Missing Ninjas

So what's like the plan behind them? Everyone's making them these days but they just seemed like a distraction. But I got kind of a shock the other day when I noticed by a quirk of the rules it's harder for a Missing Nin to die than a regular Player.

[I may have misunderstood but I heard there's swathes of 'enemy territory' where PC's can die and Missing Nin are only wanted by one village, which they have to willingly enter?]

Basically i'm just wondering if i've seriously not grokked what they were about? I was always told by the people playing them that it was a free character so you could show up in events and take some of the strain off the DMs of playing 5 npcs on their own.

I dunno, starting to think they might be better than village Nin, they have all the power, all the RP with each other without the NPCs judging their actions and 'punishing' them. They just seem like regular characters now, with much cooler back stories and no 'bosses' to send them to clean toilets and i'm curious if there's some perk of being a village Nin that i'm just taking for granted.

I mean i'd hate to slog on with a village character to find out in 6 months that village RP main plot consists of merely Jounin-ranked Village Nin vainly trying to stop the S (Kage equivalent) rank PC missing Ninjas.. ..and that I hadn't bothered making one because I underestimated their importance and potential strength gap.


Of course if there's going to be a limited number of "Akatsuki" and there's already a good idea who is going to be part of it (this early), I might as well not bother with either sort.

Note: This has basically nothing to do with yesterday, besides starting me thinking.

NPCs do not get their 3-5 slots powers. This significantly impairs their power further on down the light. Consider what you can get in these slots and then consider what the NPC loses.

The heightened NPC power was made because NPCs were supposed to be low-number, high-quality population. I took steps to be strict with accepting/denying NPC applications to keep it meaningful and a 'distraction' from normal characters rather than many different NPCs paling around at once. If the situation you describe is accurate then this is what I was trying to avoid be being as strict as I was with NPCs.

Hiyodori - Jiatsu wrote:

If the situation you describe is accurate then this is what I was trying to avoid be being as strict as I was with NPCs.

I feel as though it has the potential to be that way. There's like 5-8(?) NPCs now and many of them are active players that could 'switch over' at the drop of a hat.

It's basically just what i'm trying to find out, because while I did want an NPC I didn't want a character that would just be third covenant redshirt in events. I'm trying to assess if the situation/plan has changed since when you were in charge.

To some extent I also want to get a statement of intent one of two things really:

1. Missing Nin are side things intended to add a bit of fun and variety.

or

2. Missing Nin are awesome and you will be Akatsuki and everything will be awesome.

If 2, i'll go write a bio. If 1 I will at least be able to bring it up, when and if an Akatsuiki manifests.

Typing this from my phone so bear with me and forgive an grammatical errors.

To think that playing a missing nin comes without risk is silly -- it may seem that way at first, but once the missing ninja start to make a name for themselves, and end up getting captured leaving the fate up to the kage of that village they'll likely end up dieing. Everyone has someone to answer too in the play of power -- especially missing ninja. If you're missing and you're alone, you'll not survive long, especially when PCs start hitting joining rank and making hunter nin.

Having NPCs that are active also allow more ways of RP to be conducted. It seems we Always seem to come back to this route where we're stuck on the power level of my char and it shouldn't be that way. Trust me if it was I'd be sending Uchiha in for revision because now your yamanaka (who always havw been powerful anyway) has more power than an Uchiha with the chakra levels of a Senju lmao -- regardless they are there to be unique and offer different ways of going about things. I already have some plans in mind on how to use some of them, because as a village shinobi I cannot do some things or it would be considered going against the laws of the village. So why not hire some of those not bound by that restriction while at the same time, keeping the village RP and walking this fine line of law and chaos?

It's all about how you precieve things.

Gaara wrote:

Trust me if it was I'd be sending Uchiha in for revision because now your yamanaka (who always havw been powerful anyway)

This is why I hate Yamanaka. Everyone has this seemingly genetic memory of how overpowered Yamanaka they knew/played were and it's going to blight me as long as I have this character. Because despite all these players having jumped ship there's this 'Never again!!!!' attitude I have to try and live with.

Also Genjutsu, everyone says 'make custom Genjutsu' but I don't have the foggiest idea what they're really suggesting.

Quote :

I already have some plans in mind on how to use some of them, because as a village shinobi I cannot do some things or it would be considered going against the laws of the village.

Which is part of why being a village Nin sucks. You're a Ninja but step out of line and you can expect to be caught.

They are powerful lmao -- they are probably the second most powerful support clans on the server -- next to Inka.

Why you think you need to be able to 1v1 the server to be deemed as strong ill never know. Anyway a bit off topic.

NPCs generally should be made in pairs. No one travels alone no matter how powerful they are (heck even orochimaru had kabuto) so the number isn't the issue, I don't think.

