Yet there are still reasonably skilled people around to play with like yours and my fight where we used purely kenjutsu and we was basically even matched and we both openly accepted a draw now to me that is a top tier roleplayer
Ah, sensei tests back in the day. xd
Yeah, it was probably a bit more difficult to become a sensei back then because the tester expected you to display your skill in spite of being attacked with the intent to kill. And during said tests, only canon techniques were allowed with little-to-no exceptions. I caused Nero to fail his sensei test after killing him in about one or two moves (and that was using only canon jutsu).
Honestly, a lot of the newer members should take heed of Riku's words, as he was a rather firm understanding of NarutoBase RP and its history. It's not to say that older members are better than the newer members, which is often the misconception. The main point is, however, is that us older members have experience and thus knowledge and wisdom that we can pass on to the newer generation. Claiming arrogance of those who are simply trying to set straight any misconceptions or give their input does not make you any better than the ones you are disparaging. I will elaborate.
Allow me to enunciate (or enumerate, whichever you prefer) what I believe Riku failed to properly express verbally to you, and in doing so, I will try my best to clear up common misconceptions people have about the old generation of the RP.
Firstly, the problem with the above argument is that it is built around the assumption that the older generation rely primarily on their OP customs, if they still have them, and that their customs are the primary source of their ability rather than their skill. Allow me to break this down into two simple explanations.
First of all, you seem to be forgetting that members do not suddenly obtain random abilities. Before older members were able to even acquire the customs they now have, they had to first acquire a level of skill sufficient for them to even know how to properly use such abilities. While this is a rather fundamental and seemingly inconsequential argument, it still almost always holds true no matter how strong a member may be perceived to be. One cannot rise to the top and possess mediocre skill. Spammers without natural talent for strategy and quick thinking are easily put down (and so it was in those days that they were just as easily shot down).
The second point I will iterate on the subject of the simple explanations is not actually as "simple" as I originally stated. The most important thing you must understand, however, and the fact that MANY newer members neglect during their verbal battles attacking the prospect of the NB RP system tending to favor older members, is that the "modern" (and I say modern because it is not truly modern in NB historical terms but rather forms the basis upon which the RP system today is heavily set) NarutoBase RP as we know it is over 4 years old. A good bit of the newer members that make assumptions regarding "the old days" in general terms usually make a hasty generalization, grouping a specific period of time in NarutoBase history with the rest of the old days before it and thus attribute some form of equivlance to periods of time in NarutoBase RP history that may have actually been vastly dissimilar. So, then, I will distribute NarutoBase history into several smaller periods of time and elaborate on them individually, keeping in mind that I will be paying specific attention to and putting most emphasis on periods 3 (a period which many of the older members try to ignore/forget for reasons that I will not really go into, but members who were around during that time will fully understand) and 4.
Period 1 consisted of the NarutoBase RP age from April 2008 to September 2008. Most members should understand the significance of April as a starting point as it was the month of the creation of this CURRENT site that we all religiously log on to. In the very early days of April and May, the RP was highly under development and then, formatted jutsu did not even exist in the form they do today (it would not be until either Later June that such template-based jutsu were fully incorporated into the RP system. Please do check me on this, Zanji. I'm pretty sure this is correct, but you may remember this better than me considering you were a moderator in those days). The RP, including Battle, Training, and just simple Role-Playing in general truly kicked off in during this period, however, and it was especially active from June to September (i.e. formation of military groups such as the Hidden Rain, Higure, ect.). It is during this period of time that we will have such icons as BishamonSama, Hellsbadass, Madara Uchiha, Zanji Uchiha, and Elias (otherwise known as the symbolic epitome of the original Elemental Sages) dominate the RP system. You also had other legendary members such as Shodaime, Anbu Kakashi, MOS, Tom, Bianca, Akira Hoshiko (Hisakata/Kiyoshi, whatever you want to go by), Captain Kenpachi, and even Akiza (then known as KakashiThunder). It is also around this time (and into periods 2 and even 3, to a lesser extent) that Skye and I received our training from these legends. This was perhaps the most difficult time to be a noob in the RP because the difference between newer RPers and the already-established Role-Players was so colossal, so vast, that a newbie could not possibly hope to defeat a stronger RP member, customs or no. It was either you raped in battle or you were raped in battle. No amount of skill could change that at such an early point in the RP, and it doesn't help that the top RPers were all more or less excellent strategists without their customs anyway (might I also add that there were severe restrictions on the number of customs one could possess, though customs then could be quite a bit more powerful than they are now, so the point is rather null). However, this was only the first period.
I will now move on to the second period, which consisted of the months October 2008 to March 2009. This period was rather pivotal, most specifically because it served as a transitional period--a period of experimentation involving the limits of the NarutoBase role-play system in as a whole. It was during this period that the RP continued to flourish even more-so than before, much larger scale battles and wars took place, and Battles became much more complex. Now, here is where the issue with overpowered customs comes into play. The problem will not truly escalate until period three, but for now, period 2 represented a significant growth in custom jutsu submission process, RP innovation, and creativity. It is during this period of time that you will see the rise of pivotal figures in the NarutoBase RP such as Goro, Scary Yamato, Emperor, Izuna, Raiden/Jack, Devlin, Ace, and Kyle (and later on you will get people like Gatsndshanks, Hasashi, and Liliana). These people will be trained not only by the best RPers of the day, but their main training focus will not be primarily that of simply learning techniques but rather learning HOW to use techniques. This will be the birth of a generation that revolutionizes skillful usage of jutsu on this site. Unlike many other members of other generations, their rise to power in the RP was based in skill. Pay close attention to this group, as they will form the foundations of Period 3, which is IMO the most important period in understanding the true struggle of understanding the OPness of the "old days" as so many members inaccurately term it.
Now, we move to Period 3 which I would like to place between March 2009 and September/October 2009 (though you could just as easily set the range of this period to span the entirety of 2009, depending on how you view it). This is, ultimately, the period which most newer members refer to when describing the overpowered-ness of the "old days," even though they do so unconsciously. While this period did indeed mark an era of severe OPness in CJ-making, it is also one of the most misunderstood eras of NarutoBase's RP history, which I would attribute above all to the fact that it is the period that older members steer away from in conversation, and if we do mention it, we do not do so with much specificity. It was during this period of time that NarutoBase underwent several major changes in the RP, including the systematic incorporation of Custom Elements into the RP and therefore the creation of the Custom Elements Bureau. The limits on the number of customs also increased to about 30 and all previous customs from Periods 1 and 2(?) had to be resubmitted due to the new rules and restrictions. Period 3 is when we have the ascension of the previously mentioned members from Period 2 into the ranks as the Top RPers (this period was dominated by members such as Izuna, Myself, Goro, Ace, Raiden, Devlin, and the previous Legends of Period 1). While this period did see a significant rise in the complexity of custom jutsu (the likes of which had never been seen before) and creativity and specialization overall which truly made each RPer unique and iconic in their own right, it also saw exploitation of the RP system to further the cause of creating extremely powerful RPers with ridiculously powerful arsenals. Essentially, the Top RPers became gods, capable of being beaten only by one another. In effect, there was a lock (and it will become clear why momentarily) in the bridging of the power gap between stronger members and weaker members. Why did this happen, you may ask? Simple: because of the rather controversial revolution of the NarutoBase Role-Playing System, which I was notably against, even among the moderator community, that took place during this period of time and lasted throughout a good chunk of the year 2009. In effect, the entire ranking system of the RP and in turn truly demanded the utmost skill from lower ranking members to actually advance through the ranks, along with restrictions on biographies and terms of CJ and CE submission [it is during this time that certain members will begin the trend of creating Gates rip-offs and extremely overpowered modes (i.e. Killzone lol)], and due to this system, a MINIMAL (and I do mean MINIMAL, as in no more than 20) amount of people actually retained the highest rank (Kage) in the system. This "aristocracy" essentially continued to dominate the RP and were, in effect, unstoppable. While we were the crème de la crème skillwise, a few members that were equally as skilled RPers got the shaft by being ranked lower than us. It is not to say that we did not have tons of fun, but I cannot justify the maintenance of the system during such a period of time, as it was unfair overall. So, many members who state that members from the old days possessed powerful customs are correct in this regard, but to state that we became complacent and would not have performed well enough without our customs is incorrect. Allow me to explain why. During this time, a lot of the "aristocracy" or the Top RPers became rather bored with just basic Battle Arena fights, so we started tournaments for fun, and eventually, members like Jack and Goro would initiate the idea of having canon-only battles for sport, and it became such a popular and intense practice that it evolved (or devolved, if you please) into somewhat of a blood-sport in which people were determined to prove their intellectual and strategic prowess over simple custom jutsu usage (which still require proper skill to use effectively). It even became common that custom matches were derided in place of canon-only matches, as the latter seemed much more interesting and fair overall. In the end, the philosophy was that if you were going to lose an RP battle, it would be because of your lack of skill and not because of your lack of [proper] customs. Eventually, tension grew to a devastating extent which I will not get into, as it is a VERY long story, and the Post-Ranking System returned to NarutoBase. The majority of the members of the previous "aristocracy" of Period 3 became inactive for reasons you'll have to ask around to find out.
