Post by Admin on May 24, 2014 23:54:27 GMT
Combat System
On Together We Ride, we use a variation of the stat system of Fire Emblem. That is, there are a set of stats that grow along with your character, increasing their performance in battle and allowing them to tackle greater challenges. However, we did alter the way the system and stats work in order to make it more fitting for a forum roleplay and less reliance on dice rolls. Namely we reworked it so that there are no dicerolls; it really only comes down to your skill (unless one side has an immense advantage over the other).[PTabbedContent]
[PTab=Skill and Growth Points]
The changes that have been made have been the removal of the Random Number Generator and Growth rates, along with the removal of the Luck stat. The Luck stat has been replaced with Skill points. Skill points are essentially MP, and activated skills almost always have an SP cost in order to use them. This is to keep someone from constantly spamming skills such as Sol or Luna as there are no longer proc rates due to no RNG.
As for growth rates, they have been removed in favor of growth points. Every level, you get a certain amount of points that you are free to spend as you see fit on your stats. For a Trainee class (which will be elaborated on shortly), you get 3 points a level, except at level 5 and 10, where you get 4 points to spend freely. This carries over to your Base Class, which is 3 for every level with 4 points being awarded instead at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20. Once you have promoted, this growth is reduced from 3 points a level to 2 points a level, instead getting 3 points at levels 5, 10, 15, and 20, to spend as you see fit.
Additionally, based on what class you start as, you have a certain amount of points to build your starter stats. For a base class, you build your level 1 stats with 55 points. All of your stats are 0 until you invest in them. For a trainee class, same story but you have a 40 point pool. Why? Because you get 10 extra levels of stats that a base class doesn't, but you start off even weaker.
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[PTab=Leveling]
So how do you level up? Easy. Whenever you take part in a quest or event, at the end, you will be rewarded a certain amount of EXP. Once your total EXP hits 100, you level up. The EXP bar is always 100 and does not scale to higher amounts, though as you promote you may find yourself getting less EXP for easier quests than before. Once you level up, you simply assign the new points you have been given to your stats, no need to nag staff members to do it. It's quick, easy, and fluid.
So how do you promote? Well, for Trainees, simply survive to Level 10. You will automatically promote into either class of your choice and will be given 10 extra points to do as you see fit. If you are promoting from Base Class to Promoted Class, simply level up to 21. You will automatically promote to your new class, resetting a Level 1 with 15 new points to do as you please. Your stats will not reset upon promotion.
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[PTab=Classes]
As mentioned, there are Trainee, Base, and Promoted classes. Trainee classes are the weakest of the bunch, and most people actually start out in Base instead of Trainee simply due to hassle. Trainees have the potential to become the strongest characters, and have excellent skills. However, they are exceedingly vulnerable, and special care must be taken to keep from dying. However, if you can make it through to Base Class, they come out stronger than a character would be at just starting at Base Class. Except for when playing the Jagen role (the advisor to the respective nation's lord, usually ends up weaker than everyone), one cannot start out pre-promoted.
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[PTab=Stats]
Also mentioned earlier is the existence of stats. On Together We Ride, there are 8 stats. Each stat has a different function, and their maximum value is determined by the class except for HP and SP, whose maximum values, that is, caps, are always 60, barring HP and SP boosting items. If you are curious for what the stat caps of a particular class are, go look at that class in the thread containing class informations. However, the stats are;
HEALTH POINTS: HP, self explanatory.
SKILL POINTS: SP, used up when using skills.
STRENGTH: STR, how physically strong your character is and how much physical damage they can do.
MAGIC: MAG, how much magical damage your character can do.
SKILL: SKL, could also be seen as dexterity. Higher skills allows for more complex actions.
SPEED: SPD, could also be seen as agility. How fast your character can perform certain actions.
DEFENSE: DEF, is used in determining physical damage. A higher value means less damage.
RESISTANCE: RES, is used in determing magical damage. A higher value means less damage.
When in battle; stats can come in handy but so can your head. Stats can determine how much damage is done. This is actually determined in a rather simple formula that even you, the player can judge, without need for staff intervention.
ATTACKING STAT (STR OR MAG) + MIGHT OF EQUIPPED WEAPON - ENEMY'S DEF OR RES = DAMAGE DEALT
Negative values are just no damage. In the events of unarmed combat, that is combat without a weapon, the formula just becomes this. Note that one cannot engage in unarmed magical combat.
STRENGTH STAT - ENEMY'S DEFENSE STAT = DAMAGE DEALT
However, when two opponents are close, stats will often likely cease to matter, and it'll be up to your wit if you want to come out on top. That said, there are cases where stats can confer a "Decisive Advantage." That is, when a stat has such a large lead on another, it becomes clear that the one with the lead has a much bigger advantage and would very likely win in a comparison of those two stats. For example, someone with a Decisive Advantage in strength would be able to very easily physically overpower their opponent in say, a deadlock, while a Decisive Advantage in speed would make dodging much easier. A Decisive Advantage is obtained when one has a stat that exceeds their opponent's stat by 5 points. I.E. Player 1 has 15 SPD while Player 2 has 10 SPD.
