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[Nighthawk]

I have been conducting some !!SCIENCE!! within DF's testing arena, pitting two humans against each other with different skills.

More recently, I have conducted this test -

Human 1 - Adequate Ability in Everything, Equipped with Iron Longsword.
vs.
Human 2 - Competent in Dodging ONLY, Equipped with nothing.

H2 wins. H1 managed to score a few hits with his sword, but these attacks weren't enough to stop his enemy, and H2 dodged most of them with ease. After a while H2 joint locked his foe, broke his arm, which caused H1 to give in to pain, and then he kicked his face in until he died.

So... is Dodging skill that godly?

I'm hoping some people are willing to do research and figure out if certain skills can make a godly peasant adventurer (or at least one that stands a chance).

[Dwarf Bread]

How many times did you try this? Experiments need to be done over and over before you can tell whether there's a pattern or just a fluke.

Definitely cool if true though, anything that helps make an adventurer survive more than six seconds is good news, especially non-human ones that have trouble getting decent armour and would have to rely on dodging.

[Nighthawk]

How many times did you try this? Experiments need to be done over and over before you can tell whether there's a pattern or just a fluke.

Definitely cool if true though, anything that helps make an adventurer survive more than six seconds is good news, especially non-human ones that have trouble getting decent armour and would have to rely on dodging.

I have done several more tests.

So far, when CPU is pitted against CPU in this manner, the armed human won 6/6 battles. Obviously, CPU players do better when they're better equipped.
However, when a Human Player is pitted against a CPU (The Human Player being the unarmed one), the Player won 4/5 battles. I believe this is due to the Player's ability to correctly use wrestling and aimed attacks.

This IS good news, seeing as how adventurers are in fact Player controlled.

Continuing in my research.

[Isher]

(How does one set up the test arena? I don't have the game in front of me but I don't remember it being self-evident. But maybe this is a dumb question.)

[Trapezohedron]

In my personal experience, dodging has saved my hide more than shield using, but the downsides are that you don't have a shield to deflect, and even if you have a shield, it will take an extremely long time to level that skill up if your dodge skill is high. Also, you are not immune to dragonfire with dodging and you can accidentally jump of cliffs by dodging in that direction.

Of course, dodging frees up unwanted item space if you opt to go without shielding, allowing you to wrestle with ease (a workaround when you want to put a ton of items in one hand is to pick up a lot of stones, drop either the left or right hand's stones, wield the weapons/shields and drop the stones.).

[Dwarf Bread]

I tried an elven wrestler earlier today with 14 dodging levels in place of my usual 10 armour and 10 shield. She was pretty awesome and a nightmare to hit and once I disabled the crossbowman she was damn near immortal until she got hit by the bandit leader. She pretty much died in a few hits after that. Dodging seems to be more about luck than adventure mode usually is. Either way, dedicated dodgers seem to be the sort of characters who are great at evading hits but can't take the ones they're unable to avoid. Part of the problem was that wrestlers are just bad at killing at first I admit, especially ones who can't get locks and throws to work well (are elves too small to wrestle humans properly?) so I'm probably going to try a speedy, agile swordsman with lots of dodge next time I'm on DF. Preferably a human.

[Megaman_zx]

i was trying to make my lcs (legendary crime squad) a group of demigod adventurers i handmake and then go adventuring with. I gave the first few all sword/axe/etc skill and dodging and one outsider all knife skill and fighting.... without any dodging skill the knife guy killed 2 of my other demigod hero masters before being killed a by my pikeman hero who also has fighting skills.

[RAKninja]

also, bear in mind the random nature of dodge.  it makes the dodger move a tile in a random direction.  even into instantly fatal hazards.  have a look at how many dodge related deaths are reported in the "most bullshit deaths" thread.

[Trapezohedron]

also, bear in mind the random nature of dodge.  it makes the dodger move a tile in a random direction.  even into instantly fatal hazards.  have a look at how many dodge related deaths are reported in the "most bullshit deaths" thread.

IIRC, you can change your tactics to remain in a single position, dodging the attacks without moving. I think it causes the enemy to rush away from you, due to it missing.

[thatkid]

also, bear in mind the random nature of dodge.  it makes the dodger move a tile in a random direction.  even into instantly fatal hazards.  have a look at how many dodge related deaths are reported in the "most bullshit deaths" thread.

IIRC, you can change your tactics to remain in a single position, dodging the attacks without moving. I think it causes the enemy to rush away from you, due to it missing.

I thought that with that setting you simply don't dodge?

[Nighthawk]

also, bear in mind the random nature of dodge.  it makes the dodger move a tile in a random direction.  even into instantly fatal hazards.  have a look at how many dodge related deaths are reported in the "most bullshit deaths" thread.

IIRC, you can change your tactics to remain in a single position, dodging the attacks without moving. I think it causes the enemy to rush away from you, due to it missing.

I thought that with that setting you simply don't dodge?

I don't think so. I believe you DO dodge, but I'm not sure if it's at the same rate.
Perhaps it gets rid of the risk of dodging into a volcano but lowers the rate at which you successfully dodge? Dunno. I should test that.

[Fredd]

It does increase shield use if combat preference is to just stand there.

[em312s0n]

if you get attacked from behind while engaging an enemy its likely that you cant dodge