Now then, I will go through Period 4 rather quickly, and it is the last period I will spend my time on in depth because after period 4, we enter into more or less the current RP age which has essentially lasted from 2011 to the present day (give or take a few changes, none which were big enough to truly separate certain months into distinct periods of their own). Period 4 would take place from Fall 2009 to the end of 2010. It was during this time (but not until very close to the end of 2009) that NarutoBase RP ushered in the rapid growth of the bio system. This is when we begin to have MAJOR biography upgrades and inherent special abilities attributed to each persons in the RP system (which I believe, to some extent resulted in a lack of individuality in the RP system ability-wise). It is also during this time that Medical Bios became a major prospect, Gates were possessed by nearly every prospective RPer ~_~', and the dreaded Eye Transplants were practiced (resulting in super OPed persons, including our beloved Gatsy, who is still an excellent RPer regardless of his custom abilities). The members that truly dominated this era were the new generation of Period 3, which were Hasashi, Gatsndshanks, Liliana, Ali, Caliburn, Xylon (formerly DS) Zenryoku (who revolutionized NarutoBase kenjutsu forever, bless his heart), and Crutch, along with the remaining oldies such as Goro and I. Once the eye-transplant system is removed and other bio-stacking opportunities and abilities repealed, however, NarutoBase history eventually leads into the present-day era. The issue with bios, to be honest, has not yet ended in my honest opinion, as I personally believe that bio abilities have been heavily exploited since 2010 to today, and such is not likely to end until the end of NarutoBase itself. It is a situation that I tentatively allow to continue about its business due simply to the natures of progress and time.
You may ask, then, how is it that today's system is anywhere near as lenient and opportunistic as the old days. You must, however, factor in that with each set of restrictions that currently exist on NarutoBase today, there are also many more privileges offered to the common member simply because of the progress of the Narutobase RP system and the Naruto manga itself. The old days (referring specifically to Periods 1-3), for example, did not have even 1/4 of the prospective biographies available to members today (i.e. Mei Terumi, Madara Uchiha, Darui, Raikage, Onoki, Mu, Minato, Nagato, Pain Rikudo until the late Period 3, Zetsu, ect.). All kinds of abilities are available as well, including special elements that were once almost completely inaccessible (i.e. Sound, the 4 Movie KGs, ect.). The CJ limit is also significantly greater than it was in the old days, and there are even Custom Mangekyo Sharingans to be had by members. And don't get me started on the Bijuu. I am not saying that today's system is more unfair than the system of the past, but rather I wish to convey to you all the opportunities and prospective routes which the RP system offers you in this day and age of NarutoBase, a majority of which were never even fathomable in the old days and therefore personal innovation was necessary. So, do not underestimate the older members. After all, we laid the foundation for the new generations and in many cases, we trained a whole lot of you as well as the best RPers of several other generations. Take the quote "A Tree Shall be Known by its Fruit" as example, and you will see exactly why the older generation is sufficiently confident in our ability. Believe it or not, we know what we're talking about.
Of course, all of this is subject to...well, subjectivity. However, there is no reason to complain about how difficult it is to make a name for yourself in the current RP system. Today's RP system is much easier, in my opinion, to advance in, especially since we have dedicated members who are willing to pass on their timeless wisdom and knowledge to the newer generation in hopes that they will learn from our previous mistakes and make the best of what they have now. That is all I have left to say on the matter.
This much is very true. Much of the current generation shows great promise, and the new generation of today will likely rise to be the top RPers of tomorrow.
i inpire myself U_U xd. it was an oldie that inpired me to make haku ( talking to zanji about ice got me to make the bio and then using it made me stick with it)
Ah, sensei tests back in the day. xd
Yeah, it was probably a bit more difficult to become a sensei back then because the tester expected you to display your skill in spite of being attacked with the intent to kill. And during said tests, only canon techniques were allowed with little-to-no exceptions. I caused Nero to fail his sensei test after killing him in about one or two moves (and that was using only canon jutsu).
Honestly, a lot of the newer members should take heed of Riku's words, as he was a rather firm understanding of NarutoBase RP and its history. It's not to say that older members are better than the newer members, which is often the misconception. The main point is, however, is that us older members have experience and thus knowledge and wisdom that we can pass on to the newer generation. Claiming arrogance of those who are simply trying to set straight any misconceptions or give their input does not make you any better than the ones you are disparaging. I will elaborate.
Allow me to enunciate (or enumerate, whichever you prefer) what I believe Riku failed to properly express verbally to you, and in doing so, I will try my best to clear up common misconceptions people have about the old generation of the RP.
Firstly, the problem with the above argument is that it is built around the assumption that the older generation rely primarily on their OP customs, if they still have them, and that their customs are the primary source of their ability rather than their skill. Allow me to break this down into two simple explanations.
First of all, you seem to be forgetting that members do not suddenly obtain random abilities. Before older members were able to even acquire the customs they now have, they had to first acquire a level of skill sufficient for them to even know how to properly use such abilities. While this is a rather fundamental and seemingly inconsequential argument, it still almost always holds true no matter how strong a member may be perceived to be. One cannot rise to the top and possess mediocre skill. Spammers without natural talent for strategy and quick thinking are easily put down (and so it was in those days that they were just as easily shot down).
The second point I will iterate on the subject of the simple explanations is not actually as "simple" as I originally stated. The most important thing you must understand, however, and the fact that MANY newer members neglect during their verbal battles attacking the prospect of the NB RP system tending to favor older members, is that the "modern" (and I say modern because it is not truly modern in NB historical terms but rather forms the basis upon which the RP system today is heavily set) NarutoBase RP as we know it is over 4 years old. A good bit of the newer members that make assumptions regarding "the old days" in general terms usually make a hasty generalization, grouping a specific period of time in NarutoBase history with the rest of the old days before it and thus attribute some form of equivlance to periods of time in NarutoBase RP history that may have actually been vastly dissimilar. So, then, I will distribute NarutoBase history into several smaller periods of time and elaborate on them individually, keeping in mind that I will be paying specific attention to and putting most emphasis on periods 3 (a period which many of the older members try to ignore/forget for reasons that I will not really go into, but members who were around during that time will fully understand) and 4.
Period 1 consisted of the NarutoBase RP age from April 2008 to September 2008. Most members should understand the significance of April as a starting point as it was the month of the creation of this CURRENT site that we all religiously log on to. In the very early days of April and May, the RP was highly under development and then, formatted jutsu did not even exist in the form they do today (it would not be until either Later June that such template-based jutsu were fully incorporated into the RP system. Please do check me on this, Zanji. I'm pretty sure this is correct, but you may remember this better than me considering you were a moderator in those days). The RP, including Battle, Training, and just simple Role-Playing in general truly kicked off in during this period, however, and it was especially active from June to September (i.e. formation of military groups such as the Hidden Rain, Higure, ect.). It is during this period of time that we will have such icons as BishamonSama, Hellsbadass, Madara Uchiha, Zanji Uchiha, and Elias (otherwise known as the symbolic epitome of the original Elemental Sages) dominate the RP system. You also had other legendary members such as Shodaime, Anbu Kakashi, MOS, Tom, Bianca, Akira Hoshiko (Hisakata/Kiyoshi, whatever you want to go by), Captain Kenpachi, and even Akiza (then known as KakashiThunder). It is also around this time (and into periods 2 and even 3, to a lesser extent) that Skye and I received our training from these legends. This was perhaps the most difficult time to be a noob in the RP because the difference between newer RPers and the already-established Role-Players was so colossal, so vast, that a newbie could not possibly hope to defeat a stronger RP member, customs or no. It was either you raped in battle or you were raped in battle. No amount of skill could change that at such an early point in the RP, and it doesn't help that the top RPers were all more or less excellent strategists without their customs anyway (might I also add that there were severe restrictions on the number of customs one could possess, though customs then could be quite a bit more powerful than they are now, so the point is rather null). However, this was only the first period.
