Post by Savannahstar on Jul 9, 2009 18:00:15 GMT -5
Over the many months I have been Roleplaying I have run across a vast amount of fellow Rpers who for some reason or another shy away from narrative fighting. I can understand why, fighting is an art form ¨C and like all art forms takes time to master. However with a few simple tricks you can upgrade your fights from beginner to advanced very quickly. Intrigued? Good deal! Lets get started.
Fighting¡¯s most common problems
The power play.
Most powerplays are unintentional ¨C they are often the result of an uninformed Rper trying to join in on the fun. It is important to realize this and not blow it out of proportion for the first offense ¨C there are ways to combat powerplays, which I will reveal later. For now lets just make sure you don¡¯t fall into the powerplaying trap.
Powerplaying in its most simple terms is controlling another person¡¯s character, or not allowing them the chance to defend themselves/ avoid a situation.
Example: Bob punches Tom in the mouth causing a broken jaw.
Unless Bob is blind and exceedingly wimpy the odds are he would have tried to stop you from punching him, since you didn¡¯t give him the chance you just powerplayed. But how can you fight without making posts like that you ask? Well with a simple twist of words your previous statement will become a beautiful albeit short fighting post.
Example 2: Firepelt pounces on Tigerstar and lands on his head, causing the leader to end with a broken jaw.
Fixed Example ¨C Bob sent a punch towards Tom¡¯s jaw intending to break it.
Fixed Example 2 - Firepelt leaped at Tigerstar's head, hoping to crush him.
Tada! You¡¯ve made your first legal fighting post! ¨C Its short and it doesn¡¯t have much flair but it¡¯s a good solid post nonetheless. If you understand the basics behind these examples you are no longer a powerplayer ¨C give yourself a gold star and keep reading.
What¡¯s that you ask? But how can I do damage to another player posting like that? No worries! We¡¯ll get to that later in the guide!
The Godmodder
Everyone wants his or her character to be great, powerful¡unstoppable. The truth is however that just like in real life no character is without his/her flaws. It is important that you, the character¡¯s controller realize this and play your character within their limitations.
Unfortunately there is no easy fix for godmodding like there is for powerplaying. It is solely your responsibility to play your character fairly. Keep in mind that a street smart city girl is probably a better fighter then a country bookworm, a 10 year old kid would probably get his butt whipped by a ninja and you¡¯ll do fine. Don¡¯t be afraid to loose fights ¨C it earns you respect and the person your fighting with will be more apt to remember this and repay the favor later on as your character develops.
If you run across someone you believe is godmodding you can gently attempt to tell them you think they should tone their characters abilities down somewhat. Bare in mind however that many Rpers are fiercely defensive of their respective characters and this could lead to a horrendous Out of Character fight. The best thing to do is simply RP your way out of the fight and try to avoid fighting that particular player in the future. If you absolutely must duel this person ¨C work out the entire fight Out of character first ¨C decide beforehand who is going to win/loose and what damage both sides will take.
What to do if your powerplayed or godmodded.
If your character is powerplayed ¨C there¡¯s several ways to deal with it. If the character your fighting really is a whole heck of a lot stronger then yours ¨C you can take the hit. Remember when reading other peoples fights that some powerplays are intentional. (They¡¯ve been worked out OOC, don¡¯t pop in and point fingers in another person¡¯s duel)
If you don¡¯t wish to take the hit ¨C or feel that you shouldn¡¯t then RP it out like the person never powerplayed ¨C it might have been a mistake after all.
Example ¨C Tom punched Bob in the head
Your Response ¨C As Tom tried to punch him in the head Bob ducked letting the fist fly over him harmlessly.
Example 2 - Firepelt pounced on Firestar and pinned him down.
Your Response - As Firepelt tried to leap on him, the leader rolled away and then got up.
If you believe you are being godmodded the only thing you can really do is either godmod back (which I don¡¯t recommend ¨C although sometimes it DOES get the point across) or simply leave. Leaving is easier, unless your situation won't allow you to leave.
Now that we¡¯ve gotten past the most common fighting hang-ups we can get into making your fighing abilities all that they can be! Excited? So am I!
Fighting post breakdown.
