[@Shoryu Magami] [@BrokenPromise] [@Lalliman]

 Well, let me first start off by stating that all of this information is extremely helpful. I also like to see opinions from people who know about D&D, prefer free-form over more structured systems and prefer other systems of D&D. All of this information will culminate into something useful in the end. 

 I can appreciate all the potential problems that have been brought up. And everything that has been brought up can easily be squelched if player's would be focused more on the writing aspect of the battle rather than the victory/losing aspect. With that being said I'd propose this...

 First off, let me say that this particular combat system would induce the belonging to a group/club which is to say that this tournament would not participate in the provided statistical system. So, the victory/loss system would be different. On another note, the point system would not simply be win-lose. Points would be awarded for who wins, and who does their composition better. So example, a win might be 2 points, a loss 1 and a draw maybe 0. But the loser composed his side of the battle more eloquently, playing better to his alignment than the winner and subsequently picks up an additional two points. Or something a long those lines. Maybe each round would gain a certain number of points per post. But essentially, the standings wouldn't be win/loss based but on the point system. First place has 11.5 points, second place has 9 points. But first place could have had 6 loses but done some awesome writing where second may have had 4 wins and mediocre writing.

 Also, contemplating the mechanics and what everyone has had to say - it definitely appears that any combat system cannot be drawn completely from one individual location and will certainly have to be homebrew with aspects drawn from those individual systems. But I think realistically, things such as grappling and tripping would be a normal attack move. So everone can trip and everyone can grapple there may just be feats or skills that improve such things. So if player a is a normal guy and player b has improved grappling as a gladiatorial wrestler the improved grapple gives him a +2 on rolls made during a grapple. I have been contemplating the system for a while and believe homebrew would certainly be the best bet. Essentially, a less conviluted version of 3.5...

 As for the entire overpowered classes and what not - well, I think starting out gold would be available. And since you are really only focusing on purchasing weapons and combative gear any amount of gold would be fair. So that isn't a real issue there. And you'd be awarded gold and experience points to improve on a combat basis. As for the classes themselves, let's look at the idea of a paladin and a wizard. First of all, this situation may not actually happen as what wizard fights a paladin at level 1 willingly. However, let's look at perhaps a level 5 wizard versus a level 5 paladin. If the wizard happens to purchase or be awarded a wand of fireball, well that paladin just became a little less intimidating? Oh, and that wizard also knows a summon nature's ally spell? Say what? That paladin now has to deal with a mountain troll and a few fireballs. 

As for the initial stats, well I tangled with that in the current D&D rp thread I'm running now. I was thinking to myself, sometimes dice rollers are unreliable. Sometimes people are unscrupulous. So I thought I would just give them stats to plug in how they saw fit. I used 18, 15, 15, 13, 13, 11. These of course could be altered to better acclimate the concept. So we don't have to worry about somone who was lucky enough to role 18 - 16 for all their stats getting stuck against someone who rolled poorly. 

Can any system be powergamed sure? But my intention is to make it about the writing moreso than the actual combat. So sure, you can have your strategy and build the character towards it but lets face it, what strategy are you going to have in freeform that I can't make a character or extrapolate what is already written to counteract whatever you think you are about to do with your own character. It is my intention to get away from that. It isn't like we are going to have a level 10 druid stomping on a level 2 monk. But you might have five level 2 monks going after a level 10 druid. Which still may be unbalanced but would certainly give them a better chance. 
 
So, people could level up. They could buy better things. They could make multiple characters. You could have team battles with awesome backgrounds. You could even have monster battles where a player goes up against a DM controlled monster. Things of this nature all making your character better, all for the sake of GOOD WRITING and not a stupid win counter where you don't have to sit there and argue about attack dodge, dodge attack or think that being "clever" with strategy by backing your opponent into a corner is going to get you anywhere because let's face it - I could model the perfect character with the perfect setting and find the perfect opportune time to strike and still be SoL when the opponent dodges because he found something that has the most minute chance of .00001 percent of actually working and takes it because I can't argue he couldn't because it had the most slightest chance of actually being successful. 

Instead, I'd rather take the hit but write the loss so fucking well that people are like "Holy shit....he definitely should of won." 

Discuss?