Discuss SBC Backstage

[Gavin]

[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=Black][SIZE="4"][CENTER][B]SHINOBI BATTLE CONFEDERATION[/B][/SIZE] [SIZE="2"][I]Fight with Honour, Fight with Courage, Fight with Heart.[/I][/SIZE][/CENTER] [LEFT][SIZE="1"]In the old stories, they talk about the shinobi and the Hidden Villages. I don't really know how old the stories are, they've been passed down for so long, through so many generations at this point that a lot of the stuff is dismissed as myths or legends, at least, for the most part... The part everyone agrees on, the part which has never changed through it's countless reiterations, is that because of the Hidden Villages our world was nearly destroyed. You can still see the damage if you look hard enough, remnants of old towns and cities, ruins swallowed up by time and nature, as if the planet just wanted to forget they ever existed in the first place. Maybe it?s better this way. Some knowledge, some bloodlines are just too dangerous to be allowed to continue, at least, that?s what we?ve come to accept. How many people died in the conflict ? Nobody knows for sure, estimates vary wildly from thousands to tens of millions and there?s not a whole lot of evidence to prove either side right. It?s sad I think, that so many people could have died and we don?t even know for sure if they existed at all or not Ordinary people never knew what was happening they say, who they are, I don?t really know either, it?s just what people say. They say that the shinobi had become so enamoured by their own power that they stopped thinking in terms of right and wrong, and that some terrible, evil people came about because of it. Some names not even history can wash away completely, they live on in our memories, and the nightmares of children to this day. Pein... How true that last part is depends very much on who you ask. Plenty of people will say that all the shinobi were out for themselves, that even if it was another shinobi who defeated Pein in the end, it wasn?t because he was a good guy or anything, but because Pein was just in his way. But for every one of those people, someone else will more than willingly tell you the opposite, that the man who finally stopped Pein did it for everybody?s sake, not just for himself or his village, but because he was a hero, and because it was the right thing to do. I have to admit, I like the latter explanation myself. I think it makes more sense. People tend to forget with these stories that the shinobi were just like us too, just normal people, well, as normal as folk who can do that kinds of things the shinobi could do can be. What I mean is that, by thinking of them as all the same, you?re pretending they weren?t real people, that they each didn?t have their own reasons for fighting, their own ways, or wills, and I don?t believe that can be true for even a moment. But I guess maybe my view on the matter is coloured a bit. After the war, and really, we call it a war because the level of damage makes us assume it was a war, we really don?t know for sure what Pein did, or how the hero stopped him. Anyway, after it, the people who were left decided that concepts like ?Great Nations? or ?Hidden Villages? were too dangerous to keep around. Maps were redrawn, borders abolished, as much out of necessity as nobility. People needed to trade with each other to survive, water, food, clothes, everyone had something everyone else needed, so you couldn?t try to shut yourself in. Progress back was slow. Judging from the ruins, it?s been hundreds of years maybe, again nobody has facts or dates to be sure. Towns and cities are back, roads and railways, radio and TV. I guess it has to be similar to what things were like back then, maybe a bit different because cultures aren?t so separate and defined. Most people go about their daily life without thinking about history, there?s no point, we can?t change the past, but we can try to make sure it doesn?t happen again in the future. This may come as a shock to you, but even the shinobi are back. Well, they never really left I guess, some of them survived the war, and they just tried to fight back into society. Not too many people were keen to have shinobi around then, they were considered a bad omen, so they took to wandering mostly. A few became bandits and starting causing trouble, then people offered money to other wandering shinobi to get rid of them like they used to. As I said though, people weren?t eager to have shinobi around, often they did the job, took their money and left. They say somewhere along the line, some businessman was in a tea-house somewhere when some shinobi started fighting. Again, yeah, there?s a lot of vagueness there, because there?s a hundred different stories. So, this businessman see the shinobi fighting, and something clicks in his mind, he?s terrified by what he sees, but he?s also pretty excited at the same time. Afterwards he approached the survivors and offered to employ them. Obviously they assumed he wanted bodyguards and they start naming their terms, but then he tells them his idea, he wants to turn the shinobi into professional fighters. Men and women who?ll fight for their own glory, and their own income more importantly in matches against other shinobi for the entertainment of