Aloha and good morning.
There's really only two things I'm going to discuss in this report, so I'll get straight to it.
Character Sheets
One of the things to note about a character sheet is that it is not just for your own personal benefit. Your character sheet is a resource that defines you as a person and a warrior for the entire Brotherhood. It is your responsibility to enhance it to the point where everyone has as clear an idea of your character as you do. I'm going to give everyone a few great examples of character sheets. Take a look at these. If yours isn't up to par by the standard of theirs, fix it.
And yes, I'm going to pick on a few people who don't have enough on their character sheet as far as I am concerned. I'm just going to give a few examples of what is going to be concerned a "barely there" sheet. For these people, if you take offense at this, my apologies, but I really want people to strive for more.
So anyway, there's always room to improve upon your character sheets. Please understand, it's only because this is a resource for reference and understanding that everyone should be using. It's not just for you. It's not just for stat comparison. It is not a redone Wiki page, that's for certain. The Wiki should be a greater resource fictionally, but your character sheet should provide enough that people shouldn't have to go on a research run to figure you out.
Custom Weapons
The time has come to get going on Custom Weapons again. And, by Custom Weapons, I mean ALL Custom Items that will be used in the ACC. I'm going to utilize the example of Nitemare's "Technoorganic virus," a la Cable, for my example in a minute.
First, what is NOT a Custom Weapon. Two swords handed down through your family that are named Deathsong and Fearbold, that you received after your father was slain by a Jedi, and you had to recover them by risking death to infiltrate the academy on Yavin IV to take them back, and now they are your only true allies in this universe. Those are not Custom Weapons. Those are two regular old swords that have a history, and that you (as creator) have named. When you use those, you're not using "Deathsong and Fearbold." You are using two swords. You will put that on your challenges. In the fight, you can then bring up their names.
What IS a Custom Weapon, though, is a virus that alters the makeup of your body, to allow for specific feats or benefits that would otherwise not be possible. I am using Nitemare as an example. His virus has altered his body, and because he is now partially "living steel," it offers him protection from physical attacks to a limited degree. This is a benefit. This is a Custom Item. It is not a weapon. It's not just limited to weapons.
Your task, should you choose to decide you need a custom item, is to describe four things. First, you will describe the custom item in detail. This should be at least two GOOD paragraphs, something that will detail every benefit the item gives, what it looks like, how it acts (in Nitemare's case) or grows on you, whatever. Second, you will describe how you got it, how it came to affect you, grow on you, make love to your mom to birth you, whatever. This is so that anyone else who decides that they want said item has a better understanding of where they'd have picked it up for their own fiction and such. Third, you will describe at least one impediment for it. Yep, every good thing has a drawback. In Nitemare's case, he probably doesn't want it to completely grow over his entire form and kill him, or something. He's probably got to have a way to keep it in check, like Cable. Fourth, you will detail why the GM and DGM should let you have it. Yep, it's Sarin and Muz that are letting you have it, not me. It's just going through me because I am here working for them, and assisting them with all things ACC. But it would still be their final approval you are seeking. If I deny something, they'll know it, and you will have the option of either changing it as needed, or going higher up the chain of command to seek their personal approval.
All Custom Item requests/submissions will be emailed to me(bloodfyre[at]gmail[dot]com) and Zandro (zandroerinos[at]hotmail[dot]com) for now. I will be having someone else on my staff work with me on custom item approval in the coming weeks, to make sure things are running as quickly and smoothly on this as possible.
So that's it, as far as Custom Items. Game on. And remember, some of you have "custom items" that, again, are not custom. If it doesn't actually do anything out of the ordinary, it's not a custom item. And it doesn't have to be. Don't feel obligated to make ordinary objects that serve you perfectly well into something that you don't need. And, if you somehow need a custom item, please understand, you may not get it just because you are an Acolyte with no powers, and you need an ace up your sleeve.
Which brings me to one point I want to touch on briefly. Morph Halls are gone. I've never liked the idea of having Star Trek holodecks. The Wiki for the "Abyss" Training Facility is being worked on as I have time, but there is info for it that you can use. It is only one of many physical locations you can use. Use a Clan location. Use a ship. Whatever you want, but you will be going there. Which means your location may have environmental obstacles to overcome. Fighting Nitemare on Taldryan's flagship may be fun, and I'd certainly kick his ass, but then I'd have to fight every bean in that burrito if they all decided I was a prick, and should die for beating up their little fluffy friend. You get the idea, I hope. If you choose to fight on the Abyss platform, you will have an actual combat hall for you, one with typical Star Wars tech, and training "add-ons" that would be like out of the books, comics, whatever, where killer robots pop out of the walls, pits open up out of the floor, whatever. It helps to provide actual threats that would be training your Force senses. Stuff like that. Have fun with it.
-DJM Sith Bloodfyre-Tarentae (Sith)/Cestus of Tarentum
Combat Master and more
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You may already have answered this but does a species natural weapon count as a custom weapon? So for example can the Pheremones of a non-Falleen be used in a battle?
<3 Beef long time.
Species abilities are not custom weapons. If non-Falleen have pheremones attributed to them, they can use it. Abilities by species are not custom. But they must be canon to that specific species.
And when was the last time I fought an ACC match? :P
Seriously... I can't remember. I'll do something with the CS at some point.
Oh really? My character sheet sucks?
