Question about Skill Levels

[Amyra]

Ok, so I'm starting out with Level 1 Acrobatics as part of my starting package. Now, I'm no acrobat IRL, nor do I have much knowledge at all about the art of acrobatics.

I've done some searching and haven't found anything to really answer my question, so I thought I'd ask here.

Exactly what does the levels represent? For example, as a Basic/Novice Acrobat, would I know all the various flips and landings and tumbling, etc? Just at a basic level without any real experience, as such. I can do a front handspring no problem, but, it won't be as polished as say, a Level 3 Acrobat?

Or does it mean that I know the very basics and nothing more? I can land without killing myself, and maybe a front handspring(or whatever a basic technique might be), but no more than that?

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated

[Khaine]

Hmmmm...

It is generally assumed that a Level 1 can do a job to a "competent" level, from what I remember... doesn't mean you'd be amazing at it, just good enough to get things done.

With regards to how that translates into Acrobatics, I would personally say that you would be looking at landing without injury, maybe some basic rolls, handstands, etc. The training would likely be focused mostly on balance, movement and warm up techniques rather than anything particularly "flashy" if that makes any sense.

I know little about acrobatics myself, but that's my opinion on it.

[Amyra]

I've been searching on the 'net for some resources to help me out with this, and ran across an article in wikipedia which led me to an article on tumbling. And, luck has it that it gives a list of the basic tumbling moves

Still, if anyone else out there has some insight on this, especially if you are an acrobat or tumbler, I'd love to hear some advice on how to properly play such a character

[Amari]

Well, since it's a starting package, then obviously this means that these skills were received pre-IC history (just an fyi, basic acrobatics is a bit weak, you probably coulda gotten 1-2 more skills in addition lol) thusly, you need to think about how these skills were received. Were they trained like "I went to an circus-person and they taught me how to do flipz" or was it "I was a child of the circus and have been around it all my life"? There is a distinct difference between the two.

In the first scenario you have a somewhat cut, dried and basic "list of skills" that you can practice and grow with. For a pre-play skill, this scenario is unlikely. More than likely, what your character possesses is a basic knowledge garnered from a long period of observation/practice/maybe some pointers and thus, as a basic level "acrobat" your pc probably has a "knowing without knowing" understanding of kinesthetics, movement and spatial awareness. They probably move more swiftly, fluidly, fall more gracefully than an average person without really realizing it.

For a person to have "basic" level ability in a specific skill, they must be able to express a common (even if it's incredibly loose) understanding of the field. That said, a "basic" level granted through pre-play experiences is something of a touchy subject, since the characters pre-play experience in the field probably greatly exceeds what is required to traditionally receive the rank of Novice (level 1). So where does this leave you? Well, you're probably right to be confused. You haven't actually experienced the "training" that your character has, nobody has. Which leads me tooooo...

In essence, basic means just that, basics. In this case the basics of stretching, jumping, falling, dynamic flexibility, balance, explosive strength, spatial awareness and basic tricks (ie back tuck). If I were to teach a basic acrobatics course, these are the things I'd include. However, since you probably were not specifically "taught" these things, the way I would play it would be that your pc simply possesses a heightened "awareness" of them via practice and experience. So, yeah, compared to someone who would be Intermediate (level 2), you have of course less experience and thus a weaker understanding towards the application of the aforementioned skills (ie. less polish). Just keep in mind that the basics are pretty much taught at every level of skill, whether it's beginner or master, they are just made more and more complicated (or less, perhaps, with the increase of physical capability) as you go. Every new flip and fall is the same exact fall you learned at level1...just different.

Level 1 - Fall on the ground and take no damage
Level 2 - Fall on rocks and take no damage
Level 3 - Fall from high up and take no damage
Level 4 - Fall from high up onto rocks and take no damage
Level 5 - Fall into molten lava and take no damage

Hope this helps. Sorry if I got a little ramblish/roundabout/ambiguous there. I think I got around to a decent answer, hopefully didn't make you more confused.

EDIT- Tumbling is all right, but be careful of getting to hung up on learning superfluous movements. In Aelyria, an acrobat would more than likely be someone who trains their body and flexibility to meet any scenario that they come across, not train certain movements religiously. You don't really need to "train" to learn how to do a cartwheel, if you train your body to be loose and strong, those sorts of movements should come naturally (I can walk outside right now and do a back tuck and I've never "practiced" it once in my life). Just be wary when copying real-world techniques.

[Orbril]

I once had acrobatic skill

Level 1 - Ground Work - knows how to do various rolls, stands, leaping etc
Level 2 - Aerial Work - learns to do sommersaults, wall running, trapeze, high wire (across a rooftop)
Level 3 - Aerial vaulting, aerial stunts
Level 4 - Wuxia
Level 5 - Fantasy Wuxia

[Amari]

Originally Posted by Orbril

I once had acrobatic skill

Level 1 - Ground Work - knows how to do various rolls, stands, leaping etc
Level 2 - Aerial Work - learns to do sommersaults, wall running, trapeze, high wire (across a rooftop)
Level 3 - Aerial vaulting, aerial stunts
Level 4 - Wuxia
Level 5 - Fantasy Wuxia

I just googled Wuxia and...wtf? Wuxia is chinese wushu fiction to begin with, and besides that it would be Zinn'ka anyway. And you can wall run and trapeze at intermediate, but not vault?

Sorry to be blunt, mate, but this anecdote is sketch at best. You happen to have a link to this?

The thing about acrobatics, like I pointed out, is that all of its movements, no matter how amazing or fantastic, have very basic, very humble origins that need to be trained from day one.

