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Buck Up! Imagination's Guide to Combat RP for Suckers! Part 1: Rules of the Game


Imagination

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Hey there, everypony!

It's been almost two years since I've posted in this blog. Probably should've waited until the 2 year mark in 3 days to make this extra special, BUT I knew I'd forget.

So I'm doing this today, while the idea is fresh in my head.

So we've somewhat recently had Canterlot Chronicles added to our lovely forum, allowing for a multitude of more lenient things that World of Equestria does not! Certain races, new locations, edgier storylines and, I believe most importantly, COMBAT.

Everypony likes fighting! Well, maybe not everypony, but combat is a new element for this forum that can draw out particular stories, or add that little extra something to animosities or rivalries between characters. Whatever the reason, ponies can now fight. But, with this comes a negative effect. Not everypony is on the same page when it comes to combat RP. Some of us (like myself) obviously have an idea of how to go about it, as we may have extensive backgrounds in combat RP. Not every place plays the same, however, and not every player plays the same either. What we need to remember, however, is that combat RP must be seen as fun and healthy competition, rather than constant violence and anger.

I wanted to write this guide to help give people a better understanding of combat RP, how to be better at it, and how to make it more fun! Brace yourself, as this may be a bit of a read. I'm very passionate about combat RP, as I've had more fun times fighting than I can count, and have made some of my best memories with it.

So, we need to start with the basics, before we get into actual fighting:

RULES!

Every board has 'em, and for good reason! Combat RP is absolutely no exception, and actually have more rules governing it (typically) to ensure a good time is had by all, both winner and loser. Here are some common rules for combat RP that I've seen over the years, and I'll go into brief detail for each one:

-Rules of Consent

-Post Orders

-Player Conduct

-God/Power Mode

-Post-Time vs Real-Time

-Technology Limits

-Ranged Weapons and Magic

-Death

-Retcon

1. Rules of Consent

By far, the most important possible thing to be included in any combat RP whatsoever.

Rules of Consent are basically a set of rules that amount to "If your character does not want to fight, they do not have to". Rules of Consent ensure that roleplays are not derailed by sudden combat, ensure that all participants in a combat situation are willing, and also protects players and characters from certain conditions they may wish to avoid, such as death, serious injury, mind control, and a whole myriad of other things.

Of course rules of consent cannot be used as a cop-out to avoid all harm. Only in instances where the harm would seriously change your character, such as dismemberment or disfiguration.

All combat RPs should have a general set of rules for combatants and noncombatants in this regard, and the easiest way to go about this is to establish a (OOC) line of communication between two or more participants, such as PMs so not to interrupt the flow of the RP with unnecessary chatter. Whenever something major/controversial is about to happen, bring it up, and ensure the player on the receiving end is both aware, understands, and accepts what is about to happen. Of course, it's also important to establish if the player wants to fight at all!

Example:

Player 1: Hey, my character is going to attempt to use mind control next post. Do you consent to this?

Player 2: I'd rather they didn't...

Player 1: Okay, no problem!

Asking for consent not only instills trust between players, but can also alleviate nasty OOC confrontations to problematic interactions. It also ensures that all players who wish to opt out of combat have an opportunity to do so.

If an issue with consent does occur, most specifically instances where players who do not wish to fight are repeatedly instigated, do not hesitate to report posts, or contact RP helpstaff or moderators immediately. A good guideline for this is the three strikes rule:

1. Tell the other player 'I do not consent'.

2. Tell the other player 'I do not consent, if you try again I will report'.

3. Report.

Remember that rules of consent are there to keep players who wish to play happy and engaged! It's an integral part of combat RP, and if nothing else is remembered, remember RULES OF CONSENT!

2. Post Orders

This is an easy one to explain, but important nonetheless. A lot of you I know are very familiar with post orders, however in combat RP it is extremely important to maintain this order. This gives all players involved an opportunity to properly plan their moves, as well as giving them a set order of things to react to, regardless if it's happening to their character or not.

