The Art Of Textual Combat

[Thanatopic]

So yeah..i'm sorry, all of you who auto, and god-mode, look like fools with your text-fighting. Let me give you some resources on how to do it correctly. This will be several posts, so it's not just a giant wall of text. All of these documents are being pasted from an old ChatRP I used to do, and I claim no credit in their creation.



As Posted from Red Tide Inc.
TYPE 1:
[left][font="Tahoma"][color="#FF0000"]Style One - Type One[/color][/font][/left]
[font="Verdana"][color="red"]Style One is a Type based on vivid narratives from the players to drive the story, creating Combat written and described for the most pleasurable experience.

The idea of this fighting is to make it vivid. Do not over-use your vocabulary, though be descriptive. Mention in which way your wound festers in mid-battle, and how it ails your ability. Describe your hatred for your opponent, make your opponent and others feel as if they are in the midst of a life or death situation. The whole point of T1 Turn Based is to create and tell a Fair Story.

It is turn based; you attack, your opponent defends. You cannot connect as you can in Type Two, nor can you continue writing attack after attack after attack... a fight may last 30 minutes yet incorporate moves that would finish the job in just a quarter of that time.

Type One requires strategy and character prowess, not typing speed.

Here are the Requirements:

[color="#ffffff"]Attacking -[/color]
[color="#ffffff"]A -[/color] Describe [color="#ffffff"]where[/color] you are attacking; the body's target.
[color="#ffffff"]B -[/color] Describe [color="#ffffff"]what[/color] you are attacking with.
[color="#ffffff"]C -[/color] Describe [color="#ffffff"]how[/color] you are attacking.

A character's attack must be fluent and realistic, in your turn you may not leap up to a Rafter and fire an arrow. That is two turns that you couldn't do, accurately, simultaneously.

Though perhaps you swung to your knee to evade a high punch and lashed out with your foot to trip them. If it can be done in one fluid motion, and you can describe it realistically, than you're good to go.



[b][color="blue"]Tusk[/color][/b] [color="#000000"]swung his arms around though his grip on his Axe beginning to slip, and he twisted his hips for momentum when he dragged the blade down above Esta's head.

Defending - [/color]

[color="#ffffff"]"[/color]Dodging must also be as well-developed as an attack. Take note of all scenary around your character, for if you are against a wall, then you can't exactly move back to avoid now can you? The same thing goes for obstacles in your characters way. Do not fear losing a character, it is better to die fairly, then to pull cheap monuvers and avoids out of your ass, things that far exceed your character's actual limitations. Make sure your oponent clearly understands where your character is going, what he is doing, why he is doing it, and how he is doing it. Not all of these must be implimented, but if the majority is stated then this could very well help solve arguements, and even avoid them.[color="#ffffff"]"[/color] -Kyle.

These are the requirements for Defending, although you have a long amount of time (for there is no limit unless you want to set one up, which I do recommend before a good 1-on-1 battle) to type it up.


[color="#ffffff"]A -[/color] State [color="#ffffff"]where[/color] your character is evading toward.
[color="#ffffff"]B -[/color] State [color="#ffffff"]what[/color] she is doing when she does it.
[color="#ffffff"]C -[/color] State What she is doing it [color="#ffffff"]with[/color].

Your defense must be as fluent as an attack, if not more so. If something is possible to do in a realistic, fluent motion, then do so. Defending is the greatest part of the battle, because it unconciously is described in the best fashion, and simply the neatest to picture.

If you can counter attack in your one turn, then I recommend it. Taking a simple hit in the site or a small gash may not hurt your character terribly, and if you trust the weapon to be clean of poison- then I recommend you take it and go in for an undodgeable hit (be creative).



[b][color="green"]Esta[/color][/b][color="#ffffff"]'[/color][color="#000000"]s eyes widened when she rolled her crouched body over her shoulder and between the slender legs of a table. The axe crushing the rim of the furniture where she would've been.
[/color]
After Esta rolled beneath the table, there is no legitimate way that she can use her turn to attack now, because it wouldn't be fluent and in the same motion. She may've attempted to kick him while she did a backward summersault, though that probably would've taken her leg off.

That brings me to the Last point.

[b][u][color="#000000"]Connecting -[/color][/u][/b]
Yes, you can connect in battle.

The idea of Force Hitting will take up a spare a turn of Tusk's attacking by simply inflicting damage on the poor braud to begin with. This is where the strategy of your attacking, your cornering, you making it impossible to dodge... pays off.

If Tusk chops down at Esta's head, and Esta Jumps up...

The idea of her dodging now is impossible, and despite what she may say, Tusk may cleave her head wide open.

He swung down, she jumped up. If an attack and defense are, direction wise, complete opposites of one another, and the defender is trapped, than feel free to unleash your fury.
[color="#000000"]
Final Note [/color][color="#ffffff"]-[/color] This does not mean you can use a giant fireball and trap everyone. Magics are just as complex, if not more so, than melee fighting styles. Read the document on magic use for more information.[/color][/font]

TYPE TWO:
[left][font="Tahoma"][color="#FF0000"]Style Two - Speed Fighting[/color][/font][/left]
[font="Verdana"][color="red"]Type 2, or Style Two, is the strategic choice of Murdering for the faster typists. It is widely misunderstood; often you will find a number of Yahoo! Roleplay realms suggest that T2 is 4-4-3, 7-7-6, or any number of ### patterns.

