Post by ★|Sayu on Jul 30, 2018 10:51:13 GMT -7
2.1 Stat Weights
There is a time when making your character or even playing the game where you stop and think to yourself; "How does this work?". Some skills and abilities or status effects may not be completely clear as you reflect back on your characters abilities and mechanics. You will be able to find some general clarifications for stat weights here. Some may be what you expect but others may be nothing like it. Take the time to read through here so you can get a better idea of what you are looking at either with your own character or others. Keep in mind that for the most part enemies are not excluded from this list.
Using the Social stat as an example; When it comes to balancing out your characters there is one skill that is always weighed out the heaviest. The Social skill. Sometimes you may find that you have to reduce your characters social stat to an all time low in order to keep their other skills pronounced and strong. But keep in mind that this can and will affect the way your character will interact with the world.
Your character can always say whatever he or she wants. It is up to them what verbal action they will take and what kind of atmosphere they are trying to emit. But ultimately your Social stat will definitely affect the way something is picked up. For example; One persons "Bravery" is anothers "Idiocy". You could find yourself trying to win someone over by talking to them in a certain manner and failing. Maybe a guard is in your way and you are trying to be discrete and silver-tongued whilst slipping him a small coin purse. To your character this may seem like a smart way to go about things but a low social stat may cause the guard to misunderstand your intentions, or misread your attitude, become defiant or worse.
Using arcana to try and cast a charm or a weakness may help contribute or take away from your interactions, the same with something like stealth. Objects, information and appearance may also greatly affect your social interactions.
There are modifiers for practically everything as you would imagine. Some exclusive knowledge your character has. Perhaps a bribe. Or getting on the characters good side through favours or flattery.. Anything like this can give you a buff to your social interactions with other characters. However there are equally as many things that could act as a detriment, especially with a low social skill.
Try to keep this in mind when making your character as this may be relevant in the future to avoid a fight or gain easy access to an otherwise exclusive area.
Another example could be Stealth; Imagine your character has a fantastic stealth attribute. You are invisible, hiding around a corner unseen. A man walks past you... Surely your chance! But suddenly he has noticed you and is now charging you, sword drawn and everything. What went wrong?
Your stealth skill will indeed act as your base modifier for any kind of sneaky action. Whether you are trying to be quiet to sneak up on an enemy or you are walking across a busy street trying to stay unnoticed by anyone. There are some things to consider. Most people's demise comes from thoughtlessness and assumptions. Just because you are sneaking around doesn't mean no one can see your shadow. Walking past a light source in a way that causes your shadow to fly past a door or extend down a hallway will surely be noticed by anyone paying at least some attention. Your breathing may give you away also. And if you are using some form of cloak or invisibility always remember; You still cast a shadow. Just because you are invisible does not mean light passes through you completely.
Likewise when hiding you should consider what you know of your opponent and what he knows of you. Chances are a guard will not simply pass by a convenient hiding spot without a good reason. Either a noise or some sort of trail left for him could be enough of a distraction but otherwise he will look into hiding spaces and may even find you. To that end always think about what you use as a hiding location and how you choose to hide.
Lastly if you are trying to steal from someone, always consider the size and weight of the object you are stealing. A few coins may go unnoticed but if you try to lift their dagger off them they will definitely notice the difference in weight shifting on their side without sufficient distraction.
The last example could be your Might; Physical strength alone can do plenty for you. But imagine lifting an extremely heavy object. Your character may have the strength to do so but will they have the endurance to continue to do so or begin moving about with it? Perhaps the swing of a blade. Your character may be strong but when fighting a more active or agile opponent you may have to factor things in such as your speed or accuracy. Especially when trying to counter an opponent things like your Social and Accuracy stats will be key to enhancing your physical performance.
2.2 Combat Explained
During combat, things can get very hectic and sometimes a player won't know what they can and can't do and what's easy to get away with, or what would seem like abusing the system.
Combat is divided into two phases, Action and Defense phases. During the Game Master’s post the enemies will have a chance to take their turn based on their own hidden stats, traits and personalities. Things like counters and player actions or mess ups will be take into account here too. After this the players characters may take actions in their respective posts.
It's important to realize that your character isn't always able to move a lot or act out many actions in just a few seconds. In a metaphorical sense; "you're only human." meaning your character can't realistically do too many things at once or take full advantage of every situation, at least not without some serious drawbacks or risks.
Speed can factor into this at times, allowing some characters in special circumstances to take early or faster actions, perhaps even more actions in a turn. For example if you play a really slow heavy character, chances are you won't be able to do all too much but generally are rewarded in raw strength or stamina and the likes. On the contrary if you're playing a very agile and nimble character you will likely be able to do a few things before your turn should start to come to an end and usually at the cost of other features. Though it is understandable that some may have troubles finding a healthy stopping point for their posts try to give other characters and mobs a time to react.
