Balancing barehanded fighting

[sorrow]

In some there different fighting styles

[Wyrmspawn]

Actually, these styles were not all developed like that; the five "beasts" (Wu Qin Xi) (Literally "play of the 5 animals") were Kung Fu not designed for combat, but rather for the strengthening of the body by the famous doctor, Hua Tuo (English Spelling?) (The guy who designed a (working?) brain surgery in the Three Kingdoms Period, about 1000 years ago). Anyway, they include styles such as:

The Monkey
The Bear
The Deer
The Tiger
The Bird

However, these were not the only styles based on animals; they were just the most common, since all people can practice it for health benefits, even if they aren't very useful in combat.

In combat, there are millions of weird styles, such as:
The Praying Mantis Style (noted for its two-finger-extended fists, which are excellent for grappling)
The Leopard Style (Noted for its "leopard fist", which allows one to block and hit at the same time)
The Dragon Style (noted for its mind over muscle training, opposite of Tiger style)
The Duck Style (yes, Really. Noted for its strange, kneeling stance.)
The Eagle style (Just because nobody mentioned it. Mostly famous for clawing movements)

And the list goes on... these are just some of the weirdest and most prominent. Plus, each style has hundreds of different forms, and each form has different principles from different sects... Let's just say the ancient Chinese really loved their Kung Fu.

And in regard to Xero's points, yes, you are correct; but I think that they weren't really created for the good of the students; most legends say that a master saw a (*insert animal) going about its business, then considered how its movements could be implemented into his own style. Most of the time, these moves would only make up a fraction of their styles; but quite often, some masters would note so many things about the animal they studied that they create an entire arsenal of moves based on the animal's movements. These sets of movements became individual styles that were gradually perfected over time.

And as for how these styles worked, I agree mostly with what you say; just a clarification on the dragon style, as well as to add to the list my own knowledge of how the styles work:
Dragon Style:

Skill over muscle, Mind over matter. Notable for the claw style, but "dragon fists", "dragon palms", and so on aren't unheard of.

Crane style:

Graceful kicks and parries and blocks (usualy with hands).

Snake:

Speed, as well as weird angles of approach. Presses fingertips together instead of making a fist. Attacks pressure points.

Leopard/Panther Fist style:

Most notable for the panther fist, which can both block and attack at the same time. Relies on speed and power, generally considered the medium route between crane and tiger styles.

Tiger Style:

May use fists, claws, or even palms. Notable for its extreme power.

Eagle Style:

Notable for its clawing movements. Uses 3 fingers for maximum power and accuracy, often used to catch and crush enemy joints or even fists.

Praying Mantis Style:

(I learnt a lot about this one) Uses a strange sort of fist to pull the enemy off balance; there is a legend saying a short man, after losing due to his lack of reach, created this style when watching a praying mantis try to stop a carriage from running over it with its claws. Most notable for its lightning counterattack.

Duck Style:

Most notable for its weird stance, involving the user squatting to preserve his balance, often attacking the enemy's groin or tripping them up.

The monkey style:

This is a style that leaps around a lot (like a monkey). It is used to throw the enemy off-guard, using animated, jumping footwork. A little like boxing, but much more bouncy. Also, all 5 fingers are trained to incredible strength when using this style.

Bear style: Not sure how it works, but not even certain if it is a combat style.

That's all the animal styles I know of.

A few styles I'd like to bring up: (non-animal)
The ground style:

notable for inspiring hip-hop; but don't be fooled. This is a deadly style that snatches victory from the jaws of defeat; in a way, it is rather difficult to defeat; even if you use it from the start of the battle. Punching someone who is lying on his back on the floor requires you to bend over, spoiling your center of gravity; kicking merely gives him a chance to grab your legs and pull you down. In short, this isn't a bad style at all.

Drunken Style:

No, folks, Jacky Chan's movie isn't completely fake. There is a drunken boxing style; but it is doubtful that you must get drunk to use it. In drunken boxing, you simply move like a drunkard, often seeming to stumble to avoid blows or to add force to your own, as well as using irregular footwork to add to your unpredictability.

[sorrow]

Thanks wyrm and I believe its called the drunken monkey. But with your clarification of animal fighting styles we can now come up with stats for them

[Wyrmspawn]

I'm pretty sure the drunken style and the monkey style are very different; but I don't read western stuff, so maybe in Europe or America people consider them the same thing.

Anyways, I don't see why we should use these styles; the animal styles aren't really noted for being very threatening; mostly, in WuXia, they are advertised as gimmick styles; not very powerful, just powerful enough to let the reader notice it and exclaim, "what a weird style!".

Don't get me wrong; there are many animal styles, and they would certainly offer many skills to AT; but there could be better categories of styles. Not all styles are copied from animals, after all. I had in mind to divide the player into styles such as palm, fist, claw, finger, kicks, and such, because these are easier to understand and probably capture most of the moves that most styles use most.

However, naming it all after animals certainly does give the player more interesting choices... might be nice to see what others think.

[nyktos]

I'm pretty sure the drunken style and the monkey style are very different; but I don't read western stuff, so maybe in Europe or America people consider them the same thing.

we do not consider them "the same", he is just crazy.

[Xero]

I believe we should take a more traditional approach to unarmed combat.
Muay tai for critical hits
Judo for stun?
Boxing for improved ap efficiency
Jujitsu for crippling attacks
Karate/ jeet kun do for counter attacks

Additional input or ideas?

[Vasifan]

If we were to buff the unarmed spec, my sollition would be this:

Trainer who adds specific unarmed advantages to existing skills. Ex: Combat speed grants 3 AP per skill, when unarmed.

Internal bleeding/Fracture become Exploding Palm when unarmed.

You know. Monk stuff from games.

Gear that is considered unarmed. Cloth already exists. Fist weapons may be added. Faster than daggers but really weak. Protective bracers in the shield slot, adding small defence bonuses but not count as a shield.

I explain these on my other posts and i feel im spamming when i repeat^^

[Xero]

If we were to buff the unarmed spec, my sollition would be this:

Trainer who adds specific unarmed advantages to existing skills. Ex: Combat speed grants 3 AP per skill, when unarmed.

Fist weapons may be added. Faster than daggers but really weak.
I explain these on my other posts and i feel im spamming when i repeat^^

http://andorstrail.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1753

[Sarumar]

If we were to buff the unarmed spec, my sollition would be this:

Trainer who adds specific unarmed advantages to existing skills. Ex: Combat speed grants 3 AP per skill, when unarmed.

Fist weapons may be added. Faster than daggers but really weak.
I explain these on my other posts and i feel im spamming when i repeat^^

http://andorstrail.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1753

hmmm those is old topic... many things are differend now.. like AP cost of unarmed attack was raised to 4... some new skills...

[Xero]

True and things were changed for a reason. It's too much advantage to have a base cost of less than 4. AD alone benefits too much per point