What the hell is flat footed in this game?

[Netzach Sloth]

Flat Footed AC: Sometimes you can't use your Dexterity bonus (if you have one). If you can't react toa blow, you can't use your Dexterity bonus to AC. If you don't have a Dexterity bonus, your AC does not change.

That is the entirety of the information this game gives us on it. I have no idea why it means that my dex based sword saint always dies on the first turn, even when I'm the aggressor.

What is it, and how do I stop it from killing me every single fight?

[xkuripuri]

At the start of a battle, before you have had a chance to act (specifically, before your first regular turn in the Initiative order), you are flat-footed. You can't use your Dexterity bonus to AC(if any) while flat-footed. Barbarians and rogues of high enough level have the uncanny dodge extraordinary ability, which means that they cannot be caught flat-footed. Characters with uncanny dodge retain their Dexterity bonus to their AC and can make Attacks of Opportunity before they have acted in the first round of Combat. A flat-footed character can't make Attacks of Opportunity, unless he has the Combat Reflexes feat.

The offical definition of flat-footed. Even if your Sword SAint is the aggressor, they may not be first in the initiative order, so anyone who attacks them on their "first" turn is catching you flat-footed.

That's how I think it reads, anyway.

[FemKUltra]

before you act in a round you are flat-footed, which means you cant use your dexterity or dodge bonus to AC since you arent aware of your opponent yet.

Similarly, you are flat-footed when attacked by an enemy you cannot see (stealthed or invisible), or when you are being flanked by 2 enemies.

[Grymm]

Its pretty akward, in a PC game. From the point where combat starts, until you actually have an action and are in 'fighting stance' you're flat. There are some spells / effects that can also give you this condition, like being held.

[[SWE]Junker]

See it as not beeing ready, The enemy has reacted faster then you and therefor you are flatfooted.

[Kyutaru]

It's basically being surprised. Until you act in a round, you're surprised by what's happening. Barbarians and Rogues ignore this because they have ninja reflexes and can dodge arrows shot from behind him that they can't even see.

[Memnarch]

Skills like Improved Initiative will help you avoid Flatfooted....which is basically a "bad AC" state

[Netzach Sloth]

Originally posted by IxiFoori:

Skills like Improved Initiative will help you avoid Flatfooted....which is basically a "bad AC" state

Improved initiative looks good, but it'd probably be a waste of a feat on a sword saint; they get +int to initiative at level 7, and guaranteed 20 at 19.

[WcW]

Thing is, there's really no way to tell if you are "flat footed" is there? SInce I do not believe / have seen any iniative rolls? Or is that in the comat log?

[CHAO$$$]

Originally posted by wWw:

Thing is, there's really no way to tell if you are "flat footed" is there? SInce I do not believe / have seen any iniative rolls? Or is that in the comat log?

You can easily tell your initiative roll by how long it takes for each character to get their first action when combat starts. As long as you character didnt act on the first round you are flat footed.

Also flanked characters are flat footed (i.e. everytime someone is engaged by 2 or more enemies. Positioning only seems to matter for the attack roll bonus)

[xkuripuri]

Originally posted by wWw:

Thing is, there's really no way to tell if you are "flat footed" is there? SInce I do not believe / have seen any iniative rolls? Or is that in the comat log?

Intiative is rolled at the start of combat, as shown in your combat log.

[palathas]

I noticed another thing at the start of the game.

I initiate combat,
My initiative is 16, assassin's is 9,
My first attack comes in at 6.7 seconds
Assassin attacks me twice before I attack.

Questions:
How does he get a surprise round when I initiated the combat?
How does he still go first next round when I have the higher initiative?

Keep in mind that this assumes that this game has 6 second rounds the same as PnP. This is just one example, it has happened with other encounters as well. These times above my head are before I've even acted so it can't be from a full move action for that round.

[CHAO$$$]

Originally posted by palathas:

I noticed another thing at the start of the game.

I initiate combat,
My initiative is 16, assassin's is 9,
My first attack comes in at 6.7 seconds
Assassin attacks me twice before I attack.

Questions:
How does he get a surprise round when I initiated the combat?
How does he still go first next round when I have the higher initiative?

Keep in mind that this assumes that this game has 6 second rounds the same as PnP. This is just one example, it has happened with other encounters as well. These times above my head are before I've even acted so it can't be from a full move action for that round.

he just has more attacks than you? Your observation is incorrect.

Rounds are played out parallel only time to act varies. Only the first attack of each round is counted down to. If you have 3 attacks on a round you will make your first attack after the timer hits 0 and then make the remaining 2 in the rest of the time until the next round.

[palathas]

Originally posted by CHAO$$$:

he just has more attacks than you? Your observation is incorrect.

Rounds are played out parallel only time to act varies. Only the first attack of each round is counted down to. If you have 3 attacks on a round you will make your first attack after the timer hits 0 and then make the remaining 2 in the rest of the time until the next round.

A few things:
The assassin's at the start of the game only get one attack a round with a single dagger.
I won initiative and started combat so should have gone first.
Even if for some reason I was surprised, due to them only having one attack a round and me winning initiative, I should have gone before their second attack.

[Netzach Sloth]

Originally posted by palathas:

Originally posted by CHAO$$$:

he just has more attacks than you? Your observation is incorrect.

Rounds are played out parallel only time to act varies. Only the first attack of each round is counted down to. If you have 3 attacks on a round you will make your first attack after the timer hits 0 and then make the remaining 2 in the rest of the time until the next round.

A few things:
The assassin's at the start of the game only get one attack a round with a single dagger.
I won initiative and started combat so should have gone first.
Even if for some reason I was surprised, due to them only having one attack a round and me winning initiative, I should have gone before their second attack.

I think that might be a bug; on the first assassin, I always get 7 seconds regardless of my initiative roll.

[Kyutaru]

Originally posted by Netzach Sloth:

Originally posted by palathas:

A few things:
The assassin's at the start of the game only get one attack a round with a single dagger.
I won initiative and started combat so should have gone first.
Even if for some reason I was surprised, due to them only having one attack a round and me winning initiative, I should have gone before their second attack.

I think that might be a bug; on the first assassin, I always get 7 seconds regardless of my initiative roll.

That's the cooldown display. You're getting 7 seconds because you only attack once and your next attack is 7 seconds from now. The assassin has a smaller number because he attacks more frequently.