We begin our planning here!
HEAVEN OR HELL TOURNAMENT
1. Joining the Tournament
- In Character -
Inscription will take place through all of December, at Leviathan Stadium. To join the Heaven or Hell tournament, you must have a team composed of three fighters. Each member must fill out this simple form and hand it to the inscription desk along with their teammates.
Name:
Mode of Combat:
Birthday:
Height:
Weight:
Measurements:
Birthplace:
Hobby:
Personal Treasure:
Favorite Food:
Dislikes:
Forte in Sports:
Other things worth mentioning:
You will then be asked to pay the entry fee of 4000g, money that will go in the final grand prize for the victorious team. [No entry fee] Only when that is done will your team be allowed to have a name and enter the tournament. Do note that if you can't find a name for your team, the tournament's officials are always ready to give suggestions.
- Out Of Character -
In addition to the form above, you will also be required to include with your applications a list of your character's equipment and abilities for the purposes of character approval. Please keep in mind that characters with excessively overpowered abilities or equipment will be sent back, preventing your entire team from registering until alterations (read as: limitations) are made to remove the problems.
In this area moderation is your friend, and it may hurt you more to be overpowered than it will for you to be underpowered. Remember that this is a roleplay tournament as well as an IC cultural event. Even if your character is 'very strong', if they rely entirely on magical abilities and have no physical combat skill at all you may find Heaven or Hell is not the place for your character.
2. HoH: Battle Programe
Once the teams have registered, the tournament will be able to begin. This year, as every tournament before, information is scarce and kept in the dark. Upon entering, fighters have very little idea of what they will be facing and in what conditions they will be fighting. Most information will only be revealed immediately prior to a match, to make this competition as harsh and extreme as possible.
One change to the previous years' fight format that has been leaked by the Heaven or Hell Committee is that for HoH 2008 the traditional practice of randomizing the contestants between matches will be abandoned in favor of an advancement tree.
Heaven or Hell this year is sponsored by The Blazestar Empire, a major mover in Gaia in recent years that has also had members enter the tournament in both '06 and '07.
The hosting parties for Heaven or Hell 2008 would like to welcome both contestants and fight fans alike to participate in the excitement.
Enki Leviathan and the Leviathan Stadium (Tournament Host)
The Blazestar Empire (Corporate Sponsor)
Creation Industries (On-Site Medical Assistance)
Rinaldo Hotel Corporation (Contestant and Staff Accommodations)
Deity Incorporated (Security and Asset Protection)
Alpha Through Epsilon Incorporated (Technical Installation and Construction)
HoH: Entrants
Number of fighters in total: 48 (up to 16 allowable alternates)
HoH contestants are some of the best professional fighters in the world. They have come from all over the world to participate in this once-a-year event for fame, glory, and wealth. Many of these fighters are hometown heroes or world-famous for their skills with myriad forms of hand to hand and martial combat.
HOH: Teams
Number of teams in total: 16
Registration has not been officially opened yet, but several returning members from last year's competition have already stepped forwards in the light of the recent press activity over the upcoming champion tournament. Much has happened since the last Heaven or Hell and some of the most well-known teams from previous years have broken up and gone their separate ways. Will we see them reunite for another shot at the gold, or will they forge new alliances and push ahead with their own strength?
HOH: Locations
It is a well-known fact that Heaven or Hell, while it withholds information from both the media and the contestants, ties itself to the culture and community of Gaia in order to make each clash between teams spectacular and memorable. This year will be no exception. In fact, it will have to be even greater than everything that came before in order to celebrate the birth of a new champion team of Heaven or Hell. To make sure the memory will fire up the heart and soul of Gaia officials have decided to bring the brawl right to their faces... to the very core of Gaia's populated areas!
Train Cart: An empty train cart speeds down the rails. Do you have what it takes to stay on until it makes its destination?
Akea: A high-stakes battle on the steel skeleton of an unbuilt skyscraper, better not slip and fall...
Abandoned Missile Silo: Deep underground this subterranean structure has been modified for the use in underground tournament fighting.
McAngus Castle: This castle has stood in the hills west of Barton for hundreds of years. A massive battle will play out within the crumbling walls.
The Leviathan: Tens of thousands of seats surround the center stage, filled to the brim with screaming fans. Lights, camera, action.
And those are just a few of the possible locations for Heaven or Hell 2008.
HOH: FIGHTERs
At the inscription desk, each team will recieve a set of three (or four) bracelets known as FIGHTERs. When put around one's wrist, the bracelet traces it's owner's DNA and vitals, registering it's user. This prevents any one FIGHTER from being used by another. Once it has downloaded enough information to put up a general profile, the bracelet activates and is ready to be linked with the main HOH datatbase.
FIGHTERs pass on instructions, in essence each participant will receive all information through these pagers. The display has the user's full registered name, and works just like a normal pager. HOH entails so much that it's impossible to explain everything at once.
That's where the FIGHTERs come in.
All team members will have these pagers; it may tell you the time and place of your next battle, and your opponent's name... as well as special rules for the fight or confirmations of the results. It also displays your team's current standings, among other things. You accumulate points based on how well your team fares. The team with the most points will become victorious.
Should a participant have his FIGHTER damaged, he or she will be unable to participate. Specific attacks aimed at the FIGHTER during a match will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate banning from the tournament. All participants must wear there FIGHTERs at all times; it is proof of their eligibility.
