Social Combat: What's the Point?

[Kyeudo]

Now, this thread is not to complain about Social Combat as a system, though the title may seem like it.


My real question is this: In social combat, what are you trying to do? You are trying to change the other person's mind, but what is the mechanical representation of that? How do you know you have successfully changed the target's mind?

 

[Chaka]

You can force willpower sapping, erode or create intimacies, or even change Motivations if you do well enough. Not to mention Emotion, Servitude and Compulsion effects.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

They're very potent, actually. Especially certain Sidereal charms, now that they've been fixed. Oh my, yes.

 

[Flagg]

How do you know you have successfully changed the target's mind?

When they nod and say, "I agree."

 

[cyl]

My real question is this: In social combat, what are you trying to do?

Chaka's answer is quite appropriate. It lists all the effects, NMI and UMI you can inflict through social combat

You are trying to change the other person's mind, but what is the mechanical representation of that?

Beating his MDV. And the effect is resolved in itself with the target enduring the effects / following the mental influence.

How do you know you have successfully changed the target's mind?

When you've beaten his MDV or not.
The problem with Social Combat is: spending willpower is the perfect defense for anyone, even for resisting charm effects.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

However! Certain charms applied IN Social Combat, certain Sidereal charms, Fae attacks, or any Exalt charm that specifically states how MUCH willpower it costs to avert this is very, very steep.


I mean, really. Some of the charms cost three willpower. That's...pretty damn steep. That's three fewer virtue channels for that scene, or successes on three rolls or what have you. There is a pretty harsh cost in that Willpower spending, perfect defense or not. That MUST be considered.

 

[Gylthinel]

In our games, we've tried hard to get social combat to work, but it hasn't. Meaning, the point has been to milk WP before starting a fight. Not the intent of the system, I don't think, but that's the result we've had.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

It can usually end up that way unless you really look at it LIKE combat.


Stunting is worth worlds in social combat, non-sequitors and what not. That may also come to WP milking, but in my experience the few times I've gone through it, it really hasn't. Viewpoints are changed with little willpower loss. It's like how you normally feel out folks in real life, the different angles and in roads.

 

[Chaka]

However! Certain charms applied IN Social Combat, certain Sidereal charms, Fae attacks, or any Exalt charm that specifically states how MUCH willpower it costs to avert this is very, very steep.
I mean, really. Some of the charms cost three willpower. That's...pretty damn steep. That's three fewer virtue channels for that scene, or successes on three rolls or what have you. There is a pretty harsh cost in that Willpower spending, perfect defense or not. That MUST be considered.

Three willpower nothing, some of the errata'd Sidereal charms or that one Fae charm cost five Willpower to resist.

 

[Kyeudo]

When they nod and say, "I agree."

And when do they say that?

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Normally whenever you wear their intimacy you're effecting down or when you've driven your point home by defeating their MDV.


http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/inde ... ial_Combat Long winded, but quite helpful.

 

[The Wyld]

You know...I like the theory behind social combat but generally my group finds it more bothersome than fun to use. We would much rather just jaw at each other than resort to a roll or the monotonous counting of ticks for an exciting encounter. And when we do make rolls its usually to decide the reactions of unimportant NPCs.

 

[MrMephistopheles]

You know...I like the theory behind social combat but generally my group finds it more bothersome than fun to use. We would much rather just jaw at each other than resort to a roll or the monotonous counting of ticks for an exciting encounter. And when we do make rolls its usually to decide the reactions of unimportant NPCs.

For the most part, Social Combat is recommended to be reserved for intense social situations, and not necessarily day to day situations.

 

[The Wyld]

For the most part, Social Combat is recommended to be reserved for intense social situations, and not necessarily day to day situations.

Which is kind of the point. It's disruptive to the flow of social encounters to start social combat and all the minutia it entails. My group just enjoys a freeform approach to the whole thing when in an intense social situation. But I can understand where others would be more appreciative of the systems.

 

[MrMephistopheles]

Which is kind of the point. It's disruptive to the flow of social encounters to start social combat and all the minutia it entails. My group just enjoys a freeform approach to the whole thing when in an intense social situation. But I can understand where others would be more appreciative of the systems.

Which would be an ST issue, not a system issue. Not that social combat doesn't need tweaks.

 

[Thanqol]

When they nod and say, "I agree."

And when do they say that?

From my experience in the Internet, never.