GENERAL COMBAT ETTIQUITE
Most things that would fall under this catagory are just common sense and general good roleplaying techniques. Don't godmod, don't puppet, dont autohit, and for the love of god, try to be creative.
DON'Ts
arrow Don't assume that your character is stronger than the other person. In a roleplay battle both players should know each other's bio. Chances are if a person's bio says that they're a eight foot tall, five foot wide, brick eating colosus with a club, and you happen to be a five foot tall, 140lb kid with a sword, you're going to be outmatched in a contest of strength.
Quote:
Player A: I run up and grab you by the head. I then proceed to pick you up by your face and slam you into the wall repeatedly.
Player B: Seeing as I weigh twice what you do, all you managed to do was give me ideas for your demise.
arrow Don't go back and edit your posts after you post them. That's just silly. If you find a reason that requires an edit, either edit your post IN BOLD or ask your opponent to hold off on posting until you finish. The only edits made should be for clarification purposes, such as adding (NOT CHANGING) directions. This also applies to posting changes to prior actions in your next post. If your action is a feint or a diversion, say so in the first post.
Quote:
Player A: I build up a giant wall of fire between us as I power up my uber spell, DOOMFIRE 3!
Player B: Seeing as I am immune to fire I walk through the flames and bitchslap you.
Player A: Good thing for me the fire was actually ICE! Your weakness!
arrow Don't avoid every hit. Face it, in a roleplay battle there is a way to avoid almost every hit. A real fighter would not be able to do that. We have the advantage because we have unlimited time to think about our dodge. If your dodge is more complex than a bob or weave, be sure your character would have time to do it. Never forget that a good alternative to dodging an attack is blocking it.
Quote:
Player A: I dodge backwards to barely avoid your sword swipe at my stomach.
Player B: Now that your backed into a corner, I can easily stab you. You have nowhere to run.
Player A: I dodge the stab by jumping into the air and landing on your sword, using it as a springboard to do a tripple axle flip in the air before landing with perfect grace, where I proceed to dodge the dirty looks you are giving me.
arrow Don't assume that just because you avoid one part of an attack, you avoid the rest of it. If someone comes barreling at you with a one two punch to your ribs, just because you manage to block the right fist dosen't mean he's not going to still pound you with his left.
Quote:
Player B: I lift a large boulder with telekenisis and hurl it at you. I run behind it to jump on you and pummel you mercilessly.
Player A: I duck under the boulder, completely avoiding your attack.
arrow Don't dodge and attack in the same move. Ok, this is a bit tricky. Really, you can do this, I guess this is more of a don't overdo it rule. If you're going to sidestep a rush, then swing at your opponent's back, that's ok. A simple dodge can be used in conjunction with a simple attack. Just dont do a frontflip over your opponent, turn around, then fire a DOOMFIRE 3 blast at his back. There is only so much you can do befure your opponent gets a chance.
Quote:
Player A: I dive to the side in order to avoid the large boulder flying at me. I skid across the dirt for a few feet before jumping to my feet. I turn around and rush you with my sword drawn. My sword comes down to attack your left shoulder.
Player B: When is it my turn again?
arrow For the love of God, Don't use abilities that you dont have. It's simple as that. If your bio dosen't say you can do it, you can't.
Quote:
Player A: I conjure a huge fireball, DOOMFIRE 3!
Player B: But... you're an ice mage?
arrow Don't use weapons that you don't know how to use. Basically, if your character is a master swordsman, stick to swords. If he picks up an axe, he can use it, but not very effectively. No person has time to train in all forms of weaponry, so stick to what you know best.
Quote:
Player A: I have been trained as a swordsman all my life, but a new feeling emerges as I swing the battle axe. My training with a sword allows me to gracefully parry your blows and slash at you.
Player B: ...
arrow Don't tell other people what happens after your attack. One obvious reason for this is that it usually dosen't happen that way, and then you just look like an idiot. If you're expecting to land a death blow, don't describe how their limp body flops to the ground off the end of your sword, let them do it.
Quote:
Player A: I jump through the air to land on your prone form, stabbing my sword deeply through your stomach and into the ground. The blade makes a squelching sound as it passes through your flesh. I stand up and wipe my blade on the nearby grass.
