Topic: Showcase Showdown: OOC Information

Sinjin Fai

Date: 2009-12-13 16:01 EST
The Showcase Showdown is an opportunity for people unfamiliar with the dueling community, those who are interested in trying the duels but aren't sure where to start, or characters who are just out to show their support for dueling or their friends dueling. In other words, it's for everybody. ;)

In this thread you'll find some basic OOC information about the events that will take place as well as some quickstart dueling guides for those of you who want to try out dueling -- and I hope you do!

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! This is what this event is all about.

The Showcase Showdown: Schedule of Events

Time/Date: December 22nd, 2009 in the RDI Arena from 9-12AM and the ROH Great Helm Tavern from 12AM-??.

Showcase Matches:

Duel of Swords: G'nort Esplanade G'neesmacher Dragoon Talanador -VS- Maria Graziano


G'nort, casually known around Rhy'din as G, as an illustrious history amongst the dueling community. An infamous name amongst the Team Dueling League (TDL), he acted as Baron for Dockside and Old Market for nearly a year in both posts. G is now the active dueling coordinator in Swords, and is a fairly regular face in the Arena.

Fighting the most recent former Baroness of the Old Market District, the first Warlord to challenge and take a barony from legendary Xenograg Bey in as long as nearly two years. Maria Graziano is known to be a member and founder of the legendary Wrecking Crew, and just as legendary for utilizing a baseball bat as her signature weapon of choice. She's also quite the sexy spitfire! This match up is destined to be hot!


Duel of Magic: Neo Eternity -VS- Sivanna Cyredghymn


While most regular duelers might recognize Neo as a contender in Swords where he's ranked as a Grand Master, Neo has been the Keeper of Water in Magic since February with a current record of 67-7. Relatively new to the rings in comparison to folks like G and Guill, Neo's an up-and-coming competitor to look out for: in a few years time, it wouldn't be shocking for him to find a barony as well!

Sivanna's living proof that a pretty face can still kick your ass. Frequently underestimated as just another lovely ringside lady (and maybe a bit of a lush!), Sivanna currently stands as Keeper of Fire with a 12-1 record of wins over losses.


Duel of Fists: Matt Simon -VS- Koy Simon

If you don't know Matt Simon, you've been living under a rock. While he's the second-time governor of Rhy'din, he also has an incredible history in the dueling arena with a current record of 388-1, current holder of the yellow opal, eight time winner of the Diamond, and coordinator of Fists. There are few people in the entirety of the dueling community who have the sort of resume of competition that Matt holds, even if he's fighting one of the most intimidating forces in the ring.

Because when people mention the name 'Koy' in the rings, it might bring more fear than the governor's! Previous holder of the yellow opal and current holder of the black opal, don't be fooled by Koy's looks of charms -- she wears those heels for a reason, and with a current record of 85-6, she has the background to prove it.

Sinjin Fai

Date: 2009-12-13 16:15 EST
Showcase Showdown FAQ:



Okay, you're speaking Greek to me. What is this dueling shenanigans?

Dueling is an IC 'sport' that takes place in three areas: swords, fists, and magic -- and anyone can do it! Dueling takes place both here, at the RDI, and at the Rings of Honor chatroom. You can find the schedule of events here, on the ROH website!


Neato! How do I sign up for ROH?

Thanks to folks like Amaltea, Xenogrog, and Panther, it's actually incredibly easy to sign your RDI character up at the ROH forums. All you have to do is click 'Register here!' at the top of the page and it will bring you to the registration page, where you'll find a link for RDI members to copy over their profiles from RDI to ROH! It's seriously that easy!

I want to duel! But I don't know how!

Don't worry! If you keep an eye on this thread, you'll find some quickstart guides for learning how to duel in all three arenas, and I hope you use them to get involved and give it a try yourself.

I still have questions! Waauuugh!

Feel free to PM me, or IM me at Sinjin Fai if you have any questions about the event, or about dueling. If there's a question I can't answer for you, I can at least direct you to someone who can.

Sinjin Fai

Date: 2009-12-13 16:53 EST
Quickstart Dueling Guide: Duel of Swords


What is Duel of Swords?

Duel of Swords is for characters who wish to use a weapon, such as a sword, axe, or hammer, but don't let the name limit your creativity; I've seen baseball bats in the ring, knives, and even salad tongs! If your character is interested in using a weapon in combat that's not a gun or your fists, then this might be the arena for you!


