Difference between revisions of "Star ratings"
(It occurs to me that there will likely not BE characters who "aren't athletic at all" in a Sonic RP. Rating needs to be more applicable.) |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| + | {{note|<center>'''Note:'''</center> | ||
| + | Star ratings are currently being revamped. The below information applies to profiles that haven't yet been updated to the 10-star format. To see the new information, head over to [[Star ratings (prototype)]]. Once we've got most of the profiles moved over, that article will replace this one.}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
Let's first make clear that this RP is not really "stat-based." This system is just here for greater ease in comparing characters' abilities against each other. Have fun with the system, but remember that it won't perfectly list the end-all extent of a character's abilities. | Let's first make clear that this RP is not really "stat-based." This system is just here for greater ease in comparing characters' abilities against each other. Have fun with the system, but remember that it won't perfectly list the end-all extent of a character's abilities. | ||
Revision as of 21:42, 3 October 2011
Star ratings are currently being revamped. The below information applies to profiles that haven't yet been updated to the 10-star format. To see the new information, head over to Star ratings (prototype). Once we've got most of the profiles moved over, that article will replace this one. |
Let's first make clear that this RP is not really "stat-based." This system is just here for greater ease in comparing characters' abilities against each other. Have fun with the system, but remember that it won't perfectly list the end-all extent of a character's abilities.
Another thing that should be understood before reading on is that 2.5 out of 5 stars doesn't mean "average!" Some Sonic characters are really extreme, so the scale has to go pretty high in some areas. Consider anywhere between a half-star and one whole star to be what you'd expect from an entirely "average" person.
With that said, continue onward to see the specifics, and the details on the higher-end stuff for each individual category.
One more note: I'm typically talking about the non-human members of the cast in these ratings, not average Joe Human. I'm doubting we'll get many human characters, so don't do a double-take when I talk about running 40MPH as being "average" for a citizen of this world. Okay?
Contents |
Starting Out
All new members are allowed to use up to approximately 10 stars total, spread across the following categories. This isn't really a hard limit, but more a guideline that, if followed, will make it easier to get your profile accepted. Remember, characters can improve their ratings through development and experience in the story—and it's always more believable to "grow" a character to be powerful rather than try to dump one in that way from the start!
However, generally speaking, no "Max" star ratings are allowed for anyone's first character, so avoid those unless you have a very good reason in mind.
The Standards
Speed
List your character's fastest possible speed (under normal conditions, of course, not running downhill or anything silly like that). If your character is fastest in flight, mention it under the rating. Notice that there are some restrictions on character design in this section. Basically, we don't want some Neo-wannabe superspeeding around in a trenchcoat, nor Joe McAverage nearing the sound barrier in jeans and a bomber jacket.
Note: Sonic's running speed is treated as something special here, and it will be extremely rare for any fancharacters to be allowed to get close to it.
0-10 MPH (~0-15 km/h)
Frail, out of shape, or flat out immobile.
10-20 MPH (~15-30 km/h)
Normal human-like speed.
20-40 MPH (~30-60 km/h)
Good track-running humans to average non-humans.
40-60 MPH (~60-100 km/h)
Too fast to be a normal human, but not unusual for a non-human.
60-80 MPH (~100-130 km/h)
Respectably fast.
80-100 MPH (~130-160 km/h)
Very fast. Harder to steer and stop at speed. Upper limit for baggy clothing (long coats, etc.)
100-125MPH (~160-200 km/h)
The equivalent of a good track runner for non-human sapients. Steering, stopping, and control suffer more at top speed. Upper limit for heavy, average clothing.
125-175 MPH (~200-280 km/h)
Truly gifted runner. Limited to characters who dress light and don't carry clunky accessories.
175-250 MPH (~280-400 km/h)
Supernaturally fast; maximum for normally-shaped, non-flying characters. Clothing must be either flexible, formfitting, partial, or absent.
250-400 MPH (~400-650 km/h)
Dangerous, ridiculous, unheard-of fast. No normally-shaped non-flying characters.[1] <--- (Click the reference for more info.)
400-750 MPH (~650-1200 km/h)
Superhero-like. Impossible to make any kind of turn other than a gentle veer at this kind of speed without either slowing down or just plain wiping out. And collisions? Very bad.
750MPH+ (~1200+ km/h)
This rating is presently only applied to Sonic, Shadow, and Metal Sonic.
Strength
Overall arm and body strength (such as is needed for heavy lifting) is the focal point. Leg strength is pretty well implied by the top speed and agility ratings, so please don't consider or mention it in your rating here!
: Weak or frail.
: Somewhat below average.
: Entirely average.
: Athletic and strong; can probably carry a couple hundred pounds with effort.
: Immense strength; the epitome of human strength or greater (not to be taken lightly)
: Completely inhuman strength; can probably bench press small cars.[2] Pecs of steel. (Okay, pecs of steel are optional.)