Gaara wrote:

They are powerful lmao -- they are probably the second most powerful support clans on the server -- next to Inka.

They had offensive power when I made the character. Those wings were -swiftly- clipped.

But thanks for agreeing with what i've always said about Yamanaka being a poor Inka substitute. Even if this couldn't be more off-topic. Nevertheless "Inka but not as good" sums Alessia up I think.

Can we go back on topic?

They weren't clipped they were balanced -- much like how Uchiha were, Hyuuga were, Hareshinai were -- Henso just got a nerf I saw. We have 3 active DMs, it's going to take time to balance all the changes that need to be made.

Combine all the changes with all the requests they get in everyday... Yeah it'll take a minute

Yamanaka wasn't balanced, it was made user unfriendly and the fun, variety and spontaneity aspect of mind control was removed entirely. The power level is 'effectively' unchanged, as people are fond of reminding me.

I personally think it's all sunk costs and stockholm syndrome personally. "Oh, I finally controlled someone that has the same tech as me and so was able to use it.. This is the happiest day of my life!"

I made my character in good faith with no prior experience of Naurto clans and mechanics because it had a very small number of Jutsu and they all seemed quite usable and comprehensible. The Jutsu were nearly all changed, and the one which was not changed is an A rank when other clans have the same thing as a B rank.

I don't know what's prompted you to say 'Uchiha sucks' but i've always regretted trying to learn Genjutsu when the Uchiha are far more specialized in that area.

No they were made user accurate. The RP behind the yamanaka is the same, and then jutsu were edited to make sense. Still not sure how you think your char would automatically learn the seals or even begin to fathom the chakra level and control needed to cast an A or S rank jutsu just because you took over their body -- so they were changed to make sense.

Then add in your million buffs you gave -your- yamanaka and yeah... xD anyway!

NPCS -- do it (TM)

Million buffs I gave my Yamanaka..? I have no custom Jutsu, period. I have a slot upgrade, which your Uchiha could buy right now if you wished.

I learned everything I knew about Yamanaka from their description and Jutsu list, which I took in good faith as being balanced by the staff. Which in a DF server trumps the source material. Until you want to nerf it, then 'It's not canon' becomes a convincing, if illogical excuse.

If you can add a completely new clan with an utterly non canon background and power source, you can change how a Jutsu works in the setting.

There wasn't any big sign hanging up that every clan was due for nerfageddon. No-one warned me. It's just one of 20 times i've been told not knowing things by osmosis is my problem as a new player.

NPCs are alt characters, used to take weight of DMs having to spawn baddies constantly. Now that power is in the player's hands to work with other "npc characters" to form their own organizations, reputaitons, etc. and -promote- rp without everything being too "tea party sally". Those responsible and capable of keeping this in mind, are granted NPCs those who are childish, selfish, and inconsiderate... sure as hell will never get to play one.

It is a big trust that the DMs are giving the players such rights, but it is to promote fun (not perma of any kind / Punching bags for peoples amusement, it is never allowed to begin without justable cause & player consent) DMs have used them in the past to assist in events - again to help us out.

https://narutoverse2.rpg-board.net/t69-server-rehaul-balance

that post has been up since the beginning. right at the top of the announcements page. Server is being rehauled. Just wanted to clear that up.

back on topic: what chiyo said.

Elyssa wrote:

Gaara wrote:

They are powerful lmao -- they are probably the second most powerful support clans on the server -- next to Inka.

They had offensive power when I made the character. Those wings were -swiftly- clipped.

But thanks for agreeing with what i've always said about Yamanaka being a poor Inka substitute. Even if this couldn't be more off-topic. Nevertheless "Inka but not as good" sums Alessia up I think.

Can we go back on topic?

Clipped huh ? ... So the powerset that I made you to allow you to Have impact -CP- dmg ontop of Genjutsu is sooooo underpowered right ?

C-rank Genjutsu Death Sentence.

Deals 1d8 CP dmg and stun 1 round allowing you to hit for additional 1d6 HP dmg ...

You deal with the power I made ... 1d8+1d4 CP dmg on hit of the jutsu and then you can deal basic atk dmg from an enemy you have controlled for Rank Ken or Taijutsu +1d6 + their bonuses to dmg ...

Lol .. Congradulations. Your a Hyuuga.

Thanks for the appreciation for the work I did for your character.

(At Jounin Your MAX Dmg Output for a character that you have captured and you Death Sentence someone is )

Death Sentence : 2d8 CP dmg

Controlled Enemy : 2d8(Kenjutsu Basic rank dmg) + 1d10(Max Passive Item bonus to physical dmg if they have it) + 1d8(general bonus from slot to dmg) + 1d6 ( Death Sentence Bonus )

... Yeah ... so ... 2d8 CP dmg and 2d8+1d10+1d8+1d6 HP dmg...

