Guidebook: Clash Of Titans

[Mister Karma]

So, for those who remember Fractured Ascendancy and its world, you can probably recall that the world felt a bit restricted and small. Players were beholden to the city of New Haven and its surrounding areas, and a couple of planes of existence like Heaven and Hell. There was also an overarcing storyline that, once everything got involved and all the dots connected, just created a huge jumbled image that made no sense. A lot of that has changed from the old setup to feel a bit more broad to players, giving you more opportunity to explore and feel more like you are roleplaying in a more immersive, expansive and lively world. There's that buzzword that everybody loves: freedom! Yes, you get a bunch more freedom this time around, with three different cities to freely explore and territory in the outskirts to claim as your own!

This guidebook will help new and veteran RP'ers alike become familiar with the gritty take on Southern Massachusetts and its many locations, as well as learn the age-old ways of text-based roleplay. We've even added a few new mechanics to the system, changing up how to approach RP quests, storylines and PVP, and keep the board interesting for all players to enjoy. We'll go over combat, the world map (which will be ever expanding as time goes on), quests, overarching plots, and the main canon, among other elements. Training is also offered by Administration to help sharpen your skills and to ease you into the method of text-based roleplaying.
Without further ado, welcome to the Clash of Titans guidebook!

[Mister Karma]

CONTENTS:
I. Roleplay
II. Clash of Titans: Mechanics
III. PVP
IV. Profile Blueprint
V. Map
VI. Outro

[Mister Karma]

I. Roleplay

Pen and paper roleplay has been a tradition among gamers and writers alike since the invention of Dungeons and Dragons. A lot of interesting things go into text-based roleplaying, like character building, world building, co-writing a major story with friends, and well, much more. This section will cover the basics of text-based roleplay.

A roleplay, or RP for short, is a thread where one, two, or more players congregate to weave a complex and interesting story. Usually, the maximum players in a single story would be four. Turn order would go as follows:
-Thread creator
-Second writer
-Third writer
-Fourth writer
-Thread creator

If, for whatever reason, one or more players cannot partake in an RP that they have decided to join in on (we all have real life obligations, after all!), you are more than welcome to give permission to the remaining players to puppeteer the characters, or to write them out of the story sensibly.

Is there cheating in text-based roleplay? Technically, yes, just like there's cheating in Grand Theft Auto 5. It's an honor system that RP is based around, and anything that breaches this honor system is known as a godmod. Godmodding is a type of out of character cheat that gives the offending player unfair leverage over other players in any given story or fight, which can ruin the experience for everyone involved. There are many different types of godmods to look out for.

- PUPPETEERING: Unauthorized use of another player’ character without permission, to change up the game in one single player’s favor.
- SHIFTING: The act of moving without explaining how it happened, ie, “Robert stood in the corner of the room” (one post later) “’That is amazing!’ Robert exclaimed from near the doorway.”
- POLTERGEISTING: Running through walls and obstacles as if they had not existed, without backing it up in a reasonable explanation.
- BAGHDAD BOBBITS: Let me use a ridiculous example. You summon a nuclear bomb that explodes the second it is summoned, killing everyone in the process, and making yourself the winner, unharmed, without a reasonable explanation. Generally, this is not allowed. At all.
- AUTO HITTING: Unless otherwise discussed with other players in a quest, this is frowned upon in PVP. Auto-hitting is when an attack hits an opponent player without the other player’s consent or acknowledgment to the attack, ie “Robert swung at Jimmy, blasting him in the nose.” This is not allowed in PVP, and only allowed in special occasions in story RP’s, if discussed among players involved in the RP.
- METAGAMING: Using OOC knowledge IC to give yourself an advantage, without a reasonable explanation. Another ridiculous example to use: before even knowing your newest person you’re RP’ing with, you know everything about them, that they are allergic to tuna, that their weak point is just two degrees left of the groin, and that they frequent bowling every Friday night after work. Unless your character is socially awkward and a try hard in reading other people, this is a huge no-no.