I know some of you are asking 'What if a player becomes inactive, and we're waiting on his/her post?'.

Unfortunately this can happen! Even in real time roleplaying games, people can get disconnected, leave the computer, or fall asleep! In this instance, it may be hours or days before someone posts a response in a Canterlot RP. There may be an understanding between players that posting may be slow, however due to the fast-paced nature of combat, it's ideal to ensure posts and responses are made in a timely manner. For Canterlot, I'd say it would be fair to give the tardy party a notice after two days. After five days, with either no response to the notice or the RP, if there is a consensus with the other players, then the player next up in the order can be skipped to keep the game going.

Players who are skipped in the middle of a combative action can usually be considered incapacitated at worst. It's up to the group to determine what happens!

3. Player Conduct

This can also be easily explained. No one wants to play with Captain Sourpuss. Just because there is a moment of violence between two opposing characters, it does not mean there should be opposition between the players. It all comes down to trust, respect, and good sportsmanship.

4. Powergaming and GodModding

They're all words I'm sure we've heard before, and both are a definite no-no in combat RP. But in order to understand how to avoid them, we have to understand what they mean, as they are often confused.

Powergaming- Powergaming, by definition, is:

"a style of interacting with games or game-like systems with the aim of maximising progress towards a specific goal, to the exclusion of other considerations such as (in video games, boardgames, and role-playing games) storytelling, atmosphere and camaraderie."

What does this mean? In layman's terms, it means that a player is forcing an action against another in order to ensure that an RP goes a certain way. Players need to be able to have an effect on the flow of events, and be in control of their own fates and actions. Otherwise, what's the point? A good example of this is having a player attempt to control a character they do not own.

Example:

Player 1: Fighter 1 swings his sword at fighter 2, making him step back.

It's also worth mentioning two other things that stem from this: Metagaming and Instahits.

Metagaming is a player mixing OOC and IC in order to gain an advantage.

A safe example of this is a character knowing another's name when they've never met before, because the player had read the character profile.

Another more serious example is a player taking OOC information (such as a character profile) that contains certain weaknesses or secrets their character would otherwise not know, and then use them in RP to their advantage. A good way to avoid metagaming is to follow the mantra of 'I know nothing'.

Instahits are, as the name implies, an instant hit from an attack. This is a definite no-no in combat RPs.

Example: Player 1 cuts Player 2's head off.

The best way to avoid this is to post attacks as attempts, which will be covered in greater detail in a later issue of the guide.

GodModding - A nasty word. In a basic sense, GodModding is a style of playing that gives a character the ability to perform without limits or boundaries. An incredibly popular example of this is a character that virtually cannot be hit or harmed by anything. Good sportsmanship is a cornerstone of successful combat RP, so it's encouraged for players to take a hit now and then, especially for a system that does not use dice to initiate/counter attacks (such as posting on a forum).

No character is good enough to avoid everything, and no character is strong enough to be impervious to harm. Even characters like the Princesses, as powerful as they are, have vulnerabilities and limits.

5. Post Time vs Real Time

It's incredibly important for players to consider that as everyone is posting (hopefully in order), a scene is slowly rolling out before them. Every post is like a few frames added to an entire scene, at the end unfolding into an epic battle. So we need to consider just how much time is encompassed in one post?

Example:

The Elven guard's breath echoed in his ears as he sprinted through the forest, desperately hoping to make it to the scene in time. The farmer's wife had run back to the barracks and told him her husband was under attack by poachers! No couldn't let another life slip away on his watch. Not again! It wasn't long before he approached the scene, throwing his back against a nearby tree as the two continued to brawl. Sweat trickled from his brow, wiping it away from his stinging eyes as he hear the poacher cry out. Suddenly, there was a loud clash of steel!

The guard's breath escaped him, hearing an opening! He rounded around the tree, bow in hand, and drew an arrow from behind him. He squinted as he acquired his target, and drew the string back to hear the familiar creaking of his faithful weapon.

