Experimental RPB Discussion

June 13, 2008, 10:35 PM

With the advent of an Experimentation room, I gladly offer up a series of ideas I've had with me for a long time. Some of these may be familiar (as I have used a few of them in the past on a different RP forum) but hopefully someone will find these ideas intriguing and share their adoration of RPB with me and help make a limitless system that transcends the confines otherwise found in other fighting systems.

If you take any interest in an area please pm me and I will gladly discuss with you methods for implementing testing of the ideas.

Limited Post Count

To begin, combatants discuss and agree upon a set number of posts per combatant. Ideally, it will be handled through PM and denoted with a ratio at the top of each post they make.

The concept is not to discourage long epic battles, but instead to encourage post quality and keep battles relatively simplistic without becoming apocalyptic or over-powered.

It also removes the focus from the one to two post 'reason for fighting' posts that most people find themselves caught up in. I personally have a problem with fights that end with the two combatants shaking hands. If I were beaten and bloody and my opponent equally beaten and bloody, I'd be damned if I'd shake his hand. (Thank you for that ass kicking, how was yours? Good I hope.)

This also offers each combatant a method of providing resolution, where most battles tend to have an unknown resolution, a misguided resolution or simply none at all.

My old system involved three separate categories for the post limit, using a 7 - 10 - 15 series intended for advanced - intermediate - simplistic. The advanced system was intended for RPers who were expressively comfortable with their RP skill and detailed enough to complete an entire fight within the fewest amount of attempts. Whereas the Simplistic system was intended for those who were new, or not entirely comfortable with their character yet. This system provided the most chances for growth while still allowing for a resolution.

For those interested in this system please PM me and as soon as I get two or more interested I will set up a battle for you to participate in. Hopefully, with user feedback and a quick trial run of it, this concept may be added to an amended rules section. Perhaps even coming in handy for Tournaments etc.

RP Judges

Going hand in hand with the post limit system, a Judgment system was also enforced which alleviates the need for a definite win or loss. It included a set rubric outlining what categories were being judged and how each were weighted.

At the completion of a match a Judge stepped in and read over an entire fight and at the end decided on a victor. This meant you could be beaten and bloodied but still emerge winner for the fight. The majority of the Judgments were reserved for creativity and characterization. But detail, spelling, grammar and consistency were all taken into account as well.

Those interested in Judging, should also PM me and I will gladly locate a completed battle for you to judge plus discuss with you ideas for improving the judgment system. One of my first tasks will most likely be recreating the rubric...

Win/lose - Match Outlining

In tandem with a Judgment system I also am extremely interested in working out a Match Outline system that allows for key plot points to be reached between combatants. This allows for maximum story building, knowledge of heavier hits and more debilitating damage, even death.

The concept is that those involved will research each others characters, decide on a setting, a post limit and a basic back and forth of what their characters will be doing. All of this through pm in the hopes of completing a basic outline of battle and when the time comes for the match it would also guide RPers to better quality work.

This idea is, in my opinion, highly controversial as I can understand how RPers may prefer NOT to know outcomes to battles. As with all of my ideas, I'm simply trying to tackle RPB's greatest flaws.

Invisible Bio's

For those interested in this concept I will be requesting entirely new Bios from at least two individuals to be PMed to me. I will then stage a match for the two to compete in where they will NOT KNOW each others abilities.

The theory is that preconceived knowledge Out of Character affects knowledge In Character, and the best way to rectify that is to remove what is KNOWN.

Imagine utilizing traps, poisons, magic, trickery, lies and even hidden weapons all legally, without having to display the information to your opponent.

If ANYONE has any questions or concerns, helpful ideas or even experiments of their own they wish to try please feel free to post here.

A few ideas I haven't really researched but need to be looked at are :

Setting, advantages and disadvantages
Races
RPB Rules, those that should be added and those that should be amended
Weaponry and Skills, Broken moves and overpowered weaponry
A drawback system, Mp? Post length? Time Length?

June 13, 2008, 11:04 PM

Glad to see somebody taking an interest! *Reps for a great post and an awesome idea*

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fair_Game

Limited Post Count

In the Testing Facility, for those who do not know (NOT directed at you, Fair_Game), we fight battles where the rules are specialized for each battle. This idea that Fair_Game has suggested could be one such condition that you will have to adhere to. Quick games can often be the most fun, as they are far more involved in terms of battling than the more lengthy RPBs, and require you to think quickly. Limiting the post count is a good way to condition you to making effective posts vice lengthy ones (though the latter can be fun, as well!).