Fighting posts can essentially be broken down into two main parts ¨C the defense and the offense. It is important and I can¡¯t stress this enough that you pay attention to both parts of the fighting post. Both in your opponents post and in your own.
The Defense
This is normally the beginning part of a fighting post it is where your opponents post how they avoided your attacks and where you shall post doing the same. We¡¯ll follow through with Bob and Tom¡¯s example above to show you what I mean, if you remember poor Tom was about to have his jaw broken.
Tom¡¯s response - *seeing Bob¡¯s arm muscles bunch in preparation for the punch, Tom threw himself to the floor allowing the punch to fly harmlessly over head*
That¡¯s a decent defense ¨C it got you out of trouble and out of harms way. However it doesn¡¯t leave you much room to retaliate now does it? You¡¯re flying through the air and will probably land hard and hurt yourself ¨C it important to think your defenses through, sometimes the most obvious course of action isn¡¯t the best one to take. A better response would have been.
*Seeing Bob¡¯s arm muscles bunch in preparation for the punch, Tom dodged sideways letting the punch whistle past his ear. *
See now your still standing ¨C you avoided getting hurt and you¡¯ve put yourself in the perfect stance to counter attack...lets move into that offensive!
The Offense
This is normally the second part of a fightng post, a good offensive incorporates your defenses in one smooth flow, you can¡¯t simply pop up somewhere and attack, if you do want to attack from another direction you must post how you got there ¨C this is a mistake often made by beginners. We¡¯ll finish up Tom¡¯s fighting post to give you an example.
Example - * seeing Bob¡¯s arm muscles bunch in preparation for the punch, Tom dodged sideways letting the punch whistle past his ear and then sent a punch towards Bob¡¯s back. *
You can see the problem in this ¨C Tom didn¡¯t powerplay, but he goofed up anyways. Bad Tom. You see Tom was obviously standing in front of Bob when Bob punched him and he dodged sideways ¨C how exactly did Tom get behind Bob? No ones knows¡popular theory is a time warp. A better response would be.
Example - * seeing Bob¡¯s arm muscles bunch in preparation for the punch, Tom dodged sideways letting the punch whistle past his ear. As it did so Tom swiftly dropped ducking under Bob¡¯s still outstretched arm and whirling behind him to throw a punch to his lower back*
This is a much better response! Tom has now smoothly moved from his defense actions to his offensive ones, further more he took advantage of movements Bob had already committed himself to in order to spring his attack and he posted in more detail where exactly he planned on hitting (lower back rather then simply back).
This is a decent post ¨C and it will work for the most part however if you like me you¡¯ll want to spruce it up a little, Below are some tricks to make your decent fighting post into something grand ¨C as well as some little mind tricks that tend up your chance of doing damage.
Tips & Hints
Detail ¨C there is no such thing as too much detail in a fighting post! I have been in fights where it has taken both me and my opponent upwards of 20 minutes to write responses. This often leads to epic clashes well worth the wait!
Stances ¨C Stay away from posting stances, posting bob Takes the flying crane stance really doesn¡¯t tell us much, for all we know Bob could be jumping up and down with his thumb in his butt. Its better to describe how and where you¡¯re standing.
Example ¨C Bob crouches low to the ground his knees slightly bent, left leg forward on the balls of his feet awaiting your attack.
Environment ¨C Use your environment! It can be a huge help, in the woods? Kick dirt at their eyes, throw sticks ¨C try to push them over a log. In a bar? Pick up them chairs and smash them to bits on each other¡¯s head. Causing destruction in a duel is great fun and adds spice. Find a way to incorporate it into your offensive or defensive strategy.
Specify how hard you hit, or how much damage you plan on doing and exactly where your trying to hit. Rather then simply typing ¡°Tom sends a punch at Bob¡¯s back¡± type something along the lines of ¡°Tom sends a punch at Bob¡¯s lower back with enough force to seriously bruise if it connects¡± This lets your opponent know just how hard your trying to hit them and in the back of their mind plants a hint about taking damage. If your opponent knows the damage you are trying to inflict they are more likely to take that damage or some version of it.
