Post by Timothy Myers on Sept 21, 2016 1:49:49 GMT
In my opinion, the amount of technique slots and the starting power for all characters is a bit too restrictive. I understand that the point of a Dragon Ball RP like this one is to attempt to "live" in the DB world, and that training is a huge part of Dragon Ball in general. However, when I make a character, I tend to give them a unique fighting style, which I find requires more technique slots than we're allowed. As it stands, the starter technique loadout is usually (for practical purposes) Flight, Ki Sense, and one weak offensive technique, which allows little to no room to give your character a unique combat style, which is especially odd if the character has a background in martial arts and would logically know more than they apparently do.
For starters, Flight should be free for all characters in my opinion, given how almost every single DB character who's had any exposure to ki training at all in canon Dragon Ball (such as Dende, a Namekian child), can generally fly, and that it's such a fundamental part of every battle that it should be considered the bare minimum to hold your own. Ki sense is less important than flight, but it's also a large component of DBZ battle strategy, and thus I still consider it an essential for any character. Ki sense should be doled out based on the applicant's species, to be closer to canon. Humans, Saiyans, Bio-Androids, Namekians, and Majins should be given ki sense for free. Meanwhile, traditional Androids, both fully-synthetic and cybernetic, should get a version of 3D Scan Mode as a replacement for Ki Sense, also for free, to fit closer to canon, especially since many of them have a military background and those that don't would want a way to sense energy on the same level as humans. Arcosians and Aliens of all species that don't already have energy sensing in canon should get a free Scouter, but Ki Sense should be locked-off to them until they obtain it through training, due to how readily-available Scouters are to most alien fighters in the show.
Second, the total amount of standard technique slots should be increased to from the current three to five, allowing players to start with a unique identity. Finally, there should be a special "Martial Slot" which is used to contain a description of the user's basic martial arts style. The Martial Slot acts as a free passive technique that affects every standard melee attack used by the player, and gives their style much more thematic cohesion. Using the Martial Slot is optional, and if you don't choose to use it, it acts as an extra technique slot. The Martial Slot can be upgraded once the player reaches certain PL milestones. It starts equal to an N1 technique, and can be upgraded to a Upgraded Power version or a Variant at each milestone. If the player has chosen not to take a Martial Slot, then that free technique slot "grows" with each milestone, eventually reaching a maximum of three free slots.
So for example, if I wanted to start Timothy off under a system of five Technique Slots and one Martial Slot, with the other suggested changes, it would look like this:
Tell me what you think, and feel free to leave constructive criticism!
For starters, Flight should be free for all characters in my opinion, given how almost every single DB character who's had any exposure to ki training at all in canon Dragon Ball (such as Dende, a Namekian child), can generally fly, and that it's such a fundamental part of every battle that it should be considered the bare minimum to hold your own. Ki sense is less important than flight, but it's also a large component of DBZ battle strategy, and thus I still consider it an essential for any character. Ki sense should be doled out based on the applicant's species, to be closer to canon. Humans, Saiyans, Bio-Androids, Namekians, and Majins should be given ki sense for free. Meanwhile, traditional Androids, both fully-synthetic and cybernetic, should get a version of 3D Scan Mode as a replacement for Ki Sense, also for free, to fit closer to canon, especially since many of them have a military background and those that don't would want a way to sense energy on the same level as humans. Arcosians and Aliens of all species that don't already have energy sensing in canon should get a free Scouter, but Ki Sense should be locked-off to them until they obtain it through training, due to how readily-available Scouters are to most alien fighters in the show.
Second, the total amount of standard technique slots should be increased to from the current three to five, allowing players to start with a unique identity. Finally, there should be a special "Martial Slot" which is used to contain a description of the user's basic martial arts style. The Martial Slot acts as a free passive technique that affects every standard melee attack used by the player, and gives their style much more thematic cohesion. Using the Martial Slot is optional, and if you don't choose to use it, it acts as an extra technique slot. The Martial Slot can be upgraded once the player reaches certain PL milestones. It starts equal to an N1 technique, and can be upgraded to a Upgraded Power version or a Variant at each milestone. If the player has chosen not to take a Martial Slot, then that free technique slot "grows" with each milestone, eventually reaching a maximum of three free slots.
So for example, if I wanted to start Timothy off under a system of five Technique Slots and one Martial Slot, with the other suggested changes, it would look like this:
Martial
[MN1] Sonic Fist: A ki-enhanced version of the ancient Wing Chun martial arts style, the user emits pressure waves from any part of their body they strike with. The pressure waves cause internal damage to the opponent on contact, but can be toned down for training purposes, where they will only cause light bruises. Upon successfully landing a standard melee strike, the opponent takes additional damage equal to 5% of Timothy's total PL even if they physically block. However, the attack cannot penetrate barriers of ki such as Explosive Wave. The damage boost that Sonic Fist provides do not apply if the victim has a PL equal to 200% or higher of Timothy's own.
