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[Robosaur]

okay you guys
I put a lot of thought into this. Thought, revision, and just a smidge of my eternal soul. Certainly some sanity, and sleep deprivation. It's all compatible with the stuff DF already has for the most part, and could easily be adapted to work with weapons as well.

PART 1: BASICS

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The basic way that procedurally generated martial arts works is that there is a library of techniques. A basic PUNCH would be something like this:

[MA_TECHNIQUE:PUNCH_BASIC]
   [ATTACK_VERB:punch:punches]
   [TYPE:ATTACK]
   [REQUIRES:PUNCH:1]
   [USES:PUNCH:1]
   [BASIC_TECHNIQUE]

very freaking simple. And yet, it means adding just a teeny bit to the already existing CREATURE_STANDARD raws. Namely, [ATTACK_MA_TYPE:PUNCH]. All this does is tag the ability to know that it's viable to be linked with this technique. Just to go over the 3 tags we use.

[ATTACK_VERB:punch:punches]: Yup.
[TYPE:ATTACK]: Yup.

[REQUIRES:PUNCH:1]: This means you need at least 1 attack that has [MA_TYPE:PUNCH[

[USES:PUNCH:1]: This signifies what basic attack in the creature raws is used.

Finally [BASIC_TECHNIQUE]. This is just a token for the procedural generator to say "Hey. This technique is super generic. Fill yourself up with a bunch." By being a technique, people who practice the martial art will get conditioning in using the punch and will deal more damage and be more accurate (with lots of time spent) than someone who does not include punching in your martial art.

Also for the record, and eternal posterity, using a limb for combat "spends it" meaning it can't be during your next action. If a person is punching away at someone, it will always be right punch left punch etc...


I will just quickly explain [ATTACK_MA_TYPE] a bit further. There's a seperate [OBJECT] group. [OBJECT:MA_TAGS]. Each entry is ridiculously simple. It's just [MA_TAG:X] and [NAME:singular:plural]. Just a little heads-up to all the modders out there. Like me.

May as well also throw in

[MA_TECHNIQUE:KICK_BASIC]
   [ATTACK_VERB:kick:kicks]
   [TYPE:ATTACK]
   [REQUIRES:KICK:1]
   [USES:KICK:1]
   [BASIC_TECHNIQUE]

... but maybe also

[MA_TECHNIQUE:TAILSTRIKE_BASIC]
   [TYPE:ATTACK]
   [ATTACK_VERB:tail:tails]
   [REQUIRES:TAILSTRIKE:TAIL:1]
   [USES:TAILSTRIKE:1]
   [BASIC_TECHNIQUE]
   [FACE:BACK]

but what's this? [FACE:BACK]? I'll get into this now! (Spoiler alert. [FACE:X] means the attack changes where you're facing for one action)

PART 2: Angles of attack and guarding!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So pretty much now, we have to worry about the angle at which the attack goes at. In [OBJECT:BODY] raws, we'll need [FRONT] and [BACK] tokens to signify it's location. A spine would be hard to hit from the front, but from the back, she's all yours! The other addition to the body raws I propose is [GUARDS:X] tag. Right in the standard humanoid, the [BP:LUA:left upper arm:STP] and [BP:LUA:right upper arm:STP] would have [GUARDS:HD] and [GUARDS:UB]. What this does is it turns the limb into a passive "magnet" away from the head and upper body. With higher fighting skill, the more likely you are to take a blow to the arm when it was meant for your torso! This is linked directly to the Fighter skill.

May as well get into parrying.