I will now move on to the second period, which consisted of the months October 2008 to March 2009. This period was rather pivotal, most specifically because it served as a transitional period--a period of experimentation involving the limits of the NarutoBase role-play system in as a whole. It was during this period that the RP continued to flourish even more-so than before, much larger scale battles and wars took place, and Battles became much more complex. Now, here is where the issue with overpowered customs comes into play. The problem will not truly escalate until period three, but for now, period 2 represented a significant growth in custom jutsu submission process, RP innovation, and creativity. It is during this period of time that you will see the rise of pivotal figures in the NarutoBase RP such as Goro, Scary Yamato, Emperor, Izuna, Raiden/Jack, Devlin, Ace, and Kyle (and later on you will get people like Gatsndshanks, Hasashi, and Liliana). These people will be trained not only by the best RPers of the day, but their main training focus will not be primarily that of simply learning techniques but rather learning HOW to use techniques. This will be the birth of a generation that revolutionizes skillful usage of jutsu on this site. Unlike many other members of other generations, their rise to power in the RP was based in skill. Pay close attention to this group, as they will form the foundations of Period 3, which is IMO the most important period in understanding the true struggle of understanding the OPness of the "old days" as so many members inaccurately term it.
Now, we move to Period 3 which I would like to place between March 2009 and September/October 2009 (though you could just as easily set the range of this period to span the entirety of 2009, depending on how you view it). This is, ultimately, the period which most newer members refer to when describing the overpowered-ness of the "old days," even though they do so unconsciously. While this period did indeed mark an era of severe OPness in CJ-making, it is also one of the most misunderstood eras of NarutoBase's RP history, which I would attribute above all to the fact that it is the period that older members steer away from in conversation, and if we do mention it, we do not do so with much specificity. It was during this period of time that NarutoBase underwent several major changes in the RP, including the systematic incorporation of Custom Elements into the RP and therefore the creation of the Custom Elements Bureau. The limits on the number of customs also increased to about 30 and all previous customs from Periods 1 and 2(?) had to be resubmitted due to the new rules and restrictions. Period 3 is when we have the ascension of the previously mentioned members from Period 2 into the ranks as the Top RPers (this period was dominated by members such as Izuna, Myself, Goro, Ace, Raiden, Devlin, and the previous Legends of Period 1). While this period did see a significant rise in the complexity of custom jutsu (the likes of which had never been seen before) and creativity and specialization overall which truly made each RPer unique and iconic in their own right, it also saw exploitation of the RP system to further the cause of creating extremely powerful RPers with ridiculously powerful arsenals. Essentially, the Top RPers became gods, capable of being beaten only by one another. In effect, there was a lock (and it will become clear why momentarily) in the bridging of the power gap between stronger members and weaker members. Why did this happen, you may ask? Simple: because of the rather controversial revolution of the NarutoBase Role-Playing System, which I was notably against, even among the moderator community, that took place during this period of time and lasted throughout a good chunk of the year 2009. In effect, the entire ranking system of the RP and in turn truly demanded the utmost skill from lower ranking members to actually advance through the ranks, along with restrictions on biographies and terms of CJ and CE submission [it is during this time that certain members will begin the trend of creating Gates rip-offs and extremely overpowered modes (i.e. Killzone lol)], and due to this system, a MINIMAL (and I do mean MINIMAL, as in no more than 20) amount of people actually retained the highest rank (Kage) in the system. This "aristocracy" essentially continued to dominate the RP and were, in effect, unstoppable. While we were the crème de la crème skillwise, a few members that were equally as skilled RPers got the shaft by being ranked lower than us. It is not to say that we did not have tons of fun, but I cannot justify the maintenance of the system during such a period of time, as it was unfair overall. So, many members who state that members from the old days possessed powerful customs are correct in this regard, but to state that we became complacent and would not have performed well enough without our customs is incorrect. Allow me to explain why. During this time, a lot of the "aristocracy" or the Top RPers became rather bored with just basic Battle Arena fights, so we started tournaments for fun, and eventually, members like Jack and Goro would initiate the idea of having canon-only battles for sport, and it became such a popular and intense practice that it evolved (or devolved, if you please) into somewhat of a blood-sport in which people were determined to prove their intellectual and strategic prowess over simple custom jutsu usage (which still require proper skill to use effectively). It even became common that custom matches were derided in place of canon-only matches, as the latter seemed much more interesting and fair overall. In the end, the philosophy was that if you were going to lose an RP battle, it would be because of your lack of skill and not because of your lack of [proper] customs. Eventually, tension grew to a devastating extent which I will not get into, as it is a VERY long story, and the Post-Ranking System returned to NarutoBase. The majority of the members of the previous "aristocracy" of Period 3 became inactive for reasons you'll have to ask around to find out.
Now then, I will go through Period 4 rather quickly, and it is the last period I will spend my time on in depth because after period 4, we enter into more or less the current RP age which has essentially lasted from 2011 to the present day (give or take a few changes, none which were big enough to truly separate certain months into distinct periods of their own). Period 4 would take place from Fall 2009 to the end of 2010. It was during this time (but not until very close to the end of 2009) that NarutoBase RP ushered in the rapid growth of the bio system. This is when we begin to have MAJOR biography upgrades and inherent special abilities attributed to each persons in the RP system (which I believe, to some extent resulted in a lack of individuality in the RP system ability-wise). It is also during this time that Medical Bios became a major prospect, Gates were possessed by nearly every prospective RPer ~_~', and the dreaded Eye Transplants were practiced (resulting in super OPed persons, including our beloved Gatsy, who is still an excellent RPer regardless of his custom abilities). The members that truly dominated this era were the new generation of Period 3, which were Hasashi, Gatsndshanks, Liliana, Ali, Caliburn, Xylon (formerly DS) Zenryoku (who revolutionized NarutoBase kenjutsu forever, bless his heart), and Crutch, along with the remaining oldies such as Goro and I. Once the eye-transplant system is removed and other bio-stacking opportunities and abilities repealed, however, NarutoBase history eventually leads into the present-day era. The issue with bios, to be honest, has not yet ended in my honest opinion, as I personally believe that bio abilities have been heavily exploited since 2010 to today, and such is not likely to end until the end of NarutoBase itself. It is a situation that I tentatively allow to continue about its business due simply to the natures of progress and time.
You may ask, then, how is it that today's system is anywhere near as lenient and opportunistic as the old days. You must, however, factor in that with each set of restrictions that currently exist on NarutoBase today, there are also many more privileges offered to the common member simply because of the progress of the Narutobase RP system and the Naruto manga itself. The old days (referring specifically to Periods 1-3), for example, did not have even 1/4 of the prospective biographies available to members today (i.e. Mei Terumi, Madara Uchiha, Darui, Raikage, Onoki, Mu, Minato, Nagato, Pain Rikudo until the late Period 3, Zetsu, ect.). All kinds of abilities are available as well, including special elements that were once almost completely inaccessible (i.e. Sound, the 4 Movie KGs, ect.). The CJ limit is also significantly greater than it was in the old days, and there are even Custom Mangekyo Sharingans to be had by members. And don't get me started on the Bijuu. I am not saying that today's system is more unfair than the system of the past, but rather I wish to convey to you all the opportunities and prospective routes which the RP system offers you in this day and age of NarutoBase, a majority of which were never even fathomable in the old days and therefore personal innovation was necessary. So, do not underestimate the older members. After all, we laid the foundation for the new generations and in many cases, we trained a whole lot of you as well as the best RPers of several other generations. Take the quote "A Tree Shall be Known by its Fruit" as example, and you will see exactly why the older generation is sufficiently confident in our ability. Believe it or not, we know what we're talking about.
Of course, all of this is subject to...well, subjectivity. However, there is no reason to complain about how difficult it is to make a name for yourself in the current RP system. Today's RP system is much easier, in my opinion, to advance in, especially since we have dedicated members who are willing to pass on their timeless wisdom and knowledge to the newer generation in hopes that they will learn from our previous mistakes and make the best of what they have now. That is all I have left to say on the matter.
This much is very true. Much of the current generation shows great promise, and the new generation of today will likely rise to be the top RPers of tomorrow.
Blasphemy! Thy shall not excuse yourself, Roku-san, when making a wallie! Thy shall come, thy shall see and thy shall conquer as a double-monocle-wearing sir with the égard worthy of the patron saint of the mad scientists when weaving a grand wallie pur sang of the caliber that would even make the MOL a holy virgin again when he would lay his horny eyes upon it!
PS: Zen revolutionized taijutsu, not kenjutsu, that what was me >.>
Well, I was going to reply but... Roku said it all.
