Guffaw.
It's okay, Mags to the rescue!

Wow, you guys are really letting them have it. The only thing I could think about when I read your posts was this:



I think you guys are a little too sensitive about what you write or do with your characters. Forget about whatever experiences you've had with roleplay combat in the past. Also, this is meant to be very much like Final Fantasy, and nothing about those games is balanced or realistic. This is also why I have this 'system'; if I want to impose a challenge, I'll simply amp up the stagger of the enemies or introduce a "boss"-type enemy that only I control, as an independent characters—just wait until we get to one of these, then you'll bathe in anxiety for real.

Sixsmith said
I can give you a rundown on what I think should do what and you can give me feedback

Please do! Everything begins with a proposal, and I'm always open for discussion.

@Everyone
I will edit the hiders in the first battle post that I made, in regards to staggers and such things. So, you can always find the up to date there. The current situation is this, after Rockette's latest post:

Raptor Alpha: 65/120 (DARKNESS)
Raptor Beta: 0/120
Raptor Gamma: 65/120
Raptor Delta: 50/120
Raptor Epsilon: 25/120
Raptor Zeta: 30/120
Raptor Kappa: 80/120
Raptor Lambda: 60/120
Raptor Omicron: 100/120
Raptor Sigma: 65/120
Raptor Omega: 50/120

Prisk said
Please do! Everything begins with a proposal, and I'm always open for discussion.

I'll try and have that PM'd by tomorrow, then! Er, today... because it's 4 in the morning. Guh. Yeah, I'll try and do that before I run off with family to do things that are dangerous and probably only legal during the 4th of July.

As for the current staggers and in regards to the picture you posted. LET'S TAKE OMICRON AND COOK HIM FOR DINNER. Must get those 2 points of XP and that raptor hide that sells for 10 gil in the local shops. I'll be 190 gil away from getting that Bronze Rapier that gives me 1+ extra damage and alacrity! Fear me level 2 Mushroom Men. FEAR ME.

I know you said this will be a lot more like Final Fantasy, but please... oh God, please don't make Roy run around doing fetch quests for an eternity while Olivia cackles maniacally in the background.

Rockette said
Guffaw. It's okay, Mags to the rescue!

I'll have Roy's imps create a wall of earth to protect Kat and Mags can make a little moat of lava death to keep the raptors out. She won't be able to do anything productive, but she'll be safe and that is our job. Failure is unacceptable.

If you like, I think Black and I are going to have Roy and Kat do something, but if it's not too much of a hassle, I think we can have Mags jump in on the mix. I'll PM you the link when we get it up; tomorrow is America Day (lool instead of Canada day. <3 You Oz) so we both might have to wait until this weekend to do anything.

As for me, I am off to sleep because apparently this is a very important day and I must be forced from the confines of my room to do things I would never normally do on an average day. Le sigh. At least there will be funnel cake and I can get a possible tan. Even though I don't really care about tans... at all.

Sixsmith said
I'll have Roy's imps create a wall of earth to protect Kat and Mags can make a little moat of lava death to keep the raptors out. She won't be able to do anything productive, but she'll be safe and that is our job. Failure is unacceptable.If you like, I think Black and I are going to have Roy and Kat do something, but if it's not too much of a hassle, I think we can have Mags jump in on the mix. I'll PM you the link when we get it up; tomorrow is America Day (lool instead of Canada day. <3 You Oz) so we both might have to wait until this weekend to do anything.As for me, I am off to sleep because apparently this is a very important day and I must be forced from the confines of my room to do things I would never normally do on an average day. Le sigh. At least there will be funnel cake and I can get a possible tan. Even though I don't really care about tans... at all.

Sounds dandy. Just lemme know. c:
On that note, I'm going to sleep as well, my nearly non-existent social life [yay work! ] is going to get some much needed socializing and booze and fireworks.
And who needs tans anyways, I'm Irish-ish [ha], I'm meant to glow in the dark.

Hah, it's tempting Six, but she won't!

Edit:
Updated combat guidelines.

# Removed everything that the players don't need to know.
# Removed "time" from elements.
# Added "attributes." These are optional bonuses that you can use if you want.
# Added two new status effects: Fear and Stop.
# Added new items, fixed text, and balanced costs.

I like the attributes idea. Is it based on just how we think our character's stats should be? I think we're all reasonable enough not to just max everything out, after all, and we all had an image of our character's limitations and abilities when making them. For instance, I imagined Freddy as a sort of combination controller/tank/versatile damager, hence the huge hammer and aggressive melee style. I'd imagine him as something like:

Commando 8
Ravager 8
Sentinel 10
Synergist 10
Medic 0

Not sure what these bonuses would do. :P

Check the combat guidelines, Adora. The details of the attributes (what they do) are there, and how many points you can distribute!