How do I play?

As you duel, you'll discover that all the duels are a mix between rock-paper-scissors and chess. It requires a little luck, a little skill, and a whole lot of considering what move your opponent will take next.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z98/youthculture/dos.jpg

(Click here to see the expanded image)

The first thing you're probably asking is "What the crap does all this mean?" This matrix here shows you the list of moves you can use in Duel of Swords (DOS) and what advantages and disadvantages each move has against the rest. Let's take a look at HC (Hight Cut) for an example.

High Cut wins (<1) against against CP, DI, SS, SL, and SH. Against LC, both HC and LC score a point, and against itself, there's no effect. Against DU or LP, the other move gains the advantage (^A), and against TH, it loses. (^1). Estimating what the potential wins and losses against the move you want to use helps you figure out what your opponent might pick and what you might pick in turn to defend against it, or attack against it.

What are the moves I can use?

Circular Parry (CP) - A defensive movement against attacks to the lower half of the body.
Lateral Parry (LP) - A defensive movement against attacks to the upper half of the body.
Disengage (DI) - A move that puts distance between yourself and your opponent.
Duck (DU) - A crouch or similar move that puts yourself below your opponent's attack.
High Cut (HC) - An attack to the upper half of the body.
Low Cut (LC) - An attack to the lower half of the body.
Sidestep (SS) - A step away or a dodge to one side.
Slash (SL) - A powerful attack meant to cut through guards.
Stop Hit (SH) - Forces the opponent's attack back and away.
Thrust (TH) - A straight forward, quick attack.

These are the very basic definition of the moves. You can use them to figure out how your own character would use their weapon in context to the attacks and roleplay it out appropriately. Remember that moves cannot be used twice in a row with the exception of disengage.

I saw someone use a "Fancy" move. What does this mean?

You'll notice on the matrix that there are are wins (1) and advantages (A). When you gain an advantage, you score a half a point rather than a full point. However, when you use a "fancy", it allows you to gain a full point with a move that would otherwise only gain half a point.

Characters who rise in rank or win special tournaments get the use of fancies:

Rank (with win over losses): Fancies available per match

Commoner (less than 2 WoL): 0
Swordsman(2-4 more WoL): 1
Master-at-arms(5-9 more WoL): 2
Grandmaster(10-14 more WoL): 3
Warlord(15 or more WoL): 4
Baron (special rank): 5
Overlord (special rank): 6

You can find your rank by clicking here.

What are Barons and Overlords?

In DOS, some of the highest positions are called Barons. Each barony (Old Temple, Battlefield Park, Dockside, Dragon's Gate, Seaside, Old Market, and New Haven) has a baron ruling over it. Warlords can challenge barons for their barony, as can some lower ranked characters with special prizes from the overlord or from tournaments.

The Overlord is the highest position in DOS. Only a baron or the winner of a special tournament called the Warlord Tournament may challenge the Overlord.

How are matches called?

When you start a match at the RDI, the caller (you'll recognize them from the DUEL in front of their name), will pop up an IM in your chat window where you will place your moves. The format you put your move in is the number of the round, followed by the name of the move you wish to use. For instance, Rd 1. CP or Rd 1. Circular Parry. When the caller receives your move and your opponent's move, they determine the winner and post it in the chatroom. From there, you can roleplay out your attack or defense wit your opponent, and send the caller your next move.

When you start at match at the ROH chat, it's a little bit different. A box will pop up with a dropdown list of all the moves you can use and a checkbox for fancies, and you select your move and click submit. The caller will determine the winner of each round and the box will let you pick your move for the next round at that time.

How is the winner determined?

The winner is determined when a player gets 5 points with a one point lead against his opponent. In the event of sudden death, the match can continue to fifteen rounds; if there is still no one point lead, the match is proclaimed a tie.


Wrapping it all up!