[MA_TECHNIQUE:IN_TO_OUT_MIDDLE_BLOCK]
   [ATTACK_VERB:in-to-out middle block:in-to-out middle blocks]
   [TYPE:PARRY]
   [REQUIRES:UPPERARM_STRIKE:1]
   [USES:UPPERARM_STRIKE:1]
   [IN_TO_OUT]
   [LINKED_WITH:OUT_TO_IN_MIDDLE_BLOCK]

[MA_TECHNIQUE:OUT_TO_IN_MIDDLE_BLOCK]
   [ATTACK_VERB:out-to-in middle block:out-to-in middle blocks]
   [TYPE:PARRY]
   [REQUIRES:UPPERARM_STRIKE:1]
   [USES:UPPERARM_STRIKE:1]
   [IN_TO_OUT]
   [FACE:SAMESIDE]

oops I opened a can of worms! Pretty much [LINKED_WITH:X:Y:Z:...] means the martial art can't have one without the other! [IN_TO_OUT] means that the parry is always performed from in to out. If an incoming attack with the right arm is deflected further to the right, it loses it's guarding advantage. If it's deflected to the left, then they are forced to [FACE:SIDE] for a bit. [SIDE_TO_SIDE] means it can be performed either way, but I wanted the out to in middle block to make you face the side. But now I have to explain the UPPERARM_STRIKE... no creature has any attack that uses the upper arm specifically!

PART 3: Attack templates and the [ATTACKPRIORITY:HIDDEN] tag??

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

So pretty much, if you want to list all the different places that people can attack and defend with in martial arts, and have each one be an attack used in pretty much every humanoid ever, well, that would not be efficient.

So now, my proposition IS... Attack template groups! (yay). Just like we have [BODY_DETAIL_PLAN:STANDARD_MATERIALS] we'd have [ATTACK_GROUP_PLAN:STANDARD_ATTACKS]. That'd contain all of the different places to attack with, including biting, scratching, punching, kicking, but also elbow strikes, arm strikes, palm strkes (probably something along the lines of [ATTACK:PALM_STRIKE:BODYPART:BY_CATEGORY:PINKIE_FINGER]?)

This way, when making a humanoid creature (hell, it'd work for centaurs and quadrapeds too!), we can completely remove all the tags involving attacks and simply throw in that [ATTACK_GROUP_PLAN] thing. Then, when the exception comes along (aforementioned blade arm people), simply do [REMOVE_ATTACK:PUNCH:SCRATCH:PALM_STRIKE:UPPERARM_STRIKE] and then make an attack that uses the blade as a weapon. To ensure compatibility with martial arts, simply throw in [ATTACK_MA_TYPE:PUNCH:UPPERARMSTRIKE:PALM_STRIKE:SCRATCH]. You'll have yourself someone who can perform all the parries and blocks and strikes that a regular, fully functioning swordarm impaired member of society can do too, except with a sword!

You can also use this if you have people with tails, but they're too weak to use for combat. (I won't judge)

But what's this, now you have peasants running at you and performing palm strikes despite not having any idea how to perform martial arts? Well HEY DUMBASS IT'S RIGHT IN THE TITLE OF THIS PART.
[ATTACKPRIORITY:HIDDEN] means it can't be used at all and is for martial arts purposes only.

PART 4: [AIM_FOR_LOCATION]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I will sum this up with a simple neck strike technique.

[MA_TECHNIQUE:NECK_STRIKE]
   [ATTACK_VERB:neck strike:neck strikes]
   [TYPE:ATTACK]
   [REQUIRES:PALM_STRIKE:1]
   [USES:PALM_STRIK:1]
   [AIM_FOR_LOCATION:BY_CATEGORY:NECK]

Yep. Very simple. By default, this technique will only be used if the neck is a viable location to hit. If you're in adventuring mode and you're aiming carefully, you can -technically- use a neck strike and aim for the waist. Let it be known this carries penalties to damage and chance to hit. There's also the additional argument [FAIL_ON_MISS]. Pretty much, it means there's no effect whatsoever if it fails to hit. This is handy for the next part.

PART 5: [SUPERNATURAL]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

OKAY CONTROVERSY TIME.

