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Rules;
God-Modding/Moding (GM): What is God-Modding? There are multiple perspectives of what it really is. It is very important to remember that as each sub-style is different, legitimate God-Modding may change. Each sub-style calls for different limitations and as the limitations decrease, higher levels of toleration occur. What is legal and not fluctuates. Overall, GMing refers to different things. No matter how developed your character is over "x" years, it is not invincible nor incapable of being killed. A character cannot be used as a true god. Yes, you can use god characters under certain circumstances, such as for classified premediated fights, storyline purposes, and non-development spars. However, using a god to the extent of infinite stamina, inability to die, and the incapability to be hit. The concept of using gods in role-play always change and are always different. It's advisable, however, that you only use god characters if your opponent agrees. Without their written consent in some form, you can in fact be disqualified and have your character terminated. Remember, no one is capable of dodging forever. We may be in a fantasy (or scientific for some) driven world, but we need to remember where the logic lies. Realism is expected. No, a spirit bomb is not going to exactly be realistic. But if you start using electrons, positrons, neutrons, protons, or any form of physics - quantum and not, expect that to be exposed. You can use whatever form of combat you wish, so long as you're having fun. But with the concepts of physics, there are laws that can be applicable. Because of that, the same law you are using to defeat someone can be used to defeat yourself. It can and will be used against you. You are not immune to the way physics works, should you wish to try to apply it. Limits are also required for the usage of characters. While matches such as the PC sub-style do not have too much in terms of limits, there are still boundaries. One such example is stating you are a werewolf, not stating you have specific traits, and then getting mad when the opponent exploits your flaw. Why did they exploit it? It wasn't explained in any sense. They have the right to assume the humanistic traits, because you didn't state otherwise, nor present a character sheet. Also, this is a specific reminder: stating an attack cannot be blocked, dodged, etc. is in fact God-Modding. Stating what would happen if someone dodged is fine (as per a hypothetical), but do not state it simply cannot be blocked or dodged. Furthermore, stating another roleplayer's character do something without the permission of that roleplayer, you are godmodding.
• Healing can come off as GMing. Be careful with the usage of it. In most cases, moderate usage or regeneration is fine, but large amounts of healing is sometimes impossible or otherwise requires preparations to even attempt.
• Characters should have limitations, period, even if that means developing through it and losing that limitation -- you should still have it existent at some point in your character's life/usage.
Power-Playing (PP): Power-Playing is quite similar to God-Modding, but I feel that it deserves its own category, due to the lack of proper attention it demands. In this instance you are saying that you are capable of launching attacks that your particular character should not be able to do. Simply stating that your attacks are better than another is also illegal. It is required to take in the state of the characters at the time, speeds, preparations, attacks, and defences. Keep stamina in mind; i.e. are they tired, have they used up half their energy already, and if so, their attack will be weaker. Characters have strain and as such, do not have limitless stamina. Also, keep in mind the style of combat you are using. Your style of combat should not be surpassed by your attacks. If you are RM, do not be manifesting a fireball. If you're in UM, do not be conjurating psionic planar mechanics. So on and so on.
Puppeteering: No single person has the right to control your character without justification or permission. That's the bottom line. In order to do so, you would require OOC permission to do so. Furthermore, the only way to justify an effect on someone's character without them stating it in their post is if they either ignore the attack, do not properly counter it, or if you are writing up their death post. The same applies to things attached to the character such as clothing. Another form of PTing is knowing one's location without justification and/or assuming they didn't make an action during your preparation phase.
• An improperly countered attack will allow the opponent to choose your fate within reasonable logic. Furthermore, each participant is allowed to make actions and work within the time sequence of one another. If one person makes a preparation, the second person can make one at the same time for just as long.
• Another aspect to keep in mind is the Interrupt rule. Within reason, preparations, attacks, and other such actions can in fact be interrupted if justified appropriately. Such a thing can completely throw off the time sequence in which things would have occurred. In most cases, if action A is interrupted, action B will be too, as well as anything else that was part of that specific time frame.