In most situations participants shouldn't have to worry about the FIGHTER being damaged, they are constructed with battle in mind and will survive heat, cold, electricity, and even explosions. However, they are not armor and should not be treated as such or the participant may find, much to his dismay, that the FIGHTER is not invincible.
Upon death or banning, a FIGHTER deactivates and self destructs, resulting in the non-continuation of its use. A banned fighter is essentially kicked out of the tournament, and the deceased are considered out of the tournament also, so they no longer require the bracelet, whether or not they can be revived after a decision has been made.
HOH: Pointing system
Once again, in attempt to force the competition to be even more spectacular, the 'eye candy' pointing system has been implemented in the tournament, with a few changes from past years.
Judges will watch each fight carefully and attribute more or less points to one team or the other based on tactical thinking, the "eye candy" factor and the also the participant's speed of thought and reaction time. Points will be attributed to each member at the end of the fight, and pooled into an average team total. Keep in mind that the points will be given completely independently of whether you win or lose the battle (although a win does award bonus points), and that sometimes a battle well-fought is worth more than a desperate bid to win.
Quote:
11. In Heaven or Hell, there are three (3) Judges and take a majority to call a point. The reason for this is that, in fighting, the judge needs to see a point and their vision may be blocked. It may be a clear point to some, but if the Judge's view is blocked and he/she cannot see the point, then the point cannot be called. Judges will make their ruling based on fair and friendly competition.
Scoring in the matches is based on educated interpretations of Balance, Poise, Power, Focus, Concentration, Dominance and Realism.
If you have a question, there will be event staff present and supervising the rings. Their job is to keep the tournament moving with fairness and to make sure that the rules are being followed.
Each section is worth 5 points. On a rating scale of 1-5 for each category.
- How long did it take them to post?
- How much damage did they inflict upon the opponent? How much of the fight was in their favor?
- Were they creative and imaginative in their attacks?
- Could you tell what they were doing? Also being were they able to describe their moves clearly?
There is a total of 20 possible points you can earn.
Scoring in the matches is based on educated interpretations of Balance, Poise, Power, Focus, Concentration, Dominance and Realism.
If you have a question, there will be event staff present and supervising the rings. Their job is to keep the tournament moving with fairness and to make sure that the rules are being followed.
Each section is worth 5 points. On a rating scale of 1-5 for each category.
- How long did it take them to post?
- How much damage did they inflict upon the opponent? How much of the fight was in their favor?
- Were they creative and imaginative in their attacks?
- Could you tell what they were doing? Also being were they able to describe their moves clearly?
There is a total of 20 possible points you can earn.
*Note from the judges: Remember, quantity and complexity does not equal quality. If we can't understand what you're posting about, if you are utterly confusing, or if you spend an hour to write a completely unnecessary multi-paragraph post describing a single simple action, points may be deducted.
HoH: Tournament Bracket
In a change-up from the previous years' tournament style, Heaven or Hell 2008 will take place over 6 rounds rather than the traditional 4 and has been modified to now be a double-elimination tournament. Using this tournament structure allows teams the possibility of making a comeback even if they struggle early on or are unluckily paired.
3. Tournament Rules & Info
"The ultimate aim of the martial arts lies not in victory or defeat, but in the development of the character of the practitioner."
-- Gichen Funikoshi
General Information:
1. Time for the tournament to start: Jan 02nd, 2008. Registration Ends Dec 21th, 2007.
2. Due to the amount of participants required, the matches will be performed 3 vs 3, best 2/3 wins the match.
3. Tournament Name: Heaven or Hell
4. Location: Hosted by Leviathan Stadium and taking place all across Gaia.
5. Parties involved:
- Enki Leviathan and the Leviathan Stadium (Tournament Host)
- The Blazestar Empire (Corporate Sponsor)
- Creation Industries (On-Site Medical Assistance)
- Rinaldo Hotel Corporation (Contestant and Staff Accommodations)
- Deity Incorporated (Security and Asset Protection)
6. Tournament entry fees remain the same as in 2007. The initial entry fee for 1 team is $4000 (4k Gold). Spectator ticket price: $10.00 Teens & Adult and $5.00 all children 5 yrs. and up. Please have your Competitors ticket, equipment and the correct change for spectator tickets when you enter the Leviathan Stadium Arena. This will help the lines move quickly.
7. You may enter the day of the event if one of the registered teams fails to arrive for check-in. A late fee of $1000 will be charged in addition to the entry fee. If you need to fill out an application, a table will be set up to the side of the entry way.
8. All teams will be assigned a 'ring' to have their match in. Competitors should get to the assigned ring quickly for a role call (attendance). If one of your teamates is elsewhere, please inform the Ring coordinators or the judge. We will hold the ring. This year, ring assignments will not be known ahead of time and will only be announced publicly shortly before the match is slated to begin. People from the same team should gather together and help each other out. Those who have been to tournaments, and those who have not, can work together to make this a great event. Spectators should arrive at least an hour before the match start time at Leviathan Stadium with their spectator tickets; event shuttles will leave from the Stadium regularly.
