Halo Fanon:Survival of the Fittest

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Intro
Greetings and joyful salutations! Welcome to Justanothergrunt's Actene's Sonasaurus' Survival of the Fittest, where anyone can join and everybody....pretty much dies... This will probably not be a clean fight, you'll see cheap shots, backstabbing, makeshift alliances and betrayals, as your favourite Halo Fanon Characters beat the crap out of each other to become champ in a massive free for all brawl on an island covered with terrain ranging from cities, to lava spewing volcanoes, to icy lakes. Enjoy!

Survival of the Fittest 4.0
Except for a few select components that pretty much make up the core of Survival of the Fittest, the rules have had yet another rewrite, this time with considerably many more changes.

Writing and Submissions

 * 1) Like its predecessors, this season will be mostly written by me. As Actene has pointed out, including too many guest writers causes complications when it comes to keeping everything organized. So if anyone is interested in helping me out, there are a limited number of positions available. I haven't yet decided how many guest writers will be permitted, but the number will be decided once it's almost time to get started with the season.
 * 2) Only character articles in good standing may be entered. Issues such as NCF, unrealism, Godmodding, even grammar, or any similar tags are not eligible.
 * 3) As of season 5, fanmade species are no longer permitted in SotF. This is to maintain at least some level of fairness among the players, as season 4 had been subject to repeated instances where humans, Sangheili, or other canon Halo species had been pitted against giant stompy robots much more powerful fanon species in some very one-sided fights. This had resulted in a small range of users racking up a very high kill count, which created some resentment from other users.
 * 4) The character submission limit has now been revised. As of season 5, each user is permitted to submit a maximum of 3 major character articles, and up to 7 characters in total. Minor characters will have a 1.25x multiplier in risk of death when targeting major characters and therefore their chances of survival are far lower than that of major characters'.
 * 5) Guidance and advice ranging from my handling of your personal characters to my handling of the overall story is welcome, because while I'll be reading these articles, I won't be able to get into a very deep level of understanding with them. I'm often on the IRC if you want to tell me something, or you can always drop me a talk page message.
 * 6) Once episodes are submitted by myself or any guest writers who may volunteer, they will not be edited in any way. This means that if I or a guest writer misrepresent or miswrite your character in some way, don't expect the offending episode to be revised to suit your needs. But as stated above, your advice and criticism regarding the portrayals of your characters are welcome and if a misrepresentation does occur be sure to tell me how the character is misrepresented so that it does not happen in future episodes.

In-game rules
Unlike previous seasons, season 5 and onward will work almost completely differently from before, with a lot more user interaction to allow it to feel like a community project rather than a sit-back-and-watch movie. Of course, its key aspect of characters hunting and killing each other is (and will always be) retained.

Points and resources system

 * 1) Weapons and resources will no longer be given freely through supply drops. Instead, each user will start out with a set number of "Survival Points" (abbrev. SP) and can spend them on obtaining supplies for their characters (see table below for example). There will be numerous NPCs acting as distributors (most likely my minor characters) that your characters will "meet" once you decide what resources you want for them.
 * 2) The number of points each user starts with depends on how many characters they submit, and the type of characters they have. The user will be given more SP if they submit more characters, however more powerful characters (e.g. Spartans, Sangheili, etc.) will get the user less SP than more standard characters.
 * 3) Users can earn SP by completing objectives that they follow at the end of each round; they can also retain resources from another character they killed (user-submitted only; NPCs don't count) and sell them back for points.
 * 4) The "official" resource pool will require the user to have a minimum number of SP in order to buy something, even if the resource itself costs substantially less. This is both to prevent users from claiming all the most powerful resources in the first round, and to ensure that users will not spend carelessly, run out of SP, and find themselves unable to earn more.
 * 5) There is also an "illegal" black market, stocking older-model weapons, crude explosives, character stat boosters, and other "forbidden" supplies. These resources are much cheaper to obtain and have no minimum SP requirements, but are generally less reliable. Use these as you please, but be careful what your characters keep in their supplies, and take note that the "official" distributors will be working throughout the season to shut down the black market, and your characters may find trouble if they are caught using "illegal" resources.
 * 6) With the exception of grenades and ammunition, there is a limit on every resource in both resource pools. The more valuable resources will be fewer in stock, and likely be more expensive.
 * 7) Each character may only visit one of the two resource shops at a time, and only once at the end of each round.
 * 8) If you want your character to dual-wield weapons, their attributes must be equal to or greater than the total sum of both selected weapons' requirements.
 * 9) Forerunner weapons are the most valuable weapons available to characters; their ammunition is a power source that requires no reloading and will not run out for approximately ten years (immaterial, considering that the season will end long before that). They are also more powerful in Survival of the Fittest than they are in Halo 4 (which was likely powered down for gameplay reasons). However, they are also the most expensive and have a very limited stock.
 * 10) If a character is targeted by another character and wins, the winning author will receive half the set reward that the attacking character would have earned. They are also free to retrieve any equipment that the defeated character had, and sell them back to the corresponding resource shop for half its original price, or even use the equipment if the character meets the attribute requirements.

