Post by Shizuka on Apr 11, 2012 22:39:15 GMT -6
(c) KEIRA from origin-wolves-v2.proboards.com
Note from Shizuka: I'd been hearing people saying they can't roleplay fight scenes well and that's their reason for not participating in the main plot, so now here's a guide for fight scenes! xD
a documentation by cocoapuffs of Caution 2.0
I. Pay close attention to the posts leading up to the fight sequence and keep these in mind throughout the thread.
This is a pretty important one, so I thought it was best to start off with it. What I've found is that the most important part of writing a fight scene is what led up to it. After all, you don't have the fight scene without the events that happened before it, right? Re-read the posts leading up to it, and keep them in mind. Think of the conflict going on. It's important to know why the fight is happening in the first place.
II. Know your character and get into their heads.
This is another biggie. It's hard to write a successful fight scene if you're not familiar with your character. You need to know how they would react in this situation, not how you would react. It can be difficult, but try not to get the two mixed up. You and your character are two different beings, but you need to dissect their thoughts processes and emotions before you type anything. So the important question to ask yourself is "How is my character feeling right now?" Is Bob mad at Joe for kissing his sister? Or is he just disappointed and doesn't want conflict? Is he acting out of spite? Hurt? Sadness? Regret?
III. Take your character's physical limitations and abilities into account.
I really can't stress this one enough. If you can't quite remember how big or small your character is, just take a quick peek at your character application. Make it realistic (unless it's in a setting where it wouldn't be). If your character is 90 pounds and is going up against a 180 pound body builder, you're going to lose. Likewise, if your character is 300 pounds and overweight and is going up against a 130 pound free-runner, you're probably going to lose.
IV. If you want/don't want your character injured/maimed/killed, tell the other poster!
Don't automatically assume that your posting partner is going to do exactly what you want. It's a good idea to work out the details of the fight-- especially if it's an important one-- beforehand. Talk about it through PMs, the cbox, messengers or even in OOC comments, but make sure you have a plan before going into it. This will ensure that they don't just walk right up and stab you in the face.
V. No one likes a Mary Sue, and no one thinks god-modding is cool.
If you're not familiar with the definition of a Mary Sue, check out Wikipedia: go!. If you're not sure what god-modding is, check out Urban Dictionary's definition: gogo!. Try to avoid this as much as you can. Your character is not all powerful with no weaknesses, although if they were, they probably weren't accepted in the first place to the board you're posting on.
VI. Keep things realistic, even in non-realistic settings.
What does this mean? Follow physics and common sense. Even if the setting of the RPG isn't in a real life setting and involves magic, robots, etc, keep your character's actions and reactions realistic to the setting they're in. So, say your character is drunk and has their opponent cornered, up against a brick wall in a dark alley. It's looking like you're going to win this one, sport. So you go to throw a punch-- as hard as you possibly can-- and at the last moment, your sober, agile foe moves out of the way. Can you guess what happens next? Is it:
a.) the brick wall turns to cushiony pillows
b.) your hand cracks and smashes against the brick wall. ouchies.
c.) that's not fair, how could they move?
d.) my character can stop their fist before it hits the wall
e.) it was a fake-out! When the foe moves I kick them where it counts which was my plan all along
This scenario is obviously greatly exaggerated, but for the hypothetical situation I provided, the best answer is probably b.) your hand cracks and smashes against the brick wall. ouchies. Ouchies indeed. If you don't think this is far, look at the details again: your character is drunk, it's dark, and they're impaired. Your foe is agile and sober. You're at a very close range and your depth perception is off. Your reaction is slowed due to the alcohol. Therefore, it's perfectly logical-- and more realistic-- to assume that if your foe moved out of the way, you wouldn't have the right mind or sense to stop your fist before it plowed into the brick wall.
The fake-out scenario, in this situation, is also improbable unless your character isn't that drunk and still has the mind enough to formulate such a plan, knows how to fight and most importantly you include this plan in your post. This goes back to what I said above: do NOT automatically assume your posting partner knows what you're planning. Don't be one of those who complains after your foe dodges an attack and replies with "But you didn't give me a chance to do my fake out" or "That was my plan all along so when he moves I kick him and he goes down." That is a form of god-modding, for one, and is also just generally annoying.