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[PTab=weapons]
Weapon Proficiencies also play a large part in the system. While some could say it's a measurement of skill with a particular weapon, and indeed that's actually quite true in terms of flavor, it's more a requirement for practical reasons concerning weapons. What it does it limit the weapons of a certain type you can use. For example, if you wish to use Iron Weapons, you must have a rank of D in whatever weapon proficiency the weapon you want to use falls under. There are 6 levels; E, D, C, B, A, S. How do you level up these weapon proficiencies? Well, if your class can use them; then simply use them in things like quests. You'll get Weapon EXP which will eventually cause a level up. Just keep at it.
However, another factor could also be the Weapon Triangle. In the worlds of Fire Emblem, there are two "triangles" of war that any good commander should be aware of. Indeed, even those on foot should know what is advantageous against what in order to best react to a situation. It is a common practice of war to pit your men against those they are strong against to avoid casualties.
This leads us to the first of the two triangles: The Weapon Triangle. Among weapons that deal physical damage, the three that make up the Weapon Triangle are the Sword, Axe, and Lance. The Sword is capable of weaving around the Axe's broad swings to land a hit, the Axe can smash the shaft of a Lance in one swing, and the Lance can strike from out of the Sword's reach. To put it in layman's terms, Sword beats Axe, Axe beats Lance, and Lance beats Sword. This is not a one-hundred percent fool-proof law of the universe, but it's tried and true and better to act in accordance with it than against it.
So, what does obeying the Weapon Triangle do for you? Why should you bother fighting smart instead of just charging in with an oversized sword and win at everything? Every weapon has something called "Might", or Mt for short. This is how powerful the weapon is on its own before you factor in your own Strength for damage. As well, every warrior has a "Skill" stat, representing how skilled they are and how complex they can get with their maneuvers. When you are on the winning side of the Weapon Triangle, meaning you are wielding a weapon advantageous against the type your opponent is wielding, you get +1 to your Might and +2 to your Skill. The opposite is true if you are on the weak end of the Triangle, meaning you wield a weapon your opponent's weapon is strong against. In that case, you get -1 to your Might and -2 to your Skill.
The second Triangle is known as the "Trinity of Magic". Here we have Light, Dark, and Anima magic as the three components. Light beats Dark, Dark beats Anima, and Anima beats Light. In terms of functionality, it works the exact same as the Weapon Triangle. Meaning if you wield Anima Magic against Light Magic, +1 Might and +2 Skill for Anima and -1 Might and -2 Skill for Light, and so on and so forth.
Now, it's important to note that the two triangles don't interact. Meaning if you wield Anima Magic against a Sword, no bonuses for anybody because the two don't interact like that. As well, if you wield a weapon type against itself, such as a sword against a sword, no bonuses.
There is an exception to "weapons of the same type" giving no bonus. Within the Trinity of Magic, there's technically a third triangle self-contained within the Anima branch of magic. It is not the widely taught triangle though since only those who wield Anima magic need to worry about it. Within Anima Magic there are three categories of magic: Fire, Wind, and Thunder (which Mages commonly debate should be renamed Lightning). Same rules apply with this triangle, where Fire beats Wind, Wind beats Thunder, and Thunder beats Fire.
In both the Weapon and Magic sections there's technically a fourth member, but in both cases they do not interact with the triangle at all. For physical weapons it is the Bow, a ranged weapon that excels at shooting down flying targets. While the Bow does not get a bonus against any physical weapon, receive the +1 Might and +2 Skill when fighting against enemies of the flying classification (meaning things like Pegasus Knight or Wyvern Rider).
For magic, the fourth member is the Staff, which has no direct offensive effect and is typically used for healing. As a result of that, it has no bonus against anybody but provides a unique effect that no other weapon can do. Manaketes, Taguels, and Laguz have no role in any triangles.
With all this in mind, it's probably pretty confusing. But don't worry, you'll figure it out as you go along. That's how most people new to Fire Emblem learn.[/PTab]
[PTab=Proficiencies]
Backtracking a bit, we talked about Weapon Experience and Proficiencies. What Proficiency does a character start at, how do you govern it, and when do you know when you rank up? It's simple really.
If you are a base class (meaning not-Trainee) that is a primary for your country (or in the "both" category), you start off with Proficiency at D-rank, and any others you may have somehow at E-Rank proficiency. For example, if you are a Cavalier in Aselia, you will start with either Sword or Lance at D-rank, and the other at E-rank. For those with one proficiency as a base class (See: Pretty much every other), then you get your one proficiency at D-rank.
If you are a base class that is not a primary for your country or in the "both" category, then you start off with E-rank in whatever proficiencies you have. This is due to a lack of proper training for your fighting style in your given country. Cavaliers are less common in Termacia due to the more mountainous terrain, so it is less common to fight on horse-back, and a Knight in Aselia would not have the same training as one in Termacia.
If you are a trainee class, you start at E-rank proficiency regardless. Pretty simple, yeah?
When you gain new proficiencies, such as through the acquisition of a skill or promoting into a new class, what rank you start at is based on what you had before. If you gain a new proficiency that is within the triangle you already use (such as a weapon-user getting a new weapon proficiency), you start at D-rank proficiency. If you gain a new proficiency in a triangle you do not use (such as a weapon user gaining use of a tome), you start at E-rank proficiency.
Now, as far as Weapon Experience goes, we can't really measure it based on how many times you swung a sword. That would be far too easily abused in this format. So instead, for every combat you use a weapon in, you gain 5 weapon experience with that weapon. This means for each complete fight, in a quest or event, rather than a simple one-two swing with your buddy. Weapon Experience will be given along with regular experience at the end of whatever quest/event/whathaveyou that you were in.
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