Combat modifiers for being attacked in melee at the back and/or flanks

Cremo

One thing to add more tactical importance to the deployment of characters would be to add a % AC malus to charachters/enemies being attacked on flanks and/or on the back (something like a 25% and 50% respectively).

Not only would this push players to exploit the tactical situation in order to attack enemies already engaged in melee from opposite sides (where they can't defend themselves at their best), but, also, it would force them to keep in mind that it's best not to get even your main tank completely surrounded.. making it crucial to try and cover the back/flanks of your chars with a smart formation or, to exploit the map architecture in order to do the same with a wall or some forniture, if not, at least, with an ally (whom, even with a base lower AC, would most probably be more efficient to defend himself since able to face directly the attacker).

Since BG already checks the position of attack for the backstab feature (requisite is, from TotSC, that a rogue hits the back of the enemy when "in the shadows"), I guess this should totally be possible, at least by scripting it as a Thac0 bonus for the attacker.

ajwz

This just won't work because of the peculiarities of the infinity engine. You will find that sprites will rendomly flip around ,and if you walk somewhere, at the end you might end up facing backwards.

Medillen

Well, a hit bonus when attacking from the back, whether in Shadows or not, could still be applied no ? That is implementable...

Shin

Hm.. from what I know directions and character facing are very tricky to code/check for in the current version of the game. Maybe in the EE it'll work better.