[quote=@Shoryu Magami]

You've also completely ignored the point I've made about how higher tier settings can negate any of the logical reasons for why said archer would miss in the first place - due to whatever superpower they have - despite this being a counterargument that the arena forum regulars have been agreeing with.
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Do keep in mind i've been doing this roll play dance for over a decade now. I have quite the backlog of people who agree with me and yadda yadda. I just don't cite them as reliable sources because "More people agree with me than you!" is an extremely weak argument. 

Simply put, when you deal with high power settings, you have to assume that both fighters are in a like range of power. Let's upgrade my badass ranger to the goddess of arrows. Her arrows defy all logic and always hit their mark. For a decent fight, we need to put her up against another god that can somehow negate what is essentially "god modding" for a fair fight, and that means making her able to miss via whatever powers the other god has. Maybe the arrows harmlessly pass through his mist form, or maybe they bounce off his armor most of the time? If there was no way for the other player to avoid being turned into a pin cushion on battle entry, I'm sure someone would ask me to nerf my arrow goddess.

While higher tiers make the fights more sophisticated, they are still fundamentally the same. There needs to be room for every attack to fail, or at least be avoided by the other party. The only think higher tiers changes is flavor.

[quote=@Shoryu Magami]

However, this is the exact same situation as free-form role-playing -- in free-form role-playing, there'd be no drama if people [i]didn't[/i] look for every logical opportunity to out-debate and counter their opponent's actions to keep things interesting. When all is said and done, where you draw the line and say 'enough is enough' is all a matter of personal preference, and also something that would be discussed before a duel takes place if good groundwork (a concept you haven't shown any appreciation for but is nevertheless the agreed upon foundation of good duelling between myself and [i]everyone[/i] I've been discussing this thread with) is used. That's really no different to not using mechanics or game rules you don't like.

[/quote]

I don't like debating, despite what my time in this thread might have you believe. I'd rather fight the character than the player. Other players attempts to squeeze out a tactic that would never work, recover from a lethal attack, etc, ruins the immersion for me. There's a difference between a desperate fighter and a desperate writer. I realize it works for the regulars, but it didn't work every time I tried it. Again, this is just preference. different for everyone. But that's the key reason why I like the idea of dice.

No one has yet to specify what good groundwork is, just that it balances everything. Maybe there's a guide to help me understand? 

[quote=@Shoryu Magami]

They don't need to play with a specific system -- they've played D&D and this entire thread's point was a discussion about whether or not D&D mechanics were appropriate for utilization in a role-playing duel; honestly, the fact that you have your own system is irrelevant to it. Nevertheless, these people agree with me about Tabletop mechanics stifling creativity and detail - as well as weakening realism.
[/quote]

I just don't feel the big question is over, which is if RPG elements belong in the arena. I mean sure, I could make a new topic, but I don't plan on making more than a few posts here so it seems kind of silly to do so. at least before I finally work out everything (if I ever do). I still say it's relevant to the topic, as the OP stated they wanted to use D&D 3.5 because it was most popular and easiest for people who know it to transition to. 

And people genuinely hate new ideas when they've become comfortable with something that works. And the arena does work, so why dedicate time to learning how to RPG?

[quote=@Shoryu Magami]

I've actually made a point that I've run systems like what you're suggesting myself -- I [i]know[/i] how to balance them, but that doesn't mean I like them or think they result in good writing.

[/quote]

And all I can do is question how well it was done, just as you have every right to question the free-form battles I've participated in.

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You are probably right that the table top section would be a better place to have a fight of this sort. Certainly it is worth discussing with them, people who adore complex rule sets and the like.

Something else to keep in mind is that there is a lady on here (the forum, not the arena) who runs all of her non-tabletop RPs with dice rolls and bits of randomness and is revered as one of the best GMs on this forum. While the arena goers may not like the idea, there is evidence that dice rolls and good writing can co-exist.