How do you RP out GLD/Flash and MRD/Overpower?

[Tiergan]

For the most part, gladiators and marauders are just people with swords and axes. Most of their abilities can just be pinned down to sword/axe techniques.

 

But what about Flash (Blinding burst of light!) and Overpower (CONE OF FIRE!)? I know I've had Tiergan use it at least once before, but I felt a little weird about it because I couldn't sort out in my head how he actually does it.

 

Do you folks just ignore it because it's pretty much an aggro-grabbing game mechanic or do you feel like there's probably an explanation for it? (A wizard did it! Aether!)

[Warren Castille]

Flash I ignore because what

 

Overpower I imagine is the action-sequence effect of driving your weapon into the ground and sending the earth up and making people fall over.

[Gegenji]

Do you folks just ignore it because it's pretty much an aggro-grabbing game mechanic or do you feel like there's probably an explanation for it?  (A wizard did it! Aether!)

 

I've never really thought about it, never really had to RP out using either.

 

However, I could imagine a relatively feasible non-magical way for Flash to work - reflected light. You're distracting the enemy and drawing attention to yourself by using your sword/shield/axehead to shine light in people's faces. Works with the Blind effect too! Can't see with that sunlight in your eyes!

 

... Slightly less feasible in a darkened area, of course, but it's something! Not to mention that Paladins are supposed to have access to some Conjury, so maybe it's something involving that? Or maybe just a flash of aether. Plenty of ways to go about it.

 

Overpower, I'd think, is just a great display of physical prowess - ripping up the ground with your axe and flinging it at the enemy to let them know "OH CRAP, WE GOTTA STOP THAT GUY FIRST." Part physical violence, part intimidation. Very MRD/WAR-esque.

[Hammersmith]

I don't equate in game abilities to actual character abilities.

 

The game's a framework, but there's a lot of flash involved that isn't either feasible/desirable in some concepts.

 

Hammer's very rough and tumble but down to earth so, when getting physical, it's all practical and efficient.  MRD's don't have a kidney punch but be assured if you get into an in-fight with Hammer you're going to be pissing blood afterwards. But he's not going to break the basic laws of how swings/physical combat works. Ground pounding is asking to get punished in a fight. Unless you're the hulk (I would love to be the Hulk)

 

In short: I don't, but YRoC will vary.

[Aoi Fukiku]

Flash I ignore because what

 

Overpower I imagine is the action-sequence effect of driving your weapon into the ground and sending the earth up and making people fall over.

I saw a gladiator rp flash as a sudden burst of aether being released from their body.  Can't say of it was good or not so center in my mind I yelled solar flare. Was giggling too much.

[Zelmanov]

flash? AETHER! it literally costs MP, its a form of magick.

[Caspar]

Overpower is, depending on how realistic you're going for, either swinging so freaking hard you unleash a little wave of sharp air in front of you cutting all kinds of stuff animu style, or it's just a big, long reaching, frontal sweep with the axe, and the cone is way bigger than it would be irl for gameplay purposes.

 

I like the idea of Flash being someone using their weapon to reflect light, but I figure it doesn't need to be that, necessarily.

[ProvaDiServo]

I've used flash as a jar of chems when thrown or disturbed with enough force causes a small concussive blast that emits a blinding light.

 

But not everyone may be as receptive to that idea .

 

Other situational events may include using sunlight to flash off your weapon ito glare into the enemy's eyes.

[Tiergan]

Flash I ignore because what

 

Overpower I imagine is the action-sequence effect of driving your weapon into the ground and sending the earth up and making people fall over.

I saw a gladiator rp flash as a sudden burst of aether being released from their body.  Can't say of it was good or not so center in my mind I yelled solar flare. Was giggling too much.

 

Oh god. I will never not be able to think that now every time I use flash in a dungeon. :V

[111]

My old pld char used flash all the time.

 

In dark areas it was useful for suprising and blinding people.

 

Nothing much to explain, bit of aether goes into the hand and bursts into blinding light. Sometimes gets people's attention, but that is up for the other person to decide.

[Kurt S.]

I really just chalk overpower up to a bit of aether and bit of your strength. The shockwave from the swing pretty much sends a message to anyone caught in the blast. Something along the lines of....

 

"I can do this to the ground. I can do this to you too. Better get rid of me first eh? I am this powerful, scrub."

 

The whole cone of fire that comes with the shockwave after that meaty swing. I chalk it up to the discharge of excess aether that allowed your godlike attack...on the ground in the first place. Which probably reinforces the above idea.

 

Why is aether in here?  Well we're in eorzea which is supposedly so saturated with it that everyone's probably unwittingly utilizing it regardless of whether or not they intend to.

 

 

Of course I could be severely wrong.

[Nebbs]

Just saying...

• Flash - that essential body odour release from wearing all that heavy armour, and a special move that wafts it out
  
• Overpower - spontaneous ignition of flatulence from too much high octane food
  

 

Later in the tavern... Brutus looks up from his empty bowl that could feed a family, "Another helping of that reduced to clear spiced dodo stew, and maybe I'll skip bathing again this month." the tavern dog retreats outside for some fresh air.

[Gegenji]

I yelled solar flare.

 

... Need to do this at some point now.

 

Just, like, be fighting some huge Roe dude at the Grindstone. Bearing down, Chachan has little or no time to react. And suddenly!

 

[Aya]

That guy just flashed super bright!  LETS ALL GET HIM!!!

 

As it is, threat (and aggro) make little sense as real life mechanics.  I don't think it would survive too much thought about it...

