Pokemon Umbral Discussion 36: Questions Are Overrated

[Dracorion]

Since I no longer have to read back a thousand post to remember the general details that you posted before?

Yes.

And by the way, I can see a part right there at the end of your first guideline that Menarker's going to want to argue.

[Geminex]

Look, we've already discussed this. Valiant rush will be acceptable, since
a) it's at least somewhat thematic
and
b) it fits in with Renny's general strategy. It makes sense for him to protect and heal his allies as the battle drags on, and getting more and more dangerous as more allies fall. It's a pretty defensive ability, even if it doesn't involve healing directly.

So that wouldn't fail the specialization test. It's also likely, from my perspective, that it wouldn't change combat drastically, since, like I said, it'd simply expand Renny's defensive role in a creative way. I'm right behind that sort of thing!
The only thing I'm not entirely certain about is the 'power' test, but we'd best see that once the ability actually gets chosen. And hell, we can still nerf or buff it if it turns out to be a bit too strong or too weak. Worst-case, we just subtract or add from/to the rage cost.

...

That is what you meant, right?

[Dracorion]

Riiiight.

I also like how you say you won't be able to police the rules so you'll have to trust us, yet somehow it seems like you have a lot of time now. And I thought your schedule was only going to get even clearer?

[Geminex]

Last two weeks: I did a math course
Now, and next four weeks: Vacation with family
Next five years after that: College

And I will probably have even less time during college than I did during the math course. Because I won't just be at college from 8:00 till 4:30 - 6:00 (depending on the day), getting home 45 minutes later, no, I will also have to do what we in Germany like to call 'homework'! And considering this is college, it will be more important that the stuff I used to call homework. So I will actually have to do it!

Mind you, I'll only spend half of every year at uni, the other half'll be spent working as an employee of a certain company which I will not name because I don't trust any of you not to try and track me down. It's part of the program I'm doing, college is especially intense and I have barely any holidays, but I get a salary and I actually get to gather practical experience (and not 'making the coffee' experience either, I'll be studying Electrical Engineering, and from what I've seen so far, what I'll be doing during the pracitcal phases will be just that). Anyway, I don't know whether these practical phases are gonna be more or less time-intensive than what I'll be doing at uni, but I think they're about even. So, with all due respect

I thought your schedule was only going to get even clearer?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHANOOOOOO

[Dracorion]

Well, gee, thanks for clearing that up.

Ass.

[Geminex]

Anytime.

Ooh, question. Hey, all. I'm not gonna ask what timezones you're in (though I could probably find out with comparable ease), but could we maybe all just post at what times GMT we're gonna be able to get on, usually?? I'll probabyl be 9 PM to 11 PM.

[Dracorion]

I have... 5:30 PM to 2:30 AM, with some intermittent breaks in-between.

[Menarker]

Somewhat, if I'm guessing what Drac is implying. It's what I already said before and you discussed a bit.
"One or two changes that suddenly make a character perfectly feasible in a role that he previously wasn't feasible in? Nope. "
Basically, the only cavet I would make about that is that characters who dualclass into something with a different focus can be strong in a role he/she wasn't good at before. However, their effectiveness should not be as effective as someone who has the same class but more levels in it.

Also, we should keep in mind that we should not insist that specialization should be unique, but is ultimately up to the player. Just because Impact and Pierce and Charlotte are leaning toward a certain level of aggressive skills doesn't mean that Renny should be strong-armed into only getting medic related skills just because most of his moves are like that. However the skills should be guided by having a certain pre-resequite classes or its basic power is not arrogantly competing with others, especially those who specialize in that field. Anyhow, redundant specialities can be useful if someone get knocked out or seperated or run out of rage or other such things.

As for Valiant Rush in terms of the power test, it's supposed to be incredibly powerful in a losing situation, but not very effective or rather VERY expensive in a winning situation. >_> And look at this mission! Technically, no one at dipped down to lower than 3 pokemons or stayed knocked out for terribly long. Plus, most of Renny's tactics are already impeding Valiant Rush because the more he protects people or revives/heals them, the further back the effectiveness of Valiant Rush becomes. This tug-a-war between healing and attacking helps prevents it from being terribly broken and thus only supremely and utterly useful if in the rare situation when the battle has shifted to such degree that healing is either impossible or the defeat is inevitiable if the foe is to be left alive for long.


Anyhow, as long as there is a level of discussion within making the guidelines, as you say, playing by ears, I'd be more or less open to it. Hence why I made my third suggestion:

Maybe some sort of leeway involved if character development related things are addressed in advance, so that any percieved character concepts or ability can be worked out smoothly. For example, let's pretend I eventually wanted Renny to be able to send more than 2 pokemons out at a time (maybe taking up slots of other NPC trainers if none of their pokemons are suitable for the situation) as an example of power through friendship, teamwork, numbers and diversity. Let's say that I intend to maximize the potential of such an ability by taking the Snagger class (so I can have a larger size of maximum pokemons I can carry with me and thus a larger diverse pool of elements and techniques to choose from). I would be OUTRAGED if I took the snagger class in antipication of one day getting that ability when I reach the right level, only to have it rejected utterly when proposed and thus making the levels wasted.

We can use moves that we don't intend to get immediately but don't mind being a secret as a mean of balancing, comparing how everyone else is measuring up power level and that sort of thing before the story reaches the point where everyone has invested in too many levels and time and thus has gotten too emotionally invested in what they hope the end result would be. Yes, some of us want to keep moves secret lest it becomes spoilers for what development we got planned for our characters. But if a bunch of us propose some of the moves, or make up a bunch of sample moves, then we can analyze what we think is viable and reasonable while being assured that we're getting to as close as possible to what our desired end result would be like.


Anyhow, I am still not fully statisfied for two reasons.

You also didn't answer my question about whether you/Impact would keep to his promise of helping Renny with Lola and the afforded protection therein... or if that would be null and voided too, which would make that entire thing a negative since you had your chance of being leader which means I did my part with Renny supporting Impact but not getting anything back and thus not holding up your part of the former deal.

Would like an answer for this. Renny supported Impact during his short but eventful reign of attaining leadership which otherwise might not have been possible without Renny and Pierce's support (Both in and out of character). Are you going to keep the promise that we made or am I to expect some other compensation?

The other reason is basically that I want something minimally cool too as a token of good faith. :3
I'm not happy because Charlotte gets to be leader as part of the agreement as well as gradually being promised promotion to what could very well be supreme command of THE brute squad of the sequel when/if Impact goes for world domination, Pierce gets out of the favor he owe Impact AND promised to be the next leader after Charlotte initial leadership run. Matt and I on the other hand get nothing offered to us for the purpose of the deal while still being told to hope that the deal would ultimately be for the good of us all!

My schedule is weird a bit with work and school later on, but I live in Pacific Time-Zone.

[Bard The 5th LW]

Barring homework, I'll probably be able to get on for posting at times between 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

I will probably be able to check and keep up with stuff at other points as well.

[Dracorion]

The following takes place between 12:00 AM and 1:00 AM.


...
Right, well.

I still propose, nay, demand, that we rename Valiant Rush to "The Little Engine That Could". Not only is it much better than the crappy name Menarker chose, it's thematic to boot!