[Help Me Thread] Combat RP: Tell me your secrets

[BoredBrit]

So, I've been with the server a bit now, and for most of my time I've managed to enjoy a more peaceful RP. Yet, it seems time has come to a point where for me to develop my characters further, they may have to, at some point, fight.

For Example:
Dante, my Anhald Squire, he's great fun to play, cocky, loyal and a major pain in the ass. Now, realistically it would make sense for him to learn to, and know how to fight. Even more so, he tries to train as much as possible. My problem? I can't Combat RP OOCly, so how can he be good at fighting ICly?

Solution: I need help and tips from you lot, if you would.

 

[Tutore]

Simple, just watch a video of some fighting in platemail with swords and emote accordingly. Having OOC knowledge of hand to hand combat, fencing, archery and armour will greatly help this ofc.

 

[LeftwardElk]

Learn it from someone IC.

 

[CyberChaosV2]

also, if he's a squire, ask the person playing the knight he serves under to help you out, maybe not do full on classes, but give you small pointers and things to remember when combat rping. I try to do the same thing when Roy teaches his apprentices. Best to kinda ask during teaching moments in rp.
Edit: kinda sniped.

 

[BoredBrit]

Thats the thing, he is learning IC, but what good is him knowing how to swing an axe, when OOCly I have no clue on how to describe that sort of movement?

 

[Raykaystar]

I would like some tips too. Isuck at combat rp because my characters, even when they go to a war where people died, they get out without even a scratch. And somehow only one char has died... once

 

[Rygan]

You combat RP with Anhald until you no longer suck ass. Experience is the only way.

 

[BoredBrit]

You combat RP with Anhald until you no longer suck ass. Experience is the only way.

This. This shall be my new Life code. Words to live by.

 

[CyberChaosV2]

Thats the thing, he is learning IC, but what good is him knowing how to swing an axe, when OOCly I have no clue on how to describe that sort of movement?

as I stated, ask the player, not the character, how to more effectively combat rp. I don't just "teach" people as Roy, I give them the foundations os what should be done for smithing rp, but vaguely so that they can adjust it to how they like to do it. While Dante is learning to fight IC, ask OOC questions concerning what he's being taught.

 

[LeftwardElk]

Tbh I'm not a fan of things like this because if people can have characters with no combat experience and then act like they're good with no training.

 

[BoredBrit]

Tbh I'm not a fan of things like this because if people can have characters with no combat experience and then act like they're good with no training.

As I said, I am merely looking for ways to better describe what I do, in training and when learning. Otherwise each hit would amount to *Tries to whack with his stick* Which, doesn't help, and isn't fun.

 

[Mitch]

The singular biggest tip I can give to anyone is to condense your emotes. I learned it from Rygan, actually, because I used to do exactly what I'm about to describe.

Flooding three or four chat lines for your action or 'turn' doesn't make your emote better. It doesn't make your emote easier to understand by adding more detail - often times, it only makes it more confusing for the opposite player. If you're doing it to flaunt "superior knowledge," you're just a dick. The majority of times when I see emotes that span this long, it's crammed with a lot of excessive detail or intricate words (verbosity isn't needed in combat RP, fellas) that can easily be compacted into one or two lines.

It makes the RP a lot more fluid, it makes the point of what you're trying to accomplish more clear, and to the benefit of everyone it tends to make the whole thing go quicker. There's not a great way of explaining just how to do this, because just like combat RP itself, it takes practice. I'm not saying to emote "*he swings his sword,*" but nobody wants to read an entire paragraph detailing that single swing, either. You learn to find a nice balance of the two eventually.

TL;DR: Four lines for a single emote doesn't make you a better combat RPer. It just means you know how to use a lot of fancy wording and detail at the wrong time.

As an addendum, this seems like a decent base criteria to use for emotes (in the context of your axe) -

• How are you swinging? Vertically, diagonally, horizontally?
• Direction of the swing? Is it coming from [your/their] right and ending at [your/their] left/vice versa? Is it beginning from the bottom and going upwards/vice versa? Is it top left to bottom right/vice versa?
• Intention of the swing. Is it directed at your opponent's neck, their wrist, or their upper leg? Where or what are you trying to attack?