Take damage yourself! I cannot stress this enough taking damage yourself is a token of your sincerity, your opponent is much more liable to take damage themselves if you are getting hurt as well. Injuries and scars are great for character building. Don¡¯t be afraid to get hurt or even loose a duel ¨C it often leads to greater epic fights down the road as characters pursue archenemies.
Take advantage of your opponent¡¯s offense. Once in a while opponents will leave themselves quite open for attack (you should try to avoid this yourself). A great example of this is the flying leap.
Example ¨C Bob launches himself at Tom from the top of a table, hurling through the air with the intention of slamming him into the ground!
If someone does this to you it gives you a great opportunity to inflict damage ¨C unless they have wings or can use some other magic to maneuver themselves in the air odds are anything you do they will be unable to avoid legally. Step to the side and let them fly past you ¨C hack them with your sword as they do. Pick up a chair and swing it at this flying head like a ball bat. There are endless possibilities here. Keep this in mind yourself when posting offenses ¨C try not to leave yourself open to such easy attacks.
Don¡¯t be afraid to talk during fights ¨C argue, laugh be sarcastic it can add a whole new dimension to the duel; also post your characters feelings are they surprised by a certain attack? Do they do something reckless in a fit of rage? These are all important character developing actions.
If you know your opponent out of character talk to them while you duel, try to keep Out of character questions off the boards and in MSN or AIM conversations ¨C its perfectly fine to ask for clarification if you don¡¯t understand their moves. It¡¯s also perfectly fine to choreograph an important duel ahead of time. Sometimes storylines require this (a lower character beats a higher one due to some unfortunate incident ¨C which leads to yada yada yada)
If you having trouble forming your response a great trick I¡¯ve learned is to picture the duel in your head like a movie, watch each move and it will give you a better idea of how you can respond. Think back on all those great action flicks for inspiration on moves.
Most of all have fun. Fights are supposed to be fun ¨C not stressful or nerve wracking, unless discussed ahead of time (or against NPC¡¯s) the goal of most fights is not to kill a character off, but to simply set something up for the future. If you¡¯re creative enough you can probably find a way out almost any situation. A duel is essentially a game of ¡°who¡¯s the most creative¡± So just sit back ¨C laugh a bit and have a good time.
** NOTE: This was originally made for a human RP, so I tried 2 change it a bit for you.d
(Written by VWW Squirrelpelt)
Fighting¡¯s most common problems
The power play.
Most powerplays are unintentional ¨C they are often the result of an uninformed Rper trying to join in on the fun. It is important to realize this and not blow it out of proportion for the first offense ¨C there are ways to combat powerplays, which I will reveal later. For now lets just make sure you don¡¯t fall into the powerplaying trap.
Powerplaying in its most simple terms is controlling another person¡¯s character, or not allowing them the chance to defend themselves/ avoid a situation.
Example: Bob punches Tom in the mouth causing a broken jaw.
Unless Bob is blind and exceedingly wimpy the odds are he would have tried to stop you from punching him, since you didn¡¯t give him the chance you just powerplayed. But how can you fight without making posts like that you ask? Well with a simple twist of words your previous statement will become a beautiful albeit short fighting post.
Example 2: Firepelt pounces on Tigerstar and lands on his head, causing the leader to end with a broken jaw.
Fixed Example ¨C Bob sent a punch towards Tom¡¯s jaw intending to break it.
Fixed Example 2 - Firepelt leaped at Tigerstar's head, hoping to crush him.
Tada! You¡¯ve made your first legal fighting post! ¨C Its short and it doesn¡¯t have much flair but it¡¯s a good solid post nonetheless. If you understand the basics behind these examples you are no longer a powerplayer ¨C give yourself a gold star and keep reading.
What¡¯s that you ask? But how can I do damage to another player posting like that? No worries! We¡¯ll get to that later in the guide!
The Godmodder
Everyone wants his or her character to be great, powerful¡unstoppable. The truth is however that just like in real life no character is without his/her flaws. It is important that you, the character¡¯s controller realize this and play your character within their limitations.