I started to really RP 14 months ago but i've been on this site since more or less the beginning and roamed through it for these pass few years before actually deciding to start rping.
The community, and mainly the RP, grew in both number and complexity because thats how its supposed to happen. Any system grows more complex as time passes because as the members become more numerous, control and order become harder to maintain.
You may complain that we have more restrictions and that power is harder to acquire but you're only seeing half of it.
In the last 2 years, we got a Jutsu list with over 200 techniques from 15 or so KG or hidden clan abilities, plus the normal basic 5, nin, gen and tai. We got CE's, CFS and Cjs. A member can have 2 CFS with 10 technques each, 4 CE's with 12 each, 2 summoning contracts with 10 animals each + 35 normal cjs. Not only that but if you are a sensei you get 5 more and if you are an official sage 10 more. In theory you can have between 123 to 138 customs of your own. I mean, back then it was much harder to have so many customs.
For example, if you make a Mei Terumi bio, it can, in theory wield 11 different releases (5 elements+2 KGs +4 Ce's). Back then, that wasn't available.
You know have access to tons of more techniques and abilities. You can make a much wider variety of bios and skills. If we actually think of it, current rpears have the upper edge. You can easily be accustomed to more bios and skills, both wielding and fightning against, giving you a broader experience but also enabling you to specialize in a more unique way.
Bio tests are easier now. Testers are given strict directives and guidelines to abide by and testers bios are picked to make for a balanced match, enabling the testee to showcase the abilities he or she wants or has. Not only that, but every test has now at least one opening. This means that the testee always has a shot at turnning the battle flow and controlling the fight. Back then you'd get Amaterasu in your behind in the first turn.
I don't consider myself an oldie because, like i said, i've been rping for 14 months. But in less than one year I became a sensei and an RP Mod. I took it upon myself to specialize in Genjutsu, Wood and Gentle Fist and have become , I think, an above average Roleplayer. This means that its possible to obtain skill, experience, strength in the current RP. It takes time, work, dedication and patient. It also requires one to suck it up and learn, to be humble and listen. To read, to have fun while reading your own defeat. But its possible. However, the same way that not all people can sing, not all members of the rp are skilled.
I fought SY recently in an awesome, fun, amazing fight that lasted several months. We used many abilities and customs. I used my "new gen customs", SY used his "old gen customs". The difference between us wasn't that evident in customs. He just out skilled me. Lol It had nothing to do with customs. I have probably more complex wood customs than him like my Garden of Eden or the Day After. However, he has more skill and experience. It doesn't have to do with customs. And lets not forget that the most OPed members of the old gen are inactive for the most part, like Bisha, Izuna, Rei, Hells, etc.
The new generation has tons of potential. Recently I entered a fight with someone i underestimated but that ended up suprising me a lot. Zero Kelvin. And he's what one could call new gen. But he's not the only one. I've also seen some new members like Coyote, Reborn, Hazama, Kazama, Demosthenes, The Doctor, Gin-san, etc showcase enormous skill, power and ability. The new generation has something the old one doesn't have. The skillful members of the new generation use highly detailed descriptions with depth and care; descriptions with a feel to them that you didn't have 3 years ago were most fights were "I shoot a fire ball directly at you and make a spike rise from behind you". The new generation for me has much more potential than the older one. The customs and power difference will always exist but i don't think they are that important currently.
Its, for me, more about individuals than actually generations.
Blasphemy! Thy shall not excuse yourself, Roku-san, when making a wallie! Thy shall come, thy shall see and thy shall conquer as a double-monocle-wearing sir with the égard worthy of the patron saint of the mad scientists when weaving a grand wallie pur sang of the caliber that would even make the MOL a holy virgin again when he would lay his horny eyes upon it!
PS: Zen revolutionized taijutsu, not kenjutsu, that what was me >.>
Well, I was going to reply but... Roku said it all.
I started to really RP 14 months ago but i've been on this site since more or less the beginning and roamed through it for these pass few years before uactually deciding to start rping.
The community, and mainly the RP, grew in both number and complexity because thats how its supposed to happen. Any system grows more complex as time passes because as the members become more numerous, control and order become harder to maintain.
You may complain that we have more restrictions and that power is harder to acquire but you're only seeing half of it.
In the last 2 years, we got a Jutsu list with over 200 techniques from 15 or so KG or hidden clan abilities, plus the normal basic 5, nin, gen and tai. We got CE's, CFS and Cjs. A member can have 2 CFS with 10 technques each, 4 CE's with 12 each, 2 summoning contracts with 10 animals each + 35 normal cjs. Not only that but if you are a sensei you get 5 more and if you are an official sage 10 more. In theory you can have between 123 to 138 customs of your own. I mean, back then it was much harder to have so many customs.
For example, if you make a Mei Terumi bio, it can, in theory wield 11 different releases (5 elements+2 KGs +4 Ce's). Back then, that wasn't available.
You know have access to tons of more techniques and abilities. You can make a much wider variety of bios and skills. If we actually think of it, current rpears have the upper edge. You can easily be accustomed to more bios and skills, both wielding and fightning against, giving you a broader experience but also enabling you to specialize in a more unique way.
Bio tests are easier now. Testers are given strict directives and guidelines to abide by and testers bios are picked to make for a balanced match, enabling the testee to showcase the abilities he or she wants or has. Not only that, but every test has now at least one opening. This means that the testee always has a shot at turnning the battle flow and controlling the fight. Back then you'd get Amaterasu in your behind in the first turn.
I don't consider myself an oldie because, like i said, i've been rping for 14 months. But in less than one year I became a sensei and an RP Mod. I took it upon myself to specialize in Genjutsu, Wood and Gentle Fist and have become , I think, an above average Roleplayer. This means that its possible to obtain skill, experience, strength in the current RP. It takes time, work, dedication and patient. It also requires one to suck it up and learn, to be humble and listen. To read, to have fun while reading your own defeat. But its possible. However, the same way that not all people can sing, not all members of the rp are skilled.
I fought SY recently in an awesome, fun, amazing fight that lasted several months. We used many abilities and customs. I used my "new gen customs", SY used his "old gen customs". The difference between us wasn't that evident in customs. He just out skilled me. Lol It had nothing to do with customs. I have probably more complex wood customs than him like my Garden of Eden or the Day After. However, he has more skill and experience. It doesn't have to do with customs. And lets not forget that the most OPed members of the old gen are inactive for the most part, like Bisha, Izuna, Rei, Hells, etc.
The new generation has tons of potential. Recently I entered a fight with someone i underestimated but that ended up suprising me a lot. Zero Kelvin. And he's what one could call new gen. But he's not the only one. I've also seen some new members like Coyote, Reborn, Hazama, Kazama, Demosthenes, The Doctor, Gin-san, etc showcase enormous skill, power and ability. The new generation has something the old one doesn't have. The skillful members of the new generation use highly detailed descriptions with depth and care; descriptions with a feel to them that you didn't have 3 years ago were most fights were "I shoot a fire ball directly at you and make a spike rise from behind you". The new generation for me has uch more potential than the older one. The customs and power difference will always exist but i don't think they are that important currently.
Its, for me, more about individuals than actually generations.
Amen scorps I agree went back in some 08 threads almost no deacribtion. Our generation may be able to be the best but me nope i lack skill and planning and describtion plus im kust temporary may not.have internet for much longer but the rest of my gem and those to come may be able to surpass even yells *gets ready to be raped xd*
Well, I was going to reply but... Roku said it all.
I started to really RP 14 months ago but i've been on this site since more or less the beginning and roamed through it for these pass few years before actually deciding to start rping.
The community, and mainly the RP, grew in both number and complexity because thats how its supposed to happen. Any system grows more complex as time passes because as the members become more numerous, control and order become harder to maintain.
You may complain that we have more restrictions and that power is harder to acquire but you're only seeing half of it.
In the last 2 years, we got a Jutsu list with over 200 techniques from 15 or so KG or hidden clan abilities, plus the normal basic 5, nin, gen and tai. We got CE's, CFS and Cjs. A member can have 2 CFS with 10 technques each, 4 CE's with 12 each, 2 summoning contracts with 10 animals each + 35 normal cjs. Not only that but if you are a sensei you get 5 more and if you are an official sage 10 more. In theory you can have between 123 to 138 customs of your own. I mean, back then it was much harder to have so many customs.
For example, if you make a Mei Terumi bio, it can, in theory wield 11 different releases (5 elements+2 KGs +4 Ce's). Back then, that wasn't available.