Let me list off a couple more things here in regards to godmodding in a PVP match.

- There is no set limit to a number of attacks you can have in a single turn, but it is recommended you execute your amount of attacks wisely, and reasonably.
- Altering the scenery in any way you can think of is allowed, so long as it is written well, respectable and within proper limits.

Godmodding in any way is met with ejection of a player from an RP.

[Mister Karma]

II. Clash of Titans: Mechanics

A. Territorial Claim

Throughout Anarchist Massachusetts, there are territories to claim. Some are uncharted, while others are already claimed by bandits, gang members, guilds and other groups. Territory is usually found outside of the major cities, and consists of rural areas such as farmland, old structures, wooded areas, lakes, ponds, plains and much more. Claiming charted territory is easy, on paper--infiltrate the area, fight the owner however you see fit (bonus points for stealth takeovers!), and claim the area as your own. Skill points are awarded to players who are successful in taking claimed territory for themselves. Each type of territory has a set skill point worth, anywhere between 1000 to ten-thousand. I wasn't kidding about the bonus points, either! Special actions or methods may merit additional skillpoints, with the maximum bonus being 1000. Try your best when performing a hostile takeover!

Uncharted territory is even easier to claim. These areas will be marked with a shade of gray and will have a set price in skill points to purchase with. Purchasing territory, however, is more expensive than simply taking it from a previous owner. Prices may range anywhere from ten-thousand and beyond, so keep your wits about you when going for a territorial claim.

When claiming territory, you are leaving your mark as either a solo player or as a guild, on the world. This in no way affects the overarching canons that may be in place. However, you are at the freedom of incorporating these territorial claims into your own personal canons. Makes it more fun that way, anyway! Territories can be used by yourself or by your guild as a base of operations, or as a means to spread your influence over the world. Try to claim as much as you can!

B. Guilds

Guilds are abundant in the state of Massachusetts this day and age. After the fall of ANGEL and the rise of vigilante gangs in New Haven, the reign of Anarchy had never seemed more apparent and other cities began to follow suit. By default, guilds are received by the general public with mixed reactions. Some guilds fight for the justice and safety of the people, while others fight for their own gain no matter the cost. Others still will simply cause pain and chaos for the people, whether there is money in the matter or not--power and control are all that matters. No matter what, however, guilds are the cornerstone for running Massachusetts. The days of oligarchy throughout the state are long over.

There are a total of nine known guilds, some big and some small, that now run the state. Each guild has its own means to fight towards, and each guild has its own means to join. You are at the very freedom to try joining these guilds, but only after certain criteria have been met. Some guilds will just randomly take you if they so feel!

(insert application for certain pre-existing guilds here)

On the flipside, players are also at the very freedom to form their own guilds. This is much harder but if done correctly, the reward can be much more worthwhile! In order to form your own guild, you may do any of the following. The easiest way would be to partake in an RP for up to two pages, with ten non-consecutive posts, with another player. Another option is to try and claim land with one or more people as a base of operations. Afterward, whoever the guild leader may be may use the application below to apply for their new guild. These must be submitted to a member of administration for approval. Once approved, the guildmaster may officiate their new guild with a launch RP to commemorate their victory.

(insert application for forming a new guild here)

New guilds have a chance to be added into the guild list over time by accomplishing feats and making overall changes to the world as time goes on. Work at it to leave the deepest impact you can on the world!

C. Skill Points & Rank

A type of experience-point system based on player performance, skill points can be used to improve the player's overall experience on Clash of Titans. Anything from purchasing new weapons and skills and vehicles to specific characters, to expanding guilds or purchasing unclaimed territory--that is what skill points may be used for. Skill points are awarded to the individual roleplayer, and not to any of the characters being played.

Earning skill points can be done through a number of different ways. The most common means of earning skill points is by completing RP's, whether they are part of the main story or a player's own individual canon. Other ways include claiming owned territory, winning PVP battles, completing guild quests, and many more. All means will be actively listed here as time goes on.

