Forum Dueling Basics - And I Thought This Wasn't Possible

Authors Note: This was originally written in May of 2009, but I never posted it. So, here it is in all its glory.

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Funny thing happened yesterday. I thought it'd be amusing to join a Newb Duel Tourney on RPFF, since it was open to everyone. I submitted a character that I've had for a while through a sign up, spent all of fifteen minutes writing up the backstory I hadn't bothered to put down on a page -- and then was summarily told it was a good character, but the weapons had to go. I asked why, and it was called over-powering. I thought about this, started an asinine argument on my own part. Thought the whole of the world had become more retarded than it already is, but came to a realization.

I can understand where the judges are coming from, in their rejection. They believe that simply by having a weapon it will be used no matter what. A stupid assumption if you ask me, but an assumption somewhat valid by their own train of thought. The character I had created was designed for a futuristic world where the weapons he was equiped with were commonplace things, and having them was the line between surviving and dying. The argument raged, and I finally decided it wasn't worthwhile, even though I was still angry. So I re-thought parts of the argument, turned it over again and again in my mind. I found problems with the reasoning of both myself and the judges. I could poke holes forever in either part, but it wouldn't change the outcome.

But a new thought hit me. Throughout the whole of the argument I was told my character was over-powered. Over-powered by the standards of the tourney they were creating. But yet, it was an under-powered character in a different climate of duel. So, it struck me: there is no such thing as an over-powered character, and there never will be. There is only the over-powering actions of the duelist or RPer in the match itself, since you can easily supe up a character in a match to give it that extra edge, and that's what a lot of over-powering duelists do.

I can understand where the judges are coming from, but I realized that there are no such things as over-powered characters, since a character is designed with that power in mind to take on a specific challenge. The challenge is created by the author of the character to make the power necessary. The problem of "over-powering" arises not from the character, but the duelist or RPer boosting the power already there DURING the match, not before it. That's what the judges don't see. They see that because a character has missiles on him, that he'll use them instantly and begin firing them off at the opponent. They don't see that a missile against a person is a massive waste of munitions, since a missile isn't designed for solitary humanoid targets.

Now, back to the sign up method, I have believed for a long time, and still believe, that it is a poor method for gauging a persons writing ability, and an even poorer method still for gauging a characters power level, since those levels, and abilities, can sometimes change while in a duel itself. Asking for as much detail as possible calls on the honor system, and while many will list numerous abilities, there are many more that aren't listed, and yet even more that just randomly show up in the match itself that were never accounted for at the beginning of the match.

Which brings me back to my original point that it is not the characters that are over-powered, it is simply the fact that in the match itself the circumstances change. People don't want to see their characters hurt, harmed or otherwise touched. They want to see the character come through the match looking just as pristine and wonderful as it did at the beginning. That's where the problem comes in. The duelist increases the power as they see necessary to make certain that said character isn't harmed.

RAOS - Edge of the Seat

The slide is pulled back. It flows forward, taking a round from the magazine and moving it into the chamber. The trigger depresses, activating the striker. Instantaneous pressure causes the ignition of the primer that burns up the gunpowder in a flash. The quick-burning reaction creates an overpressure that shoots the bullet through the barrel while simultaneously moving the slide back to eject the casing to reload another round...

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A card table was flipped over onto its side sending chips and cards cascading through the air. The airborne debris fell faster and in lower than normal. Large, angry men rushed a lone red-haired figure hanging on desperately to a look of smug satisfaction that could almost be a grimace. Pained, Wolfe spared little thought to the table he had thrown that was heavier than first thought and instead focused on his soon-to-be assailants, all the while screaming "Get some!" over and over again.

Ducking behind the table, he watched in rising fear as splinters cascaded past him as the makeshift cover was shredded. Wave after wave of crunched splinters made him realize he was fast losing his only defense. Well, might as well get the show over with, he thought, as he came to his feet in a turn. With the minimum pressure necessary, he began to pull the trigger. Four quick staccato bursts and four bullets, each nudged telekinetically by his innate powers, found themselves propelled by physical and spiritual to their targets.

The first round burst through a rushing figures right temple, slashing up and through the eye socket. An eruption of liquid, blood and gore mixed with shards of bone follows before the mashed bullet exits just above his eyebrow. A destroyed pustule of an eyeball seeps while the connecting nerve dangles precariously as the figure drops to his knees screaming incoherently with hands clawing at the ruined hole in his face.

The second is taken in the shoulder with a grunt as it passed through muscle, but does little to slow the man.

The third passed through the side of the neck, dropping a man who's final expression was of pained shock. Momentum carried him forward while the nicked arterial spurts blood like a fountain.

The final onrushing figure fell flat, the bullet having penetrated through his nose before being deflected by the contour of the inside of his skull. A blender that dripped mashed gore and blood through the crater.

Before Wolfe can celebrate -- or fire off more rounds at others now moving in to engage him -- he's jumped. Attempting to grapple, he slammed his knee up into the figures groin. An exhaled grunt punctuated the movement along with a loosened grip. Wolfe began to squirm free. He looked left and saw a boot coming for his face...

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More coming later...

It Can't be THAT Hard

My personal life experiences are somewhat interesting. I'm a cancer survivor. I've never broken a bone, but I've been dropped, fallen from heights and been hit by dropped and falling objects more times than I can count. This includes and is not limited to actual trees that were once standing moments before -- but that's neither here nor there. I've been to Afghanistan, deployed to active operations with the Canadian Military where I got to experience firsthand what true combat is. I've seen people die with my own eyes, how horrible death can be.

What's more is that I've fulfilled jobs with bosses that should be placed into mental institutions for how neurotic they are. I've had neighbors that had bedbug infestations and thought it'd be cool to try and spread the love. Currently, I'm almost literally stranded due to flooding with the possibility of a water boil advisory. I haven't lost power, nor been evacuated. I'm one of the lucky ones.

What does this all have to do with anything? Well, that's where the amusing thing starts. Well, at least, I find it amusing. In the most ironic sense of the word there could ever be, that is. You know that moment, when someone complains about having broken a nail? How about how you may have had to do dishes that one night? You're a teen and you were grounded and now can't go to that super-cool-awesome party. I've had to listen to kids complain ad nauseum about such things, as if the fate of their life hinges upon this one event. As though, in that moment, the decision was made as to whether or not they'd be rich, famous, beautiful, save the princess, yank the sword from the stone, conquer a nation and raise an army. No, you aren't that special, your day wasn't that hard, and just because your feet hurt and you're tired doesn't make you a superhero. Leave that to the people who actually do things and get shit done.

So I'm at work and some kid is complaining that they have to work tonight but they want to be at a party and if only their FOUR HOUR SHIFT wasn't so long. Then I laugh, because my worst day was forty hours long with no sleep -- nevermind that when this conversation is happening I'm pulling in an extra four hours of overtime. Yeah, the kids life is hard. Or even an adult is relating how their life is ruined because of the most innocuous thing. Ruined, truly? I know a man who died after a machine gun he was reloading was hit by a rocket causing it to cave in his chest killing him instantly. I don't think the word means what you think it means. Life ruined? This man is considered a hero. What have you done today?

But I suppose it may be relational. After all, experience dictates what a person might think of as the most horrible thing to ever happen in their short, silly, retarded and worthless life. I mean, what do I know? I'm just a guy surviving despite all the things that get thrown at him. Now if you'll excuse, I need to get some sleep because unlike little children, I get up in the morning with the sun for work. Because that's what real men do.