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## Evaluating Forum-Based Game Systems

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SirWayne
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### Evaluating Forum-Based Game Systems

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Post by SirWayne » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:00 pm

Another community I'm a member of has been running multi-annual gaming/roleplay "writing tournaments" online. As an overview, it's basically a giant crossover fanfiction with rules and violence, which I find pretty entertaining but which also has limited appeal in some places.
Anyway, I volunteered to create the game system for the latest one (its "beta test" is being held here), but I figured I'd post the system I had in mind here, and see what you folks think first.
Here's an outline of how it works:
1) Players draft a character from one of the allowed pools (this one is graphic novels (comic books, manga, etc.) and animation (cartoons and stuff)). The folks running it write a storyline to explain the plot and why stuff is happening.
2) In each round (there's usually 7) players try to use the system to eliminate characters they don't want to see advance, while trying to keep from losing lives (players have 3).
3) Players are expected to write out interactions with other characters to build interest and support, which is where the tricky part comes in-- many writers are elitists and don't think it's fair for a "bad writer" to win because they "abused the system." Over the years most of that crowd has quit, but it's still something to look out for. In any event, if you don't write anything, you're going to get taken out by the other players; since that is a big part of the game.
4) The players who are best off by the end of round 6 advance to the finals for a big free-for-all to determine the winner.
---
Now that that's out of the way, here's the game system itself. It's based on the "Infinity Gems" from Marvel comics (a thematic decision, since the tournament's overstory involves them too), and uses something quite a bit different from most gaming systems-- no stats, no levelling up, etc.
Players start with 12 energy points (which allow you to use your abilities) and 5 ranks, which let you level up the six gems; you start with 1 rank in Power, and the rest you can allocate, and each gem combination (like the Power/Time ability) can have an amount of EP invested in it equal to the lower of the two ranks you're using.
There's typically 20-30 other players involved at the start, and we honestly don't know how fast attrition will be-- this is the first system to use an "extra lives" rule, and there's still some indecision about hit points (currently 30 + 5/rank) to make sure kills aren't too easy or too hard to get.
Most of the rest of the details are found in the drafting thread for the beta test, or the system commentary thread.
That includes the system itself, too, but I'll go ahead and post it here for those of you who might not be interested in joining, but would still like to help (and I'd really appreciate the help, heh).
Mind/Mind - Target 1 sponsor. Heal 8 points of damage per EP spent.
Mind/Power - Target 1 sponsor. Deal 8 points of damage per EP to the target; if he later uses any Mind or Power (Primary) gem ability against you, he takes 1/2 that damage again; this second effect can't be N/R.
Mind/Real - Target 1 sponsor. Deal 6 points of damage per EP, and gain 2 EP for each action the target takes (up to a number of actions equal to the EP used in this ability). Only one target can be affected at a time, and you can't acquire more than Mind ranks * 2 EP in one round.
Mind/Soul - Target 1 sponsor. Bestows the "Reflect" status (Reflect negates and redirects the next Mind gem ability whose EP is greater than or equal to Reflect's EP back at the user of that ability).
Mind/Space - Target a number of sponsors equal to the EP used. Deal 10 damage to each target, and heal 2 points of damage to yourself per target damaged.
Mind/Time - Targets abilities. You can negate an amount of EP from previously cast Mind gem abilities equal to this ability's EP + 1. An ability reduced to 0 EP is totally negated.
Power/Power - Target 1 sponsor. Deal 6 points of damage per EP to the target; the next damage-dealing ability the target uses against you deals only 1/2 damage.
Power/Real - Target 1 sponsor. Deal 4 damage per EP to the target; this ability can't be N/R. For every status effect or active, pre-emptive ability (such as Time/Time) affecting the target, deal an additional 4 damage.
Power/Soul - Target 1 sponsor. Bestows the "Berserk" status (target can only use Power (Primary) gem abilities, but deals +50% damage; this lasts until target spends EP equal to this ability's EP + 2).
Power/Space - Target a number of sponsors equal to the EP used. Deal 8 damage to each target.
