Fighting

About

At 'Souls, the only acceptable fighting style is T1 standard. T1 basically works like this:

• Wolf: He leapt forward for Coyote's leg in an attempt to break it.
• Coyote: Coyote jerked back in time, losing his balance and toppling over to his side.
• Wolf: Using the momentum from his previous leap, he jumped toward coyote and slashed at his underbelly.
• Coyote: He yelped as he felt blood seep from his fresh wounds. Wriggling out from under Wolf, he darted away, circling behind a tree and then leaping for Wolf's front leg.

This wolf is defensive; his stare and raised tail indicates he is wary of confrontation. WSK2005@flickr

And so on. The main principle is that you cannot dictate whether an attack hits or not, even if there's realistically no way for another character to squirm out of it. It's the other person who decides whether the attack connects and the extent of the damage done. If you attempt to dictate the outcome of an attack on another character, it's considered powerplaying. On the flip side, if the characters are matched in skill and your character repeated squirms out of attacks unscathed, it's considered godmodding. Be fair. Neither is considered good for the thread, and the outcome of each fight relies on the ability of the players to judge what is realistic given the circumstance.

There is no numerical or calculation-based side to fighting on 'Souls. Determined skill is based mostly on each character's physique, experience, and common sense. If one character is much larger than the other, then surely he will have an advantage. Similarly, if one character has been in dozens of fights before, he will probably do well against someone who hasn't been in as many. Once again, the key is to play fair. In most situations, to avoid conflict, players should negotiate the conclusion of a fight OOCly beforehand. If you feel the other player is fighting unfairly or want a neutral third party to make judgment calls, you can contact the 'Souls Assemblage, but ideally, it should never come to that because it is the player that should know his or her character and their abilities best.

Outside Media

There are many different styles and methods of attack characters can utilize according to body type, strengths, and so forth. National Geographic has posted a short segment of a show, taking four different breeds of dogs and differentiating between their attack styles, bite pressures, and so forth.

For a more extensive read, a very in-depth guide to roleplaying fights written by Sie can be found here.

Reasons to Fight

Many fights start on 'Souls for the same reasons they might start in real life. Two characters get into an argument and turn violent. Two characters stalk the same prey animal, it escapes, and both blame the other. Two characters get really drunk and violent. Or maybe just one character gets drunk and violent and the other is merely defending himself. However, here are some other reasons for fights you might not have considered:

This wolf exhibits defensive-submissive behavior; the folded ears and snarl indicate this. Kamia_the_Wolf@flickr

Mates

Wolves may fight over mates, but because relationships on 'Souls operate more or less like human relationships, it is ultimately up to the "prize" of a mateship fight to decide who he or she wishes to be with in the end. Fights for mateship may be treated like formal duels or they can be all out attacks by one wolf to get rid of his or her rival. Like with any other fight, to avoid unpleasant conflict, it is best to plot out outcomes beforehand with all involved parties.

Ranks

Fighting for ranks is a little more complicated. Individual packs may set formal IC or OOC guidelines for how rank challenges may be handled. Rank challenges for leadership positions must have a conclusion planned OOCly that satisfies all involved parties. This basically means that you cannot oust a leader without his or her permission. Sorry! No impromptu coup d'états, but you can certainly plot one out with the involved player(s)!

Packs

The relationships between packs is as ever-changing and dynamic as the relationship between any two individuals. Some packs have great relationships with each other while others have a history marred with conflict and bloodshed. Often, even if a fight was originally a personal bout between two individuals, their packs can get involved for revenge or retribution. Some conflicts will even escalate to the extent of a feud or "war." Thus, if your character isn't careful, s/he could bring the ire of an entire pack down on his or her own.