You know have access to tons of more techniques and abilities. You can make a much wider variety of bios and skills. If we actually think of it, current rpears have the upper edge. You can easily be accustomed to more bios and skills, both wielding and fightning against, giving you a broader experience but also enabling you to specialize in a more unique way.
Bio tests are easier now. Testers are given strict directives and guidelines to abide by and testers bios are picked to make for a balanced match, enabling the testee to showcase the abilities he or she wants or has. Not only that, but every test has now at least one opening. This means that the testee always has a shot at turnning the battle flow and controlling the fight. Back then you'd get Amaterasu in your behind in the first turn.
I don't consider myself an oldie because, like i said, i've been rping for 14 months. But in less than one year I became a sensei and an RP Mod. I took it upon myself to specialize in Genjutsu, Wood and Gentle Fist and have become , I think, an above average Roleplayer. This means that its possible to obtain skill, experience, strength in the current RP. It takes time, work, dedication and patient. It also requires one to suck it up and learn, to be humble and listen. To read, to have fun while reading your own defeat. But its possible. However, the same way that not all people can sing, not all members of the rp are skilled.
I fought SY recently in an awesome, fun, amazing fight that lasted several months. We used many abilities and customs. I used my "new gen customs", SY used his "old gen customs". The difference between us wasn't that evident in customs. He just out skilled me. Lol It had nothing to do with customs. I have probably more complex wood customs than him like my Garden of Eden or the Day After. However, he has more skill and experience. It doesn't have to do with customs. And lets not forget that the most OPed members of the old gen are inactive for the most part, like Bisha, Izuna, Rei, Hells, etc.
The new generation has tons of potential. Recently I entered a fight with someone i underestimated but that ended up suprising me a lot. Zero Kelvin. And he's what one could call new gen. But he's not the only one. I've also seen some new members like Coyote, Reborn, Hazama, Kazama, Demosthenes, The Doctor, Gin-san, etc showcase enormous skill, power and ability. The new generation has something the old one doesn't have. The skillful members of the new generation use highly detailed descriptions with depth and care; descriptions with a feel to them that you didn't have 3 years ago were most fights were "I shoot a fire ball directly at you and make a spike rise from behind you". The new generation for me has much more potential than the older one. The customs and power difference will always exist but i don't think they are that important currently.
Its, for me, more about individuals than actually generations.
Scorps hit the nail on the head. Back in '09 we had less than half of the cannon techniques that are currently available. The bios were also half as plentiful and powerful. The expansion of conent here is due to the progression of the manga and I believe that is one luxury the newer roleplayers take for granted.
I really enjoyed my fight with Scorps, in the end I consider it a draw. His decay release was perfect for him since it's strong against my heavily wood based customs. In the end, the fight wasn't epic because of our customs use (though that didn't hurt ). It was epic because the fight covered every range, incorporated every jutsu type and fighting style, and showcased both of our abilities. I've told many poeple that if yo have fun, then every fight you have will be legendary, even if its only leendary to you.
I've always known Zero had skills, but watchig him fight Scorps showed me how much he has grown. Every generation has great fighters, so its just a matter fo time before you all take the spotlight. However, no one ever becomes great by complaining about how others have it easier than them. They become great by doing work. So go forth and do work.
Scorps hit the nail on the head. Back in '09 we had less than half of the cannon techniques that are currently available. The bios were also half as plentiful and powerful. The expansion of conent here is due to the progression of the manga and I believe that is one luxury the newer roleplayers take for granted.
I really enjoyed my fight with Scorps, in the end I consider it a draw. His decay release was perfect for him since it's strong against my heavily wood based customs. In the end, the fight wasn't epic because of our customs use (though that didn't hurt ). It was epic because the fight covered every range, incorporated every jutsu type and fighting style, and showcased both of our abilities. I've told many poeple that if yo have fun, then every fight you have will be legendary, even if its only leendary to you.
I've always known Zero had skills, but watchig him fight Scorps showed me how much he has grown. Every generation has great fighters, so its just a matter fo time before you all take the spotlight. However, no one ever becomes great by complaining about how others have it easier than them. They become great by doing work. So go forth and do work.
I remember back when i started Rp, and how the jutsu list was. Everytime i look at the list now i find about 40 new jutsu and i'm like :T_T:
Think back when i started there was 1 s rank fire, 1 s rank wind, 2 A rank earth maybe O_O
I just like to see creativity more and more in fights now. In the time i've spent on nb lately, i've grown to like stuff more and more, like freeform, or trying to just use 1 or 2 elements. I always admired SY for his use of wood alone, and i've seen scorps doing the same now which has made me proud because he was my student twice lol. Zen has always shined in combat with tai or even kenjutsu as a samurai, Izuna stood out with his water release, Ali with fire... Roku with everyone saying how good he was, then him showing it. Though some people just blamed his musical arts, though everyone knows that's not the case. I havn't always seen eye to eye with Mugi, but i can't lie, he's got skill even with all those abilities. Goro, people moaned about him having gates on his kisame bio, but when i fought him, i think it was the best fight i've ever had on NB. I've seen people mention Gats and his abilities, but he's always had skill aswell, otherwise he wouldn't of been a sensei/head sensei. There are many more i could say stuff about but probably wasting peoples time.
Instead of talking about the oldies, i'd like to mention people who have impressed me since i joined. First of all is Jamal/jokey/joker. When i first started he was a bit ahead of me, and beat me in my first fight as i had no idea what i was doing, but after that i kept beating him, and at times i flamed him alot calling him a noob, but tbh i was wrong and he's got alot better and makes a good sensei. Same goes for Mugen, my old rival xd As for people who started after me, Jinbei, he was never confident but look at him him, he's a great rper, head sensei, and one of the nicest people on here, same goes for Gobi even zero has got better (even though we don't talk anymore), Ryoku. Moving on, up and coming Rpers like House, a great user of the hyuga techniques and very Innovative with his hyuga customs. Rexii, he's new to the rp, but knows how to have fun and use the jutsu he's learnt very well. Zoro, he was my personal student, but i'm a lousy sensei and he came along well. Another very creative rper is Gin-san, you just have to read his Minato test, or even keotsu. The first time i fought him was for the wind sword about a year ago, and even then he showed me great skill, and now he's a sensei. These are the people that came to mind from the newer generations that can give you oldies a run for your money even with your customs O_<
When i see people moan about cj's or c.e's, it just makes me rethink, that people came up with those ideas, it's their creativity, their signature in the RP. If a jutsu is OP, it's because it was well thought out at the time.
Why am i writing all this? Because i've made the mistake of moaning about people calling them OP in the past, like Mugiwara, Rei, Hasashi, Gats, but i was wrong. If they had power they earnt it or created those abilities, so i'm sorry to all those people, as i'm one of the ones who newer members call OP nowaday.
Scorps hit the nail on the head. Back in '09 we had less than half of the cannon techniques that are currently available. The bios were also half as plentiful and powerful. The expansion of conent here is due to the progression of the manga and I believe that is one luxury the newer roleplayers take for granted.
I really enjoyed my fight with Scorps, in the end I consider it a draw. His decay release was perfect for him since it's strong against my heavily wood based customs. In the end, the fight wasn't epic because of our customs use (though that didn't hurt ). It was epic because the fight covered every range, incorporated every jutsu type and fighting style, and showcased both of our abilities. I've told many poeple that if yo have fun, then every fight you have will be legendary, even if its only leendary to you.
I've always known Zero had skills, but watchig him fight Scorps showed me how much he has grown. Every generation has great fighters, so its just a matter fo time before you all take the spotlight. However, no one ever becomes great by complaining about how others have it easier than them. They become great by doing work. So go forth and do work.
Decay actually helped me more against that lame (*cof* EPIC *cof*) white fire of yours. But your liquid hydrogen or nitrogen? Lol is a pain. It gave me...the chills! *queue joke sound* LoL
And yes, the fact that we entered short range, exchanged blows and took on the mission of having fun and roleplaying it made memorable. And we have different fighting styles that actually oppose eachother in a sense. My usage of Genjutsu with Elemental or Taijutsu moves and your constant barrage of Elemental combos/wood combos with Basic weapons and Taijutsu actually make it challenging. For me at least! ^^ You crushed my chest/torax while i sealed half of yours. I used i think all elements, gen, tai, free form staff moves, made myself invisble, used fuin, reduced your chakra flow and restricted you to B-ranks, reduced your techniques 1 rank for 4 turns, used mushrooms, decay, etc etc. It was so epic! Not because of the customs (but you are right, didn't hurt LOL) but because of what we did to one an other. Without a single argument or discussion. But in all honesty, I think you overpowered me completely. I defended most of the time. Regardless of that, it was my best fight!
