BZPRPG News and Discussion

[Zox Tomana]

Just wandering around the RPG, and saw a character who ostensibly controls Plasma is making protosteel gates. Huh? I know there was a whole discussion about plasma going on, but nowhere did anyone say plasma was anything more than an ionized gas that could be used to superheat objects. I'm pretty sure "compressing cold plasma" into a whole other kind of matter is very much outside the scope of the element.

[Hitoshura]

No, Tyrus actually told me to scram because I confessed to attempting to extort them for "protection money".

Uh, no, he told your character to get a job? I think?

[flynn58]

Just wandering around the RPG, and saw a character who ostensibly controls Plasma is making protosteel gates. Huh? I know there was a whole discussion about plasma going on, but nowhere did anyone say plasma was anything more than an ionized gas that could be used to superheat objects. I'm pretty sure "compressing cold plasma" into a whole other kind of matter is very much outside the scope of the element.

Here's the thing: Plasma isn't a substance in and of itself, it's a phase of matter.

 

So creating Plasma Protodermis (like how there is solid and liquid protodermis) then compressing it means that technically, yes, someone with the elemental control of plasma can create protosteel.

[Krayzikk]

Ah...

 

No. Ice is frozen water. A Toa of Water cannot create ice just because it's a different state of matter of their own element. Similarly, the generation of protodermis, let alone protosteel, by a Toa of Plasma is very far outside of the realm of their elemental ability. Generation of metal is the sole province of Toa of Iron, just like generation of ice is only that of a Toa of Ice.

 

That is not to say that it is not scientifically possible; theoretically, it might be. But the science to even understand how to do so, let alone the ability to do it, is pretty far outside of the realm of a Toa of Plasma. 

Edited August 16, 2014 by Simon the Digger

[sunflower]

Here's the thing: Plasma isn't a substance in and of itself, it's a phase of matter.

 

So creating Plasma Protodermis (like how there is solid and liquid protodermis) then compressing it means that technically, yes, someone with the elemental control of plasma can create protosteel.

 

gub isn't here so i guess this is where i step in >_>

 

Technically, the only way that this would be remotely possible would be for the matter from which the plasma was generated from was originally protosteel (or, more loosely, just protodermis).  As you stated, plasma isn't a substance specifically, but a form or state of a substance.  Thus, if one creates a plasma from air, then it's going to be air plasma (well, a nitrogen-oxygen-carbon dioxide plasma assuming Aqua Magna has a similar atmosphere composition to Earth).  When one cools this plasma to the point of de-ionization it's going to return to being exactly what it was before; just air.  One cannot turn one substance into another just by heating it.

 

So in order to "create" protosteel, a Toa of Plasma would first have to have some protosteel to heat to the point of ionization, then subsequently carry around a cloud of protosteel plasma, before cooling the cloud in such a way that the electrons are no longer free (at which point the Toa of Plasma would loose control over it).  And even then, it wouldn't amount to anything besides a pile of protosteel dust, unless there was some way for one to bind the atoms together again.

 

(Also would be good to note that because we're on Mata Nui, the only protodermis present would be that found in living things from the MU, and any weapons or tools they could have gotten from it.  Everything else is normal matter.)

[flynn58]

The Toa of Ice/Water was a good point.

 

So, if I can only really just turn air to plasma to burn stuff, what other applications can my element possibly have?

 

I mean, you guys told me to be creative with my powers, and I'm trying that.

[Krayzikk]

Correction; the consensus that creativity was encouraged within the bounds of the element's limits. If you have to justify it with relatively advanced science, then you're probably stretching too far.

 

Plasma is an element which has a relatively limited effect, the creativity lies in how it is applied. If you're ever not certain if something would be allowed (the above rule of thumb is pretty applicable), then you can always ask here, or PM a staff member.

[flynn58]

Alright.

 

Wait, would this negate pretty much everything my character has done to the realm of non-canon?

[Relapse]

I think a little retconning would do no harm to your character; it certainly wouldn't do any harm to anyone else's.

[flynn58]

Idea: We'll say it all crumbled to dust, and then I'm gonna run the heck out of there before Tyrus takes off my head.

[Relapse]

Yes indeed; it would be quite unfortunate for a fictional character to take off your head.

[Void Emissary]

nah man, tyrus is actually a big teddybear. he just hides it really well behind his bloodlust. :3

 

EDIT: As long as we're talking about the protodermis turning to dust and not the whole gate, then we've got a deal.

 

-Void

[flynn58]

The protodermis has turned to dust and I'm currently on the run north.

[Palm]

A good note for me as far as being creative with mask powers or elements is focusing on how you use them, not what they can do.

 

If we constantly expanded what they could do, that isn't really being critical. That's just broadening and broadening the limits instead of working around them.

 

For instance, a Toa with a mask of healing could be used to heal a particular injury in the incorrect way. Causing further damage instead of fixing something. Like purposfully connecting the wrong muscle tissues together. Or a Kakama user could propel a raft at high speeds using their legs. Those actions are already within the limits of what one can do, what HOW you do what you can do is what you're really aiming for.

 

That's how I look at it anyways.

[flynn58]

But it wouldn't be "healing" if the mask was doing further damage.

[Relapse]

If our hypothetical Mask of Healing user used his abilities to heal the broken parts in such a way that one's individual body parts were functioning correctly, this would be healing. Now, if these body parts were misarranged so that, together, they would form an entirely new (and significantly more painful to mend) injury, then that would make perfect sense.

[flynn58]

But that would be the opposite of healing. You can't use a mask of healing to injure.

 

That would be like using the Kakama to go slow. Or the Pakari to be weaker. Or the Huna to make yourself visible.

[Relapse]

Or using a Kualsi to make things explode.

