Abilities:
- You recover your EP (energy points; default maximum is post count) whenever you use certain items or abilities, post in your sanctuary (while in it), or leave the region. You recover your HP whenever you use certain items or abilities or post in your sanctuary (while in it). If in a battle, a sanctuary will not replenish your HP or EP.
- Your abilities are usually based on your post count, race, personal enhancements, and items. The higher your post count is, the more abilities and spells you will most likely have.
- Most effects given to you will only last as long as you are in the same region or something cancels them. This also applies to curses and enchantments affecting a region or building; when the caster leave, the effect goes away. For example a Spectre cannot curse Frionia and then head to Aderon expecting the curse to remain. If another duration exists, it will be mentioned in the ability's description. By entering a sanctuary or leaving a location, it will always dispel the caster's ability.
- An enchanter can only cancel spectre spells if his/her post count is higher, otherwise he/she lacks the ability to dispel the effect. This is the same in the other direction as well (a higher level enchanter's spells cannot be dispelled by a spectre's spell if the spectre has a lower post count). For this reason watch out for enchanters or spectres with high post counts because it may be difficult to remove their effects.
- For spectres and enchanters (or anyone else with consistent region/location effect spells), only one spell of this type can be used at a time. Casting another will cancel the previous effect.
- Region and location-affecting spells must be posted as their own threads in the base region or specific location forum, while target-affecting spells (affect the individuals in battle) should be replies in the battle thread. No region or location-affecting spells or abilities (except damage spells) may be used when engaged in combat, though persistent spells of this type previously used could still affect the battle. These effects are removed if the caster falls in battle, even if in a hometown.
- It is recommended that invisible characters make themselves anonymous upon logging into the forums.
- Spells sometimes require more than one turn to cast. If a spell is listed by itself it can be used instantly. If there is a '>' symbol next to the spell, it requires two turns to cast in battle (in other words, one extra turn). Some spells even require more turns, and this is shown by more of those symbols (like '>>' to signify a requirement of three turns). The spell is used when the last turn is comes up.
- While "base damage" normal attacks (normal weapon attacks, not abilities) do persistently the same damage unless affected by some variable introduced by an ability or quest, the actions can be roleplayed in order to make things more interesting. For example, you can describe a certain move or sequence instead of just post something like "Normal attack DP = 100". Keep in mind, though, that no abilities with alternate effects can be devised in a non-roleplayed battle.
- Rogues cannot pickpocket other player characters unless through roleplaying.
Targeting (for battles and abilities):
- Target: A single target. This can be any entity including players, ships, and even buildings with hit points. If a character is inside a ship or defensive structure, his/her fate in battle is tied to that of the structure. He/she cannot be directly attacked, but if the ship or structure is destroyed the character(s) inside is automatically defeated if there was no escape prior to its destruction. This also applies if the ship or structure has an attack value, and even if the character himself/herself can attack from within independently.
- Location: A specific sub-forum of a region. A location-affecting ability will affect everyone within it.
- Region: Everything inside a region and the region itself, including locations within. If a region is targeted (even from a location within), it also targets every location within the region.
- World: While extremely rare, some abilities have the ability to affect an entire world. An ability of this type will affect all realms, regions, and locations in the targeted world (must be somewhere within the affected world to cast it).
Battle System:
- Physical (normal weapon damage) attacks can be roleplayed, but they cannot have any effects other than damage relative to your ability and the weapon(s).
- Ranged weapons cannot be used in direct combat when the target is fighting back unless someone is fighting with you on your side. Also, strength has no effect on the damage caused by ranged weapons.
- Unless otherwise specified by your abilities, you must be in the same location as your target if you wish to start a battle. To do this, start a thread with your initial attack or reply to a thread in which the other character is active. If the character does not respond within ten minutes you can post your attacks one-after-another without time restrictions.
- You can only use one ability or attack per post unless affected by a certain ability. If you have ambidexterity or a similar ability, a normal attack will do the damage of both weapons combined. This is the weapons' DP bonuses being added together, not damage based on twice your strength.
- If you are roleplaying a battle, it must be specified in the battle's start. If a battle is roleplayed the result is not official, but no real rules apply. In a roleplayed battle you can do anything your mind can imagine (while roleplaying) as long as it doesn't affect a location or higher level forum. Hit points do not even need to be used, all rules and stats can be obsolete if desired.
The Process Of A Battle:
1) The battle begins with the attacker getting the first attack. He/she would create a thread stating the ability used and the target(s). The target, if a specific entity (like a character), must be in the same location as the attacker unless an ability can target someone in a connected location. Inter-location attacks can only be used on locations directly connected to the attacker. This means either a direct sub forum or parent forum.