The highlighted portion of this relatively short post is the actual combat action, likely in response to another action made by other players. The actual time this encompasses?

3-5 SECONDS.

The rest of the post was to establish background for the character's involvement, which was clearly occurring while other actions were on the field. The actual response, which advances the story or coincides with a current action to prompt reaction, is much shorter in scope. Think about it, an archer isn't going to take five minutes to look around a tree, draw his weapon, and take aim. Especially when there's something at stake. It's unreasonable and silly. Combat is very, very quick paced, and it's important to keep this in mind when making your combat actions! Don't try to stretch your actions beyond a few seconds, or it could go into the realm of being unreasonable, or creating unnecessary difficulty for your fellow combatants.

6. Technology Limits

It's very important to understand technological limits in regards to combat RP. It sets a basis for what sort of weaponry and protection/lack thereof is allowed in game. It can also set a precedent for character limitations.

It ensures that all players are on the same page in regards to what is/is not allowed in battle, as well as giving players the ability to specialize characters based on available technology/tactics.

Another side-effect of technology limits is that it gives players the opportunity to try different tactics to maximize their chances of success, depending on the limits.

For example, say you're setting the game in a Victorian era. Here we see a general lack of armor, but all types of early weaponry still in effect. This would give players the ability to be creative with their loadouts, and be especially mindful of hazards. For example, deep pikes and muskets used in unison make for a devastating infantry-based defensive tactic against cavalry. But, it doesn't offer much cover from other muskets or arrows.

[Picture, because Canterlot is being a butt and won't let me just insert the image :razz:https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3mal-c3kE5qp92oYhImoeMnfeHpgF9ZD_S6lwK7Q3rcQLE7CbgernSfYPPQmO9kiqVPLdHUAFrWiWi83Jex35hbK9-V8CBAKE4HWvSj7INEd2-mZ57TaLSTXatLrE11dc92Zz-4]

Or say it's in a fantasy/steampunk era, where we may see knights in shining armor carrying mortars. In this instance, while the mortars are hand portable and incredibly powerful, combined with the heavy, thick armor for a good defense, may make for a deadly warrior... But a very, very, VERY slow one, and likely won't be able to respond as quickly.

It's just a good idea to know what is allowed, what isn't allowed, and what you can and cannot do with what's available. A player who understands limitations can turn the tide of any fight in their favor, if they know how to capitalize on them!

7. Ranged Weapons and Magic

This is an incredibly broad topic, and one that I will write extensively about in another post. However, in terms of rules, it's a good idea to go back to considerations for post time vs real time.

Bows/Crossbows are fairly simple to use, but require training and concentration to use effectively. The best way to go about them is to establish your posts into separate tasks, each with a combat action time of about 5 seconds. For example:

Post/Task1: Draw arrow and pull back

Post/Task2: Take aim and release

A 2 post minimum I feel is more than fair to establish a good passage of time, as well as to give players enough time to potentially react, or just be aware the attack is coming. Ranged weapons should not be instantaneous, in order to keep things balanced.

In regards to combustion ranged weapons, a good standard to go back to is the standard of the minuteman. Minutemen were famous during the American Revolution for their ability to fire 3 rounds from their muskets every minute, one every 20 seconds. For those of you who may know how a musket works, that's pretty darn fast! But of course it pales in comparison to the era of bolt-action and magazine-fed weapons, which can fire almost 5 times the rounds in the time it takes a Minuteman to fire just one ball.

Again, we need to consider real time. We'll go back to the musket, as these kinds of weapons are relevant to what's allowed in Canterlot's combat RP. For a character with extensive training and practice, it's one ball every 20 seconds, with there potentially being one round reloaded at the beginning. Since a post should not take more than a few seconds per action so not to cause too much difficulty in the flow of time, this means it could take several posts to reload! A good way to do this is to, again, break it up into tasks per post.

