Post by Stalker on Nov 15, 2011 10:16:51 GMT -5
S20A - Work in Progress
Please read before continuing! All of this is written under the assumption that the target audience has a reasonable degree of knowledge as it pertains to speed fighting. A star next to any item below indicates the opponent's name is required to make that post. When something such as 20 words or 30 words is listed, this by default means that is the minimum amount of words required and anything higher is still valid. The name of your opponent counts as a word towards your post. S20A is done with limited typographical errors. I say limited because there is a lot of grey area as to exactly what a typo is. Generally, speed fighting focuses on spelling as opposed to spacing, punctuation, and specific structuring. S20A is not demanding of perfect sentence structure and the ruling of certain things is objective. Ideally, all posts should be done in complete sentences, not sentence fragments with speedy post times in mind. Some menial errors are allowed in the style such as failure to capitalize the opponent's name or missing one of your action markers. This will not void your post. However, blatant errors in spelling will void your post. I understand not everyone has a dictionary on hand but if you can't spell the word properly, simply don't use it. Things should be as clean cut and understandable as possible. Consistency should also be kept in mind. One should not switch action markers mid fight without consulting the opponent. Also, one should call someone by the same name during the entire duration of the fight unless once more, you consult with your opponent and come to a reasonable agreement. Failing to space after things such as commas will not be counted as a typo but failing to space between words will be. This is NOT an excuse to blatantly ignore the conventions of standard written English. Much of this is an honor code and both fighters should play to the same general standard. If someone consistently fails to capitalize or use punctuation, it becomes free game to conform to the same style. Generally this is an undesirable outcome and fighting should be kept as classy as possible.
Pre-Fight Formalities:
Names:
It is best if both fighters have a name to refer to one another by of equal length. The mechanical definition of what a word's length should be sits at five characters so this can be used as a point of reference. With that being said, if to fight someone by the name Alphonse when your own name is Alex, it is recommended to fight as Alph vs Alex or Alphonse vs Alexander. The length does not have to be the same but close enough as to where no fighter feels like they have a handicap. A gap in length between names exceeding three characters is generally unfair e.g. Jace vs Gilgamesh. Address this BEFORE the fight so there is no conflict when it is well underway. If there seems to be no way to appropriately shorten names, I suggest getting a new one for the convenience of a fight. There are also special cases of name obscurity, like XY7000J fighting Raphael. Despite having similar lengths, variation in capitalization and repetitive numbers are a hindrance and the main focus should be the fight, not laboring to not typo such a title. (In a DM, a name substitute will still count for your original name).
Counting words:
Generally, the length of a word does not matter and will count as 1 to the overall word count. Apart from the opponent's name being included in the word count, any other proper noun will be counted as 1 word. Hyphenated words will typically count as one word and if you believe otherwise, it would be better to just drop the hyphen when not necessary to the correctness of the word/words.
Ranging: 20 words *
Must be worded to the effect of you moving to or from your opponent, not luring them into or displacing them from your vicinity. This is done as to avoid character control and the abuse of interchangeable wording. Range is limited to once removed, meaning someone cannot leave your range more than once.
Attacking: 20 words *
Should be done with the basic formula of who you're attacking, what you're attacking with and what portion of their body you're attacking. If the attack targets their body as a whole, this should be stated as well. Only one general region should be targeted at a time and if to attack multiple areas it must be done with a means of attack that can be generalized to one action. This is to avoid abuse of invalid actions such as punching, kicking, and headbutting someone simultaneously. While this is all good and well in reality, an overly complex slew of actions will make for exploitable offensive maneuvers that would be too hard to block. The method of attack should never exceed using two body parts, weapons, magic or any combination of the three. Attacks are typically performed when both fighters are within range of one another. It is impossible to launch blows when outside of range unless they are first prepped. If someone is to leave range while you have an unconnected attack posed against them, their range post is made void. The attack is still valid and can be connected unless blocked or evaded by its target before such.
Defending/Evading: 20 words *
Has to be preformed consciously of what you're being threatened with. One cannot be attacked by a fist and avoid a foot instead. This is done specifically in accordance to the words used in your opponent's post. If he or she details lifting their foot to hit you with the heel, you may hence forth dodge either the foot or heel. Either is correct only in the situation when your opponent details both as pertaining to the primary assault. Blocking is also subject to quantity. If someone unleashed a flurry of jabs to possibly batter your face, you must address more than one jab in your defense.
