Role Playing Approval Center (Update 5-12-13)

Well, after a game of Poker Night at the Inventory, I got this idea...


Pokermon

1. Basic rules
-The game is essentially a no-limit Texas hold-em tournament, mixed with a little bit of pokemon battling.
-5 players, 1 pokemon each, said pokemon can't be used for anything else while in this roleplay
-3 day DQ
-Each player starts with $5000
-Minimum raising amount is twice the calling amount except if it results in going all in; No limits on the maximum
-Blinds start out at $25, $50, and double every 5 hands
-Jokers may be used as wild cards if the ref so chooses; however, keep in mind that natural hands always trump wild ones
-Last player standing wins!

2. Poker flow
2a: During the first hand, RNG which player becomes "dealer". The player before the dealer will be the one to pay the big blind, while the player before him will pay the small blind.
2b: At the start of the hand, the ref will RNG 15 cards. The first ten will be divided amongst the players (two to each), who will recieve said cards via PM. The remaining five will be withheld as the community cards.
2c: After the blinds are paid, the "dealer" will begin the first cycle of play. Players may call (starts off equal to the big blind), raise, fold or challenge another player (see challenges) during their turn. Raising (and/or betting in subsequent cycles) will break said cycle and begin it anew with the next immediate player. A cycle will be completed when all players have either called, checked or folded.
-If the first cycle does not get broken at any point, the small blind payer may call for half the normal amount, while the big blind payer may check instead.
2d: When the first cycle reaches completion, the ref will reveal the first three community cards (the flop), and the second cycle will begin
2e: During the second cycle, players may check, bet, challenge or fold, provided the cycle is not broken. In such a case, it would be call, raise, challenge or fold. This applies to the third and fourth cycles as well.
2f: When the second cycle reaches completion, the ref will reveal the fourth community card (the turn), and start the third cycle
2g: After the third cycle reaches completion, the ref reveals the fifth and last community card (the river), starting the fourth cycle.
2h: At the end of the fourth cycle, all remaining players reveal their cards. Whoever has the best five cards wins the hand, and the pot. Any losing players who have no money left are eliminated from play.
-The types of hands are, from weakest to strongest: High card (single card of the highest number, ace is highest), pair (two cards of the same number), two pair (self-explanatory), three of a kind (three cards of the same number), straight (five cards in numerical order), flush (five cards in the same suit), full house (three of a kind and a pair), four of a kind (four cards of the same number), straight flush (straight of the same suit), and royal flush (straight flush where cards are 10, J, Q, K and A)
2i: The next hand begins. The "dealer" and blind payers all move ahead one, so the previous "dealer" would now pay the big blind, and the previous big blind payer would be the small blind.

3. Challenges: Each player may, once during the hand, issue a challenge to another player. The tournament is then interrupted for a pokemon battle under the following conditions...

1v1 singles
2 substitutions
All abilities (except any abilities that involve healing in any way)
No recoveries/chills
No items
Arena: Giant Poker Table (essentially ASB arena; anything goes)

3a. The battle only lasts for a single round, and the winner is determined by whoever dealt the most damage.
3b. Status and energy are completely restored at the end of a challenge, but HP is not. At the end of each hand, all pokemon recover up to 10 HP each.
3c. If the challenger wins, he may choose to check for this turn, even if he normally couldn't. If the challengee wins, he gets this same treatment on his next immediate turn. In either case, the loser automatically folds. If the challenge ends in a draw, both players fold. If said players are the last in the hand, the pot is split between them instead.
3d. If a challenge ends in a KO, the trainer with the KO'd pokemon not only loses regardless of damage, but is also eliminated from play, forfeiting the rest of his money to the winner. Any money he may have bet during the hand remains in the pot. If the challenge ends in a double KO, both players are eliminated, and their money all goes into the pot. If this happens between the last two players in the hand, said pot is split between the remaining players. If this happens between the last two players in the game, both players get second place (see prizes).
3e. A player cannot refuse a challenge, except under at least one of the following conditions:
-The challengee is all in
-The challengee has already been challenged once during the hand (though he may issue a challenge of his own without restriction, provided he hasn't already)
-The challenger has already issued a challenge once during the hand (though he cannot refuse being challenged himself, provided he hasn't been already)

4. Prizes
4a. Prizes are awarded to a player when he is done playing, whether that be elimination or winning the tournament.
4b. For each challenge fought, players gain 1 CC, and his pokemon gains 1 EC, 1 DC, 1 MC and any applicable KO counters. If EC and DC are both maxed (or otherwise not applicable), the player's pokemon gains 2 MC instead.
4c. Moreover, the player will gain a certain number of counters depending on where he placed. The rewards are as follows:

-1st place: 20 CC, 10 UC
-2nd place: 15 CC, 5 UC
-3rd place: 10 CC
-4th place: 5 CC
-last place: 2 CC

4d. Referees get a flat 5 UC at the end of the tournament. Furthermore, they gain an additional UC once every three hands, and each challenge overseen will procure a UC as well.


