Post by Ike on Mar 12, 2012 21:02:45 GMT -9
This post heavily references Final Fantasy, so bear with it.
In RPing, fights are somewhat different than peaceful situations. There are certain rules and guidelines you have to follow when you combat another player, and it's very irritating when those rules are broken.
One of the most important things you need to remember is this: don't assume the attack hit. This is so important, in fact, that I'm going to give it its own line.
NEVER ASSUME THAT YOUR ATTACK HIT THE OTHER CHARACTER. PERIOD.
So, if you swing your sword at someone, don't just say you sliced their torso open. When you do that, you're saying that the other person didn't dodge out of the way or make any other sort of move to avoid the attack.
If you tap someone on the shoulder and then say that they turned around before the other person posts, it's godmoding. If you swing your sword at someone and then describe the wound it made, it's godmoding. It's the same principle, just a different set of circumstances. Don't say your opponent went unconcious, lost a limb, got the wind knocked out of them, or fell over, because you don't know if they actually did.
So don't do this.
No, no, no. This is what you should say instead.
Then, Lynelle can dodge or get hit or whatever would happen.
Got it? Good, let's move on.
The next thing you need to know is that you're not invincible. Yes, characters from Final Fantasy are strong and can take bites, slashes, stabs, and spells. But that's when you're using hit points. Having, say, a Kalm Fang bite you in the game and having it bite you in the RP are two very different things, because here the thing is actually sinking its teeth into your leg. The same thing goes if you're fighting a person and they swing a sword at you- it's actually going to open up your guts if it hits.
You're not going to take a punch to the face and be able to ignore it. You're going to be dazed for a moment, you're going to hurt, and it's going to make it more difficult to think of something to do next because of that. And also keep in mind that the longer you fight, the more tired you get- the adrenaline rush your character will feel will see to that.
So don't act like this:
Yeah, sure. Andy girl isn't going to be doing that- she'd have to wield her bokken one-handed, and with a mangled leg and sliced gut she ain't chargin' noplace. She'd act more like this...
Much more realistic.
Now, let's take Squall, for example. Is he powerful? Yeah, he's powerful. He had to fight his way through a castle full of powerful monsters and kick Griever and Ultimecia's be-hinds. But what if he finds himself up against Paine? She's no weakling- she was a member of the Crusaders' elite fighting force and had to beat up Vegnagun with Yuna and Rikku, and that wasn't exactly a picnic either. Or what if it's a minor character, like our very own Mikoto? Sure, she may not seem to be powerful, but remember that she's an Angel of Death, so she's going to have powers comprable to Zidane's and Kuja's. The same goes for other NPCs like Elma or Reno- just because they didn't tussle with the main villain doesn't mean they're wimps.
So what does all of this add up to? Well, it means that sometimes you're going to lose- even if you did beat up Sin. And it means that you cannot dodge any attack that comes your way. Can you dodge some? Yeah, you can. But one way or the other, you're going to get hit. It doesn't matter whether or not you think Neo Ex-Death was stronger than Golbez or Terra didn't have to do as much to kill Kefka as Red XIII did when he took on Sephiroth. You'll taste the bitterness of defeat about as much as you'll sup the sweet wine of victory... or some other flowery metaphor for "I got my arse kicked/I kicked total arse."
Now, getting back to the main point, nobody is saying that you can't dodge. It's perfectly acceptable, as long as you don't do it every single time. Like this.
Quite reasonable. Less acceptable is dodging something like an uppercut or a blow that sweeps up from below, because it would be trickier to see that. Like this-
Remember, you can't see everything that comes at you. There will be some attacks where you just can't dodge realistically, so don't.
Now, let's talk about tactics. Once again, I'll be using Andarra for an example- she was one of the SeeDs that helped clear the way through Ultimecia's castle, though she didn't take on the Sorceress with Squall and the others. And right now, she's up against... let's go with Aralyn. We know that Aralyn's a Summoner and a pretty good mage, but not so hot with the physical fighting. She stands a good chance of beating Andy if she justs blasts 'er with spells, but Andarra's not likely to just stay in one place and keep getting hit with Firagas. She's going to want to get up close to Aralyn, before she has a chance to summon anything, while Aralyn needs to keep her at bay so she can sic Valefor on her.
Fira is a medium fire spell, so if Andy gets hit it's going to hurt- notice that you don't assume that magic would hit the same way you wouldn't assume that a strike would. Just for simplicity's sake we'll say that it's like the fire spell in the game- it doesn't actually set you on fire, but it burns.
You have to play to your character's strengths. If you're Rinoa, you're not going to run up to Auron and start kicking him around like you're Tifa. If you're Sabin, you're not going to pick up a sword and start swingin' it around like a pro.
And again on the subject of tactics... if, in their post, your opponent is thinking about what move they're going to do, or details how they're setting themselves up for their next attack, DO NOT have your own character magically know just what the other person is planning and come up with a perfect move to counter it. That is godmodding, and it's a crime. Your character is not a telepath.
Just keep these basic rules in mind when you find yourself fighting another character... and if they do the same, it'll be quite the enjoyable fight.
In RPing, fights are somewhat different than peaceful situations. There are certain rules and guidelines you have to follow when you combat another player, and it's very irritating when those rules are broken.
One of the most important things you need to remember is this: don't assume the attack hit. This is so important, in fact, that I'm going to give it its own line.
NEVER ASSUME THAT YOUR ATTACK HIT THE OTHER CHARACTER. PERIOD.
So, if you swing your sword at someone, don't just say you sliced their torso open. When you do that, you're saying that the other person didn't dodge out of the way or make any other sort of move to avoid the attack.
