Rank System brain dump

[Waffuru]

Not really a CA reset. More switching to a dynamic system where power is based off of recent activity rather than a static, cumulative accumulation of points for a number that we don't even use.

Well, CA is based on how much XP you earn so if it is zeroed every x amount of time then it is only based on recent activity.

I am pretty sure it's exactly the same thing.

[Sigfried Hunin]

Well, CA is based on how much XP you earn so if it is zeroed every x amount of time then it is only based on recent activity.

I am pretty sure it's exactly the same thing.

Yeah, but it's not based on an average.

Month CA
1 2
(Incomplete) Average: 2
2 3
(Incomplete) Average: 2.5
3 5
Average: 3.33
4 4
Average: 4.66
5 6
Average: 5
6 7
Average: 5.66

Whereas if we cleared it:
Month CA
1 2
2 5
3 10
Cleared
4 4
5 10
6 17
Also, at the start of a new month you'd have ZERO and have to build it back up as opposed to maintaining an active activity average.

[Belle Hibiki]

Well, CA is based on how much XP you earn so if it is zeroed every x amount of time then it is only based on recent activity.

I am pretty sure it's exactly the same thing.

If you want to look at it in such an extremely narrow band and make a comparison between a relative strength system and a cumulative one whose evaluations of accumulated points are completely different, then sure.

I would point out, though, that resetting CA a lot would mean something different than having ranks. (Retconning strength constantly chief among them.)

[Super Buu]

I think he's just trying to look at it from a programming point of view. I think.

[Belle Hibiki]

I guess one could look at it that way? I mean, if someone didn't roleplay for three months, they'd be the lowest rank. That's like a reset. Kind of? From a comparative abstract of mechanics point of view? Kind of like if you stopped on the track in a race and ended up in last place. It would be like being sent back to the starting line in that both actions land you in last place.

[Vad]

I guess one could look at it that way? I mean, if someone didn't roleplay for three months, they'd be the lowest rank. That's like a reset. Kind of? From a comparative abstract of mechanics point of view? Kind of like if you stopped on the track in a race and ended up in last place. It would be like being sent back to the starting line in that both actions land you in last place.

You also need to understand that how the program may work to produce the effect you're asking for in the original post may look nothing like the actual effect it gives. From what I've seen our XP system is rather funky lol

[Super Buu]

It would probably be simplest if you could just filter what 'counted' towards rank to the last 90 days of posting.

[Belle Hibiki]

Hard to say. I know precisely zero about how our current XP thing works, or how hard it would be to have a 'counter' that looks at the XP stat for the past 90 days. We have that 'bank' thing by our XP numbers @ top right, but the transactions shown there are manual deductions and rewards; no idea if it could be adjusted, or another table added, to show automatic gains.

Wiping everyone's CA and keeping track of the accumulation of CA as a method of tracking how much XP earned is quick-and-dirty way to do it without changing much, I suppose.

e: Actually, yeah, isn't our CA number based off of our XP anyway? You could set the CA 'floor' from 500 to 0, and change the amount of "CA" a point of earned XP gives the CA score from 10 to 1. The Combat Ability postbit would then become an effective XP tracker since the last reset period.

[Sigfried Hunin]

And, if you look at what I wrote before, resetting every three months and holding an average that contains the last three months are completely different and doesn't work well at allll.

If we're just doing it manually, we just need to keep track of whos active. IT wouldn't be hard to do manually. I will do it.

[Keiko Brykein]

I read what you said Sigfried XD
When I first read Belle's post about the 5 Ranks (because I like 5 better than 4) I assumed a manual count would be the easiest. Only problem being that the person in charge of said duties gets bored and stops doing it. Very likely scenario with 10 Active Members, or however many, that was just a number I remember seeing. As far as Ranking down, stepping down would make the most sense, as in, Rank B to Rank C after a quarter of inactivity and so on, and so on. (Again, someone already mentioned this, maybe it was Vad, but I couldn't remember and I am probably wrong) That would actually make the most sense for the Era reports, which would be nice ever 6 months. And I don't really believe a "site update" twice a year is asking for a lot.

With that being said, the Ranks don't really work, in my opinion, as a way to measure strength. I see them more as a way to measure importance in the DBZ-verse, a friendly pissing contest, if you will. Which would then show up in the mandatory! Era-Updates every 6 months. I do believe in the "well we earned it, so of course we should be that strong", go with that as much as you want. If you continue to RP and participate, then you should still be known as the power house that you are. But if not, then you fall to the wayside, and just become an idol of the past. I started doing pbpRPG about 7 years ago, or more. I have continually stayed on the same site, not this one. But as it turns out, from my random post readings, Another Destiny merged, thanks for the memo, lol. Anyways, on multiple occasions in my AD career, I have had to "start over", from lack of activity, which would then result in a website change where I had been absent for 6 months or more. On each occasion of starting over, I was a lot weaker than the "grandfathers", but I would build myself up. A number of times, I even finished in the top 3 of Sagas. Just because someone has been here forever, doesn't mean they can't be beaten. That is part of the problem. You have to earn power, you just can't expect it. I see it as a reason to RP, to grow strong, so that one day I may blow up Earth.

Pips, no clue what it stands for, if anything, but I like it.

[Rafael]

So...ranks=pissing contest more than say, CA? and CA=/= a measure of importance now?
If I were to join a saga now and, say, Vad was also in the saga, it's reasonable for me to assume I'm not gonna be the one pwning da bawss. Might beat up some minions, maybe play some kind of distracting role in a final fight or support depending on what abilities I have. As for the rest of your post, even though you said at the start you don't agree with the system and maybe I'm missing something, but that all sounds like exactly what Belle's proposal is supposed to do.

[Keiko Brykein]

Never said I didn't agree, in fact I liked everything, as pointed out by this:

I like everything.

Anywho, I just thought Rank would work better as an 'influence in the DBZ-Verse' vs. 'Power in the DBZ-Verse'. Just putting in my two cents, in the RPG Discussion Forum.

To reach Rank A, you have to earn 60 XP in 3 months, to me that is a very active member. That in itself would make you grow. Also, as someone pointed out, people tend to RP each others characters fairly equally; dodge this, punch that, miss a hit, get hit, then repeat. It all works out. If you put your all into something, then you will achieve, don't sell yourself short Rafael.

[Belle Hibiki]

Influence in the DBZ universe tended to = power in the DBZ universe in the series.

[Keiko Brykein]

Hercule was very influential, lol.

That is the only example I know of, I never really watched DBZ, I saw the Cell Saga, and some DB, and some inbetweens. :X lol

[Nori]

That's very true, Keiko. A lot of very influential characters were weak.

However, that was also because they weren't Saiyans. If we follow that, well, I'm glad I'm the superior race, amirit?