Role Playing fighting and/or the /challenge

[miomo]

Sorry if this the wrong forum, or has already been discussed (I searched).

I enjoy the role play aspects of PlaneShift, but I have not done very much player fighting. I'm trying to come to terms with how I should go about fighting in order to do so in agreement with the other player, and yet still have some possible chance for success. I've asked this of others, but I think a variety of opinions will help to shape mine.

Initially, I thought that I should be using the in-game mechanics, and doing a /challenge. If this is the right way to do things, then it seems to me one cannot have a serious character until several months of rigorous training, not role playing. On the other hand, doing things this way seems to break the setting a bit. My approximately 30 year old character with level 30 RW can barely singe an unarmed and unarmored teenager, who can knock me unconcious with one punch.

Then I hear of another character, that has only been around for three days I think, and was able to severely injure one character, kill another, and almost kill a third, all in role play and not using /challenge.

So I guess I'm asking when is it appropriate to /challenge? When should we just be role playing the situation? What should we be doing to ensure we get and keep the respect of the other player in the process?

[Lorepius]

If you're still weak:

There's the /roll 6 system:
Attacker does an action (ex. Ezus attempts to stab Xitop in the stomach). Both players /roll 6. If the attacker has a higher number than the defender, the attacker hits, and the defender is dead (in other versions, the difference between the two numbers shows how serious the injury is). If the defender gets a higher number the defender dodges the attack, and it is the defender's turn, and so on. The person that wins must perform a badass finishing move (ex. Ezus throws Xitop into the air with a spell, then impales him with his sword, that started to burn. Xitop burns to ashes.)

There's the /roll 100 system:
Attacker chooses pairs or non-pairs. Fighters decide how many lives everyone has. One player /rolls 100, and if the attacker chose pairs, and the number 2 is rolled, the atacker performs an action and the defender looses a life. Who looses all of his/her lifes first looses the fight, and the winner performs a badass finishing move.

It's up to you if you choose to use /challenge. I preffer to use rp combat so everyone has a chance.

Also, the person you heared killed a person and almost killed two more was Psrk. He was using a completely fair rp combat system. All he had was luck.

[Bamko]

In the really old days, people used die rolls to add combat.  Then the Devs made actual mechanics to make it work.  One can debate if it is fair, or fun, but fact is, it is ingame already.  Sure, Some magic is weaker in Duels, and that may (or may not) be addresses someday, but fact is, if you train for a month IRL on being a juggler, you will probably not be able to defeat Someone who can bench press a truck and knows how to fight a little IRL either.  So if you can not wipe the mat with someone, I suggest not fighting them.  RP someone whose attitude matches their skills, or get used to losing a lot.  I have a low level alt who acts like he is tough, but is easily defeated, and that is RP also.

We do not all have to be Gandalf meets Zeus.  Not to many years ago we would Duel each other and see how we compare.  Some may have higher numbers, but others would be better at the actual fighting. 

I do not think we should toss out the mechanics for die rolls.  You can do that in an IRC room and not even need a gui.   

If you find a group that likes to do that, more power to you, but I will Duel if RP makes sense to do so, and win or lose based on skills, my own and my character's.


Btw, there used to be rules for playing card games and such in the tavern... People still doing that? 

[Sangwa]

The way I see things, RP in PS is always about agreement. You tell the other player you intend to challenge him, then you both agree on the way to settle the score. This certainly causes consistency problems, but it solves an important one: grief. If someone doesn't play like you like it, you just ignore them and nothing bad comes out of it.

In my case, I stick to game mechanics: /challenge all the way. The players who spend days grinding should be rewarded for doing it. And it's not against roleplaying: it's pretty consistent that someone who spends his days training beats someone who spends his days chatting around. That's why Gartheiz rarely engages in battles and why he has been beaten up whenever he was challenged (once, against a rogue dermorian).

[novacadian]

Sorry if this the wrong forum, or has already been discussed (I searched).

You might find this thread of interest. It mostly discusses the use of dice.

- Nova

[Tessra]

* Tessra makes a mental note to challenge Gartheiz every time she sees him until he accepts or she is smitten as a nuisance.

That said... all the people I have RPd with have been willing to go either way, depending on what I was more comfortable with.  People are nice enough, don't be afraid to ask them, or tell them what you are more comfortable with.

[Elkarway]

The only dueling I do is where the person with the longest title win.  "Emperor Khado Greenmoon, head of the house Greenmoon, acting Dawn Overlord" 

[Candy]

I have two words for you people:

Pudding wrestling.

[Tessra]

* Tessra puddingwrestles Monala, or her really cute brother, whichever one shows up first. 

[potare]

lol, ahh Tessra