Battles

Introduction to Battles

The two most common forms of role-playing on Althanas are Battles and Quests. As you might expect, battles are threads where two or more different characters face each other in combat. Battles occur primarily in The Citadel, a temple found in the region of Corone, but can also happen in any of the other region forums. At the end of the battle the quality of each character’s writing will then be reviewed by an Althanas moderator, and the winner of the battle will be the player who receives the higher score based on our Battle Judging rubric, a set of criterion used to determine who is the best writer in a role-playing thread. The player who receives the higher score and wins the battle will receive significantly more Experience Points than the loser (unless in the rare case of a draw, in which case equal EXP will be awarded). Keep in mind that it is possible that you may win a battle in-character (and even kill your opponent) but lose it in the score.

Starting Battles

To start a battle, all you have to do is a post a new thread in The Citadel or any of the regions forums and indicate somewhere in your first post that your thread is a battle. You should also indicate whether your battle is "Open" to all challengers, or "Closed" to one player or one type of player. You may do so by posting a short OOC message somewhere in the post, or by adding Open/Closed to the title of your thread, which is what most players on Althanas prefer to do.

As for what your first post actually contains, it is totally up to you to decide. There are no set rules in what must be in an opening post, although it is highly recommended that you describe the setting your battle is taking place in and when it is occuring. After you've posted, you must then wait for a player to enter the battle by replying to your first post. If your battle goes for more than 7 days without a reply, you have the option of either reposting it, or by replying yourself and indicating that your battle is still open (you could write "bump to the top," for example).

Fighting and Finishing a Battle

Once someone replies, both players in a battle will take turns making posts in an attempt to defeat their opponent. You are allowed to do anything within your character's abilities to defeat your opponent, but "Powergaming" and "Bunnying" should be avoided. The battle can last as long as both players want it to, although it is not recommend that you go above 30 posts, or less than 10. A battle ends when either or both characters are physically incapacitated, and/or both players indicate that they want the battle to end. Battles should normally take no longer then 2 or 3 days to finish.

When a battle is completed, it is your job as a player to fill out our Judging Submission Form, found at the bottom right hand corner of each forum post. Filling the form out only takes a minute, and once you've completed it, one of our judges will score the fight using the Althanas Battle Rubric described in Chapter 4. Once the judging is completed, the Moderator will close the thread, and one of our EXP Editors will add all of the rewards for the thread to your profile. Battle EXP will be determined using the Battle EXP Formula, which can also be found in the Rubric and Exp section Below. Once all of that has taken place, the thread will be moved to an archive forum in the "Crystal Ball" section.

The Rubric and Exp.

Info coming soon...

Battle Tips

- Your Brevity Score : An important and often misunderstood score in the Battle Rubric is Brevity. The Brevity score is determined by the pacing of your writing - do you overuse imagery and detail in a battle when a shorter post and a speedier pace would be more appropriate? Battles that receive the best Brevity scores will be fast-paced, exciting, and therefore easier to read. The length of time between posts will also be factored into the score - players receiving the best Brevity scores will reply to their opponent's posts after no more then 7 or 8 hours (if not much sooner). - "Powergaming and Bunnying" : Two things you want to avoid in a battle are powergaming and bunnying. Powergaming is when your character performs an action that is above their abilities, or performs some sort of special move or spell that is not in their profile., usually leaving the other character defenseless against the attack. Bunnying is when you control another player’s character without getting permission to do so. For example, in a fight, having your player cut off the other player’s head without that other player allowing you to do so would be considered bunnying. Both powergaming and bunnying will usually result in a loss for the offending player.

- "Selling" Moves : An important part of writing a good battle is "selling" moves. Selling a move is when your character gets attacked by the other player, and the other's attack hits you and results in a tangible effect on your character. For example, if the other PC shot you with a fireball, selling would involve your character being hit somehow with the fireball and being burnt as a result. Or if some character threw yours against a wall, your character might be groggy and less effective in combat. Selling moves is an important part of any battle, because it keeps the battle from lasting forever, and also adds a flavor of authenticity to it. If your character gets hit with a bunch of moves, but never goes down or suffers any ill-effects from it, then it isn’t very realistic . Just like your character shouldn’t be invulnerable, however, your character also shouldn’t “oversell” moves. Just because someone swings a sword at you, doesn’t mean your character’s head will be cut off automatically. The best battles will involve players who cause damage to the other by attacking with moves (that aren’t powergaming) that the other player can’t realistically escape from.