9. All combatants must have their own gear. Approved gear may be used, but is not mandatory. Contact an event coordinator if you require additional equipment. NO COACHING IS ALLOWED! GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP IS A MUST. DISQUALIFICATION OR EXPULSION FROM THE TOURNAMENT MAY RESULT FROM BEHAVIOR NOT ACCEPTABLE OR COACHING BY COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS.
10. The rules for the Leviathan Stadium Arena state no food in the match area! Participants are allowed to keep snacks and beverages ringside but it is not allowed in the match area. Spectators may purchase snacks and beverages at one of the many vendors located in the Merchant's Ring.
11. In Heaven or Hell, there are three (3) Judges and take a majority to call a point. The reason for this is that, in fighting, the judge needs to see a point and their vision may be blocked. It may be a clear point to some, but if the Judge's view is blocked and he/she cannot see the point, then the point cannot be called. Judges will make their ruling based on fair and friendly competition.
Scoring in the matches is based on educated interpretations of Balance, Poise, Power, Focus, Concentration, Dominance and Realism.
If you have a question, there will be event staff present and supervising the rings. Their job is to keep the tournament moving with fairness and to make sure that the rules are being followed.
Each section is worth 5 points. On a rating scale of 1-5 for each category.
- How long did it take them to post?
- How much damage did they inflict upon the opponent? How much of the fight was in their favor?
- Were they creative and imaginative in their attacks?
- Could you tell what they were doing? Also being were they able to describe their moves clearly?
There is a total of 20 possible points you can earn.
12. As stated before, teams will be in three man rosters. This is mandatory. If at least 3 team members do not show up to a match, the match is considered forfeit. So in addition to the "Striker Assist", certain strategies may be involved in picking teammates.
13. The Team Captains are not chosen by the Stadium.
14. The maximum number of teams allowed will be 16.
15. The Team Captains will decide the mode of battle and what constitutes a win. If they are unable to agree, Stadium Rules stipulate each member fight one-on-one, with the exception of special rules that may be imposed at certain times by the Heaven or Hell administrating staff. The team with the most victories takes the match.
16. Preliminary rounds: Preliminary rounds will be held on the Heaven or Hell tournament grounds (the guild) and will run December 8th through December 14th. Participants will be divided into 4 groups for the purposes of testing and assigned to a preliminary round opponent. The second round of Preliminaries will run December 15th through December 21st.
Preliminary round matches run 10 posts per participant and will be scored as pass/fail. All members of a team must participate (including alternates), failure to attend your match is an automatic fail. A team is required to achieve a passing grade with the majority of it's members in order to participate in Heaven or Hell (2 fails drops a team from the roster).
Team registration slots opened because of this will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. A team that has failed the first round of the Preliminaries may reapply and re-test during the second round.
Grading will be based on two factors: Literacy and Bullshit. It is recommended that you score high on one scale and low on the other. A single penalty is counted as a fail during the Preliminaries; keep it clean.
17. For a match to be valid, both teams must have at least 3 members present at time of start, whether or not all members compete or not.
18. When a team member is unable to participate in a match due to injury, or absence, he or she will be ruled unable to fight and their team will lose the match unless an acceptable alternate is present. An exception for this is made only in the aftermath of an Eliminator match.
19. All Teams are allowed one Alternate.
20. It may be possible for a defeated team to rejoin the tournament if they are selected as the year's WILD CARD seed.
21. Match style: 3-on-3 style format, methods to be decided between Team Captains, best 2/3 wins the match.
22. Match Length: Any given match will consist of 34 posts, with 17 posts per person. There will be taken into consideration as well the matter of 'Ring-outs'. If any given combatant is knocked out of the 'ring' or designated match area, there will be a countdown from '10' at a rate of 5 seconds per post to be given for the combatant to re-enter the 'ring'.
Match Rules and Conditions:
23. Fighting bouts, throughout the Tournament, are to be carried out under a 3-on-3 tag-team system. A tag, however, cannot be made during a match but can only be made at the end of a round. Before the first round begins, a fighter from both teams will be randomly selected or can be specifically chosen by the team itself. There are 3 Conditions in which a team can lose a match, and they are as follows:
24. Level 1 KO (Draw) - This condition is reached should a first or second round match end in a draw in which both fighters involved are granted a 'Double KO' and thus a loss for their team. If this occurs in the first round, then both fighters are forced to switch to their respective partner for the second round. If this occurs in the second round, but not in the first, then the team subsequently left with the most losses is automatically deemed as being the defeated team. For details on if a draw is met in both rounds or in the third round, see the 'Judgment' Condition.
25. Level 2 KO (True KO) - This condition is reached if a fighter remains still on the ground for over 5 seconds before returning to a ready position, due to either physical exhaustion or loss of consciousness. It will not count if a fighter is held down, pinned down, or fixed down to the ground in any way. A victorious opponent then has the choice of taking the next round, or switching to his or her partner to continue the match. The other fighter also has the option of continuing the match, rather than making a switch, should they feel that they are capable of doing so. It should also be noted that if both fighters reach the conditions of a L2KO simultaneously, a L1KO is given instead.
26. Judgment - This condition is reached if a L1KO occurs in both the first and second rounds, or in the third round. In this case, both teams are brought to the center of the stage where a Judgment of the match will be announced by a group of officials.