• Thirdly, initiative can be applied to combat scenarios where relying on instinct or the fear of dying can come into play. It holds the same limits as the rest of the Puppeteering section.
Meta-Gaming (MG): Meta-Gaming has to be one of the biggest ongoing issues in any role-play community on Gaia. In role-play, MGing comes in various forms. If you are using OOC knowledge and implementing it into your character, whether it be combat or not, you are in fact Meta-Gaming. There are other forms as well. Allowing OOC incidents to effect your IC decisions and vice-versa is another form of MGing. You cannot combat another for OOC reasons. This will result in immediate disqualification and/or void of the other's death. Further, OOC-IC bleeding is a very common form. If someone offends you OOC, using role-play to harm them is against the rules. It is the same if your character is killed by another. You cannot expect them to go against their exact character plot just because you're friends in real life/online/OOC/etc. Being upset over it only hurts yourself, your friend, and the overall friendship. It is against the rules, principles of yourself, and goes against what is important: having fun.
Preparations (Preps): The way most (if not all) forms of fantasy combat are fought are with the use of preparations. The rules of preparations dictate the way combat plays out. Before going on, however, what exactly is a preparation? Simply put, it is an action that typically surrenders the entire post, giving up a block, counter, or attack. However, there is a system that will be implemented into this guide: half-preps. The following will cover a series of variations for Preps. During a Tier-1 match, introductions of each character are posted. The first poster does have the right to make a prep but not an attack. Although this is the case, the second poster does in fact have the right to make a Prep and/or attack. Now, it all comes down to the capabilities of each attack and the preps behind it. For instance, if someone were to launch a fireball with three preps behind it and the dispel has only one, then the fireball would overpower it, since it had two preps ahead. Also, poorly constructed attacks and/or defenses can result in similar cases. Now, in this ruleset two things are different. The first is that if one chooses to use an attack, then prep afterwards, it is considered a half-prep. This half-prep is used as a part of the same prep-system. The second is that defensive measurements vary. One can easily craft a small defensive measure, such as an ethereal barrier (without prep). However, most defensive counters also require prep. It all comes down to how large-scale of a defense this is. Most uses should be acceptable, so long as you are not PPing or GMing. High prep attacks have a greater chance to dispel a weaker defense, but if a defense has a reason why it'd be as strong as stated, then it does compensate. Nothing is perfect. You and your opponent should know how strong or weak an attack is, whether it be with or without a preparation. Do not blame the ruleset for this system.
• Things like Magic should be thought through ahead of time. Different spells/barriers and other such conjurations will require different amounts of preparations depending on size and effects. It will, in turn, take a toll on your character in some fashion, whether minute or major. If you choose to summon a being, how long you have to prepare varies on what you are summoning. A gecko does not need three turns of preparation.
• Utilizing teleportation, portals, and other forms of travel require preparation, especially when used to save your own life. Keep inertia in mind when you take the steps for porting. Certain methods of movement can be used without preparation or being limited to be unable to attack. It is situational. In most cases, rapid movements and then proceeding to attack is equivalent to a violation. Teleporting and attacking in the same post is illegal.
• Taking to other transformations takes time. How long it takes varies. In most cases, a simple shape-shifter from a human into say, a lizard will take one preparation post. Keep in mind how painful it just might be to transform. You cannot prepare and transform in the same turn, however. Stamina and strength may be depleted as a result also.
• NPC's are limited to one per summoning. If you use an NPC period, it can only be one at a time. If it dies and/or is removed from the match in any fashion, you may use another. If not controlled by you yourself IC, you cannot use the character in order to Puppeteer distractions. Also, depending on the situation, an NPC can be auto-hit legally.
