Speed factor and Casting times

[TheBlueFox]

I have a bit of a question about these. Mostly it's the mechanics of the game.

So, the game LOOKS real time, but it all breaks down to 6 second "Rounds" and 10 round "Turns", each weapon has a speed factor and each spell has a casting time.

If I have a casting time of 2, and someone attacks me with a weapon of speed factor 7, does he have 0% chance of interrupting my spell? Can it just NOT happen because he's attacking AFTER my spellcast?

Or is it still Pseudo turn based in the fact that if I select the spell late, even though it's a cast time of 2, he might still get his swing off before my spell lands.

Also, if I have a low speed factor weapon like a dagger, can I can attack someone who's using a greatsword, wait for MY hit to land and then back off, rinse and repeat so he NEVER gets an attack off?

[ÄmJii]

Casting Time means how long it takes for incantation to complete, casting times are stated either in Rounds, Turns or seconds: "Casting Time: 6" is the same as "Casting Time: 1 Round".
It is possible to have even Magic Missiles interrupted if the mage has really poor timing, but that's one-in-a-thousand scenario... so yes, I'd have to say it's Pseudo turn based.

Speed factor determines the order which every combatant attacks. Character with Speed Factor 0 hits the Big Sword Dude (with Speed Factor 5) first, then BSD hits back: Both characters DO get to perform their attacks.
While it's theoretically possible to hit-and-run with dagger, the amount of micro-management and the difference in dagger vs greatsword reach makes it impossible to perform reliably. If you want to pick someone off without retaliation just incapacitate them with spells before wading in melee.

[Sigma]

It has already been established that each character is on their own rounds so to determine who hits first or gets their spells off first depends on when they were initiated first. If someone started attacking a spell caster with speed factor of 7 and after the 6th tick of said attacker's round the spellcaster starts casting a spell with cast time of 2, there is a possiblity that the hit will interrupt the spell(factoring in chance to interrupt and whether the hit lands in the first place).

Generally a casting time of 1 will be harder to interrupt than others. Magic missile for instance as you know is pretty much instant, there's just almost no way you can interrupt this unless you maybe play at some of the slowest frame rates possible and have a 0 speed factor in your weapon. However if you can time it right or have a 0 speed factor weapon that can attack mulitple times a round, talking about maybe 5 times a round, then maybe you can stunlock a spellcaster without much needed assistance.
Characters usually go through a "stagger" phase once they are hit. If you can keep them staggered indefinitely then and only then there's 0% chance to cast a spell. This is why some of the deadliest of poisons that have many ticks are especially deadly against spellcasters.

[TheBlueFox]

I'm going to try to turn off the option that makes chracters make "Fake" attack animations so I can better judge actual time differences between a greatsword user and a dagger user.

Mostly I leave my beefier physical attackers on autopilot, but there are times when I take a squishier dude into melee, and I'd rather not have him take too many attacks if I can help it.

Amjii I believe you're SLIGHTLY wrong. I'm fairly certain the Speed factor was in 1-10. For every 6 seconds there are 10 "segments" that determine where your attack lands. not that everything above 6 was in the "next round". So a spellcasting time of 9 is still ONE ROUND, it's just pretty much the very last thing in that round

at least, thats how it was in AD&D