Likewise if you find yourself in a situation where you are making a definite, strong action, say attempt to kill a mob, or block an incoming heavy attack or something wherein another character would need to be able to react, you may have to think about ending your post then and there.
You might also be thinking; "It's no good to write such a small post." and while it is encouraged you add a lot of detail and descriptions, small posts are generally perfect for combat. Sometimes you will just find yourself with only one single small action, but every action has an equal and opposite reaction, thus your enemies won't have much to react to and be forced to become creative or hasty at increased chance of failure or accidents.
Should you find yourself having to skip a turn, whether you didn't post in time or simply don't have the time to post, could make your character subject to vulnerability depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. Usually the Game Master will come up with some reason or other why your character decided not to act in combat, occasionally with the help of other players. But unfortunately enemies can't simply ignore you when you are skipping a post during combat. Fortunately though, in normal circumstances another character can cover you, or at least you will never succumb to drastic injury let alone death because of skipping turns. That being said if you try to abuse this safety net your character will still run into serious trouble because of it.
Needless to say NPC should be controlled as little as possible, if at all, during combat especially. Chances are whatever you have in mind for an NPC is not what the Game Master may have planned or something that aligns with the NPCs thought process and personality. Likewise if you are going to move an NPC at all it should only be during an interaction sanctioned by the Game Master such as Counters, grapples or successful charms and the like.
Just like mentioned in the above sections, if a definite action including an NPC or another Player occurs, the post should in most cases be ended then and there, to give the NPCs enough time to make their own decisions. Whether they fall into traps, jukes, or other maneuvers should be based on how well you act out your character during combat, not on deciding that it will be so.
Combat has to come to an inevitable end eventually. Should the characters force enemies into an inescapable situation, or death, combat will end. Negotiations can also be held but require a lot of finesse and social skill. Players are given the right to remove the combatant out of play for the remainder of a fight, or kill them off permanently, if the situation warrants it.
Characters in combat will be labelled, if not by name then by a tag such as “Fighter 1” or “Mage 3” in order to keep track of all the units on the battlefield.
2.3 Skills Inside & Outside of Combat
Certain abilities and spells may act differently in and out of combat for the sake of balancing. For example while a Charm spell may do whatever it needs to for story reasons it might not be nearly as effective in combat, especially not against an opponent that is actively trying to kill your character. Likewise there are skills that can be used more frequently and perhaps even to more effect outside of combat, say lighting a fire or burning down an obstacle, because of much of the same reasons. Try to keep these situations in mind and be aware that you simply will not be able to abuse certain mechanics or abilities in combat. Creative play however will always be rewarded.
2.4 Energy & Mana Usage
When casting a spell, especially for channeled abilities, your character will always exhaust part of their energy supply. The stronger a spell is and the more magnitude it carries with it the more exhausting it will become for the caster. Eventually your character may find themselves pushing too hard and this could have various drastic effects on them. In a more milder situation the caster in question may simply lose all their energy and maybe even faint but if continuously pushed too hard, especially with the assistance of strong catalysts or links with other characters, they may contract protraction sickness. This kind of sickness can have a wide array of effects on the character’s health ranging from mental issues such as tiredness or hallucinations to physical ones like rashes, wounds, alterations of physical features or even death.
2.5 Guns & Exotic Weapons
Guns are primarily magic based. Often Spellweave Guns may make use of catalysts in the shape of various sized rods to empower or alter the projectile of the gun. More expensive catalysts are often rechargeable while cheap ones tend to be not only weaker and with less charge but could potentially break after too much use. There are other exotic weapons that may make use of catalysts or other magic technology in order to alter its use or appearance.
In contrast to common guns, there are old world weapons that rely on extremely expensive explosive-type ammunition. These weapons and their physical rounds, while hard to produce, can have their uses but are generally considered collectors items.
Reloading either of these depends on the type of loading system the gun has but generally takes a whole turn to do so be wary of how how many shots you should have left and when your catalyst or magazine are about to run out.
2.6 Martial Arts
Many martial arts rely on stances and positioning, focus and understanding to get the most out of your strikes. Changing stances is often designed to be a fluid motion but can result in the end of a turn depending on the circumstances.
2.7 Summons & Familiars
Familiars and other summons cannot be easily brought forth and must be channelled for several turns in order to enter combat unless it is specifically summoned ahead of time. All summons are temporary and cannot be held in the world forever. Depending on the level of arcana and endurance the summoner has the time between a familiars initial summoning and its disappearance varies. Either way they put a continuous strain and energy drain on the master.
2.8 Elemental Interactions
The elements would interact in the way you would expect, for the most part. Even magic to some degree. Fire that comes into contact with water will turn into steam, or smoke, and eventually be overpowered by it. Water that is struck by electricity becomes electrified and so on and so forth.
