Battle Rules and Schemes

Schemes

All characters, regardless of which faction they're part of, can start, support, and oppose schemes. A scheme is a thread where a character does something to achieve some kind of goal. That goal can be anything the player desires, whether it's as silly as stealing all the cookies from a store, as personal as getting a dog, or as serious as weakening a faction or taking over the city. It's all up to the player.

• All schemes must be tagged with [SCHEME] in the title. The opening post should detail the goal and how the character is going about it.
• All schemes are considered open threads, so anyone, regardless of faction, can join or oppose for any reason. That means that people on the same side of a scheme do not have to be in the same faction, or even necessarily like each other, and people in the same faction may end up opposing each other.
• There is one exception to the above rule. A single player cannot have multiple characters joining the same scheme. Alts are free to join different schemes though.
• A maximum of 2 people can support a scheme, and a maximum of 3 people can oppose. This means that if the maximum number of people join a scheme, there will be 6 people involved, and it will be a 3v3 fight.
• To join an existing scheme, simply post in the thread detailing what your character is doing to support or oppose it, then state OOCly at the bottom of your post with a bolded command of either SUPPORT or OPPOSE.
• Characters will have 48 hours to join the scheme once it's posted. After that 48 hours, the scheme will start regardless of how many people have joined, or if the sides are even.
• If no one opposes the scheme, then the creator will achieve their goals with little to no resistance. Their faction will get a small bonus, and other factions may take a small penalty.
• If at least one character opposes, then the characters will engage in combat. Details on the combat rules are below. The winner of the combat will have a choice posed to them on what to do with the spoils of victory. The winning side can decide among themselves which option to pick, but ultimately, either the person that started the scheme or the first person to oppose the scheme, depending on which side wins, gets the final say in which option is picked.
• Each character can only be in one scheme at once, unless they have the Omnipresence trait, in which case they can be in two schemes at once.
• Characters can fight even without a scheme being involved. All the involved characters have to agree to fight and agree on whatever the stakes will be. However, all schemes that will heavily impact the setting (attacking a faction, taking over the city, things like that) should be schemes so that people have a chance to oppose them.

Battle Rules

• In schemes, each player has 48 hours to submit an action. In event battles, each player has 24 hours to submit an action. This time limit will never be extended for any reason.
• Actions have two parts: first a post in the scheme or event thread itself. This post should detail how your character reacts to the resolution of the last round. Second, a PM to all staff detailing their next action. Be sure to include a bolded command at the bottom of the post stating their action, as described in the Powers and Flow of Battle section below.  If an opening is offered in the resolution post, be sure to say if you're taking it. If you don't have time for a full post that's okay, just send the command to staff and it will still count.
• Actions can be changed as many times as desired up until the scheme or event is updated, so don't be afraid to submit actions early.
• For schemes, if all players submit their actions early, the scheme will be updated as soon as the admins are able to do so. For event battles, they will always update every 24 hours to keep things simple, even if everyone submits their actions early.
• If a player fails to submit a command, their character will do nothing that round. If a player fails to submit an action twice in a single scheme, then from then on that battle will proceed without waiting for that player to submit an action.
• If one side of a battle has fewer than 3 combatants, then it is possible for uninvolved characters to join that side mid-battle.  To do this, PM the admins specifying the battle you want to join, a description of your character joining the battle, and the bolded command Arrive and whether they will be supporting or opposing.  The following resolution post will feature your character's arrival, and after that, you may participate in the battle as normal.

The details on how combat is resolved are as follow.

Combat Advantage
Victory or defeat in combat is measured with combat advantage, a percentage rating that starts at 0% for each side at the beginning of combat and changes as the battle progresses. Once one side reaches 100% combat advantage, the fight is over, decided in the favor of that side, though the losers generally live to fight another day.

The combat advantage number is shared among all members on a given side of the battle. Any action that one takes to increase or decrease her combat advantage does so for everyone on her side.

Immunity
In addition to their actively usable powers, characters can also have immunities. If a character has an immunity, then that immunity has a level of its own, and that level is compared against powers it suppresses in the same way that suppressing powers are compared against each other. A power that's put against a character's immunity is always reduced in effectiveness, so a bad matchup can leave one with few ways to actually hurt one's foe.

See the Powers thread to get an idea of what sorts of supers might be immune to what sorts of powers.

Suppression
Powers are often used to suppress other powers in combat, which forms the basis of superpowered tactics. The use of a power is a SUCCESS only if no other powers or immunities suppress it. If the use of a power is suppressed by another power or immunity of equal or greater level, or if it is suppressed by multiple other powers or immunities, regardless of level, then the use is a FAILURE. A power suppressed only by one lower-level power or immunity achieves PARTIAL success.  Powers can only suppress each other in the circumstances listed below.

Power suppression generally doesn't run both ways. So, even if Power A suppresses Power B, that doesn't mean that Power B suppresses Power A. The success or failure of a power that suppresses another is independent of how well that other power is suppressed.