Here is a sample duel from a Challenge match a few months back as an example of how DOS dueling works in context:

Guil / Tormay (Score)
1 FLP - LC (1-0 T) Tormay starts off with a low cut underneath Guil's fancy lat. parry, earning him a point.
2 HC - FCP (1 all) In turn, Guil's high cut goes above Tormay's fancy circ. parry.
3 SH - TH (2-1 G) Guil uses a stop hit, which earns him a full point against Tormay's thrust.
4 LC - FCP (2 all) Tormay evens the match by using a fancy, earning him a full point for a circ. parry against a low cut.
5 HC - LC (3 all) In a high cut/low cut match off, both opponents score.
6 LC - FCP (4-3 T) Another fancy circ. parry against a low cut gets Tormay in the lead. This is match point.
7 FCP - FLP (4-3 T) Two parries result in a null round, since there is nothing to parry, and so the match continues.
8 TH - SH (5-3 T) Tormay ends the match with a stop hit, earning a full point against Guil's thrust.

Sinjin Fai

Date: 2009-12-13 17:25 EST
Quickstart Dueling Guide: Duel of Fists


What is Duel of Fists?

Duel of Fists (DOF) is for characters who wish to fight using their fists or feet, or body. If your character excels at hand-to-hand combat or loves a good bar brawl, this could be the best arena for you!

How do I play?

As you duel, you'll discover that all the duels are a mix between rock-paper-scissors and chess. It requires a little luck, a little skill, and a whole lot of considering what move your opponent will take next.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z98/youthculture/dof.jpg

(Click here to see an expanded view of the image)

The first thing you're probably asking is "What the crap does this all mean?" This matrix shows you the list of moves you can use in DOF and what advantages and disadvantages each move has, just like the DOS matrix in the last post. Let's take a look at JK (Jump Kick) for another example.

Jump Kick wins (<1) against Hook, Chop, Spin Kick, Snap Kick, Leg Block, and Leap. It loses (^1) against Jab, Upper Cut, and Flip. Arm Block, Dodge, and Duck gain an advantage (^A) against it. DOF might have more moves than DOS, but the same basic concept prevails.


What are the moves I can use?

1. Jab (JB) - A quick, thrusting punch to the upper body or head.
2. Hook (HK) - A roundhouse "Haymaker" punch that swings wide and is directed to the head or upper body.
3. Uppercut - An upward swing, usually to the stomach or head.
4. Chop (CH) - A "karate"-style chop, usually to the stomach or head.
5. Jumpkick (JK) - A kick where the fighter first jumps into the air towards their opponent with their foot extended.
6. Snapkick (SnK) - A quick kick to the mid-section or lower body of your opponent.
7. Spinkick (SpK) - A kick where the fighter spins their whole body around and into the kick.
8. Legsweep (LS) - A spinning strike to the lower leg designed to trip your opponent.
9. Flip (FL) - A maneuver allowing the fighter to grab their opponent and use their movements against them.
10. Armblock (AB) - An attempt to block your opponent's attack with your arm(s).
11. Legblock (LB) - An attempt to block your opponent's attack with your leg.
12. Dodge (DO) - Quickly moving to one side as your opponent moves toward you.
13. Duck (DU) - Dropping into a crouch.
14. Leap (LP) - Jumping to the side of, away from, or over your opponent.

Once again, you can use these basic moves and get creative with them to figure out how your character would roleplay them out appropriately. And remember, you cannot use the same move twice in a row.


I saw someone use a "fancy" move. What does this mean?

You'll notice on the matrix that there are are wins (1) and advantages (A). When you gain an advantage in DOF (unlike DOS or DOM), you score an advantage. If you successful use another advantage in the next round, you gain a point; however, if you are unable to, you score no points. However, when you use a "fancy", it allows you to gain a full point with a move that would otherwise only gain you an advantage.

I saw someone use a "feint" move. What does this mean?

A feint is sort of like the fancy's opposite. Instead of using it on a defensive move, you use it on an offensive move to gain a full point when an opponent tries to use an otherwise successful defense against you. Here's an example:

Jab (JB) vs Arm Block (AB) = AB gets an advantage. This is the normal progression of how a JB/AB would score.
Feint Jab (FeJB) vs Arm Block (AB) = Feint Jab scores a full point. Think of it as a fake out; you pretend to make the punch and watch your opponent take the defense before finding another opening. That's one way to roleplay a feint jab out.

However, if you use feint against a move that would normally score you a full point, you lose that point:

Jab (JB) vs Leg Block (LB) = Jab scores full point. This is the normal progression of how a JB would score against an LB, since LB only blocks the lower half of the body.
Feint Jab (FeJB) vs Leg Block (LB) = Because it's a feint, the JB misses and there is no score this round. Faking out the punch on a position that would have you normally scoring the full point hesitates your offense enough for your opponent to recover -- which is one way you can roleplay this out.


