Blocking a gunshot?

[Dymdez]

Working on a pirate themed game and running into a cognitive dissonance issue... I want the player to be able to block enemy hits, but its sort of funny looking when a shield blocks a bullet -- its for an ABS. I just sorta laugh when I see something so unrealistic. Or is it unrealistic? Any sensible work-arounds?

 

[Rhaeami]

A shield blocking a bullet isn't terribly unrealistic, assuming the shield is metal and fairly thick.  The unrealistic part would be reacting fast enough to position the shield between the bullet and yourself.  This shouldn't be an issue with an ABS, as I'd assume the player has to be blocking already when the bullet reaches them.

Perhaps, to lend realism to it, you could have bullets deplete some kind of blocking resource (stamina gauge, etc) faster than melee attacks, owing to the sheer speed and unpredictability of them.  Maybe that could be a balancing mechanic to discourage turtling against ranged foes.  Just a thought.

Of course, if it's pirates, then I don't know how strong their guns would have been.  Or whether their shields were metal.  Or if they even used shields.  Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Chiakscare]

A katana. It must always be with the blade of a katana; such is infallibly realistic. There is no evidence to contradict this truth!

...but  in seriousness...

Since it's your own universe when you make a game, the material armor is made of can be stronger than that which your bullets can puncture;  therefore there is no loss of realism if the strength relation is made understood.

 

[Dymdez]

A katana. It must always be with the blade of a katana; such is infallibly realistic. There is no evidence to contradict this truth!

...but  in seriousness...

Since it's your own universe when you make a game, the material armor is made of can be stronger than that which your bullets can puncture;  therefore there is no loss of realism if the strength relation is made understood.

You have seriously tempted me to make swords that can deflect bullets!

I suppose you two might be right, maybe its not terribly unrealistic after all? I guess it's just hard to have one's brain accept such differing technology intermingled, you know? But that never stopped final fantasy...

 

[cabfe]

I've seen worse. In a game with enemies counter-attacking the heroes' attacks, one of the enemy guards (armed with a sword) bounced back to me a... musket shot.

I'm still wondering how he did that!

 

[Dymdez]

Deflecting bullets with a sword seems to me epic

What else would a pirate use to block bullets?

 

[captainproton]

His ARRRMOR.

 

[EternalShadow]

Deflecting bullets with a sword seems to me epic

What else would a pirate use to block bullets?

His cutlass - never seen a pirate with a shield!

 

[cabfe]

Maybe an armored arm. You know, the one with a hook?

 

[Kes]

Any gauntlet. Or if you've given main guache armor, that will do.

 

[BadMinotaur]

Old-timey pistols were notoriously inaccurate. Maybe instead of characters blocking, the guns just have an unusually high miss chance?

 

[cabfe]

Old-timey pistols were notoriously inaccurate. Maybe instead of characters blocking, the guns just have an unusually high miss chance?

High miss chance in a game is really annoying. That's a case where historical accuracy contradicts fun (which is required in most games).

 

[BadMinotaur]

What's the difference between a slight miss chance and a slight block chance?

Also, I think the guns are on the enemies, not the player. Miss chances are only unfun if the player is the one missing. If they're equipped by the player too, then sure, the solution needs to be different.

 

[cabfe]

Block can be overcome (with an ATK buff or MDF debuff for example). At least, I'm seeing Block as a threshold level. I might be wrong here, I'm not used to formulae.

Miss, you just missed, that's all.

 

[BadMinotaur]

I getcha. In my mind, "block" means "this character has a chance to stop all incoming damage." So it's the same as miss chance, except block is for the character being hit while the miss chance is for the character attacking.

If it's a threshold, then yeah it's a whole different ballgame.

 

[Dymdez]

I getcha. In my mind, "block" means "this character has a chance to stop all incoming damage." So it's the same as miss chance, except block is for the character being hit while the miss chance is for the character attacking.

If it's a threshold, then yeah it's a whole different ballgame.

Nope, in the ABS, it's done manually, so randomness is truly hated because it takes away control.

I have taken quite a liking to the hook arm/gauntlet blocking...

 

[trouble time]

I've come to realize realism isn't actually that important, consistency and relateability are. If people can block bullets in your universe thar's just the way it is.

EDIT: I noticed I said "thar's just the way it is". it was a typo, but this is about pirates so I need to keep it now.

 

[BadMinotaur]

Nope, in the ABS, it's done manually, so randomness is truly hated because it takes away control.

I have taken quite a liking to the hook arm/gauntlet blocking...

Oooh, ABS. Not ATB. My bad, got my acronyms mixed up.

 

[sokita]

If a shield made from kevlar, it should be able to block bullets if the user use it at the right time. Just like katana cutting a bullet.

 

[Clord]

Things like Katana cutting a bullet half is Hollywood etc.


In real world you can't do motion enough fast to deflect a bullet with something like Katana swing, not to mention have enough force behind it to cut it.