Ceffyltir wrote:I've never roleplayed any kind of sporting event in my life, so I have a few questions. I've read some guides, but all they have done is confuse me even more.
Strange that they didn't help at all...
Exactly how many players are on each team? To my understanding, there is one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders, and three strikers. That makes eleven. However, I've also seen teams with only ten players, and other teams with twelve or more.
A minimum of eleven starters. Most players have backups that are also sent to play, and so their teams have upward of twenty players on the roster. However, eleven players start. What those players' positions are is up to you. I personally use the 1 GK, 3 DF, 4 MF, and 3 FW because it is balanced. But some RPers choose to have the team be more biased towards the offense or defense, so a team with six forwards would be strong offensively, but vulnerable on the defense. Basically, it's a matter of how you want your team to be RP'd.
To what extent can players use special abilities or powers? Some say that pegasi can use their wings to jump higher, and others say that they cannot use them at all. One of my players primarily walks upright like a human, but has the ability to run nearly twice as fast while on all fours. Would it be considered cheating to do so?
That depends. Can your opponent do the same? And do they let you do that (see RP permissions)? Basically, if a player is okay with you godmoding a Pegasus shooting a ball into the net from a dozen feet in the air, then you're welcome to do so. Of course, then you do have to consider that they could RP it as your cheating led to their defeat. I personally don't have extreme godmods on the special abilities of players. I RP my Pegasai as using their wings to increase their speed. Check out the roster I posted in the WC59 Rosters thread for my personal views on this kind of thing.
In short, I make each species have a special trait that boosts its performance, while also giving it a weakness, such as overconfidence or an inability to stop when charging. So no, it's not cheating, though you might see your opponent RP that your players 'cheated' but got away with it.
Of course, if their players can do the same: sure, knock yourself out. One time, I RP'd a game against a team of aliens that included a giant, green, gelatinous mass. NS is full of crazy, non-human stuff. More than you'd initially expect.
Lastly, how many players can I have outside the game to replace current players in the event of extreme fatigue or injury?
I've never focused too much on it, so you
could have your whole team get switched out, though that might be taking it a bit too far. For the Equestria Cup, consider it unlimited. I don't know enough about RP soccer rules to give you an exact number.