Shadow Array

Your head is throbbing and the room around you feels as if it were spinning. You lie on a hard wood floor and you can feel the presence of others around you. Looking around you see a few other people. Each of them is lying on the ground just like you.

Picking yourself up, you look at your surroundings. You are in what appears to be a small cabin. The walls are made of thick wood logs and a small stone fireplace sits in one corner. Though a fire is not lit, you can smell smoke as if there had been one recently. A few embers still flicker brightly from within. A wood staircase is positioned on the right wall that leads upstairs. A soft looking sofa sits in front of the fireplace. On the back right wall is a dresser with a door next to it. You also spot a door at the back end of the staircase.

You shake your head and try to remember how you got here but fail to do so. You do not recognize the others that are with you.

((To be clear, you are unaware that the zombie apocalypse has started. Zombies are also a media that does not exist in this world so no one knows what a zombie is.))

The game focuses heavily around the concept of needing to survive and working as a team (that is why all 4-5 of you start off together). Sure you can go off on your own, maybe even try to screw over your own team, but trust me…you will need to work together to survive. This game is designed to be very hard. Players will die in this game, if it isn’t from the infected it will be from many of the other things that can kill you. You can lose limbs and even become infected yourself if you are not careful.

Now one thing you can do in this game is interact with each other before I do an update. So let’s say one of you pulls out a gun and wants to take a shot at a Zombie…well maybe one of you disagrees with that and tries to wrestle the gun away. Even if that person has already done an update, they can post again to interact with you. Obviously the same goes for discussing. I highly suggest you communicate with each other to decide what needs to be done. You will need weapons, ammo, food, water, medicine, etc. OOC can be done in this topic as long as it is obvious. Anything that isn’t clear if it is ooc or not will be assumed to be in character.  

I will be taking a page from Moogle-Girl’s book and be taking applications for the game. I will choose 4-5 of the best characters on Monday. I will not explain the reasoning behind which players got picked and which ones did not.

Updates will happen every 1-3 days to make sure everyone has posted.

Name:

Gender:

Description (how he/she looks):

Alignment (Good, neutral, bad):

Job before apocalypse(I will give a passive or more starting items depending on the job. Be realistic with the job though):

Background information(may give some more passives or items. Be realistic with a background.. Do not say what items you had on you when the infection hit):

Now that you have the basics taken care of, here is the more structured part of the character creation:

Pick one passive from the following list:

You have 20 skill points to spend among the following sections (no more than 10 in a spot):

You may choose 7 items from the following list that your character starts with (9 items if you have the passive “Backbone”.) Some items may be chosen more than once if you wish (and is stated):

Infection – You don’t die from one scratch or bite in this game. What happens instead is that it adds towards an infection meter (out of 100). If it gets over 25, you will slowly get more and more infected as time goes on. You can reduce your infection level though by finding antibiotics. Or if you are really desperate…maybe chop off the arm or leg that got bitten.

Day/Night – Your vision is decreased at night which means it is easier to be snuck up on.

Aiming – When deciding to attack an enemy, make sure to state where you aim. Though the zombies can only be taken down by destroying the brain, headshots aren’t always the easiest to hit. A few shots to the body can knock a zombie down and make it unable to move, but it will not be dead.

Infection: If you hit 100 infection, your character is officially dead and the players have to try taking down the zombie that they are with…unless they kill you before you turn.

Health – If your health drops to 0, you will obviously die. Your health will drop when you are shot, fall a far distance, get attacked by an infected, etc. Taking meds and eating can also get your health back.

Stupidity: Simple, play stupid and you will die. Ask yourself if making noise is really needed to kill one Zombie. Discuss a plan with your group before actually taking actions.

1. If someone is a threat to your group (another player or NPC) really consider taking them out. Do you want to die because of them?

1. Loot everything! Sure a lot of the buildings you come across in your journey will be empty, I don’t mean for you to say “Loot all the building on this street” (because I wouldn’t let that happen). What I mean is when you do come into a cabin, or building…make sure you look everywhere for something useful. Posting specifically what you are looking for may even increase your chances!