Questions? Criticisms? Bashings?
 
To be honest, this sounds like you have taken Texas Hold 'Em and thoughtlessly tacked on pokemon battles and the end result looks forced, especially since in theory, the entire game could go with no pokemon battles at all. Rather than adding pokemon battles to poker, try adding poker to pokemon battles. Make the focus be the pokemon battles but allow poker hands to give boosts to the pokemon maybe?
 
Do you know what format we should have them in to be accepted?
And how much detail is required. For example, could you just say "an encounter with a Sealeo and a Milotic" or do you need to send the natures and data?
 

Engineer Pikachu

Good morning, you bastards!
is a Contributor Alumnus
Alright, time to liven this up. Lou and I have worked on this for the past couple weeks, and it's reached the point where we can share it for feedback. It's a big post, but if you're going to comment, make sure you read everything that we've included; it just might address what you're going to say.

The Inquisition

"Bet you weren't expecting this."

[box]Over the hill, your team comes in to view of the enemy. Lined up are a trio of powerful opponents, alert for any attack. Ready to lead your charge, your Dragonite flexes its wings for takeoff, eying the Gliscor in the brush below.

As you make yourself known, barreling down the hill with your Togekiss and Cyclohm, the enemy Pyroak and Colossoil rise up to meet your forces. Blows are swapped as the Gliscor makes towards your dragon overhead.

From the distance you hear thunder rumble as a fierce wind takes up the Pyroak, followed by a shot to the Colossoil; it seems like your Tomohawk is doing his part as well. Routed, the enemy forces retreat further down the valley.
[/box]

The Inquisition is a competitive format for multiple players and many, many Pokemon, with no PvE elements. It is a rather long RP, with projected completion times measured in weeks to a month or so. It is a game of conquest and control, where skill lies in maintaining your area and disrupting your opponents' formations. A strong player will maintain powerful fronts and make strategic pushes against the foes, while a weak player will overextend themselves and leave vulnerabilities in their ranks.

Without further ado, here is the Pokemon Inquisition!

Table of Contents

[jump=Objective]Objective[/jump]
[jump=Gameplay]Gameplay[/jump]
- [jump=Turn Order]Turn Order[/jump]
- [jump=Turns]Turns[/jump]
- - [jump=Commands]Commands[/jump]
- - [jump=Movement]Movement[/jump]
- - [jump=Status]Status in Movement[/jump]
- - [jump=Initiating Battle]Initiating Battle[/jump]
- [jump=Combat]Combat[/jump]
- - [jump=Battle Rules]Battle Rules[/jump]
- - [jump=Leadership]Leadership[/jump]
- - [jump=Terrain]Terrain[/jump]
- - [jump=Ordering]Ordering[/jump]
- [jump=NSA]Non-Skirmish Actions[/jump]
- - [jump=Ranged Attacks]Ranged Attacks[/jump]
- - [jump=Weather]Weather[/jump]
- - [jump=Hazards]Entry Hazards[/jump]
- - [jump=Other Moves]Other Moves[/jump]
- [jump=DQ]Disqualification[/jump]
- [jump=Game End]End of Game[/jump]
[jump=Signing Up]Signing Up[/jump]
[jump=Rewards]Rewards[/jump]

[a]Objective[/a]Objective

The main objectives of any Inquisition match are detailed below:

  • Control the majority of Kingdoms
  • Have the largest pool of points when the Turn Limit is reached.
However, certain games may have different objectives; make sure you read them carefully!

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[a]Gameplay[/a]Gameplay

  • Players are situated as opposing Kingdoms on a grid. The default arrangement is four (4) Kingdoms placed uniformly in a 6 x 6 grid.
  • Each Kingdom brings a predetermined number of Pokemon to act as their Kingdom's army. The default size is six (6).
  • Kingdoms take turns moving their Pokemon, one space at a time, around the board. Moving to an empty space claims ownership of it for that Kingdom.
  • Kingdoms have an income of points based on the amount of area they control. These points are used to heal active Pokemon, as well as to revive Pokemon. These points are also counted up to determine a victor in the event of reaching the Turn Limit.
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Turn Order

  • Turn order in an Inquisition match is cyclical, with the initial order determined via RNG. Between each Kingdom's turn will be a ref update, followed by the turn order for the next round (one turn per Kingdom).
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[a]Turns[/a]Turns

  • In a turn, a Kingdom will first spend Points to heal and/or revive Pokemon, if desired. Then, the Kingdom will give any move orders to their Pokemon, if desired. Then, if any of these move orders move their Pokemon adjacent to a hostile square, the Kingdom may give battle orders as described later.
  • Any attacked Kingdoms will give counter-orders as appropriate, then the ref will post. The ref's post will contain a pre-round status, the logs of any combat that occurs, then a post-round update.
  • Points earned in a Kingdom's turn may not be used in that turn. A Player obtains 5 Points for each Kingdom they control, and 1 Point for each other tile they control.
  • If an illegal action is ordered in terms of moving to a square or initiating combat, it will be ignored without notification. This is done in the interest of time.
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[a]Commands[/a]Commands

