Lugubrious

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

I typically root for the underdog, who tends not to be the GM. Not saying that he'll win though.

While the paramilitary grunts are trained, can it not at least be assumed that a player character is stronger? I think it'd be more motivating should the player be given at least some hint of possibility for victory, which would retain interest. But that's like, my opinion, man.

@Hantu Kongkek

Yes, the player character is stronger, and there is possibility for victory, but it's not going to be the utter piece of cake that Bee's post would make it out to be. As long as the player characters think a little, and work with me, everything will work out satisfactorily. It's not my aim to stymie players with unfair situations, but neither is it my aim to give players an uninteresting cake walk.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

He hasn't been ignoring the point, he's been refuting the point.

Most of the physical prowess of DMC characters is displayed in gameplay because that's where most of the fighting takes place. It's not done in most of the cutscenes because you already saw the fight.

@Hantu Kongkek

He's been 'refuting the point' by saying that balance, pacing, and facts don't matter because his interpretation of gameplay is the only thing that's right. But no matter; we're sorting this out on PMs. I would not place your chips on Bee at the moment.

<Snipped quote by IncredibleBee>

I'd say he's got a point on Cutscene Dante's durability compared to Game Dante. Their strength and speed are fairly close, but Cutscene Dante tanks a lot of stuff that would at least knock him back... like a sword to the chest.

What I think we're neglecting is that there wasn't much Antonio could have done in this situation that wasn't attacking and defeating the firing squad aiming at him quickly and efficiently. If he let down his shield, he'd be cut down quite quickly. If Gene hopped out and took the soldiers on while Antonio drew fire, I'd be arguing with you about this. The move was unusually effective, but it was used against a group of faceless, nameless thugs using things they couldn't easily block attacks with, and definitely boiled things down to the most interesting bit: a big fight between Antonio and Macbeth.

@Scrapula

I'm rather tired of things like 'faceless, nameless thugs'. Have you read anything about Gilgamesh? It is an organization of trained soldiers, not useless thugs or mooks. They are real people from around the world, not mindless minions manufactured as fodder by heaven or hell. If you're so fixated on them not having names, I'll give them names. They're like the EXALT from Xcom; they start at a higher level than the other factions start out with, but don't grow as much, and ultimately don't hold up to the other factions' stronger units. They weren't supposed to be fought yet because of this.

Furthermore, it aggravates me to see you as well as Bee flat-out ignoring things that I've written. Tickler, who is directly attacking, still hasn't been addressed. She is approximately equal to Macbeth in power, and both will be fighting together--why is she not being given any credit? Bee said something about a 'liver shot' but the word 'liver' doesn't even appear in a search of the IC. By the way, I specifically described a large soldier whose weapon was dual greatshields, and whose primary task is defending allies. Does it seem like a difficult situation to get out of without autohitting and bending reality to suit your characters? Yes, that's what you got yourself into by openly attacking a supernatural army. That's the beauty of it: a difficult situation should challenge your inventiveness and skill as a writer. Of the top of my head, Gene could have used his heightened strength to tear up a section of floor to use as a shield, then send it flying as a distraction.

This is a story, not a game. You all, as players, must take queues about how things work from us, the managers of the story, not from whatever idea you have about the games. If we decided that there's no such thing as blessed weapons, or that every Gilgamesh soldier is equal to one of the named operatives in skill, then that's what goes. In this RP, it's creativity, effort, and cooperation that get the job done.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

@IncredibleBee There are only six guards, four of which are gunners, all of which are far away, and are standing in a spread formation, which neither qualify as a crowd nor lends itself for skewering, and who are your least concern compared to the Tickler, who you ignored in your post, and who's directly attacking Antonio. Additionally, the Reclaimers are using Devil and Angel Arms for the most part, which are more potent than your character's blessed weapons due to your choice of faction, or at the very least not worthless, which your post certainly indicates. Furthermore, there aren't only bullets attacking you, but also a chain lightening and acid bombs.

