A few things...

[Jay Tsang]

Now, these are both complaints and suggestions wrapped into one, but I figured they'd get more attention if they were in complaints.

First of all, could you possibly enforce a size limit to signature images? I mean, some signatures are just ridiculously huge and stretch the forum's skin out, while some others are just that.. ridiculously huge. We have to think about our dial-up users, yeah? And anyway, gargantuan signatures aren't that attractive.

Perhaps you should elaborate on a lot of things? The school's history is pretty vague, as you don't state that the school was established in Japan, let alone what city (I assumed Tokyo), or that the school is pretty much a prison and that most students attending it are criminals. I just assumed it was a high-security secondary school. The description of the school grounds is pretty sparse as well. The post basically just describes the area around the school more than the actual school grounds itself.

How do the buildings look like? Are the building labelled for what they're used for, so students know where to go? Where are the gym, pool, and cafeteria located? Are they their own separate buildings, or are they apart of another? What's the tower used for (I know this is probably stated somewhere else, but for convenience's sake)? Are the school grounds like a courtyard, with a fountain and benches and such, or is it just plain concrete? I'd assume the dorms are a separate building.

Also, I really dislike the way you deal with dorm rooms. Why force people to make only a single thread for everything that's going on in their dorm room? That's just asking for a cluttered, confusing, and unorganized thread. Why not just make the dorms section like any other section, and just post a thread there when something is occuring within your dorm room or within the dorms?

Posting rank and qi relevance. I think the qi system here is pretty flawed. I'm looking around here and some qis don't have any disadvantages to the user. May I suggest adding a qi strengths/weaknesses subheading to the qi template? The only thing I believe posting rank should have authority over should be stat caps. Actually, scratch that.

If you reach a certain number of posts, will your rank go up to sophomore? That doesn't make sense, seeing as how your character is still a freshman. This would also make it so that new members could make students that aren't freshman, and you could simply change their posting rank to reflect their grade level, and instead determine stat caps by number of posts, since it's pretty much the same.

Stats should govern how you advance in your qi. I understand this would need a re-vamp, but really, how long would that take? It's not like we have a lot of members. Given that, the experience system could also use some tuning up. I'm under the impression that you gain a single stat point from fighting, which I believe I misinterpreted because of what some other members said. If we're going to use the EXP system, maybe you should make it so that you gain more EXP if you fight a teacher, because they're so much more difficult than another student? And I don't think a teacher should get that much, if any, EXP from fighting a student for the reasons above; students are just outclassed by teachers. That's another issue.

It seems that this board favours teachers over students. Sure, I know that teachers are supposed to be more powerful than students, but come on, a bloody five-hundred and forty difference in points to distribute at creation? Maybe not for the head honchos (i.e. the administration of the school, like the headmaster from the Xin flash), but for the normal teachers, I believe the beginning stat pool should be greatly decreased. I'm going to use the Xin flash as an example: the characters created on this board are supposed to be the main characters of the board's story. A teacher could probably trounce a normal student with ease, but when up against one of the main characters, they should face some difficulty instead of simply ploughing over them.

I may have more issues, but they are probably mostly minor. These are what were most prominent in my mind.

I know that the members of this board are pretty tight-knit and have probably discussed some of these issues with each other OOC because they needed clarification, and I'm stating these complaints and suggestions in the eyes of fresh, new face. I believe these changes would make this board more attractive for new members, because when I first arrived here, I was confused as hell and had to figure out a bunch of things on my own.

Most newer members expect this all to be handed to them in the form of informative posts in their respective sections; I know I did, and most of them don't want to have to browse beyond the rules and school history/information to find necessary information. I believe this is what discourages most guests from joining a newer board.

Hell, I'd even be willing to help out with making these changes happen, because I believe good things could come from this board, but in the state it is in right now, I don't expect an influx of new members any time soon.

[Marquise]

Sweeeeeeeeeeet.