  • These are the commands that Kingdoms may employ during the phases of their turn.
  • Kingdom Phase: Heal [target], Revive [target]. These all cost points.
    • Heal will heal 2 HP per Point.
    • Revive will revive the Pokemon at 1 HP and 50 EN. This costs 50 Points.
  • Movement Phase: Move <Pokemon> [north, south, east, or west]. This costs no points.
    • Moving a Pokemon onto an enemy Kingdom will conquer that Kingdom. A Kingdom can be conquered even if its units are present. A conquered Kingdom's units are still able to move and conquer; a Player is only truly out of the game once their units are all defeated.
  • Attack Phase: Attack <Pokemon> [north, south, east, or west]. This costs no points.
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[a]Movement[/a]Movement

  • Pokemon can be moved one space at a time, and cannot move diagonally.
  • All movement in a Kingdom's turn is simultaneous.
  • Movement in to an empty space claims that space for that Kingdom.
  • No more than three Pokemon may occupy the same space at a time. It is permissible to move one Pokemon in to an otherwise fully occupied space if another Pokemon is leaving that space that same turn, however.
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[a]Status[/a]Status in Movement

  • When a Pokemon is afflicted with 25% PRZ, SLP, or FRZ, it is unable to move that turn.
  • When a Pokemon afflicted with BRN, PSN, or BPSN moves to a different square, the damage from the status is applied to the Pokemon. The BPSN counter does not increase.
  • If a Pokemon is afflicted with 25% PRZ at the end of the Kingdom's turn, the paralysis will degrade by 5%.
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[a]Initiating Battle[/a]Initiating Battle

  • After Movement orders are given, a Kingdom may instruct their Pokemon to attack adjacent spaces that contain hostiles. This is accompanied by battle orders, described later.
  • Up to three Pokemon may attack the same space. These Pokemon are treated as one side of a Triples battle, regardless of the number of attackers; in particular, all combat is two actions.
  • The defenders are treated as the other side. Their representative Kingdom gives counter-orders as described later.
  • Only one round of combat is processed before returning to the cycle of Kingdom turns.
  • A team that manages to clear a space of enemies do not move in to that space.
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[a]Combat[/a]Combat

  • When battle occurs, the attacking Kingdom gives orders for all Pokemon instructed to attack adjacent spaces.
  • No more than three Pokemon can attempt to attack the same space in a turn.
  • The battle format is always considered Switch = KO Triples, regardless of the number of attackers or defenders.
  • Only one round of combat is ever processed. Each battle is its own stand-alone affair. For example, Encore can't be used to lock in a move used in a previous combat.
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[a]Battle Rules[/a]Battle Rules

Combat in the Inquisition follows a very general set of rules that are detailed below:

  • Format: 1-3 v 1-3 Skirmish
  • DQ: 48 Hours
  • Switch: KO
  • Abilities: 1
  • Items: ON
  • Recovers:
  • Chills:
Note that, in general, items are not allowed to be brought in to an Inquisition match. This means that if you are to use items, you must obtain them in a different manner. Crossing disqualification can mean several things, which are prescribed later on. A skirmish is defined as a one round battle.

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[a]Leadership[/a]Leadership

  • A Kingdom must declare a "Leader" when attacking a space with more than one Pokemon.
  • As long as the Leader of a force has living allies, the Leader takes halved damage from all sources.
  • When attacked, a defending Kingdom also must declare a Leader if there are at least two Pokemon in the defending space. Attackers issue actions before the defenders declare their Leader.
  • Leadership is declared prior to combat orders.
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[a]Terrain[/a]Terrain

  • Each square has a certain Terrain, which may or may not affect combat or other mechanics.
  • A list of the most basic squares are listed below:
    • Plain - No effect.
    • Castle - Gives Pokemon on the square an additional Sturdy ability.
    • Forest - Gives Pokemon on the square +5 Speed and +5% Evasion.
    • Mountain - Gives Pokemon on the square +1 Rank to Attack and Special Attack and +10% Accuracy.
    • Water - Allows only Water-types, Flying-types, and Pokemon with Levitate to pass through or stop on this square.
    • Mystery - Ending a turn on this Tile will trigger something, but what?
    • "Superior senses" and other synonyms are codified as +10 Speed. If the bonus is not explicitly stated, do not assume that it is present. This is for balancing purposes.
  • Terrain can easily be the deciding factor in a skirmish, so use it to your advantage!
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[a]Ordering[/a]Ordering

  • When declaring a move into a hostile space, the Kingdom must also declare a Leader and give combat orders. A Leader is given three actions of orders, non-Leaders are given two.
  • Only Leaders act on this third action. Anything that isn't a Leader is helpless during this third action.
  • For the sake of keeping things moving, illegal actions will not be reordered. Instead, they will be counted as either Struggle or a simple fail, depending on the scenario.
  • A sample order for offense may look like this:
[box]Sample Order (Offense)

Fiendish! We'll need to hold our south side, but we have to attack the east! Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu; you guys stay on the south and defend from our enemies there! Regirock, Regice, Registeel; move east and attack!

