The outcome of battles (and maybe other stuff too) is settled randomly by the above generator. The rest of the game, however, is a (thankfully) a good deal deeper than that.
Before a battle, both players have to agree on what the results will mean. Suppose Player 1's Swordsman A and Player 2's Swordsman B decide to fight. Player 1 wants the fight to end with B's death. Player 2 wants the fight to end with A's defeat and nobody's death. B decides that he can find a way around his character's death, so the conclusion is settled.
If A wins, B dies. If B wins, A is defeated. We'll use random.org's Coin Flipper to settle the battle; Player 1 chooses heads, Player 2 chooses tails.
Time to start the random number generator. I roll the site's Coin Flipper and get HEADS. That means A wins the battle, which means B is killed. Now let's write up the story:
A levels his sword at B. "Time to die, you villainous fiend!" B scoffs and retorts, "You're the one who's the villainous fiend! You shall surely die for your slight!" They cross swords, glaring into each other's faces for a few tense moments. Then the battle begins. A and B dance around each other, launching and parrying quick, deadly strikes faster than the eye can see. Suddenly, it's all over. B's sword falls out of his hand, and he drops to his knees before his victorious opponent. "Any last words, B?" A asks with a sneer. B looks up at him and replies, "I forgive you." With an enraged scream, A draws back his sword and plunges it into B's heart.
We don't have to just use the coin flip, though. The site also has a dice roll generator. We could have up to 6 different out comes of the battle, if we wanted. Or we could modify the rolls to account for things like power, skill, speed, and such like. But I'd prefer to keep it simple and relegate it to determining the outcome.
Suppose we used dice instead. Rolling a 1 means A wins without a scratch, 2 means A wins with slight injuries, 3 means A barely wins with grave injuries, 4 means B barely wins with grave injuries, 5 means B wins with slight injuries, and 6 means B wins without a scratch.
I roll a 5.
A levels his sword at B. "Time to die, you villainous fiend!" B scoffs and retorts, "You're the one who's the villainous fiend! You shall surely die for your slight!" They cross swords, glaring into each other's faces for a few tense moments. Then the battle begins. A and B dance around each other, launching and parrying quick, deadly strikes faster than the eye can see. A lands a precise cut along B's left arm, and B staggers back. "I must give you credit; you fight well," B quips. A flourishes his sword and replies, "Thank you. It will be an honor to defeat you." B snickers and fires off what looks like an uppercut, adding, "The honor will be all MINE!" A tries to block it, but the uppercut turns into a sidelong slash before he could realize the feint. A drops to his knees, holding his wounded chest, unable to fight any longer. He glances up at B and mutters, "Go on, kill me." But B just sheaths his sword and walks away.
The battle turned out pretty differently this time, didn't it? You getting a feel for how the system works?
Now for the setting.
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You are a human living on Isora shortly before the Morai Wars. The Morai are a race of humanoids genetically modified to be superior to ordinary humans. They can sense magnetic fields, see into the ultraviolet spectrum, and have eidetic memory. They have genetically-boosted muscle strength, blood flow to the brain (faster processing), and enhanced senses. They are widely considered to be the perfect humans. Their one flaw: they only live for up to 20 years.
Bent on wiping out their "inferior ancestors," the Morai have begun attacking major human settlements. Since Isora has never had (nor needed) a professional military, the government has sent out a nation-wide request for all able-bodied persons to step forward and become Honorable Knights of the newly-formed Spiral Order.
Upon joining the Spiral Order, you will be granted Powered Armor and Powered Weapons that will grant you all the abilities needed to combat the Morai threat. The stakes are high; will you succeed, or will you be brought to your knees before your betters?
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If you wish to join, please provide the following information:
Name: (something reasonable, please. Usernames often sound awful.)
Appearance: (pictures preferred)
Physiology: (age, gender, and any other physiological notes you think we should know)
Race: (must be either human or Morai)
Role: (must be either hero or villain)
Fighting style: (weapon types you prefer, how you use them, how you fight, etc.)
Personality: (don't skimp here, please)
Biography: (you must include LOTS of detail here if you intend to be a villain, because for them, backstory is everything.)
Your equipment will be granted to you by the moderator. Upgrades are unlikely to occur except during special circumstances. The players will all be expected to work as a team, since the threading system of this website doesn't make it easy for players to go their separate ways, so our characters should meet up as soon as possible.
Hero characters begin in the capital city of Serenia. Villain characters begin in the rebellious city of Morlok. Any terrain in between will be explored as the story progresses.
You may begin!
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LIST OF ACCEPTED CHARACTER APPS
So I'm assuming Skylark Down, is actually going down? Ah well.... :|