[flynn58]

Or using a Kualsi to make things explode.

 

...touché.

[Zox Tomana]

But that would be the opposite of healing. You can't use a mask of healing to injure.

 

That would be like using the Kakama to go slow. Or the Pakari to be weaker. Or the Huna to make yourself visible.

It really depends on the degree of control the user of the Mask of Healing has. You could mend the injury (say a pair of torn muscles), and do so in a way that works great, perfectly fine, walk around on it all day long if a little weird feeling, but as soon as you start making it really work (like in a battle), the mismatched parts become evident and possibly tear because they aren't meant to work that way. You did fix the problem, but you also created a timebomb that will probably resolve itself in another injury. That's probably why a great degree of knowledge about the injury or condition you are healing is required to use the mask: if you don't know what you're doing you could do it wrongly. With the caveat, of course, that you can't use the mask to directly cause new damage, or have any effect on healthy bodies.

 

Just throwing that theory out there.

[Palm]

That's exactly what I'm getting at Zox. I should have explained further.

[flynn58]

So, maybe if you do an incomplete job, but aren't directly doing damage? Like, you can't use the mask to pop someone's arm off, but if their arm is broken, you could always only fix half of it.

[Palm]

Yeah. I didn't mean to suggest the mask could cause damage where it wasn't already damaged. But that could FIX things WRONG on purpose, or choose to only do a partial job which could cause further damage.

[NorikSigma]

Yeah. I didn't mean to suggest the mask could cause damage where it wasn't already damaged. But that could FIX things WRONG on purpose, or choose to only do a partial job which could cause further damage.

AhemGreiskSealedMouthAhem

[Palm]

Exactly! Like sealing somebody's mouth totally shut before cauterizing it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 16, 2014 by Palm

[NorikSigma]

You're welcome Palm </3

 

(Alright, Srsly you're totes forgiven. )

Edited August 16, 2014 by Norik Of Celtania

[25K Now!]

I am so confused by everything you guys are talking about.

 

I'll just go back to my simple fireball-throwing.

[NorikSigma]

Hub.

 

How do we fish in Kentoku.

[Ghosthands]

Thank you, gentlemen, for so admirably resolving those little power-related...issues. Telefragging Kualsi-users and plasma alchemy are not things I wanted to wake up to.

 

Just one last thing:

 

 

OOC:

 

He's currently on the Hura-Mafa River. He thought he was going North, but deriving cardinal directions from the placement of the sun was a skill he did not possess due to living in the Great Spirit Robot.

 

 

It's an easy mistake to make for new players, but the Great Spirit Robot does not exist in the BZPRPG. Or rather, we don't know if it exists. It might be out there somewhere, but it hasn't been confirmed by the staff and thus cannot be assumed to exist.

 

As a rule of thumb, try not to make reference to things that are not explicitly stated to exist in this game-world.

 

There are exceptions to this: we know that 'foreign' species like the Skakdi and Vortixx have their own homelands that may resemble Zakaz and Xia, but we know next-to-nothing about them. They might be in a 'Great Spirit Robot'; they might be in 'domes' like the Matoran Universe originally seemed to be; they might be islands in the Endless Ocean; they might be something else entirely.

 

Until we find out, it's best to make little reference to such places, and when we do, to keep it vague. For example, rather than saying 'due to living in the Great Spirit Robot', say 'due to living in a place without natural sunlight'.

 

EDIT: In other news, here's a handy reminder that Echelon's lair isn't as you might remember it from last arc

Edited August 16, 2014 by That Ghosthands is a spy

[flynn58]

Wait, the 40 million foot tall giant robot doesn't exist in the BZPRPG?

 

What am I going to do with my life?

[NorikSigma]

Wait, the 40 million foot tall giant robot doesn't exist in the BZPRPG?

 

What am I going to do with my life?

Accept it and move on?

[flynn58]

I'm sorry, I just can't live in a world that doesn't respect the rights and freedoms of impossibly sized giant robots.

[NorikSigma]

We do, we just don't know if they exist.

[Ghosthands]

I'm sorry, I just can't live in a world that doesn't respect the rights and freedoms of impossibly sized giant robots.

'Impossibly' is right. You'd almost think the writers had no sense of scale...oh wait. Nevermind.

[a goose]

I mean, you guys told me to be creative with my powers, and I'm trying that.

 

just to clarify, creativity is important, but as other people have explained more eloquently than i could hope to, it's best to not go overboard

 

- Indigo Individual

Edited August 16, 2014 by Pokémon Trainer N

[Relapse]

I'm sorry, I just can't live in a world that doesn't respect the rights and freedoms of impossibly sized giant robots.

You can't? You are going to leave because of this?

 

A pity. You will be sorely missed.

[Nuju Metru]

 

So I can't has telefrag?

That is absolutely correct.

 

Next time I guess I won't assume that my brusqueness will be interpreted to mean "end of discussion."

[flynn58]

 

I mean, you guys told me to be creative with my powers, and I'm trying that.

 

just to clarify, creativity is important, but as other people have explained more eloquently than i could hope to, it's best to not go overboard

 

- Indigo Individual

 

NO PLEASE I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT.

[25K Now!]

In other news, the contest.

 

How do the winners meet up, or do we get PMed about that later?

[Vezok's Friend]

Alright people. Sorry about the inactivity, but upon returning from BFair I was dragged right back into work.

In any case, tomorrow, there's a sub moving from Kentoku to the Ga-Wahi topic! Just the topic, mind you! We are not near Mata Nui yet.

 

I will try to keep activity constant, but a lot of it will be up to you as crew of the Ryuu. Your positions are not just assigned for fun. If I notice more laissez faire than keeping things moving, who knows what might break on the ship...

 

Just so you can prepare for what you're in for. Until tomorrow!