Pichu, Pikachu, Raichu - Stay Put
Regirock, Regice, Registeel - Move East


__

Alright guys, let's attack our enemies to the east! Registeel, lead us!

Regirock: Rock Slide - Earthquake [Synchro]
Regice: Blizzard - Earthquake [Synchro]
Registeel: Flash Cannon (Raticate) - Earthquake [Synchro] - Flash Cannon (Raticate)
(All) IF (Thunder Wave OR Scary Face is used on A1 or A2) THEN (Replace Earthquake with Rock Slide)[/box]

  • After the attacking Kingdom posts with all actions, each Kingdom attacked responds with a post for their own units. They specify their Leader after the attacking Kingdom orders.
  • A sample action may look like this:
[box]Sample Order (Defense)

Oh no! We can't have them overrun our territory! Raticate, lead the defense!

Raticate: Dig (Regice) - Protect - Super Fang (Regirock)
Rattata: Super Fang (Regirock) - Protect[/box]
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[a]NSA[/a]Non-Skirmish Actions

  • Actions outside of movement and skirmish fights that can be used.
  • A Pokemon cannot engage in a skirmish AND a non-skirmish action in one turn.
  • If even one Pokemon within a unit uses an NSA, the entire unit is unable to attack another square that turn. Likewise, a unit that attacks another square cannot have even one Pokemon use an NSA.
  • NSAs include Ranged Attacks, Weather, and Other Moves.
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[a]Ranged Attacks[/a]Ranged Attacks

Instead of direct combat, indirect combat in the form of Ranged Attacks can also be used; only one action may be issued, but there is no fear of retaliation. In order for a unit to order a ranged attack, the following criteria must all be fulfilled.

  1. The attacking Pokemon must be the only Pokemon in its square.
  2. The one action issued as Ranged Attacks must be able to hit across the field in Triples. Thunder under rain and SolarBeam under sun also count as ranged attacks.
  3. The Ranged Attack must have a priority of 0; for example, Sky Attack will fail.
  4. This Ranged Attack must be the only Ranged Attack targeted at the target square.
  5. The target square must be exactly two moves away, whether it be one diagonal or a line two squares long.
Ranged Attacks are exempt from the rule that states up to three Pokemon may target a given square per turn; this means that a party of three Pokemon could issue a direct attack on a square, and then follow up with a Ranged Attack. In this scenario, the encounter would progress normally, with the exception that the Ranged Attack issued would be added on before the skirmish as unavoidable damage, providing the attack hits.

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[a]Weather[/a]Weather

  • Weather can be set up in two ways: within a skirmish and outside of a skirmish.
  • If used in a skirmish, then the weather affects only that skirmish and ends at the end of the skirmish.
  • If used outside of a skirmish, then the Pokemon may not move or attack during the turn. Doing so will make the weather come into effect before any other moves within the turn, so if a Pokemon sets up Rain Dance while another three start a skirmish, that skirmish will have rain in effect. Doing so will also allow the weather to last until the start of the Kingdom's next turn.
  • Pokemon with Sand Stream, Snow Warning, Drought, or Drizzle are able to move and summon their weather in the same turn. Weather summoned by these abilities within a skirmish will still only last for the duration of the skirmish, but will only cost 5 EN.
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[a]Hazards[/a]Entry Hazards

  • Instead of dealing damage upon switching in, Entry Hazards in the Inquisition function defensively.
  • After moving or not moving, a Pokemon can be commanded to use an Entry Hazard; it will last until the start of the Kingdom's next turn. When the Pokemon's unit is attacked, the hazard will take effect on the attacking team.
  • Multiple Pokemon within a unit can use Hazards in the same turn. However, the normal limit applies; there can only be a maximum of one layer of Stealth Rock, two layers of Toxic Spikes, and three layers of Spikes.
  • The EN cost for all three of these moves are unchanged.
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[a]Other Moves[/a]Other Moves

  • Non-weather effects such as Trick Room only affect the skirmish that they are used in.
  • Heal Pulse is used on one specific adjacent square, healing each Pokemon in that square for twenty (20) HP. The EN cost is adjusted to 14 times the number of Pokemon in the square, minus one for STAB.
  • Heal Bell and Aromatherapy affect the square of the user, at the cost of 10 EN, minus one for STAB.
  • Moves that would come into effect at the end of the next round, such as Yawn and Future Sight, come instead at the end of the skirmish it is used in, counted as residual damage if applicable.
  • Forme-changing also counts as an NSA, and so a Pokemon may not change its forme and attack in the same turn. Rotom may not switch into different appliances throughout the course of one match.
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[a]DQ[/a]Disqualification