: True super-strength. Boulder-heaving brutes like Knuckles and Vector are ranked here.
:
The world is this character's playground. You knock walls down by accident, pull trees out of the ground like weeds, and find it easier to pick cars up and move them than actually parallel park. Strength of this sort is restricted to huge characters. Big the Cat champions this rating.
Stamina
How much energy does your character have? How much running and fighting does it take before your character starts to slow down? This rating will give us some idea. (Note that this has nothing to do with taking damage. See "Toughness" for that.) This stat also affects the usage of innate special powers, for those characters who have them.
: The character breaks a sweat going to the mailbox, and hates stairs.
: Average. Can't run too far, but isn't pathetic.
: Youthful or decently in shape. Vigorous fighting or sprinting can still wear him/her out.
: In great shape, or just extremely energetic by nature. Can sprint or fight for a good stretch.
: Sprint at top speed from one side of town to the other a couple times without getting winded? This is your rating.
: If it's even possible to make a character in this class tired, he or she will recover from it with a few panted breaths.
:
Characters with this rating do not need food, oxygen, or rest to function normally. It doesn't mean they absolutely can't get tired—it may be easily possible, but ultimately, they need nothing but rest. In most cases, characters with this rating will be some sort of robot powered by Chaos Drives, or a Chaos Energy-based life form.
Agility
This next part is fun. Consider it a super-ability shopping list! (I'd recommend whipping out a piece of paper or an instance of notepad to help keep a tally as you go.) Basically, your character will be given stars for certain strengths, and will lose stars for certain weaknesses. There are a lot of different ways a character can be agile, so the description text you write under your rating will really important. Don't skip it!
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
"Normal" jumper (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)[3]
High jumper (over five times his/her own height)
Extremely high jumper who can jump over ten times his/her own height (without resorting to actual flight).
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
- No flight capabilities (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)
- Can glide (or hover in some limited capacity)
- Can truly fly (not just glide)
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
- Not acrobatic (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)
- Is somewhat acrobatic (flipping, cartwheeling, somersaulting, etc., but nothing advanced)
- Very acrobatic (capable of complicated gymnastics, advanced somersaults, etc.)
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
- Climbs normally, or not at all (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
- Swims normally (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)
- Can swim fast
- Swims like a fish (After all, some characters may BE fish!)
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
- Generally slow on his or her feet (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)
- Has "normal" quickness (such as for taking off in a run or dodging, either on foot or in air)
- Can lunge quickly from a standstill to high speed (Comparable to an Olympic track runner, nearly 30MPH in a blink)
- Can burst straight to extreme speeds (possibly nearly 75MPH)
- Can accelerate as fast as traction with the ground will allow [6]
Select any of the following that apply:
- Can perform a spindash (See note)[7]
- Can effectively tunnel or dig through many types of terrain or obstacles, such as Knuckles or Rouge
- Can change direction in mid-jump (Needs a reason why—can't be slapped on just ANY character. Not applicable to characters who already have stars for being able to fly)
However, if your character...
- Is particularly heavy, subtract
- Has a hard time stopping/braking, subtract
- Isn't very flexible, subtract
- Can't jump very well, subtract
- Can't swim, subtract
- Is naturally clumsy or uncoordinated, subtract
- Has a missing or bad limb besides its tail), subtract
For example, here's the logic we'd use looking at Knuckles and scoring him:
He can glide (+1 star), he's somewhat acrobatic (+0.5 stars), he's an excellent climber who can climb completely flat surfaces (+1 star), he can reach high speeds extremely quickly (+1.5 star), he can dig/burrow quickly (+1 star), and he doesn't have any stars removed for being heavy, inflexible, etc.
Thus, his section would look something like this:
Extremely agile, unhindered by obstacles; is acrobatic, can climb sheer walls, glide, burrow through the ground, and accelerate quickly.
Toughness
This relates to the character's ability to take hits. I can't think of a Sonic character that isn't inhumanly resilient in some way, so the general assumption we're going to make here is that a completely "average" non-human individual is tough enough to not easily get broken bones, even from fairly high falls or hard hits. Doesn't mean they can't be KO'ed with a good wallop, though.
This section works like the Agility stat breakdown. Pick and choose the qualities that apply, and add'em up to find your character's rating! And remember, like agility, these stars are meaningless if you don't include why your character has the rating it does in the description!