27. Striker Assist: This feature allows a fighter's team-mates to momentarily enter the bout for the purpose of aiding their team-mate either defensively or offensively. The terms and conditions whereby a Striker Assist can be initiated are detailed below:
- Only a total of 3 Partner Assists can be performed within an entire match.
- When entering the ring, a fighter performing a Striker Assist is required to designate either an offensive or defensive Striker by means of a switch on their FIGHTER. Performing offensive actions on a defensive striker (and vice versa) can and will be grounds for a penalty.
- The fighter performing the Striker Assist can only be involved in the bout for a designated time period of 10 seconds, usually lasting a single post.
- Once the Striker Assist is executed, the team involved with the striker cannot perform another Partner Assist until a total of five posts have passed.
- Only one Striker Assist is allowed to be in play (per team) at a given time.
Should any of the above rules concerning the Striker Assist feature be broken or significantly exploited, it can and will be grounds for a penalty. It goes without saying that a surprise attack would never be able to intercept a surprise attack, so it would be in the best interests of a team to not waste their Striker Assists attempting to guard against a Striker Assist.
28. Regarding weapons: Heaven or Hell is a fighting tournament, not a shooting contest between a cowboy and an archer. As such the only weapons permitted to be used are melee and thrown classifications of weapons. Additionally, chemical weapons and toxins are outlawed by the rules of the Heaven or Hell tournament.
Flagging System:
29: Colored penalty flags are the way that referees make an immediate call upon something in the fight. They are more or less a tally system to keep track of rule violations throughout the match, and penalize the teams appropriately for them. If a thrown flag involves stopping the fight it will be accompanied by an announcement.
There are four types of flags that can be thrown in:
- Yellow - A yellow flag is for a minor violation of the fight rules, or a case of unsportsmanlike conduct. Yellow flags are considered personal fouls and are counted only against the contestant receiving the penalty.
- Red - A red flag is for a major violation of the fight rules or the stadium policies. Red flags are considered rule violations and are counted against the team as a whole.
- White - A white flag is used in cases which result in the disqualification of one of the contestants.
- Blue - A blue flag is reserved only for violations of Heaven or Hell policies and results in an immediate banning from the tournament.
30: Flags accumulate throughout a match, and each match starts anew without any flags. Penalties for receiving flags accrue throughout the course of the match.
Two yellow flags add up to equal one red flag. Yellow flags are personal, and count only for the player that prompted them. A red flag counts towards the team as a whole. A red flag can be given either by a single participant receiving two yellow flags in a single match (this overrides the point deduction of the yellow flags, and does not stack with them) or for a major rule violation. Two red flags counting against a team in a single match is considered a disqualification of the team and counts as a lost match for that team.
A white flag is a disqualification from the current match, resulting in a loss. A contestant who exceeds the ten count outside of the ring will receive a white flag and lose the current round. A contestant who kills his opponent may or may not receive a white flag in addition to the red flag he would earn for the death of their opponent depending upon whether or not the Judges rule that the death was accidental or intentional. A white flag prevents the contestant from fighting again during the current match, including participating in a Striker Assist.
A blue flag is a banning from the tournament. These are only given out for the gravest offenses, such as a fighter that directs attacks towards the audience or attacks one of the Judges. A player that receives a blue flag cannot participate in HoH beyond that point. He is counted as KOed for the purposes of his current fight, and the team will be required to replace him with an alternate before the next match in order to meet the 3 man minimum requirements of a team.
31: What counts as an offense and what type of flag is earned?
Rules of Conduct
- Generalized unsportsmanlike conduct.
o A yellow flag if the referee feels that it warrants one.
- Excessive taunting.
o A yellow flag.
- A Striker staying in the ring beyond the 10 second limit.
o A yellow flag against the Striker. The Striker is restricted from acting again during the current match.
- A Striker coming in too early after another Striker (before the 5 post limit).
o A yellow flag against the Striker. The Striker is restricted from acting again during the current match.
- The use of unapproved equipment during a match.
o A red flag. The fight will be temporarily suspended and the item in question will be confiscated by the ring staff.
- Killing an opponent (accidentally or intentionally).
o A red flag. If the killing was intentional, a white flag will likely accompany it.
- Staying out of the ring beyond the ten count.
o A white flag.
- Attacks that strike the stands or come dangerously close to harming the spectators.
o A red flag, usually accompanied by a white flag if the contestant had caused the incident by recklessness rather than by mistake.
- Attacks directed at the stands, the Judges, the ring staff, or uninvolved members of the opposing team.
o A red flag, usually accompanied by a blue flag.
- A Striker performing offensive actions on a defensive assist (or defensive actions on an offensive assist).
o A yellow flag against the Striker. The Striker is restricted from acting again during the current match.
- Starting a fight with the other team outside of the current round, by the sidelines of the ring.
o A yellow flag to all parties involved.
- Starting a fight with another team outside of a current match.
o A yellow to all parties involved if found out, carrying on to the next match. A white flag for severe cases, barring a player from participating in the next match which may reduce the number of participating team members to below 3, resulting in a forfeit. Blue flags are reserved for special cases.
o A yellow flag if the referee feels that it warrants one.
- Excessive taunting.
o A yellow flag.
- A Striker staying in the ring beyond the 10 second limit.
o A yellow flag against the Striker. The Striker is restricted from acting again during the current match.
