I've seen some solutions around the net and here, but they were sparse or they implements stats I am not using (hit/miss %, armor, weapon skil magic, etc..)


looking for the following criteria

• 1. uses only def/str only
• 2. each attack does damage (there is no miss)

this is a simple game - so do not need a crazy detailed system.
currently, I found one from a long time ago:

while it sorta works. looking for a fwe more ideas.
Strength/2 + Rand(0, Strength/2 -1) - Opponent Defense (BBS: L.O.R.D.)

thank you for any suggestions

It's pretty basic, but it can work. How would you handle the cases when the opponents defense overcomes the strength of the attacker all together, would you clamp it at 0? Otherwise the value could become negative.

If you wanted to you could expand this into a counter attack to where the offset damage is instead reflected on the attacker.

 

It's pretty basic, but it can work. How would you handle the cases when the opponents defense overcomes the strength of the attacker all together, would you clamp it at 0? Otherwise the value could become negative.
If you wanted to you could expand this into a counter attack to where the offset damage is instead reflected on the attacker.

 
normally its clamped to prevent the negative.
Also, there is no MISS so to speak. YOu do damage at all times. the difference is, since mobs are a little stronger/level I took away their defense.
Was looking at anyone that has something along the same lines similar...

One of the most basic combat system is just hp and damage.

attack:
hp'=hp-dmg

From here you can start your journey to add more options. E.g. take armor like this:

attack:
hp'=hp-dmg*1/(1+armor)

This is nothing more than scaling the hp by reducing the dmg. So, you could simply scale the hp instead of adding armor. So, why add armor at all ?

You need to add a meaningful option/decision to armor to add some value. E.g. you could add some armor piercing attacks etc, then armor is suddenly a hp-buff which can be ignored by some special attacks.

So, instead of just adding hit/miss, resistences, dodges etc. you should think about the additional options to the player and try to avoid to add features which just obfuscate the basic idea ,like adding armor without adding some option
to overcome it.

Make progression where def stat is just a value player sees, but in real defence is % deductible from taken dmg stat of enemy.

In example: defence % = 100-(c^(def/10))*100 where c - coefficient(<1. You must balance it) and def - your character def variable
if char def = 30 then his % defense = 100-(0,95^(30/10))*100 = ~14%

14 % must be subtracted from taken damage stat.

if char def = 100 then real defence = ~40%

Good points of this method is that you can play with def stat variables in game items and you'll always have a real defence that never block 100% of damage.

looking for the following criteria 1. uses only def/str only 2. each attack does damage (there is no miss)

sounds like a classic wargame system with attack and defense stats.

atk / def = odds.

result = f( odds, die roll ). // uses a lookup table, known as a "combat results table" in a tabletop wargame.

result can be amount of damage, or a percent of max possible damage done. this can then be modified by armor, etc, then applied to hit points.

Yeah, that reminds me of Warhammer (both 40k & fantasy), they have a stat for Strength and a stat for Toughness that are compared to each other. And a sliding scale of odds is calculated. It's if equal, it's 4+ on a six sided die that something happens. As Strength overpowers the targets Toughness the scale goes up, 3+ for 1 different, 2+ for any more. And the inverse for when Toughness out does Strength, 5+ for off by 1, and 6's for anything else. Success meant 1 damage, and models tended to have 1 hit point unless they were big or heroic, in which case they might have 2-4.

40k 5th ed (I think it changed for later editions), did something different for vehicles. It was Strength + a six sided die compared to an Armor rating. If the result was greater, than you rolled dice and consulted a table to see what the effects would be -- with the most often result being destruction of the vehicle. I think the weakest result on the table was a stun effect.