Player B: I roll to the side as you're jumping around like an idiot. You come down and plant your sword deeply... in the ground. Now that you're over there wiping the mud off your sword, I swing my huge battle axe around in an attempt to cleave you in half right down the middle of your back.
arrow Don't do too many things in one post. This is called Speedhacking. One post in a combat situation should be between five to fifteen seconds in reality. If you can parry a blow, attack with your sword, build up a magical blast, blast your enemy with it, run forewards ten feet to where your enemy fell, kick him, then jump into the air and come down with your sword through his chest, congratulations. If you can do that you're pretty damn fast, and the ammount of acceleration acting on your body from moving that fast would probably cause your limbs to go flying off through the air.
Quote:
Player A: I run through a horde of zombies, slashing each one in the neck before proceeding on to the enemy castle. I pull open the castle gates and rush in, where I fight a vicious duel with four elite gaurdsmen. I run up the stairs and take time to have tea and crumpets with the queen before running back down the stairs to the throne room, where I have an epic battle with the evil king.
Player B: Is it my turn yet?
DOs
arrow Do describe what you're doing in detail. If you aren't detailed, your opponent can make assumptions that may or may not be true. Try to be as thurough with your descriptions as possible.
Quote:
Player A: I draw my slightly curved sword from the sheath on my left hip. I hold the blade over my right shoulder like a baseball bat as I charge at you. I stop about three feet from you and swing my blade with both hands at your left shoulder, aiming down a bit to hit you where your shoulder meets your neck.
arrow Do take hits. Face it, it's a fight, you're going to get hurt. People rarely manage to escape a fight without a single wound. You seldom have to take a hit to it's fullest extent, but take some of it.
Quote:
Player A: I rear back on my left foot and throw the shortspear in my right hand at you. From a distance of ten feet away, the spear should get to you pretty quickly.
Player B: I dive to the left to avoid the spear. Instead of striking my chest with full force, the spearhead grazes along my back, leaving a long horizontal cut.
arrow Do block instead of dodging. It's much easier to block an attack than to dodge it. You'll probably take more damage from a blocked attack than a dodged one, but yet again, it's a fight. Get used to taking damage. Block with the closest available means of blocking. You wont have time to block an attack at your left shoulder with your right foot. You probably wont have the flexibility either, but meh.
Quote:
Player A: I swing my katana at the right side of your face.
Player B: I raise my right arm to catch your katana on my bracer. My arm hurts like hell now, but my face is still in one piece.
arrow Do be creative. Nobody likes a boring post. The best posts are a mix between creativity and simplicity. Your attack should not be complex enough to be confusing, but it should be interesting enough to paint a good picture in the mind of the reader. Describe your attack, and do something fun with it. Flourishes, while not very practical, add a nice flavor to your combat post and establish your ability. Magical effects should be used to enhance the imagery.
Quote:
Player A: I come at you with my axe still held out in front parallel with the floor from blocking your last attack. I swing my axe to the side and then let the axe head drop. The axe picks up speed as it is being aided by gravity on the way down. My arms come up in front of my face and my muscles bulge as I swing the huge axe up to complete the circle. The head of the axe begins to glow like a bright purple fireball as it reaches the top of the arc. A berserk shout escapes my lips as I bring the flaming axe down hard in an attempt to split your skull.
arrow Do tell players what WILL happen IF your attack works. Use phrases such as "If the attack worked," "After connecting the blow," or "If the opponent failed to block." It helps people to visualize what you are doing if you state the purpose behind it. It also keeps people from misunderstanding your attacks and their reprocussions. Leave places for interrupts so that your opponent can dodge parts of your attack, and deal with others some other way.
Quote:
Player A: I catch the sword strike by holding my axe parallel with the ground and above my head. I let the axe lower a bit, then shove it back up. If the sword was not withdrawn in time it would be pushed up into the air with the opponent's arm, leaving him open for my boot to come up and bash him in the chest. This would send him flying backwards into the table behind him.
Player B: As soon as my sword hits the axe, I withdraw it for a stab to your chest. The kick to my chest instead hits the arm that is now between the foot and my chest. My thrust is knocked off course over your right shoulder by the boot, but this does not stop me from stepping in to attempt a strike at your face with the elbow of my sword arm.
