Break free from grapple Warez
Take your filthy paws off me you damn dirty ape!

I know grapple got reworked to be more balanced not long ago, but it still is very powerful and if they manage to get the lock on you, chances are you won't be able to get away most likely.

I can think of only one way, to circumvent the lock, once you've tried and failed to break free but I never tested it.

This would be a paid counter, to get a chance to escape the lock and not be re-grappled for a short period of time.

So the basic idea is to make a new self defense cyberware piece that helps you break free. The idea is not to become impervious to grapple forever, but to boost your chances to break free and get away from the fight.

My ideas were: 1. Spikes pop out from your chest. Damages the assailant and forces him to let you go, can't be grappled for a few rounds or attacker can grapple you. Then it gets discharged, gets a cool down. Sort of like a Flashboost?

2. Electrocutes the assailant and stuns them for a few rounds. Then it gets discharged, gets a cool down.

3. Get covered in an greasy substance that makes it easier to squeeze free, more dex focus than str focus. Discharge, cool down, all that jazz.

Anyway, that's the basic premise. Feel free to critic and suggest alternatives.

Though overly simplistic nature of the grappling system here really saddens me, I totally get that implementing true grappling would be a huge venture - probably not really worth the man hours At this point my only complaint is that, once you are grappled, it feels like it becomes primarily but a battle of strength.

I know from personal experience that skill and agility plays a huge roll in grappling (as can strength). In fact most of my instructors have constantly cautioned against using brute force instead always pushing you to focus on speed and technique.

I have frequently faced off with people who are weaker than I am and have been repeatedly trounced because they were more skilled than I. And I'm not saying that they simply avoided my pins, chokes and joint locks (though they frequently could have). Hell, half the time they would let me pin or choke them then slip out using their knowledge and experience. This is a common training technique.

I remember the first time I managed to get my DJJ (German Ju-Jutsu) instructor in a rear naked choke when we were doing tournament style matches (aka trying to win). Had it locked in tight, heels hoked and everything. Pretty much like this:

Next thing I know, he somehow manages to twist a little and puts me in an ankle lock using his legs, hard. Suffice it to say, I did not keep that hold long. And I was stronger than him by a good measure at the time.

So, given the choice, I would far rather see the checks adjusted in a way that allows a an experienced fighter/dodger to more effectively apply their stats (even stats other than strength) in their resist attempts once grappled. I'm not against this kind of cyberware, as it is really damn cool and totally CP, but I'd hate to see it left at that.

Lastly, as a disclaimer, I do not claim to know the nuances of the grapple code. It very well might be that the code already does what I mention here but it only appears otherwise to me given my specific experiences in the game. If that is the case, I apologize for the long rant :-P

So you have three ways you can undo a grapple, someone has to effectively be better than you at rolling three stats, and I believe there's even a hand to hand check in the last portion as well.

Anyway, I am not too worried about the state of grapple, personally. I just like the idea of a tool to stop someone from strangling me, or slowing it down or preventing it when certain types of armor or cybernetics might protect against it.

You guys want solutions against grapple, but you don't seem to acknowledging that grapple is the direct result of skill and stat investment and is a viable method in combat. We cannot completely invalidate it, and there are 4 ways to improve your characters without chyen being involved to avoid grapple, two ways to invest to make sure you can break it.

If we're taking away the one thing that gives Hand to Hand users a distinct playstyle then we should make it easier to disarm all firearm users etc. See how that works? You need to increase the stats/skills Cerberus outlined to resist the grapple whether naturally with time or with chy. Want cyber to resist grapples? Get a skillsoft and the relevant skillsoft.

Also, the messaging implies it's a head lock, hence the strangling.

Glad we had this talk.