- A Striker coming in too early after another Striker (before the 5 post limit).
o A yellow flag against the Striker. The Striker is restricted from acting again during the current match.
- The use of unapproved equipment during a match.
o A red flag. The fight will be temporarily suspended and the item in question will be confiscated by the ring staff.
- Killing an opponent (accidentally or intentionally).
o A red flag. If the killing was intentional, a white flag will likely accompany it.
- Staying out of the ring beyond the ten count.
o A white flag.
- Attacks that strike the stands or come dangerously close to harming the spectators.
o A red flag, usually accompanied by a white flag if the contestant had caused the incident by recklessness rather than by mistake.
- Attacks directed at the stands, the Judges, the ring staff, or uninvolved members of the opposing team.
o A red flag, usually accompanied by a blue flag.
- A Striker performing offensive actions on a defensive assist (or defensive actions on an offensive assist).
o A yellow flag against the Striker. The Striker is restricted from acting again during the current match.
- Starting a fight with the other team outside of the current round, by the sidelines of the ring.
o A yellow flag to all parties involved.
- Starting a fight with another team outside of a current match.
o A yellow to all parties involved if found out, carrying on to the next match. A white flag for severe cases, barring a player from participating in the next match which may reduce the number of participating team members to below 3, resulting in a forfeit. Blue flags are reserved for special cases.
Elimination Matches:
32. At the start of an Elimination Match the Eliminators are required to state any special conditions or alterations to the normal Heaven or Hell rules that the match involves.
General Rules: - Out of Character -
33: No one should interfere with any Tournament Match unless they are directly involved. Regardless of situation, interference in Tournament Matches by spectators or members of other teams is grounds for swift resolution by tournament security and banning from the event (both participating and spectating) by tournament officials.
34: This is a role-playing guild! All entrances should be made with more than three lines. ("Hi and Bye!" show lack of interest and can bore the audience quickly.) In addition, OOC is to be kept out of the role-playing threads unless it is specifically relevant to the match (ex: "I'm heading to bed, I'll post in the morning."). OOC discussion and commentary should be kept to the Spectator Area.
35: Learn to adapt. As this is a role-playing forum, everyone will not have the same ideas on the way to proceed in the role-play. You may have your actions interrupted, your tactics screwed over when the opponent doesn't walk into your well-laid traps, and it might not go the way that you want it to. The idea is to learn and adapt, not whine about it.
36: No one is perfect. You don't have to overdo the other player with "big-a**" posts... sometimes it is unnecessary, and usually it is boring and confusing trying to find out what actions are being performed in a mess of filler text. A short but well-written post many times is more effective than a pointlessly long one.
37: Do not assume! One thing that is looked down on severely is to 'guess' what the other contestant is going to do, as if to "read their minds". WALL does not put up with this s**t. Do not assume to know what the character bio is either. If a participant gives out information of their character OOC, including character bios, that does not give you permission to use that information IC (unless the given information was stated in IC also).
Fighting Guidelines: - Out of Character -
38: Keep fights in logical sense. Example: Man A runs in for an attack slashing his opponent chest with his huge scythe with both hands. Man B instinctively ducks beneath the huge weapon and sweeps his foot to knock the man off his feet. Man A jumps in the air to avoid attack. WTF? Man A is wielding a huge scythe... to swing a weapon like that he has to contend with the momentum of his swing (even if he is super strong this particular choice of weapon is very unbalanced even in one hand, so using it has very little to with physical strength and much more to do with maintaining balance in the face of all the momentum of a swing) and the weight of the weapon will also slow him down, in this moment of weakness he is in no way able to protect himself (seeing that both hands were on the scythe, while in mid motion) or avoid the foot-sweep (seeing as his feet need to be on the ground during his attack or the heavy weapon won't be going anywhere), he has to take the hit. His concentration was in that one attack and he left himself vulnerable to the opponent's move. Get the idea? This goes hand-in-hand with attempting to alter your initial action if interrupted mid-action. We do not condone counterfests.
Remember there is a big difference between knowing how to make a fight spiced up with detailed descriptions (making it flashy) and in actually knowing how to fight from following actions with corresponding reactions (keep in mind the simple details of every movement being made, as something as small as your character's footing or hand positioning on a weapon may become relevant if either you or your opponent see an opening). There is no need for over-the-top, 9 paragraph long descriptions of a character trying to only slap someone on the face. It's just not necessary and will reflect poorly upon you for posting volume without content. Keep it detailed enough to include what is necessary and any extra flash you want to put into the post, but make sure that it actually makes enough sense so that if someone should try to act out what you wrote they would be able to.
39: No speed battling, unless both fighters agree to it. However, doing the fight in this way may be detrimental to your score. Heaven or Hell is designed for para-fighting. You will wait until your opponent responds before replying (even if they take 30 minutes or an hour to do it, be patient). With the exception of acceptable breaks (such as declared periods of absence for sleep, work, school, meals, etc.) time lapsed between a post and the response to that post is factored in to the player's score. In the event that a player has not responded for several days or that a fight is moving at a snail's pace, the HoH Staff may allow the next round to begin before the current one has finished through the use of TIME PARADOX.
40: Guidelines on Gangbangs. If you end up in a situation where more than one person attacks you, each person will lay out their attack and wait for the poor guy who's being hippie grouped to respond.