1. Why eat a whole can of beans right away? Eat it in portions/rations so you can split it up amongst the group!

1. Never give up in a tough spot. Make your character look around for a way out. I will always do my best for descriptions, but maybe you missed something when entering the area. Keep in mind the posts are in first person so your character may have not seen something!

1. Keep an eye on how many shots you have in your gun, and make sure to reload. Don’t get caught unprepared!

1. Keep an eye on the time, you probably don’t want to get caught outside in the dark.

1. Watch the weather, though you are in an area where sunshine is normal, there is no reason why a sudden storm couldn’t head your way.

Q: How will this be different from the last game?

A: Roleplaying and survival and much more focused in this game. Also combat was sort of bland last game so I have added in mutant zombies to spice things up slightly.

Q: What is a mutant zombie?

A: A mutant zombie is a rare occurrence that may be faster, stronger, or different from the normal zombies. They are not common to see but will add some stress if you find one.

Q: How do I increase my chances of getting in?

A: Make an interesting character that is original.

No god-modding (Declaring what the outcome of a situation is, what items you find, etc).

By joining this game I have the right to: nerf your character, kill your character, buff your character, kick you from the game, and refuse to update you.

Your character may not be a copyrighted character and must be human.

Your character cannot be from another dimension. In this game only 1 dimension exists which is the one you are in.
 

Once your character is created you cannot change information about him/her so think carefully about what you make.

You will not use OOC knowledge to your advantage, if caught doing so you will be kicked out.

For those who wish to discuss the game, you can do so in this topic. I will also be posting announcements here. Now I know what you are thinking, what kind of announcements could this game have? Well every Sunday will be a "patch" for this game. Patches will generally include new Scan Fighters, new items, and sometimes new game features. Every Friday night I will post a patch preview so you can see what I plan to add and change in the next patch.

The reason I post a patch preview is because I would like feedback on your thoughts for the incoming changes and whatever I plan to add. Since it is done on Friday, this gives al of Saturday to do final balancing and take your feedback into account.

I will also do "Lore Fact of the Day" which gives the players some interesting background on this world, "Fun Fact of the Day" which is what it sounds like, and "Mechanic Fact of the Day" which goes into some interesting details about the behind the scenes of the game.

Now, apart from just talking in general about the game there are other things that I encourage you talk about here. This includes but is not limited to: Feedback on the game, Scan Fighter suggestions, item ideas, game play mechanics and ideas, balancing ideas, patch feedback, etc. Really I encourage any discussion that could help improve the game. Also I would like to encourage on giving each other feedback on each other's ideas and concepts. Doing so will let me know what type of ideas you would like to see in the game.

I welcome all questions and will answer any that are shot my way.

Have fun talking to your fellow trainers (and me).

127 Scan Fighters in the game (not including custom made ones)

23+ Updates

2 Awesome logos

The Word Document for this is roughly 25 pages long.

15 years ago, portals to the Prime Dimension opened up across the world. Thousands died to the hands of Prime Scan Fighters that were released from these portals. 7 people entered the Prime Dimension in hopes to stop the madness before it grew out of control. They succeeded but were trapped inside the dimension themselves, never to be seen again.

These seven people saved millions of lives by giving up their own. Now, 15 years later a new threat has a risen, possibly a threat more dangerous than the Prime Dimension itself. A threat that will stop at nothing until everything is in its control. A threat that you will meet soon enough.

Until I have accepted all characters, feel free to chat in this topic about…well anything Scan Fighter related. You can change your character around until the game starts but only if you make sure you tell me that you did. Failing to inform me may have your Scan Fighter start the game pre-change. Feel free to ask me questions also. Ok time to make a character!

You get to make 2 characters technically. You get to make the “adventurer” and his/her first Scan Fighter. Keep in mind that your character is basically a normal person; they do not have any abilities and are not any more skilled at certain tasks compared to other people (no parkour, no karate). Before you complain about this, keep in mind that the game is tasking you to focus on using your team of Scan Fighters, not your crazy karate skills. If you want to fight with fists, get yourself a karate Scan Fighter.