VII. Know the outcome of the fight before it begins.
This isn't necessary, but I highly recommend it. Whether it's a sparring session, a fist-fight, a duel or a fight to the death, know the outcome before you start the thread. Consulting with your posting partner-- or partners-- is absolutely essential. Work out who will win and who will lose and why. Also, be open to losing now and then. Losing isn't always a ton of fun, but it's also not fun to have a character that wins all the time, either.
VIII. You do not have an endless supply of weapons.
This is pretty self-explanatory. Unless you've got a clown car filled with weapons or you have some sort of special power/ability that lets you create endless amounts of weapons, you will eventually run out. Your gun will run out of bullets, and you will have to reload. You will eventually run out of throwing knives and needles. Poisonous darts are limited. You can only stick so many arrows in your quiver. You can try and be creative and can certainly have your character keep different weapons all over their body-- in pockets, under their foot, inside the sole of their shoe, etc, but those will eventually run out as well. The only weapons that don't run out are blunt objects and swords. Instead, those can break. Your fists can count, but keep in account stamina.
IX. Follow this simple posting pattern: brief thoughts/feelings, reaction and action.
Once the thread is up and going, I've found it's very easy to follow this simple posting formula. What does this pattern mean? I'll break it down for you:
Brief thoughts/feelings: this is part of your character's internal (or external) monologue. Write a paragraph or a few sentences describing what's going through your character's head or how they're feeling in this situation. You can also spread it out through your entire post.
Reaction: this is pretty simple. If your character was punched in the face, how do they react? Do they stagger back, or fall to the ground? Are they out cold? Do they collapse and pretend to be passed out so the foe will approach and then they jump them?
Action: this is what your character does for your turn. Typically, unless it's been okayed by the other poster, I try to keep my turn to a few small actions (reloading, drawing another weapon, fixing a fighting stance, assessing injuries) and one or two bigger actions (this usually means attacking).
X. Remember that it's only fictional!
I thought this was fitting to end on. It sounds obvious, but is another very important point. Even if you get frustrated, or find that you have a difficult posting partner, remember that at the end of the day, it's only fictional. I can't tell you how many times I've had members get carried away with a fictional fight that ends in CAPS SHOUTING, slurs and sometimes ruined friendships. Keep it as light as you can, keep it fun, and keep it exciting.[/center]
Note from Shizuka: I'd been hearing people saying they can't roleplay fight scenes well and that's their reason for not participating in the main plot, so now here's a guide for fight scenes! xD
How to Write Fight/Combat Scenes - 10 Tips & Tricks
[/u]a documentation by cocoapuffs of Caution 2.0
I. Pay close attention to the posts leading up to the fight sequence and keep these in mind throughout the thread.
This is a pretty important one, so I thought it was best to start off with it. What I've found is that the most important part of writing a fight scene is what led up to it. After all, you don't have the fight scene without the events that happened before it, right? Re-read the posts leading up to it, and keep them in mind. Think of the conflict going on. It's important to know why the fight is happening in the first place.
II. Know your character and get into their heads.
This is another biggie. It's hard to write a successful fight scene if you're not familiar with your character. You need to know how they would react in this situation, not how you would react. It can be difficult, but try not to get the two mixed up. You and your character are two different beings, but you need to dissect their thoughts processes and emotions before you type anything. So the important question to ask yourself is "How is my character feeling right now?" Is Bob mad at Joe for kissing his sister? Or is he just disappointed and doesn't want conflict? Is he acting out of spite? Hurt? Sadness? Regret?
III. Take your character's physical limitations and abilities into account.
I really can't stress this one enough. If you can't quite remember how big or small your character is, just take a quick peek at your character application. Make it realistic (unless it's in a setting where it wouldn't be). If your character is 90 pounds and is going up against a 180 pound body builder, you're going to lose. Likewise, if your character is 300 pounds and overweight and is going up against a 130 pound free-runner, you're probably going to lose.
IV. If you want/don't want your character injured/maimed/killed, tell the other poster!
Don't automatically assume that your posting partner is going to do exactly what you want. It's a good idea to work out the details of the fight-- especially if it's an important one-- beforehand. Talk about it through PMs, the cbox, messengers or even in OOC comments, but make sure you have a plan before going into it. This will ensure that they don't just walk right up and stab you in the face.