As an Inquisition match can stretch over a longer duration of time, disqualification may come into play. The mechanics are explained below:

  • If it is a Kingdom's turn to move and the Player crosses DQ, then the Kingdom earns no points and performs no actions.
  • If it is a Kingdom's turn to respond in battle and the Player crosses DQ, then the opposing Kingdom attacks without retaliation.
  • After the third instance of crossing DQ, a Player may opt to call a vote to disqualify the offending Player. If the majority of the Players agree, then the Player is disqualified. After the fifth instance of crossing DQ, the Player is automatically disqualified.
  • A disqualified Player's Kingdom disappears, and all squares owned by the Player's Kingdom revert to being unclaimed.
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[a]End of Game[/a]End of Game

The game can end in one of two ways.
  • 1) A Kingdom has the majority of the Kingdoms in its possession at the end of a turn.
  • 2) The Turn Limit is reached, in which case whoever has the most Kingdoms conquered wins.
    • In the event of a tie, the Player with the highest amount of Points unspent wins.
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[a]Signing Up[/a]Signing Up

  • Players can challenge each other or invite others to Inquisitions in the same manner as TLRs or Tower matches. Approved referees may pick up and ref the oldest confirmed match (e.g. matches with all players accounted for). These matches are restricted to the standard match sizes (6x6 Grid, 4 Kingdoms)
  • Keep in mind that referees do, in fact, have limits, and so matches created in this way may take longer to be accepted.
  • A sample challenge or signup post would look like this:
[box]Example Sign-Up Post 1

Looking for an Inquisition match! Obviously, it's a 6x6 Grid with 4 Kingdoms...

Example Sign-Up Posts 2, 3, 4

Accepting![/box]

  • Referees may also put up challenges from time to time, most likely with a special twist. When doing so, the referee must include the grid that will be used.
  • Signups for these challenges will usually last for about two days, and the player list will be determined by a first-come-first-serve method or randomization; a combination of the two may also occur.
[box]Example Referee Challenge Post

Opening up a new match!

This one will have an 8x8 Grid as well as 6 Kingdoms!

<GRID GOES HERE>

Example Player Sign-Up Posts

Accepting!

Example Referee Closing Post

Signups are now closed. Our player list is:

Deck Knight
Alchemator
Dogfish44
Objection
LouisCyphre
Engineer Pikachu
[/box]
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[a]Rewards[/a]Rewards

  • Each Player receives CC equal to the number of Players in the match. Each of their Pokemon receive 2 EC, 4 MC, and 2 DC; in the event that the Pokemon's EC and DC are already filled, then they gain 6 MC instead. For each Pokemon that a Player kills, the Player gains 2 KOC to be used on any of the six Pokemon brought to the match.
  • For each match, there exists a "pot of rewards" that contains CC equal to two the number of Players and KOC equal to four times the number of Players.
    • The winner of the Inquisition match wins the 1.5 times the entire pot—that is, 3x CC and 6x KOC—if he wins through the first condition, namely conquering the majority of Kingdoms.
    • If the winner wins through the second condition—highest number of points—he gains the entire pot, which is 2x CC and 4x KOC.
    • In the event of multiple winners, which can only happen through the second condition, the pot is split evenly among the winners, and is rounded normally.
  • A disqualified Player receives halved CC, halved battle counters, and no KOC, rounded down if applicable.

  • The referee gets 0.75 UC for each update (one per Kingdom's turn), as well as 0.5 UC per Pokemon per skirmish. At the end of the match, fractional parts of UC are entirely discarded.
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Thoughts and feedback are both appreciated. Thanks for reading!
 
Lol I had an idea for something like this the other day, even things like preparing for an attack with Stealth Rock.
One major difference though that you may consider to take on board is the amount of infor revealed to the players.

I think it would be very interesting if non-combat orders were sent via PM and the thread only shows the territories owned by kingdoms and the positions of Pokemon (but not which ones or how many). That way you add a fair bit of intrigue like "Ok I think we should attack this space.. OH SHIT ITS GLISCOR AND HE'S SET UP STEALTH ROCK THIS IS GONNA HURT". It could also open up more ways to spend points, ie to gather intellegence about the opposing forces.

On that note, I think there should be a way to heal major status, especially permanent ones; toxic poison seems especially crippling. Something like 25pts to heal poison or burn might be reasonable.

Also perhaps extend water-movement to Pokemon which know surf? I mean unless there's not gonna be much of it, but I think it would be more interesting if there was.
 

LouisCyphre

heralds disaster.
is a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributor
Moderator
RestTalk heals Toxic, as does Heal Bell. And that's just for starters.