Introduction Posts: This rule covers the start of a Death Match as well as the actual introductory posts, both of which have issues of their own accords in role-play. In this specific ruleset, I will be providing a few new ideas that may be implemented into role-play as a whole. For instance, if people agree to a DM through OOC means, they are obligated to participate. A seventy-two hour time limit will be implemented into these Death Matches for introduction posts. If the person who posts first does not post within seventy-two hours after agreeing to the DM and its terms, they are disqualified and suffer a loss of character unless there is legitimate reason to not posting (such as medical issues). The same can be said for the person who posts second, their time limit starting initially from the first person's post date. Time limits from this moment on will vary depending on the terms. If there is no post limit and it has been an unrealistic amount of time, a participant may call in a judge and request a disqualification. Proof may be required on both sides; this means people that choose to talk about the fight they are involved in, talk about it on skype, talk on skype in general, talk in towns, are online in general, so on and so on for adequate periods of time may serve as grounds for disqualification. The same can be said for those that claim one has accepted the match and its terms, requiring verbal or textual proof of some sort like screenshots, aside from claims without substantial evidence backing it up. Now, in actual fights, what your character is using in the fight (powers, weapons, and the like) is often argued for whether it all has to be listed or not in the introduction. Depending on the type of match, this will vary. An ST (Standard) Death Match will entail the usual requirement for listing abilities in either the form of a character sheet or written out in a post. An SP (Specialized) Death Match, however, will allow for a true interactive environment that can be treated as both a storyline interaction and a Death Match. Keep in mind, DM's altogether need IC reason. This just a different form. Now, with an SP match, the only thing that will be required of an introduction post is what is relevant to the post, deemed by the situation and/or writer(s). Furthermore, in this scenario, ALL forms of sub-styles can be applied. This literally encompasses all the styles, allowing UM to go up against PC, for instance. There is no room for complaining if you agree to such terms because it is you who chooses to risk and subject your character to such harm. To avoid matches where participants look like they are throwing in all kinds of abilities their character didn't actually develop, they do have the right to request a private viewership of a character sheet, but it can only be shared by those involved (Each competing role-player and judge). Also, depending on the setting terms, the first poster has the right to explain the setting to their fullest extent and wish. If they choose to not do so, this becomes the right of the second poster.
Specifications: This is one of the most vital and crucial rules when it comes to Death Matches. Specifying is very important. When using abilities, weapons, armor, equipment, and describing actions made, it is vital that you specify what exactly the aforementioned has. Example: If you do not state what type of materials your sword is made out of, one could easily take it as a traditional sword. Things such as your position, distance, hearing, speed, strength, and other such aspects truly do matter. If you do not specify appropriately, your opponent can take full advantage of it and apply it the way they understood it. Of course, this can only apply if the judge(s) involved also perceive it in such a fashion. Otherwise, it would be biased perception being easily abused. Keep in mind, things like amounts of ammunition, specific enchantments, and other such aspects like weight should be applied.
Reflex/Reaction: Referencing the inexplicable method of countering attacks, this rule specifically applies to characters who "dodge" a maneuver without properly explaining how it is done. For example, reacting to a physical strike and using "Demonic Speed" as a reason is typically invalid when lacking proper explanation. Methods such as these are frowned upon and usually are only justified in truth with Powered Characters. At times, it can be found with lower sub-styles.
• Branching off of Reflex and Reaction, a simplistic rule sometimes found in combat is the "No Auto-Hitting" rule. Automatically connecting a hit and stating such without an attempt being made is illegal. The same applies to auto-dodging where people unrightfully claim their characters can dodge an attack otherwise inescapable for their RPC.
Edits: When it comes to Death Matches, a few things must be kept in mind as this rule is often left untouched. As opposed to spars where editing is allowed, DM's warrant a real time interactive environment where any mistake can and will be taken advantage of. With that said, errors are typically written in stone. While this may be true, there are a few exceptions. Errors such as grammar, broken links, coding, and improper layering on formats are acceptable for correction without permission. Ex: Color change, format style, bold/italic/underline, font size, alignment, images, and general typos. While this may be true, it is NOT okay to change actual information or actions as well as entire sentences being changed which were previously posted without any form of consent to alter. Adding more description to your post is unacceptable. If the other party happens to give consent for a change in the post, then it is legal. That(Those) specific change(s) may be the only thing(s) edited. Be prepared to have proof of the permission granted for any lurking judges. In terms of re-posting, that is a bit more sketchy. It's not often seen due to common sense in preventing such an action; however, if you decide to make a post stating an action, you cannot state you suddenly didn't do such a thing unless an interrupt rule applied in that situation. Overall, re-posting a post is not suitable in any case unless used for further explaining, so long as the effects are not changed. Note: It is advised that the judge and/or opponent is made aware of any minor edits made to avoid any issues.