[Caspar]

Oh, you could also be a badass who douses himself and his axe in burning oil for Overpower. But then there's the problem of how you put yourself out so quickly...

[Tiergan]

Haha, well - I meant more "how does the bright flashy thing" happen as opposed to how it suddenly makes every enemy in the surrounding area instantaneously upset with you while not doing the same with your friends.

 

Aether in the hand makes sense to me. I suppose that means characters who can't control aether worth a lick might not be able to do it. I've RPing Tiergan as 'just a gladiator' with no real talent with aether -- though I've been getting tempted to have him trot on over to the Sultansworn for free paladin training.

 

I'd have to peg him as 'not-totally-incompetent-with-aether' if I do that.

[FreelanceWizard]

When I've had L'yhta throw out Flash IC, I always spin it as a magical trick that grabs the attention of and infuriates her opponents, taking advantage of the wild nature of combat to play on emotions.

 

Also, she usually combines it with an insult ICly.

[Kyrrae L'minia]

I think the way Warren described Overpower is the most logical way to go with it.

 

I'm confused over folks confusion/dismissal of flash though. Paladins aren't gladiators, they're Paladins. They use magic, but as a tool, not as a main damage type. If you look at the actual attack, Flash is an aether flash-grenade. You gather aether into a small space, then it released in a bright burst of light. Completely harmless as a damaging attack, but if the other person has their eyes open, they're going to be temporarily blinded for a very short time.

 

Not that someone cannot rp a PLD that doesn't use magick, but think of the in-game job requirement as a guide to how it would be in-game. The Sultansworn wouldn't be  hyped about teaching someone their specialized techniques who can't handle very basic conjury. Because that's all a Paladin does, *very* basic conjury.

 

[Brynhilde]

I've used Flash in RP before. Admittedly I may have an easier time of making it IC, as Bryn is also a conjurer and so has some minor aetherial talent.

 

I RP it as a aether manifested as bright, searing light, as other have said. My reasoning for the enmity side of things is that Flash is so bright that it causes such intense pain to look at, and that really pisses the enemy off. Also, if the other team has a guy who can blind you without even touching you, you probably want to take him down quickish.

[111]

Haha, well - I meant more "how does the bright flashy thing" happen as opposed to how it suddenly makes every enemy in the surrounding area instantaneously upset with you while not doing the same with your friends.

 

Aether in the hand makes sense to me. I suppose that means characters who can't control aether worth a lick might not be able to do it. I've RPing Tiergan as 'just a gladiator' with no real talent with aether -- though I've been getting tempted to have him trot on over to the Sultansworn for free paladin training.

 

I'd have to peg him as 'not-totally-incompetent-with-aether' if I do that.

 

I view it as something of tool of a necessity. If you're a gladiator, you probably don't have much ability with aether.

 

Not enough to heal someone, to hurt them, to slow them, etc.

 

However if you use it just right... *flash*

 

It's the perfect sort of dirty trick a Gladiator would use, the aetherial equivalent of throwing sand in someone's eyes.

 

As for the aggro, think of it like this. A team kicks down the door of the smokey tavern, rushes in. While the enemy is still trying to figure out what happens, the lead person hold out his hand, and everyone who was looking is suddenly blinking the tears from their eyes and trying to see.

 

"That mother fucker" they think, "He's dead."

 

Now not everyone might attack that guy, but it would certainly make an impression, and people would notice him more than his compatriots dashing to the sides and fanning out around the room.

[Dat Oni]

Koporo holds his shield at just the right angle so that it catches the sun and ends up right in his foe's eyes. Depending on the angle, he can get entire groups. Sometimes I have him embed a reflecting jewel or prism into the face of the shield that normally looks nothing more than ornate, only to end up blinding everyone if it catches the light.

[Khadan]

I've used it as a tool in RP combat situations pretty much the same way a special forces team would use a flashbang grenade. Let's not forget the *BANG* sound at the end of the animation. As a bounty hunter this has been particularly useful to him in the past, especially if he needed to bring his quarry home alive or was outnumbered etc.

 

To that effect, if Kayllen is facing off against a foe or group of foes especially, it definitely behooves him as someone who doesn't necessarily need to see or hear his opponents to know where they are when they're close to him but even if he did, to rob his opponent(s) of their ability to see and hear. Since most actual 'fights' last anywhere from three-to-ten seconds, that's a pretty significant time to give someone who knows what they're about an advantage over someone else who relies on not only eyesight but hearing to function.

 

It costs mana so I assume like so many things in the FF14 world, it's just an expression of Aether which everyone but Garleans seem able to use in some form or another. Being of particularly low level if you want to even look at it like that, it could likely be translated as a pretty simple and cheap/dirty trick to use to give yourself an advantage. 

 

As for the 'enmity' effect... well there are mobs in the game that don't care about enmity and just do whatever they want. I assume players are the same. Some might care about the guy dropping flashbangs and want to stop him from doing that, others might just not care. I don't really care about 'enmity' in RP, as there are better ways to ensure people attack you over others with just tactics and such.

[Coatleque]

As a five-breasted succubi with numerous spawn, Crofte finds Flash to be most effective before combat.

[Khadan]

As a five-breasted succubi with numerous spawn, Crofte finds Flash to be most effective before combat.

 

You left out the futa dominatrix bit.

[Roen]

I've used Flash in IC situations, only as a bright flash of manifested aether meant to blind/distract for a few seconds. I don't use the enmity effect of Flash at all IC.