Perhaps one day i'm become the Sage of Sticks and Stones and then we may fight again U_U
Yet there are still reasonably skilled people around to play with like yours and my fight where we used purely kenjutsu and we was basically even matched and we both openly accepted a draw now to me that is a top tier roleplayer
Ah, sensei tests back in the day. xd
Yeah, it was probably a bit more difficult to become a sensei back then because the tester expected you to display your skill in spite of being attacked with the intent to kill. And during said tests, only canon techniques were allowed with little-to-no exceptions. I caused Nero to fail his sensei test after killing him in about one or two moves (and that was using only canon jutsu).
Honestly, a lot of the newer members should take heed of Riku's words, as he was a rather firm understanding of NarutoBase RP and its history. It's not to say that older members are better than the newer members, which is often the misconception. The main point is, however, is that us older members have experience and thus knowledge and wisdom that we can pass on to the newer generation. Claiming arrogance of those who are simply trying to set straight any misconceptions or give their input does not make you any better than the ones you are disparaging. I will elaborate.
Allow me to enunciate (or enumerate, whichever you prefer) what I believe Riku failed to properly express verbally to you, and in doing so, I will try my best to clear up common misconceptions people have about the old generation of the RP.
Firstly, the problem with the above argument is that it is built around the assumption that the older generation rely primarily on their OP customs, if they still have them, and that their customs are the primary source of their ability rather than their skill. Allow me to break this down into two simple explanations.
First of all, you seem to be forgetting that members do not suddenly obtain random abilities. Before older members were able to even acquire the customs they now have, they had to first acquire a level of skill sufficient for them to even know how to properly use such abilities. While this is a rather fundamental and seemingly inconsequential argument, it still almost always holds true no matter how strong a member may be perceived to be. One cannot rise to the top and possess mediocre skill. Spammers without natural talent for strategy and quick thinking are easily put down (and so it was in those days that they were just as easily shot down).
The second point I will iterate on the subject of the simple explanations is not actually as "simple" as I originally stated. The most important thing you must understand, however, and the fact that MANY newer members neglect during their verbal battles attacking the prospect of the NB RP system tending to favor older members, is that the "modern" (and I say modern because it is not truly modern in NB historical terms but rather forms the basis upon which the RP system today is heavily set) NarutoBase RP as we know it is over 4 years old. A good bit of the newer members that make assumptions regarding "the old days" in general terms usually make a hasty generalization, grouping a specific period of time in NarutoBase history with the rest of the old days before it and thus attribute some form of equivlance to periods of time in NarutoBase RP history that may have actually been vastly dissimilar. So, then, I will distribute NarutoBase history into several smaller periods of time and elaborate on them individually, keeping in mind that I will be paying specific attention to and putting most emphasis on periods 3 (a period which many of the older members try to ignore/forget for reasons that I will not really go into, but members who were around during that time will fully understand) and 4.
Period 1 consisted of the NarutoBase RP age from April 2008 to September 2008. Most members should understand the significance of April as a starting point as it was the month of the creation of this CURRENT site that we all religiously log on to. In the very early days of April and May, the RP was highly under development and then, formatted jutsu did not even exist in the form they do today (it would not be until either Later June that such template-based jutsu were fully incorporated into the RP system. Please do check me on this, Zanji. I'm pretty sure this is correct, but you may remember this better than me considering you were a moderator in those days). The RP, including Battle, Training, and just simple Role-Playing in general truly kicked off in during this period, however, and it was especially active from June to September (i.e. formation of military groups such as the Hidden Rain, Higure, ect.). It is during this period of time that we will have such icons as BishamonSama, Hellsbadass, Madara Uchiha, Zanji Uchiha, and Elias (otherwise known as the symbolic epitome of the original Elemental Sages) dominate the RP system. You also had other legendary members such as Shodaime, Anbu Kakashi, MOS, Tom, Bianca, Akira Hoshiko (Hisakata/Kiyoshi, whatever you want to go by), Captain Kenpachi, and even Akiza (then known as KakashiThunder). It is also around this time (and into periods 2 and even 3, to a lesser extent) that Skye and I received our training from these legends. This was perhaps the most difficult time to be a noob in the RP because the difference between newer RPers and the already-established Role-Players was so colossal, so vast, that a newbie could not possibly hope to defeat a stronger RP member, customs or no. It was either you raped in battle or you were raped in battle. No amount of skill could change that at such an early point in the RP, and it doesn't help that the top RPers were all more or less excellent strategists without their customs anyway (might I also add that there were severe restrictions on the number of customs one could possess, though customs then could be quite a bit more powerful than they are now, so the point is rather null). However, this was only the first period.
I will now move on to the second period, which consisted of the months October 2008 to March 2009. This period was rather pivotal, most specifically because it served as a transitional period--a period of experimentation involving the limits of the NarutoBase role-play system in as a whole. It was during this period that the RP continued to flourish even more-so than before, much larger scale battles and wars took place, and Battles became much more complex. Now, here is where the issue with overpowered customs comes into play. The problem will not truly escalate until period three, but for now, period 2 represented a significant growth in custom jutsu submission process, RP innovation, and creativity. It is during this period of time that you will see the rise of pivotal figures in the NarutoBase RP such as Goro, Scary Yamato, Emperor, Izuna, Raiden/Jack, Devlin, Ace, and Kyle (and later on you will get people like Gatsndshanks, Hasashi, and Liliana). These people will be trained not only by the best RPers of the day, but their main training focus will not be primarily that of simply learning techniques but rather learning HOW to use techniques. This will be the birth of a generation that revolutionizes skillful usage of jutsu on this site. Unlike many other members of other generations, their rise to power in the RP was based in skill. Pay close attention to this group, as they will form the foundations of Period 3, which is IMO the most important period in understanding the true struggle of understanding the OPness of the "old days" as so many members inaccurately term it.
Now, we move to Period 3 which I would like to place between March 2009 and September/October 2009 (though you could just as easily set the range of this period to span the entirety of 2009, depending on how you view it). This is, ultimately, the period which most newer members refer to when describing the overpowered-ness of the "old days," even though they do so unconsciously. While this period did indeed mark an era of severe OPness in CJ-making, it is also one of the most misunderstood eras of NarutoBase's RP history, which I would attribute above all to the fact that it is the period that older members steer away from in conversation, and if we do mention it, we do not do so with much specificity. It was during this period of time that NarutoBase underwent several major changes in the RP, including the systematic incorporation of Custom Elements into the RP and therefore the creation of the Custom Elements Bureau. The limits on the number of customs also increased to about 30 and all previous customs from Periods 1 and 2(?) had to be resubmitted due to the new rules and restrictions. Period 3 is when we have the ascension of the previously mentioned members from Period 2 into the ranks as the Top RPers (this period was dominated by members such as Izuna, Myself, Goro, Ace, Raiden, Devlin, and the previous Legends of Period 1). While this period did see a significant rise in the complexity of custom jutsu (the likes of which had never been seen before) and creativity and specialization overall which truly made each RPer unique and iconic in their own right, it also saw exploitation of the RP system to further the cause of creating extremely powerful RPers with ridiculously powerful arsenals. Essentially, the Top RPers became gods, capable of being beaten only by one another. In effect, there was a lock (and it will become clear why momentarily) in the bridging of the power gap between stronger members and weaker members. Why did this happen, you may ask? Simple: because of the rather controversial revolution of the NarutoBase Role-Playing System, which I was notably against, even among the moderator community, that took place during this period of time and lasted throughout a good chunk of the year 2009. In effect, the entire ranking system of the RP and in turn truly demanded the utmost skill from lower ranking members to actually advance through the ranks, along with restrictions on biographies and terms of CJ and CE submission [it is during this time that certain members will begin the trend of creating Gates rip-offs and extremely overpowered modes (i.e. Killzone lol)], and due to this system, a MINIMAL (and I do mean MINIMAL, as in no more than 20) amount of people actually retained the highest rank (Kage) in the system. This "aristocracy" essentially continued to dominate the RP and were, in effect, unstoppable. While we were the crème de la crème skillwise, a few members that were equally as skilled RPers got the shaft by being ranked lower than us. It is not to say that we did not have tons of fun, but I cannot justify the maintenance of the system during such a period of time, as it was unfair overall. So, many members who state that members from the old days possessed powerful customs are correct in this regard, but to state that we became complacent and would not have performed well enough without our customs is incorrect. Allow me to explain why. During this time, a lot of the "aristocracy" or the Top RPers became rather bored with just basic Battle Arena fights, so we started tournaments for fun, and eventually, members like Jack and Goro would initiate the idea of having canon-only battles for sport, and it became such a popular and intense practice that it evolved (or devolved, if you please) into somewhat of a blood-sport in which people were determined to prove their intellectual and strategic prowess over simple custom jutsu usage (which still require proper skill to use effectively). It even became common that custom matches were derided in place of canon-only matches, as the latter seemed much more interesting and fair overall. In the end, the philosophy was that if you were going to lose an RP battle, it would be because of your lack of skill and not because of your lack of [proper] customs. Eventually, tension grew to a devastating extent which I will not get into, as it is a VERY long story, and the Post-Ranking System returned to NarutoBase. The majority of the members of the previous "aristocracy" of Period 3 became inactive for reasons you'll have to ask around to find out.
