How might Nerima change?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

By the way, if it ever says that a new post has been made to this topic, but when you click on it you get a screen saying no posts exist, that means it's suffering a "hiccup"; go to Fic Research and click on the second last page number (say, it says there's 21 pages; click on page 21); the new post will be the bottommost one on that page. It happens sometimes, but I don't know why.

[Heaven's Deamon]

I'm back and most of the stuff sounds pretty good.

Um, Spaceknight, look at my descriptions again, I said I envisioned him as someone who makes openings, and does everything he can to avoid hits, so he WOULD have high evasion and use things like shuriken and caltrops.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

So what stuff don't you like the sound of or think needs alterations?

And chalk that up to me not paying full attention I guess; I must have misread your ideas about Hiromasa so that he ended up being a kind of "one hit wonder" in my mind's eye- if he doesn't take his opponent down before they can strike back, he loses, and thus he relies on stealth.

And just going off topic for a second... Gideon, you remember those various fic ideas I showed you that exist as topics in the Ideas subforum here? Well, I just wanted to let you know that I've decided to cancel the "Ranma & Ukyo in a spacehulk" one- I've just lost interest in it and I don't think I can make it work anyway. As the beauty of a forum compared to MSN is it's possible to have multiple conversations at once, if you want to drop by the "Ranma the Champion" ( http://www.fukufics.com/viewtopic.php?t=2719 ) or "Datesim Ranma" ( http://www.fukufics.com/viewtopic.php?t=2798 ) topics to discuss them as well, I'd be glad to do so. By the way, speaking of fics (and I should hopefully be buying my new computer at last sometime this week), do you remember the "outline" of future chapter plots we came up with for A Different Route Take? Chapters 20 and on?

[Gideon020]

The Nodachi is the Japanese equivalent to a two-handed sword and is essentially a larger, longer Katana designed not just to cut but shatter bone with proper application of force while requiring skill to wield properly. The name Hiromasa stands for broad-minded and just so I thought it would work out well considering his 'white knight' tendency to help people in need.

As for ADRT's plot summaries, I'll need to check my MSN logs if you want me to send them to you.

Anyway, shuriken, smoke charges and caltrops are some of the ninja tools that would be used to aid in a fight, but what else do you guys think would he have? A backup weapon? some unique ninja-only techniques?

[Heaven's Deamon]

I think he might have one or two backup weapons incase he gets disarmed or his primary one is ill suited to the situation. (such as being in a confined space where an enemy can easily get in his guard) Something like a Polearm for longrange, a sword for mid to short range, and somehting like Tonfa or Tiger Claws for really close range......(note that when I say range I'm reffering to melee perspective)

[Gideon020]

Okay, so a Naginata, a short sword and a set of claws/knuckle dusters or perhaps trench knives(combat knives with a knuckle duster for a hand guard) for weapons at all ranges to back up the Nodachi. If that sounds right to you then perhaps we could work out whether this guy has any special techniques.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Well, so far, the other ones we done up (well, bar Marumaru -who is exempt on grounds he's a tech-guy, not a fighter- and his ninja henchgirl anyway) have them, so it's only fair to give Hiromasa some. Now then, what could they be? One idea for a technique that came to me when I first thought him up was a pretty radical utilisation of ki warps; he basically opens a "hole" in one spot and links it to a second "hole" placed elsewhere, which basically lets him teleport by stepping through this "doorway". Of course, that's a very advanced technique- his equivalent of the Moko Takabisha, or even the Senkens.

[Gideon020]

Yes, that sounds pretty good actually for Hiromasa's best technique so perhaps one of the lower level techniques is one that obscures Hiromasa visually, making him and his weapons a literal blur. It doesn't increase speed but instead makes it difficult to accurately hit him since he appears more like a human-shaped mist. How does that sound?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Yes... sounds interesting. Perhaps his other techniques would be along similar lines?
*"Blurring" a weapon in the same fashion so that it's harder to deflect/dodge
*Opening small ki warps in the area an opponent is striking so that the blow gets "swallowed" and thus causes no damage
*A more advanced version of the above would actually 'reflect' the attack, so that his opponent is the one who gets hurt
*Perhaps a "illusion copy" technique, most likely after he and Yemon reconcile (see "Splitting Cat Hairs"

That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but you get the drift.

[Heaven's Deamon]

Maybe a "prototype" of his teleport that lets him stick his weapon into a warp causing it to come out within his opponents guard, with a slight weakness in that it can only be used for stabbing attacks, so if an opponent anticipates it it becomes easy to dodge......

[Gideon020]

Hmm, that prototype sounds good. So he warps the blade past the opponent's guard, yeah that sounds nice and sneaky and coupled with the weapon blur it would serve to keep an opponent, even one who anticipates it on their toes since a blurred weapon is more difficult to gauge in terms of length.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Okay, any more ideas, or do we just stick him with these few for now and explain the relative lack as being due to the sheer difficulty of actually designing/developing them?

Also, any ideas for technique names? And, once we're done with this character (which we'll do by completing his list of special techniqes), which one shall we move onto next? Sakuya Gosunkugi, one of the other Hibiki-Tendo children, Okkuu (Yemon's familiar), "the trio" (those three girls who've basically taken Kuno's place as Furinkan's chief bully and martial arts doormat) or the yokai assassin out to get Okkuu?

Oh, and by the way: I paid for my D&D books yesterday afternoon, so that means they'll arrive at my house on the coming thursday/friday... that's 5th/6th of June in Australia. Given that, we should be able to finalise Lifen at last.

[Gideon020]

Hmm, would these work as technique names?

-Body Mirage
-Mirage Blade
-Barrier Warp
-Mirror Warp
-Mirage Clone
-Blade Warp
-Mirage Door

What do you think?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

They look good to me, though which one is tied to which technique escapes me at first glance. So, who shall we tackle now? Go over Sakuya or Okkuu, or try our hands at one of the characters who's received little-to-no detail?

Hmm... actually, do you two want me to try my hands at a "relationship chart" so we can keep track of who feels what for who so far?

[Gideon020]

Actually, a relationship chart might be pretty handy, that way we don't mix up who should be enemies and who are friends/rivals and the like.

As for who to do next, perhaps we take care of Sakuya next.