Rank allows players access to rented abilities that are presented at the beginning of each quest. You can rent up to three abilities of that level, providing your rank matches it, at a small amount of SP. For example, if we provide you with a choice of Increased Agility, Higher Focus, Resilience Against (Element), (Element) Strength Increase or Increased Strength, each priced at 50SP for rent, you may spend 150SP to rent out each one. However, purchasing each one for permanent use will require a much higher price. So keep this in mind as you are about to embark on quests. The higher your rank is, the more powerful and useful skills you will be provided with. However, the more powerful they are, the more expensive they will be. Make sure you have a good bank of SP as you progress through the ranks!

1. Skill Points Earned and How Many Given

Skill points are awarded either at the end of quests, PVP matches or at the end of any RP's played by players. Let's start with RP threads first. For every five pages you write in a single RP thread, you earn 50SP per participating player. When the RP comes to an end, each player involved earns 100SP.

Quests have a set SP reward at the beginning of each. The rewards can range from 1000SP to the tens of thousands, depending on difficulty. Bonus SP in quests are also awarded to players who complete bonus objectives. Quests are the single best way to rack up large sums of SP throughout Clash of Titans.

PVP Matches, if judged, will yield SP for both the victor and the loser. However, the victor will gain three times as much SP as the loser will. The set value for SP awarded through PVP is 500.

2. Skill Points and Rank

When you hit a certain number of SP, you may trade that value in for a Rank Up. So far, here is what we have for SP and the Rank you may achieve:

Rank 2: 3000SP
Rank 3: 7000SP
Rank 4: 10000SP
Rank 5: 12000SP

The list will be updated as more ranks are progressed.

D. Canon vs Noncanon

All players are more than welcome to write whatever stories they wish. Once you sign onto the site, just make your character, post it in your character thread and get roleplaying! Bear in mind you're free to make your own canons (which will be considered noncanon to the main arc), but if you wish to participate in the main canon, there are a few rules that should be kept in mind.

1. Canon, the Main Arc

When participating in the main arc with your character, keep in mind that you cannot RP that same character in any other canon RP at any given time until your character's role in that current RP is done. Just for an example, you don't see Goku fighting Frieza and Cell at the same time on two different planets, do you? That just wouldn't make any sense. When participating in noncanon stories--stories of your or other players' creation--they can appear at any time in other threads at your discretion. Just try not to shift timelines when participating in the main overarching story.

Events that occur in the main canon will have permanent effects on the world at large.

2. Canon, Region Exclusive Canons

Each region will feature canons exclusive to their locations. New Haven, for example, might be dealing with a plague while the main arc happens. These arcs may or may not affect the overall storyline. You're more than welcome to participate in one region exclusive canon at a time.

Region exclusive canons will affect the immediate region and cities in which they take place.

3. Noncanon

As mentioned above, players are at the very freedom to participate in as many noncanon arcs as possible. Any affects from canon arcs may be ignored at your pleasure.

[Mister Karma]

III. PVP

PVP, or Player Versus Player, is a unique twist on traditional RP’ing. If you have played other text based RP’s that offer PVP, you will note right away that this one is much different in the ways of battle. For starters, we do not use numbers to measure our general parameters. That is up to you, the user, how these parameters work with your character. Secondly, you can choose to have an official match, wherein you ask one of the staff to set up a match for you and judge it within two weeks, or you can just choose to PVP by yourselves with another player. We try to keep the PVP as lightly moderated as possible so that you are free to play how you see fit, within reasonable limits. This does not mean we completely ignore it, however, so please keep that in mind.

How PVP works is simple. It is just like regular RP’ing, except the goal here is to defeat your opponent in an engaging battle of skill, wits and power. When I say the word “engaging,” I mean well-written for the reader, and interesting for the combatants.

Different types of attacks not only include your basic combat skills, such as hand to hand, swordplay or gunplay (maybe all three if you really want to test some theories in combo-making), they also include special techniques such as an energy wave or a fireball. These special types of attacks can go on a number of tiers depending on the power used, but you are also best with adding a finisher into your skills list as well.