Also feel maybe I should have pointed out that I'm a Parkour/freerunning enthusiast, which is basically acrobatics while running.

[Tonguez]

ignore

[Orbril]

aerial vaulting = vaulting whilst already in the air, not vaulting from ground to air (which is Lv 2). Aerial vaulting allows the acrobat to change direction in mid air without an external contact point.

So to put it more clearly
1 Groundwork (Ground to Ground)
2 Acrobatics (Ground to air)
3 Extreme Acrobatics (Air to Air)
4 Superhuman Acrobatics (gliding across water, leaping 20 feet, changing direction in mid air)

I've also done pakour and basically what I'm saying is that fits at Level 2, I might put trapeze work at L3, and level 4 would equate to the Qing Gong (lightness)

(I apologies for using the term Wuxia, Quing Gong is an aspect of Wuxia and I used the term as shorthand as most westerners don't know what Quing Gong is)

[Amyra]

Also feel maybe I should have pointed out that I'm a Parkour/freerunning enthusiast, which is basically acrobatics while running.

Funny you should say that because parkour is exactly the direction I am wanting to go with Amyra.

And for her background, which I haven't written up yet because I suck at writing backgrounds, she is the daughter of an acrobat and a knife thrower, who were part of a troupe. So she would have been around it her whole life, and most likely have recieved some training from her mother, the acrobat.

Also, from reading about on various websites and such, it seems to me that, as Amari said, every move is the basic move you learned at first. But with a twist. It seems that the more advanced you get, the more difficult the "strings" of moves become, such as performing a round off to a back hand spring may be something you could do at level 1, but would be a bit slow and sloppy at it, but, at leve 3, you could tack on 2 more moves to the sequence.

Anyway, I don't really know if that is accurate as it's just sketchy information I'm picking up here and there and putting together.

Sooooo, I think maybe I'll just go with a combination of everything you have said and what I have found on my own, and using Orbrils skill tree as a guide.

Thanks a lot guys


ps: Oh, Amari, being a parkour enthusiast, do you happen to have any good reference material you could point me too? I've been watching a lot of YouTube vids on it, and read a few sites, but, talking to someone who is actually involved in it is always the best way to go

[Huxley]

EDIT- woops, this is Amari

Orbril- that makes a little more sense.

Amyra- In that case, she could probably get basic dagger throwing as well, if you wanted. I've personally started a PC with a starting package of Basic Stealth, Acrobatics and Dagger. Aaaaanyways...

You've got the basic gyst of it, don't worry too much about being "right" or "wrong". As with any skill, skilltrees are just to give you a basic idea. Just remember to keep it in perspective, think about the basic level character you want to create. Don't think about it in terms of "level 1", but rather "what has she experienced thus far?" and create her basic level knowledge from than, rather than from cut-and-dried training manual, while keeping in mind the expectations of someone who is a "novice" (which you can also kinda guess at...a lot of it being based on your own skill level as a player).

Don't ask "what am I allowed to do?" instead ask "with my skill as a player, what can I get away with?"

Also, this: http://www.americanparkour.com/smf/index.php

Ehhh I hope you merely mean that you merely want to create a free-flowing acrobatic style, as parkour is an urban activity that primarily utilizes the massive complexity of modern structures. In aelyria, the applications I can think of are very minute.

[Broken]

oops

[Amyra]

WEll, the starting package is already done and approved. Am doing a flashback thread for the knife throwing.

Ehhh I hope you merely mean that you merely want to create a free-flowing acrobatic style, as parkour is an urban activity that primarily utilizes the massive complexity of modern structures. In aelyria, the applications I can think of are very minute.

Well, yes, that's part of it. But, my goal with Amyra is that she will be a cat burglar, and I just see parkour as being a very appropriate for that sort of thing. For both the actual breaking & entering part, and the escape, especially if she is pursued.

Much like the chase scene at the beginning of Casino Royale.

Granted, I doubt that there are as many obstacles in an Aelyrian city as there is in a modern city such as multitudes of trash bins, bus stop benches, hand railings, sign posts, etc...but I still think parkour would be very handy

Plus, it's just cool. And I found out that there is a parkour club and training place somewhat close to me, so maybe I'll join

[Tonguez]

Originally Posted by Huxley

Ehhh I hope you merely mean that you merely want to create a free-flowing acrobatic style, as parkour is an urban activity that primarily utilizes the massive complexity of modern structures. In aelyria, the applications I can think of are very minute.

The principles of Pakour can be used in non-urban environments too

Pakour in the Forest and Pakour in mountains (rocks, gorges) would both be possible in Aelyria. Plus the cities of Aelyria do have some interesting architecture

eg:
Pakour in the Forest

[Broken]

Very cool. Definately how I see Amyra getting around


(Broken and Amyra being one in the same....)

[Krait]

Originally Posted by Amyra

Granted, I doubt that there are as many obstacles in an Aelyrian city as there is in a modern city such as multitudes of trash bins, bus stop benches, hand railings, sign posts, etc...but I still think parkour would be very handy :)

On contrary a 'medieval' city has TONS of opportunities to do Parkour. It just doesn't have the modern elements to it like bus stops and sign posts. The very structures itself (as you can see a clear example in very old cities, or cities of third world countries too seem to share similar characteristics - think Thief 3 or Assassin's Creed designed cities) have uneven rooftops, cramp buildings with close spaces inbetween, no standard heights (one building is tall and right next to it short etc.), wide open teracces and balconies, clothes lines etc.

The only limit is your imagination there :)

And in one of my writeups, Jaedaxia supposedly is the creator of Parkour in Aelyria lol. Well, I never got through with it, so its not official :p