Unlike the last game, you do not start off with a Scan Fighter but instead will get it very shortly into the game. By shortly I mean...during the first update. First off, are you a boy or a girl?

Note: Background information will most likely not affect your storyline or lore of this game at all. Your character must be human and must be from this dimension. No copyright infringement on your Player or your Scan Fighter. You are not in the game until I accept your character and your Scan Fighter. Your character cannot be an expert on Scan Fighters.

Player:

First Scan Fighter:

Ok so you have your character ready, just a few more quick things to cover and then you are ready to begin.

When you are not in combat, you are in the wonderful world, roleplaying. You can have 1 of your Scan Fighters travelling around with you. Upon entering a battle, the game is turned based fighting (duh). On your turn you can do each of the following:

1. Attack or Defend or Use an Item
2. Move

Note that you can either attack, defend, or use an item but not more than 1 on the same turn. Defending means your Scan Fighter will take less damage if struck by an attack. You can also attempt to dodge an attack by moving. Most items disappear after being used (it will be obvious if they do not get used up.) One item you may wish to use is a Scan Card. A Scan Card tries to capture your opponent (you cannot capture Scan Fighters that are owned by someone else). If the opponent has low enough life, and you are lucky…the Scan Fighter will be added to your party. If an enemy Scan Fighter faints, you still have 1 attempt to scan it. The scan chance is decreased by 15% so it may be better to try and scan a conscious Scan Fighter.

You can choose to do no actions on your turn and choose to switch to another Scan Fighter.

Status effects are also in this game. Some attacks will provide a de-buff to your Scan Fighter. Here is each de-buff that exists:

There are tons of Side quests for you to pick up in this game. Any quests that you accept will be shown in your “Quest Log”. Upon completing quests you get money and a set amount of XP. This XP can be spread among your team of Scan Fighters in any amounts that you desire. For example if you earned 20xp from a quest, you can give 5xp to your first Scan Fighter, 10xp to your second Scan Fighter, and 5xp to your third Scan Fighter.

• Mr. Mustachio – Every Post, each player has a 5% chance of meeting Mr. Mustachio. This NPC gives you cool things!
•  
• Exhaustion. Using a Scan Fighter too many battles in a row will slowly cause the Scan Fighter to take more damage and deal out less damage. Make sure to switch every so often.
•  
•  After documenting X number of Scan Fighters on your Scan Watch, you can choose between 3 prizes.
•  

Water > Fire & Earth

Ice > Steel & Wind

Fire > Nature & Insect

Dragon > Prime & Wind

Nature > Steel & Water

Poison > Light & Psychic

Insect > Fighting & Psychic

Electric > Ice & Water

Wind > Insect & Nature

Psychic > Fighting & Dark

Dark > Prime & Space

Light > Dark & Undead

Fighting > Ice & Dragon

Space > Light & Fire

Earth > Electric & Poison

Steel > Poison & Dragon

Prime > Undead & Space

Undead > Earth & Electric

I plan to update the game whenever I can. Since most people will be travelling solo, I will usually update when I see at least 2 people have posted. That being said, there will be no updates April 21^st – April 28^th due to me being away. This is a planned time for no updates, so don’t freak out when I don’t post.

Patches will happen sometimes just to balance a few things and to add new Scan Fighters in. I will inform you in a  “Message Board” if any major changes take place.

1. This is my game, what I say goes. Arguing with my decisions may cause your unforeseen ban from this world. There is a difference between suggestions and arguing though.
2. Stupid is as stupid does, and what stupid does is get you banned.
3. No god-modding (saying the outcome of something)
4. I have the right to turn away any player and nerf your Scan Fighter if I see fit
5. Make sure your OOC chat is obvious. Put it in (( )) please.
6. No breaking the fourth wall unless you want me to break you (in half).
7. I am allowed to reference Pokémon as much I want and you can’t stop me!

