DANNOUNCEMENT!
Brace yourselves, guys, this is going to be a long post. XD We've got lots to go over!
Ooh, teams!
We'll start first with announcing the teams.
We thought it'd be a pain in the neck to figure this out, but it was actually relatively easy. XD So without further ado, here's your starting lineup!
Phantoms! | Zombies! | Ghostbusters! | Zombie Hunters! |
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Now comes the important new information:
Ooh, strategy!
This year we're doing things a bit differently for deciding who your Generals and Lieutenants will be. In past years each team had one General, who held the largest portion of Karma for your team, and two Lieutenants with an equal but smaller portion. For Karmageddon IV we're putting the allotment of Karma entirely in your hands.
Each team will start with 500 Karma, and it's completely up to you how to divide it up among your teammates. Want to divvy up the Karma among all five of your teammates? Go right ahead. Want to give a small amount to three members, while two others keep the lion's share? A-okay with us. Want to play the same way as in past years? That's fine too. XD Get the idea? We're excited to see what your strategies will be, and how it'll change the game. We could end up with four people holding all the Karma in the game, or even all twenty of you. =D
One thing to note, however: once you distribute the karma among members of your team, the karma holders can't change. So for example, if Nova does not begin the game with any of the 500 points allocated to his team, any change to his karma during the game won't count towards his team's total health, so there is no need to attack/heal him.
Ooh, gameplay!
I briefly touched on the gameplay before, but here's a refresher for those who are new to the game. Each team, as stated above, will start with 500 Karma. After the teams decide how they'll divvy it up, the game will start and the madness begins! Each team will receive a secret, password-protected board with which they can plot, and you're free to make as many alliances and deals as you see fit. As soon as Ginz and I set the teams' Karma, you're free to attack or heal every hour, on the hour. We'll post periodic updates as well as continue to answer any questions you have here on the thread or by PM or IM if it's something you'd rather keep private. ^_^
In addition to the nifty little twist above, we of course had to take the gameplay to another level by tying it in with our Undead theme. The two Mortal teams (Zombie Hunters, Ghostbusters) will start with 500 Karma as usual. The Undead teams (Phantoms, Zombies) on the other hand will start with -500 Karma. The goal is still exactly the same: be the last team standing (in other words, be the last team to hit 0 total Karma), but now there's the added challenge of keeping track of just who it is you're exalting or smiting, as you may be inadvertently helping your enemy!
It is worth mentioning that you're not obligated to attack or team up with anyone based on your team names or, uh, "life status." Don't feel that just because you're a Zombie Hunter you must attack the Zombies or team up with your fellow Mortals. Remember, backstabbing and covert alliances are as much a part of the game as anything else.
And lastly, just when you thought you were safe from maddening Karma Tokens...
Ooh, achievements!
...you still are safe from maddening Karma Tokens! XD But Ginz and I have put our heads together to come up with something different: Achievements!
Achievements are our way of providing Karma boosts for your team as a reward for fulfilling certain tasks (some of which you'll know, some of which will remain a secret
). Think the Fearless Deeds of The Faerie's Ruin plot on Neopets.
Teams are eligible to receive each achievement once (alas, no repeats D=). For some achievements, you will need to PM us, but most can be earned based on certain actions that we see. Therefore it's in your best interest to be visible in certain situations, so that we can keep tabs...
Each achievement will have its own point value, ranging anywhere from five to thirty points, depending on its difficulty. You can ask for hints for the achievements, but there's no guarantee we can give you one.
You are allowed to theorize together, share solutions or keep them to yourselves, do whatever you need to get an an edge in the game. It's all up to you.
New achievements will also be added as the game continues, to provide fresh challenges throughout. =D So be sure to check this list continuously for updates (we'll be sure to announce them too).
Now, onto the list!
Achievement Name: | Point Value: | Achieved by: |
All the Eggs in One Basket Wow, look at all his Karma... | 10 | None |
Spread the Wealth Could be safer...or it might weaken you entirely. | 10 | Zombie Hunters Ghostbusters |
Headshot Dude...you got some Undead on you. | 20 | It's a secret! |
Mm...Tasty! That's good brain. | 20 | It's a secret! |
Band Together We are at war, gentlemen. | 10 | It's a secret! |
This Means War! I thought we were on the same side! | 10 | It's a secret! |
Achievement Unlocked! Wait...that's the name of it? | 5 | None |
What Goes Around Comes Around Ha! We may be down but we're not out. | 25 | Phantoms |
It's Just a Game Just relax... | 5 | Zombie Hunters |
Master Planner *up in our hdquartrz, planning ur doom* | 25 | Ghostbusters Zombies Zombie Hunters |
Deja Vu Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it. | 15 | Zombies Phantoms Ghostbusters |
Nice Try, But That Won't Work On Us Though we did enjoy the pie you baked us! | It's a secret. *giggle* | Zombies Ghostbusters Zombie Hunters Phantoms |
If You Build It, They Will Come Well, you hope they'll come, at any rate. | 5 | Phantoms Zombie Hunters Ghostbusters Zombies |
Math is Hard Let's see...carry the two...find the derivative... | 5 | None |
Go On, Entertain Us But first you'll have to figure out how... | 8 | None |
Mercenary Magnet Mercs are part of the team too! Why don't you let them in? | 10 | Ghostbusters Phantoms |
Billboard Watcher Was that...? Nah, couldn't be. | 5 | None |
We Are The Champions* Predict the future! | 20-25 | Ghostbusters Zombies |
*For this achievement, we're going to tell you what you need to do.
We want you to either draw a picture or write a short story depicting your team winning Karmageddon IV! As you'll notice above, the point value for this achievement is variable depending on the amount of effort that's been put into your drawings and stories, so make sure you give it your all to get the maximum amount of points for your team. (Therefore, stick figure drawings or two paragraph stories aren't really gonna fly here. XD) When you've completed it, PM it to us so we can enjoy your sure-to-be-awesome pieces. C: (Please note that you can only receive the points once, but that doesn't mean you can't keep drawing and writing for the fun of it!)
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So that's it for now! I know that was a lot of information, I apologize for any exploded heads. D: (Well, besides those on the Zombies, those were there when I got here. >_>)
Time to get together with your teams and start planning out your strategy! Please get back to Ginz or I soon with your decision on how to allocate your Karma, so we can get started. We'll create your secret boards shortly so you can begin plotting there. Expect a PM from us with your board URL and password; remember to keep that safe!
And as always, any questions can be posted here or PM/IMed to us. ^_^ Thanks!