Unfortunately there is no easy fix for godmodding like there is for powerplaying. It is solely your responsibility to play your character fairly. Keep in mind that a street smart city girl is probably a better fighter then a country bookworm, a 10 year old kid would probably get his butt whipped by a ninja and you¡¯ll do fine. Don¡¯t be afraid to loose fights ¨C it earns you respect and the person your fighting with will be more apt to remember this and repay the favor later on as your character develops.
If you run across someone you believe is godmodding you can gently attempt to tell them you think they should tone their characters abilities down somewhat. Bare in mind however that many Rpers are fiercely defensive of their respective characters and this could lead to a horrendous Out of Character fight. The best thing to do is simply RP your way out of the fight and try to avoid fighting that particular player in the future. If you absolutely must duel this person ¨C work out the entire fight Out of character first ¨C decide beforehand who is going to win/loose and what damage both sides will take.
What to do if your powerplayed or godmodded.
If your character is powerplayed ¨C there¡¯s several ways to deal with it. If the character your fighting really is a whole heck of a lot stronger then yours ¨C you can take the hit. Remember when reading other peoples fights that some powerplays are intentional. (They¡¯ve been worked out OOC, don¡¯t pop in and point fingers in another person¡¯s duel)
If you don¡¯t wish to take the hit ¨C or feel that you shouldn¡¯t then RP it out like the person never powerplayed ¨C it might have been a mistake after all.
Example ¨C Tom punched Bob in the head
Your Response ¨C As Tom tried to punch him in the head Bob ducked letting the fist fly over him harmlessly.
Example 2 - Firepelt pounced on Firestar and pinned him down.
Your Response - As Firepelt tried to leap on him, the leader rolled away and then got up.
If you believe you are being godmodded the only thing you can really do is either godmod back (which I don¡¯t recommend ¨C although sometimes it DOES get the point across) or simply leave. Leaving is easier, unless your situation won't allow you to leave.
Now that we¡¯ve gotten past the most common fighting hang-ups we can get into making your fighing abilities all that they can be! Excited? So am I!
Fighting post breakdown.
Fighting posts can essentially be broken down into two main parts ¨C the defense and the offense. It is important and I can¡¯t stress this enough that you pay attention to both parts of the fighting post. Both in your opponents post and in your own.
The Defense
This is normally the beginning part of a fighting post it is where your opponents post how they avoided your attacks and where you shall post doing the same. We¡¯ll follow through with Bob and Tom¡¯s example above to show you what I mean, if you remember poor Tom was about to have his jaw broken.
Tom¡¯s response - *seeing Bob¡¯s arm muscles bunch in preparation for the punch, Tom threw himself to the floor allowing the punch to fly harmlessly over head*
That¡¯s a decent defense ¨C it got you out of trouble and out of harms way. However it doesn¡¯t leave you much room to retaliate now does it? You¡¯re flying through the air and will probably land hard and hurt yourself ¨C it important to think your defenses through, sometimes the most obvious course of action isn¡¯t the best one to take. A better response would have been.
*Seeing Bob¡¯s arm muscles bunch in preparation for the punch, Tom dodged sideways letting the punch whistle past his ear. *
See now your still standing ¨C you avoided getting hurt and you¡¯ve put yourself in the perfect stance to counter attack...lets move into that offensive!
The Offense
This is normally the second part of a fightng post, a good offensive incorporates your defenses in one smooth flow, you can¡¯t simply pop up somewhere and attack, if you do want to attack from another direction you must post how you got there ¨C this is a mistake often made by beginners. We¡¯ll finish up Tom¡¯s fighting post to give you an example.
Example - * seeing Bob¡¯s arm muscles bunch in preparation for the punch, Tom dodged sideways letting the punch whistle past his ear and then sent a punch towards Bob¡¯s back. *
You can see the problem in this ¨C Tom didn¡¯t powerplay, but he goofed up anyways. Bad Tom. You see Tom was obviously standing in front of Bob when Bob punched him and he dodged sideways ¨C how exactly did Tom get behind Bob? No ones knows¡popular theory is a time warp. A better response would be.
Example - * seeing Bob¡¯s arm muscles bunch in preparation for the punch, Tom dodged sideways letting the punch whistle past his ear. As it did so Tom swiftly dropped ducking under Bob¡¯s still outstretched arm and whirling behind him to throw a punch to his lower back*
This is a much better response! Tom has now smoothly moved from his defense actions to his offensive ones, further more he took advantage of movements Bob had already committed himself to in order to spring his attack and he posted in more detail where exactly he planned on hitting (lower back rather then simply back).