Hidden information would basically shit all over this game. PM'd orders is one of the reasons brawls are so unplayable. (Not that they'd be any better if everyone posted in order.) This gets by because one kingdom aggresses and others defend. Then, the next kingdom attacks and others defend. And so on.
 
This looks amazingly fun! I can't wait to try it. I do agree that pokemon with surf should be able to vross water, and I think swift swim should be activated while in water. Both are more flavor suggestions, though. The concept is great.
 
God damn, this is amazing. However, regarding entry hazards, I really think that they should have an option to be permanent (i.e. for 2x the EN cost of the hazard). Kind of like bombs in Risk (which is a lot like this RP anyway), they could be permanently placed on a tile to deter opponents from attempting to conquer that tile, adding both to the strategic element of the RP and making entry hazards a lot more viable.
 

Engineer Pikachu

Good morning, you bastards!
is a Contributor Alumnus
I do agree that pokemon with surf should be able to vross water, and I think swift swim should be activated while in water.
Good suggestion; we'll mull this over. It makes sense in a purely flavor sense, but the specific tile is meant to obstruct movement and make certain squares on the grid "chokeholds" for keeping ground, which makes making it less exclusive kind of risky. We'll think about it, though.
However, regarding entry hazards, I really think that they should have an option to be permanent (i.e. for 2x the EN cost of the hazard). Kind of like bombs in Risk (which is a lot like this RP anyway), they could be permanently placed on a tile to deter opponents from attempting to conquer that tile, adding both to the strategic element of the RP and making entry hazards a lot more viable.
The main purpose we have for entry hazards is to hold a defensive line, e.g. holding the North while attacking to the East if you're on the lower-left hand corner; we haven't tested this specific mechanic out in a mock match yet, but from our theorizing the dissuasion they provide is already quite powerful. Permanent entry hazards laid on a specific square is something that can be considered—in fact, this was one of the takes on hazards that we thought about—but they are already surprisingly powerful and laying them on a square would add unnecessary bookkeeping to an already cluttered grid.

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions; keep them coming!
 
Perhaps a reasonable compromise on surf would be creating two types of water tiles: water and torrents. Any Pokemon with surf can cross water, but torrents can only be crossed by a more specific set (waters, fliers, levitators). This would allow for bottlenecks, while still permitting certain Pokemon to bypass standard water traps.
 
Can you Heal yourself in the NSA? I mean using moves like Recover and Chill while you're not moving

Also I agree that entry hazards should be able to be placed permanently so that helps you when you're defending that tile but also can help the enemy if they conquer it, that could be very interesting and add a little strategy placement in there, also at 12 EN a piece they're not exactly cheap so it's not really too much power for a single tile

Ps: You could also use cannons to prevent movement, although those could only be crossed by fliers & levitators it gives you different fields and landscapes to play in
 

LouisCyphre

heralds disaster.
is a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributor
Moderator
Can you Heal yourself in the NSA? I mean using moves like Recover and Chill while you're not moving
We could allow that, I suppose, but then everyone is going to sit around recovering and waiting for others to attack them. There's no possibility for attrition if we do that.

At least with payed healing, it's a choice between keeping your attackers healthy (facilitating conquest) and keeping your score high (facilitating point victory).

Also I agree that entry hazards should be able to be placed permanently so that helps you when you're defending that tile but also can help the enemy if they conquer it, that could be very interesting and add a little strategy placement in there, also at 12 EN a piece they're not exactly cheap so it's not really too much power for a single tile
No. We've just gone over that there's enough going on in each square without tracking layers of each of the three hazards. We have to show up to three mons in each square, which Kingdom owns that square, and the terrain (why did I let Engi add terrain) all in a monospace font in a
Code:
 tag. Entry Hazards are just too much alongside all that.

[QUOTE]Ps: You could also use cannons to prevent movement, although those could only be crossed by fliers & levitators it gives you different fields and landscapes to play in[/QUOTE]

...Cannons? As in, the things Blastoise shoots with?

So you want to be able to shoot up the landscape to change the terrain? I'm not sure I get this.
 
Wow, this idea looks amazing. I actually had an idea kind of like this a few days ago, but couldn't really figure out how to start.

The first main thing I notice is that, as it stands now, there doesn't seem to be any way for a pokemon to restore energy outside of a skirmish. Is this intentional?

Another thing is the relative uselessness of entry hazards as they are now. Sure they could help block some tight bottlenecks, but most of the time the enemy will simply go AROUND the hazards and force the "defenders" to initiate a battle with them on their hazards instead. Basically, unless I'm missing something important, entry hazards are hilariously incompetent at being a defensive maneuver.

Finally, a question. How big of an area does a NSA weather move cover? Is it just that tile, or does it cover multiple tiles?

EDIT: Also, how do you control a Kingdom? Is it a matter of killing all of that kingdom's pokemon, or simply a matter of going to their castle and taking it over?
 