To the groupie: Be logical and clear as to where you're attacking from and how, and please be patient and wait until they respond. DO NOT REPLY TO OTHER GROUPIES UNTIL THE POOR b*****d POSTS HIS RESPONSE. To keep posting causes confusion and chaos.
To the poor b*****d: Do not second-guess the attacks upon you or it could land you in a bad situation. If you forget to input the effect of an attack by mistake, it will automatically be counted as a hit. Take the hit with grace as not everyone can be invincible and not be hit at all, that sort of style is shallow and unacceptable. It shows lack of technique and imagination...
41: Bloodshed and broken bones are most welcome. A fight in which both characters dodge endlessly and come out after 34 posts with only minor damage to either of them is often boring and unimpressive. However, battles in which players are willing to take hits dramatically and deliver them right back with gusto are the kind of fights that get people's blood pumping. A fight without damage is like NASCAR without turns... there's just nothing there.
42. Any situation not covered by the above rules falls under jurisdiction of rule 43.
43. OVERLORD clause. In questionable situations, if a situation comes up that was not prepared for and is not covered in the rules, or if the rules can be interpreted differently which causes a debate, the HoH Staff will come to a decision which will be treated as law.
4. Funds
This year's Heaven or Hell purse is currently at: 5 000 000 gold.
Both donations and entry fees will be collected and added in to the total gold value, which will then be distributed to the teams that finish in the top three places.
All Heaven or Hell money (both entry fees and donations) is held by -HoH- Elia Noah until the prizes are given out.
1st Place: 000 000 000 gold.
2nd Place: 000 000 000 gold.
3rd Place: 000 000 000 gold.
Special thanks to those that have donated to the pool:
Authoritative_Nuisance - 80,000
Damrius - 10,000
Alphatech Industries - 1,300,000
GTB - 60,000
Kurohito's Legion - 2,000,000
Creation Industries - 1,500,000
The Blazestar Empire - 500,000
Kraun - 25,000
Psychofish - 35,000
Designated Hero - 50,000
Savoki Sanoci - 10,000
5. Tips and Tricks - HoH Hints
The Tips and Tricks section is new this year, and it's our chance to give you all the advice that will help along the way. Think of this as the tutorial section... anyone who's participated in this event before can probably skip past, but if you're new to the game you might want to at least skim these sections over and take note of what is written; it might just save you a lot of trouble.
There have been changes made to the rules since last year. Make sure that you read the new rules in their entirety because you will be responsible for them.
HoH Entry Form:
We've been getting a lot of questions about what this is all about, so this might be something worth addressing to the general public. The HoH entry form biography (or HoH Stub, as I like to call it) is a list of In Character information provided by your character upon IC signup for the tournament. It's filled out just like an entry form, and you shouldn't stress too much about it because none of this will be graded at all. It's just you telling us about your character.
The categories are:
Name (your character's name)
Mode of Combat (your character's fighting style, such as brawler, swordsman, elementalist, or a more specific martial arts style)
Birthday (your character's birth date if applicable)
Height (the height of your character when standing straight)
Weight (the weight of your character, metric or American standard, doesn't matter)
Measurements (this one is confusing to most people; it's tailoring measurements such as chest and waist circumference in order to give an estimate of body type)
Birthplace (where your character was born if applicable, otherwise the point of origin that your character identifies with)
Hobby (what your character likes to do in his/her free time)
Personal Treasure (something your character is fond of if applicable)
Favorite Food (what your character particularly likes to eat if applicable)
Dislikes (something your character particularly dislikes, can be objects, people, actions, or even weather)
Forte in Sports (what kind of sport you can see your character playing, used to give a rough estimate of athletic ability and body type)
Other things worth mentioning (anything else you want to let the people know about your RPC)
The entry form isn't meant to be confusing nor is it meant to be a source of stress for you when entering HoH. Originally it was taken from the same format used in game manuals, giving the character biographies for fighters in arcade games.
Bio Writing Guide:
This is a section covering what we'll be looking for in the Heaven or Hell bios that you're submitting. We won't tell you everything about how we're grading, because it's impossible to do so as what we say in response depends upon a large number of factors that include everything from what we know of your roleplaying style to the exact wording you use in describing an ability. Note that everything in this section is a tip and a guideline, take them as ways to improve your bio.
1. First and foremost, please remember to include both your character name and your username when your team submits your registration. Last year we had over a dozen people who we could not invite to the guild because they did not include their username with their HoH registration.
2. Extraneous information is just that... extraneous. Your character's vital statistics are included in the stub bio: height, weight, etc. (sport section tends to relate to body type). The part being graded is only the two sections you include in addition to that: Equipment and Abilities. This means that we do not need your character history, his psychiatric profile, or a physical description of the character and his favorite duds... If any of these things are relevant to the character's combat abilities (such as, say, extra arms or a berserker personality) then they are to be included either as equipment (ex: ancestral sword, bone carapace natural armor, gift horse that you looked in the mouth) or abilities (ex: extra limbs, berserker rage, ability to survive a movie starring Keanu Reeves and co-starring Nicholas Cage). We will ignore any combat abilities listed in extra sections, and you will be held responsible for using abilities not listed in the bio if it becomes relevant. Remember, we just want your Equipment and Abilities, not your life story. There are a LOT of bios to go through and you'll all be very anxious to hear whether you were approved and rejected.