Thank you, this is a lot of info and I enjoy your input. Me and the other higher ups are working on revamping the board believe it or not, the boards recently been placed under new management, (long story), but a few of your points in here have been brought up before, and you brought a few new ones to the board, so thank you.

what profile am I signed in to?

oh well, welcome to the board by the way.

I'm the Doc/Matrim Gallagher/Austin Ashbee/Marquise.

[Jay Tsang]

In lieu of the new update, I've been reminded of a few issues that I forgot to mention in my previous post, as well as some new ones that could possibly be worked into the upcoming revamp.

All stat-based boards will be built from the same cookie-cutter format, with a few variations that are unique to the board. There is a reason why these same formats are used: because they are effective. However, I find some of the things derived from the cookie-cutter are not as effective as most believe they are.

All stat boards, I believe, use the six-attribute stat system. Why they use it, I will never know, because it has several flaws. First and foremost, stats should only ever be relevant to fights. Where does wisdom, intelligence, and charisma come into this? Strength, speed, and constitution are the only stats I see that are relevant to fighting, and charisma, if changed to qi or spirit or some other thing like that, would be, too. A character's wisdom, intelligence, and charisma are only limited to the roleplayer's capabilities in those areas, and therefore, even if a character had three-hundred in intelligence, a character with five could still be vastly more intelligent. With wisdom, what's stopping a character with five of it from dodging a punch coming his way? If the roleplayer can find a sensible way of avoiding it, why not do it? As with charisma.. your character can only be as charismatic as you can make them.

My biggest issue would have to be with the intelligence and wisdom stats. These stats leave the door wide-open for god-modding. If one character got another into an otherwise compromising situation with a pretty much unavoidable attack, the roleplayer on the receiving end could simply mod their way out of it, preforming some preposterous maneuver to avoid or counter it and making it justifiable because they have either a high wisdom or intelligence stat.

As stated before, I find that the wisdom and intelligence stats have no place in roleplaying at all. It's impossible for a character to be more intelligence or wise than their roleplayer is. Why not break from the cookie-cutter mold and come out with a fresh new stat system? My ideal attributes would the following:

Strength: How hard you hit, your strength in grappling situations, how breakable the environment around you is.
Agility: How agile your body is; your footwork (not running speed), striking speed, and overall maneuverability of your body.
Constitution: The most important stat; how much punishment your body can take, and your cardiovascular strength (stamina).
Spirit: Your spiritual (qi) power. Required to advance in your qi, which in turn determines how powerful your qi is.

The reason why I listed constitution as the most important stat is, because, well, it is. Just think about it for moment. In real life, the most important things to athletes in combat sports (maybe all sports) is their cardiovascular strength. How big their gas tank is, so that even when their strength and speed has waned, they can still last 'til the bitter end. It 's also how much your body can take.

For example: you have a beastly fifty strength, but only a measly ten constitution. Sure, you can blow a crater into a concrete wall, but how well is your fist going to take that? It'll probably get smashed. You'd also only be able to throw a few full-strength swings before you've totally worn yourself out. Same thing goes for speed; sure, you're a speed demon over there with your seventy agility, but how will your body keep up with that speed of yours with only twenty constitution? After dancing around your opponent and throwing some quick punches for a few posts, you, too, will exhaust your gas tank, just like the powerhouse throwing sledgehammers. See what I'm getting at?

Now, the one thing I find effective coming from the cookie-cutter would be the qi system, in which qis aren't limited to your grade/post level (which, to me, makes little to no sense) and are determined by advancements in your stats. There can also be anywhere from one to twelve levels, with one probably being an extremely powerful, but difficult to obtain power, while twelve allows the user to gradually grow into the mastery of their qi. This way, students gain their qi powers at the same rate, regardless of how many levels there are in their qi. Of course, I think qis should be thoroughly moderated by the administration, to ensure that there is no possibility for modding, as well as to make sure the required stats to advance to the next level are reasonable. My ideal format for the stats would be this; A > B > C, with each letter representing a stat. In my head, there are two types of qis; physically based and spiritually based. Physically based would be something like Jay's or Dani's qi, which augment their physical capabilities, while spiritually would be something like Alex's or Sephora's, which bring out something from within. The nature of the qi would determine what stats are required. I'll use Jay's and Alex's qis as an example.