people. Now, maybe he was lucky, because I imagine saying something like that might have caused a particularly honour sensitive shinobi to take offence to the idea of his way of life being transformed into a form of entertainment, or maybe it was because not scraping by for a living appealed to the remaining shinobi. Whatever the truth of the matter was, before anyone realised it, the Shinobi Battle Confederation had been established and was drawing crowds in by the hundreds in the towns and cities where they held matches. Things were a little rougher and a whole lot tougher then, you didn?t have the different divisions because there weren?t enough people, sponsors were rare and reserved for only the best, which further polarised battles to one side, and a lot of matches ended with someone getting killed, either by accident, or because one of the competitors took things too far. To remedy things, and really, to keep the fledgling SBC from imploding under it?s own weight, the SBC board decided to introduce the current regulations and divisions. But more than that, they offered a lot of money to their most skilled members to train kids at special schools the SBC had set up across the world. I guess they?re sort of the spiritual successors to the old academies of the Hidden Villages, though because they?re all run by the SBC, I guess the academies are more friendly with one another, although there are still some rivalries. The SBC has been running about a century at this point, although not a lot has changed between now and then. Successful graduates still go on and enter the league, either joining teams or competing individually in the different divisions. There?s a lot more sponsors now, and businesses specialising in supplying to competitors is common, although the elite still have the pick of the best. I guess this is where I come in, my name?s Tetsuhiko and it?s my first year in the SBC league. Heh, I know, I?ll bet you?re trying to work out how biased the history lesson I just gave you actually is, but truthfully, I tried to be as honest as possible. I?m in Division-C, which is pretty good for an Academy graduate in their first year, though, there are of course people who?ve graduated higher than me, but plenty of people who started out in the D too. I?m not part of a team yet, mainly because teams are either formed back in the academies from groups of friends, or you get an invite once you?ve impressed a team who?re looking for members enough. For someone green like me, that?s a while away yet. My goals ? Make enough money to live comfortably, maybe earn myself a decent reputation at the same time. Find a decent woman to settle down with afterwards, raise a bunch of kids and die a happy old man. Anyway, I?ve got to go, I?ve got a few interviews for sponsorship deals that look promising. Thanks for listening so patiently, I hope I?ve been a help to you. ||||| Well now, welcome to my latest RPG. As you might have guessed, this is a Naruto RPG, although you only need a really basic understanding of the series to take part, actually, I suppose, this has more in common with Zoids: New Century Zero than it does with Naruto, at least plot wise. As you might imagine, in this, you?re going to be playing a member of the SBC like Tetsuhiko, though whether or not you're a new competitor like him, or an older more veteran one is up to you, though I will be deciding on the actual divisions people are placed in, because otherwise we're just going to end up with a bunch of S-Ranked players, which would be a little dull. I suppose before I go any further, I'll need to give more info on a few things. Some might be unnecessary for the majority of the RPG. [u][b]The World[/b][/u] At the moment, the world is pretty similar to the world of Naruto, with the exception of course that the Hidden Villages are all gone, and the old nations don't exist any more. Population wise, there's about forty or fifty million people, about three-quarters of which are urbanised in the planet's major five major cities and twelve towns. The other twelve million are spread out between them in the countryside in small villages and farms. Government is democratic, at least in intention. To be able to get into politics you need to be fairly well off and have connections, so it's not as if anyone can just walk in with good intentions and get elected. Elections take place every four years for the two hundred seats of the Ministry, which then among themselves elect the Prime Minister by a majority vote, who then choose his Ministers to run the different national departments. The current Prime Minister is Iwamatsu Makoto, a big fan of the SBC and a popular ruler among the people. Currency, the Zen, although it's got a few nicknames too is made up on notes and coins of a roughly similar denomination to actual major currencies, like the Euro or the Dollar. Zen comes in note denominations of 5 to 500, with coins making up the smaller values. In appearance, Zen notes are a pale gold with the value marked at the corners while Zen coins are silver with the value marked in the centre. However, due to the inordinate amount of money that passes between the major corporations, various credit and electronic systems are also very commonplace. [U][B]Sponsors[/B][/U] These guys are really