Iex

There are no 'Overpowered' or 'Underpowered' characters. Characters exist that are different. The perception of a character's 'power' merely comes from RP (as many have stated). A character could be a demi-god, but if they are RPed well and appropriately for the situations they are in and works well with other characters, no one will care. A character could be entirely helpless, but still be fun to RP with despite the weakness. There is a difference between, a new rper, a "bad" rper, and a character that seems strong or weak. When a character is RPed, the trick comes from rping the character appropriate for the situation and the folks around you. Sometimes some groups your character may need to more mundanely rped and sometimes the RP calls for some nice epic scenes. It all depends on the situation and players in the RP. I will disagree that 'powerful' characters do not belong with common folk. Powerful does not mean disconnected from society. They may be heroes, rivals, and villains, but they are still people. Given that they aren't 'famous' or 'infamous' to the point the guards would take note, there is no reason a character can't take a day off and 'have a whiskey' with a merchant. The trope and archetype of the character should not take over the character, person before profession. Naturally... some extremes would prevent that... but in my experience those are normally player created NPCs that are used as major figures in RP. There was a thread of similar discussion earlier but I realized... I can't find it anymore.

This post is personal opinion and not how I expect or how people should Create/RP powerful characters. (This is added so I don’t have to say ‘in my opinion’ every other line.) First of all, there is nothing wrong with making a powerful character what so ever. The character should be more than their “power level” (snort). The strength of a character should be vehicle to encourage varied and increased Role-play. Also, weaknesses should not be given to ‘balance out the character in combat.’ Weaknesses should be given round out the character in general and should be organic to how you want the character to be. Where the ‘balance’ comes into play it not the mathematical way the character can be defeated, but it should come from the way the characters is Role-played, the situations they get involved in, and how they deal with said situations. I am going to use my own character for example. Grave Shadow is a very powerful character, but most folks would not even know that. He rarely takes center stage if he gets into combat with other folks. He does not come off as godly. He rarely even gets into fights to demonstrate his ‘power.’ There is so much more a powerful character can do than step into a fight with an “I’m here bitches” and promptly critical hit on everyone in his way, but since this thread seems to be about combat I will start with that. In a Role-play event, (say something plot related and not Grindstone) where there are two sides of more than one PC or NPC on either side, every character deserves a chance in the spotlight. A powerful character really does not to be in that spotlight to be considered ‘powerful.’ In the case of Grave, if he does get into a combat situation with other individuals on his side, I tend to keep him role to a support role rather than exploding faces. His help allows other individuals to have their moment to shine and it does not make him weak or less powerful if he actually does little in terms of smashing. The other thing is, Grave rarely gets into combat because he chooses his fights and not all of them need his presence, but I will get to that later. If he gets in a one on one fight, that is a different beast all together. If it is an NPC, for case of the storyline you probably have the end of the fight already all planned out. If it is against a player, if you are using dice you can make the low rolls represent bad luck as folks have mentioned or other factors that would cause a powerful character to bumble. If you are not using dice, hopefully an OOC dialogue is also open otherwise it may not end well… or ever end. On the topic of Realism, “Your character brought down a meteor on the last rp to save our asses why doesn’t he do that all the time.” The age old story sin of a character doing something amazing in once scene but for some reason cannot do it again in the next. An easy excuse is being tired or aether drained however for a powerful character this is where you can round out the character and plug in some interesting aspects that go beyond combat. Grave does not get into every possible fight he could. This is partly so everyone gets a turn to Role-play stuff, and he also knows that not every fight needs his attention. This part is a bit more tailored to the character than in general for powerful characters, but he does not get involved all the time because he knows other people need to grow, need to make mistakes, and honestly need to suffer to be able to strengthen themselves. Then he also has his own dangers if he uses too much aether, and becomes too known. This is a plot limitation of a powerful character, consequences of things (NPC or not) if he ends up making too big of waves in the leylines. Grave basically belonged to a cult for a good thirtyish years of which despite him being a powerful character, it is filled with NPCS on par with him or far greater which would remind him of that if he does too much. Hence why as a powerful character, he will never get “we gots a problem turn on the Grave signal.” “Weaknesses” to round out a character really do not have to be all about combat. Your character hopefully does more than run into battle or pick fights. They are entities with personality quirks, physical limitations, and even the occasional flat out stupidities. Perfection in training does not make your character a Mary Sue, nor does perfection in training mean your character cannot be defeated. Unless your character spends every waking moment in a fight, flaws in combat style are not going to be what people see. Grave has a few personality quirks that prevent him from doing things, but a big thing that affects both combat and out of combat is that he absolutely cannot heal folks in the usual way. Nature refuses to allow him to channel its power to mend flesh, and arrays designed to heal break down as he tries to apply aether to him. (And fairies just don’t like him) This is a major character plot thing which I will not go into detail, but when it involves physical damage to someone he is as helpless someone who just knows first aid. This is something that bothers him greatly, but he cannot do anything about it. Another aspect is that he is a bit withdrawn from things so often when he could up he just ends up not helping either because he does not know what is going on or feels his help will cause more harm than good. Neither of those are mathematical ways to defeat him, but still round him off somewhat. What makes a powerful character… powerful is hardly how undefeatable he is. If the character is created with only combat prowess in mind or only role-played in his combat state, he ceases to be a character and more of just a tool. Powerful characters are only powerful or characters if they can relay that strength and relay their flaws inside and outside of combat without being the spotlight whenever they are present. That is actual realism even if your character can summon all three primal at once while balancing a lance on his nose. To create a character with mathematical way to defeat them for sake of being balanced robs them of depth and character and harkens back to video game bosses that have just a pattern you learn to beat them. If everything in RP was balanced it would be very boring thus it becomes a matter of Role-play to make even unbelievably unfair differences in ‘skill and power’ seem irrelevant for a good time.