Flames of Sol:
Spirit > Strength > Agility

Iron Shirt:
Constitution > Strength > Spirit

I find Flames of Sol to be spirit-intensive, because it gives Alex the ability to create flames on his hands, throw the flames, and summon flame pillars. Iron Shirt is physical-intensive because it allows Jay to reflect physical damage through the sheer density of his body, buffed by qi. The stats aren't limited to simply these two formats, but spirit must be one of the stats, since it determined the power of your spirit, or qi. The following qi is one I used on a previous board, which I will post in the old boards format, but will explain now in my desired format.

Extremity Fist:
Strength > Spirit > Agility

And the qi itself:

Qi Name: Extremity Fist

Qi Ability: Channeling a gradual influx of qi into the hands, the user is capable of controlling the temperature of their hands, be it extremely low or extremely high. The temperature of the user’s hands is capable of either burning or freezing an opponent at the area of contact.

Qi Levels: 10

Qi Strengths: This qi enables its user to cause severe external damage in addition to that of a normal strike. Also offers a slight increase and strength and speed of arm strikes due to the concentration of qi in the area. Does not really drain the user significantly, but strain becomes noticeable in prolonged fights.

Qi Weaknesses: Due to the qi’s nature, it takes some time (two posts, including the one it is activated in, meaning it is capable of being used on the third) to achieve the maximum temperature change; even longer if changing from hot to cold and vice versa (two posts returning to neutral, another two increasing/decreasing temperature). The temperature change only occurs in the palms and edges of the hand, as well as the fingertips, limiting the user to palm strikes, chops, and pokes if they want to utilize this qi. The user can only achieve the maximum effect of their level of qi if their hand remains on an area for an extended period of time (including, but not limited to grabbing). Additional damage can still occur with strikes, but to a lesser degree (lower qi level).

I was told it was okay to suggest my own requirements. If it doesn't seem adequate, then feel free to change it.