Ooh, I see. Will update Freddy's page then. :P

I thought we were gonna avoid complex stat systems...

We are. You don't have to do the attributes ting if you don't want to, as it isn't required. Or, you can look at what you have to do, and then you can forget all about it for the rest of the roleplay. You never have to remember any numbers or keep track of anything else. This is not like your traditional strength/health points-whatever bullshit.

This is a system for people that don't like systems! In other words, it's primarily for me and my role as the GM. I don't want to judge what happens on the spot, I want to have a framework that I can work with in order to give a fair assessment of what happens in combat.

I've been thinking a lot about some flashback action. Some moments of drama or levity from the characters' past interactions that might inform what's currently going on in the present, or contrasts it in an interesting way.

If anyone else is game on the idea, I'd be more than happy to collaborate...hint hint...nudge nudge...I AM A VERY NICE PERSON WHY DOES NOBODY WANT TO PLAY WITH ME!

Also, flashback ideas:
Talent contest. Peoples hidden talents come out.
Maggie buys a bicycle...everyone dies.
Puck does something stupid. Someone punches him in the eye.
Some of the friends get stuck in an elevator, proximity and time lead to some revelatory conversation. Everyone dies.
Remi becomes obsessed with health and fitness. Everyone stages an intervention.
The guys get conscripted into a beefcake calender to help with recruitment.
The gals get conscripted into a cheesecake calender to help with recruitment.
Remi cannot hold his liquor.
Someone else cannot hold their liquor.
Beach episode. Everyone dies.
Kim has a heartfelt conversation with someone. Remi comes by and says something insensitive.
Kim has a heartfelt conversation with someone. Freddy says something insensitive.
Kim has a heartfelt conversation with someone. Kat says something insensitive.
Remi gets injured during training...no one comes to visit him in the medical ward.
Thael breaks up with his long term boyfriend. Everyone goes out for ice cream.
Competitive campus event. Remi and Jyn develop a rivalry over it. Aaron wins.
Remi and Freddy get lost on a field exercise, have hijinks on the way back. Everyone dies.
Olivia and Em go out for lunch...end up caught in a gang war...everyone dies.
Everyone dies.

On a tangential note. I will be posting in the next couple days. Prepare to be underwhelmed.

Tenish the Mighty said
Thael breaks up with his long term boyfriend. Everyone dies.

Corrected your typo.

I'm up for flashbacks. Should be easy to pull off with timelines.

Okay, so, in light of Ex's reaction to things (which I appreciate a lot), I've updated the 'system' and removed everything that you guys don't need to know. The less you know, the better things will be.

The new thing is attributes, which adds bonuses to stagger gains when I consider your combat posts. Use them if you want, or just ignore them—your choice.

While I'm inclined to stay away from number-heavy systems, I do like what you've put together. I think filling out attributes would be a simple way of clarifying your character's role, strengths, and weaknesses. Personally, I think I'll make Thael's attributes something along the lines of

Commando: 3
Ravager: 8
Sentinel: 18
Synergist: 6
Medic: 0

The idea being that Thael is nigh impossible to take down, but doesn't heal very well. Individual spear thrusts don't do all that much damage, but I want Sunspear to have a real sting to it. I'm thinking I need to add a status effect to Guardian leap, either buffing the ally Thael leaps to or debuffing surrounding enemies to enhance his tank utility, as well as specifying that it provokes enemies.

Since status effects and stagger meters didn't exist when I developed Thael's limit break, I'll need to specify it's function a bit. I'm thinking it would completely empty allied stagger meters and apply all positive status effects for a given period of time, while retaining the "makes enemies run away" aspect.

Here's Roy's attributes.

Commando: 4
Ravager: 9
Sentinel: 2
Synergist: 18
Medic: 2

Wanna bring home the fact that he's the team's go to support guy. :D He can't heal anyone, but he can make it hell for enemies to hurt anyone else, while giving his team good openings to get things done.

Wonderful! I've added these to my notes. Going to sleep now, more to be done tomorrow.

Emily's stats:

Commando: 5
Ravager: 15
Sentinel: 0
Synergist: 10
Medic: 5

I don't know how well this will work out, but the goal is to make her squishy but scary. Post sometime this weekend.

The "points" system sounds like fun...will have Aaron's up shortly

Here's Aaron's stats

Commando: 13
Ravager: 13
Sentinel: 9
Synergist:0
Medic: 0

I'm gonna go with...

Commando: 5
Ravager: 23
Sentinel: 0
Synergist: 5
Medic: 2

Glass cannon all the way~