This is a decent post ¨C and it will work for the most part however if you like me you¡¯ll want to spruce it up a little, Below are some tricks to make your decent fighting post into something grand ¨C as well as some little mind tricks that tend up your chance of doing damage.
Tips & Hints
Detail ¨C there is no such thing as too much detail in a fighting post! I have been in fights where it has taken both me and my opponent upwards of 20 minutes to write responses. This often leads to epic clashes well worth the wait!
Stances ¨C Stay away from posting stances, posting bob Takes the flying crane stance really doesn¡¯t tell us much, for all we know Bob could be jumping up and down with his thumb in his butt. Its better to describe how and where you¡¯re standing.
Example ¨C Bob crouches low to the ground his knees slightly bent, left leg forward on the balls of his feet awaiting your attack.
Environment ¨C Use your environment! It can be a huge help, in the woods? Kick dirt at their eyes, throw sticks ¨C try to push them over a log. In a bar? Pick up them chairs and smash them to bits on each other¡¯s head. Causing destruction in a duel is great fun and adds spice. Find a way to incorporate it into your offensive or defensive strategy.
Specify how hard you hit, or how much damage you plan on doing and exactly where your trying to hit. Rather then simply typing ¡°Tom sends a punch at Bob¡¯s back¡± type something along the lines of ¡°Tom sends a punch at Bob¡¯s lower back with enough force to seriously bruise if it connects¡± This lets your opponent know just how hard your trying to hit them and in the back of their mind plants a hint about taking damage. If your opponent knows the damage you are trying to inflict they are more likely to take that damage or some version of it.
Take damage yourself! I cannot stress this enough taking damage yourself is a token of your sincerity, your opponent is much more liable to take damage themselves if you are getting hurt as well. Injuries and scars are great for character building. Don¡¯t be afraid to get hurt or even loose a duel ¨C it often leads to greater epic fights down the road as characters pursue archenemies.
Take advantage of your opponent¡¯s offense. Once in a while opponents will leave themselves quite open for attack (you should try to avoid this yourself). A great example of this is the flying leap.
Example ¨C Bob launches himself at Tom from the top of a table, hurling through the air with the intention of slamming him into the ground!
If someone does this to you it gives you a great opportunity to inflict damage ¨C unless they have wings or can use some other magic to maneuver themselves in the air odds are anything you do they will be unable to avoid legally. Step to the side and let them fly past you ¨C hack them with your sword as they do. Pick up a chair and swing it at this flying head like a ball bat. There are endless possibilities here. Keep this in mind yourself when posting offenses ¨C try not to leave yourself open to such easy attacks.
Don¡¯t be afraid to talk during fights ¨C argue, laugh be sarcastic it can add a whole new dimension to the duel; also post your characters feelings are they surprised by a certain attack? Do they do something reckless in a fit of rage? These are all important character developing actions.
If you know your opponent out of character talk to them while you duel, try to keep Out of character questions off the boards and in MSN or AIM conversations ¨C its perfectly fine to ask for clarification if you don¡¯t understand their moves. It¡¯s also perfectly fine to choreograph an important duel ahead of time. Sometimes storylines require this (a lower character beats a higher one due to some unfortunate incident ¨C which leads to yada yada yada)
If you having trouble forming your response a great trick I¡¯ve learned is to picture the duel in your head like a movie, watch each move and it will give you a better idea of how you can respond. Think back on all those great action flicks for inspiration on moves.
Most of all have fun. Fights are supposed to be fun ¨C not stressful or nerve wracking, unless discussed ahead of time (or against NPC¡¯s) the goal of most fights is not to kill a character off, but to simply set something up for the future. If you¡¯re creative enough you can probably find a way out almost any situation. A duel is essentially a game of ¡°who¡¯s the most creative¡± So just sit back ¨C laugh a bit and have a good time.
** NOTE: This was originally made for a human RP, so I tried 2 change it a bit for you.d
(Written by VWW Squirrelpelt)
