Post by Hez on Mar 30, 2015 9:54:02 GMT -5
Lesson 109: Staged Combat
So as many of you know, I’m a big proponent of RP logic > PvP skill as a means to determine the outcomes of fights. Not everybody knows this, but when you begin a duel with someone, you can instantly forfeit said duel by typing /stuck into the console. This can be a useful narrative tool if you want something to look cool. Say, for instance, you’re having an argument with someone who’s a bounty hunter class. You mouth off to him, the BH activates his rocket punch ability at the same time as you type /stuck, and it looks like you just got knocked the F out, possibly died. For some reason the visual effect is different in and out of strongholds, too, so test it out for yourself. We haven’t done much choreographed dueling yet, but it can be a great visual way to tell the tale, especially if your audience turns their nameplates off and/or someone’s recording.
Sometimes there’s too much going on in RP to keep up with all the info flying around, and you need to incapacitate your toon to pay attention. While most of us tend to just get drunk and pass out (RP or otherwise), another way is to set up a friendly rivalry where two friends box each other, then carefully prop the defeated one up against a table. Adorable, right?
Real-life fact about me: I grew up a wrestling dork. I still am, to a certain extent, but being the crotchety old man I am, ‘It ain’t like it used to be’, and so forth. This might seem an odd comparison to some of you, but I think good RP has a lot in common with pro wrestling. It involves a mixture of planning and improvisation, compelling characters, long storylines, and a lot of work to pull off properly. I could honestly go on and on. I don’t watch it anymore (except attending the occasional NXT event in my hometown, big ups to the Vaudevillains), but I read this column religiously. Yes, I was a WCW nerd, though I came in after the heyday and always did appreciate WWF as well.
Last bit: handle character death carefully. There’ll be more on this subject in the future.
Good afternoon, class, and welcome to the Outpost. We’re here today to utilize this space as a sparring area for today’s lecture. Now, before you get too excited, let me explain: this is a staged combat training lecture.
Yes, I know. Some of you are disappointed. Did you really expect me to suddenly reverse our stance on violence and interference? Although we may need more combat-intensive courses in the future, frankly, I don’t think we’re quite ready for that yet. We do, however, occasionally come into conflict with outside parties, as you no doubt have noticed. We can, however, use this unwanted attention to our advantage as a means to gain more intelligence.
Many of us in our off-duty hours tend to gravitate towards centers of life. Cantinas, casinos, whatever the case may be. They’re a good place to pick up information, there’s no denying that. However, become too frequent a visitor and your presence will be noticed. In order to recover from this disadvantage, sometimes you have to take a fall. When a person is unconscious or otherwise disabled, most of the time they tend to fade into the background. This provides an ideal opportunity when you’re not actually unconscious. When nobody thinks you’re listening, that’s when you get the best intel. And if you can successfully feign unconsciousness, that takes away the burden of having to respond verbally. You can place more of your attention on listening without distraction.
We’re going to pair off and practice some maneuvers that’ll have you appear to render your training partner unconscious without actually hurting them too badly. I’ll continue speaking as you practice.
In some extreme situations, you may even need to learn to feign death or serious injury. Use caution when considering such a course of action...Nice swing, Violet...It works better in places you’re certain you’ll never need to be again, or when using a false identity. Be sure to avoid making your ‘death’ overly melodramatic, or it will ring false. ...Ouch, Thayta, that looks like it hurt...And be sure your opponent doesn’t have the means to verify your vitals accurately. Again…as an official representative of this school, you are not to participate in such activities while on duty without approval.
Alright, class, I think you get the idea. And if I don’t separate some of you we might have an actual brawl on our hands. Class dismissed.
Yes, I know. Some of you are disappointed. Did you really expect me to suddenly reverse our stance on violence and interference? Although we may need more combat-intensive courses in the future, frankly, I don’t think we’re quite ready for that yet. We do, however, occasionally come into conflict with outside parties, as you no doubt have noticed. We can, however, use this unwanted attention to our advantage as a means to gain more intelligence.
Many of us in our off-duty hours tend to gravitate towards centers of life. Cantinas, casinos, whatever the case may be. They’re a good place to pick up information, there’s no denying that. However, become too frequent a visitor and your presence will be noticed. In order to recover from this disadvantage, sometimes you have to take a fall. When a person is unconscious or otherwise disabled, most of the time they tend to fade into the background. This provides an ideal opportunity when you’re not actually unconscious. When nobody thinks you’re listening, that’s when you get the best intel. And if you can successfully feign unconsciousness, that takes away the burden of having to respond verbally. You can place more of your attention on listening without distraction.
We’re going to pair off and practice some maneuvers that’ll have you appear to render your training partner unconscious without actually hurting them too badly. I’ll continue speaking as you practice.
In some extreme situations, you may even need to learn to feign death or serious injury. Use caution when considering such a course of action...Nice swing, Violet...It works better in places you’re certain you’ll never need to be again, or when using a false identity. Be sure to avoid making your ‘death’ overly melodramatic, or it will ring false. ...Ouch, Thayta, that looks like it hurt...And be sure your opponent doesn’t have the means to verify your vitals accurately. Again…as an official representative of this school, you are not to participate in such activities while on duty without approval.
Alright, class, I think you get the idea. And if I don’t separate some of you we might have an actual brawl on our hands. Class dismissed.
So as many of you know, I’m a big proponent of RP logic > PvP skill as a means to determine the outcomes of fights. Not everybody knows this, but when you begin a duel with someone, you can instantly forfeit said duel by typing /stuck into the console. This can be a useful narrative tool if you want something to look cool. Say, for instance, you’re having an argument with someone who’s a bounty hunter class. You mouth off to him, the BH activates his rocket punch ability at the same time as you type /stuck, and it looks like you just got knocked the F out, possibly died. For some reason the visual effect is different in and out of strongholds, too, so test it out for yourself. We haven’t done much choreographed dueling yet, but it can be a great visual way to tell the tale, especially if your audience turns their nameplates off and/or someone’s recording.
Sometimes there’s too much going on in RP to keep up with all the info flying around, and you need to incapacitate your toon to pay attention. While most of us tend to just get drunk and pass out (RP or otherwise), another way is to set up a friendly rivalry where two friends box each other, then carefully prop the defeated one up against a table. Adorable, right?
Real-life fact about me: I grew up a wrestling dork. I still am, to a certain extent, but being the crotchety old man I am, ‘It ain’t like it used to be’, and so forth. This might seem an odd comparison to some of you, but I think good RP has a lot in common with pro wrestling. It involves a mixture of planning and improvisation, compelling characters, long storylines, and a lot of work to pull off properly. I could honestly go on and on. I don’t watch it anymore (except attending the occasional NXT event in my hometown, big ups to the Vaudevillains), but I read this column religiously. Yes, I was a WCW nerd, though I came in after the heyday and always did appreciate WWF as well.
Last bit: handle character death carefully. There’ll be more on this subject in the future.