Hey guys. Got a question.
I've been considering which ICE system to start playing/running (starting with running) for a while now, and I think I'm going to go with HARP and HARP SF to start. Something that's always bothered me about the systems I've played, though, is the idea of aiming.
It started when I was playing DnD at my local store a few months back. Up until that time I had only run DnD, not played it, and I tried to allow my characters to do just about anything. This included aiming, special attack situations...I tried to reward my characters for being innovative, so anything they could cook up was fair game. So I've got my bow out, and I'm getting ready to hit this troll, and I say, "Okay, I'm shooting this troll, and I'm aiming for..."
Immediately somebody interrupts me. "There's no aiming, dude."
"What? No aiming? Why?"
"It's not in the rules. All you can do is attack."
Then, when I started playing Spacemaster, it popped up again. I was looking through the scope of a sniper rifle, and trying for a headshot. Again I was informed that there is no aiming, only attacking.
This all begs the question...what kind of sniper, ranger, rogue, or any other marksman wouldn't be able to choose his target, aim at it, and hit it? If somebody is trying to kill a dude with a sniper rifle, they're obviously going to be aiming at a specific target like the chest or head. A dragon's weak points are traditionally the eye or the heart, so any archer worth his salt will pick out those organs, right? Why has aiming been left out of these systems? It especially makes sniping and stealth pointless, because if you're sniping an unawares opponent in real life, you're chances of killing him are much higher than if you're in a full-blown firefight. In a game, though, even with a high roll you'll likely only alert the enemy to your presence without really killing him.
My solution? Well, with HARP, I was thinking about adding modifiers based on the difficulty of the location, like taking five, ten, or even twenty off a roll for parts such as limbs, heads, or eyes, respectively. The shooter would only be able to aim at such locations in a relatively low-stress situation such as sniping from a distance or sneaking up on someone (a good rogue should be allowed to sneak up and slash throats, don't you think?). The risk, of course, is a higher chance of failure, which constitutes a total miss and alerting the enemy to your presence. The reward is that success is an instant kill for head/chest/throat shots and the like, and wounding limbs will cripple a character, which is sometimes desireable over killing an enemy.
What do you guys think of this idea? Sure, it adds a little complexity, but I'm coming off of d20, here. I think if I add this, I'll still have a ways to go before HARP presents a rules problem, and I think it will add to the overall authenticity of the gaming experience.