Offensive
[N1] Kamaitachi: Timothy waves his arm in an arc, sending a razor-sharp wave of air at the victim. On contact, it does damage equal to 33% of his PL. This also works underwater, and even in space due to the presence of the interstellar medium.
[UP2] Sonic Boom: Timothy creates a hollow ball of ki in his hand. Inside it are Kamaitachis bouncing rapidly against the ball's inner surface. it is hurled at the opponent. On contact with a surface, the ball violently explodes, releasing the stored Kamaitachis into the surrounding air, cutting every which way and doing damage equal to 66% of Timothy's total PL.
Support
[S1] Sound Barrier: Timothy releases his ki into the air around him, forming an invisible wall (or set of walls). Should a ki attack, object, or person attempt to enter this barrier with a force equal to 33% of his PL or lower, it will be violently thrown back with a horrid screech as the air itself rapidly vibrates to deflect the intruder.
Utility
[U1] Hacking Utility: This Android-exclusive technique works exclusively on electronic devices/entities (such as security systems, databases or Androids, both cybernetic and fully synthetic) that communicate over a wireless network, or that the user has a direct wired connection to. The technique takes five turns to complete, during which the user can perform other actions freely without it immediately being obvious that they are using it. The process can be expedited to a mere two turns by devoting more processing power to the hacking process, but in doing so the user becomes visibly distracted due to having less processing power available for physical actions, and thus becomes more vulnerable in combat. Once the time limit completes, the user has administrator access to the target's systems, and can do whatever they want within reason. This could be as simple as opening a heavily-secured blast door or as complex as inducing hallucinations in, wiping the memory of, or even shutting down a hostile Android.
When used competitively (i.e. against players), permanently-damaging actions (such as memory wiping, A.I. deletion, intentional overheating, shutting down a cyborg's life support, etc) are off-limits and subject to an administrator response. Furthermore, the hacker has to have a possibility of understanding the target programming language in order to hack the target. An Earth Android could hack into a Saiyan or PTO system provided they could speak the language, though these will have to be obtained in upgrades to the technique. At the novice stage, the user can only hack into systems that follow a programming language from their homeworld or an allied world.
Basic (free)
Flight
3D Scan Mode
[MN1] Sonic Fist: A ki-enhanced version of the ancient Wing Chun martial arts style, the user emits pressure waves from any part of their body they strike with. The pressure waves cause internal damage to the opponent on contact, but can be toned down for training purposes, where they will only cause light bruises. Upon successfully landing a standard melee strike, the opponent takes additional damage equal to 5% of Timothy's total PL even if they physically block. However, the attack cannot penetrate barriers of ki such as Explosive Wave. The damage boost that Sonic Fist provides do not apply if the victim has a PL equal to 200% or higher of Timothy's own.
Offensive
[N1] Kamaitachi: Timothy waves his arm in an arc, sending a razor-sharp wave of air at the victim. On contact, it does damage equal to 33% of his PL. This also works underwater, and even in space due to the presence of the interstellar medium.
[UP2] Sonic Boom: Timothy creates a hollow ball of ki in his hand. Inside it are Kamaitachis bouncing rapidly against the ball's inner surface. it is hurled at the opponent. On contact with a surface, the ball violently explodes, releasing the stored Kamaitachis into the surrounding air, cutting every which way and doing damage equal to 66% of Timothy's total PL.
Support
[S1] Sound Barrier: Timothy releases his ki into the air around him, forming an invisible wall (or set of walls). Should a ki attack, object, or person attempt to enter this barrier with a force equal to 33% of his PL or lower, it will be violently thrown back with a horrid screech as the air itself rapidly vibrates to deflect the intruder.
Utility
[U1] Hacking Utility: This Android-exclusive technique works exclusively on electronic devices/entities (such as security systems, databases or Androids, both cybernetic and fully synthetic) that communicate over a wireless network, or that the user has a direct wired connection to. The technique takes five turns to complete, during which the user can perform other actions freely without it immediately being obvious that they are using it. The process can be expedited to a mere two turns by devoting more processing power to the hacking process, but in doing so the user becomes visibly distracted due to having less processing power available for physical actions, and thus becomes more vulnerable in combat. Once the time limit completes, the user has administrator access to the target's systems, and can do whatever they want within reason. This could be as simple as opening a heavily-secured blast door or as complex as inducing hallucinations in, wiping the memory of, or even shutting down a hostile Android.
When used competitively (i.e. against players), permanently-damaging actions (such as memory wiping, A.I. deletion, intentional overheating, shutting down a cyborg's life support, etc) are off-limits and subject to an administrator response. Furthermore, the hacker has to have a possibility of understanding the target programming language in order to hack the target. An Earth Android could hack into a Saiyan or PTO system provided they could speak the language, though these will have to be obtained in upgrades to the technique. At the novice stage, the user can only hack into systems that follow a programming language from their homeworld or an allied world.
Basic (free)
Flight
3D Scan Mode
Tell me what you think, and feel free to leave constructive criticism!