GBA Changes List

The following is a list of changes that are being instituted in the GBA after our long absence. Some are more significant than others, but hopefully all will contribute to making the GBA a better place.




Before anything, the most important change is that we as judges are attempting to reform our judging policy. Simply put, we're tired of judging matches based on the negatives. Occasionally thats unavoidable, but in the future we will be striving to judge matches according to what people did well. We want to be more positive, and more encouraging to duelists. We want a fun and friendly atmosphere around here. We're still going to criticize errors made over the course of a duel, but we'd like to avoid having those things decide the match every time.

So while that isn't very specific, its hard to pin down a more subjective change in judging philosophy. We're trying to come at matches from a different angle, thats all.

[size=150:18nrxel6][b:18nrxel6]2.Force Use[/b:18nrxel6][/size:18nrxel6]

Force powers are the bread and butter of the GBA as much as weapons are. And while weapons are fairly easy to understand (point and shoot. Or swish, swish, stab. as the case may vary), the Force is a nebulous concept that we as real life humans may have trouble comprehending. Therefore, reforms in how we view it are inevitable, and this is just one such change. Below are the new expectations we have for duelists RP'ing the use of the Force.


[quote:18nrxel6]The Force....is not a "Mana Pool". This is not a video game, nor Magic The Gathering. This is an RP based on the universe of George Lucas. With that in mind, we of the GBA have taken it upon ourselves to change the way we use the Force within its walls. Gone are the Days of pooling your Force Power, because, well.....To be honest that isn't how the Force works.

Our staff has spend many weeks researching, debating, discussing and coming to a consensus as to how it should work, and this is what we have decided on.

Your body is a conduit. The Force is the electricity that runs through it when you turn the switch to the on position. As with any conductor, your body only has a set amount of power that can run through it, and will eventually burn out, causing Force Euphoria. Ie: You took too much Morphine. You feel fantastic, but you are hallucinating pretty hard, and if you take anymore, your body shuts down, and you die. You experience Cell Burn Out, which is best described as your cells begining to die en mass if you push your body too hard after prolonged Force use.

This does not mean we are going to allow rampant insane use of the Force. No. This is the GBA, not Tython*. You will be judged on realism in the usage, and how much, if any, damage your body takes.This is not a license to go crazy with the Force. It does, however, give you a little more room to write epic battles, and this is our ultimate goal.

Any Feedback on the new system is appreciated, and expected.
-GBA Staff

*note: all claims on or about Tython may or may not be completely fabricated. The GBA cannot be held responsible for misinformation regarding said planet.[/quote:18nrxel6]

[size=150:1hylv6dl][b:1hylv6dl]3. Force Absorb[/b:1hylv6dl][/size:1hylv6dl]

The ability to absorb energy and transfer it into something you can use is an awesome power. Unfortunately, with great power comes great potential for abuse, to the point that absorb could literally break the Universe with a good knowledge of physics. To that end we've re-assessed the capabilities of Absorb and imposed some restrictions.




[quote:1hylv6dl] Absorb is a very versatile power, but one that has nearly unlimited potential for abuse. For this reason, it is classified as a Restricted Power. There are several regulations that the GBA Staff will be enforcing judiciously. Ignoring the direction of the GBA Staff on the matter will result in any number of unpleasant things, disqualification being the least of them. The regulations are as follows:

1. The Absorption of kinetic energy from solid objects is strictly forbidden. Projectiles, melee weapons and environmental factors, for instance, may not be directly countered with Absorb. Mixed energy/physical projectiles, such as bowcaster or charric bolts, may have their energy component countered, but the user must look elsewhere to deal with the physical bits.

2. We understand that the bodies of most species rely on chemical and electrical energy to send messages from the brain/equivalent organ to the rest of the body. We understand that there is a certain appeal in Absorbing this energy in a fight. That being said, don't even think about it. Use of Absorb in this manner is strictly forbidden.

3. With sufficient mathematical prowess, one can demonstrate that at the smallest level, matter and energy are closely related. Matter may even be converted into energy, and in theory it may be Absorbed. However, use of Absorb in this manner is also (wait for it) strictly forbidden. The energy involved in the process is so great that, even assuming one were capable of starting the process, it would most certainly be fatal to everyone on the planet. For example, a 100 kilogram individual contains something like 20 gigatons worth of potential energy. The paperwork alone in explaining how the planet was destroyed during the course of a GBA match would be enough for us to ban the attempt.

4. In canon, proficient users of Absorb typically find themselves handicapped in some other area. The Halcyon family, for instance, is notoriously weak with telekinesis. In keeping with that tradition, any GBA combatant who wishes to use Absorb with more than the most basic level of skill will be required to sacrifice on of their Basic Powers.

5. Overuse of Absorb will lead to spontaneous combustion. There is only so much energy you may consume before your body is overwhelmed. Use that energy for something useful. If a Judge tells you that you're pushing it, it would be advisable to listen. Otherwise, you might find yourself treated to a lovely post from said Judge explaining in great and loving detail how your body has gone kerblooey.

a. In keeping with this, Absorbing things like lightsaber blades or turbolaser bolts will almost certainly be fatal. We're not against the tactic as a last resort, but only as such. You will not survive the attempt, one way or another.