Techniques with [SUPERNATURAL] in them are harder to learn. You practically need to be a master in the art to even use it at it's weakest. (Hopefully, AI controlled martial artists should be smart enough not to use these abilities when they're so weak it barely matters when in serious combat). They can carry a whole bunch of bullshit tags. (Or you can put these tags in WITHOUT using [SUPERNATURAL]... which wouldn't really make sense but oh well)

[MA_VELOCITY_MODIFIER:X:Y:Z]: Multiplies the velocity of all your attacks by x/y, same as the creature attacktoken, with the addition of Z which is how many turns you can take before it wears off. If it's left at 1, or removed altogether, it only increases the velocity of the attack you are currently making.

[MATERIAL_FORCE_MULTIPLIER:MAT_MULT:NONE:NONE:X:Y:Z]: Raises (or lowers) your material resistance temporarily. again, pretty much the same as the creature token. Z is just like the above.

[SYNDROME]: Damn straight. You can define a syndrome in here, just like interactions. Syndrome duration and effectiveness is increased with ability in the skill.

[MATERIAL:X:Y] and [FLOW:Y]: Fires a projectile, like dragonbreath. Or a... umm.. well... a hadouken.

[LAUNCH_SELF:X] [LAUNCH_TARGET:X]. Throws you and/or your opponent in the air on hit.

[TYPE:POWERUP]: Your character will use this on themself to boost themselves in battle.

[NO_DAMAGE]: The attack, even if it connects, won't even leave a bruise.

[TYPE:UTILITY]
[USAGE_HINT:X]: This pretty much turns the attack into an interaction.

PART 6: Generating the Martial Art.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Okay, I'll admit, this section needs a bit more work.
First, the martial art picks a couple [MA_TAGS]. Remember those back in chapter 1? It only picks tags that the race creating it has access to. Slugman martial arts won't include kicks. Anyways, these are listed in the martial art's description as it's Strengths. It picks techniques with these more often, and practitioners of the martial art will be more accurate and damaging when using it. It will also pick a few physical and mental attributes. In the end, it will spit out something like this.

"Bedcheeses is a Dwarven Martial Art. Concieved in 34, it's strengths include body slams and punches. It rewards Toughness and Agility. Followers are required to maintain a high level of Patience."

On their own, creatures that can learn martial arts, once they reach enough skill in wrestling, will start to develop techniques. Once they develop their first, a proto-martial art is planted in their mind that will fill itself slowly over practice until it becomes a full-fledged martial art (long after they reach legendary!!!). Creators of martial artists will create books just like necromancers that can be used to teach the basics of the art so it can spread across the world. Or just turn your barracks into a dojo.

(Also I think maaaaybe there should be some sort of "switch martial art" thing so that people who use multiple martial arts won't just sort of fuse them together into a cray-cray mishmash... Or maybe that's a good thing???)

PART 7: MISCELLANIOUS BULLSHIT...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Here is where I put my collective thoughts that don't fit in any other part. You can skip this due to lack of proper organization.

A) The ability to add different [ATTACK_CONTACT_PERC:X][ATTACK_PENETRATION_PERC:X] or [ATTACK_FLAG_EDGE] based on whether the attack is used from side to side or straight forward. I realized this while bringing up the hypothetical sword arm person (Remember them?) and realizing "hey if you punch with a sword, that's a stab, but a neck strike is a cut!"

B) Different names for body parts when hit from the side or back.
[FROM_SIDE_NAME:upper flank]
[FROM_BACK_NAME:upper back]
[FROM_SIDE_NAME:lower flank]
[FROM_BACK_NAME:lower back]
This would only apply during combat. Getting hit in the upper back will show your upper body as being wounded when looking at the wounds screen.

C) Front and back leg stances.
Yeah I got nothing.

D) Multi-attacks.
I guess this isn't really implied, but you can have a technique have [USES:UPPERARM_STRIKE:2] or [USES:PUNCH:1:WAIT:1:KICK:1] (wait:1 causes you to wait until your next action. A combo!)

E) Height.
Well, I guess I didn't really spend much time thinking about whether an attack can be used against the lower or upper half of a person of equal height...
Oh well. Probably could be rectumfied with a [LOWER_HALF] and [UPPER_HALF] token for attack tokens, then a [REMOVE_HEIGHT_RESTRICTION] for the MA technique tokens so that you can still kick someone in the face.

