[OOC] Arena Chat Thread

[LeeRoy]

@Descartes Short and simple.

Exactly how it should be.

[LeeRoy]

Well, trying to make a char based on 'Grim Reaper is an Eldritch Abomination/Great Elder One.'
Got some base for the powers, but exact appearance eludes me.

@Alphakoka

Finally set aside some time so I could come up with this. Please note that I do not use the word abomination, my mind constantly comes back to abomination when describing Eldritch Horrors.

"There are some who merely describe the Grim Reaper as a skeletal figure with cloak and reaper, they are content with this image resting in their minds. What truths lie just beyond the veil of illusions are unkind to the minds of mortal men.

A looming aberration of bone, standing well over the height of men. Its face a void, visions of horror creep into the thoughts of those who gaze where its eyes should lie. Head shrouded by a black cowl, which should appear blacker than what lies within. However, somehow seeming bright as day compared to the horrors within.

A gaunt but wide entity, with not a scrap of flesh adorning its body. Its shoulders draped in ragged cloth of unknown make, age, or origin. Its width offset by the lengthy spine that runs past its ribs.

That countless rack of bones, numbering well into the hundreds. Each rib bends away from its center and reaches out to the world ahead, each bone tipped with joints that should not exist. Where a sternum should lie, there are finger-like appendages gripping and flexing outside of the cavity of its chest. Many men fear what may happen should its ribs catch hold of a hapless victim.

On each hand, a dozen fingers, each finger a dozen bends. Its hands unnaturally long and flexible, they brush across anything they grasp like cloth upon a table.

More fabric runs down what "legs" this creature hides. The hips of this beast end in several tail like growths of bone, waving beneath the body of The Reaper. Hovering just above the ground, word comes that it has never known the Earth's kiss.

Levitating inches above the ground, the ancient garb it wears dragging slowly across the surface. Its movements are surreal, drifting towards its prey like a predatory balloon, yet swaying like the branches of a tree in gale winds."

[LeeRoy]

Man I wrote all that and no comment? Just a +1

[Fallenreaper]

Man I wrote all that and no comment? Just a +1

@LeeRoy

*pats LeeRoy* There, there. It's not all bad.

[LeeRoy]

@Fallenreaper Don't you patronize me, I'll straight hook you in the gabber.

[Fallenreaper]

@Fallenreaper Don't you patronize me, I'll straight hook you in the gabber.

@LeeRoy

But how else will I get my kicks in?

[LeeRoy]

@Fallenreaper By actually stepping up to the plate and kicking someone, mate :V

Hop into a brawl gurl

[Fallenreaper]

@Fallenreaper By actually stepping up to the plate and kicking someone, mate :V

Hop into a brawl gurl

@LeeRoy

Currently working on the OP of one, and still not finished yet with the flipping detail this thing has!

[MelonHead]

Man I wrote all that and no comment? Just a +1

@LeeRoy

Ditch all that other stuff and just leave it as a literal predatory balloon. Best arena character ever.

[Rilla]

So, as we prepare for the next season of our Arena stuff, I had some stuff I wanted to open up discussions for.

1)There is still no ETA on the upcoming system changes on Mahz' side for the ranking system. So, his current one will suffice as the global system, and I, or another, will handle the season by season rankings. Wagers will be nixed in terms of points, however you can still bet a weapon or item.

2) There has been talk that the current T1 system doesn't work for most, or all, of us. I am wondering why no other system has been proposed, or much talked about. When we wanted a different tier system we got one, though it sort of fell in our laps. Is that what we are also hoping for here?

3) In terms of tournaments, I am an advocate for one of the following:

3a) Either accepting the GM's acceptances
or
3b) Gms offering a discovery phase wherein all tournament participants can chime in on characters before the matches start.

Once matches start then there should be no mention of folks being OP. It really detracts from the actual matches, and in one point, caused one person to drop out. We have to trust that the GM knows what he/she is doing

4) What changes would you like to see in next years ranking system? I am in favor of everyone fighting everyone once, instead of cycling through the same few people. It'll open up people to new fights and keep people from farming points from one person.

5) I am still looking to host the Rookie Tournament, but there are also plans for me to move so my internet access may be dodgy around Thanksgiving and forward. I still want to do a preset character tournament, in terms of powers, but leave physical attributes open to the character creators.

6) What other types of tournaments would you guys like to see. or would you even really like to have the rankings continue?

-- Possibly more to come ---

[yoshua171]

I'm not gonna make too huge a commentary, but I'd like to point out something about #3. I feel that letting all the players more or less offer opinions on characters wouldn't really work as it'd just create a constant argument. Plus some people are better at withholding their personal bias than others and those who cannot would make it...less than pleasant. I know from experience.

However, a way to perhaps moderate character balance better would be one of the following:

>Have a review team for all arena characters.
or
>Have multiple GMs/Tournament hosts with different ideas of balance, but similar skills in balancing. I prefer this one as it keeps chatter to a minimum and makes sure that even if one person's balancing skills are accurate, that they have someone to check for any missed points, mistakes, or the like. It also makes the process less one sided. Lastly, when/if a player questions the balance you can have more than one person who has reviewed it, which lends to a sense of meticulousness and thorough examination, whereas just one person leads to the argument of "well, they're just one person and people make mistakes." Not that more than one person couldn't miss stuff too, but that's beside the point really.