I fixed it. I pretty much think it's the greatest character sheet of all time now :P
nice BF. and yeah, nice too Kaek. :P
So with morph halls gone, are all injuries inflicted in ACC now permanent?
lol nice one kaek :P
So if a custom weapon has to be truly unique, how do personalized weapons work? It'd be nice to have something on the character sheet that makes you stand out, even if it is a basic weapon that you have your own. Wiki pages are all nice and dandy, but they're not really official. If personalized weapons are going away because they're not 'unique', then that seems kind of retarded to me. :P
Since when is the wiki not official? I think it shows more of what your character is all about then the CS's do. I mean, is there an area for background? Is there an area for a profile of how your character behaves? His personality? Nope, there's just Physical Appearance, Impediments, Allergies, Distinguishing Marks, and Phobias. I think saying the character sheet is what "defines you as a person to the rest of the brotherhood" is somewhat overly generous, as would saying the Character History on the profile would do the same. They're limited in scope, and should be used in conjunction with other resources and not simply alone. I don't have to mention that several of the people with those "bad" sheets have wiki pages that are far longer and more complete then the "good" sheets.
The wiki isn't technically official because, for the most part, what people put on their wiki isn't closely monitored. Having read some of the more... fantastical entries I would say the wiki shouldn't be included in the ACC. It can basically enhance things that the character sheets already mention - ie: expand on the physical description of a character or a custom weapon. At least if it's on the CS you know it's usable and not just random wiki stuff.
Actually, I don't remember saying the Wiki is "unofficial." What I intended was, people should be able to look at your character sheet and have what they need to write you character decently. If they want an entirely in depth look, they can reference your Wiki. But, if you were writing an ACC match against Kir, would you want to have to go sorting through Kir's character sheet, and then his Wiki, too, in order to have everything you need to know to write him well? I don't think that should be necessary. For character history and background, the Wiki is a great tool. For personality and physical traits, I think people should put some work into their character sheet.
And Sharad, as far as customized/personalized weapons, I'd need examples. But, from what I'm understanding, if you're talking about, say, an E-11 rifle with a grenade launcher or something, that's not a "custom weapon" as far as I'm using the term. What I am talking about are people who create "Gauntlets of Uberindestructibility that can deflect anything, and cook up a mean salsbury steak, too." Or "Deathfire, this wicked bad sword that is covered in black flames that drain the life of those I inflict any kind of hit on, even small scrapes." "Custom Weapons" as in "Items of Power," which could be a better term.
If you'd like additional info Sharad, or anyone, I just need specific examples or items to answer to.
And Kaek, you amuse me. Your character sheet is now a complete and utter Proposition 8.
Proposition 8? I think the less seriously offensive reference would've been to Chaos failure or something along those lines.
Wait, so I can have a sword that drains your soul if I connect with you for instant death? I can limit it to rebounding to kill myself if I post with less than 500 words. That sounds fair, right? I can add in that it only affects those of higher Force strength, rank E1 or higher. The spirit of the sword ignores the weaker, in hopes they will grow strong enough for it to bother with and enjoy eating.
Actually, the Proposition 8 reference was a way of calling your sheet a complete joke. :P
I know BF but I wouldn't consider prop 8 to be a complete joke so much as something very offensive.
Personality? Really? Consider that there's no real personality section on the Character Sheet. I know a couple of those "good" sheets you mention put some personality stuff in Physical Appearance, but what does how you feel about things impact your appearance? The only non-physical area on the Character Sheet is "Phobias" (with maybe a case for Impediments, but that seems more like physical impediments). What if my character doesn't have any irrational fears? I guess I'm just kinda screwed when it comes to making a "good" sheet then. If you want people to be able to put personality, tendencies, or other things on the sheet, create areas for them. Don't point out people that fill out the provided areas on the sheet and don't go beyond what each section is supposedly for as "bad". Hell, even the "good" sheets that you pointed out don't even do what you seem to think, provide an all encompassing view of a character. The best example of that is the Wiki Article of Sashar Arconae, and it's what everything should aspire to be. More then just history, it really is what a comprehensive view of a character should be. If you want the CS to offer that, perhaps you should review what's contained in that article and add sections on the CS to match. But don't berate people for not including information on PERSONALITY in a CS field called PHYSICAL APPEARANCE or the like.
Two things.
1) Solus, you are absolutely correct. It would be much easier if there were sections on the character sheet that specifically requested what I am asking everyone to do. That way, anyone with half a brain could say, "Hmm, appearance box, I enter what I look like. Personality box, I enter what I act like."
2) Solus, what you don't realize is, I am not the main coder for the character sheet. That would fall under the jurisdiction, and skill, of our coding staff. Normally, I would pass on such useful change ideas to them. And, in fact, in the past, I probably have. However, new character sheets are in-the-making, and are going through various testing phases to make sure that layout and coding issues are taken care of before they are released. Because the work is going forward on putting those new sheets out as quickly as possible, additions to the current sheets are not being made.
What I am asking people to do is to start taking some initiative and put work into their character sheets. And, I am also asking them to flesh them out in ways that will require them to put more into the various boxes, but will help everyone to be able to make better use of said character sheets.
The three specific examples of people I chose as "bad" examples are three persons I have known for some time, and have seen how much they can do. I also know them to be three people who do not easily get their feelings hurt, who would not pout about me using them as examples to new people of what I would prefer to see more effort put into.
If the character sheet and tasks I am giving to people is too much for you to take in, there are a wide variety of people available to help you figure things out and make the most out of what you presently have available to you. As a member of Scholae Palatinae, you have a great number of Clansmen who have absolutely made more out of their character sheet than what is available, and can definitely offer you help if you need it. And I'm sure you have the ability to make the most of your sheet given the time and effort that the new sheets will make the most benefit of.
But, again, since we do not have the new sheets for now, we're making due. Thanks much for your input.