V. No one likes a Mary Sue, and no one thinks god-modding is cool.
If you're not familiar with the definition of a Mary Sue, check out Wikipedia: go!. If you're not sure what god-modding is, check out Urban Dictionary's definition: gogo!. Try to avoid this as much as you can. Your character is not all powerful with no weaknesses, although if they were, they probably weren't accepted in the first place to the board you're posting on.
VI. Keep things realistic, even in non-realistic settings.
What does this mean? Follow physics and common sense. Even if the setting of the RPG isn't in a real life setting and involves magic, robots, etc, keep your character's actions and reactions realistic to the setting they're in. So, say your character is drunk and has their opponent cornered, up against a brick wall in a dark alley. It's looking like you're going to win this one, sport. So you go to throw a punch-- as hard as you possibly can-- and at the last moment, your sober, agile foe moves out of the way. Can you guess what happens next? Is it:
a.) the brick wall turns to cushiony pillows
b.) your hand cracks and smashes against the brick wall. ouchies.
c.) that's not fair, how could they move?
d.) my character can stop their fist before it hits the wall
e.) it was a fake-out! When the foe moves I kick them where it counts which was my plan all along
This scenario is obviously greatly exaggerated, but for the hypothetical situation I provided, the best answer is probably b.) your hand cracks and smashes against the brick wall. ouchies. Ouchies indeed. If you don't think this is far, look at the details again: your character is drunk, it's dark, and they're impaired. Your foe is agile and sober. You're at a very close range and your depth perception is off. Your reaction is slowed due to the alcohol. Therefore, it's perfectly logical-- and more realistic-- to assume that if your foe moved out of the way, you wouldn't have the right mind or sense to stop your fist before it plowed into the brick wall.
The fake-out scenario, in this situation, is also improbable unless your character isn't that drunk and still has the mind enough to formulate such a plan, knows how to fight and most importantly you include this plan in your post. This goes back to what I said above: do NOT automatically assume your posting partner knows what you're planning. Don't be one of those who complains after your foe dodges an attack and replies with "But you didn't give me a chance to do my fake out" or "That was my plan all along so when he moves I kick him and he goes down." That is a form of god-modding, for one, and is also just generally annoying.
VII. Know the outcome of the fight before it begins.
This isn't necessary, but I highly recommend it. Whether it's a sparring session, a fist-fight, a duel or a fight to the death, know the outcome before you start the thread. Consulting with your posting partner-- or partners-- is absolutely essential. Work out who will win and who will lose and why. Also, be open to losing now and then. Losing isn't always a ton of fun, but it's also not fun to have a character that wins all the time, either.
VIII. You do not have an endless supply of weapons.
This is pretty self-explanatory. Unless you've got a clown car filled with weapons or you have some sort of special power/ability that lets you create endless amounts of weapons, you will eventually run out. Your gun will run out of bullets, and you will have to reload. You will eventually run out of throwing knives and needles. Poisonous darts are limited. You can only stick so many arrows in your quiver. You can try and be creative and can certainly have your character keep different weapons all over their body-- in pockets, under their foot, inside the sole of their shoe, etc, but those will eventually run out as well. The only weapons that don't run out are blunt objects and swords. Instead, those can break. Your fists can count, but keep in account stamina.
IX. Follow this simple posting pattern: brief thoughts/feelings, reaction and action.
Once the thread is up and going, I've found it's very easy to follow this simple posting formula. What does this pattern mean? I'll break it down for you:
Brief thoughts/feelings: this is part of your character's internal (or external) monologue. Write a paragraph or a few sentences describing what's going through your character's head or how they're feeling in this situation. You can also spread it out through your entire post.
Reaction: this is pretty simple. If your character was punched in the face, how do they react? Do they stagger back, or fall to the ground? Are they out cold? Do they collapse and pretend to be passed out so the foe will approach and then they jump them?
Action: this is what your character does for your turn. Typically, unless it's been okayed by the other poster, I try to keep my turn to a few small actions (reloading, drawing another weapon, fixing a fighting stance, assessing injuries) and one or two bigger actions (this usually means attacking).
X. Remember that it's only fictional!
I thought this was fitting to end on. It sounds obvious, but is another very important point. Even if you get frustrated, or find that you have a difficult posting partner, remember that at the end of the day, it's only fictional. I can't tell you how many times I've had members get carried away with a fictional fight that ends in CAPS SHOUTING, slurs and sometimes ruined friendships. Keep it as light as you can, keep it fun, and keep it exciting.[/center]
