"Twist" and Shout!

Unfortunately, everyone else is getting globals and I'm just getting beaten up. Good for everyone else...bad for me, butit gave me a chance to think...

Does anyone here have a habit of aiming at a particular place on a particular mob? Does anyone have a pattern of shooting right at the Daikiba's face, or at the belly of a snable? I started a little experiment, and I must admit, the results are interesting (if not official).

Back when I only had a couple of pieces of armor, I could tell when I was hit on the harness versus an unblocked hit to the face -- harness shots cause much less damage. Pretty obvious stuff. But then I got thinking about whether the various beasts have different armor in various places, and whether they could soak up more damage in the face or have a weak spot in the belly. My results -- I think I'm right!

The little monster health bar doesn't drop as fast on a 20-point hit to a Daikiba's face as it does when the shot is to the legs. And the dreaded caudatergus hates getting hit on the hump above its head (and perhaps the legs as well). Armored beasts seem to have weak underbellies, and the tall Faucervix does not like taking a high axe swing -- neck/head region.

Maybe these creatures do have different armor ratings on different body parts -- I know I do. But if finding out about these little gems can make the difference between living and reviving, it might be worth a try.

(and on a curious note, it seemed like whenever I went for "weak spot" shots, I was more likely to get some skill on Anatomy. Coincidence? I dunno. But Anatomy is one of my top-three skills now -- you do the math)

Curly Twist Bender