Hypothetical(s): Follow-up moves are quite common in most competitive combat scenarios. To be precise, it is a premeditated thought in planning an action in character. As a result, it does not mandate the same amount of focus or consideration an unplanned move might require. It implies what action would be made based on certain scenarios, such as a dodge if being threatened with a sword strike, a follow-up strike if the primary misses, etc.
Equal Length: Quantity does not equal quality. While quantity may (or may not) formally represent literacy, it is not the purpose of this rule. Instead, it refers to the attack and defense sections of each participant's post(s). A wall of text is not required to submit. The defense/counter of a post must be sizable in near equality so that the match may put each person on a fair level. Anything outside of the attack/defense may not be applied. Even with this being the case, it is understandable if not much can be given for description, but it may be used against you if you do not describe it well enough. Violation of this rule would depend, most likely relying on specification more than anything else.
Multi-Attacks: Typically, it is considered illegal to include multiple attacks in one post. The most agreed upon reason is that by stating a second attack is like assuming you have enough time, stamina, reaction, and that your attacks are greater than the opponent's. Hypothetical's, however, are allowed to be implemented. If the participants so choose to use Multi-Attacks, it is up to them to decide it ahead of time. Usually, it would include two attack and two defense. One must keep in mind that in the end, most of these interactive events are held responsible to only you and the person(s) you are role-playing with.
Etiquette: This is only somewhat a rule but also serves as a moral code. The way you go about things is on you. Sure, you can run your mouth in towns and say as you wish to your friends; however, keep vulgar and insulting phrases and words outside of the match. Do it on your own time, not where the art of role-play is taking place. Constant instigating could very well result in an ending of the match altogether. If you're going to disagree/argue? Take it to the OoC thread. There are things like respect and civility. It does exist. Keep the rivalry in character.
Guidelines;
RM: Realistic Melee. This style reflects human limitations where they must rely on realistic scenarios, typically but not always being a non-magic environment. Whether hand to hand or melee weaponry is involved depends on the role-players participating. Fantasy characters can in fact take part in RM, but they are heavily limited, being unable to use their abilities in the match. Storyline specifics, like what happens after they die, stick once the match ends. Keep in mind you can still lose your character permanently based on the terms, if you agree to such.
UM: Unrealistic Melee. Passive traits, unrealistic scenarios, magic augmentations, and enchantments all apply.
MP1: Mild Powers. More-so for Elementals than anything else, Mild Powers allows a small amount of abilities, usually a maximum of two elements. Magic is found here too, but the usage of Planar Mechanics, Psionics, and Meta-Physics is small to none. Light speed attacks cannot be found here.
MP2: Moderate Powers. Reasonable abilities, ethereal/spiritual attacks, Meta-Physics, are widely used.
PC: Powered Character. This is usually reserved for the most developed characters, especially ones that have been around for years. It is not a sign of skill but a sign of dedication. Those who truly reached this deserve their spot. Keep in mind, PC is usually used for 1 v 1 and furthering storyline development. Don't abuse it.
OP: Over-Powered. Often referred to as God-Tier, Over-Powered is something I look at as against the rules for the most part. The God-Modding rule is essentially thrown out the window and is reserved for thoroughly OP characters. They should not be in other forms of combat sub-styles. Consent is needed in order to use these.
ST: Standard Death Matches, keeping to the traditionally known rules, such as posting abilities in an intro and its sub-styles, conditional based on the specific style chosen.
SP: Specialized Death Matches where you may compete similarly to towns role-play but in a forum, not having to mention all of your abilities in an intro, nor having to adhere to any one sub-style.
GM: God-Modding/Moding. Previously explained.
MG: Meta-Gaming. Previously explained.
PT: Puppeteering. Previously explained.
PP: Power-Playing. Previously explained.