I am a firm believer that it is not the culture that defines the character. While aspects of a race should certainly brush some tone over their perspective of life and choices, it should not be the tool that chips away their monument of their life. Unless, their life was in a highly regulated cultural thing.... then I guess uh? However, I am also a firm believer that it is the life the character lives that will define how they are. A certain seeker we all know that likes his towers certainly isn't falling into tradition. If a character has lived a life where tradition and culture more... common to his race has less weight, he shouldn't actually end up being SUPER TRADITIONAL MAN. If he is, it should be a choice he makes based on his life rather than an archetype placed on the character. In the case of my highlander... he may be from a certain lost nation that was destroyed by a certain mad leader, but he holds very little on to traditions and nationalism. This is HIS Eorzea not the land of men who now lay six feet underground.

Heck, there's things in lore for other races that people don't seem to enforce emoting about or focusing attentions on. A Dunesfolk's protective eyes, for one - sure, it creeps some players out, but how many Dunesfolk emote about those eyes? Or a Roegadyn's last name being "Son of" or "Daughter of" their father, implying importance in one's patriarchal line? How many Roes actually have put thought into the father figure their last name draws from? Depends... really, if the character knows who their father is. If that isn't the case, they may improvise. One of my characters has a 'title' as his father, because his father was probably a drunken one night stand with his pirate mother. Then there are folks who dislike their father so they cut that out. Finally there are Hellguard which cut out the family name all together most the time for different reasons but in my case because Grave Shadow son of Hollow Voice would be a damn mouthful to relay every time. As for the eyes... they are the only way my character (read me) can tell plainsfolk apart from dunesfolk. However, getting his face up in their 'grills' just too look at the eyes is a bit rude. So most the time he avoids the topic or commits social awkwardness when he can't identify them easily.

./Creates a new character. ./intro scene... but instead of the adventurer guild contact you meet the Ultima Bard. "Oh.. I have not seen you around, you look as though you fancy yourself an adventurer. Not all of those who do seem to make it. However, buy me a drink and maybe I will spin you a tale of someone such as yourself who arrived just like you, green and eager... who knows you might learn something." ./start 2.0 story line. ./Creates a new character ./instead of ship/carriage to a main city talking to the midlander carriage on carriage to Ishgard with the midlander. "Oh... seems like the weather is getting bad, we might not make it there any time soon. But where are my manners, where are you from?" (Ul'dah, Gridania, Limsa) "Funny... I met someone on my way there once. He/she actually is part of why we are heading north now. Since it looks like we are going to be here a while... might as well tell you what I heard. Might help you when we get there." ./start 2.0 story quest ./end 2.0 story quest finish the ride to Ishgard (or wherever the hub will be)

Not in the Linkshell, but I know they are still going!