Now then, I will go through Period 4 rather quickly, and it is the last period I will spend my time on in depth because after period 4, we enter into more or less the current RP age which has essentially lasted from 2011 to the present day (give or take a few changes, none which were big enough to truly separate certain months into distinct periods of their own). Period 4 would take place from Fall 2009 to the end of 2010. It was during this time (but not until very close to the end of 2009) that NarutoBase RP ushered in the rapid growth of the bio system. This is when we begin to have MAJOR biography upgrades and inherent special abilities attributed to each persons in the RP system (which I believe, to some extent resulted in a lack of individuality in the RP system ability-wise). It is also during this time that Medical Bios became a major prospect, Gates were possessed by nearly every prospective RPer ~_~', and the dreaded Eye Transplants were practiced (resulting in super OPed persons, including our beloved Gatsy, who is still an excellent RPer regardless of his custom abilities). The members that truly dominated this era were the new generation of Period 3, which were Hasashi, Gatsndshanks, Liliana, Ali, Caliburn, Xylon (formerly DS) Zenryoku (who revolutionized NarutoBase taijutsu forever, bless his heart), and Crutch, along with the remaining oldies such as Goro and I. Once the eye-transplant system is removed and other bio-stacking opportunities and abilities repealed, however, NarutoBase history eventually leads into the present-day era. The issue with bios, to be honest, has not yet ended in my honest opinion, as I personally believe that bio abilities have been heavily exploited since 2010 to today, and such is not likely to end until the end of NarutoBase itself. It is a situation that I tentatively allow to continue about its business due simply to the natures of progress and time.
You may ask, then, how is it that today's system is anywhere near as lenient and opportunistic as the old days. You must, however, factor in that with each set of restrictions that currently exist on NarutoBase today, there are also many more privileges offered to the common member simply because of the progress of the Narutobase RP system and the Naruto manga itself. The old days (referring specifically to Periods 1-3), for example, did not have even 1/4 of the prospective biographies available to members today (i.e. Mei Terumi, Madara Uchiha, Darui, Raikage, Onoki, Mu, Minato, Nagato, Pain Rikudo until the late Period 3, Zetsu, ect.). All kinds of abilities are available as well, including special elements that were once almost completely inaccessible (i.e. Sound, the 4 Movie KGs, ect.). The CJ limit is also significantly greater than it was in the old days, and there are even Custom Mangekyo Sharingans to be had by members. And don't get me started on the Bijuu. I am not saying that today's system is more unfair than the system of the past, but rather I wish to convey to you all the opportunities and prospective routes which the RP system offers you in this day and age of NarutoBase, a majority of which were never even fathomable in the old days and therefore personal innovation was necessary. So, do not underestimate the older members. After all, we laid the foundation for the new generations and in many cases, we trained a whole lot of you as well as the best RPers of several other generations. Take the quote "A Tree Shall be Known by its Fruit" as example, and you will see exactly why the older generation is sufficiently confident in our ability. Believe it or not, we know what we're talking about.
Of course, all of this is subject to...well, subjectivity. However, there is no reason to complain about how difficult it is to make a name for yourself in the current RP system. Today's RP system is much easier, in my opinion, to advance in, especially since we have dedicated members who are willing to pass on their timeless wisdom and knowledge to the newer generation in hopes that they will learn from our previous mistakes and make the best of what they have now. That is all I have left to say on the matter.
This much is very true. Much of the current generation shows great promise, and the new generation of today will likely rise to be the top RPers of tomorrow.
Ah, sensei tests back in the day. xd
Yeah, it was probably a bit more difficult to become a sensei back then because the tester expected you to display your skill in spite of being attacked with the intent to kill. And during said tests, only canon techniques were allowed with little-to-no exceptions. I caused Nero to fail his sensei test after killing him in about one or two moves (and that was using only canon jutsu).
Honestly, a lot of the newer members should take heed of Riku's words, as he was a rather firm understanding of NarutoBase RP and its history. It's not to say that older members are better than the newer members, which is often the misconception. The main point is, however, is that us older members have experience and thus knowledge and wisdom that we can pass on to the newer generation. Claiming arrogance of those who are simply trying to set straight any misconceptions or give their input does not make you any better than the ones you are disparaging. I will elaborate.
Allow me to enunciate (or enumerate, whichever you prefer) what I believe Riku failed to properly express verbally to you, and in doing so, I will try my best to clear up common misconceptions people have about the old generation of the RP.
Firstly, the problem with the above argument is that it is built around the assumption that the older generation rely primarily on their OP customs, if they still have them, and that their customs are the primary source of their ability rather than their skill. Allow me to break this down into two simple explanations.
First of all, you seem to be forgetting that members do not suddenly obtain random abilities. Before older members were able to even acquire the customs they now have, they had to first acquire a level of skill sufficient for them to even know how to properly use such abilities. While this is a rather fundamental and seemingly inconsequential argument, it still almost always holds true no matter how strong a member may be perceived to be. One cannot rise to the top and possess mediocre skill. Spammers without natural talent for strategy and quick thinking are easily put down (and so it was in those days that they were just as easily shot down).
The second point I will iterate on the subject of the simple explanations is not actually as "simple" as I originally stated. The most important thing you must understand, however, and the fact that MANY newer members neglect during their verbal battles attacking the prospect of the NB RP system tending to favor older members, is that the "modern" (and I say modern because it is not truly modern in NB historical terms but rather forms the basis upon which the RP system today is heavily set) NarutoBase RP as we know it is over 4 years old. A good bit of the newer members that make assumptions regarding "the old days" in general terms usually make a hasty generalization, grouping a specific period of time in NarutoBase history with the rest of the old days before it and thus attribute some form of equivlance to periods of time in NarutoBase RP history that may have actually been vastly dissimilar. So, then, I will distribute NarutoBase history into several smaller periods of time and elaborate on them individually, keeping in mind that I will be paying specific attention to and putting most emphasis on periods 3 (a period which many of the older members try to ignore/forget for reasons that I will not really go into, but members who were around during that time will fully understand) and 4.
Period 1 consisted of the NarutoBase RP age from April 2008 to September 2008. Most members should understand the significance of April as a starting point as it was the month of the creation of this CURRENT site that we all religiously log on to. In the very early days of April and May, the RP was highly under development and then, formatted jutsu did not even exist in the form they do today (it would not be until either Later June that such template-based jutsu were fully incorporated into the RP system. Please do check me on this, Zanji. I'm pretty sure this is correct, but you may remember this better than me considering you were a moderator in those days). The RP, including Battle, Training, and just simple Role-Playing in general truly kicked off in during this period, however, and it was especially active from June to September (i.e. formation of military groups such as the Hidden Rain, Higure, ect.). It is during this period of time that we will have such icons as BishamonSama, Hellsbadass, Madara Uchiha, Zanji Uchiha, and Elias (otherwise known as the symbolic epitome of the original Elemental Sages) dominate the RP system. You also had other legendary members such as Shodaime, Anbu Kakashi, MOS, Tom, Bianca, Akira Hoshiko (Hisakata/Kiyoshi, whatever you want to go by), Captain Kenpachi, and even Akiza (then known as KakashiThunder). It is also around this time (and into periods 2 and even 3, to a lesser extent) that Skye and I received our training from these legends. This was perhaps the most difficult time to be a noob in the RP because the difference between newer RPers and the already-established Role-Players was so colossal, so vast, that a newbie could not possibly hope to defeat a stronger RP member, customs or no. It was either you raped in battle or you were raped in battle. No amount of skill could change that at such an early point in the RP, and it doesn't help that the top RPers were all more or less excellent strategists without their customs anyway (might I also add that there were severe restrictions on the number of customs one could possess, though customs then could be quite a bit more powerful than they are now, so the point is rather null). However, this was only the first period.