Now, in response to the suggested idea:

I don't know if it would be a good idea to make this a rule, per se. As this is essentially a Training area, we want to be a little more lax here. However, it is an EXCELLENT idea for a unique condition to specific battles. As The Testing Facility is the place where people go to condition to unique...conditions!..., it may not be a good idea to make this a rule which applies to all battles, but it is an excellent choice of conditions.

For clarification on this matter, feel free to PM me.

Quote:

RP Judges

I couldn't agree more. Needless to say, those who are Mentors will be the people who have to directly speak to their pupils about improvements, but the people who Judge the battles also have a significant say on what can be improved. I would suggest that this be implemented ASAP, so Contra and I shall discuss this together.

For those who need more clarification on the matter of judges, what they do is judge the way the people RP. The main things they take into account are things such as god-modding and power-playing, and Fair_Game was right to point out that Spelling and Grammar and so on are also very important. Being a good RPer doesn't mean a thing if people can't read what you write.

Now, the one thing I do have to point out is that the Judges should be kind to the new RPers, and not be too harsh. They're here to learn, not have a drill sergeant slam them with rules and regulations.

Quote:

Win/lose - Match Outlining

I quite agree. Something that may be a good idea, as well, is to outline your battles BACKWARDS. Why? Because then you know what will make a good story. No, a conclusion doesn't make a good story. BUT, you can start a story anytime, and you can only end something once. You can always start over, but you can never finish more than once.

What this will do is allow for a more in-depth plot. You know what's going to happen, but it's always best to think of something in terms of action and consequence. What caused me to die? A thrust through the heart. How did I get hit in the heart? I managed to parry X's attack, but he caught me unawares with another sword attack.

You see how this can build up? It's an extremely effective tool for writing. This is a great idea, so don't just ignore it! You don't have to use it, but it's always there if you want it.

Quote:

Invisible Bio's

Further clarification may be in order, but I THINK I get what you're saying. It's a good idea, but we may need to fine-tune it, as things like status-conditions are not allowed. And, strictly speaking, OOC knowledge cannot be knowledge of the character; you, the member, may know that Hera Ledro is a master swordsman, but your character can't if he's never seen him before.

This doesn't mean you can't discern things. EVERY fighter has a betraying quality. For example, you could discern that Hera Ledro is a master swordsman by the simple fact that he carries only a sword for a weapon, beyond his natural ones, and the sword is a GIGANTIC ZWEIHANDER! Nobody would hold something like that unless they could wield it expertly.

June 14, 2008, 2:12 AM

I'm glad for the support of moderators Throttle! I'm really happy to be working on experimentation.

- Post limit Redux :

I misspoke when I said 'Rule', and I agree, it as a condition is wonderful. I was implying more that it may become something acceptable in the Legends section. A tournament stipulation or perhaps a popular conditional rule for the high end battles. I strongly believe that once seen in action the Post limit rule will take flight in popularity. It absolutely reinforces the RPer creativity.

- Judges Redux :

I couldn't agree more with the Kindness to members. The power of the creative mind is so strong that it transcends conventionality. Judges decide victors and help to further motivate RPers.

I would like some ideas and input on this section in the form of what qualities SHOULD be judged, who would be interested and I would like to suggest Judge Mentoring...as in one will be mentored to become a Judge.

Some areas to think about :

Creativity
Description
Following the Rules
Believability
Spelling/grammar (except in relation to syntax or style)
Characterization

And also I'd like some input on how to weight each...should it be graded based on points out of 10 on the important ones and out of 2-5 on the less important ones?

-Outlining Matches Redux :

Nail on the head. I'd love to see some interest in this. My MAIN CONCERN is fun factor. If this sucks the fun out of combat I'll be thoroughly dismayed. That means I will be requiring two matches One outlined, One free by the combatants. With an exit interview questioning which elements they liked and what they didn't like.

- Invisible Bio Redux :

Excellent example...A character can intuit. My Main interest in this idea is that it may be increasingly interesting to see HOW FAR the intuits can go with effective battling. I would love to see someone fight an entire battle with a sword in their right hand, then lose their right hand functionality somehow and switch swords to left hand and be EVEN STRONGER. What a wonderful ploy to have been a south paw fighter and UNBEKNOWNST to your opponent have been playing down your real strength the entire match.

Anyway, as I said, those interested send me a pm and I'll set you up with it. If you'd like more involvement on this Throttle, or with ANY of my ideas, let me know I'll gladly keep you informed of my progress.

I can even provide you with exact procedure protocol I plan to follow, from opening interview, bio requirements, control and experimental battles, to an exit interview and outcome analysis.

I'd like to add at this point that I'm requesting all RPBers to please present me with information/links to issues they had with battles. I'm very interested in finding out ways to further evolve the RPB experience. Any information will come in handy.