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
- Thin or unathletic build (Appropriate for characters who are especially small, skinny, unathletic, or frail)
- Normal, fit, healthy build (Built like a normally-shaped, reasonably athletic Sonic character)
- Strong, muscular, slightly bulkier build (but still normally shaped/sized, like Knuckles)
- Big, hefty, and muscular (Like Vector, for instance)
- Tank-like hulk (For characters sized similarly to Big the Cat)
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
- No shell, quills or spines (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)
- Rigid shell, quills, spines, or other partial (but substantial) protection from impact damage
- Can roll into a protected ball or pull into its shell (Like Sonic, or a turtle of some sort)
- All-encompassing, full-body exoskeleton (Would be appropriate for a crustacean, for example)
- No ballistic protection (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)
- Ballistic protection (Such as a bullet-resistant vest or shell so tough it's bulletproof)
- Bullet-resistant armor, artificial exoskeleton, or energy shield that covers most of the body
- Same as the above, but also protecting against blunt impact damage
Select ONLY ONE (1) of the following:
- Normal recovery (No increase—don't bother mentioning in profile)
- Quick recovery (Suffers improbably little downtime from damage and heals more effectively than a normal person)
- Heals so fast that it's nearly visible (if you watch long enough)
- Regenerates flesh at an observably fast speed
- Regenerates from damage almost as quickly as it takes it (Only allowed in very special circumstances, i.e. Artificial Chaos-like characters, and so on)
Select AS MANY of the following as apply to your character:
- Leathery skin or super-thick fur (To protect against cuts and the like)
- Really thick fat (For all those sumo-like guys, like Big)
- Reinforced skeleton (Mostly for robots, but can apply to super-tough folks)
- High pain tolerance (Especially good at coping with the sensation of pain)[8]
- High pain threshold (Doesn't easily feel or detect pain in the first place)[9]
- Physically toughened by frequent injury (As in the case of a trained fighter, daredevil, active soldier, etc.)
- Unusual flexibility (Like a gymnast or contortionist)
- Fire resistant (Such as because of an exoskeleton or special clothing)
- Electricity resistant (Such as because of an exoskeleton or special clothing)
However, if your character...
- Has a particular weakness / weakspot in his or her defense, subtract or depending on severity (Probably most applicable to armored characters with some sort of glaring flaw or opening, but use your imagination and better judgment)
- Has low pain tolerance, subtract (For characters who overreact to getting hurt)
- Has a low pain threshold, subtract (Most applicable to characters who are sensitive / have enhanced senses)
- Is inflexible, subtract
- Is robotic, subtract (Click the note for more info)[10]
- Gets only temporary protection from its primary means of defense, subtract (Such as a temporary shield or barrier that doesn't stay up all the time)
Reminder
Remember that it's not all about ratings!
A character isn't made powerful or weak exclusively by its ratings. Often, skills are far more important than strength or speed, and can make it so that a significantly weaker character can often defeat seemingly much more powerful foes. You can often make a much more interesting and impressive character by taking this approach, so long as you have the knowledge necessary to play those skills effectively.
That being said, there are some skills that will be restricted to keep things interesting as they become excessively prevalent. Check the powers and skills page for info on what is and isn't allowed.
Notes
The following are notes linked to from the above sections. You may also reverse-track the note to the entry it belongs to by clicking the small arrow symbol next to the note.
- ↑ Most characters will lose traction because of wind resistance under their bodies lifting them off the ground and fail to reach these speeds in the first place, even if they're strong enough. Only flying characters, robots, or individuals like Sonic, Espio, and Shadow (who essentially have big, fat spoilers on their heads) are allowed.
- ↑ Giving a character 4-star strength or greater should only be done with careful consideration. Make sure strength is one of the character's primary focuses. (In other words, make sure that he or she has a very good reason for it, and actually works for it.)
- ↑ Bear in mind that "normal" jumping in the Sonic series can still be fairly impressive. We're talking NBA quality.
- ↑ To prevent excess Matrix crap, we restrict long-distance wall-running to Sonic- or Espio-like characters who have some sort of source of downforce.
- ↑ And similarly for climbing completely flat surfaces—the character should have a reason, like Knuckles' ability to punch into walls, or Espio's chameleon nature.
- ↑ Since 3-star acceleration is is comparable to Sonic-like quickness, it is only permitted for very physically fit, speed-oriented characters. Do not take lightly.
- ↑ Spindashing, so that not everybody and their cousin is doing it, is restricted to characters that can curl into balls and have some sort of protection (like hedgehogs, porcupines, armadillos, and so on). Tails and Amy have been shown capable to spindash in 2D games, but we're ignoring that here because it just seems like a gameplay thing that has been abandoned outside of 2D games.
- ↑ High pain tolerance is not applicable to robots. It's kind of a given, and it would make their star ratings misleadingly high, anyway.
- ↑ Same as above: not applicable to robots.
- ↑ There is no perfect robot. They can easily rack up a large number of stars from the buffet table of options above, but unless the machine is an utterly hulking tank, the rating can become highly misleading. Robots can be as tough as nails, but they still lack the flexibility that a living thing has when it comes to taking damage. People roll with the punches (or at least fall back because of them); weighty robots tend to fully absorb them, for better or worse. That, plus there's always the risk of EMP.)
