11/24 - Thread is up. 4 Characters up.
11/25 - 2 Characters added.
12/1 - 3 Characters added.
12/9 - Added Special Commands: Pulse and Cancel
12/16 - Added rules for EX Mode.
12/18 - Added Multiplayer Rules.
Introduction
So when Azure was first designing PDF, I gave him a suggestion to base the system off of this board game that perfectly simulates fighters in a turn-based setting. When he decided to go his own way (taking some of my pointers), I realized that this game is actually being played in various PBPs on the internet, and that it's entirely possible to run this game with just a few modifications. So here I am, ready to ply my trade. This...is Battle-CON.
What is Battle-CON?
***Actually if you just google this you'll find a shit-ton more about this including its own wiki, but I will paraphrase the tl;dr for you...
Battle-CON is short for Battle Connection. It's a fighting system for a series of boardgames that got made through kickstarter in the past 3 years. Made by a company called Level99, it mimics console/arcade Fighting Games by featuring a Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock system of play and guarantees balance if not fun for anyone interested in 1on1 brawl (with further options for multiple players but we'll get there).
It's main selling point? It's fine selection of unique characters. Sample abilities include:
- A heavyweight tank who bestows Honor to his opponents, making them stronger...not that it will make a difference.
- A bandit who acquires gold every round which he can use to pay for mercenaries to help him out.
- A dragon queen with an alternate win condition of fully petrifying the opponent and encasing them in stone.
- A pair of siblings who share a werewolf soul. One of them is a wolf and they both fight at the same time.
- A mercenary who uses steroids to boost his capabilities at the expense of his life.
- And many more.
So, have I piqued your interests yet? The mechanics are somewhat simple to understand but like any fighting game, there will be tiers and so for the sake of not giving myself a headache running this, certain characters won't be available at first. Trust me on this, you need to get a hang of things before you can play everything but don't worry as the lower tier characters are awesome too, they just have simpler mechanics.
There's actually a very helpful wiki (which I will link on occasion to reference characters) and a rather shitty comic (look at the first few pages) that demonstrates how the system works. But don't worry because I will also explain how to play it here as simply as I can (well more simple than that comic). So check out the stuff below before you google elsewhere.
How to Play
***I'm gonna be using a bunch of jargon here as that is how the game sees them, so just to ease you into it, I shall be bolding these terms whenever you encounter them for the first time. I will also be underlining basic must-knows for easier understanding and clarification.
Part 1: Setup and Basics (Click to Show)
Spoiler (Click to Show)
Recycle Phase
Now that you're acquainted with all the terms, let's get to the game proper. At the start of a match, both players are required to submit 2 Style/Base Pairs for 1st and 2nd Level Recycling. Recycled Pairs cannot be used until the next beat when they move up (1st Level moves to 2nd, 2nd moves to your hand, your hand moves to 1st). Basically, that just means you won't be able to use these initially. This also means that every time you make a Pair, you won't be able to make the same pair again in at most 2 turns.
Note: Don't fret if you have no idea what to recycle initially, because the game is set up in a way that allows a recommended/default pair to be submitted everytime in order to start quickly. The default pair is usually reliable and should be used by beginners. You'll understand later how it works when we get to actual gameplay.
Ante Phase
This is the phase where you both declare your Attack Pair and it is a 2-step process:
a) Privately PM me the attack pair of your choice.
b) Make an Ante of how many X you wish to use on the thread itself.
When Ante-ing X (Ability Token):
1) Whoever had the higher Priority last round must Ante first.
2) If it is the first round, anything goes.
3) Whoever Ante's 2nd, cannot Ante more than the 1st player.
4) The 1st player can Ante as much as he can but only once at a time. (if the opponent makes a coutner-Ante, you can countercounter-Ante again).
The first one is self-explanatory seeing as both pairs should clash at the same time, but what of the second one? What is X? Certain characters (most of them anyway) will require you to publicly declare how much X are you going to Ante, where X is just a unique Token Name tied to that character's unique ability. For example, 1 character gains Priority based on the number of Fury Tokens wagered. Another gains damage instead for every Counter Token wagered. That's pretty much what X is. Sometimes X is affected or affects the field, each other, or how one moves and attacks. So it really depends on the character you choose.
Even if you are not Ante-ing, you still need to post to say so. I will not wait for your post and will consider the PM as having made your turn. I expect when making a move for this game the PM and posting happen at the same time. There is really no reason why you shouldn't.
Combat Phase
As soon as both players have PM'd me their pairs, I will resolve them at the same time based on the rules explained above. Essentially, whoever has the most Priority goes first, does whatever, then if the opponent managed to Stun Guard out of it, their moves happen. Then a new Beat begins and we do this again until somebody dies or Time is up.
However it's not that simple. For you see, every Base/Style has their own activation sequence. And it goes as follows:
Timing (Click to Show)
It might seem complicated now but trust me, it gets simple fast. I will be doing a play-by-play on each action as it occurs (possibly in flavor if I am able) and resolve any actions automatically unless there is an optional choice in which I will alert the player in question. But that happens rarely btw. Anyways, after this step, the used pair is recycled and the 2nd-Level Recycled Pair is added to you hand once again. Rinse and repeat until the Round is over.[/spoiler]
Spoiler (Click to Show)
Abilities and Unique Bases
Every character has at least ONE unique Base in their Character Kits. They are usually specialized to fit the character's ability. Every character also has a unique ability that plays around with what the character is capable of and they each have their own little rules. These abilities come with their own unique tokens, markers, and anything else. Like any fighting game, knowing and playing a character is simple to learn but mastering it can be difficult.
Ante Finishers
Yes we do have them in this game. At the start of a game, players will have to choose between 2 Finishers and they must each pick one which will be revealed to each other. Finishers can only be activated during the Ante phase and when your health is 7 or below. When done right, their effects happen as usual, depending on its priority (some finishers are counters so they have lower priority). Certain finishers require a certain range to happen, others don't really care. Others have even more unique and specific conditions. Use them wisely because once you do it, you can never use them again.
Special Commands
UPDATE (12/9): As of this writing, Special Pairs are now viable if agreed by both fighters.
Fighters now have access to 2 Special Commands that can change the way battles are fought. Each player is given ONE Special tag in their Dashboard. To use it, they must pair it with another Base for certain effects. You can only perform a Special Maneuver ONCE unless it has also clashed with the opponent's Special. These effects are as follows:
Pulse (Requires Burst or Dash) - This is the ultimate defensive move. Pulse NEGATES your opponent's attack pair and doesn't move time forward including unique ability End of Beat Effects. The player is then allowed one free attack pair if done correctly. If multiple players Pulse at the same time, it is recycled instead of being removed.
Spoiler (Click to Show)
After the reveal, Azure has chosen to go for a Strike.
But ErrorBlender plays PULSE instead (by pairing his Special and Burst).
Azure's Strike and all its passive effects are negated. That pair is recycled automatically.
ErrorBlender now plays his actual Pair, a Shot. It hits Azure.
ErrorBlender's Shot Pair is Recycled. The Beat ends.[/spoiler]
Cancel (Requires Grasp or Shot or Finisher at high HP) - Cancel turns the tide on an impending power attack by shortening the opponent's options. A Cancel shares the same effect as a Clash, except the opponent's initial pair is ALSO recycle