The Arena II

[James Gryphon]

OOC discussion topic here.

It's been a while since Faiy did anything with the old one, so I'm hoping she won't mind...

You stand inside a square-shaped vacant lobby, which is approximately a hundred square yards large. In the very center of the room is a round, marble platform, where you stand now. To the north is a front desk, which stands about six feet tall and goes along the length of the wall. To the west is a swimming pool filled with water. There are two diving boards, one short and accessible from the ground, and the other stands about nine feet high, with a ladder going up to it. To the east is a single elevator, which leads to the second floor. To the south, there is a observatory deck overseeing a cliff and an ocean below. The wall that direction consists of large panes of glass. Northeast is a sitting area, which has four large couches on every corner, and a ring of chairs surrounding a big artificial tree. On the second floor, which is about twelve feet above the first, you can see walkways with railings that encircle the entire lobby. There is an ice machine, a soft drink bottle vending machine, and a candy machine all along the wall outside the elevator.

On the marble platform are various things:

• a hand-cranked flashlight and a pencil
• a box of matches and a plastic grocery bag
• a plastic sword and an arithmetic book
• a six-foot-high ladder and a set of binoculars
• a fishing pole and hook and a bag of gummi worms
• a loaf of French bread, pound of bacon, and a tub of butter
• five cans of tuna, a mixing bowl, and a bag of flour
• an eight-pack of blue Gatorade, and a bottle of water
• a set of paper plates and napkins in original wrappings, and a small cardboard box
• a helium tank with wheels on the bottom, and a bag with one hundred empty colored balloons

There are also ten ribbons of different colors, red, yellow, maroon, green, navy, purple, blue, beige, brown, and teal.

In the very middle of the platform is a thick marble pillar, which reaches almost to the ceiling. There is a glass dome on the very top of the pillar. A man sits inside of the dome. He speaks:

"Welcome to the second incarnation of the Arena. I'm your host, James Gryphon, and will be overseeing the carnage here today. A quick rundown of the rules: you will each be allowed one set of items from the platform, and one of the ribbons, which you are to tie around your wrist. First come, first serve. Once everyone has chosen their ribbons and items, then I will give the signal and the game will begin. This is a battle to the finish. One of you will emerge victorious. Best of luck, and may the most creative win!"

The Rules

* First come, first serve. Only the first ten people to post may play. Spectators may comment in the Arena's OOC thread.
* You may pick only one set of items.
* I am the GM. I can do anything I wish: deal out punishments or rewards, PP or GM as I see fit!
* Aside from me, no one else is allowed to PP or GM (doing so will result in severe penalties).
* I control the environment, for the most part.
* I control all and any magic in the game. No one else is able to control the outcome of attempted use of magic.
* You must post in the color of your ribbon; failure to do so will result in a penalty.
* If you defeat someone, then you will be allowed to take their items.
* Observers are not allowed to interfere or interact with the environment or the players in any way. They may discuss and bet on who they think is going to win, and talk about decisions that players made, but they are not allowed to give advice. They are also allowed to request challenges (things the players have to face that make the game a little more interesting) or send gifts (the gifts must go by me first and are sent to me through PM before I give it to the player in the game)
* If I feel you have been properly defeated, I will take you out of the game.
* You are not allowed to steal other people's objects while they are still in the game. Attempts to do so will result in a penalty.

[close]

The Players

Name: Skyblade
Ribbon: Blue
Objects: Six-foot-high ladder, set of binoculars, two ice balloons

Name: Delthion
Ribbon: Navy
Objects: Plastic sword, arithmetic book

Name: Soren the Warrior
Ribbon: Red
Objects: Set of paper plates and napkins in original wrappings, an empty small cardboard box, three one-dollar bills, a one-shot Nerf gun, a paper note, a plastic bottle of Sprite®, a bag of M&Ms

Name: rrrrr
Ribbon: Teal
Objects: Hand-cranked flashlight, pencil

Name: Faiyloe
Ribbon: Yellow
Objects: Helium tank with wheels on bottom, a rope made of five balloons tied to the handle, bag with eighty-nine empty colored balloons inside, a bunch of coins (89 cents' worth), a strange key