Tournaments are special occasions, and a very exciting time to test your skills against other players! Recognition is not only earned through a special title either earned through enough victories or, under special circumstances, granted by admin, it is also earned through prizes such as artifacts, special weapons, or a unique attack made by admin specifically for your character! Any time a tournament comes up, be sure to sign up and give it a shot!

A. Godmodding

Godmodding, is an act in which a player, for lack of a better term, cheats. There are many different types of godmodding. Check out Section I of the guide for more information on godmodding.

B. Skills

You are allowed to use a wide array of skills at your disposal when creating your profile. Any skill you can think of that you wish to use, however, must be listed in your profile, otherwise you cannot use it. Some examples of skill types are listed below.

Basic and Elemental Skills: Anything that ties with your weapon, usable element(s), or your own body and fighting style is a basic skill you can use. They can turn your sword into a frosty dagger with a frostbite after-effect, or be a simple ball of fire launched at your opponent, or a special kind of swordplay technique you have managed to use prior to your character’s initial creation on FA.

Summons: A summon is a technique that involves a little bit of a down-time in battle, usually a chant or process done to summon a great deity to your character’s aid. Summons are meant not only to serve as a secondary ally to your character in battle, but also as a means of distraction for your opponent to earn you some strategic time. Be aware that a summon can only last for a set amount of time, so be sure to include the number of turns or time limit your summon can be out for, and the number of times it can be used in a single battle!

Finishers: As the name implies, the most powerful technique you have on your skills list that is recommended you use last, unless you have a surefire way to win your battle or heavily change the tides midway through with its use! These kinds of techniques usually drain your character of his or her aura the most, so be very careful when using these techniques.
With mod or admin approval, however, you may also use an ultimate finisher, which always has a set amount of time to charge. Upon execution, this kind of technique kills the user, along with everyone else on the field. Once again, a mod or admin must approve of this sort of skill usage.

Some examples of handling normal finishers include…

- An X-amount of turns charge, and an unleash
- Different phases in relation to its power, Part 1, a charge, Part 2, Unleashing, Part 3, The Climax of the attack, and Part 4, the dust settles.
- Building up and chaining gradually more powerful attacks until your finishing move is executed as a result of each successful hit

After your bio is created and your skills are sorted out, any additional skills you wish to add to your character can only be added through “skill acquisitions,” done in story RP’s, whether they are part of the main canon or your character's personal canon. In some special cases, you may also be awarded these new skills through a tournament or exhibition victory. These may be added to your bio without any other explanation other than "He/She won it in The Battle of Neo Lexington III Tournament."

[Mister Karma]

IV. Character Creation

Characters can be made with any application setup you wish, so long as they are submitted into the Sign In section of the forums.

Below is the CoT application for your character. Think of it as a guideline if you ever wish to create your own application blueprint, though you are at the very freedom to use this one!

FULL NAME:

NICKNAMES:

SEX:

AGE:

AGE RESEMBLANCE:

RACE:

OCCUPATION:

GUILD (IF APPLICABLE):

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION (OPTIONAL):

APPEARANCE:

HEIGHT:

WEIGHT:

ITEMS:

WEAPONS:

ELEMENTS:

TECHNIQUES:

HISTORY:

This is the barebones minimum version of the profile blueprint, in case there are certain aspects of your character you wish to flesh out through RP before committing to certain traits.

FULL NAME:

SEX:

AGE:

AGE RESEMBLANCE:

RACE:

APPEARANCE:

HEIGHT:

WEIGHT:

ITEMS:

WEAPONS:

ELEMENTS:

TECHNIQUES:

All characters, once created, can be submitted into the Sign In forum for staff to review. Players can RP more than one character at any time on Clash of Titans. That being said, any new characters that you create should go in the same thread as your first character.

[Mister Karma]

V. MAP



Courtesy of EightTailFox