(12-04-2014, 03:46 PM)Kage Wrote: The point is that in a dragoon vs other player character situation, the odds are almost always against a dragoon landing the charge or jump when they haven't done some maiming or crippling... or haven't had help to keep the player character focused on something else, not the dragoon.
Depends. If I can use the arrow/bullet comparison again, knowing you have the projectile coming at you doesn't mean you'll have the skill to evade it. Plus, as you mentioned, there's also the idea of attacking via ambush or otherwise obscuring the attack (ex. doing that anime-style jump where you are between your opponent and the sun, attacking through the glare).
In addition, if the ailerons/dragon spirit concepts have any merit, they could also be used to allow for some minor adjustments in the fall to compensate for an enemy's movement. Obviously you couldn't make a 90-degree turn or loop around that tree that Chachan ducked behind in a panic, but you could alter your trajectory a bit more than your opponent might think. Gotta make use of that Ph.D in Geometry and Jumpology from Kain Kollege, after all.
Really, as "out there" as jumping might be as a combat mechanic, there are ways I can see it working. And, if surprisingly simple enough, making use of it requires concessions on both sides just like with any RP combat. It's just explaining a dropping dragoon as opposed to a pugilist's elbow drop.