F) Restrict to race token??
something like [RESTRICT_TO:CREATURE:DWARF] if you want to create a dwarven beard strike attack.

G) Stumbling
Attacks should have a chance to make the opponent stumble, falling backwards, possibly causing them to drop their guard, and allowing for a second hit straight in the weakspot. There could be a [STUMBLE_MULTIPLIER:X] which increases or decreases said chance.

BONUS: User suggested things that I like.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Greatwyrmgold: There should be a token that assigns a difficulty to the maneuver, before someone is allowed to learn it/use it without penalties. [SUPERNATURAL] would no longer make such abilities hard to do.
Zoolimar: Stances would work something like this
[spoiler][MA_TECHNIQUE:STANCE]
  [ATTACK_VERB:stance:NA]
  [TYPE:STANCE]
  [MA_VELOCITY_MODIFIER:SAME_SIDE:3:2:DURING_STANCE]  //Decreases attack power of attacks from the front limb
  [MA_ACCURACY:SAME_SIDE:2:3:DURING_STANCE]  //Makes attacks from the front limb harder to parry or dodge
  [MA_VELOCITY_MODIFIER:OPPOSITE_SIDE:2:3:DURING_STANCE]  //Makes attacks from the back limbs stronger
  [MA_ACCURACY:SAME_SIDE:3:2:DURING_STANCE] //But makes them harder to parry
  [MA_GUARDING_POWER:SAME_SIDE:2:3:DURING_STANCE] //Provides a slight advantage while guarding
  [DODGEBONUS:BY_CATEGORY:BODY_UPPER:2:3:DURING_STANCE] //Provides a dodge bonus to shots to the torso
  [DODGEBONUS:BY_CATEGORY:BODY_LOWER:2:3:DURING_STANCE]

Moves differ by how much time they take to do and how much time they take to recover. What part you use to attack, how much the attack uses your attributes, how it uses the weight, how much it relies on the stance (in terms of strength and speed), as well as special attributes.

Special attributes such as
1) Bind Mitigation: How unaffected the move is in bindings (such as the ability to fight in cuffs)
2) Balance Mitigation: The move mitigates being off balance to a certain degree.
3) Prone attack: the power mitigation for using it on the ground
4) Prone Attack Rise: The move stands you up. May not nessisarily even be an attack.
5) Into Stance: The attack puts you into a new stance. May not nessisarily be an attack.
6) Draw attack: A move that can ready a weapon in the same move
7) Prone Mitigation: How much something negates the prone disadvantage

In fact none of these may even be attacks. Multilevel martial arts may involve moving from stance to stance to set up better moves or switching to defense. A Defensive block that guards into an offensive stance is a great set up.

In fact forget special a move should have a statement of what stance it sets you up into with "Prone" and "Standing" being two possible ones.

These are just a few things to consider.

[/spoiler]
AND THUS ENDS THE INTRO POST OF THE MEGATHREAD
Reread it so you don't say something stupid that I'll have to correct, and post away! If you want any examples of techniques, let me know and I'll see if I can do it using only the tokens I've already listed.

[GreatWyrmGold]

That's detailed.
Spoilers might be a useful formatting tool, though.

[Robosaur]

Where d'ya want em?
also thanks

-I AIM TO PLEASE-

[GreatWyrmGold]

One spoiler per section makes sense.

[Revanchist]

This has a ton of detail. In my opinion, a commendation, at least, is in order. I can see this livening gameplay, to varying degrees. One image in particular, actually. A fortress dedicated to the teaching and application of beard-murder-arts. Quite a potential in this thread, I think.

[Deepblade]

looks really cool and amazing if implemented right.

Though I can't help but think of the scene from Indiana Jones where that martial arts guy being all fancy gets shot by Indy.

[Putnam]

I took a glance at it.

