAGE, which bypasses max engage and allows you to rewield your weapon, ignoring max engage coding.

2. Removing weapon to allow more players or mobs to engage bad. This is bad because you are removing weapon to ALLOW more PLAYERS OR MOBS to ENGAGE xxx enemy to bypass max engage.

I don’t think it’s hard to understand where the abuse is. I also don’t think it’s some weird new rule that shouldn’t be policed. You’re messing with a combat formula to break your opponents defense more often. Don’t think I’m ever in a situation where I think to myself that if I get everyone to remove weapon to engage and then rewield to bypass max engage that it’ll be fine.

[Frey]

As a clarification, is removing the sword I am using and drawing my dagger an abuse of max engage because the dagger has lower value in max engage and thus allows more players and mobs to engage? This would be the automatic effect of when someone bashes someone and switches to a sblade to get in attack hits. I have at least one lblade character that also has sblades practiced.

It seems to me that switching weapons from one higher to another lower max engage is the exact same result as just punching the person. Fists would just be a different type of weapon. Rewielding would be obvious abuse. But just staying as fists, you're getting the lower max engage value but you're also getting the lower OB and damage that also comes along with it. Just like you get the positives and negatives of whatever weapon you switch to.

Just wanted to throw in my two cents and another perspective.

[glynn]

2. Removing weapon to allow more players or mobs to engage bad. This is bad because you are removing weapon to ALLOW more PLAYERS OR MOBS to ENGAGE xxx enemy to bypass max engage.

The reason this seems odd to me is because, if you don't rewield, it doesn't bypass max engage. Max engage is still in play, as every player is getting the engagement points they are supposed to. This is only bad if punching is considered a bug that is not presently fixable, i.e., fists are broken and are supposed to have more engagement points for PCs. That's my read of the situation. Fists aren't allowed because for desired game balance reasons they are bugged/not properly coded for max engage.

If that's not the case, then it would seem that knowledge of max engage and decisions about the order to attack (sblades, polearms, swords etc) "bypaases" max engage in the same way. You are trying to allow more players or mobs to engage.

To be clear, staff said no punching, so I will not punch. I am going to point out the difference between using an existing game mechanic (choosing a weapon based on engagement points and sticking to it through the fight) and bypassing that mechanic (starting with a weapon and switching because the game isn't coded to check engagement points at any point after you're engaged). One is clearly different from the other, and unless fists in particular are bugged, it seems odd to me to say the first bypass max engage

[Harker]

The better question is when did this actually become abuse because it's been being done for 20 plus years. I have rarely seen it happen in player kill but as far as just doing smobs it's been pretty much normal for as long as I can remember.