Unlisted: Matches that do not pertain to Canon Storyline Role-Play and are usually for bragging rights only.
Spars: There are multiple forms. They can be used either for one on one to see where you stand or for friendly competition. Violations typically do not matter, depending on who it is with. Try to play by the rules, though. Damage done in Non-Developmental Spars are not permanent and do not pertain to storyline plots. Developmental Spars are treated as storyline fights. If you take damage there or die there, there are real time effects, such as death. It, however, does not have the ability to give someone permanent rights over your character.
DM: Death Match. Participating requires risking your character in Canon RP. They are the only true test of skill in combat.
IC: In Character. Typically used for an interaction or something within the RP environment.
OOC: Acronym for Out of Character, something which can be used for discussion on a role-play, working out issues on an action/ability in a fight, and various terms of agreements but really shouldn't be mixed with IC in terms of Meta-Gaming.
RP: Role-Play. Individuals that write a story together are in fact role-playing.
Disclaimer: - This is the first version of what is likely to be many edits to my copy of Tier-1 Role-Play. Depending on how things go, I will most likely alter, change, and/or add different aspects to it. I do suggest making OoC threads for you to place this ruleset within to avoid clutter. It can also be used for people to ask questions on the fight or merely comment, giving a method otherwise implausible due to circumstantial reasons.
Other Conditions:
- Those of these that are actual rules do apply despite being Guidelines. If need be, I will be able to be contacted for matches involving the usage of my ruleset. I hope I don't have to tell you which ones aren't rules, when it is rather obvious. All terms here are to be followed. That's the catch of this ruleset in usage.
- All violations in a Death Match will result in void of a post, no-repost, and/or character death.
- If you agree to a Death Match, you must participate regardless. The only way to opt out of the time limit and postpone it is if you have permission by participant/judge or if you have IRL issues, such as medical. If you are found online for substantial amounts of time during these issues, it is plausible that they will not be valid excuses.
- You are responsible for determining the terms for a Death Match prior to accepting. Think about it like a contract; You read through it first before signing. Upon consenting, you may be bound to the ruleset, especially this one. Otherwise, I advise determining the ruleset you will use beforehand.
- If you are challenged, you have the right to negotiate for specific terms, like what type of match and sub-style.
- These rules can be applied to interactions but are not the purpose of the ruleset. Do not expect perfect results. Remember, if you start a role-play and someone else decides to join it, if there were predetermined conditions established, such as no form of character loss, you can void their participation and/or posts. If you didn't set up interaction terms prior, however, it cannot be applied. Think of things like open and closed role-plays.
- When you write up your posts, make sure to be logical, fair, appropriate, and use common sense. If you feel your character cannot counter something, please don't try to find a way around it anyhow. You're God-Modding.
- Generally, T-1 Role-Play is done in third person, turn-based, descriptive fashion. Writing styles vary, so as long as it isn't completely first person, you are fine.
- If you post an intro and then decide to "quit" or leave the match, it'll be considered a forfeit and loss of character.
- When in a Death Match, you are risking your character. Make sure to have appropriate terms set if you wish to actually hold the rights to their character's further usage and revival.
- Judges have more right than what people think. Ask them what they can grant you. Personally, I run a third-person judging system most of the time. Be careful with who you select. Anyone can be biased.
- How you use this guideline is up to you. If you choose to implement this in other combat scenarios, it is up to you to play along correctly. If you have questions about the guide, feel free to PM me. My inbox is always open. Skype works too, if you have me added. This IS specifically meant for Death Matches, so you may find some of the terminology and usage not applying all too much. There is a difference between combat and interacting.
- Remember to have fun.
- If you choose to use my edition, I am okay with you doing so. Please just credit me for my work.
- This is all completely re-worded.
- Rakyi, Adelino Elyon, Mefiles Elyon, and Ensis Errat are credited for helping me with suggestions and review when I sought feedback.
- I credit Hikari Yuuhi for referencing his guidelines for Mild and Moderate Powers alike.
- Written by Raziel Elyon.
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 Commander Verrik · Fri May 06, 2016 @ 07:14am · 0 Comments |
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