[ti]scenario[/ti]ASPER CUP: Thunder Road

Meandering around THE THUNDERWORKS were a series of metallic crossways once used to traverse the power station before its operation became run largely by machines. Since then, the concourse had been converted into a course for the most daring to compete upon. Having discovered them in recent months while on the hunt for a Ponyta, it was the perfect place for a high-octane Pokémon race. Though the thunderclouds blocked much of the locale's sunlight, lightning flashed so frequently that the course was bright as day.

Discovery> A new Scenario has been discovered! ASPER CUP: Thunder Road

Featuring right-angle turns, ramps, high jumps, and narrow passes, the course would test the mettle of anyone who challenged it, from beginner to expert. Having practiced with Raiden, his Zebstrika, on the Surge Steppes, the blonde was ready for his first truly fast run on the electric horse. And what a place to do it, against a potential field of a dozen or more racers! Releasing Raiden from his Poké Ball, Josh scurried into the saddle and spurred him into a run. His time trial would be denied by a red pop-up right in the middle of his field of vision:

Error> Light Party required. A minimum of four characters must be in your party to proceed.

Disappointed that practice would not be allowed, Josh went on global event chat in UNOVR's servers and posted the discovery of THUNDER ROAD.

I'm at the Thunderworks at the back of the Surge Steppes. There's this sick looking race track out here, and I'd love to organize a friendly Pokémon race. You have to be able to sit on your Pokémon - no carts or other vehicles! Can I get any takers? We need at least four racers for it to fire. Tagging some potentially interested parties: Altair Alicia Westfield Aero .

This thread will fulfill the requirements of entering a Pokémon race for the BOLTER subclass, while providing an experience that is intended to mirror the high-octane gameplay of a futuristic racing game such as Wipeout or F-Zero.

To prepare for the Scenario, you must register a single Pokémon that your character can ride on, whether on land or in the air. Characters actively using the SWIMMER class may enter aquatic Pokémon into the race.

Once the registration deadline has passed, your Pokémon's choices will be locked in and static; you may not upgrade mid-thread. It is strongly recommended, but not required, that your Pokémon has a move that can be reasonably used to put on a burst of speed. Such moves include, but are not limited to: moves that raise Speed, moves that raise Evasion, and Priority moves. Creativity is encouraged! If you have any questions, ping or DM RaikouRider on Discord.

The first round will not require rolling, but future rounds will. Simply post your introduction, and include your Pokémon in a SPOILER TAG in your post notes.

This Scenario is expected to last approximately eleven weeks. Expect mod posts WEEKLY when applicable. Deadlines will be strict to keep the Scenario moving. If all characters post early, I reserve the right to make a mod post prior to the deadline. The first round and the final round will be purely social rounds, while the nine rounds in between will each feature a challenge to overcome.

This Scenario will use dice rolls and mechanics that are largely independent from site systems. Using a Pokémon with higher Rarity will not impact the outcome of the race. Pokémon that can Mega Evolve or that can use a Z-Move may have a slight advantage over those that cannot.

THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE that racers could be ELIMINATED from the competition before the finish line. If your character is eliminated early, they will still be permitted to post from the sidelines, but are not required to do so to receive event participation rewards.

Signups will be open until July 8 at 11:59 PM CDT. Josh Devlin will be participating in the Scenario. If there are not at least four signups by the deadline, signups will be extended until four characters, including Josh Devlin , have registered. I will not be able to start the Scenario early, for I will be traveling out of state the week before signups close. Signups will tentatively be uncapped, but please mind your ability to post within somewhat tight deadlines. I reserve the right to ask players to limit the number of characters they sign up with if the roster gets large.

There will be no set posting order.

Please include a TL;DR in your post notes summarizing your character's important actions.

Characters that miss multiple posting rounds risk being DISQUALIFIED FROM THE RACE.

Further directions for each round of the Scenario will be listed within each mod post.

All participants will receive a strand of ZAPDOS DNA at the completion of the Scenario.

RACING MECHANICS

Please note that this section is written more in the style of a reference document. Though there is a lot here, it is meant to be comprehensive.

SPOILER: Click to show

{OVERVIEW}The ASPER CUP will be heavily using DICE ROLLS to determine outcomes. Pokémon types will have no bearing on the outcome of the race.

