Do you have a specific set of command moves and Techniques that use as universal in your games or do you vary them up to the figurative "game play" of different settings? One way allows for a more varied feel to different settings while the other allows for more character variety.

What Power Level do you prefer to start with?

Do your sessions and adventures involve much noncombat activity like investigation, socializing and personal interaction?

Do you embellish descriptions in combat and, if so, do you try to stick to "genre"' that is ignore the 3rd dimension, moves always look exactly the same, etc? IOW Do you describe the battle as if it were taking place in a Fighting Game or do you flesh out the description and make it more like a movie than a video game or do you play up the video game physics (like invisible walls that border the battle field)?

I answered these out of order, but I think you'll figure them out.

1) The amount of noncombat activity in my games depends on the players.  In general, I use just enough role-playing activity to move from one battle to the next.  But I have some players who prefer more anime-style drama (which appealed to me more 10 years ago than it does now).  The important role-playing, of course, is supposed to occur *during* battles.

2) The truth is that I often forget to embellish combat with description, even though I made it a formal part of the turn sequence! When I remember it (and when my players do it), it tends *not* to skew absolutely to genre convention.  That is to say, it looks more like combat in a shounen show.  I have wanted to try a campaign setting where the rules were not changed, but the "implied visual sense" of the campaign was "live-action."  Haven't had a chance to do that yet.

3) I definitely do not use the same campaign options for each campaign.  One of my personal favorite aspects of the rules (especially with Round 2 included) is that the system itself is flexible enough to plug and play different rules ideas to create really different feels.  My downfall is that I tend to want to have too many options, which is fine, except when I forget them in play.

4) I'm a purist who starts at PL 1, because I think it helps players to learn their characters more easily.  But many fans think that the "actual" game starts at PL 3, with more consistent defense skills, more Fighting Spirit, and Super Moves.  I can't really deny that, and for groups that know the system well enough, there's a lot to recommend this, including the fact that the whole campaign can be resolved 2-4 sessions more quickly (I have no problem with long campaigns, but it seems many players have no hope of seeing a game last longer than 6 months, so this might be a bonus.)

QuoteSo, let's see.  It seems like there are 4 questions here.  (I'm also going to answer on therpgsite, since you asked there, just to see if anything comes of it.)
 
1) The amount of noncombat activity in my games depends on the players.  In general, I use just enough role-playing activity to move from one battle to the next.  But I have some players who prefer more anime-style drama (which appealed to me more 10 years ago than it does now).  The important role-playing, of course, is supposed to occur *during* battles.

I hadn't thought of it that way. Though I like it when people rp in combat. It certainly does fit the shonen genre. But I didn't just mean drama and rp but noncombat activities overall including things like exploration, investigation and other things that while they might involve mechanics aren't straight up battle.
 

Quote2) The truth is that I often forget to embellish combat with description, even though I made it a formal part of the turn sequence! When I remember it (and when my players do it), it tends *not* to skew absolutely to genre convention.  That is to say, it looks more like combat in a shounen show.  I have wanted to try a campaign setting where the rules were not changed, but the "implied visual sense" of the campaign was "live-action."  Haven't had a chance to do that yet.

Could you give me an example of your typical combat description and what you'd like to try?

Quote3) I definitely do not use the same campaign options for each campaign.  One of my personal favorite aspects of the rules (especially with Round 2 included) is that the system itself is flexible enough to plug and play different rules ideas to create really different feels.  My downfall is that I tend to want to have too many options, which is fine, except when I forget them in play.

I can sympathize. I tend to try to plug in all the options possible to give myself and the players as much  flexibility as I can but it can get a little overwhelming especially for people new to the system.

Quote4) I'm a purist who starts at PL 1, because I think it helps players to learn their characters more easily.  But many fans think that the "actual" game starts at PL 3, with more consistent defense skills, more Fighting Spirit, and Super Moves.  I can't really deny that, and for groups that know the system well enough, there's a lot to recommend this, including the fact that the whole campaign can be resolved 2-4 sessions more quickly (I have no problem with long campaigns, but it seems many players have no hope of seeing a game last longer than 6 months, so this might be a bonus.)

Power Level 3 does seem to be the point where characters are the most fully fleshed out and and feel fully developed bnt still inexperienced. The lower PLs can have odd gaps in their abilities that you usually don't see in the source material.

OTOH, I agree with the idea that they're easier to handle and provide a learning experience for people new to the game. Its a conundrum. Ideally, it might be fun to run a lower PL game as sort of a "prequel", essentially a series of flashbacks that explore the characters origins and development and set up the PL 3+ game as more of a fully developed campaign/story arc

Anyone explain what this game is?

Quote from: Archangel Fascist;706968Anyone explain what this game is?

It's a game based on the characters and worlds found in fighting video games.  The combat system attempts to emulate the way combat works in these games, with an emphasis on positioning, blocking, combos, and control.

That's the elevator pitch anyway.

Nexus, here are the responses to your subsequent questions.

Other non-combat activities: I don't overdo these, but I like them.  I like using Action Sequences to create interesting scenes that don't take too long to resolve.

Typical combat description: um...I don't know if I have "typical."  When I'm on my game, I take the description of the move, describe it in context to the other events of the round and try to describe some environmental result.  I don't think you need *more* description than combat in any other RPG, but since this genre is such a visual medium, I feel that I'm doing a disservice if I don't include at least *some* description.

As for Power Levels 1 and 2, depending on how many players you have, and how long your sessions are, it should only take 2-4 battles to reach Power Level 3.  But based on my pbp experience over the past few years, I think if I were running a game for experienced players, I'd likely start PL 3.

Hope this helps.

Quote from: drkrash;707116Nexus, here are the responses to your subsequent questions.

Other non-combat activities: I don't overdo these, but I like them.  I like using Action Sequences to create interesting scenes that don't take too long to resolve.

Typical combat description: um...I don't know if I have "typical."  When I'm on my game, I take the description of the move, describe it in context to the other events of the round and try to describe some environmental result.  I don't think you need *more* description than combat in any other RPG, but since this genre is such a visual medium, I feel that I'm doing a disservice if I don't include at least *some* description.

As for Power Levels 1 and 2, depending on how many players you have, and how long your sessions are, it should only take 2-4 battles to reach Power Level 3.  But based on my pbp experience over the past few years, I think if I were running a game for experienced players, I'd likely start PL 3.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, it does.