How can I use feints and fancies?

Just like fancies in DOS, you acquire feints and fancies via your rank, based on wins over losses:


Rank (with wins over losses): Number of Feints/Fancies Used (in combination)
Glass (0-1 more WoL): 0
Jade (2-4 more WoL): 2
Ruby (5-9 more WoL): 3
Sapphire (10-14 more WoL) 5
Emerald (15 more WoL): 6
Opal (special rank): 6
Diamond (special rank): 7

You can check your rank on the standings by clicking here.

What are Opals and Diamonds?

In DOF, the highest positions are called Opals. Each opal has a holder (The Red Opal, FireStar, The Blue Opal, IceDancer, The Blue Opal, IceDancer, The Yellow Opal, MoonBeryl, The Black Opal, ShadoWeaver, The Green Opal, PathFinder). Emeralds can challenge characters for their right to hold the Opal.

Diamond is the highest rank in DOF. To become a Diamond, competitors face off in the Diamond Quest tournament that happens once per cycle.


How are matches called?

When you start a match at the RDI, the caller (you'll recognize them from the DUEL in front of their name), will pop up an IM in your chat window where you will place your moves. The format you put your move in is the number of the round, followed by the name of the move you wish to use. For instance, Rd 1. JB or Rd 1. Jab. When the caller receives your move and your opponent's move, they determine the winner and post it in the chatroom. From there, you can roleplay out your attack or defense wit your opponent, and send the caller your next move.

When you start at match at the ROH chat, it's a little bit different. A box will pop up with a dropdown list of all the moves you can use and a checkbox for fancies or feints, and you select your move and click submit. The caller will determine the winner of each round and the box will let you pick your move for the next round at that time.

How is the winner determined?

The winner is determined when a player gets 5 points with a one point lead against his opponent. In the event of sudden death, the match can continue to fifteen rounds; if there is still no one point lead, the match is proclaimed a tie.


Wrapping it all up.

To try and understand what all the rules of DOF look like together, here's a sample match from the recent challenge of Tass VS Jigglypuff for the Green Opal:

Round #. Tass / Jigglypuff

01. JB /FaDO | (1-0) Jigglypuff starts off with a Fancy Duck, which earns a full point against Tass's jab.
02. | LS/LS | (2-1) When both opponents use leg sweep, they both score, but Jigglypuff retains her lead.
03. | CH/FaDO | (3-1) Another Fancy Duck earns a full point from Tass's chop, instead of an advantage.
04. | LS/FaAB | (3-2) Another leg sweep from Tass beats out the arm block, fancy or otherwise.
05. | SnK/FtJK | (3-2) This is a good example of how a feint can work to your disadvantage. If Jigglypuff had tried a normal Jump Kick, it would have won, as you can see on the matrix. Because it's a feint (a pull back), she doesn't score and the round is null.
06. | FaDO/LS | (4-2) Although the dodge is fancy, the leg sweep still wins a full point against the dodge. Match point.
07. | FaDU/JB | (4-3) Tass earns a full point here rather than an advantage by using a fancy duck and the match continues.
08. | LS/FaAB | (4 all) Tass earns another point by using a leg sweep, and both opponents go to match point and "sudden death."
09. | JB/FaDO | (5-4) By using a fancy dodge to earn a full point, Jigglypuff ends the match.

Sinjin Fai

Date: 2009-12-13 17:45 EST
Quickstart Dueling Guide: Duel of Magic


What is Duel of Magic?

Duel of Magic (DOM) is for characters who want to fight using magical means or abilities, not weapons or fists. If your character is magically inclined, this might be the arena for you!


How do I play?

As you duel, you'll discover that all the duels are a mix between rock-paper-scissors and chess. It requires a little luck, a little skill, and a whole lot of considering what move your opponent will take next.

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z98/youthculture/dom.jpg

(Click here to expand the image)

To the first time dueler, the DOM matrix looks the most intimidating. However, just like the DOS and the DOF matrix, it's all a matter of picking out your advantages and disadvantages. There are certain moves you can and cannot use in DOM based on your rank, but we'll get to that in a moment; first, let's take a look at another example about what moves do and don't work. We'll use the most basic move in DOM, Mage Bolt (MB):

Mage Bolt wins (<1) against Mind Whip, Displace, Ghost Form, and Arctic Blast. It scores a half-point advantage (<A) against Wizard's Blades, and loses a half-point advantage (^A) against Shield, Armor, and Foul Fog. It loses a full point (^1) against Fear Touch, Reflect, Meteor Shower, Immolate, and Elemental Fury. A Mage Bolt against itself will score a point for both opponents.

