I think now is the time that I will step in and play my part in the Balance-Meta of this game. As it has been since inception, one of the most recurring problems in this game in regards to balance is not that characters are broken, but that they are broken, yet get approved by the GM's and these same characters become problematic once they attempt to use their abilities in a plot, which then results in whomever is a current GM stomping their foot down down and negating or even punishing that character, leading to a whole lot of OOC fuss that even tends to carry itself back into the IC and effects the flow of the game and the relationship of the characters.
This isn't to the fault of San and Elf, as their system which combines hard rules with player freedom will inevitably lead to situations in which characters who appear to be balanced on paper and in theory end up being broken in practice. You see this happening in video games produced by corporations with millions of dollars and playtesting staff in the dozens if not hundred, and oftentimes these same corporations have to add nerfs and buffs in the context of their games post-release.
So when Aesford returns to the ship, he is going to bring back a training device made through cutting-edge NFL technology but also adjustable to fit the need of any consumer: The Holo-Trainer 5000. The Holo-Trainer, originally made for football players to train against their opponents without even having to look at them, will function for the player characters by spawning an assortment of pre-made but adaptable enemies who are tailored to be as generic as possible in order to simulate the "average" enemy. Generally, they will lack many special qualities but at the same time have enough abilities and effects to see the interactions between characters and future opponents. Everything about the Holo-Trainer is adjustable so the type of enemy, their level, their behavior, their goal, etc. can all be manipulated. This provides a platform for players to test out new or refined characters and their abilities in an environment which doesn't effect the plot but also catches problematic abilities before they become large IC/OOC issues (or even unpowered abilities for that matter) and allows for adjustments to be discussed and made before the character is sent away on a plot.
Examples of such enemies include:
Name: Basic Training Hologram
Age: N/A
Gender: N/A
Race: Hologram
Sex: N/A
Appearance: A blue hologram with a somewhat muscular figure, but lacking any other features.
Personality: Completely adaptable. By default, will wait for opponent to attack, and then will retaliate.
Level: 6 (Adjustable)
EXP: 0
HP: 30+(CON+Level) [Each level adds CON+Level HP]
Init: 10+1d20 at the start of combat.
Stats: 62/62 (All points are not utilized in order to be as non-specialized as possible.)
Constitution- 10
Dexterity- 10
Intelligence- 10
Resistance- 10
Strength- 10
Synergy- 10
Perks: None
Equipment: None
Actions:
Strike (Basic Attack) - The Hologram bludgeons their opponent with a quick martial arts strike, such as a punch, kick or headbutt.
Block (Basic Defense) - The Hologram gets into a stable fighting stance and places its arms over its face and upper torso to reduce the impact of an attack. Doubles RES for defensive purposes.
Heavy Blow - The Hologram lunges forwards with a stronger version of a Strike, such as a haymaker punch or a spinning kick. This attack functions as a strike that deals 200% normal damage.
Energy Strike - The Hologram throws a blue fireball from its hands that functions identically to a strike, but deals magical damage instead.
Energy Disc - The Hologram creates an oval-shaped disc in its hand and throws it at its opponent, which shatters upon contact with them or any surface. It functions identically to a Strike but counts as a ranged attack instead.
This is an example of a very basic training program, whereas other programs would be more specialized to appear as another type of enemy such as a mage, a ranged-based program, a counter-hitter, a tank, etc. Besides testing out the power of a character's abilities, it would also serve the function of testing out "what happens if I used X ability or X fighting style against Y type of opponent?"
I haven't actually told anyone about this yet, and I don't see any harm in having it beyond people getting so caught up in cool customizable hologram fights that they ignore the actually plots going on; hopefully this doesn't happen.
Thoughts, especially from the venerable Elf and Sanure?
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Topic: Trespassers of the Multiverse: Gaiden [OOC] Compleation is a drop away... (Read 942625 times)