Powers and Flow of Battle

Each power type falls into one of four combat roles: aggression, for powers that quickly and straightforwardly take down enemies; maneuver, for powers that prolong the battle and exhaust the other side's resources; accumulation, for powers that become more useful if given time to prepare; and interference, for powers that disrupt the enemy side's plans. See the Powers thread for detailed descriptions and what they do out of combat. Each power also has a level, which for combat purposes is only used to resolve suppression and determine turn order.

Action Resolution Order

• Actions are resolved in the order of interference, accumulation, maneuver, aggression.
• Within each role, higher-level powers are resolved first, and any further ties are resolved by coinflip.
• The battle ends as soon as any power brings its side's combat advantage to 100% or higher, so having your power resolve first can be the difference between victory and defeat.
• This means that if both sides could get 100% combat advantage in the same round, then resolution order detailed above will determine who wins. Whichever side has an action that brings it to 100% combat advantage first will win.

Interference
Interference represents powers that stop enemies from using their own powers effectively. Although they take effect before any other powers and stop the target from fully succeeding, they don't contribute much to combat advantage themselves. A competent interference-user can disrupt an accumulation-user's buildup, but an aggression-focused enemy can still cause plenty of damage.

SUCCESS: +5% combat advantage, suppresses enemy's power
PARTIAL: +3% combat advantage, suppresses enemy's power
FAILURE: No effect

Interference powers can be used in two different ways. When use against an enemy with Action: interference [type] against [enemy], the interference power can be suppressed by the target's immunities, but it will suppress that target's power so long as it's at least partially successful.

Alternatively, when used on an ally with Action: interference [type] for [ally], the interference power will suppress all later-resolving enemy powers that target that ally. However, enemies an immunity of equal-or-greater level to the power type will be unaffected.

Your side can only target an enemy or ally with any given interference power type once per battle.

Interference types:  Obfuscation, Reversion, Depowering.

Accumulation
Accumulation represents powers that become more effective the longer the fight lasts. They grant temporary immunities to as many people as desired at once, but they fail completely if interrupted by an even quicker power. Once a maneuver-based power's type has been revealed, this allows its user to be pinned down easily, but a savvy interference-based power user can in turn prevent any accumulation-based powers from coming to bear.

SUCCESS: +10% combat advantage, grants the subjects temporary immunity with level equal to that of this power against one power type for the rest of the battle
FAILURE: No effect

Accumulation powers do not have a partial success state. If they would normally have a partial success, then they instead fail entirely.

Accumulation powers are declared with Action: accumulation [this power's type] against [desired immunity type]. If the user doesn't specify targets, it's assumed that the user's entire side is to be protected. The user can specifically name people to protect, which might be useful in fights with more than two sides. If a character has immunity of equal or greater level to an accumulation power, then that character's powers can succeed regardless of immunities granted by that accumulation power.

Accumulation types: Information, Enhancement, Summoning

Maneuver
Maneuver represents powers that help the user protect herself and her side. They become much less effective if suppressed, but otherwise they result in a good amount of combat advantage, and they always suppress all incoming aggression-based powers. This sort of conservative fighting style is a bad fit against accumulation-based powers, giving them plenty of time to get into full gear, but it still offers the best chance against straightforward aggression-based fighters.

SUCCESS: +25% combat advantage
PARTIAL: +5% combat advantage
FAILURE: No increase in combat advantage
SPECIAL: Suppresses all aggression powers that target the user, regardless of success or failure

Maneuver powers are declared with Action: maneuver [type] against [target]. The maneuver power can be suppressed by the target's immunities.

Maneuver types: Speed, Alteration, Field

Aggression
Aggression represents powers that simply take enemies out of the fight in a hurry. They don't suppress any other powers, but they do rack up combat advantage in a hurry, even when suppressed themselves. As such, they work poorly against maneuver-based enemies that can roll with the punches while dishing out hurt of their own, but they're very effective against interference-based enemies who can at best delay the inevitable.

SUCCESS: +30% combat advantage
PARTIAL: +15% combat advantage
FAILURE: +10% combat advantage

When using an aggression power, the user declares a target with Action: aggression [type] against [target]. The aggression power can be suppressed by the target's immunities. If the target has used a maneuver power this turn, then that maneuver power also suppresses the user's aggression power.

Aggression types:  Destruction, Confinement, Subdual

Openings

When a power is used with SUCCESS, and the user's side has a high enough combat advantage, the between-rounds resolution post will show that the user has an opening to perform her power's special opening action. Performing the action uses up the specified amount of combat advantage, but the effects can make it easier overall to win the battle. There also might be effects that extend beyond that.

If, in the user's next combat post, she enters the line Action: take opening (which can be done at the same time as the normal action for the turn), the effects of the opening are applied before any other actions (even interferance actions) are resolved. If multiple people on a single side try to take more openings than they have the combat advantage to take, the person whose power was first in the turn order takes precedence.

Immunities to Accumulation role powers have special effects on the BYPASS, DEFY, and OVERWHELM openings as detailed below. These effects apply regardless of the immunities' level.

BANISH: The target is forced to flee the battle. Much more useful in fights with fewer combatants. Costs 50% combat advantage, usable with successful Aggression (Subdual).