What moves can I use?

The basic moves a first-time duelist can use in DOM are the following:

Mage Bolt - Lightning at the caster's fingertips.
Wizard Blades - A set of whirling, razor sharp blades.
Mind Whip - A narrow psionic blast.
Fear Touch - An icy hand of gripping fear upon the opponent.
Shield - A shield-sized force field.
Armor - Gives the caster skintight, impenetrable armor.
Displacement - Teleports the caster in a random direction.
Foul Fog - A noxious wave of multicolored gas.

Advanced moves (only accessible by rise in rank):

Reflection - A mirror-shield for turning attacks against an opponent.
Ghostform - Makes the caster non-corporeal, just like a ghost.
Meteor Shower - A torrent of flaming rock.
Arctic Blast - Blankets an area with ice, hail and cold.

Only available to Mages/Archmages:
Nether Ray - A high-energy beam of magic.
Immolation - A white-hot wall of fire.

Remember: the definitions of the move might not work for your character, but you can take the base idea of a move and try to work it into your character's own abilities of magic.

There are other moves on the matrix. How do I use them?

You can access more moves the further you go up in rank.

Rank (# more Wins over Losses)
Enchanter(0-1 more WoL): May choose 1 of the 4 advance spells to use in future duels.
Sorcerer(2-4 more WoL): May choose an additional 1 of 4 advance spells (2 spells total).
Magician(5-9 more WoL): May choose an additional 1 of 4 advance spells (3 spells total).
Wizard(10-14 more WoL): May use all 4 advance spells.
Mage(15+ WoL): May use all four advance spells and one mage spell.
Mage Emeritus(special rank): May use all four advance spells and rotate between mage spells.
Archmage(special rank): May use all advance spells and all four mage spells.
Keeper of Element (special title): In addition to their rank, the Keepers have access to the spell Elemental Fury.

You'll notice there's still one move left: Elemental Fury. This move is only accessible to the Keeper of the Elements (Water, Fire, Earth, Air, or Celestial) and may only be used against other Keepers during regular duels.

To check your accessibility to these moves, find your rank in the standings here.


How are matches called?

When you start a match at the RDI, the caller (you'll recognize them from the DUEL in front of their name), will pop up an IM in your chat window where you will place your moves. The format you put your move in is the number of the round, followed by the name of the move you wish to use. For instance, Rd 1. MB or Rd 1. Mage Bolt. When the caller receives your move and your opponent's move, they determine the winner and post it in the chatroom. From there, you can roleplay out your attack or defense wit your opponent, and send the caller your next move.

When you start at match at the ROH chat, it's a little bit different. A box will pop up with a dropdown list of all the moves you can use as well as he moves that are not accessible to you, and you select your move and click submit. Remember to check your standings to see which moves you can and cannot use! The caller will determine the winner of each round and the box will let you pick your move for the next round at that time.


How is the winner determined?

The winner is determined when a player gets 5 points with a one point lead against his opponent. In the event of sudden death, the match can continue to fifteen rounds; if there is still no one point lead, the match is proclaimed a tie.


Wrapping it all up.

DOM can be the most complicated style of duel to learn, so for an example, here is a duel from a recent challenge between Guill and Lem:


Guil Lem
1 MW / FT (1-0 G) Starting off with a Mind Whip puts Guil a full point ahead of Lem's fear touch.
2 MB / EF (1 all) In turn, Lem's Elemental Fury beats out Mage Bolt to tie up the round.
3 FF / MW (1.5-1 G) Guil's Foul Fog gives a .5 advantage over Mind Whip.
4 WB / WB (2.5-2 G) Wizard's Blades against each other allow both opponents to score.
5 DS / MS (3-2 G) Displacement rounds up Guil's previous advantage to bring him a full point ahead.
6 SH / MW (3.5-2 G) Guil's shields defense games him another advantage against Mind Whip.
7 WB / SH (4.5-2 G) However, Shield cannot defend against Guil's Wizard Blades. Match point.
8 GF / AR (5-2 G) Ghost Form gains an advantage over Armor and Guil wins the match.