important, as much the lifeblood of the SBC League as the Shinobi themselves, as they keep the guys in the extra income they need to try and get an edge over their competition with better swords, armours, jutsu, training whatever. Without the sponsors, a lot of people wouldn't be able to keep competing, because SBC pay isn't what you'd call excessive. The sponsors themselves can take a lot of shapes, but usually they have some tie to the SBC that makes the cost of sponsoring their fighter worth it. Major corporations make it their business to sponsor the best, or to find the up-and-coming and get them before their competitors can do the same. Smaller businesses usually sponsor people from their own area, as they can't really match the spending power of the bigger companies. This is by far the most common way of getting sponsorship though. Of course, you don't have to have a sponsor, if you're wealthy enough, you can forgo the whole thing and just spend your own money to do it. But not a lot of people can afford to do that in the upper divisions where the price of a good blade really does make a difference. One of the most enforced rules of sponsorship in the SBC however is that no corporation may sponsor any more than one person or team per division, to prevent any chance of sponsors unduly influencing League matches. [u][b]The Corporations[/u][/b] Spoken a bit about these guys under sponsors, but they have a lot of importance in pretty much every aspect of the world. Most people in the cities and towns are employed by the various companies, or if they?re not, then they have some kind of a business relationship with them. Larger corporations, made up of several sub-divided companies have come to wield significant political power due to their economic clout, case in point, Iwamatsu-san was a previous director of the board of Nakatomi Bank before entering politics. The darker side ? Rumours persist that in exchange for sponsorship in the SBC League, many shinobi have conducted missions for their sponsor company against rivals. Although this has never been proven, many people would be quick to point out that the very essence of a shinobi is not to get caught while performing such espionage. The following companies have the biggest influence in the SBC, either through sponsorship, or as major suppliers to the shinobi themselves: [list][*][size=1][font=verdana][b]Tensho Corporation[/b] - Specialises in manufacturing weapons for the SBC. Holds a neutral stance within the League, sponsoring nobody. It?s master smiths are known to be able to produce blades which have proven almost unbreakable, the only known breakage occurring in an Division-S final between two of their best swords. It?s range and prices run throughout the length of divisions, although obviously it?s highest quality products are found in the higher divisions.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana][b]Koukawa Breweries[/b] - One of the best known sponsors of the SBC, it is the current sponsor of SBC Division-S champion Ishikawa Hideki, as well as sponsoring several other highly ranked contenders in the other divisions. It?s drinks, particularly it?s sake range, is a world-wide favourite, though the company itself is diversified into many different business sectors. [/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana][b]Suzuki Communications[/b] - Specialising in broadcasting, communications and media, as well as postal and delivery services, Suzuki is responsible for televising the SBC's matches, as well as interviewing it's more famous competitors through it's various means. A highly successful company, Suzuki sponsors no less than nine different League teams and individuals, though it has yet to take the prized spot of S-Rank Champion away from it's rivals.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana][B]Ichiraku Enterprises[/b] - Ichiraku is something of a treasure to the SBC, because of Ichiraku's proven link to the Hidden Village of Konoha with it's ancestor ramen restaurant. These days, Ichiraku is one of the major players in the medical and humanitarian sector, owning several city hospitals, dozens of medical centres, research sub-divisions and involved heavily in reclamation and rejuvenation projects around the world. Current Ichiraku sponsors the current A-Division Team and Individual champions, as well as providing cheap medical services to all SBC competitors.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana][b]Yamashita Industries[/b] - Nicknamed the Iron Giant for it's foundation in heavy mining, which is still the company's biggest source of income. Yamashita has a symbiotic relationship with Tensho in that it supplies the latter with it's highest quality refined ore in return for lowered priced Tensho products which it then supplies to it's sponsored shinobi. This has allowed Yamashita to advance it's shinobi through the ranks more quickly than it's rivals.