Combat is not a separate aspect of role-play, and should certainly not be treated as though it is; rather, the two should meld fluidly and effortlessly into the one continuous whole. There should be no clear distinction between where the players stopped interacting and switched to combat, no obvious clue proclaiming that the game has ended. Due to this, all players must have a valid logical reason backed by the flow of their plot to initiate combat, as opposed to hacking away at an innocent bystander. Examples could be as complex as the penultimate occurrence in a story of intrigue, or as simple as a character insulting another�s honour� discretion is advised. Common sense must be used to determine what is good for the plot, and what is mere testosterone-fuelled bloodlust.
The aim of the game is not only to have fun, but to ensure those around you have fun; concessions must be made, meaning that players should know when to take �No!� for an answer to their challenges. If someone does not want to fight, they have no reason to do so, and are not in any way required by some obscure sense of duty or respect. Bear in mind that it is a game played for the fun of all involved, and your time with textual combat will be much more enjoyable.
The form of TB is exactly as the name implies: each player takes turns to have their character perform a sequence of events, planning to stay one step ahead of their opponent�s actions. Generally, the two players first agree that they are using the same form of textual combat to ensure there is no confusion, then between themselves they decide which character should take the first turn. The player with the first turn then has as much time as they need to type up their introduction to the battle, perhaps in the form of a first attack or as the readying of their weapon. For example:
After this, the other player will then be able to take his turn, deciding to go straight into the heat of the battle:
Druss_the_Axeman makes no meal of his actions as his gauntlet-clad hand snaps back to draw his axe. With his feet bound the flagstones, racing towards the barbarian, Snaga the Sender comes loose with a violet tug and sweeps outward as he nears, barreled chest and large muscles tightening like iron with the soar of the silver edge through the air. Right before the barbarian he halts and throws his full momentum into the deadly crash of the blade, swiping out for his guts in a quick, deadly motion.
What should be noticed, when reading the above attack, is that at no time does Druss declare that he has struck Conan, only that his actions will strike him unless he reacts. This is the standard form of TB combat, as rather than state that an opponent has taken any damage the player explains his attack, allowing the other to decide if it can be dodged. If one player decides the outcome of any direct or indirect action against another, save for the exception of descriptions, it is called an auto-declaration (auto for short).
The process of logic decides the next stage of any simple fight: can the player think of a way to deal with the attack without taking damage, and can he turn it to his advantage somehow? In this manner the player receiving the action can decide the end result of the attack, yet must describe clearly how this result is obtained. Again, fairness of discretion is required to continue. In the example given above, Conan has readied himself to receive such an attack, and so has no trouble in deflecting it away:
Conan_the_Barbarian sends his sword smashing down against the axe, jerking from the jarring clang of metal on metal, then with a grunt of effort pushes it back to the lower right of the axeman, pinning it with his own blade. Continuing his turn he spins on the ball of his foot, launching a momentous kick toward the old man�s head, intending to catch him with the heel of his boot right upon the jaw as he pivots around.