Probability rules

 * 1) As a new addition, SotF will now rely heavily on probability. In simple terms, whether a character lives or dies at the end of each round will be decided by a random chance selection. Higher-quality articles will have better chances than others, although no character will ever have a 100% chance of survival.
 * 2) Most resources will have "safety perks", which will grant the equipped character with a slight reduction in risk of death after receiving an objective. When facing other characters, they will also increase the opposing character's risk of death. Bear in mind that some resources, mostly explosive weapons, will carry a small increased risk of death for the equipped character.
 * 3) Just like the "official" resource pool, most weapons and supplies from the black market will have safety perks to them. However, many of them will have a risk of malfunctioning or being defective. Any perks on a malfunctioning resource will be inactive for the duration of the round. Resources with a risk of "contaminated supplies" means that any stat boosts will be applied in negative values instead for the same duration indicated.
 * 4) In the first episode, every user is permitted to submit characters to an extermination round. Simply put, these characters will have a massive free-for-all fight in an undecided area, where one character will be randomly chosen by number to win a massive SP reward. The more characters you submit to the extermination round, the more likely you are to win; but take heed, doing so will also mean you will risk losing more of your characters in the first round. In addition, if the winner is a minor character, they will be upgraded to a major character.
 * 5) At the beginning of each round, characters will be given three types of objectives; low-risk, high-risk, and wild-card. As their names suggest, each objective will be of differing risk levels for your characters, which may increase or decrease their chances of survival. The user who owns the character will get to choose one of the objectives (see table below for example).

Every objective that involves eliminating another character that is put under "high risk" will not have an absolute risk level. Rather, the percentage will be weighed based on your character's attribute stats relative to the target's. It will be decided by taking your character's attribute levels, divided by the target's matching attributes, divided by two.

For example, to pit Melissa McKay against Marco-025 would look like this:

Strength: [(5 ÷ 8) ÷ 2] × 100 = 31.25% Dexterity: [(6 ÷ 7) ÷ 2] × 100 = 42.86% Agility: [(6 ÷ 6) ÷ 2] × 100 = 50% Accuracy: [(5 ÷ 5) ÷ 2] × 100 = 50% Chances of survival: (31.25 + 42.86 + 50 + 50) ÷ 4 = 43.53%

McKay's chances of survival against attacking Marco would be 44%. Her chances of death would therefore be 56%, and the reward for eliminating Marco would reflect that.

However, this does not mean that Marco would necessarily have a 56% chance of success if he goes after her.

Strength: [(8 ÷ 5) ÷ 2] × 100 = 80% Dexterity: [(7 ÷ 6) ÷ 2] × 100 = 58.33% Agility: [(6 ÷ 6) ÷ 2] × 100 = 50% Accuracy: [(5 ÷ 5) ÷ 2] × 100 = 50% Chances of survival: (80 + 58.33 + 50 + 50) ÷ 4 = 59.58%

Marco's chances of survival against attacking McKay would be 60%. His chances of death would therefore be 40%, and the reward for eliminating McKay would reflect that.

The point, as you may have guessed, is that the element of surprise tends to give the attacker a bit more of an edge. That said, this is not a guarantee, so if you are considering using one of your characters to attack another character, make sure you weigh your odds carefully or the outcome could be disastrous for you.

Attribute rules

 * 1) Each submitted character will be assigned attribute points by me, based on their traits, style, and sometimes article quality (this is going to be very rare, and will only be necessary if the article is extremely lacking in detail). Once I've decided on your character's set attributes, I will create a table for them. If you feel that the points I've assigned your characters are unfair, feel free to negotiate them with me.
 * 2) Every weapon will have requirements that your character needs in order to wield. The gravity hammer, for example, requires 7 strength, and if you have a character with less strength than that, they will not be able to use it.
 * 3) Attribute points do not necessarily determine the outcome of a fight between two or more characters (a character with more strength may not necessarily win against a weaker opponent), but rather are used to weigh the probability of a character defeating another.
 * 4) Other attribute points may be boosted by use of "illegal" resources; the sharpshooter's scope, for example, will increase your character's accuracy by 2, which can give them a substantial advantage against other characters.
 * 5) Two attributes that primarily affect survival are endurance and energy. The two are very closely connected and may be affected by the change in one or the other. Characters have a maximum potential of 1000 energy points, although certain types of characters will have a lower maximum. In short, your characters' energy changes depending how how much equipment they are carrying, as well as how heavy the equipment itself is.
 * 6) While energy is renewable, the endurance stat will go down by 1 every time a character kills another character, and it can only be brought back up temporarily. If a character's energy or endurance level reaches 0, they will die.

Character Tiers
There are three main tiers of characters that can be submitted to Survival of the Fittest, each with its own variety of species that have differing strengths and weaknesses. The higher tiers are generally more powerful and likely to survive for longer, but remember that nothing is for certain in the actual season.