Additionally, we will not look at links. If you have so many abilities they do not fit in the character limit, you probably have too many abilities, and as stated, slows down the grading process. Also, links out open the chance of abusing the character registration as it can be edited at any time without the judges knowing.
3. When listing abilities, be thorough and include as many details as possible so that we can give an accurate assessment. We understand that when it comes to storyline RP or being super-flashy there needs to be a bit of wiggle room sometimes for the purposes of drama. However, for the sake of character balance and especially so that we know you have thought it through enough to understand how abilities work, we ask that you include any detail that may be important when listing abilities.
These include but are not limited to:
Type of ability (physical, spiritual, arcane, divine, psionic, telepathic, elemental, etc.).
Any elemental or alignment-based attributes associated with the ability for the purposes of ability interactions (ex: fire, wind, holy, ice, psychic).
How the ability is manifested (always on, freely switched on and off, requires a spell verse, requires specific actions, sustained through concentration, requires specific catalyst, etc.).
What the ability does (major) and any variations on that (minor).
An estimate of the upper-level limits on the ability (seriously, this is where a lot of people take a hit).
4. When it comes to setting those limits, remember that moderation is your friend. Explosions and glowing s**t certainly ramps up the excitement in a fight but when buildings start collapsing just from collateral damage there's clearly a problem in how high you've set the bar. We will always grade more favorably on underpowered characters than overpowered ones, and that's just a simple fact. It's quite possible to get far in Heaven or Hell having no powers or very minor ones, but if you make your character out to be a cosmic powerhouse of god-channeling and mindrape, don't be surprised when your bio gets sent back all marked up in red ink.
5. Phrasing matters. When writing out an ability, pay attention to how you say it. Examine the differences between: "When angry, Bruce's strength increases to superhuman levels." and "When angry, Bruce's strength increases three-fold." Now, the first is pretty one-dimensional... it tells us that Bruce gets very, very strong. With the way it is worded this ability may mean anything between "he can lift mountains" and "he gets stronger than YOUR character". The second one, however, tells us exactly how much of a change we should be expecting, and we can reasonably infer what his 'normal' strength level would be based off of the rest of the bio (for reference, Bruce Banner was a bit of a shrimp when he wasn't the Hulk). This could be further elaborated upon by citing examples or using numerical weight estimates... but the second one can be a lot trickier to use without overestimating or stumbling on complications.
6. Please include ALL equipment you intend to use. If it isn't listed here, it doesn't count as equipment. No, not even your grandmother's super-thick sweater that even keeps out that cold wind on January mornings.
Maximizing Points:
So what exactly do you have to do in order to score highly? Well, kicking a** and taking names helps a hellova lot; but if you're not quite feeling up for total domination on the field of battle, there are a few things you can keep in mind to keep your score from toppling like Jenga™.
Let's start from the basics:
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Scoring in the matches is based on educated interpretations of Balance, Poise, Power, Focus, Concentration, Dominance and Realism.
What this means is largely what it says. A major influencing factor in the score you receive comes not from whether you win or lose the fight (though you receive bonus points for a KO), but from how well you perform in every other way. Whether or not you gracefully take a hit that it would be a stretch not to take, whether you evade a strike with a "dodges to the side" or a deft movement that you can get us all to picture in our heads, and if your attacks make us feel as if they're being performed by a skillful and strong warrior.
There are two sides to performing well in a fight: whether or not you come out on top, and whether or not it is a fight to be remembered.
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Each section is worth 5 points. On a rating scale of 1-5 for each category.
Because each part that you are being graded upon is worth equal points, it means that in order to become a champion you must excel in all areas. Scoring highly in two categories is meaningless if your score in the others is shameful. In the same vein, a fighter who is losing the battle at the end of the time period could still come out on top through a point victory if that fighter had brought their A game with them.
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- How long did it take them to post?
Taking a long time to post holds up both the fight and the rest of your team. Fights are done in succession, and unless something severe happens to delay everything, no one else is going to be fighting until your fight finishes. Your team has 7 days to finish 2-3 fights, so taking a day and a half to post a reply is hurting everyone.
Additionally, when you take only a short time to reply to your opponent's post it means that not only will the fight move faster, but you did not have to take much time to think of something to do in reply to the enemy's attack. Half of combat is knowing what you intend to do, the other half is executing it.
In addition to quickness of thought, your own typing speed is another factor in this. The world is unfair, this is true, some of us can throw together a post faster than others. However, being able to get a quality response out quickly will benefit you in this area.
One helpful piece of advice I can give is to get your opponent on a messenger program with you. Before your fight arrange a time that you'll both be on so that you can go through as much of it as possible in one sitting, and let each other know when your posts are out so that you can each have the chance to respond quickly rather than sitting there all night refreshing the page.
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- How much damage did they inflict upon the opponent? How much of the fight was in their favor?
Isn't this clear-cut enough on it's own? Possibly not...
One major factor in fighting is damage. Who gives more... who takes more... the balance between these determines the outcome of the fight. If you're taking a lot of damage but not dealing it, your score in this area may dwindle. In the same vein, if you deal a lot of damage but take very little your score will rise.
