The following came from ~Name Edited~"how-to" guide. VERY good thoughts, I think. I hope others will be grateful for this. Shay usually frequents in “The Castle” and is one of the best rpers I have ever come across.
Combat is fun. At least, for a lot of role-players among us. The chance to demonstrate your superior skill is something most of us will never get in real life. That’s why it’s done so much in role playing games. But, combat can be very frustrating and unsatisfactory when the players involved have little or no idea what they’re doing. That’s why this list of things to keep in mind when going into a fight.
Before beginning combat, either talk the fight through with your opponent or appoint a neutral observer to decide the victor. It's often a good idea to establish the winner OOC before the fight begins. This will make the fight smooth and enjoyable for all role-players present. I know this kind of preparation is rare, and spoils some of the fun of a fight, consider doing it anyway. It can save you and your opponent al ot of arguments.
Be prepared to have your character die. If not, make very sure you’ll never get into a fight. I know, it can be quite frustrating to find a character that you’ve spent months, maybe years on creating and perfecting, suddenly under attack by another character that you know will kick your ass. Not fun, but sometimes unavoidable.
Players that aren’t prepared to have their characters die will often spoil the fight by simply ignoring attack-posts against him/her, or inventing super-defenses or one-post-kill attacks. This will frustrate a lot of other players, and most likely cause a "You’re dead" – "No, I’m not" discussion.
When someone posts an attack against you know you can't dodge, avoid or survive, don't invent some super-action in order to keep your character alive. Accepting defeat comes with the game. Yes, you'll probably lose a character, and that will most likely ruin your day. But, you will also earn respect from a lot of other players.
Take turns posting actions. Do not post three or four attacks in a row when your opponent yet has to reply to your first attack. Give them the chance to reply and counter your actions.
Don’t throw yourself into a fight without knowing who or what. Be prepared. Don't interfere with the fights of other people when not specifically asked. That is often not appreciated.
Be a little realistic in the use of weapons.
Don’t invent weapons during the fight. If you weren’t carrying a Howitzer when you came in, you’re not supposed to use one in the fight.
Accept damage. In a fight, people get hurt. Remember, most of the time you’re fighting super-powered semi-immortal beings, who know how to fight. And, taking hits earns you a lot more respect than simply dodging everything thrown at you. Taking a hit doesn't mean you're losing. It means you have a sense of realism.
Also, let the defender determine the damage done by an attack. Do not assume that your attack struck home, but allow your opponent to decide how effective the attack was.
Accept a valid counter to your actions. If you shoot someone in the chest, and your opponent counters by saying he’s wearing a bullet-proof vest, don’t just say "Well, my bullets were armor-piercing, so you’re dead!". No, you just have to find another way to take him down (for instance, reload your gun with a clip carrying armor-piercing rounds).
Try to avoid a fight between players of different game-systems. Often spells, items and actions perfectly valid in one game-system have no acceptable counterpart in another system.
I know it can be fun to ‘gang-up’ on someone, but this is not quite fair. The target has to respond to a lot of posts in a short amount of time, and sometimes simply cannot respond to all posts. This will provoke the well-known and all-hated "I hit you" - "No, you didn’t" discussion. And, a one-on-one battle is often much more appreciated than random carnage.
When using magic, describe the spell / magic item used. I doubt there is a person on this planet that knows all RPG spells and magical items. So let your opponent know what effect it will have on him/her.
Don’t fight God Characters. These characters should be ignored, not fought. They are no fun to fight, because they are often indestructible, or able to come back from death indefinitely, or have some superpowermegavaporize spell that kills in one post. Ignore them, they’re not worthy of your attention.
And remember, it's (only) role-playing. It's a game people are supposed to enjoy playing. Fun for all is what the L2 Colony is essentially all about.