If you tap someone on the shoulder and then say that they turned around before the other person posts, it's godmoding. If you swing your sword at someone and then describe the wound it made, it's godmoding. It's the same principle, just a different set of circumstances. Don't say your opponent went unconcious, lost a limb, got the wind knocked out of them, or fell over, because you don't know if they actually did.
So don't do this.
Andarra struck vertically, her bokken slamming down onto Lynelle's head with a resounding crack.
No, no, no. This is what you should say instead.
Andarra brought her bokken up high, swiftly bringing it down at Lynelle's head.
Then, Lynelle can dodge or get hit or whatever would happen.
Got it? Good, let's move on.
The next thing you need to know is that you're not invincible. Yes, characters from Final Fantasy are strong and can take bites, slashes, stabs, and spells. But that's when you're using hit points. Having, say, a Kalm Fang bite you in the game and having it bite you in the RP are two very different things, because here the thing is actually sinking its teeth into your leg. The same thing goes if you're fighting a person and they swing a sword at you- it's actually going to open up your guts if it hits.
You're not going to take a punch to the face and be able to ignore it. You're going to be dazed for a moment, you're going to hurt, and it's going to make it more difficult to think of something to do next because of that. And also keep in mind that the longer you fight, the more tired you get- the adrenaline rush your character will feel will see to that.
So don't act like this:
Andarra gritted her teeth as she glared at Lynelle, bleeding from a mangled, bloody slash on her leg. Her hand was broken in at least one place, and there was a deep cut in her side. Regardless of the pain, she charged forward quickly and swung her bokken at the naginata-wielder's neck.
Yeah, sure. Andy girl isn't going to be doing that- she'd have to wield her bokken one-handed, and with a mangled leg and sliced gut she ain't chargin' noplace. She'd act more like this...
Andarra gritted her teeth against the pain... she knew she had at least one broken finger, and she had sunk to one knee, unable to stand properly because of her mangled leg. Blood soaked her tunic from her wounded side, and she held up her bokken diagonally in one hand to ward off any attacks.
Much more realistic.
Now, let's take Squall, for example. Is he powerful? Yeah, he's powerful. He had to fight his way through a castle full of powerful monsters and kick Griever and Ultimecia's be-hinds. But what if he finds himself up against Paine? She's no weakling- she was a member of the Crusaders' elite fighting force and had to beat up Vegnagun with Yuna and Rikku, and that wasn't exactly a picnic either. Or what if it's a minor character, like our very own Mikoto? Sure, she may not seem to be powerful, but remember that she's an Angel of Death, so she's going to have powers comprable to Zidane's and Kuja's. The same goes for other NPCs like Elma or Reno- just because they didn't tussle with the main villain doesn't mean they're wimps.
So what does all of this add up to? Well, it means that sometimes you're going to lose- even if you did beat up Sin. And it means that you cannot dodge any attack that comes your way. Can you dodge some? Yeah, you can. But one way or the other, you're going to get hit. It doesn't matter whether or not you think Neo Ex-Death was stronger than Golbez or Terra didn't have to do as much to kill Kefka as Red XIII did when he took on Sephiroth. You'll taste the bitterness of defeat about as much as you'll sup the sweet wine of victory... or some other flowery metaphor for "I got my arse kicked/I kicked total arse."
Now, getting back to the main point, nobody is saying that you can't dodge. It's perfectly acceptable, as long as you don't do it every single time. Like this.
Andarra hopped back as the sharp steel blade of Lynelle's naginata swished horizontally where her midriff had been just a second before. She quickly jumped back with a thrust to the stomach.
Quite reasonable. Less acceptable is dodging something like an uppercut or a blow that sweeps up from below, because it would be trickier to see that. Like this-
Andy was caught off-guard as Lynelle quickly swept the blunt end of her naginata up, catching the SeeD for a hard blow beneath the chin.
Remember, you can't see everything that comes at you. There will be some attacks where you just can't dodge realistically, so don't.
Now, let's talk about tactics. Once again, I'll be using Andarra for an example- she was one of the SeeDs that helped clear the way through Ultimecia's castle, though she didn't take on the Sorceress with Squall and the others. And right now, she's up against... let's go with Aralyn. We know that Aralyn's a Summoner and a pretty good mage, but not so hot with the physical fighting. She stands a good chance of beating Andy if she justs blasts 'er with spells, but Andarra's not likely to just stay in one place and keep getting hit with Firagas. She's going to want to get up close to Aralyn, before she has a chance to summon anything, while Aralyn needs to keep her at bay so she can sic Valefor on her.
As Aralyn saw the red-haired warrior, she quickly thrust out her staff, shouting "Fira!" The fire spell blazed through the air at her new foe.
Fira is a medium fire spell, so if Andy gets hit it's going to hurt- notice that you don't assume that magic would hit the same way you wouldn't assume that a strike would. Just for simplicity's sake we'll say that it's like the fire spell in the game- it doesn't actually set you on fire, but it burns.
Andy wasn't able to dodge the spell while she was running towards the Unsent, and the Fira caught her full in the chest. The force of the magic and the scorching heat of the flames stopped her in her tracks, and her feet slipped out from under her. She hit the ground as the flames dissapated, picking herself up after a moment.
You have to play to your character's strengths. If you're Rinoa, you're not going to run up to Auron and start kicking him around like you're Tifa. If you're Sabin, you're not going to pick up a sword and start swingin' it around like a pro.
And again on the subject of tactics... if, in their post, your opponent is thinking about what move they're going to do, or details how they're setting themselves up for their next attack, DO NOT have your own character magically know just what the other person is planning and come up with a perfect move to counter it. That is godmodding, and it's a crime. Your character is not a telepath.
Just keep these basic rules in mind when you find yourself fighting another character... and if they do the same, it'll be quite the enjoyable fight.