Maybe More Like Stephen Crane
I know it’s not the Great American Novel, but if you’re interested in game design please take a look at this document. I put some hard work in it today, and I think it finally captures my vision for a combat system.
It’s sans magic, skills, etc., but that’s really nothing special (well, the magic is, but I don’t care about it as much). So, it’s all about physical damage, at least for now.