There is a time when making your character or even playing the game where you stop and think to yourself; "How does this work?". Some skills and abilities or status effects may not be completely clear as you reflect back on your characters abilities and mechanics. You will be able to find some general clarifications for stat weights here. Some may be what you expect but others may be nothing like it. Take the time to read through here so you can get a better idea of what you are looking at either with your own character or others. Keep in mind that for the most part enemies are not excluded from this list.
Using the Social stat as an example; When it comes to balancing out your characters there is one skill that is always weighed out the heaviest. The Social skill. Sometimes you may find that you have to reduce your characters social stat to an all time low in order to keep their other skills pronounced and strong. But keep in mind that this can and will affect the way your character will interact with the world.
Your character can always say whatever he or she wants. It is up to them what verbal action they will take and what kind of atmosphere they are trying to emit. But ultimately your Social stat will definitely affect the way something is picked up. For example; One persons "Bravery" is anothers "Idiocy". You could find yourself trying to win someone over by talking to them in a certain manner and failing. Maybe a guard is in your way and you are trying to be discrete and silver-tongued whilst slipping him a small coin purse. To your character this may seem like a smart way to go about things but a low social stat may cause the guard to misunderstand your intentions, or misread your attitude, become defiant or worse.
Using arcana to try and cast a charm or a weakness may help contribute or take away from your interactions, the same with something like stealth. Objects, information and appearance may also greatly affect your social interactions.
There are modifiers for practically everything as you would imagine. Some exclusive knowledge your character has. Perhaps a bribe. Or getting on the characters good side through favours or flattery.. Anything like this can give you a buff to your social interactions with other characters. However there are equally as many things that could act as a detriment, especially with a low social skill.
Try to keep this in mind when making your character as this may be relevant in the future to avoid a fight or gain easy access to an otherwise exclusive area.
Another example could be Stealth; Imagine your character has a fantastic stealth attribute. You are invisible, hiding around a corner unseen. A man walks past you... Surely your chance! But suddenly he has noticed you and is now charging you, sword drawn and everything. What went wrong?
Your stealth skill will indeed act as your base modifier for any kind of sneaky action. Whether you are trying to be quiet to sneak up on an enemy or you are walking across a busy street trying to stay unnoticed by anyone. There are some things to consider. Most people's demise comes from thoughtlessness and assumptions. Just because you are sneaking around doesn't mean no one can see your shadow. Walking past a light source in a way that causes your shadow to fly past a door or extend down a hallway will surely be noticed by anyone paying at least some attention. Your breathing may give you away also. And if you are using some form of cloak or invisibility always remember; You still cast a shadow. Just because you are invisible does not mean light passes through you completely.
Likewise when hiding you should consider what you know of your opponent and what he knows of you. Chances are a guard will not simply pass by a convenient hiding spot without a good reason. Either a noise or some sort of trail left for him could be enough of a distraction but otherwise he will look into hiding spaces and may even find you. To that end always think about what you use as a hiding location and how you choose to hide.
Lastly if you are trying to steal from someone, always consider the size and weight of the object you are stealing. A few coins may go unnoticed but if you try to lift their dagger off them they will definitely notice the difference in weight shifting on their side without sufficient distraction.
The last example could be your Might; Physical strength alone can do plenty for you. But imagine lifting an extremely heavy object. Your character may have the strength to do so but will they have the endurance to continue to do so or begin moving about with it? Perhaps the swing of a blade. Your character may be strong but when fighting a more active or agile opponent you may have to factor things in such as your speed or accuracy. Especially when trying to counter an opponent things like your Social and Accuracy stats will be key to enhancing your physical performance.
2.2 Combat Explained
During combat, things can get very hectic and sometimes a player won't know what they can and can't do and what's easy to get away with, or what would seem like abusing the system.
Combat is divided into two phases, Action and Defense phases. During the Game Master’s post the enemies will have a chance to take their turn based on their own hidden stats, traits and personalities. Things like counters and player actions or mess ups will be take into account here too. After this the players characters may take actions in their respective posts.
It's important to realize that your character isn't always able to move a lot or act out many actions in just a few seconds. In a metaphorical sense; "you're only human." meaning your character can't realistically do too many things at once or take full advantage of every situation, at least not without some serious drawbacks or risks.
Speed can factor into this at times, allowing some characters in special circumstances to take early or faster actions, perhaps even more actions in a turn. For example if you play a really slow heavy character, chances are you won't be able to do all too much but generally are rewarded in raw strength or stamina and the likes. On the contrary if you're playing a very agile and nimble character you will likely be able to do a few things before your turn should start to come to an end and usually at the cost of other features. Though it is understandable that some may have troubles finding a healthy stopping point for their posts try to give other characters and mobs a time to react.