I can appreciate the Rule of Cool, but I need you to abide by the facts of the situation I've created. Your post could have existed completely independently of mine, except for the one sentence at the end.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

-=-=Eidolic Cairn=-=-

Even if the detonated darklight paintwave didn’t immediately wipe the Order knights or the Gilgamesh cyborg out, they did not manage to pique Gomory’s interest by immediately entering the fight. With that threat dealt with for the time being, the demoness quickly examined the room for a new target. During this time, she pressed her weapon’s tip into the ground, channeling magic into it. She spotted Snider, currently using some sort of rocket to try and mitigate the knockback dealt to him by her previous, relentless attack, but a few seconds remained to her before he could even try to pester her once again. When she searched for Akoni, however, she found nothing. Smirking slightly, she thought, perhaps grandfather stumbled to his feet after falling down and tumbled off. Of course, she wouldn’t be so lucky. More than likely, he reused the portal ability he just displayed to relocate. Immediately wise to a potential threat, she scanned the room, but spotted no exit portal.

”Oh,” she muttered, deadpan. ”How predictable.” Spinning around, she spotted Akoni just as he finished tinkering with the other annoying man’s music box, having already repaired it somehow. Contemplating various creative ways in which she could have killed him as he dabbled with the distraction, Gomory waited for him to return his attention to fighting. To kill an unready opponent, after all, took no skill on her part. After a moment, he did just that, apparently having deluded himself into assuredness of a stealth advantage. At Gomory’s will, paint exploded upward from the cracked stone in front of him to catch his punch before hardening, effectively trapping him in place. His quip, however, flew free, and upon arrival exasperated her somewhat. ”I don’t see what mentioning that accomplished,” she muttered, eyebrows furrowed. Why did everyone always mention her breasts?

This statement she managed to utter in time to witness Snider’s recovery. He, too, appeared oddly preoccupied with the music box. While this failed to concern her, for no amount of ambiance would really penetrate the cacophonous combination of ghostly humming and combat magic, she found herself increasingly inclined to take advantage of the men’s foolishness and end the fight there and then. Despite this rising urge, she wanted to learn more about their styles. When he threw the old disk at her like a frizbee, Gomory waited, still as a statue, until it came within inches of her face. Then she lashed out and bit it, shattering it into pieces, before returning to neutral stance. The moonlight cascading over her waxed in anticipation for a coming duel, and dutifully Snider charged forth. One after another, she swung her weapon, throwing shadowy lightwaves at him. Like a man charging headlong into a blizzard, he would learn the futility of this strategy. Gomory would not consent to play with him for long, however. She finished this technique with a slam of her hidden Jiaolong into the ground, creating a miniature seismic wave fraught with moonlight to erupt beneath him.

-=-=Underground Antechamber=-=-

Though predicting some sort of surprise attack, not much could have prepared Gideon for the five-man slaughterhouse he walked into. The very instant he entered the antechamber, blades whirring and guns at the ready, a horrible shriek more like a demon’s than an angel’s rang out from his left while a torrent of fast-freezing liquid bombarded him from the left. Ell ran straight for her target, hunched over in a perhaps vain hope to avoid the demon’s steely storm, while from the front Souta and Bullion let loose. The former’s fused fire exploded toward him, while the latter emptied an entire clip in his direction. A course of action truly befitting a general of hell would be necessary to cope with such a situation, the likes of which could kill a being even as great as Gideon should he not respond with haste and cunning.

-=-=Gilgamesh Branch Office=-=-

If anything, Macbeth seemed bored by the crusader’s pronouncements. Flipping his grip on one of his sabers, he held the hilt with a pinky while he removed a little book from a pocket that he opened and began leafing through. After realizing her jibe went unacknowledged, meanwhile, Tickler switched to heavily-accented English to rebuke Antonio’s declarations. “Fackink eediot. Ve are servants of humanity. Laguna angels are monsters veeth no care for people. A.O.L angels ve don’t touch. Take forgeevance and shove up ess, blyet.” The sight of Antonio’s Michael brought a cruel smile to her face.