Rank and Stat Req.	Description
Level 1 STR: 10 CON: 5 WIS: 5 CHA: 5	At this level, when used to increase temperature, the hands are only capable of minor burns that simply cause redness and a little pain, something akin to a sunburn which only extends to the epidermis. When used to decrease temperature, they are only capable of numbing the affected area. A blow as opposed to a hold yields nothing extra.
Level 2 STR: 15 CON: 10 WIS: 10 CHA: 8	At this level, the user is capable of delivering second-degree burns, which cause superficial blistering and a higher level of pain than before, though the damage only extends to the dermis. When decreasing temperature, the user is capable of causing muscles to contract with a little pain and a higher degree of numbing. A blow yields nothing except a warm, fuzzy feeling at the affected area. STR x 1.3 DEX x 1.1*
Level 3 STR: 20 CON: 15 WIS: 15 CHA: 11	Temperature increases are becoming dangerous; prolonged exposure to the hand will cause third-degree burns, charring the skin and producing leathery eschars, which are burn scabs that have separated from the unaffected part of the body. There is a moment of intense pain, but at this level the heat damages the nerve endings, which in turn makes the burns painless. Decreased temperature is capable of minor frostbite (causing numbness and a light burning/tingling sensation) and painful contraction of the muscle. Blows yield Level 1 effects (Sunburns, numbing). STR x 1.4 DEX x 1.1
Level 4 STR: 25 CON: 20 WIS: 20 CHA: 14	Holds are especially dangerous, causing fourth-degree burns. All dermis (skin) is burned off and escharred, leaving exposed muscle tissue. Burns are painless. Affected area (differs from area to area; extremeties are most vulnerable to this) turns blue from mild frostbite, which causes some pain and mild incoordination of muscles. Muscles contract painfully. Blows yield Level 1 effects. STR x 1.5 DEX x 1.2
Level 5 STR: 30 CON: 25 WIS: 25 CHA: 17	Prolonged exposure to the user's hand causes fifth-degree burns. It is painless, but it burns the muscle tissue, possibly even exposing bone. Any surviving muscle tissue is damaged to the point of immobility. Affected area suffers from major frostbite, and becomes discoloured, turning a dark purple. All feeling is lost and the muscle becomes severely incoordinated, often not responding to stimuli. Muscles painfully contract and cramp, often lasting moments after the hand is removed from the area. Blows yield Level 2 effects. STR x 1.6 DEX x 1.2
Level 6 STR: 35 CON: 30 WIS: 30 CHA: 20	The level where the danger of temperature increases and decreases reaches its epitome. The user has now acquired the capability of sixth-degree burns, which destroys all muscle tissue in the area, leaving nothing but charred bone. Severe frostbite occurs, often causing the affected area to turn black and puts the victim in intense pain. Skin destroyed by frostbite looks completely loose and flayed, as if charred. Also delivers painful cramps. Blows yield Level 3 effects. STR x 1.7 DEX x 1.3
Level 7 STR: 50 CON: 45 WIS: 40 CHA: 29	The effects of Level 4 are now obtainable without prolonged exposure. STR x 1.8 DEX x 1.4
Level 8 STR: 60 CON: 55 WIS: 50 CHA: 38	The effects of Level 5 are now obtainable without prolonged exposure. STR x 1.9 DEX x 1.4
Level 9 STR: 70 CON: 65 WIS: 60 CHA: 47	The effects of Level 6 are now obtainable without prolonged exposure. STR x 2.0 DEX x 1.5
Mastery STR: 80 CON: 75 WIS: 70 CHA: 56	The user is capable of flowing qi through their arms and into their palms at an increased rate, cutting the time needed to fully heat/cool their hands (cuts posts needed to activate qi by one). STR x 2.1 DEX x 1.5

*Note: Stat bonuses only apply when using arms.

Notice how the stat jumps between level isn't that high? Well, that's because the qi has several levels, so the user could gradually increase in power. Someone with only five levels would have steeper gaps, with the required stats for mastery being the same as the higher levels of this qi. However, the admin on that board still had a problem with the short gaps between the stat advancements, but I didn't get a chance to change them as the board died.

Oh yeah, and we can't forget about about the qi's advantages and disadvantages. These will make sure there are repercussions, according to the power of the qi, in using it.

Also, some minor issues. Why the sudden gain in stat points when you go up in post level? That makes no sense; you don't simply get stronger when you graduate. The way I see it, you get to that level by gradually growing towards it as your character develops through posting, which is where my next suggestion comes in. Why not make it so that you reward students a stat point every fifty posts for freshman, seventy-five for sophomores, a hundred for juniors, etcetera? This way, it makes more sense because your character gains stats at a steady rate, and when it comes time to advance to the next level, they've earned the stats to be at that level instead of jumping up in points because they achieved that level? Makes more sense, yeah? And nothing changes except that you have less points at graduation, but so what?

Of course, following the revamp, stats and qis will have to be reset (but obviously, gained stats and such are kept) and characters, re-evaluated and re-approved.

The next suggestion is simply for aesthetics to make the board appear more organized and attractive. I believe you should clump all the subject buildings together as sub-forums under a forum called "Academic Buildings" or something along those lines, and put the gym, pool, cafeteria, and dorms under another forum, while the tower would have its own forum. All of these forums would be under the "School Grounds" section, eliminating the need for the tower to have its own section. I don't see a point in the international section, but if you must, just pop all the continents under one forum, since I don't believe there will be many posts going on there. The main setting is the school, afterall. The OOC, general, and information sections are all fine.