Likewise if you find yourself in a situation where you are making a definite, strong action, say attempt to kill a mob, or block an incoming heavy attack or something wherein another character would need to be able to react, you may have to think about ending your post then and there.
You might also be thinking; "It's no good to write such a small post." and while it is encouraged you add a lot of detail and descriptions, small posts are generally perfect for combat. Sometimes you will just find yourself with only one single small action, but every action has an equal and opposite reaction, thus your enemies won't have much to react to and be forced to become creative or hasty at increased chance of failure or accidents.
Should you find yourself having to skip a turn, whether you didn't post in time or simply don't have the time to post, could make your character subject to vulnerability depending on the circumstances they find themselves in. Usually the Game Master will come up with some reason or other why your character decided not to act in combat, occasionally with the help of other players. But unfortunately enemies can't simply ignore you when you are skipping a post during combat. Fortunately though, in normal circumstances another character can cover you, or at least you will never succumb to drastic injury let alone death because of skipping turns. That being said if you try to abuse this safety net your character will still run into serious trouble because of it.
Needless to say NPC should be controlled as little as possible, if at all, during combat especially. Chances are whatever you have in mind for an NPC is not what the Game Master may have planned or something that aligns with the NPCs thought process and personality. Likewise if you are going to move an NPC at all it should only be during an interaction sanctioned by the Game Master such as Counters, grapples or successful charms and the like.
Just like mentioned in the above sections, if a definite action including an NPC or another Player occurs, the post should in most cases be ended then and there, to give the NPCs enough time to make their own decisions. Whether they fall into traps, jukes, or other maneuvers should be based on how well you act out your character during combat, not on deciding that it will be so.
Combat has to come to an inevitable end eventually. Should the characters force enemies into an inescapable situation, or death, combat will end. Negotiations can also be held but require a lot of finesse and social skill. Players are given the right to remove the combatant out of play for the remainder of a fight, or kill them off permanently, if the situation warrants it.
Characters in combat will be labelled, if not by name then by a tag such as “Fighter 1” or “Mage 3” in order to keep track of all the units on the battlefield.
2.3 Skills Inside & Outside of Combat
Certain abilities and spells may act differently in and out of combat for the sake of balancing. For example while a Charm spell may do whatever it needs to for story reasons it might not be nearly as effective in combat, especially not against an opponent that is actively trying to kill your character. Likewise there are skills that can be used more frequently and perhaps even to more effect outside of combat, say lighting a fire or burning down an obstacle, because of much of the same reasons. Try to keep these situations in mind and be aware that you simply will not be able to abuse certain mechanics or abilities in combat. Creative play however will always be rewarded.
2.4 Energy & Mana Usage
When casting a spell, especially for channeled abilities, your character will always exhaust part of their energy supply. The stronger a spell is and the more magnitude it carries with it the more exhausting it will become for the caster. Eventually your character may find themselves pushing too hard and this could have various drastic effects on them. In a more milder situation the caster in question may simply lose all their energy and maybe even faint but if continuously pushed too hard, especially with the assistance of strong catalysts or links with other characters, they may contract protraction sickness. This kind of sickness can have a wide array of effects on the character’s health ranging from mental issues such as tiredness or hallucinations to physical ones like rashes, wounds, alterations of physical features or even death.
2.5 Guns & Exotic Weapons
Guns are primarily magic based. Often Spellweave Guns may make use of catalysts in the shape of various sized rods to empower or alter the projectile of the gun. More expensive catalysts are often rechargeable while cheap ones tend to be not only weaker and with less charge but could potentially break after too much use. There are other exotic weapons that may make use of catalysts or other magic technology in order to alter its use or appearance.
In contrast to common guns, there are old world weapons that rely on extremely expensive explosive-type ammunition. These weapons and their physical rounds, while hard to produce, can have their uses but are generally considered collectors items.
Reloading either of these depends on the type of loading system the gun has but generally takes a whole turn to do so be wary of how how many shots you should have left and when your catalyst or magazine are about to run out.
2.6 Martial Arts
Many martial arts rely on stances and positioning, focus and understanding to get the most out of your strikes. Changing stances is often designed to be a fluid motion but can result in the end of a turn depending on the circumstances.
2.7 Summons & Familiars
Familiars and other summons cannot be easily brought forth and must be channelled for several turns in order to enter combat unless it is specifically summoned ahead of time. All summons are temporary and cannot be held in the world forever. Depending on the level of arcana and endurance the summoner has the time between a familiars initial summoning and its disappearance varies. Either way they put a continuous strain and energy drain on the master.
2.8 Elemental Interactions
The elements would interact in the way you would expect, for the most part. Even magic to some degree. Fire that comes into contact with water will turn into steam, or smoke, and eventually be overpowered by it. Water that is struck by electricity becomes electrified and so on and so forth.