BYPASS: The user specifies one enemy and one power type, and if the enemy has any immunity to that power type, then the immunity is removed for the rest of the battle due to the user finding a way around it. This opening has no effect on immunities granted by Accumulation powers. This opening can't be used against targets with immunity to Accumulation (Information). Costs 15% combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Information).

CAPTURE: For the rest of the battle, the target's powers do not contribute combat advantage (although they can suppress as normal). Costs 15% combat advantage, usable with successful Aggression (Confinement).

DEFY: Any INJURE, CAPTURE, and DISABLE effects on the user are removed. Note that this is cheaper to use than NEGATE. This opening can't be used to remove effects which were caused by enemies with immunity to Accumulation (Enhancement). Costs no combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Enhancement).

DISABLE: The power that was targeted becomes completely unusable for the rest of the fight. Although this opening is expensive to use, it can be very valuable to limit the enemies' tactical options. Costs 15% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Depowering).

DISARM: This opening may only be used when the target of the power is a gadgeteer or possesses an invention. Against gadgeteers, the user specifies one power or immunity type the target possesses (or can let a random power or immunity type the target possesses be chosen instead), and the target loses that power or immunity type for the rest of the battle.  Against those using inventions, only the invention is disabled. In order to remove immunities granted by Accumulation powers, the Accumulation power itself must be disabled.  Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Alteration).

FLEE: Upon using this opening, the user escapes the battle. It's useful for freeing oneself up to fight another battle, and any powers that target the one fleeing on the turn she flees fail completely, providing no combat advantage. Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Speed).

INJURE: For the rest of the battle, the target's powers cannot suppress other powers. Accumulation immunities granted by the target will not render other Accumulation powers ineffective. The target's immunities are unaffected. Costs 15% combat advantage, usable with successful Aggression (Destruction).

NEGATE: The user specifies one ally (including the user herself), and any INJURE, CAPTURE, and DISABLE effects on that ally are removed. Note that it costs less to use this opening than it does to use the ones it cancels. Costs 5% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Reversion).

OVERWHELM: The user's side wins the battle by driving the enemies from the field with far superior numbers. The win is no different than if the user's side had reached 100% combat advantage first. For every opponent with immunity to Accumulation (Summoning), the cost of this opening is increased by 5%. Costs 80% combat advantage, usable with successful Accumulation (Summoning).

REGROUP: All opposing sides have their combat advantage cut in half (rounded up). A character may only take this option once per battle. Costs 30% combat advantage, usable with successful Maneuver (Field).

SURPRISE: Once this opening is used, the powers of the user's side are always treated as higher level for the purpose of the order in which powers resolve for the rest of the battle. Once one side uses this opening, the other side can't. Costs 15% combat advantage, usable with successful Interference (Obfuscation).

Megaschemes

• A megascheme is a type of scheme that resolves a bit more slowly than most schemes, but includes more participants and potentially has higher stakes. A megascheme should be posted with the [MEGASCHEME] tag.
  
  
• When a megascheme is started, everyone has 72 hours to join one side or the other. The one who starts the megascheme should pick a name for their side, and the first one to oppose the megascheme should also pick a name for their side.
  
  
• There is no limit on the number of people who can participate in a megascheme, although megaschemes are treated just like normal schemes for the purpose of only being able to be in one scheme at once.
  
  
• If the deadline elapses with fewer than four people on either side, then it reverts to being a normal scheme with any members of a side in excess of three getting removed.
  
  
• Each megascheme has two or more "fronts," each of which is treated as its own scheme with the normal maximum of three participants on each side.
  
  
• Players joining a megascheme can specify a preference for which other people on their side they'd prefer to share a front with.
  
  
• After the 72-hour joining period has elapsed, the admins will start as many front threads as necessary, randomly assigning any players who haven't stated preferences. Preferences will be given priority of first come, first serve.
  
  
• The time limit for each round will be 48 hours as normal. Megascheme rounds are never resolved early, even when all actions are submitted.
  
  
• Once one front of a megascheme has ended, its participants are free to join other schemes, but not other fronts of the same megascheme.
  
  
• The side that won the majority of the fronts will be able to make a choice with much greater stakes than usual, sometimes with major impacts on Emerald City. If the two sides are tied, then both sides will get a smaller prize.
  
  
• If the megascheme was downgraded to a regular scheme because one side had four or more people and the other had three or less people, then it's assumed that the side with more people succeed in their goals overall, even if the side with less people wins the scheme.
  
  
• If the scheme is downgraded to a regular scheme because BOTH sides have three or fewer people, then it just becomes a regular scheme, rewards and all.
  
  
• It is possible for a megascheme to have more than two sides. Those joining a megascheme can make a new team, regardless of how many teams currently exist. They may also specify other teams they'd be willing to join if their preferred team doesn't meet the required number of members. People in the megascheme may edit their team preferences right up until the megascheme starts.
  
  
• For a megascheme to have 3 sides, each must have at least 4 members. For a megascheme to have 4 sides, each must have 6 members. If all of a player's preferred sides end up failing to meet the membership requirement, then that player is dropped from the megascheme.