Code Talk: Character Rank (1/2)

[gamergeekgirl]

The Long Awaited Battle Fantasia Rank Post

This is a meaty one, and character power spread is inextricably tied to the topic of advancement, the gamekiller. Advancement on MUSHes is always controversial; for this reason we've forever been reluctant to release details on the development blog.  Pre-launch flamewars over policy are something we'd

Comments

[verbanonfacta]

Like the system concept, but curious about how you envision handling the reverse of the usual rule - rather than a normal person who transforms into more powerful, what about stupidly powerful people who can normally not access their powers due to restrictions?

Practical example: Evangeline A.K. McDowell from the Negima universe is an immortal vampire sorceress whose power is so legendary that mages tell their kids to behave or else the "Dark Eva" will eat them. She falls right under the invincible Thousand Master on the power scale (and maaaaaaybe Jack Rakan). She has S-tier written all over her.

Her problem is that the aforementioned Thousand Master has trapped her in the body of a ten-year-old and forced her to sit in Mahora Academy like a good little girl. The spell that accomplished this has also sealed away most of her magic. She can tap into some of her power on the night of a full moon, but otherwise can only access her true power under a few, extremely limited circumstances, such as inside the confines of a magic resort she keeps in her study; or if the headmaster of Mahora Academy authorizes it (which he is required to do every 3-5 seconds).

Would Eva be a Master Rank A-S with an F form she has to walk around in, or some other solution? It's not particularly important for an app or anything, just envisioning a potential loophole and curious as to how it would be plugged.

[verbanonfacta]

Also, for reference, some Jack Rakan. Just because.

[doomlimit]

ahhhh Jack, my hero

[doomlimit]

There's no built-in way to do this in particular, but what you say is probably about what we'd do. But this isn't too uncommon, actually, with dark masters whose true power is sealed by some artifact or circumstnace.

The answer lies probably in how it's pulled off. Someone like Eva, where her power level changes up and down with story circumstances, needs enough flexibility that what I'd do is give her Master Rank S and then 2-3 in-between modes. Sshe never 'upgrades' so much as she 'has her power level fluctuate as dictated by story events.'

Conversely, someone who just doesn't have access to their power at all until they reclaim the Prism Scepter is probably just using the standard upgrade policy.

[gamergeekgirl]

Truefax: I despise Negima, was totally unable to make it through the first few episodes, and so can't give a judgement call based on the actual series. Based on how you described this example, I'd make two observations.

1. Evangeline is an antagonist, so she may well play by different rules anyway, as noted.
2. Doom's suggestion of Master Rank S but lack of access to an S-ranked /form/ seems appropriate, indeed.