Anything that adds modding capability is nice in my book, especially if it uses already-established modding concepts where they would work. This would go brilliantly with the Dragon Ball mod or pretty much any silly animes/vidya game thing I whip up on a lark.

[Revanchist]

I honestly cannot think if an instance where this doesn't have a chance to improve gameplay to some extent.

[CrzyMonkeyNinja]

This is very cool, especially because the same concepts could be applied to swordplay.

They might look something like this:

[SWORD_TECHNIQUE:CUT_BASIC]
   [ATTACK_VERB:cut:cuts]
   [TYPE:ATTACK]
   [REQUIRES:SWORD:1]
   [USES:SWORD:1]
   [BASIC_TECHNIQUE]
(just a regular cut)

or this:

[SWORD_TECHNIQUE:BIND_BASIC]
   [ATTACK_VERB:bind:binds]
   [TYPE:ATTACK]
   [REQUIRES:SWORD:2]
   [USES:SWORD:2]
   [BASIC_TECHNIQUE]
(would be a simple combo-type-thing for a block, which might lower your opponent's guard)

or even this:

[SWORD_TECHNIQUE:DISARM_ADVANCED]
   [ATTACK_VERB:disarm:disarms]
   [TYPE:ATTACK]
   [REQUIRES:SWORD:7] (just throwing in random numbers here)
   [USES:SWORD:7]
   [ADVANCED_TECHNIQUE]

This disarm could work in a few ways.

1. It could be a special move that would only show up as an option when it was able to be performed, and would always succeed, or maybe it could have a chance for failure.

2. It could be the end of a combo-string: block, catch, twist, pull, disarm.

3. Or, learning it could simply give you access to the combo string: block, catch, twist, pull, where each step work as an individual technique, each step had a chance for failure, and where your opponent would be disarmed after "pull".

Personally, I like the third option best. Your thoughts?

[GreatWyrmGold]

I honestly cannot think if an instance where this doesn't have a chance to improve gameplay to some extent.

Bugs.
Once those are fixed, though...only potential problem is complexity.

[Robosaur]

[SWORD_TECHNIQUE:DISARM_ADVANCED]
   [ATTACK_VERB:disarm:disarms]
   [TYPE:ATTACK]
   [REQUIRES:SWORD:7] (just throwing in random numbers here)
   [USES:SWORD:7]
   [ADVANCED_TECHNIQUE]

Just wanted to point out that [REQUIRES:SWORD:7] means that you need to have 7 swords able to attack. Hehe.
Also I guess if you want it to truly be a disarm, it'd require [AIM_FOR_LOCATION]... with I guess some sort of new argument to specify the weapon the person is wielding.

[CrzyMonkeyNinja]

ooooh I see (said the blind man). I just assumed it was the required skill or something like that. As you can tell, I'm not very good with the raws yet. Sorry.

[GreatWyrmGold]

He explained the numbers in his first post, they're not based on anything in the raws.

Some variable for minimum skill to do, or at least to not take big penalties, seem like a good idea.

[Robosaur]

Thanks!
I stuck it in the OP.

[Neonivek]

Martial arts arn't just about moves and blocks

The first thing that needs to be established by the martial art are the stances and the focuses of those stances.

Boxing as a sport martial art, at least modern forms of it, is based around the fact that its only opponent will be other boxers who have specific rules on how to fight. Thus upper body protection and head protection are the focus with the arms being used to protect the face.

Yet that isn't giving boxing justice.

Another aspect is the difference between grasping, intermidancy, and mastering. How tough is a technique to learn, how tough is it to use it competently, and how tough is it to master? As well to what extent is each useful?

Many techniques require near mastery to use correctly.

--

As well remember that what the martial art is made for is also vital.

Boxing is made for 1 on 1 fights in sporting arenas against human opponents.
Some martial arts add in the possibility of multiple opponents and weapons being involved against human opponents.
Fencing (the Rapier kind) is based upon using a light blade against an unarmored opponent who is weilding a similar weapon... Human again.

The target and goal is also important.

I am too exhausted to continue...