Oh, I'm not saying people SHOULDN'T be allowed to be RoeNinja. I'm personally just finding it hard to get over visually. If there were a few more options of body style then it'd be simpler for me to navigate. And I haven't played the combination, but have seen it in action on the field. Again. This is all a personal failing of perception and my own admitted inability to write a Roegadynja compellingly. I even said so in my first post: Highlights added for emphasis. If you can pull this off, then that's awesome. Matter of fact I'd ask for tips. :3 Oh, I wasn't directing my post at you, sorry! Just addressing the 'small ninja knives' and how I deal with large races and less form fitting classes. I do understand the physical appearance issues with some classes. I cannot roll a midlander or elezen because their neck doesn't match their body in my opinion (this is a personal opinion that I wish I could get over). This can be addressed by gear choice to trick the eyes or conceal the aspects that bother the individual. RP wise, the matter of size should only actually come into affect in instances of things with size comparisons. Naturally, my Roegadyn ninja isn't going to be able to fit his fingers into as small spaces as lalafell. However, he is comfortable in his own skin so he would have ways to deal with that rather than it being an awkward matter. A character should not be awkward in his own skin unless he if by magic he suddenly is a different size. (Fantasiaed Lalafell into a Reogadyn would be a barrelful of awkwardness and clumsiness) Basically, the way I deal with classes that seem unusual for the character, is I don't. Unless they are just learning a new skill (a pugilist novice learning the forms for the first time) or using things not designed for him (a Roegadyn having to use a sword designed for a Miqote) a character should be used to their body and how to make things work for them. If the 'animations' for an attack seem odd to me for the race, I merely change my perspective of how my character does it in RP rather than denying the ability for the character if ICly he can do it.

Have any of you actually... played a Roegadyn with daggers? They are not small. http://imgur.com/a/FFzAM The relic ones are taller than a Lalafell. It also seems the trope of muscle bound brute is coloring perspectives of what races belong to what class. Humorously, both my main characters fall into both spellcasting Hellguard and Ninja Hellguard. In the case of the spell caster, I consider him fit and muscular, but not a hulking mass of strength (still stronger than a Highlander but certainly not the strongest Reogadyn in any way). I would assume that the more complex and intense magic would also take a considerably physical endurance. My Ninja (well I am not sure how 'ninja' he is, still debating that) is a typical large Roegadyn but slightly more lithe in comparison to bulging muscles that a typical axe wielding Seawolf but certainly is not lacking in strength. Sheer size really doesn't restrict the ability of a character or (someone IRL) from being flexible, nimble, or intellectually focused.

You will be pleased to know tomorrow I am having pumpkin pudding.

Part of it may come from the more densely packed Japan is in terms of population, sadly a business like this would probably die out very quickly outside of huge cities like New York, New York. Where I live, we are just getting a gaming shop (D&D Pathfinder Magic Netrunner etc... ) that will sell booze along with board games, table top, and the like since the age range of folks who play those things often has actually expanded into 21+ recently around here.

That would make logical sense regarding a bit of a preview. It would also help answer some questions and even hype it up some more, an almost "Nyah nyah we are here and you can't play us yet." However, how they could get revealed is completely in the dark. I mean some may have come over on the refugee ships and are hiding out with Domans. (Hoods and hidden tails.) I will be interested to see if they do, how they will.

Not going to comment on anything other than the guide. From an aesthetic viewpoint you may want to work on the formatting and "excessive" color use. It looks kinda jumbled and unprofessional. I am not commenting on the quality of information just the presentation of the information. The Big red communication seems very off-putting, though I am not sure if it is just my resolution and browser size, but it goes down vertical instead of horizontal. If the intent was to make it clear, you could achieve the same perhaps by reducing the font size. Like this: C O M M U N I C A T I O N So that is doesn't create a massive break in your guide.

... Wow. If money was no object my significant other and I would probably go to Japan for our honeymoon (HAHA Right maybe in five years we will have saved enough). This place would probably have to be a stop... right next to the pokemon center, and the islands of Bunnies, Foxes, and Cats.

I agree with that... If a revolt happens it will be a very, very, dark, somber thing as hundreds of people are put to the sword to protect others. The consequences of such an event would be drastic, and basically destroy any respect outside of "they did what had to be done" any city state had for Ul'dah.