For each round with an Obstacle, before you post, you will need to post in the STORY MODE ROLLING THREAD with the following items:
1) The Obstacle's number (provided in the mod post)
2) Your Pokémon
3) Any actions your Pokémon is taking (Using a move, Mega Evolution, etc.)
4) The appropriate dice roll, usually 2d100

As you make your IC post, you will need provide a link to your roll in your post notes. If you make a mistake, please let me know as soon as possible, and I will compromise on a solution. Abuse of this system will lead to your character's DISQUALIFICATION WITHOUT PRIZE.

AS A DISCLAIMER: There is a lot of math behind the racing system. If you are overwhelmed by math, you do not need to worry! All math will be handled by the Moderator.

The guidelines have been designed so that players can make informed decisions and understand how the race will be moderated FAIRLY AND CONSISTENTLY. Additionally, balancing is still a work-in-progress and there may be imperfections. Data used from this race will be used to make tweaks for future races, if there is interest.

SPOILER: Click to show

{ASPER CUP GENERAL RULES}PLEASE HEED the following rules below:

- While Pokémon moves can be used in creative ways mid-race, attacking or otherwise sabotaging other racers is PROHIBITED.

- Teleportation and portals are PROHIBITED in all races.

- Pokémon that land outside the course's bounds (outside the concourse, etc.) will be DISQUALIFIED.

- Mega Evolution and Z-Moves may be used ONCE EACH during the race. You MAY NOT overlap their use.

- Moves such as Quick Attack, Agility, Double Team, etc. that raise Speed, Evasion, or otherwise could reasonably subject the user to a burst of speed MAY NOT BE USED DURING THE FIRST LAP (the first three Obstacles). These will be collectively referred to as "Boost moves".

- Racers who miss a posting round will have their rolls for the round made by the Moderator, with no Boost being used (if applicable). This roll will be completed by the Moderator in the STORY MODE ROLLING THREAD. Racers who miss a second posting round will receive a roll of 2 for that round. Racers who miss a third posting round will be DISQUALIFIED WITHOUT PRIZE.

SPOILER: Click to show

{RACING PARAMETERS}Pokémon will be ranked in three skills. Each Pokémon will have a total of 8 ranks to distribute into them, with no more than 5 ranks in any one skill. The player determines this distribution at sign-up, and can be changed at any time prior to the sign-up deadline. Once the sign-up deadline has passed, these distributions will be locked in. The three skills are listed below:

SPEED: This represents how fast a Pokémon can travel. Each rank of Speed adds 10 to all your rolls, and an additional 10 to your rolls on Speed-based Obstacles. Speed-based Obstacles will be uncommon.
ENDURANCE: This represents how well a Pokémon can navigate difficult terrain, and affects how often a Pokémon can use its Boost during a race. A Pokémon can use its Boost a number of times equal to 1 plus its Ranks in Endurance. Each rank of Endurance reduces the Target Number of Endurance-based Obstacles by 20. While Endurance-based Obstacles exist, they are typically rare.
REACTION: This represents a Pokémon’s cornering ability. Each rank of Reaction reduces the Target Number of Reaction-based Obstacles by 20. Reaction-based Obstacles will be common.

Each Pokémon will be ranked in the above three skills on a scale of E, D, C, B, A, and S, where E is the worst and S is the best. Each rank buys one letter grade.

SPOILER: Click to show

{SCORING}RACERS' POSITION WILL BE TRACKED using a Track Point system. For more details on how scoring relates to the race structure, see the section below.

AT THE END OF EVERY OBSTACLE, the Obstacle's Target Number, including modifiers from Endurance or Reaction ranks, is subtracted from the player's roll, including modifiers from Speed ranks and any Special modifiers that apply from the Obstacle itself. If the difference is a positive number, that many Track Points are added to the player's score. If this difference is negative, twice that many Track Points are deducted from the player's score. Total scores can be negative.

100 TRACK POINTS corresponds to roughly one second of time differential ICly.

SPOILER: Click to show

{BOOSTING AND GIMMICKS}Each Pokémon will be able to use Boost moves a number of times equal to its number of ranks in Endurance, plus one. (This is a change from events run on other forums using this system.)

