Keep it Realistic

[Revan]

Okay guys, I know there doesn't sound like there's much realism in a fantasy wolf RP, but aside from gods and messengers, this isn't that different from a realistic wolf RP. There are rules to follow, rules that you need to understand to keep your posts as realistic as possible.

One of the biggest problems, is fighting. Not a lot of people understand how it should work, and they make their wolves invincible because of it. So, please read on.


Basic Rules of RP Fights

Okay, we all hate those people who seem to think that they can have a wolf that's all powerful and has no weaknesses. But not many people realise when they have made their wolf like that themselves. It's just no fun to have a wolf who doesn't tire or is so strong he can kill a pack by himself, and to be honest it would never happen.

But I'm not just talking about the large things. I'm also on about the smaller things that people forget, such as basic anatomy of a wolf. For example, if a wolf is crouched with defenses in place, it's pretty darn impossible to attack the stomach. So why do some people do it? Here are some basic rules to keep in mind.

Rule 1-

You cannot decide whether your attack was successful or not.

Let's think about this one logically. If you could decide what happened to your opponent then what would be the point of a fight RP? And would you like it if your opponent had decided to rip your ear off or break your jaw? I think not.

If somebody does decide whether their attack has landed or not, this is generally known as power-playing, and should be reported to one of the admins. Below is an example of power-playing.


Bob: He moved forwards an bit down viciously on Fred's head, leaving deep gauge marks flowing with blood.

Fred: (o.O who gave him permission to do that to me?!)


It should be done like this instead:

Bob: He moved forward, and aimed to bite at Fred's head. It was a vicious strike with a single purpose; to cause damage.

Fred: (Ooh, I can reply to this!) Fred braced himself for the attack and felt the teeth latch onto his head. But in a counterattack, he pushed his head down trying to break the jaw and release the hold on his head. Pain was screaming through his mind and he felt blood trickling down the side of his face.

He growled lightly, trying to cover the sound of pain from his maw. He released his hold on her shoulder, but raked his claws against the bite wound he had recently inflicted on her, hoping she would let go of his side from the jolt of pain.



See in that second example, Bob only aimed to do damage. It was up to Fred how much damage was caused. But remember, wolves can feel pain, but we'll come onto this in God-modding.

Rule 2-

Your character cannot be invincible. (God-modding)

What's the point having a fight with a wolf that wont get hurt or die? Wolves have different characteristics. Just because it's a wolf, does not mean its amazingly brilliant at hunting, fighting, scouting, infact everything. No. If your wolf is a runt, the likelihood is, he wont be good at any of the physical activities, and may be better at the pup guardian jobs or healing.

So in battle, not every wolf is an expert warrior who cannot die and cannot sustain injury. Wolves can also feel pain. If your wolf's side had just been slashed open, the chances are its gonna hurt a lot. So if your wolf has just sustained injury, describe how the pain is, and what the injury is like.

But not just that, think about the battle logically. If your wolf is pinned on the floor by a heavier wolf, and it attacks your neck, what are the chances that your wolf can just roll over and escape unharmed or barely injured? Not high really. And if your character's leg has just been broken, it's not going to be the same as before, it's going to be limping, and a lot slower.

Another common mistake is endurance and stamina. For some reason, everyone's character has to have impossible endurance and stamina. Your character is a mammal. It uses oxygen for energy and builds up lactic acid when there's lack of oxygen. Therefore, with heightened physical exercise such as fighting, your wolf will tire as it can't get the volume of oxygen it needs. So even if your wolf is strong, it will tire quite easily. Especially in a fight when it is constantly on the move.

Rule 3-

Only ONE dodge per fight.

Another thing you seem to find quite a bit is people trying to get away with more than one full dodge. I know this rule varies from site to site, but here we operate a one dodge rule. I mean would the fight be any fun if you could dodge every single attack, or your opponent could dodge every attack? It would be an impossible fight. It wouldn't be a fight, it would be a dance wouldn't it?

So these are the basic rules of fight rp. Not hard to follow, and make life much easier when judging and fighting.

Also keep in mind that if your wolf is injured, it's going to affect them for the rest of the thread, and probably in the next one as well. I really can't stress this enough. Your character can't heal in a matter of a few posts, and get right back into fighting. It's going to take some time.



Roleplaying Red-Eyed Wolves

I know we don't have many red-eyed wolves, because they can be pretty hard to roleplay. But the things to remember is, your red-eyed wolf doesn't have to be some badass wolf that killed their entire pack (And if you read the above, you would know that wouldn't be physically possible).

In truth, your character can simply be a character that looks out for himself/herself only, someone who puts themselves before others. A wolf that only cares about their own interests and would only help someone if it benefited them would fit in perfectly as a red-eyed wolf. They are still able to have a civil conversation with another wolf, and aren't always out looking for a fight.

That being said, keep in mind that if you do have a short tempered character, he/she wouldn't always be looking for a fight, especially if they are still recovering from one. I just don't get why some roleplayers always have their wolf trying to get into a fight with three other wolves. They definitely wouldn't be able to win. Just because they're short tempered doesn't mean they're stupid.