"He steps inwards, swinging his axe diagonally from his upper right to [opponent's] nearest shoulder; attempting to cleave into the flesh or their neck."

 

[BoredBrit]

The singular biggest tip I can give to anyone is to condense your emotes. I learned it from Rygan, actually, because I used to do exactly what I'm about to describe.

Flooding three or four chat lines for your action or 'turn' doesn't make your emote better. It doesn't make your emote easier to understand by adding more detail - often times, it only makes it more confusing for the opposite player. If you're doing it to flaunt "superior knowledge," you're just a dick. The majority of times when I see emotes that span this long, it's crammed with a lot of excessive detail or intricate words (verbosity isn't needed in combat RP, fellas) that can easily be compacted into one or two lines.

It makes the RP a lot more fluid, it makes the point of what you're trying to accomplish more clear, and to the benefit of everyone it tends to make the whole thing go quicker. There's not a great way of explaining just how to do this, because just like combat RP itself, it takes practice. I'm not saying to emote "*he swings his sword,"* but nobody wants to read an entire paragraph detailing that single swing, either. You learn to find a nice balance of the two eventually.

TL;DR: Four lines for a single emote doesn't make you a better combat RPer. It just means you know how to use a lot of fancy wording and detail at the wrong time.

As an addendum, this seems like a decent base criteria to use for emotes (in the context of your axe) -

• How are you swinging? Vertically, diagonally, horizontally?
• Direction of the swing? Is it coming from [your/their] right and ending at [your/their] left/vice versa? Is it beginning from the bottom and going upwards/vice versa? Is it top left to bottom right/vice versa?
• Intention of the swing. Is it at directed at your opponent's neck, their wrist, or their upper leg? Where or what are you trying to attack?

"He steps inwards, swinging his axe diagonally from his upper right to [opponent's] nearest shoulder; attempting to cleave into the flesh or their neck."

This is the kinda thing I was hoping for, if anyone else has other things, along these lines, I'd be grateful

 

[Rygan]

To add to that:

No one cares how many inches long your sword is or if you're thrusting at a perfect 185 degree angle. I know my shit and can figure out what that kind of stuff means but it's still annoying and it's not fun. If you've gotta win by confusing the other person, you're bad at combat RP.

 

[Rygan]

Lannis unlike my post you fraud, you post 5 lines of combat emotes and the degree your pinky toe is facing.

 

[Lannis]

Research is important! There are tons of great resources online for learning the basics of how to use various weapons- MyArmoury has a pretty good writeup on both longsword and rapier, just knowing the guards and stances will get you pretty far. HEMA videos/gifs are also good for picking up techniques and a sense of timing/range. Technical knowledge is good for both understanding emotes and supporting character skill.
For combat RP itself, my biggest bit of advice is to learn when to pick your fights. It's no fun when a few emotes take an hour due to each one being argued over, don't let yourself get stepped on but try to roll with some of the punches. Folk have already talked some about what goes into an emote, main thing there that I'd like to reinforce is that experience and practice is key in figuring out what's comfortable and plays well.

 

[Azur]

>Lists off the squire that will get training.
>Doesn't ask me to help with combat RP even though I am also going to be training the squire.


You make me sad. : (

 

[NIAH]

It's no fun when a few emotes take an hour due to each one being argued over

Flooding three or four chat lines for your action or 'turn' doesn't make your emote better. It doesn't make your emote easier to understand by adding more detail - often times, it only makes it more confusing for the opposite player. If you're doing it to flaunt "superior knowledge," you're just a dick.

No one cares how many inches long your sword is or if you're thrusting at a perfect 185 degree angle. I know my shit and can figure out what that kind of stuff means but it's still annoying and it's not fun. If you've gotta win by confusing the other person, you're bad at combat RP.

These three lines sum up why I actively avoid it.

 

[BoredBrit]

>Lists off the squire that will get training.
>Doesn't ask me to help with combat RP even though I am also going to be training the squire.


You make me sad. : (

I wanted to have a basis to work from

 

[LeftwardElk]

Just be like this guy.