Power/Time - Target 1 sponsor. This sets up a pre-emptive defense, affecting a number of abilities whose EP is less than or equal to this ability's EP (each successful counter subtracts that EP; if any remains, the counter persists). The target takes 1/2 damage, and the attacker takes the other 1/2.
Special: You can choose to specify one sponsor per EP. Only abilities used by those sponsors can be affected, but they take full damage rather than 1/2.
Power/Mind - Target 1 primary sponsor, and one secondary target. You suffer 1 damage but deal 10 damage per EP to the primary target. If this ability is negated or redirected, the secondary target immediately takes 1/2 the original damage; this damage can't be N/R.
Real/Real - Target 1 sponsor, and choose one of the six gems. For the next damaging abilities per EP that the target uses, he deals +25% if the target of such abilities has a higher rank in that gem than any other (ties count as a highest rank). Ineligible targets are unaffected; and don't count against this ability's limit.
Real/Soul - Target 1 sponsor. Bestows the "Regen" status (target heals 2 points of damage for every EP used).
Real/Space - Target 1 sponsor. A number of sponsors equal to the EP used suffer 6 damage when they use any ability targeting that sponsor. Any sponsor can only be affected once by one use of this ability. No N/R is allowed.
Real/Time - This affects you and 1 target sponsor. For every 2 EP the target has used in abilities targeting you, he suffers 1 damage per EP. (If he has used 20 EP against you, and you spent 4 EP in this ability, he takes 40 damage.) This ability can't be negated or redirected.
Real/Mind - Targets abilities. Choose one Mind gem ability previously cast, as long as its invested EP is less than or equal to this ability's EP. You pay 2 extra EP, and then negate the ability completely.
Real/Power - Special: Negate 1 status effect, as long as its invested EP is less than or equal to this ability's EP.
Soul/Soul - Target 1 sponsor. Inflicts the "Degenerate" status (target suffers 2 damage for every EP used).
Soul/Space - Target 1 sponsor. Inflicts the "Confused" status (choose two abilities the target has used previously, and switch their targets; the abilities must have the same number of targets).
Soul/Time - Target 1 sponsor. Inflicts the "Impede" status (target suffers 1 negative rank for all of his gems, meaning that 1 EP spent on an ability is lost, and the maximum is reduced to ranks - 1; a target who is reduced to a rank 0 gem can use an ability at rank 1, but by spending 2 EP).
Soul/Mind - Target 1 sponsor. Inflicts the "Dominate" status (target uses any ability that he is capable of, investing EP up to this ability's EP - 1; the target does not actually lose any EP, and is not considered the originator of the chosen ability (you are)).
Soul/Power - Target 1 sponsor. Inflicts the "Weakness" status (the target takes +50% damage from all damage-dealing abilities; this lasts for a number of ability uses equal to this ability's EP).
Soul/Real - Target 1 sponsor. Inflicts the "Seal" status (specify one gem; the target is incapable of using that gem as a primary or secondary gem for any ability).
Space/Space - Targets abilities and 1 sponsor. Choose one previously cast ability with an invested EP equal to this ability's EP - 2. You add another sponsor of your choice to be affected by that ability, but not you.
-Space/Space might be changed to choosing an ability with EP +1 instead, but having the extra target only take half effect
Space/Time - Target a number of sponsors equal to EP used. Deal damage equal to 1/2 your total EP to each target.
Space/Mind - Targets abilities. Choose one previously cast ability that healed damage. You negate that healing, and cause the user of that ability (who is considered this ability's target) and the targets of that ability to take damage equal to 1/2 the original healing.
Space/Power - Targets abilities and yourself. Choose a previously cast ability with invested EP less than or equal to this ability's EP. You and that ability's target are considered to both be affected, but with only half the ability's EP (rounding is in your favor). If you were the ability's target, then both you and the user of that ability are affected.
Space/Real - Target a number of sponsors equal to the EP used. Choose one gem. If one of the targeted sponsors uses the chosen gem as a primary or secondary gem ability, he takes 10 damage; this damage can't be N/R. This lasts for a total number of ability uses (among all the targets) equal to the EP used.
Space/Soul - Target 1 sponsor. Inflicts the "Attraction" status (the target must target a sponsor of your choice in every ability he uses; once he uses a number of EP equal to this ability's EP * 2, the Attraction status is removed).