After the first lap has been completed, Boost moves will be permitted. Please note that the use of MEGA EVOLUTION is not considered Boosting, and may be used on the first lap.

Boosting during a Speed-based Obstacle will allow the player to roll with ADVANTAGE, making four rolls instead of two and applying the two highest rolls.

Boosting during a Reaction or Endurance-based Obstacle will impose DISADVANTAGE, making four rolls instead of two and applying the two lowest rolls. If this roll still passes the Obstacle, calculations for Track Points gained will use the highest two rolls instead.

EXAMPLE: If a Pokémon with D-grade (1 rank) Speed Quick Attacks across a field full of small sinkholes with a Target Number of 90 (Endurance), and their rolls are 38, 96, 57, and 74, the Pokémon would gain 100 Track Points: 96 + 74 = 170 (roll) + 20 (Speed) - 90 (Target Number) = 100. They receive the higher rolls because applying the lower rolls -- 38 + 57 = 95 (roll) + 20 (Speed) = 115, which is greater than the Target Number of 90.

At the cost of one use of Boost, a Pokémon that can MEGA EVOLVE may do so mid-race. Mega Evolution will last for three Obstacles, and will grant the user three temporary Ranks in Speed, Endurance, and/or Reaction, divided as the user sees fit. This may cause total Ranks in a single stat to exceed 5, but not exceed 6. This may be used concurrently with a normal Boost, if the user has sufficient Boost uses available.

At the cost of two uses of Boost, a Pokémon that knows a Z-Move that can reasonably be used as an extreme burst of speed can use that Z-Move. The user will NOT roll for the current Obstacle, and instead will receive an automatic roll of 200, the maximum possible roll, for that Obstacle. A Z-Move may not be used on the first lap.

You may perform Mega Evolution and a Z-Move ONCE EACH during a race. You MAY NOT overlap their use with one another; you must wait for one to run out before using another.

SPOILER: Click to show

{RACE STRUCTURE}Each player will be required to ROLL 2d100 in the STORY MODE ROLLING THREAD and link to their roll in their IC post. The sum is noted, then modified according to the Pokémon’s skills.

EXAMPLE: if a player rolls a 60 on a post involving diving as fast as possible atop a Pokémon with S-ranked Speed, their effective roll will be 160.

At the start of the race, the Moderator will post the first course OBSTACLE: a prompt that presents a challenge for the racers to overcome. There will be one obstacle per posting round. Each obstacle will list the following information:

- TARGET NUMBER: This is the number the racers need to roll at or above to overcome the obstacle without penalty. By default, a racer will lose 2 Track Points per point the Target Number is missed by. It is uncommon, but Obstacles can have multiple Target Numbers.

EXAMPLE: A player rolls a 60 on an Obstacle with a Target Number of 80. The player will lose 40 Track Points.

- INTENDED SKILL: This is the skill that will overcome the Obstacle (Speed, Endurance, or Reaction).

- SPECIAL: Some Obstacles may favor certain kinds of Pokémon and/or carry penalties beyond loss of position. Any deviations from standard procedure while resolving Obstacles will be noted here. Conditions that risk a racer to be removed from the race completely will be marked in red.

AFTER EACH OBSTACLE, a graphic showing teams' current position, time differential, and remaining Boosts will be shown. A text-table version of the standings will also be posted for accessibility purposes.

AFTER NINE OBSTACLES, players' total Track Points will determine finishing order. Ties will be broken by a roll-off in the STORY MODE ROLLING THREAD.

SPOILER: Click to show

{SAMPLE OBSTACLE}
Prompt: The track starts out with a bang--a sharp, 135-degree left turn mere tens of meters from the starting line. The width of the turn itself makes recovering from a misjudged angle easier, but the track quickly narrows up again afterward. A guardrail on the outside keeps Pokémon from sliding off the course, but there is no such guardrail on the inside, and there’s a shallow stream that looks time-consuming for Pokémon to climb out of!

Target Number: 130 (Reaction)

Special: If the roll misses the Target Number by more than 30, an additional 2 Track Points are deducted for each point in excess of 30 the Target Number was missed by.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to RAIKOURIDER on Discord! I have been running and refining this racing system on various forums for the better part of a decade, and can answer any questions you may have.