[/size][/font][/list] [u][b]The SBC League[/b][/u] Governed by the SBC, the League is sub-divided into five divisions named after the old shinobi mission ranks, D, C, B, A and S in which shinobi compete for prestige and financial reward. Divisions are themselves sub-divided further into team and individual competition, of which members of the latter compete in trios in the former. More detailed information can be found under the following headings. [b]The Shinobi[/b] To actually enter the SBC League, one must either qualify from an SBC run shinobi academy or one must apply directly to the SBC to be considered as a candidate and accepted or denied based on performance in a SBC standardised test of rudimentary shinobi skills, this is however a rare occurrence and the vast majority of shinobi come from academies. Based on one?s performance in the final academy exam and the judgement of the academy master, a shinobi will enter the SBC League in a particular division based on their skills. Shinobi are assessed on five major points of skill, or the five primary jutsu as they?re also known. [list][*][size=1][font=verdana]Taijutsu - Unarmed or hand-to-hand fighting techniques.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana]Ninjutsu - Use of moulded chakra and hand-seals.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana]Genjutsu - Illusionary techniques.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana]Zanjutsu - Use of bladed weapons, such as kunai or swords.[/size][/font] [*][size=1][font=verdana]Shunjutsu - Agility, speed and movement techniques, such as shunshin no jutsu.[/size][/font][/list] Summoning and sealing techniques are not unusual, but considered as failing outside of the five main jutsu and subject to personal development if desired, same to be said for medical jutsu. Most shinobi in the higher divisions, typically high B, A and S master each of the five areas, with S-ranked shinobi often mastering nearly if not all five for combat. Kekkai Genkai or Bloodline Limits are believed not to have survived the war, either as a result of the families being killed off during the war, killed after the war, or choosing to seal away their Kekkai Genkai permanently after the war to fit in with society again. Rumours do exist of those who continue to wield Kekkai Genkai, but they occur only very rarely and have never been proven. [b]Matches[/b] SBC matches are relatively straight-forward affairs, although their effect on rankings in the league are anything but straight forward. Matches are always one on one, regardless of whether or not a match is between individuals or teams. Victories are decided at the behest of SBC referees, usually highly skilled retired-shinobi based on knocking out their opponent, or otherwise leaving them unable to continue fighting. The last part has led to some shinobi assuming that the death of an opponent is an acceptable method of ending a match, doing so purposefully however has resulted in severe penalisation or expulsion from the League. Matches are themselves arranged by the SBC particular to a shinobi?s skill and division with a two advanced notice to both participants of the venue and their opponent. Most shinobi use this time to train and study their opponent. Usually a shinobi will receive no more than one match a month. [b]Teams[/b] Teams are relatively new to the SBC, having only entered the League about ten years ago. Made up of three individuals, along usually with a ?Taicho? or Team Captain who oversees the training and development of the team and acts as a go-between for the team and the SBC. Proponents of teams believe that not only does this lend more legitimacy to the SBC in mirroring Genin training, but improves the quality of the shinobi produced within the divisions. Opponents however present the opposite argument stating that teams are usually made up of several already highly skilled individuals and that those who are not in teams face a disadvantage at not having the extra training and mentoring of a Taicho in individual division matches. Team competition occurs within normal divisions based on the average skill of the three-person team. Matches are conducted one on one between members of opposing teams, with winner by majority of victories [2/3 or 3/3]. Competing in teams has become very popular in the SBC, with most divisions having several teams in competition with one another. S-Division is something of an oddity in that it does not have teams, this is because usually by the time a team reaches S-Rank, it?s individual shinobi no longer need the benefits of team-membership. Financially for the shinobi involved, being on a team is a very good thing, as successful teams are quite publicised within the media, leading to usually more sponsorship deals to choose from. [b]Divisions[/b] [INDENT][B]D[/B] - The starting point for the majority of shinobi, and the third largest division after the B and C divisions respectively. It's competitors are characterised by young men and woman aged between 15 and 18 usually with still developing skill. Division D is also referred to as the ?tumble polisher?, due to many of it's youngest shinobi learning the difference between academy and league life through bruises. [B]Current Individual Champion:[/B] Yoshida Mai. [B]Current Team Champions:[/B] Great Wave of the Future. [B]C[/B] - Although being the second most populated division, the C is something nobody aspires to spend their career in. D it?s reasoned has the least skill due to the rawness of it?s members, and thus at least retains some semblance of respect. C-Division has no such luck and thus is home to the fiercest competition of