The original main — it was simplified and generalized during the rename in line with the rename discussion and the underlying trope definition.
Many console roleplaying games (and indeed many other games) feature complex systems for determining how much damage is meted out in combat, using a myriad of factors like the user's strength, the actual "power" of their attack, the defender's armor, possibly even such things as their respective skill levels, Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors, whether or not it is a Critical Hit ... heck, even the Luck Stat might (or might not) contribute to the calculations.
These range from 'longswords do 1d8 damage, doubled on critical hits, and 10% of the time you get to roll to see if a crit occurs' (Dungeons And Dragons 3.x) to the complex formulae one finds for Final Fantasy titles.
However, at times a game will have an attack that is exempt from the usual calculations and inflicts a fixed, predictable amount of damage every time it is used, ignoring the entire damage formula altogether. Because it ignores an opponent's defense power, it is inherently a Piercing Attack.
The amount of damage is usually a specific number (like an exact 1,000 points), but on occasion it may be based on a different factor, one that remains fixed (or at least predictable) throughout the battle.
See also Scratch Damage and Cap, when a fixed amount of damage occurs for different reasons.
The original main — it was simplified and generalized during the rename in line with the rename discussion and the underlying trope definition.
Many console roleplaying games (and indeed many other games) feature complex systems for determining how much damage is meted out in combat, using a myriad of factors like the user's strength, the actual "power" of their attack, the defender's armor, possibly even such things as their respective skill levels, Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors, whether or not it is a Critical Hit ... heck, even the Luck Stat might (or might not) contribute to the calculations.
These range from 'longswords do 1d8 damage, doubled on critical hits, and 10% of the time you get to roll to see if a crit occurs' (Dungeons And Dragons 3.x) to the complex formulae one finds for Final Fantasy titles.
However, at times a game will have an attack that is exempt from the usual calculations and inflicts a fixed, predictable amount of damage every time it is used, ignoring the entire damage formula altogether. Because it ignores an opponent's defense power, it is inherently a Piercing Attack.
The amount of damage is usually a specific number (like an exact 1,000 points), but on occasion it may be based on a different factor, one that remains fixed (or at least predictable) throughout the battle.
See also Scratch Damage and Cap, when a fixed amount of damage occurs for different reasons.
Edited by Camacan