Moogle-Girl: Feedback, Scan Fighter ideas, application idea

Cidem: Feedback, item ideas, an awesome item idea which is now my favourite item

Lukasmah: Scan Fighter ideas, item ideas, feedback

Everyone who played Scan Fighters 1. You guys helped shape this game the most I think.

Anyone who actually was looking forward to this. Love y’all!

Ok, you can’t have a contest without rules so let us go over these rules quickly.

1. Only one submission is allowed per person.
2. You may join other people’s submissions, but you cannot sabotage their games. Doing so shall get your game disqualified.
3. There is no set amount of times that you must update, but this is taken into account for judging.
4. It must be a brand new game (see Common Questions)
5. There is no set number of players that must be playing for your game to qualify, this allows you to make a game similar to Homestuck if desired.
6. No breaking forum rules in attempt to get your game more attention

Before April 2^nd – Register (see “applications”),  start your game

April 2^nd – Cut off period, no more registrations, games continue

April 30^th – Contest closed, if you wish to stop updating your game (I hope you don’t) you can at this point

Early May – Winner announced, prize given. Next contest date given (depends on success of this contest)

There is no maximum number of applicants. To register, simply state below that you are registering. After registering you have up to 72 hours to create your game in the Forum Games section and to put a link in this topic.

Applicants:

I need 1 other judge in helping decide which game wins. A judge is required to join at least 1 submitted game (can be more than 1) and must look over the other submitted games (only to evaluate them).  You cannot submit a game if you are a judge.

Remember if you wish to be a judge, you must be fair and assess the game properly. Judges should look for creativity and enjoyment. At the end of April, the 3 Judges will discuss which game we think should win.

In a perfect world, the prize will go to the person with the most original, most fun, most updated game. This game would be fair to the players but also have a challenge. It would not be filled with cliché a story line, it would be simply amazing to look at and to play. The OP would be easily laid out, and would allow people to easily learn the game. The updates are easy on the eyes and…well you get the point. Layout is important.

Judges:

1. Me
2.  
3. Moogle-Girl
4.  
5. ElectroMan
6.  

Yes, you did read that right. No, it is not “the fame and respect of your peers”. The winner shall get a $10 iTunes card, code supplied by me.

Q: What if no one joins my game

A: Since judges are required to join games, we will make sure you have at least 1 player (me) and I will try to convince another judge to join.

Q: What about the games you don’t join?

A: Those games will have a very close eye on them, we will try to have at least 1 judge in every game.

Q: Can I join other people’s games?

A: Please do! We are a small community and I would love to see all of these games getting some attention.

Q: Does the game need to use mechanics

A: Nope, as long as it is an RPG. Mechanics will not help or hurt your final standing. Keep in mind originality is the main factor! If you feel that mechanics enhance the game, put them in.

Q: I don’t want to make a game, but would like to help out…what can I do?

A: Become the third judge or just play for fun.

Q: May I submit a game I already started?

A: Only if it has been created within 72 hours of me posting this topic.

Q: In what cases will this contest fail?

A: If I do not have enough people intending to compete. I want at least 4 people competing for this to be worth my while.

Q: Why are you doing judges instead of voting?

A: I fear for a lack of voters and because I do not want people playing favourites.

Q: Can I back out at any point (submission wise)?

A: Yes, just let me know please.

Q: I will be on vacation in April…will that hurt my chances?

A: Not if you give me an advanced warning. In fact, I will be out for one week in April as well. Keep in mind that updating more often does help (if it is quality updates) so if you update frequently but disappear for a week, just let me know in advance that you will be away.

Q: But…I have exams this month

A: School is important but keep in mind that a well written update can be done in roughly 30 minutes. Possibly considering making an RPG in which updates can be done easily (but still have quality).

The original concept for a contest like this belongs to Lawsome1997 who suggested at a similar idea except stated it would be unofficial. I plan to aim at a higher quality of contest as you can see with the chance of winning a prize.