LouisCyphre

heralds disaster.
is a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributor
Moderator
The first main thing I notice is that, as it stands now, there doesn't seem to be any way for a pokemon to restore energy outside of a skirmish. Is this intentional?
Intentional. Otherwise people would just pump points into mons and spam X+X combos for victory.

Another thing is the relative uselessness of entry hazards as they are now. Sure they could help block some tight bottlenecks, but most of the time the enemy will simply go AROUND the hazards and force the "defenders" to initiate a battle with them on their hazards instead. Basically, unless I'm missing something important, entry hazards are hilariously incompetent at being a defensive maneuver.
...Go re-read hazards again. They are effects on the user's space. If the users are attacked before their kingdom's next turn, the attackers take the entry hazard damage. It's a deterrent against attacking (They'll kill me with their Volcarona this turn, better set up SR!), not some manner of trap for chokepoints. Most maps won't even have chokepoints, because the terrain will be neutral!

Finally, a question. How big of an area does a NSA weather move cover? Is it just that tile, or does it cover multiple tiles?
Everything, but it lasts only a single cycle and other players will either abuse it or change it anyway.

EDIT: Also, how do you control a Kingdom? Is it a matter of killing all of that kingdom's pokemon, or simply a matter of going to their castle and taking it over?
You go stand on the Kingdom tile to make it yours, and then either stay there or leave. If it's empty, someone else can just come up and stand their mon on it to change it to their own territory.
 

LouisCyphre

heralds disaster.
is a Forum Moderatoris a Community Contributor
Moderator
Code:
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|      |      |M1M2M3|      |      |      |
|      |      |Forest|      |      |      |
|      |      |Lou   |      |      |      |
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|  K1  |      |      |      |      |  K2  |
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There isn't room. It's cluttered enough as it is with "Mon 1, 2, 3", terrain, and territory ownership. In fact, I want it less cluttered, but Engi wanted Terrain.
 
Code:
|      |[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|      |
| [COLOR=Sienna] K4  [/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]| [COLOR=Sienna] K3  [/COLOR]|
|      |[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|      |
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|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]SR[/COLOR]    |[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]M1M2M3[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]Lou   [/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
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|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
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|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|
|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|
|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=DarkOrchid]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|
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|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|
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|      |[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|      |
| [COLOR=Sienna] K1  [/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]| [COLOR=Sienna] K2  [/COLOR]|
|      |[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=RoyalBlue]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|[COLOR=SeaGreen]......[/COLOR]|      |
Fixed :3
 

Stratos

Banned deucer.
reading over this it appears that while it will be FUN AS SHIT to play when ready, there is a lot that needs ironing out.

first off, points are weak. If all your Pokemon start on the kingdom square the EARLIEST you'll be reviving a pokemon (and this is using completely impractical strategy/scenarios) is turn 4, for all your points. But that's pretty pointless to have a 1 hp mon since assuming they're revived where they fell they're right on the front lines (if not behind enemy ones) and they'll die instantly unless you can pony up a good 30 points extra to get them in a reasonable health range. Secondly, is that really all points can do? Heal a pokemon (hardly) or revive them (exorbitantly and impractically?) at least give it a status heal or something because right now i see Thunder Wave being the most broke as fuck move ever.

Secondly, it's so slanted towards the defender it wouldn't surprise me if in the test run literally nobody attacked anyone. Defenders already get a terrain bonus for anything but a neutral square. The ability to name your leader after the attacker orders is just an insane advantage. Even if you can sub "If X is leader" that's hardly a solution to the problem when it's tough enough to sub for all the shit that can screw you over in this game and then all the things people normally want to sub for. To top it off they can aid their case by using hazards! All you get are ranged attacks, which you can only use one of per square. To top it off, when you conquer a defender (which will never happen if both players are competent), you don't even gain any land!

Another thing i see being messed up is Energy. Paying 42 energy to give 20 hp to three allies seems exorbitantly expensive, not to mention all the other NSAs that this game would encourage you using. It wouldn't surprise me to see people entering their first skirmishes with 30-40 energy. again, this hurts the aggressor because they're bound to sustain more damage than the defender in any given skirmish, and they either have to pay crazy energy or crazy points to get back up to moderately healthy levels again.

tl;dr: this is gonna need a lot of fixing to not turn into a stallfest
 
If all your Pokemon start on the kingdom square the EARLIEST you'll be reviving a pokemon (and this is using completely impractical strategy/scenarios) is turn 4, for all your points. But that's pretty pointless to have a 1 hp mon since assuming they're revived where they fell they're right on the front lines (if not behind enemy ones) and they'll die instantly unless you can pony up a good 30 points extra to get them in a reasonable health range.
Pwnemon, I think the idea is that you want to avoid Pokemon fainting. If you appear to be losing a retreat is a better option. And if your Pokemon has travelled the board, encountered an opponent and been KOd in four Rounds, I think you're doing it wrong...
 