Before the action could begin, however, a soft murmur emanated from Macbeth. “Where is it written…’smite my enemies’? ‘Slay the heretics’? Hmm. But where is it written…’love your neighbor’? ‘Turn the other cheek’? Ah, yes. Our knight has been reading the wrong books.” Closing his little book abruptly, Macbeth tucked it away and flourished his blades, entering a Florentine stance. He nodded, and Tickler yelled gleefully, “Fire et vill!”

As one, the four guards started shooting at Antonio. Four fusillades of pistol gun fire flew his way, split evenly between Gene and Antonio. No doubt his shield would protect them, for a time at least, but one of the Gilgamesh operatives saw a way to open them up. Tickler lashed her left arm toward the ceiling, where the tips of the tentacles wrapped around a vent, and like an ape swinging from a tree she swung forward overhead, laughing. At the peak of the arc she released her grip and fell, tucking into a roll to deal with the impact. In a mere moment she returned to her feet, behind Antonio and ready for action. “Medness ees endink here!” A crimson distortion surrounded Morbuzahk as she whipped them forward. Just one touch on skin would be enough to enable the nasty effect, though they would hurt no matter what. Macbeth, meanwhile, bided his time.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

No, there is nothing to be said for gameplay/story segregation when you consider that TST-level gameplay Dante is stronger than cutscene Dante.
If you can't see Lady's value as a combatant than you likely haven't taken the time to learn her moves.

And even in the cutscenes, Lady still kicks everyone's shit in. That's why she is a late-game boss.

@IncredibleBee

Well alrighty then jeez. If I had known you cared so much I wouldn't have said anything.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Alright. So my plan was to roll, dodging Mary's sword, turn back, grab Mary by the leg, holster the hammer, and then swing her into Gomory.

@Hantu Kongkek

Well, Mary's still not actually attacked, and what you describe would be autohitting against Kafka's character, but I'm fine with seeing how that might play out.

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

You fight Lady late in DMC3, though. If you haven't gotten gud at the game, she'd boot even an upgraded Dante's ass up and down the street. Hell, you can control her, and she's as much of an ass-kicker as Dante and Vergil are.

@Scrapula

True, true. There's something to be said for gameplay and story segregation, and I still don't think Lady is remotely an equal combatant to Dante, but I will give credit where credit is due: she's pretty cool.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

<Snipped quote by ProPro>

I don't think I like that. I should at least have the right for my character to defend himself, right?

<Snipped quote>

So was Lady, and she kicked ass.

@Hantu Kongkek

You have it.

Lady kicked little demons' asses. She was a joke to Dante when she tried to fight him.

@IncredibleBee Tickler isn't all that young (being about 20) but I assume your wording was relativistic, right?

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Hey. First off, the bullets were a warning shot and aimed far enough away to not do any damage.

Second, I think you totally ignored that Mary was also attacking Snider.

Third, are you autohitting?

@Hantu Kongkek

Nero's interrogation was broken suddenly by the sound of bullets firing loudly and rapidly across the room, about ten feet apart from Nero and Gomory.

This did not make it clear that there was a warning shot.

Mary had not started attacking yet.

No, I said what the attacks were meant to do, and in what order Gomory did them. I did not say what they actually did, leaving it up to you, but even still it would be in my power to autohit with this boss-level character after you left yours open like that. It would be more egregious if your character perfectly blocked or dodged these attacks.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

<Snipped quote by Sho Minazuki>

Take it that my spot wasn't reserved yet...?

@liferusher

You did make your reservation a while ago, I thought, but I also thought you lost interest and that's why you haven't posted here lately.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Oooh, I just had a hilarious idea involving that boom box. @Hantu Kongkek do you mind if I mess with it in my next post? I can just imagine these two characters interacting. They've probably known one another for some years at this point, even if Snider is more loosely associated with the DHO.

@ProPro

Sorry about this.

On another note, congratulations are in order for a select few characters, for starting the boss fight of the Prologue! Let's see how this turns out.