Rygan_Deathblade
Evil
We're not here to talk about a bunch of combat term mumbo-jumbo, or the parts of a sword - there's probably at least two or three of those in this section already, and you don't need to know those things to be good at combat roleplay (unless you choose to use a sword, but we'll get to that). We're here to discuss the nitty gritty basics. If people would like, I can do more advanced continuations later. For now, let's look into emotes.
The most common issue (and dispute) I see over emoting is detail. Do I have to write three lines, explaining the angle of my wrists? Is emoting *swings* fine? Like any other roleplay, it's all about explaining what your character is doing in a way that's clear to those you're roleplaying with. You put loving care into remembering that your character is short, so to reach that shelf they have to stand on their toes and stretch their arms upwards, and now everyone has a concise idea of what you're trying to convey.
Is your character (and perhaps you out of character, by extension) not a fighter? Emote your swings being wild and without specific direction, or their tendency to back away after successfully avoiding being cleaved in half by a nutjob who carries around two longswords daily and only logs on for war RP. If someone asks for more details to your emote, that's okay too. Ask them what they want and ponder on it. Was your swing directly downwards or from the side? It's unlikely that the other person is asking you to insult your roleplay and more likely that they need to know more about how your character is acting to respond in turn. If someone tells you that it turns out humans can't run with the tendon in their leg cut, take a moment to pause and google it. If the other player's concerns are correct, just apologise for your mistake and keep roleplaying under the new conditions.
There's a give and take to combat roleplay, and players will naturally be questioning each other to improve their own experience. It's also important to remember that the reverse is true, and if your combat roleplay is centered around spamming fencing terms into four line emotes and demanding the exact length in centimeters of your opponent's sword's blade, you're as much of a problem, even if on the other side of the coin.
If your character is a fighter, but you're clueless out of character, I've got bad news: You're going to have to look into how your weapon of choice works. I'm not here to say this is right or wrong, nor do I particularly want to see it debated in this thread - in the server climate of present and recent past, it's an objective truth. Does this mean you should master a dictionary of fencing terms and spend hours nightly studying for the college final that is operating your rapier? No, it means that there should be small attempts at finding resources to aid you in explaining your character's actions.
If you can't stand spending dark hours of the night reading small fonted medieval HEMA sites, look to YouTube for videos of fencing or explanations of how weapons worked. There are a few popular channels based purely around this, such as LindyBeige or Skallagrim. Personally, I'd recommend avoiding swords if you're unsure of your ability to combat roleplay. They're the most technical weapon available for our use on Hollowworld and there's a large population that loves to get into great detail about fencing. Start at blunt swinging weapons like a club or mace until you're more comfortable. The point of this bit is that while you need to put a bit of effort into watching how someone would fight using your weapon and maybe even googling how it works and reading articles, but at the end of the day...
...We're all here to create a story together. Don't be a jerk. Before the fight begins, discuss with the other person what they're comfortable with. Are you trying to kill each other? Would the opposing character allow you to escape with your life at the cost of a hefty wound, and you them?
There's no other roleplay so directly player against player as combat roleplay and it's important to remember that it can be a daunting task for newer (and some older) players. Be patient and try to help the other person improve if they're bad at explaining their character's actions concisely, don't mock and tell them to stop bothering. That's how we end up with players who refuse to even attempt another combat roleplay after their first failed experimentation into it.
The most common issue (and dispute) I see over emoting is detail. Do I have to write three lines, explaining the angle of my wrists? Is emoting *swings* fine? Like any other roleplay, it's all about explaining what your character is doing in a way that's clear to those you're roleplaying with. You put loving care into remembering that your character is short, so to reach that shelf they have to stand on their toes and stretch their arms upwards, and now everyone has a concise idea of what you're trying to convey.
Is your character (and perhaps you out of character, by extension) not a fighter? Emote your swings being wild and without specific direction, or their tendency to back away after successfully avoiding being cleaved in half by a nutjob who carries around two longswords daily and only logs on for war RP. If someone asks for more details to your emote, that's okay too. Ask them what they want and ponder on it. Was your swing directly downwards or from the side? It's unlikely that the other person is asking you to insult your roleplay and more likely that they need to know more about how your character is acting to respond in turn. If someone tells you that it turns out humans can't run with the tendon in their leg cut, take a moment to pause and google it. If the other player's concerns are correct, just apologise for your mistake and keep roleplaying under the new conditions.
There's a give and take to combat roleplay, and players will naturally be questioning each other to improve their own experience. It's also important to remember that the reverse is true, and if your combat roleplay is centered around spamming fencing terms into four line emotes and demanding the exact length in centimeters of your opponent's sword's blade, you're as much of a problem, even if on the other side of the coin.
If your character is a fighter, but you're clueless out of character, I've got bad news: You're going to have to look into how your weapon of choice works. I'm not here to say this is right or wrong, nor do I particularly want to see it debated in this thread - in the server climate of present and recent past, it's an objective truth. Does this mean you should master a dictionary of fencing terms and spend hours nightly studying for the college final that is operating your rapier? No, it means that there should be small attempts at finding resources to aid you in explaining your character's actions.
If you can't stand spending dark hours of the night reading small fonted medieval HEMA sites, look to YouTube for videos of fencing or explanations of how weapons worked. There are a few popular channels based purely around this, such as LindyBeige or Skallagrim. Personally, I'd recommend avoiding swords if you're unsure of your ability to combat roleplay. They're the most technical weapon available for our use on Hollowworld and there's a large population that loves to get into great detail about fencing. Start at blunt swinging weapons like a club or mace until you're more comfortable. The point of this bit is that while you need to put a bit of effort into watching how someone would fight using your weapon and maybe even googling how it works and reading articles, but at the end of the day...
...We're all here to create a story together. Don't be a jerk. Before the fight begins, discuss with the other person what they're comfortable with. Are you trying to kill each other? Would the opposing character allow you to escape with your life at the cost of a hefty wound, and you them?
There's no other roleplay so directly player against player as combat roleplay and it's important to remember that it can be a daunting task for newer (and some older) players. Be patient and try to help the other person improve if they're bad at explaining their character's actions concisely, don't mock and tell them to stop bothering. That's how we end up with players who refuse to even attempt another combat roleplay after their first failed experimentation into it.