Stratos

Banned deucer.
That's perfectly reasonable considering that combine the weakness of Points with paragraphs 2 & 3 and you have the most defensive game ever, but then a time estimate of a month or even season is unreasonably low unless it's cut off arbitrarily early or reffed upwards of daily
 

Engineer Pikachu

Good morning, you bastards!
is a Contributor Alumnus
Beware, I'm sleepy and have not too much time, so this might be quite jumbled.
first off, points are weak. If all your Pokemon start on the kingdom square the EARLIEST you'll be reviving a pokemon (and this is using completely impractical strategy/scenarios) is turn 4, for all your points. But that's pretty pointless to have a 1 hp mon since assuming they're revived where they fell they're right on the front lines (if not behind enemy ones) and they'll die instantly unless you can pony up a good 30 points extra to get them in a reasonable health range. Secondly, is that really all points can do? Heal a pokemon (hardly) or revive them (exorbitantly and impractically?) at least give it a status heal or something because right now i see Thunder Wave being the most broke as fuck move ever.
As Lou already said above, there are plenty of ways to heal status. We are encouraging cautious play by making it unwise to charge in with a weak Pokemon, while encouraging strategic play by making simply all-out attacking not the best way to win. What Points accomplish is to ensure that your weak Pokemon have slightly more vitality for the next skirmish you send it in. Besides, wouldn't making Points heal more contribute even more to what you say is a problem in your tl;dr?

Also, how is Thunder Wave broken ?_? You can't use it outside of a Skirmish, and all it would do is prevent the Pokemon from moving, which it probably wouldn't anyways considering it's right next to an enemy... oh, and I'm a bit disorganized in my post atm, but revivals revive at the Kingdom, not at the site of fainting.
Secondly, it's so slanted towards the defender it wouldn't surprise me if in the test run literally nobody attacked anyone. Defenders already get a terrain bonus for anything but a neutral square. The ability to name your leader after the attacker orders is just an insane advantage. Even if you can sub "If X is leader" that's hardly a solution to the problem when it's tough enough to sub for all the shit that can screw you over in this game and then all the things people normally want to sub for. To top it off they can aid their case by using hazards! All you get are ranged attacks, which you can only use one of per square. To top it off, when you conquer a defender (which will never happen if both players are competent), you don't even gain any land!
@Bold 1: Attackers get a terrain bonus too so I don't see what you're saying with that.
@Bold 2: And somehow getting a free attack while having them waste 12 EN (which, as you say below, is somehow a big deal) is "all I get"? That's a pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.

Another thing i see being messed up is Energy. Paying 42 energy to give 20 hp to three allies seems exorbitantly expensive, not to mention all the other NSAs that this game would encourage you using. It wouldn't surprise me to see people entering their first skirmishes with 30-40 energy. again, this hurts the aggressor because they're bound to sustain more damage than the defender in any given skirmish, and they either have to pay crazy energy or crazy points to get back up to moderately healthy levels again.
So people are somehow going to spend sixty to seventy EN before they even go into a skirmish? Healing can't occur if there's no damage, which would only happen with Ranged Attacks, and weather and co. would only be useful if you were either going into a skirmish or using Ranged Attacks. Really, the only part of Inq in which this argument might hold true is if everyone just spammed Ranged Attacks.

Moreover, at the "paying 42 energy to give 20 hp to three allies seems exorbitantly expensive" comment: is paying 14 EN to heal 20 HP to one ally exorbitantly expensive? There's a mechanic I forgot to include that might address whatever problem that might exist here, but I'll save that for later.
tl;dr: this is gonna need a lot of fixing to not turn into a stallfest
That's perfectly reasonable considering that combine the weakness of Points with paragraphs 2 & 3 and you have the most defensive game ever, but then a time estimate of a month or even season is unreasonably low unless it's cut off arbitrarily early or reffed upwards of daily
You're thinking too much in terms of Risk. There is a short Turn Limit for a reason; it keeps each match untainted by the "Monopoly Syndrome," aka where everybody just rolls the dice and waits for someone to land on the maxed out Boardwalk or what-have-you.

==

Now, note that not every square will have some special Terrain; in fact, I'd be surprised if the initial games had at least sixteen or so of these squares. As it's actually quite difficult to read the bottom line of each square easily, I'd rather save colors to use in tandem with the bottom line so that ownership is quite clear; hazards may be changed later but at this time we're going to roll with the current defensive function and see how it works.

Since this almost Q&A format has been revolving around a few central points, I'd like to direct discussion to some different ones.

  1. Are Ranged Attacks overly useful or underwhelming?
  2. Should the combat advantage be towards the offense or defense?
I'd like to see some reasoning for these answers; Lou and I have some opinions on this already, but I thought it'd be great to see what you guys have in mind.
 

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