T.A.C.T.I.C.S.=Thread for Advice and Criticism Towards Improving Combat Scenes

Uppers.

 

Why does this keep dropping?? UP!

 

Uppers.

 

You say 'uppers'? Interesting, I prefer 'uppity-up-up-up!'

 

I once actually wrote:

Uppidy Dumpidy Sat On A Wall
Uppidy Dumpidy Had A Great Fall

Aunecah_Skywalker

 

Facinateing.

 

up

 

I think that I am the opposite of you Melyanna, I can write decent space battles but I CANNOT for the life of me write decent hand to hand battles.
For example [I need to re-write this scene] I had a extremly capable Jedi Knightess [who is about 15-16, its a long story as to how she got to be so good] and a Jedi with a lot of potential but not alot of training yet. [with the force that its, he has had plenty of training fighting but just not how to control his instincts] Anyway, these two stunned [with extra special shield, stun guns a lightsaber, and a whip like the bounty hunter uses in the young Jedi Knight series] Luke, Kyp, Han, Liea, and Chewie.
Considering all of the circumstances, it was very plausible that they win, but to actually write the scene? That was awful.

 

Well first off, you gotta figure out how they each fight. The way a person fights in a book often reflect thier perosnality.

Take a charicter I wirte for a PBEM for exsample, Ross Taben:

He's a small guy who fights with utter disregard for honor and fair play, takeing every advandage he can get, and dosen't waste energy with generic punches and kicks, but instead goes spicifcly for weak points with the intent to kill or disable in the fastist way possible. Getting in close, attacking with blinding speed, agression bordering on insanity, and with a seeming disregard for his own physical well being that throws enemys off, he is devistaeing with blades of all kinds, but will take a gun over a kinfe any day out of sheer practicality.

On the other hand you have Obi Wan in ANH.
Disiplined, wise, and honerable, Obi only fights when it is absolutely nessisary, and even then gives Vader a chance to prepair his defences when they meet. His moves are calculated, defencive, and solid. Keeping his distance and waiting for his opponent to make a mistake that will be explioted, he seeks to win, not to kill.


The level of agression in someone's personlity is often exsagerated during a fight, so just figure that out, thier relitive skills, and prefered tactics, and it all sorta flows from there. Rember that a good story is all about a conflict of some kind, and combat is the ultimate conflict, so instead of being a prop or a segway to move the plot, combat should invlove chaicterisation as much (or more) as actions.

 

JediKlea : That is indeed very plausible, especially because Luke always tries to "turn" the person back to the Light before he even thinks about killing him. I don't know if your Jedi Knightess and the other Jedi with a lot of potential have yet turned to the Darkside or not, but since they are fighting Luke and the rest, I'll assume that they did.

You know that it just doesn't have to be a lightsaber duel, with the characters doing nothing but actually fighting with their lightsabers. You can have your characters using cool Force powers (like the Dark Jedi using the classic electric-shock or throwing pieces into their opponents way, etc.). Also, since there seem to be a lot of people involved, try switching back from the Dark Jedi's POVs to the Good guys' POVs. This really *does* work in most situations. Also, what I thought helped me write duels is that I usually draw (and/or write down) the basic, initial stances of all the people involved. This really helps me visualize what kind of moves they might be able to make. And when there are pauses in the battle - as in when the opponents are too far away to strike at each other - I usually have my characters reverting back to their initial stances.

I haven't actually posted the duel yet, but it's in my future fan fic. Just in case you're wondering.

Hope that helped

Aunecah

 

Yea, but if Han is still contious, when the there is a pause beacuse of distance...wouldn't he just shoot them? I know that it would be blocked, but fireing rapidly at the opponent, thus tieing them up with deflections would allow Luke and the other Jedi to close kill/disable. So get Han out of the way early or else it will seem that he's just standing there with his thumb up his butt.

 

use the force to tyr and drop crates on their heasds, wich knoxcks them off balance. then lob a stun grenade.

 

Umm....Actually I doubt that this will make any sense but they had no idea who Luke ect. were at the time. I mean, Si-nonon did, but Klea dicided that she wanted to meet them. She is a very interesting person. ;D
And thank you for your ideas Aunecah, they helped a BUNCh.

 

Well first off, Han doesn't have a blaster. His is broken and he is in no position to get another one. 2nd, Klea and Si-nonon have some very interesting and strnage force talents and combining them they had a complete surprise ambush. [I don't really mind telling part of the story so anyway] Klea is awful with the lightsaber, she cannot work with it. Si-nonon is better but not great. He is not really good wiht guns either, he has to force guide every shot if he wants them to be acurate. But they have some other really nifty talents. Like they can put up complete cloaking shields around thier minds, and even Luke cannot sense them. [at the time of this book he is in his prime if that makes sense]
They also have interesting weapons that I will not reveal. But anyways...

 

Cloaking effect ... that's interesting. It is good to see that your OC characters (I believe) aren't invincible. I was almost concerned for a while there that they were going to turn out to be Mary Sue and Gary Sue. Now, it would be interesting to see how the battle turns out. I want to see how Luke beats them (assuming he does, of course).

And you're welcome

Aunecah

 

They all win. ;D I can't say any more...

 

Virtical movement

 

Virtical Movment?
I am a little slow, [sorry] what does taht mean?

 

JediKlea : It's just a creative way of saying "Up." At least I think it is. I doubt it has anything to do with your post(s).

Aunecah

 

Okay, so what does "UP" mean on these boards? [like I said, I am very slow ;D]

 

Its just a way of saying that you like the thread. whenever someone posts on a thread, it goes to the top of the boards. Therefore, more people see it and look at it.

Its just a mark of respect, really.

 

Oh, nifty!
Thanks

 

I'm good at scripting swordfights (did it all the time for my Drama department in high school) and I'd try to make the tactics and movements reflect their personality. In a four-player fight, I had a veteran who focused on defense, a lousy newbie who's stacatto movements showed that he didn't really know what he was doing, the "villain" who switches his fighting style around throughout the fight and fights "dirty", and the all-around good person who ends up winning.

I've only had one swordfight in one fanfic (in progress) between 9-LOM, my fanfic character, and a Darktrooper Mk.1, which is armed with a blade and a shield. In the fight, 9-LOM starts getting schooled, and manages to lose an arm and fracture a photoreceptor. At that point, he's able to defend himself against this relentless killing machine, but can't BEAT him... until he pulls a grenade and blows the thing in half.

There's another swordfight in the works (this time between actual Jedi) in a future fanfic -- again featuring 9-LOM.

 

This shouldn't be on page 6

UPPP!!!!

 

up uP Up UP UP UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1