6. The above rules and restrictions were designed to deal with problems that we've either dealt with in the past or suspect might be problems in the future. The GBA staff acknowledges that it is impossible to anticipate every potential issue. To prevent the problems that we haven't thought of yet, the use of Absorb will always fall under close scrutiny. If a Judge tells you that you're going too far, listen. We're not doing this to be wookiee. It would have been far easier to ban the power outright than deal with this crap, but we're trying to be considerate of the Absorb using community.
[/quote:1hylv6dl]

While there aren't any true changes to illusion, we've always found that with a few exceptions illusion was either poorly understood or poorly handled within the GBA. In a great many cases, the opposing duelist would simply ignore an illusion, dismissing it as unable to affect their awesome strength of will. Other times, the user would all but call a hit on his/her opponent with illusions. In order to alleviate potential confusion, we've written up a comprehensive guide to Illusion. If you are at all interested in using absorb, or curious on how to handle an opponent who uses it, feel free to click on the link below and check out our new guide.

viewtopic.php?f=2166&t=33170

[size=150:4mwmz1uy][b:4mwmz1uy]5. Equipment Restrictions[/b:4mwmz1uy][/size:4mwmz1uy]

Force users have always had a "top ten force powers" list. Thats just been a part of life. That said, what about the bounty hunters and scoundrels amongst us?

Fear not, for we've attempted to come up with a system to balance out the issue of unstoppable tank men, and placing restrictions on equipment and weapon loadouts. Below is a summary of what we're proposing.


[quote:4mwmz1uy]Here In the GBA, you and your opponent will be dueling, and in most circumstances both of you are going to be wearing armour unless otherwise stated in your request for a duel. There are three different classes for armour: light, medium, and heavy. For your light armour you are allowed a total of 6 slots. Medium, a total of 10, and heavy 16. These slots can be filled with anything ranging from weapons, to Kaine's silly knee rockets and everything in between.

We will be enacting speed penalties on armour, depending on weight and number of gadgets. Keep in mind that if you wear heavy armour stuffed with the latest in PO gear, you are going to move like a one legged hippo, hydraulics and repulsors be damned. For clarification:

[color=#FF0000:4mwmz1uy]Light Armour could consist of a breast plate, thigh pads and a forearm guard, or just armour plates inside your characters jacket and or pants.[/color:4mwmz1uy]

[color=#FF4000:4mwmz1uy]Medium Armour could consist of the above with the addition of a helmet and full arm protection with light leg plating[/color:4mwmz1uy]

[color=#00FF00:4mwmz1uy]Heavy Armour could consist of full upper body plating, full lower body plating, helmet and a full enviro-seal.[/color:4mwmz1uy]

The bigger the armour, the more restrictive your movement will be. Sure, you would be able to shoot a lot, but you are sacrificing agility and speed for more fire power. We will be judging you partially on your use of your armour,but also on how well you handle the weight. We're not doing this to be jerks, but rather to try and keep the playing field fairly level, and keep a semblance of realism. We thank you in advance.

-GBA Staff
[/quote:4mwmz1uy]

This was probably one of the most difficult and certainly time consuming changes to make. We went through nearly every scenario we have, picked the things that were silly, made for an unfair duel, or just made a duel unviable, and then removed them. From there we narrowed it down to 20 or so "GBA approved arenas". You can still use your favorite scenarios for a challenge match or whatever, the old scenarios will be archived in a simple to reach place for your convenience. Just now, you don't have to expect to fight a rancor alongside your opponent or duel on a 5 square foot piece of ice in a tournament. These balances are something I imagine everyone will appreciate when next tournament comes around.

The link for the new scenarios is below:

viewtopic.php?f=2165&t=33141

Simply put, we will be keeping the old points system and overall ranking.

What is new here, is we are going to be instituting a new "Yearly Ranking". So while it would take a ton of effort to break into the top 10 of the overall rankings, given the several year headstart some of them may have on you, the "Yearly Rankings" are not only more of a level playing field, but they are more revelant as they reset every year (weird, I know!).

On top of that, we're planning on doing something new. At the end of each year, we are hoping to hold a sort of "GBA Playoffs". It would be a tournament for the top 16 ranked duelists in the yearly rankings. This tournament should help inspire a more tight competition, and encourage people to try to reach the top 16 for the year. And if you win, you get to be the official GBA champion, who wouldn't be proud of that?

Remember, this isn't replacing one of our regular tourneys, this is something completely extra. Our hope is to inspire a competitive atmosphere, and give you something to actually strive towards, rather than a nebulous "Overall raniking high-score."

Like anyone could touch Inky by now anyway... :s

There will be no more of those Hybrid Bracket system tournaments. We tried it last time and it ended horribly.

To that end, if we can't fill a tourney to 64 players, we will be going with 32 duelists. I'm sorry if that leaves any of you out of the loop, but thats just the way it has to be. I hope we don't have to stop anyone at the door, but thats life.

Apart from that, tournaments will work pretty much as they did before. We hope to have 2 a year, plus our new GBA Yearly Championships for the top ranked duelists.

That is, for the most part, the changes we've made to the GBA. Things are subject to change, the GBA is by its nature a work in progress. If there is a feature we'd like to start including, or something that isn't working, it may be dealt with in the future.

Above all though, the GBA is about you, the user. We exist solely for your benefit, so its only fair that you get the chance to voice your opinion. To that end feel free to PM us with ideas or questions. Or better yet, post it in the Players area under the various thread made to contact the judges.

We've done what we can with the place. The Future, is up to you.