Name: Lord_Ashenwyte
Ribbon: Beige
Objects: Box of matches, plastic grocery bag

Name: LT Sandpaw
Ribbon: Brown
Objects: Fishing pole, a plastic grocery bag storing: a hook attached to fishing line, a fishing line noose, a handkerchief, a bag of gummi worms, a box of matches

[close]

The Alliances

* Delthion-Sandpaw Coalition
* Faiyloe-Skyblade-rrrrr League
* The Firefighters (Sandpaw, Skyblade, Faiyloe, Delthion)

[close]

[Skyblade]

Thank you for creating a second one, James. It looks creative and enjoyable.

I have a question. How will you judge who gets out and who doesn't? Creativity, logic, quality of posts?

I don't even know what to choose. What do you think may work best for my style?

[James Gryphon]

Player attack outcomes will probably be randomized to some extent, like in Faiy's system, but I may weigh results to favor players with 'better' posts. So you can't be sure what any single action'll do, but if you're good enough you should be able to make your own luck.

If you have trouble choosing an item, just roll the virtual dice. It shouldn't matter that much.

(Footnote: I seriously considered bringing back the two sets of items that last round's winners had originally selected for an encore, but decided against it.)

[Skyblade]

What constitutes a "better" post?

I followed your advice and got the six-foot-high ladder and a set of binoculars. That also happens to be one of the hardest sets in the list, in my opinion. Oh, you know what? I'll go for it!

[James Gryphon]

What constitutes a "better" post?

Mostly if the traits you mentioned earlier are present (creativity, logic, quality).

I'm going to be gone for a hour or so, but I'll update the list with sign-up info ASAP.

[Delthion]

Delthion
Navy
Plastic Sword and arithmetic book.

[Søren]

Red and the plates, napkins, and box

[Skyblade]

I hope more people join soon! I can't wait to play.

[rrrrr]

rrrrr
teal
flashlight+pencil

[James Gryphon]

"I am not enthused by the cowardice of so many would-be candidates."

"Those willing to enter this contest will not be left wanting. The rules are being amended to compensate for the decreased participation. Force fields will be placed to protect the items inside the platform where you are standing. Contestants that are defeated will be teleported back into the platform, to choose a new set of items, and allowed to re-enter the game, up to as many sets of items as are left."

"Any candidates that grow a spine will also be allowed to enter, until all of the sets of items have been allocated. After all of the extra sets of items have been allocated, no new entries will be accepted, and defeat will result in elimination."

"Now that that matter has been cleared up, let the games begin."

[Delthion]

*Immediately attacks Skye with plastic sword and math book. Then retreats to the high diving board and pulls up the ladder while upon the diving board. Thinks of a plan.*

[Faiyloe]

*Takes up the yellow ribbon and ties it on to my wrist then takes up the helium tank  and the bag of balloons* You should have told me about this... I would have joined sooner. *Leaves the safety of the platform and makes a run for the lounge area*

[Lady Ashenwyte]

Ashenwyte, DEPLOY! *Picks up matches and plastic bag*

[rrrrr]

*Runs to the couches and sits*

[Skyblade]

OOC: Hope you don't mind my verbosity; my creativity is best at its element with many words

*Runs to the couches and sits*

OOC: Color penalty!

*Immediately attacks Skye with plastic sword and math book. Then retreats to the high diving board and pulls up the ladder while upon the diving board. Thinks of a plan.*

("Attacks Skye?" Isn't that a bit vague?)

*Holds up large ladder, trying to use it as a shield against the sword and math book. When Del retreats, seizes the opportunity to decide where to go* The observatory desk seems dangerous, so does the swimming pool...the elevator is a big no. What about the front desk? But...it's high! How will I climb it? It's perfectly smooth and...wait!

*Runs to front desk and puts ladder against it* Both the ladder and the desk are 6-feet tall, perfect. *Races up ladder and sits on front desk before pulling up the ladder to rest next to me*

I couldn't have gone up here if it wasn't for the ladder. I guess it's not a bad item after all. *From the safety of my height, looks around front desk for anything useful*