Ballista

History
Thanks to the influence of the free-roaming adventurer population, international relations are experiencing a boom period. Even marriages between people of formerly warring countries have become commonplace.

However, for the commanders who protect the borders of the three nations, such amity creates a growing concern.

With the recent cessation of hostilities between nations, the guards who patrol their countries' borders have grown complacent. On the other hand, soldiers who serve in areas of heavy beastman activity are exhausted by the necessity to be constantly alert. In the event that war should suddenly break out, an army's morale would be hampered by both of these extremes.

Some asked the question: Is this not the perfect time to revive a practice that stirs a nation's soldiers--nay, the entire country--into a frenzy of patriotism? Thus, in a rare show of unity, the four great nations have decided to form a board for International Resolution through Non-lethal Conflict (IRNC, or simply "Conflict"), and resurrected an ancient set of rules that govern simulated combat. The first scheduled Conflict event will be based on the training exercises of the Royal Knights of San d'Oria. Among other disturbing tales, it is rumored that this punishing game was once played with an actual skull....

Overview
In accordance with the decision of the board for International Resolution through Non-Lethal Conflict, an event known as "Ballista" is to be introduced.

The following details the concept of Ballista as explained by representatives of the three nations.

This event is based upon a training exercise employed by the Royal Knights of San d'Oria. Competitors from each nation attempt to score the most points within a set time by throwing a stone, or "Petra," into a castle-like construction known as a "Rook."

After confirming the schedule for Ballista, competitors register their participation though the "Herald," the referee for the event. Once the competitors have all gathered at the appointed place, the Herald declares the beginning of the match. The first thing competitors must do is find a Petra, several of which have been buried somewhere in the playing field by the Herald prior to the match.

Competitors who manage to find a Petra must then seek out a Rook. However, Rooks are not always open to a throw from a player. To open a Rook, a competitor needs to achieve "Gate Breach" status by defeating a player from the opposing team. Once Gate Breach status has been achieved, the competitor is able to score points by throwing Petras into a Rook. According to the rules of Ballista, the positions of the Rooks change at regular intervals during the course of a match.

In other words, taking out members of the opposing team in an efficient manner plays an important role in Ballista. On the assumption that battles between adventurers will differ greatly from skirmishes with monsters, the Conflict Commanders of all three nations are counting on this experience to sharpen the combat ability of their nation's heroes.

During a match, competitors who are not in possession of Petras are able to use an ability to temporarily increase their movement speed, while players who have obtained a Petra gain access to an ability that allows them to search for Rooks. Using these abilities effectively to find Petras, take down an opposing team member, then seek out a Rook to score points in as little time as possible is the path to victory in the game of Ballista.

Special Rules for Ballista
(1) If an entry into a match is cancelled, a player will not be able to enter that match again.

(2) If a player from outside the opposing nations wishes to join an open match, they may do so with the following stipulation. If both sides are even, then the joining player may decide which team they wish to play on. If the sides are uneven, however, then the player will automatically be placed into the team with fewer players.

(3) Level restrictions will be implemented as follows, except Level Restriction 30 which can be joined regardless of level as usual:

No Level Restriction    Level 61 and up     Level Restriction 60     Level 51 and up     Level Restriction 50     Level 41 and up     Level Restriction 40     Level 31 and up

(4) The wait time for reusing the Quarry command will be shortened.

(5) The minimum number of Rooks appearing will be increased to two.

(6) Resurrection time will be reduced as follows: 30 seconds -> 20 seconds 45 seconds -> 30 seconds 60 seconds -> 40 seconds 75 seconds -> 50 seconds 90 seconds -> 60 seconds

(7) If the total number of participants is less than 40 players, then the camp spot will be moved to be closer to the central portion of the field.

You may review these rules at your leisure by talking to "Pursuivant." Feel free to join a match after you review the match schedules.

We have also implemented a Ballista point ranking system in this version update.

See also :  Ballista License Ballista Earring Petra Shovel Ballista Instawarp Ballista Instaport Real-time Ballista Schedule