T2 is a style of combat which favors speed over power, and rewards basic fighting instead of complex attacks and defenses.
There are two common sorts of T2, 4-4-2 and 7-10-7. These numbers are MINIMUM word counts. The first (4 or 7) is the number of words to successfully launch an attack, prepare a weapon or spell, or do a little something extra to your opponent. The second
number (4 or 10) is the number of words required to show the effects of your attack. This is the line that deals damage. The final number (2 or 7) is the number of words required to dodge an attack.
There are some basic rules which apply to all types of cyber combat, and should always be followed. Don't try and circumvent these rules, you will get caught, eventually.
1. No emotes, auto, hot keys or pre-typed lines. No copy/pasting, no voice programs, no telepathic Jedi mind trick with your computer. The basis of T2 is typing speed, and therefore you need to type everything out completely.
2. Only one action per line. You can only do one thing at a time, and your opponent needs at least a slim chance to react to it.
3. Make sure you're doing an action! In Yahoo! and Cheetah Chat, you preform an action by putting a colon at the beginning of your line, to remove the word "says" from behind your name. That colon is the difference between saying you're
going to kick someone's butt, and actually kicking their butt.
4. You need to hit someone five times to kill them. The fifth hit may be the death blow, but you have to land five blows.
Actual fighting:
The sequence is simple. First, you make it plain who you're attacking. Second, you prepare a weapon, start casting a spell, flex your claws... something. (Note, this preperation line must be at least 4 words long.) Then, you either move close enough to strike your opponent,
or you fire from long range. This attack is the initiating sequence. After you've typed in your attack line and hit [enter], you want to get your damage line in as fast as possible, before the opponent dodges. This is where the dodge part comes in. After an attack line, but BEFORE
the connection line, you can put in a dodge line. If you dodge, a normal attack has no effect on you. You can use more than the required number of words to dodge, to improve your chances of evading the effects of the attack.
Really, this fighting is pretty simple. However, it takes alot of practice to get good at it, and there are always some tricks to worry about. For instance
Flying. Some denizens of cyberspace can fly. Demons, angels, and dragons are the most obvious, because they have wings. Also, some vampires. and a couple of the odd beings can also fly. If an opponent can fly, and so can you, then you only need to worry about doding on
all three physical planes, instead of just the normal two. If you can't fly, but your opponent can, then you'll most likely need a ranged weapon of some sort to continue your attacks. (Hint: throwing beer mugs and bar stools can be alot of fun.) If you don't have a ranged weapon,
the you need to be patient and wait for your opponent to attack you. Dragons are just scary, because they can fly out of your range, but continue to attack from a distance with their breath weapons. Sometimes, it's just not enough to be an archangel.
Poison. Poison sucks. Your opponent really only needs to hit you four times, because the poison will stay in your system and deal one more blow, probably the one that kills you. When you attack, or are attacked, with poison, an additonal 4 (or 10) word line must follow the connection line,
which means 3 lines from the attacker all before the target dodges. The poison line should be something about injecting poison into the victim.
Paralysis. Sometimes, dealing with the undead is just rough. Sure, they smell bad and look ugly, but a Ghoul, Ghast, or Lich can paralyze you with a single touch. Just like poison, this paraytic effect needs to be done through an additional connection line. The problem with being paralyzed is
that you just can't move. No more dodging, no more melee attacks, you're just a fish in a barrel. So, unless you have psionics or magical rings, amulets or talismans which can be activated with a simple thought, you could be dead before you know it. However, this paralysis only lasts for the combat equivalent of
6 posted lines by your opponent. That's 3 melee attacks, or one attack and one spell. You might actually get to fight again, unless one of those attacks is a second paralytic attack...
Magic. The standard RPGs all deal with magic in some sort or other. For wizards and clerics, you must make 4 posts of at least 4 words each. Those using blood magic must also use the 4 post, 4 word minimum restriction, but have different prepatory lines. I'll leave the specifics up to you. Generally, healing spells
remove one hit or one effect of combat, damaging spells count as one hit, and speed-effecting spells either reduce the number of words you need to produce an action by 1 word per post, or increase the number of words an opponent needs to complete an action by one word per post. To dodge the attack of an invisible opponent,
you need to use twice the normal number of words to dodge. But keep in mind, there are alot of creatures who can see into multiple visual spectrums, or who have enhanced hearing or scent capabilities, to your invisibility may be negated. Oh yeah, and some undead, most angels and demons, and very old dragons are
immune to certain types or levels of spells. So beware of magic resistance.
Magic items. To use a magic item, you need to prepare it, then activate it, and then produce the effect. The more common items, such as magic weapons, amulates, or rings, are always active. Most adventurers carry around magic weapons, so the 3rd Edition D&D's idea of damage reduction is essentially useless, because most
people you'll fight are able to negate it anyway. And if magic causes or allows you to travel through planes, just remember that you need to be on the same plane as your target in order to physically harm your target.
Other things you'll want to know:
* When you're killed, the general population will put your ID on ignore. So either have someone resurrect you, or make a new character.
* It's bad form to gang up on someone, but it does happen. If you find youself facing too many fighters, try and run away.
* If your computer freezes during a fight, the actions of your opponent still count. Like having a rifle jam in a real war, the enemy won't wait for your problem to be fixed.
* If you're away from your computer when the fight starts, then nothing counts. The point of having rules is that people can fight, and one person can defend him or herself from an attacker. Rules are written to be obeyed.