Understand that 7-7-6 was a Veteran implimentation to the style several years ago, I suppose it stuck.

Out of boredom, I suppose, and a far greater interest in this style of Speed, I am going to teach you the True layout of Speed Fighting.

[color="#ffffff"]Attacking -[/color]

There are only 3 Requirements in this layout to attack properly:

[color="#000000"]
A - You clearly state the Body's Target.
B - You clearly state what you are trying to connect to it with.
C -: You clearly state HOW you are going to attack. [/color]

Hell, as far as I care, you can add as much flavor into the style as you wish- though it's not required. Those mere things included, more or less will average out to be about 8 words a line, if you can do it in less, then you are far better off.

[b][color="#000000"]Tusk[/color][/b][color="#000000"] swings his arm across his chest [C], meat-cleaver in hand [/color][b][color="#000000"], toward Esta's collarbone [A].
[/color]
This included everything.

[color="#ffffff"]Connecting - [/color]

In speed fighting you are allowed to continue typing right after you've entered an attack, and this is your connecting the attack.

There is one requirement in connecting, and That is DESCRIBING the amount of logical damage inflicted upon your opponent.

Be realistic, I implore, damage is dealt depending on your the character's weapon, where she is attacking, and how much force she has behind it. An undercut swing with a knife at the shoulder, will sever No Limbs- though gash the flesh.

A mallet ontop of the head, will probably knock someone unconcious, break their neck, or crush their skull.

Yes, that brings me to another point, You can kill someone in ONE SHOT, as long as legitimately you both decide on T2 (Since T1 is the Default Fighting Style).


[b][color="blue"]Tusk[/color][/b] [color="#000000"]grimaces when blood spattered his forehead, the Cleaver gouging into an artery just above the throat. [/color]

Notice how it didn't cut off her head, it makes a death far more interesting if it isn't instantaneous.

[color="#ffffff"]Defending -[/color]

This is the real deal, this determines whether a character lives for yet another attack. The requirements to Defend are exactly the same save for one, they are:

[color="#ffffff"]A -[/color] Describe how you evaded the blow, and [color="#ffffff"]B -[/color] If you choose to, Describe how you Counter-Attack (with the ATTACK requirements).

Counter attacking is very confusing, but very fluent, and very neat to simply watch... if two opponents are good T2'ers.

Ultimately, evading the blow is the most important part.

[b][color="#000000"]Esta[/color][/b][color="#000000"] twisted her body beneath the attack while falling onto her back [A], kicking her heel in front of her at Tusk's Knee [/color][b][color="#000000"].
[/color]
If you decide to counter attack, you may continue typing your connection directly afterward. If not, which is probably the smartest thing to do (less typing), then all the steps start over (whoever punches out their next phrase/attack first has the most advantage).

What a Fight should look like:
[b][color="#000000"]Tusk[/color][/b][color="#000000"] swings his arm across his chest [C], meat-cleaver in hand [/color][b][color="#000000"], toward Esta's collarbone [A].

[b]Esta[/color][/b][color="#000000"] twisted her body beneath the attack while falling onto her back [A], kicking her heel in front of her at Tusk's Knee [B].

[b]Tusk[/color][/b][color="#000000"] grimaces when blood spattered his forehead, the Cleaver gouging into an artery just above the throat.

[b]Esta[/color][/b][color="#ffffff"][color="#000000"] feels the bone buckle beneath her foot, dislodging the kneecap.
[/color]
[/color]Tusk, even though he wrote his Connection, missed - because Esta punched out her defense before hand. Esta's Connection was legitimate because Tusk didn't defend in that time frame.
[color="#000000"]
[/color][color="#ffffff"][color="#000000"]Lastly - I wrote that with above average flavor for the Default Speed, it all depends on how difficult the attack is. If a character swings at the side of your head, directly from left to right, you can easily *Crouches beneath the blade*.

Simple attacks and Defenses like this work if you are being gang-banged, 4 against 1, for example...

Yes, that's legal.

Any Questions? [/color]
[/color][/color][/font]

Edited August 25, 2010 by Thanatopic

[Totenkopf]

[quote name='Thanatopic' timestamp='1282700834' post='67004']
Any Questions?[/quote]

yeah, I have one - are Tusk and Esta fairies or somesuch?

[Thanatopic]

Whatever you need them to be

[Curiose]

..... UGH TEXT FIGHTING.
The bane of my existence.

Not to say that I am completely bashing it-- okay maybe I am-- I am not bashing, you, persay about posting techniques. It's simply that for... five years? I have roamed the internets and heard nothing but complaining.. and moaning.. and fruitless arguing coming from e-fighting.

Don't get me wrong; I've done it myself, but there's already a fighting system... why text fighting...?

I know: For RP reasons.

The latter version of speed fighting: Aka T2, RT2, and such, is what really boils my blood...

But kudos none the less for taking the time to write it out for others to read and understand and play fairly. : 3