Connecting: 20 words *
Connecting details the repercussion of your unguarded attack while loosely reiterating what the attack was. The attack should have damaging results. Please be creative with this portion and do not spew out the same end result each time especially if it's nothing to the effect of harming your opponent.
Countering: 30 words *
Defending/Evading must be detailed first when performing a counter. Afterwards, you may proceed with attacking within the same post. I ask personally not to glue perhaps four or five words onto the end of a block to make it into a counter. Try to put the same effort into both blocking and attacking when formulating a counter post. Most forms of attack can be countered apart from long-range attacks at the risk of someone abusively using
Prepping: 20 words
While not made to directly pertain to its finalized usage in any way, prepping is done in a number of fashions. It is best to make your means of preparation vague enough to be understood but allow you flexibility in its usage until the time you wish to expend them. When prepping if to be hit successfully, all compiled preps shall be discarded and reset to zero.
Advanced Tactics
Killing Post: 1x Prep required + Attack + Connect: 30 words *
Only available in Death Matches, which need to be agreed upon by both participants, one can perform this strike when the score limit has been reached (usually five). All other attacks in a Death Match after 5 will be counted but hold no further significance if they exceed the limit needed to attempt to kill. If one is to kill out of range, they should do so by ranged attack rules (listed below) as well as Killing Post rules, meaning two preps would be required instead of one. A Killing Post cannot be blocked only countered even if it is a projectile. If to successfully counter a Killing Post, the opponent will gain a point as per usual. Of course, after being countered once, a Killing Post loses its destructive potential and will not result in death if to be landed. Important Note: The killer of an opponent always has the option to nullify the validity of the death blow.
Barrier Forming: 2x Preps required + 20 words
Before the opponent can attack the barrier's creator, they must attack the barrier directly and land a valid connection. The name of the opponent is not required in an attack against a barrier. (This rule may be altered so a certain number of attempts against the barrier-most likely three-will cause it to fade.)
Summoning: 2x Preps required + 20 words
Is to be treated as an independent entity on the battlefield with exactly one hit-point. Only 1 summoning may be under a fighter's control at a time. The Summoning must be given a name or general title. This name is subject to shortening to its first five characters and cannot be a cluster on consonants. i.e. Cerberus can become Cerbe if the opponent so desires. Xzzzz would not be a valid name. If given a name but a more general title such as Dog, Skeleton, Sea Monster, such terms can be used interchangeably with the name but consistency is preferred. A Summon moves in and out of range dependently from its master and can reside in either its master's range, the opponent's range or its own independent range. A summoning is allowed to prep for the purpose of bone breaking and ranged attacks but nothing else.
Long-Ranged Attacking: 1x Prep required + Attack + Connect *
One long ranged attack is allowed per prep and the nature of the prep must directly pertain to the attack. i.e. One cannot muster up a ball of flames then throw it in the form of water, directly contradicting themselves. Indirect means of attack via the prep are different, such as targeting a water source near to an opponent and burning them with scalding vapors upon attacking. Blatant disregard of reasoning for the sake of being unpredictable will result in nullification of both prep and attack.
Grappling: 2x Preps + Attack + Connect
This is a specific form of prepped attack which details restricting your opponent through some form of binding, be it with your arms, legs, chains, vines, magnetism but the end all effect is that they cannot leave your range. It counts as a valid point and the only way to break free of this hold is to land a hit on your opponent, undoing the situation or making a prep then leaving range to nullify the effect.
Drawing Weapons: 20 words
Weapons can include items that enable you to use magic but to attack outside of range an additional prep is required. The same is to be said about any projectile based weapons. Aside from blunt melee combat with a weapon, any projectile, realistic or fantasy based must attack in the same way. e.g. A Gun only firing bullets, a magical staff only summoning flames. Weapons can also be the target of attacks, having one hit-point to their name before they're destroyed while inflicting no real damage to the wielder.
Breaking Bones: 2x Preps required + Attack + Connect
This may only hinder primary limbs and is direction oriented e.g. right leg, left arm. The effect will anatomically disable conjoined portions of said limb such as right heel, right foot, right sole, right knee, etc if say the right leg was disabled from usage through bone breaking.
