In order to keep fights fair and interesting, we've implemented a nerfing system at Kannagara - that is, a system to weaken stronger characters to make things more even. It only activates during a fight in which there is killing or maiming intent on the half of a stronger attacking character - otherwise, your character's powers are intact. Basically, when not fighting, or when sparring for fun, powers still function as usual. However, when a stronger character attacks a weaker one with the intend to kill or seriously harm, the stronger character will be weakened.
How are they weakened? For maximum flexibility, we are giving you guys three options to choose from:
1. Reduce the stronger character’s stamina dramatically, such that they can use their powers only in extremely limited conditions.
2. Literally take away certain powers.
3. Powers are kept but they are extremely weakened.
Notice how you have a lot of options for how you can do things. Practically, this means that you absolutely, 100%, without any exceptions at all contact the person you intend to have a fight with and talk out how you are going to do things. Period. You probably already know this, but just for the record: nothing good can come of doing otherwise, so if you want to fight in-game, please be open to communication. You don't have to plan out every move, but at least figure out how you want to nerf things so that there is no confusion. Thanks in advance, because this will probably save us a load of time.
In a nerfed fight, players can choose between either being nerfed blow-by-blow or fight by fight.
In a fight-by-fight situation, the entire battle is nerfed by one of the first three nerfing options.
In a blow-by-blow example, each individual attack can be nerfed differently by one of the first three nerfing options. For example, the first attack your character makes can be nerfed by option 3, the second attack might then switch to option 1.
1. Reduce the stronger character’s stamina dramatically, such that they can use their powers only in extremely limited conditions.
Every character has a certain amount of stamina that allows characters to perform certain techniques. Some techniques require more stamina or energy than others. In a fight where one character is far stronger than another character, the stronger character will be affected to the degree that the stronger of the two can only use extremely destructive techniques once, if at all, and how quickly they tire in a fight will be affected by how much their stamina is nerfed. This nerf reduces the stronger character's power and stamina level to match the weaker character's, which evens out the fight to make it more fair, and does not put either character at a severe disadvantage.
How many times your character is allowed to use a special technique when nerfed is up to you. However, we urge you to communicate with one another in determining this.
The nerfing will cease once the fight is over.
2. Literally take away certain powers.
This nerfing option literally nerfs certain powers that may be essential to your character. In the case of a particularly strong character, it usually may be the stronger, more destructive attacks that simply do not work. Your character may try to use the power only to discover that no matter how many times they try to activate it, it does not manifest during the fight. Keep in mind that not all of your character's powers are taken away with this nerf; while they may not be able to use a certain power, that certainly doesn't stop them from being able to use any kind of fighting know-how they already possess, or hand-to-hand combat skills.
Your character' stamina will remain intact as it is in their canon status. Unlike option one, where the character is weakened (basically, their stamina is lowered considerably), option two simply stops your character from using a desired technique.
3. Powers are kept but they are extremely weakened.
Your character will not lose any technique or any stamina at all. However, their techniques and blows would be weakened. For example, if your character is capable of performing a gigantic fireball, it would come out as a small fireball as opposed to a crater-inducing fireball of death. If your character has an attack capable of wreaking destruction within a 10km radius, the attack might be reduced to something like 0.25km; how destructive it is also reduced. If your character can cut through ten enemies with a single sword strike, then they will only be capable of cutting down one or two.
In Addition: If you are having a fight between two absurdly super-powered characters in the middle of an area where they would normally cause an absurd amount of property damage, they will be nerfed. This means no Goku vs. Vegeta all out battles in the middle of a village - if you want to have such a fight, do so in a field or prepare to be considerably nerfed.
This fight must take place in an open area; a field, forest, mountains, open water, etc. As long as it is far away from civilization, you will be allowed to have a completely unnerfed battle. The only exception to this is in Yomisato's territories -- Yomisato, by and large, is pretty much unnerfed. So be careful when fighting here! Of course, basic world nerfing, such as not being able to teleport out of the game, or use one-hit kill attacks must be respected. For example, if your character has the ability to simply will a character dead, that kind of an attack will be nerfed. Massively destructive attacks that might affect any villages or civilization will also be nerfed.
Whether it is as harmless as a spar or as dangerous as a fight to the death, the likelihood of battle happening is very high in Kannagara.
What is most important about writing battle logs is respect -- not just for the other player you are writing with, but also for the game, the character you are playing, and for the canon.
We have a zero-tolerance policy on any kind of metagaming or godmoding by:
1. Not having your character take any kind of hits if the character they are fighting against does have a very high likelihood of landing at least one hit. For example, if you are roleplaying a character who quite often will get up close and personal in hand-to-hand combat scenes, against an opponent who has faster reflexes than your character, chances are that your character will get hit. The only exception to this rule is if your character's abilities include any kind of natural force field or barrier or teleportation ability.
2. Landing a hit on another player's character without talking to the player about it first. Generally, when you are writing battle scenes, what is important is to write the intent. Have your character lash out a punch or an attack towards another character -- but do not write if it hits or not without permission. The other player should determine whether or not the blow should strike, or the two of you should talk about this to discuss if it does. Players are not allowed to simply decide that their character will beat up another without the player's permission.
3. Killing a player's character without player permission and moderator permission. Don't do it. It's just not allowed.
4. Giving your character skills, abilities, or battle traits that they do not canonically have or did not develop in game. If we see that you give a character who normally fights with hand-to-hand combat, some kind of magical abilities they are not supposed to have, or if we notice that you are having a character fight in a way that the character never canonically fights in, you can expect to hear from the moderators. We expect that you are going to respect your character's abilities and the canon from which you are pulling your character from. It is not fair to other players if you level up your character with skills they don't have.
5. Not taking your opponent's skills into consideration. Keep in mind that there will be very powerful characters in this game -- some far more powerful than others. Some characters have abilities that few characters have the ability to block or defend. It is important that if you are up against a character like this that you take your blows. Defeat is something that is natural, should, and can happen.
Many players enjoy the spontaneity of battle scenes and dislike having to plot out battle points; however, sometimes this may be more advantageous in complicated scenes. We encourage communicating with the other player either through e-mail or IM to plan out the scene for the best impact, and to decrease any likelihood of accidentally metagaming or godmoding.
The key to good battle scenes is good communication and respect for each other. And remember -- it's just a game! It's okay for your character to lose.