However, do not consider your points in this area like an HP bar. Taking damage will not cause you to lose points (directly). Conversely, dealing damage will definitely help you to gain points in this category. Remember that no one likes to get completely dominated, and if you're willing to take a few hits your opponent will likely be receptive to being hit more as well (note: 'perfect dodge' and 'invincible' tactics are covered in the next section).
The other aspect to this category is domination.
That's right, you heard me correctly. Domination. This refers to how much you're controlling the flow of the fight. If you've constantly got your opponent against the ropes, expect that your score will be high here. It doesn't matter if you take a few hits in the process, as long as the punishment that you're dishing out is more severe and you keep the opponent reeling.
Like I said before, this category is pretty self-explanatory.
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- Were they creative and imaginative in their attacks?
Now this is one that tells you that you need to really put thought into things. It's all about how well you put on a show for the people, and we all know that the same old same old gets boring fast.
Do you dodge constantly? Are you untouchable? If they do manage to hit you is it such a worthless hit that you can just laugh it off? Playing the twinkle-toes faerie is appealing to the player who doesn't want to take any damage, but it's not really appealing in any other way. You're in a fight, you're going to get hit at least a little bit because flawless victories just aren't impressive when it's entirely up to you whether or not you take damage.
So let me say up front: Miracle-dodges and damage immunities will lose you points here. Knowing when to take a hit is just as important as knowing how to avoid taking one. Now, this isn't to say that you're not allowed to dodge, block, guard, counter, or whatever word you want to use for it... but if you slip up, or your opponent corners you into an almost inescapable hit: the advice I have to give is to take some damage, grit your teeth, and give 'em hell right back.
When you DO evade, dodge, and whatnot, the important thing is to be creative, clear, and skillful with it. Remember that thing we call 'description' and the big rant about 'detail' from the bio section? This is where a little practice goes a long way. Rather than a "dodge" or "duck" or "guard", give us some flavor and let us see what your character has to do to perform such a fantastic feat of dexterous swordplay. Go through the motions and take us along for the ride. We don't want to know THAT you dodged, we want to see HOW you dodged.
On the offensive end of this category things are much the same. Are you just attacking, or are you attacking with style? Is it the same old thing again and again or are you adapting to the situation, constantly coming up with new ideas, and thinking outside of the box? Hell, are you hitting your opponent over the head with the box?
If we don't see it coming, we like it. If it's unconventional, we like it. If it works, we really, really like it. Put on a show and make it worth watching. This is the section where you get points for being AWESOME.
For this reason alone there is no excuse for getting less than perfect here.
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- Could you tell what they were doing? Also being were they able to describe their moves clearly?
We've already covered speed of thought, so this category could be best described as process of thought.
Is your post clear and to the point? Does it cover everything that needs to be covered without straying off into confusing tangents? The key to a high score in this category is readability. Broken sentences and dangling thoughts won't help you here. Throwing in adjectives simply for the sake of having adjectives? Probably not. And of course, please try to make sure that what actions your character is performing are understandable. If we have no f*ing clue what you're trying to do there isn't much chance of your score being astronomical here.
Needless to say, if your RPing style revolves around trying to confuse your opponent with obscenely long posts full of useless details about things that don't even matter just so they'll have a hard time finding what the hell you're actually doing in the post (yes, there are people like this out there) then allow me to salute you, sir. You're going down with the ship.
And last but not least in regards to your points: Don't break the rules. Penalty flags are accompanied by a point deduction based upon the severity of the infraction.
themightyjello
15. The Team Captains will decide the mode of battle and what constitutes a win. If they are unable to agree, Stadium Rules stipulate each member fight one-on-one, with the exception of special rules that may be imposed at certain times by the Heaven or Hell administrating staff. The team with the most victories takes the match.
21. Match style: 3-on-3 style format, methods to be decided between Team Captains, best 2/3 wins the match.
21. Match style: 3-on-3 style format, methods to be decided between Team Captains, best 2/3 wins the match.
ALTERED MATCH CONDITIONS MUST BE CLEARED WITH A JUDGE BEFOREHAND.
10 :: Penalty Flags
= Flags do count for points. Getting them will take away from your team score... sometimes substantially.
= Regardless of what you may think, if you get a yellow flag it still counts even if you're not the one in the ring. You still have it on record. You're still that much closer to getting a red. You still take the point hit.
= Things you might receive a yellow for under Unsportsmanlike Conduct (by no means a complete list):
- Nutshots
- Eye gouging
- Hair pulling
- Ear pulling/biting
- Excessive taunting
- Excessive vulgar language
- Televised indecency (aka: whipping it out)
= If your Striker stays in the ring for longer than the 10 second time limit, you will receive 1 yellow flag per extra post that the Striker makes while still in the ring. GTFO on time, or keep your extensions short.
11:: The Match Area
STAY THE **** OUT.
This does not mean "stay a few feet away". It does not mean "stay out of arm's reach". It does not mean "just don't get in the way".
In baseball there is the field and the dugout.
In basketball there is the court and the benches.
In football there is the field and the sidelines.
In boxing there is the ring and the ringside.
In DOWNHILL SKIING people wait at the top and bottom of the hill.
Match Area.
Sidelines.
Unless the fighters in the ring have specifically moved towards the sideline area, the bench area, the other team members, or whatever your choice to call it is, your team members are not near the fighting. Several dozen feet, in most cases.
At no point in any arena will team members on the benches and team members in combat be intermixed.