Humans
The members of the UNSC Army and Marine Corps are the most common troopers in the field. They are fairly well-rounded in all of their stats, with average endurance and energy. Troopers specializing in a specific type of combat will have higher stats in that particular attribute, at the cost of a slight decrease in their other attributes.

Orbital Drop Shock Troopers have similar attribute stats to that of their UNSC counterpart infantry troopers, but with a higher endurance and energy rating.

Rebels and mercenaries are roughly equal to UNSC troopers in a straight fight. However, they are more likely to use black-market ordnance, which could give them a slight edge in some situations.

With very few exceptions, standard humans have between 19 and 22 total attribute points.

Kig-Yar
Kig-Yar are physically weaker than most human troopers, but are far superior in less direct forms of combat. They have low endurance, energy, and strength, but have fair dexterity, and high agility and accuracy. Kig-Yar usually have between 20 and 23 total attribute points.

Unggoy
Unggoy are commonly underestimated in most fights, due to their lack of speed and situation awareness. But although most of their stats are low, they are much stronger than they appear, and they have extremely high dexterity. Unggoy usually have between 15 and 19 total attribute points.

Yanme'e
Yanme'e excel as reconnaissance soldiers as well as engineers, although they are very easy to kill once they are injured. They have low endurance, strength, and accuracy, but have very high energy, dexterity, and agility. Yanme'e usually have between 19 and 21 total attribute points.

SPARTAN-IVs
Members of the SPARTAN-IV program are troopers who have worked in ground combat in the past. Although they are not as sturdy or disciplined as supersoldiers from older SPARTAN programs, they are still quite formidable in their own right. They have average endurance, but are moderately higher than non-augmented humans in their other stats. SPARTAN-IVs will usually have between 23 and 26 total attribute points.

SPARTAN-Is
The prototype SPARTANs of the UNSC are around the same level as SPARTAN-IVs, but without the benefit of MJOLNIR armour to protect them. They do, however, boast a slightly higher endurance rating in spite of this. With very few exceptions, SPARTAN-Is have between 22 and 25 total attribute points.

FREELANCERs
FREELANCERs are usually considered the rivals of SPARTANs, due to their daunting reputation for outmatching most of their enemies in battle. They have high endurance but very average energy ratings. In addition, they seldom work well as a team, with each other or among other soldiers. With very few exceptions, FREELANCERs have between 25 and 27 total attribute points.

KNIGHTs
Iris Sabio's KNIGHTs are a different breed of supersoldier than any that the UNSC has seen. Their combat abilities are above that of standard troopers, and they have very high energy and endurance ratings. The subjects are clone-bred, and they kill their enemies swiftly and without remorse. KNIGHTs usually have between 24 and 27 total attribute points.

SPARTAN-IIs
The legendary SPARTAN-IIs are revered for their near-immortal stature. There is almost nothing that can stop them in battle, and they have been known to wipe out entire armadas single-handedly. They are extremely proficient and have high stats in every field. SPARTAN-IIs usually have between 29 and 31 total attribute points.

SPARTAN-IIIs
Although initially developed as suicide soldiers, SPARTAN-IIIs have since outlived their original purpose in the tail end of a losing war. Like SPARTAN-IIs, they have very high ratings in every one of their stats. Although they have slightly lower energy ratings than their predecessors, the SPARTANs of Gamma Company in particular are extremely resilient, with endurance ratings surpassing that of even the SPARTAN-IIs'. With very few exceptions, SPARTAN-IIIs have between 28 and 31 total attribute points.

Sangheili
Sangheili are well-known for their outstanding fortitude and honour in the face of battle, and were once the Covenant's greatest asset throughout their wars and political history alike. Their attribute ratings rival that of SPARTANs, although they have significantly higher endurance and energy ratings. Sangheili usually have between 27 and 30 total attribute points.

Jiralhanae
The Jiralhanae are feared for their sheer strength and animal instinct methods of fighting. Although they are not quite as intelligent or well-rounded as Sangheili, the unleashing of Jiralhanae upon enemy forces are always met with devastating effects. They hold the highest endurance, energy, and strength ratings of any species, although this is countered by average dexterity, and low agility and accuracy. Jiralhanae usually have between 24 and 27 total attribute points.

Previous seasons

 * Season 1 (2007)
 * Body count
 * Season 2 (2008) [CANCELLED] 
 * Body count
 * Season 3 (2010) [CANCELLED] 
 * Body count
 * Season 4 (2012)
 * Body count

Upcoming season — Season 5 (2014)
Survival of the Fittest Season 5 begins on March 1, 2014. Be sure to sign up here and have your characters ready before then. I have need for a few guest writers, I'm not sure how many yet. I'll be picking writers primarily on understanding of SotF and ability to commit, and secondarily on writing skill (although both are important). Just put your name down and I'll pick a few of you by the end of February.