the five Divisions in the hope of advancing to the B. Many combatants aim to spend as little time in the C as possible, and as such, shinobi typically spend between one and two years in the division, which in the lifetime of their career is quite little. [B]Current Individual Champion:[/B] Katsumoto Jidanbou. [B]Current Team Champions:[/B] The White Eagles. [B]B[/B] - The largest of the five divisions, B is home to mid-level fighters of various ages and disciplines. Some fighters careers only reach this point, while future S-Ranked shinobi are often categorised by starting in the Division. [B]Current Individual Champion:[/B] Ogawa Kimiko. [B]Current Team Champions:[/B] Koukawa Dragons. [B]A[/B]- Qualifying to the A-Division is an achievement not to be snuffed at. Although it lacks the overall status of the S-Division, A is still home to some very skilled shinobi. The majority of academy instructors and referees for the SBC come from here, having spent usually many years honing and improving their skills to their peak within this highly competitive Division. [B]Current Individual Champion:[/B] Miyamoto Akira [B]Current Team Champions:[/B] Konoha's Pride. [B]S[/B] - The elite of the league, S-ranked shinobi are by far the smallest division, but doubtlessly the most prestigious, even reaching Division S is enough to secure the celebrity of many competitors to the end of their days. One of the most important traditions of the S-Division, something believed to have been revived from the ancient shinobi is that on entering the S-Division, a competitor will be given a new name or title to be used in addition to or instead of their own name reflecting that particular shinobi?s skills. For example, the title of the current champion, Ishikawa Hideki is [I]Suijin[/I] or [I]Water God[/I], reflecting his mastery of Suiton-style jutsu. [B]Current Individual Champion and SBC League Champion:[/B] Ishikawa Hideki[/INDENT] [b]Advancement Through Divisions[/b] When the SBC was first set up, nobody could have envisaged the difficulty that would come about not from competitions within the League, but in actually managing the movement of shinobi between divisions, needless to say, even a century later, there are still some kinks to be worked out before the system is completely streamlined. Current, when a shinobi enters a particular division, they are given a divisional ranking relative to their position in the division against it?s current champion who holds the number one ranking. This ranking along with the SBC-issued ID number of the shinobi enables the SBC to arrange matches according to a shinobi?s level of skill, as well record his/her victories and defeats and issue higher ranks accordingly. Actually advancing between Divisions is a difficult process and is not as simply as just beating the current divisional champion, although that is a prerequisite. To move into a higher division, a shinobi must compete to the point where they are ranked high enough in a division to face the champion in a sanctioned match authorised by the SBC itself. If the shinobi is successful in defeating the champion, their skills are then assessed against the standards required for the next division, if these are acceptable, the shinobi moves on into the next division and is issued a new divisional ranking. However, and this is where things get even more complicated, if a shinobi?s skills are not up to the par of the next division, they are required to fight the champion again and if successful in defeating them for a second time, the shinobi will become the new divisional champion. After this, they must fight at least five matches as champion before being assessed again for advancement. Of course if they fail to defeat the champion the second time around, their ranking is changed to reflect their standing in the division and they must wait for another match against the champion to try to advance again. Of course defeating a champion is no simple matter, they?re divisional champions for a reason, and thus the majority of advancements between divisions are by champions, though there are a minority who have advanced through sheer skill alone without being champions. Many would comment that the best way to get into a higher division is probably just to qualify into it after the academy. Relegation from divisions is uncommon, but not unheard of. Shinobi who suffer a string of successive defeats in the lower portions of one division may be subject to further evaluation after which a decision may be taken to demote the shinobi back down to a lower league. ||||| [b][u]Main Players[/u][/b] [b]Gavin[/b] as [i]Hasegawa Daisuke[/i] Class A, Team Captain [b]Darren[/b] as [i]Shimizu Sayuri[/i] Class B, Team Strategist [b]Keblade Wielder[/b] as [i]Inoue Miku[/i] Class C, Team Member [b]Zero Sephiroth[/b] as [i]Hayashi Yoshirou[/i] Class C, Team Member I've left in the story and the other info for obvious reasons, I'll also be adding more, as I forgot to write stuff about the cities and towns. We'll also keep a record of battles fought for story-telling purposes. Anyway, any other questions people have, please post them here so everyone can see them. Again thanks for getting involved, I hope you all have a good time.[/LEFT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Darren]