Post/Task 1: Retrieve ammo [~5 seconds]

Post/Task 2: Load round [~10 seconds]

Post/Task 3: Take aim [~15 seconds]

Post/Task 4: Fire and prepare to reload [~20 seconds]

It's pretty slow! 4 posts to fire one shot?! Of course this isn't the be-all-end-all of how it works in RPs, however in my opinion it's a fair standard to keep things balanced. In the hands of an experienced player, this limitation shouldn't be a problem, and they'll be smart about when to fire and reload. It's all in the play style.

Now, magic. This is an incredibly broad topic, which follows much of the same rules as the ranged weapons above. However, there's several other things to consider, such as the method of spellcasting, the power of the spell being cast, the power of the mage performing the casting, their surroundings, etc. Magic is a very very very difficult thing to play well in combat, and it would be a disservice to try and condense that all here. I will make a post about magic and how to play with it well enough to be balanced, fair, and successful.

8. Death

Hey, it happens. We can't go on forever.

While I'm fairly certain death is not permitted in Canterlot's combat RP, it's still important to inform you all about should you branch off to other text RP venues.

In regards to the rules of character death, the most important thing to consider is CONSENT, CONSENT, CONSENT.

A player MUST be able to consent to death, especially if it's an established character that will affect others in the continuity. Should a player consent for their character to be killed, then it must be discussed what the condition of death will be:

Permanent or temporary?

Obviously, a permanent death is permanent. The character is dead, buried, and forever out of the game. While it may be a great thing to include some emotion and drama into big RP communities, it's also a very serious thing to consider. No take-backs, no matter how many other characters cry at the funeral.

Temporary death implies that there is a method in which the dead character can return, such as magical resurrection. If this is what is agreed upon, then it must be established how long the player must wait before they can be revived. In a real time RP environment, like where I gained most of my experience, the rule was one month. But, in a forum environment like this, that might not be so reasonable. It's up to the players to decide how long to wait. For instance, there could be a secondary plot planned for after the character death, and they can return following its conclusion.

9. Retcon

A Retcon is very serious.

In any RP, a retcon usually means that something has happened that is damaging to continuity, and official action is being taken.

This could mean several posts must be made to backtrack to a certain point where the issue occurred, and then replay the moment in order to maintain continuity. Or it could be as simple as a certain action of a post being deleted or altered in order to avoid problems later on in the game.

When a retcon occurs, it's important to be mindful of what has changed and why, and most importantly, not to get upset about it. If the staff or a player feels a retcon is necessary, it's probably for a reason, and there likely won't be a change made without probable cause. The best way to deal with this is to carry on with the story as is after the retcon, and try not to let the break in continuity happen again. Keep in mind that a retcon does not mean you're a terrible player, or that someone is upset with you. All it means is that there was a problem with the continuity of the story or a breach of rules or conduct, and it's been fixed not only for your benefit, but other players as well!

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And there you have it! It's a general rundown of some rules you may see in properly established combat RPs. When I say properly established, I of course mean a game that might go on for quite some time, over many pages. I'm aware there is the arena topic currently active, and while it is good fun, it is NOT typical combat RP. Keep in mind that the arena topic is very subjective and not objective, being based on the opinions of outside parties to determine success, and you're confined to only a few posts.

This guide hopes to give players a more expanded understanding of what combat RP is really like, and just how far they can go with it! I hope you all enjoy these tips through the coming posts and have just as much fun with these tremendous experiences as I have!

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I'm very glad to see a series like this!  I've had a lot of fun with combat RP's in the past, but I had to limit them to players I knew well, for a lot of the reasons outlined above.  

 

I think the biggest issue (one which I'm certain you'll cover in detail later) is dealing with undetermined outcomes.  Assuming a fairly equal balance between players, at least one of them is going to have to make an OOC decision about whether to lose or not.  If this decision is made too early, the RP isn't as fun, as you're just going through the motions for a predetermined outcome; and if it's delayed too long, the whole thing drags very unpleasantly.

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