And this Dmg only costing you with you jounin decrease to Clan Techniques and Genjutsu ... Costing only 9 CP to preform this

If Asuma and I agree on something either the world is ending or it's right...

That post, Asuma? Unneeded. Off topic. And makes you look like an ass.



On the topic? Player Alts (I refuse to call them NPCS. The N in NPC means Non. As in NOT A PLAYER character.) are, currently, above and beyond what the average player can get. Why? Because there has been no form of progression on this server barring a few events. They're meant to make things not 'Tea Party' esque but unfortunately at the moment, even with a massive world-spanning war in the background, there is nothing but 'Days of our Lives' dramatics occuring on the server, Character side. This isn't something that'll go away. Its something that -every- token based server suffers from because there is -nothing- you can do that will have some form of permenancy without a DM holding your hand (Example: If I were to destroy the Inka compound, it would be there perfectly fine the next day.). There is -nothing- for PCs to do. If anything the Not-Quite-Player -Characters should be special Event PCs, used only on special occasions. But then you have a glaring issue:

Progression of your event character, at current, bars progression on your staple characters. Now you can say to me 'Oh, but Trevor. We're sorry you can't be an S-rank shinobi in two weeks! You just have to be patient!'. I say that's horse shit. Sure you shouldn't be some lv 40 pubstomper. But there should be SOME progression. There has been little to none for the majority of the server. And as much as people may like to throw out the strawman arguement of 'Its a ROLEPLAY server. You're here for RP first and combat second', That's a bald faced lie. This is a setting based on Naruto. A Shounen mangame. Where combat makes up a very, very large portion of the screen time and for good reason! You're playing CHILD SOLDIERS BORN AND BRED FOR WAR AND KILLING. Excuse me, and those who feel -like- me, for thinking 'Hrm. I'm playing a child soldier. I really should get -better- at killing things because its MY JOB.'. Itachi is down for the count at the moment. And I get that, I really do. Life fucking blows at times. Unfortunately that's where slack needs to be picked up and something else (Unobtrusive as possible) needs to be composed to give the server an interlude until the storyline kicks off again. Oh yes. The dreaded FILLER ARC. And while I understand that DMs have lives and burn out and any other slew of reasonings, Its not an excuse. Because here? Here you're an absolute -necessity- for -anyone- to progress or do anything beyond stand around and talk about how Suzie is banging Jackie and cheating on John.



Lets see. I got off topic there somewhere. Oh yeah. Axe the PNPC concept. At least for the moment, or work it out far better. It has the potential to rock balls. But right now its bloat. It does nothing to add to the server ('Oh! They help in Even-' No. They don't. Because we don't have (m)any.) and just makes players who dedicate themselves to their player character feel cheated. Writing up NPCS for events? Fuckin' smart. Getting players to help? Also fuckin' smart.

Getting players to play these NPCs to take load off the client side DMs?


FUCKING. GENIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!!!!

Rewarding these player written NPCs with more power for the NPC instead of a small 'Gaiden' storyline for their actual character to grow for helping out with the load of an event instead of adding to it by participating on the 'Good guize' side? Not so smart.



In closing, before I continue ranting and rambling here, I'm right. Before we can have player written event characters, we need to have events for them to participate in. And we need to have events for Player Characters to get stronger in. And we need to have events. An event -isn't- always a ground shaking, monumental occurance. It can be as small as the fucking Kazekage going out to have a smoke and shooting the shit with a few people. It can be a couple jonin setting up a training exercise with a redecorated area full of training gear. But most importantly, and this is -key-. You can add to a PCs growth with only a small push.




As a side note, I'd love to see the NPC bios section be converted into bios for the various recurring event NPCs that DMs whip up. I'm also aware that things are in the works. But its moving at snails pace and needs to kick into gear a bit.

Thanks for contributing to more than the 'Alessia's lips moved or something, lets get her' hour Trev

ok so trying to post this from my phone..

but Alessia that was a little uncalled for. We all need to just cool off. it is a game guys and girls. Yelling at each other or bickering on the forums or the internet in general is a little ridiculous and flaming people back like that last post only adds fuel to a pointless and child-like fight.

Kiritano wrote:

ok so trying to post this from my phone..

but Alessia that was a little uncalled for. We all need to just cool off. it is a game guys and girls. Yelling at each other or bickering on the forums or the internet in general is a little ridiculous and flaming people back like that last post only adds fuel to a pointless and child-like fight.

Phone posters unite!

Correct term for the ''NPCs'' would be DPC. (''D'' (lol) standing for directed).

and I agree with Kuron