I ponder if, if Before the Fall means something happens before the fall of Ul'dah to either the Sultana Stepping down, Syndicate taking over, or Revolt. Something so drastic that it will prevent the theorized revolt or whatever from occurring. (The second the trailer drops we will have a better idea, BUT they liked putting the screws to us in the last couple ones too. Damn you well placed editing.) The event of say... a massive ancient dragon coming back to life would be something that would force the city states to have a unified leader that other city states respect and prevent a take over or even the Sultana from stepping down. 2.5 is likely to set the stage for the expansion while at the same time tying up loose ends. Until now we have had a general build up of politics on Ul'dah which have swollen to the end of 2.4 cut scene. In real life we may not have political problems end neatly for the next one, but I have a feeling the Ul'dah matter will be sorted by the end of 2.5. However, I also have a feeling it will continue to set the stage for the Garlean rebirth (which will likely be the second part of the MSQ for the expansion... I think) and the events that lead up to Heavensward. Frankly, I have not been so excited for a dungeon as Keeper of the Lake.. ever. I was actually annoyed we did not go to the lake after what Iceheart said. Another aspect of 2.5 is Crystal Tower, I look forward to all the revelations about the void we will get, because it will probably also involve quite a bit about that naughty little crystal in the Void. (This thread is not about the following just a remark... do not try to latch onto it.) If the Au Ra are some how related to the void it will probably be revealed in final chapter of the tower, but I have a feeling something will be revealed about them somehow in 2.5. I want to say they said something about Lady Yugiri being 'unmasked' sometime before 3.0.

Well technically, the trailers in slightly dark gray backgrounds and screen is extremely vague for anyone to determine whether they have scales to their skin or not. But aren't these from Othard though? So maybe they'll give brief lore of Othard that they are not related to Dravanians etc. I am merely going off the screenshots such as this one: http://imgur.com/a/MUEoR#6 As for scales... I just picked draconian because it was the first word to come to mind. Poor word choice, apologies. To me it looks less like it is supposed to blend into the skin and more like armor grown on top of it.

Currently... we don't know the story of what the scales actually are and how they play with the race, but if we go by the models of the rest of the races. They all have smooth skin, like.... super smooth. If they are actually "draconic" scales... they don't actually look like scales. The look more like ridges and plates to me. They also could be some sort of natural armor. These are the first play race to have something other than baby bottom smooth skin. Animals such as some Armadillos have plates on their body that don't smooth into the skin. It could also be chitin or some sort. If we want to look at more possibilities in D&D there is a monster modifier (sort of) of "Dire" which basically means it is such and such animal with boney protrusions. My theory is they aren't scales but the following: (THIS IS JUST A THEORY) However, the more I look at it... the more it seems to be some sort of natural armor with heavy artistic design. It protects the neck, the arms, and the wrists by what we can see from the pictures. (We will only know how much more when we get to strip them to small clothes) If we go by the clothes they may have a culture slightly more, I wouldn't say tribal but at least by the shredded clothes, wild? So perhaps the natural armor protects the more vital areas that could be attacked by beasts.

http://imgur.com/SN46SNJ I believe this is a pretty close comparison between the height on something more familiar. ((Quur is 75 on the slider I have no idea what she is at.)) Poor person I used for height checks ((It isn't quite right... but with sliders I think you could probably get it to be like that... probably if Quur was at 100 it would be accurate for the '50'))

If that's the case, that's far less drastic than the screenshot showed us. Likely we can play with the sliders to adjust that a bit. Don't quote me too much on that, I am just guessing based on midlander/elezen pairs I have seen in comparison to the screenshots.

Give me a second to look through the old Cutscenes with Lady Yugiri and I will see if I can give you a general idea. EDIT: It looks like she is about the height of a midlander female... maybe a little shorter, so I think it the males may be about the height of a mid-tall Highlander. So females may be between a Miqo'te and closer to a Midlander and Males between a Highlander (Closer) and Elezen?

The healer just needs to stay calm and realize his heals are 40% of what they are used to and missing level 50 skills. Mind you there are limits . The tank also needs to pop cooldowns as needed and DPS need to be doing their job. I kinda have been lucky lately I think. Also, I am a scholar so I must be insane.

Heh I am doing Zodiac now.... have to do AV over and over; if people ask 'how are we running this?' I explain why I am there, but go with 'whatever.' Sometimes they take pity on me sometimes they need the exp. I just try to convince them they can pull a bit more than a single pack... if they don't I just go dpsy.

I suppose the detail of the scales all depends on the origin of the scales... which we don't know yet. They could be more of 'hard' plates on the body rather than scales, maybe they are born like that but the plates don't change so as they grow. But who knows.

Aren't they discontinuing support of the PS3 with the expansion? I honestly don't know, I play on the PC so I don't pay attention to the console versions.

*goes out for a bit, comes back with a chainsaw* You do know you asked for this, right? *Is in too many pieces now to respond.*