Neat. I'm stoked about this entire RP.
I've wanted a Naruto RPG for quite some time, and this concept is certainly amazing. I can't wait!

[Gavin]

[quote name='Darren']Neat. I'm stoked about this entire RP.
I've wanted a Naruto RPG for quite some time, and this concept is certainly amazing. I can't wait![/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Thanks Darren, as I said, I'm looking forward to working with all you guys. I recently rewatched Zoids: New Century Zero, so it's given me a few more ideas for future plot lines, if all goes well.[/SIZE]

[Darren]

So... When's it going to start?

[Gavin]

[quote name='Darren']So... When's it going to start?[/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]Heh, sorry Darren, I've been pretty busy IRL at the moment. I should have the Theatre thread ready by or before the weekend. [/SIZE]

[Andrew]

[size=1]I'd just like to say that I've been working on the sign-up we discussed Gav and it's almost ready. Just need a little more work with my writing sample and to check it over with you and it'll be ready.

I imagine by tomorrow night or early Saturday if you're around on either of those occasions. ^_^[/size]

[Riku]

[FONT="Tahoma"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="Navy"]HAY GUYS, I LUV MY GIRLY PINK BANNER/AVI SET~!

...oh wait, you all have it too. D:

Lol anyway, Gavin, I'm so excited and can't wait as well. But, just to let you know, I'm in college right now and I only have a hand-full of time because I'm on break. By next week, I won't have much anymore.

I hope that's okay as long as I post; I know you love me. c:[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Gavin]

[quote name='Keyblade Wielder'][FONT="Tahoma"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="Navy"]HAY GUYS, I LUV MY GIRLY PINK BANNER/AVI SET~!

...oh wait, you all have it too. D:

Lol anyway, Gavin, I'm so excited and can't wait as well. But, just to let you know, I'm in college right now and I only have a hand-full of time because I'm on break. By next week, I won't have much anymore.

I hope that's okay as long as I post; I know you love me. c:[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]

[SIZE="1"]It's no problem KW, I've decided to put this RPG on a sort of break, as I've had a few different people ask me if I'd consider allowing additional players, and my own work load IRL has pretty much trebled since going back this week.

To Darren and Zero, sorry guys, I really did intend to get the main thread up by last weekend, but far too much just got in the way.[/SIZE]

[Darren]

S'okay.

I'll stay patient as long as I still get to be the team strategist. =)

[Riku]

[FONT="Tahoma"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]So, I'm kind of wondering when are we going to actually start this thing, haha.

I mean, I know Gavin must be busy, but I've been waiting for SBC to start for sooo long now.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[Zero Sephiroth]

Same.

I'm sure it'll start when Gavin has the time.

And I am here. I've just been lurking around whilst waiting for this to start.

[Gavin]

[SIZE="1"]Sorry guys, I really have been keeping you waiting over this thing.

The good news is that by tomorrow I should be finished one of the first major exams of my final year exams, which means I should have some down time coming pretty soon. Honestly I can't say exactly when I'll have the thread up, but hopefully, it should be soon, you've all been very patient and I appreciate it a lot.[/SIZE]

[Darren]

No problem, gavin...
It's not like we would kill you or anything, sheesh... hahaha....

:shifty:

[Riku]

[FONT="Tahoma"][SIZE="1"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Oh no no, it's no problem at all, Gavin, believe me.

I definitely know how college/finals/exams and how rough they can be; they take time from writing a good RP and a thread.

I'll soon have mine up as well. c:

[/sales pitch][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]