I'm just curious. Why hasn't anybody, sans Marquise and Lunari, whom I've spoken to over MSN, posted in this thread? Do you all just look at my posts and go "Oh, okay, lols"? I'd like to hear input from the members. Their comments and opinions mean a lot to me, and if we get the member base involved we could mold these suggestions, as well as new ones that other members will put forth, into something that the entire board will agree upon and enjoy, instead of a few select people discussing it and slapping it on without the members having a say in it. This is why I posted up that IM contacts thread; it'd be much easier to organize a board-wide discussion on MSN, but this thread will suffice for now.

Like I said before, I like this board, and I expect great things to come of it. A unique stat system like the one I mentioned and the tried, tested, and true qi system with 650's own flare to it, and the boards unique storyline -- I mean, none of the other Xin boards I've been on took place in a high-security prison school, or in Japan, for that matter -- coupled with some good advertising on other boards and lifepointone, could attract roleplayers who are looking for a change from the usual Xin setting.

[The Doctor]

yeah but the thing is..... most of us so far have actually used intellect and wisdom.

Matrim stayed in a flaming inferno because his shield protected him from burns. (he had 5 wis at the time, I think it's ten now?) and he didn't realize it was all set up to asphyxiate him.

intellect is how well of a fighting strategy your character could use, as well as (lets here it folks) intellect, but that's important to have for Qi's or things like the Doc's psychic paper, or michelle's mind reading, or Marquises ability being realized for what he is by other people (actually more of an Int and Wis vs his charisma or something)...... stuff like that.

not to mention, if we did that, a lot of characters wouldn't really exist.

namely mine.

*points at stats*

the doc is NOT unnaturally strong or fast and if he gets shot in the stomach, he will be forced to go through a regeneration cycle.

so just on a personal note, I strongly support the Int and Wis, besides, we've had fights where there were arguments, and basically the deciding factor of whether something was allowed to go through became these stats, so on my personal note, I am completely for these stats.

[Jay Tsang]

Matrim's shield protected him from burns? Wait, I'm reading the beginner level of his qi and it says it protects him from beginner versions of physically based qis. Nothing about fire, to me, seems physical. Matrim must have been really, really vague about his qi abilities, because from what I'm reading, he shouldn't be capable of resisting burns from one of Alex's punches, let alone an inferno with his shield.

Everything you just listed could be have been done without the intelligence and wisdom stats, and simply through a little something called roleplaying. If Matrim isn't that tactical a fighter, can't his roleplayer, well, roleplay him that way instead of letting stats determine how he thinks? If your character is smart, roleplay them as so. If your character is just a smidge more intelligent than a rock, roleplay them as so. If your character is a tactical genius, roleplay them as so. However, you can't roleplay your character as strong or fast if their stats say they aren't.

Like I said in my previous post, what the intelligence and wisdom stats determine are only limited to the roleplayer themselves. What use is three-hundred intelligence if the roleplayer can't utilize it? Three-hundred is a high number, and a character can't be smarter than their roleplayer allows.

As for the qi thing, that's where the spirit/qi stat comes in. Things like mind reading and telekinesis are pretty much supernatural powers. If your character isn't very strong and fast, why not just dump the rest of their stat pool into spirit, which governs things that aren't physical? That way, their qi power is very apparent, and with the qi system I mentioned, you could have very high spirit requirements with very low physical requirements, which would allow your character to advance in it without deviating from their intended path of "not unnaturally strong or fast". Want him to be very intelligent? You don't need a stat for that, roleplay him that way! :>

As for the determining factor in fights, that's why I have such a huge issue with the those stats. The fight was determined by the intelligence and wisdom stats? What happened to roleplaying? If the roleplayer can't intelligently think of a way to avoid an attack or whatever, why not just take it? There's nothing wrong with taking a blow, even if it may be a decisive blow. If you can't utilize the stat, don't go running to it saying "Oh, I have higher INT and WIS btw, I win!"

Sorry if I come off as harsh, but I just really dislike those stats. It's nothing personal.