2) The target has ten minutes to reply with an attack, ability, or escape (if it is a player, not an NPC; NPCs don't have time requirements). If the target does not respond the attacker can "fire at will" and post attack after attack until the target falls. If the target responds during this process, turns must then be taken and the character has a chance at escape or victory.
3) If a character does not escape, turns (replies) alternate unless affected by a multi-turn spell or other effect. In each turn a normal weapon attack or ability can often be used.
4) At any time other characters can join into the fight. Their first turn is when they reply to the battle initially, and following then their turns will follow in sequence with the others. An infinite number of characters can be in a single battle. Summoned beings and secondary characters technically behave as extra characters in a battle and have their own turns (although a summoned being's fate is tied to the summoner's; if he/she falls so does the summoned being).
Conditions To End A Battle:
- Only the victor(s) is left standing.
- Escaped characters break the encounter. At any turn a character can escape a battle unless hindered by a spell or other effect. The character must create another thread to leave the location, region, realm, or world after replying stating the escape attempt, and if the character successfully leaves (creates this thread) before an enemy attacks again the escape was successful. The escaped character can be chased and the battle can restart if caught.
- All sides agree to a truce, voluntarily ending the battle. Conversational replies do not count as turns, so this is possible.
If you fall in battle (die)... Unless you staked an item in a duel or other competition, you just get sent back to your hometown's sanctuary. If you do not have a hometown, you are sent back to Zolandor (not the sanctuary). The victor can list your name as a victory for himself/herself in the character's profile if desired. If involved in certain competition-related quests, losing a battle could have other effects.
Spells and Abilities In Battle:
Calculating Damage: To calculate the damage of the spell/ability, refer to the DP (Damage Point) total for the spell. Sometimes this is given, and other times it must be calculated based on various factors. The DP value is exactly the same as the total damage (if the DP value is 10, it will remove 10 HP from the target).
Energy Required For Spells/Abilities: You obviously can't pelt an enemy with Dimensional Storm or any other spell, so there must be limitations. Your total energy (EP, or Energy Points) by default is equal to your post count, and the EC (Energy Consumption) value of the spell or ability will subtract the given number from that total. A spell or ability cannot be used if not enough energy is available. Along with this, certain spells require more than one turn to cast. This is shown by the '>' symbol next to the spell (means that the spellcaster loses a turn before the spell takes effect). If you run when someone is casting a spell like the above on you, it will still hit you unless you leave the region. You would be better off trying to fight back if a clear exit is not available.
Battles Between Ships And Vehicles:
For the most part, the battles are the same for ships as they are with the primary battle system. However, what can be done in each turn differs slightly. The pilots always get the first turns, and in their turns they can either fire all (or some if desired) of the installed pilot-fired weapons at the same time, or activate something in an equipment slot. If the pilot-fired weapons are used, they must all target the same ship unless a component is installed that states otherwise. Once the pilots have their turns, the passengers alternate turns between each ship (and if one has more passengers than the other, one ship will have a chain of turns when the other ship's passengers' turns run out). Each passenger can control either up to three passenger-fired guns OR one heavy weapon. A pilot can interrupt his/her passengers' turns at any time if escape is necessary, which normally requires the usual "Escape" reply. The turns are basically the only difference, but there are a few other things to keep in mind...
- If you join a side in the Galactic Conflict, you are entitled to ONE of every ship listed below your post count (which can be attained in your faction's hometown). Your primary and secondary characters can each have ships along these lines, but they must attain them on their own and cannot share (remember that your secondary character's "post count" is half of your actual post count). Since you will technically have more than one ship after a while, you can list them in your characters' profiles. Be sure to list their components, and feel free to give them personalized names.
- Your secondary character CANNOT be a passenger in your primary character's ship, and the same in the other direction as well. They can, however, fly together if in different ships.
- Entitled military vessels cannot be traded. If you resign from your faction, you lose the ships but keep the components you got by other means.
- In SEA VESSELS, characters can choose to use their own abilities if they wish. If it is agreed by all involved, you can also conduct a normal battle between characters across the ships.
- While ships can be destroyed in battle, they are never actually lost. If you fall and leave your ship in an otherwise unreachable location, it's also not stranded. You can simply call your ship from any port (except from an enemy faction's space station).
Player Versus Player Combat:
The world is in a state of chaos, and many wars are being fought. No longer does one's class decide his or her side. In order to participate in PvP, you must become involved in a war(s). All on opposing sides are then your enemies. This does not come without rewards, however... Please refer to the war page for the current state of all of this. |