I will now move on to the second period, which consisted of the months October 2008 to March 2009. This period was rather pivotal, most specifically because it served as a transitional period--a period of experimentation involving the limits of the NarutoBase role-play system in as a whole. It was during this period that the RP continued to flourish even more-so than before, much larger scale battles and wars took place, and Battles became much more complex. Now, here is where the issue with overpowered customs comes into play. The problem will not truly escalate until period three, but for now, period 2 represented a significant growth in custom jutsu submission process, RP innovation, and creativity. It is during this period of time that you will see the rise of pivotal figures in the NarutoBase RP such as Goro, Scary Yamato, Emperor, Izuna, Raiden/Jack, Devlin, Ace, and Kyle (and later on you will get people like Gatsndshanks, Hasashi, and Liliana). These people will be trained not only by the best RPers of the day, but their main training focus will not be primarily that of simply learning techniques but rather learning HOW to use techniques. This will be the birth of a generation that revolutionizes skillful usage of jutsu on this site. Unlike many other members of other generations, their rise to power in the RP was based in skill. Pay close attention to this group, as they will form the foundations of Period 3, which is IMO the most important period in understanding the true struggle of understanding the OPness of the "old days" as so many members inaccurately term it.
Now, we move to Period 3 which I would like to place between March 2009 and September/October 2009 (though you could just as easily set the range of this period to span the entirety of 2009, depending on how you view it). This is, ultimately, the period which most newer members refer to when describing the overpowered-ness of the "old days," even though they do so unconsciously. While this period did indeed mark an era of severe OPness in CJ-making, it is also one of the most misunderstood eras of NarutoBase's RP history, which I would attribute above all to the fact that it is the period that older members steer away from in conversation, and if we do mention it, we do not do so with much specificity. It was during this period of time that NarutoBase underwent several major changes in the RP, including the systematic incorporation of Custom Elements into the RP and therefore the creation of the Custom Elements Bureau. The limits on the number of customs also increased to about 30 and all previous customs from Periods 1 and 2(?) had to be resubmitted due to the new rules and restrictions. Period 3 is when we have the ascension of the previously mentioned members from Period 2 into the ranks as the Top RPers (this period was dominated by members such as Izuna, Myself, Goro, Ace, Raiden, Devlin, and the previous Legends of Period 1). While this period did see a significant rise in the complexity of custom jutsu (the likes of which had never been seen before) and creativity and specialization overall which truly made each RPer unique and iconic in their own right, it also saw exploitation of the RP system to further the cause of creating extremely powerful RPers with ridiculously powerful arsenals. Essentially, the Top RPers became gods, capable of being beaten only by one another. In effect, there was a lock (and it will become clear why momentarily) in the bridging of the power gap between stronger members and weaker members. Why did this happen, you may ask? Simple: because of the rather controversial revolution of the NarutoBase Role-Playing System, which I was notably against, even among the moderator community, that took place during this period of time and lasted throughout a good chunk of the year 2009. In effect, the entire ranking system of the RP and in turn truly demanded the utmost skill from lower ranking members to actually advance through the ranks, along with restrictions on biographies and terms of CJ and CE submission [it is during this time that certain members will begin the trend of creating Gates rip-offs and extremely overpowered modes (i.e. Killzone lol)], and due to this system, a MINIMAL (and I do mean MINIMAL, as in no more than 20) amount of people actually retained the highest rank (Kage) in the system. This "aristocracy" essentially continued to dominate the RP and were, in effect, unstoppable. While we were the crème de la crème skillwise, a few members that were equally as skilled RPers got the shaft by being ranked lower than us. It is not to say that we did not have tons of fun, but I cannot justify the maintenance of the system during such a period of time, as it was unfair overall. So, many members who state that members from the old days possessed powerful customs are correct in this regard, but to state that we became complacent and would not have performed well enough without our customs is incorrect. Allow me to explain why. During this time, a lot of the "aristocracy" or the Top RPers became rather bored with just basic Battle Arena fights, so we started tournaments for fun, and eventually, members like Jack and Goro would initiate the idea of having canon-only battles for sport, and it became such a popular and intense practice that it evolved (or devolved, if you please) into somewhat of a blood-sport in which people were determined to prove their intellectual and strategic prowess over simple custom jutsu usage (which still require proper skill to use effectively). It even became common that custom matches were derided in place of canon-only matches, as the latter seemed much more interesting and fair overall. In the end, the philosophy was that if you were going to lose an RP battle, it would be because of your lack of skill and not because of your lack of [proper] customs. Eventually, tension grew to a devastating extent which I will not get into, as it is a VERY long story, and the Post-Ranking System returned to NarutoBase. The majority of the members of the previous "aristocracy" of Period 3 became inactive for reasons you'll have to ask around to find out.
Now then, I will go through Period 4 rather quickly, and it is the last period I will spend my time on in depth because after period 4, we enter into more or less the current RP age which has essentially lasted from 2011 to the present day (give or take a few changes, none which were big enough to truly separate certain months into distinct periods of their own). Period 4 would take place from Fall 2009 to the end of 2010. It was during this time (but not until very close to the end of 2009) that NarutoBase RP ushered in the rapid growth of the bio system. This is when we begin to have MAJOR biography upgrades and inherent special abilities attributed to each persons in the RP system (which I believe, to some extent resulted in a lack of individuality in the RP system ability-wise). It is also during this time that Medical Bios became a major prospect, Gates were possessed by nearly every prospective RPer ~_~', and the dreaded Eye Transplants were practiced (resulting in super OPed persons, including our beloved Gatsy, who is still an excellent RPer regardless of his custom abilities). The members that truly dominated this era were the new generation of Period 3, which were Hasashi, Gatsndshanks, Liliana, Ali, Caliburn, Xylon (formerly DS) Zenryoku (who revolutionized NarutoBase taijutsu forever, bless his heart), and Crutch, along with the remaining oldies such as Goro and I. Once the eye-transplant system is removed and other bio-stacking opportunities and abilities repealed, however, NarutoBase history eventually leads into the present-day era. The issue with bios, to be honest, has not yet ended in my honest opinion, as I personally believe that bio abilities have been heavily exploited since 2010 to today, and such is not likely to end until the end of NarutoBase itself. It is a situation that I tentatively allow to continue about its business due simply to the natures of progress and time.
You may ask, then, how is it that today's system is anywhere near as lenient and opportunistic as the old days. You must, however, factor in that with each set of restrictions that currently exist on NarutoBase today, there are also many more privileges offered to the common member simply because of the progress of the Narutobase RP system and the Naruto manga itself. The old days (referring specifically to Periods 1-3), for example, did not have even 1/4 of the prospective biographies available to members today (i.e. Mei Terumi, Madara Uchiha, Darui, Raikage, Onoki, Mu, Minato, Nagato, Pain Rikudo until the late Period 3, Zetsu, ect.). All kinds of abilities are available as well, including special elements that were once almost completely inaccessible (i.e. Sound, the 4 Movie KGs, ect.). The CJ limit is also significantly greater than it was in the old days, and there are even Custom Mangekyo Sharingans to be had by members. And don't get me started on the Bijuu. I am not saying that today's system is more unfair than the system of the past, but rather I wish to convey to you all the opportunities and prospective routes which the RP system offers you in this day and age of NarutoBase, a majority of which were never even fathomable in the old days and therefore personal innovation was necessary. So, do not underestimate the older members. After all, we laid the foundation for the new generations and in many cases, we trained a whole lot of you as well as the best RPers of several other generations. Take the quote "A Tree Shall be Known by its Fruit" as example, and you will see exactly why the older generation is sufficiently confident in our ability. Believe it or not, we know what we're talking about.
Of course, all of this is subject to...well, subjectivity. However, there is no reason to complain about how difficult it is to make a name for yourself in the current RP system. Today's RP system is much easier, in my opinion, to advance in, especially since we have dedicated members who are willing to pass on their timeless wisdom and knowledge to the newer generation in hopes that they will learn from our previous mistakes and make the best of what they have now. That is all I have left to say on the matter.
This much is very true. Much of the current generation shows great promise, and the new generation of today will likely rise to be the top RPers of tomorrow.
Roku gets A+ for history lesson U_U I need to go over a few of my strategies, I'm somewhat of a timid fighter in the sense that I humble myself a little too much. Though I do need to work a lot if I'm going to get to a respectable level of skill someday lol.
We all love to have great fights and get better.
Everyone wants to make a name for themselves and become top tiers but only few have what it takes, do i have it?
Well, i´m not timid nor am i humble and i have lots of confidence that i can outsmart my opponents in battle, do i have what it takes to become top tier? We'll see.xd
