Quote Originally Posted by Tsotha-lanti View Post
It is an abstraction, yes, but I don't think you'll find a light system that isn't. I mean, the only non-abstract combat system I can think of is in The Riddle of Steel, where ten seconds of combat takes half an hour (a great half-hour, full of tactical decisions, and when someone gets hit, it's pretty decisive) - and even TRoS is somewhat abstract.

I'm not sure I see how the bidding can be complex.

You bid points from your pool. You roll dice. As a result, either you lose points, or your opponent loses points. (Or both of you, or one loses and one gains, etc.)

Meanwhile, you're describing what's going on. If you bid everything you had, then clearly you're making a risky gambit - an all-out attack, a everything-on-the-table revelation or putting your own character on the line in a social situation, etc. If you bid very little, you're being cautious, maybe just setting up for an advantageous position or probing your opponent.

Once someone runs out of points, they're defeated - the degree depends on whether they went into the negatives and how badly.
I play and enjoy Wushu, it's not like abstraction itself is an issue. But when it doesn't feel intuitive or natural then it is. I've heard someone say in the past if you're familiar with poker, then HQ's bidding system is pretty straightforward. Well I'm not, so it doesn't feel simple at all.