Transformation: 5x Preps required + 20 words.
Used to take on a new state of being with enhanced strength, each landed connection in this form is capable of breaking a primary limb and incapacitating it for the remainder of the fight. If to transform, a Killing Post does not require a prep but in the attempt you must always state it is done with the intention to kill so the opponent knows whether to block or counter. *** Up for drastic revision or deletion ***
Healing: 2x Preps required + 20 words
While one is unable to replenish their health and discard the points an opponent earned, they can restore certain disabled limbs after having them broken or even severed. This is a means of convenience if you find attacking with certain limbs to be your strong suit.
Vacuum:[/u] 2x Preps required + Attack + Connect
This is perhaps one of the only instances where range manipulation is possible. It should not be mistaken for AAA ( Advance and attack ) because it's effectively its opposite. This post details sucking someone back into your range. With that being said, you can only perform this attack from outside of fighting range. Within your attack you must detail the exact intent of placing the opponent back into your range. If connected, you will gain both a point and the opponent will be placed in your range. If it is blocked/evaded, then the opponent will be kept out of range. I cannot stress how important it is not to vaguely use this power in a tasteless fashion that would never physically result in reeling someone in and must personally ask for creativity when using this advanced ability.
Running: OOR 2x 20 words
Only available in Death Matches. With the elimination of multiple fighting ranges, this is the newer method of retreat. It is very important that one is out of range when performing this. If at any time during its performance the opponent moves back into range or attacks from afar, it will be nullified entirely for the user. Consisting of two specific posts that must follow one another directly, the first must detail your intention to run from the fight entirely while the follow up post explains that you are now no longer apart of the battle.
Traditional Elements
The following are simply novelty posts that play at older elements of fighting.
Stance: No specific length.
With similar usage in turn-based fighting, it's posted to give a general description of your character before a fight takes place. Within this post one may arm themselves with a single weapon. If the weapon traditionally comes in a pair or anything exceeding one object, then both/all weapons can be targeted for destruction at the same time so long as they were drawn together. Apart from that, one may not prep in their stance, only in battle. The stance may also include the detailing of a setting as decided upon by both fighters or in congruence with the theme of the room.
Name/Soul Sealing: 5x 20 word posts
A long lost custom in its own right, something like this comes standard with the occurrence of a Death Match. If done, that person is barred only by their own honor from using that specific name ever again.
Revival: 15x 20 word posts.
A dead opponent is unable to perform combat in his deceased state but his body can be restored back to usable form through a rather tedious process of binding the soul back to a usable vessel.
Rushing & Defender's Law
Specific to the range requirements. *
First and foremost, one may only do this in a room deemed rush valid. This should be stated in the room title, not by the room operator, so people are well aware of what they're getting into upon entry. This rule should remain applicable so long as anyone is present in that room. One must state if the rush is a Death Match and what style it will be in upon entering the range of their opponent. Upon being rushed, if one defends in the style called out, they are now obligated to continue the fight in that style. As courtesy to the one being rushed, they are allowed to pick the specific speed style when claiming "Defender's Law" that the fight will commence in. Note, this says speed style, not T1, Turn-Based, Para, etc. If the person is willing to agree to have a fight in any of those styles, that is completely up to them but if that opponent is a non-speeder it's best to disregard their presence from an in-character perspective. If someone claims something irrational such as KS or KSS, it should be treated to the same effect as Para, unless you're absolutely willing to go on with such a fight. At that point whatever actions you make are entirely valid if done correctly in said styles. Respectfully, no fighter should claim anything lengthier than RMT2A.
All of the above is my personal take on a fighting style I'd most enjoy. This is by no means a concrete style and a number of these ideas are adapted from concepts I've either seen used or feel would be feasible in RP combat. I am open to feedback, corrections, criticism etc. This is indeed my own style and I hope it helps the cause of restoring RP fighting to its former glory. I understand it may be very similar to something such as RMT2 but I tried to give it my own personal touch as best I could. If you weathered reading all of it, I truly thank you for your time. If you find any typographical or grammatical errors, please feel free to point them out to me. A reminder, the rules of this style will change multiple times before I label it complete.