[Rilla]

I'm not gonna make too huge a commentary, but I'd like to point out something about #3. I feel that letting all the players more or less offer opinions on characters wouldn't really work as it'd just create a constant argument. Plus some people are better at withholding their personal bias than others and those who cannot would make it...less than pleasant. I know from experience.

However, a way to perhaps moderate character balance better would be one of the following:

>Have a review team for all arena characters.
or
>Have multiple GMs/Tournament hosts with different ideas of balance, but similar skills in balancing. I prefer this one as it keeps chatter to a minimum and makes sure that even if one person's balancing skills are accurate, that they have someone to check for any missed points, mistakes, or the like. It also makes the process less one sided. Lastly, when/if a player questions the balance you can have more than one person who has reviewed it, which lends to a sense of meticulousness and thorough examination, whereas just one person leads to the argument of "well, they're just one person and people make mistakes." Not that more than one person couldn't miss stuff too, but that's beside the point really.

@yoshua171

Funnily enough, Skallagrim sent me all the characters sent in for NoW. It didn't help too much. My role was mainly to just check over them out of curiosity.

[yoshua171]

To be fair the two of you have been working together, if not friends with one another, for quite awhile as I understand it. Plus, looking at due to curiosity rather than full on scrutiny is a bit different. At least for me. It might be totally different for you, I wouldn't know. However, I'd say at least three people doing the reviewing and again, people with different ideas of balance and perhaps different levels of scrutiny.

I'm not saying it'd be easy to do, but it is doable.

[Rilla]

I would have said something if I noticed any discrepancies. It's how we roll, nah'mean, son!?

The thing about an odd number is, someone is gonna feel some kinda way if the other two don't go along with them. I mean, depending on who it is, some people may be like. "Oh well, 2 beats 1... unless you're Skallagrim and fighting everyone in the arena and killing them... :(" xD.

I suggested the 'discovery phase' because, eventually, that's what happens anyway. Having it open before the fights would allow everyone to comment, bad or good(either way, that's what'll happen, even if we have the committee), so the GM could get a feel for how everyone feels about the submitted applicants, get all the negativity out of the way. I've noticed now that no matter if the GM accepts them, people are gonna argue over someone being OP, and the like... and in some cases, they are absolutely right too, but they can do it in a better way and GMs can handle it better.

[yoshua171]

That's a fair point. Hmmm.

[Rilla]

As are all my points. It's why I am as awesome as I am. But specifically, which point.

[yoshua171]

The discovery phase. I don't agree with the three GM thing because it was less "let's argue with eachother about which way makes it balanced," and more "I review it, then you review it, then you review it." Each review notices different things and balances those things. They don't really need to argue or interfere with another much aside from conferring somewhat.

[Rilla]

thing is, they'll probably butt heads anyway. one says this is balanced, another isn't, then they have to go back and forth on it. forever.

[Skallagrim]

Three people to judge what they perceive as op in a character doesn't work. Everyone has a different idea of what op is, people have different concepts of power and what they feel is equal. It has never worked well in the past, screwed up tourneys before they started.

[ImportantNobody]

2) There has been talk that the current T1 system doesn't work for most, or all, of us. I am wondering why no other system has been proposed, or much talked about. When we wanted a different tier system we got one, though it sort of fell in our laps. Is that what we are also hoping for here?

3) In terms of tournaments, I am an advocate for one of the following:

3a) Either accepting the GM's acceptances
or
3b) Gms offering a discovery phase wherein all tournament participants can chime in on characters before the matches start.

Once matches start then there should be no mention of folks being OP. It really detracts from the actual matches, and in one point, caused one person to drop out. We have to trust that the GM knows what he/she is doing

4) What changes would you like to see in next years ranking system? I am in favor of everyone fighting everyone once, instead of cycling through the same few people. It'll open up people to new fights and keep people from farming points from one person.

6) What other types of tournaments would you guys like to see. or would you even really like to have the rankings continue?

-- Possibly more to come ---

@Rilla

2) I prefer the system where it's just common sense what will happen and you have to trust that everyone involved/the judge will know what would realistically happen and make it happen. The thing I dislike the most of T1 is that everything is considered equal with charge. If my character has an epic attack and charges for 1 turn, the enemy's defense charging for also 1 turn will block even if it doesn't make sense realistically based on the actual power of their attack (unless I'm mistaken on what T1 is but I'm pretty sure that's the case).

3) I believe it's up to the tournament host to assign people to help judge or not. I personally would reveal the characters first to see if there was any major flaws that we can all agree should be fixed. If there's debate then the person in charge gets the final say and that's what is accepted.

4) There should be a minimal number of people to cycle through but having to go through everyone wouldn't make sense. Maybe around 3 to 4 people would be good in my opinion.

6) No guns allowed tournament. Non-powered tournament. Everyone loves Evvie tournament.