Time/Time - Targets abilities and 1 sponsor. This sets up a pre-emptive defense. The target treats a number of abilities targeting him equal to this ability's EP as though they had -1 EP invested (abilities reduced to 0 EP are negated).
Time/Mind - Targets abilities and 1 sponsor. Choose a previously cast Mind gem ability with invested EP less than or equal to this ability's EP - 1. The chosen ability is redirected to a sponsor of your choice. If the ability had more than one target, you can only redirect one (and must choose which of the original targets is no longer affected).
Time/Power - Targets abilities. Choose a previously cast Power gem ability with invested EP less than or equal to this ability's EP. The ability deals half damage.
Time/Real - Targets abilities. Choose a previously cast ability with invested EP less than or equal to this ability's EP + 1. The next action you take is considered to take place before the chosen ability.
Time/Soul - Target 1 sponsor. Bestows "Haste" status (for a number of actions equal to EP - 1, you gain +1 bonus EP; your ranks are considered to be 1 higher and you gain 1 free EP).
Time/Space - Targets abilities and 1 sponsor. Choose a previously cast Space[/color] gem ability with invested EP less than or equal to this ability's EP. The target sponsor is no longer affected by the chosen ability.
Super Moves
Mind/Power/Space - Target 4 sponsors. Heal 12 damage per sponsor.
Mind/Real/Soul - Target 1 sponsor. Restore one life the target has lost. A sponsor can only be raised by this ability once in the tournament.
Mind/Real/Time - Target 1 sponsor. At the end of the round, the target takes 30 damage; this damage can't be reduced or negated. At any time, you may spend 1 EP to redirect this ability to another sponsor. Alternately, the target can spend 1 EP to take 1/2 the damage, and deal 1/2 the damage to a sponsor who has used a healing or defense-granting ability on him. If the target does this, the ability cannot further be reduced, redirected, or negated.
Mind/Soul/Space - Target 1 sponsor. Deal 10 damage to the target, and inflict the "Curse" status (choose one order, which includes a legal gem combination the target can use, and an appropriate number of targets for the chosen ability; the target of this ability can take no actions unless they are to obey the curse).
Mind/Soul/Time - Target 1 sponsor. Heal 10 damage to the target, and remove one status effect of your choice affecting him (if none are present, negate the next status to affect him).
Mind/Space/Time - This ability affects you. Negate the last ability used against you. For each EP you spend, up to 6, you can go back to the next previous ability, and negate it instead.
Power/Real/Soul - This ability affects you. Bestow the "Overchannel" status (you deal +50% damage with all damage-dealing abilities, and take 1/2 damage from all abilities, but you suffer 3 damage for every EP you use).
Power/Real/Space - Target 3 sponsors. Deal 18 damage to each sponsor.
Power/Real/Time - Targets abilities. Choose any previously cast ability; that ability can no longer be reduced or negated. If applied to a damage-dealing ability that already can't be reduced or negated, it deals double damage.
Power/Soul/Time - Target 1 sponsor. Deal 24 damage to the target, and inflict the "Fear" status (the target's ranks for all gems are considered to be -1, lowering the maximum EP which can be invested in his abilities).
Power/Space/Time - Target 1 sponsor. Deal 2 damage to the target per unspent EP. This can't be N/R.
Real/Soul/Space - Targets abilities and 1 sponsor. Remove one status effect currently affecting the target; it is applied to the sponsor who used that status.
---
That's what I've got. I'm mostly looking for comments regarding system balance-- does anything seem broken or inordinately useful/useless? Some of the status effects are pretty good, and Mind gem abilities are deliberately stronger than Power (the tradeoff being that they're easy to negate, risk-vs.-reward in action).
In the past, system balance problems have paled in comparison to metagame "abuses," typically players that go after "safe" targets (such as those who've already taken a lot of damage and thus can't hit everyone back) and so on, so some of the rules and abilities are focused toward dealing with that silliness, when in a more typical gaming environment they wouldn't be necessary.
I'm looking forward to getting some feedback, or [more likely >_>] some questions, heh. If any of you folks like writing online and will be free for about a week or so starting January 4th, it'd be cool to have you on board. :]
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