In our game, and in any game ever, there’s always a way to measure how powerful are the characters. Since this is not a video game, we cannot just use numbers to measure damage and such stats, which is why there’s something called the “power level” as measurement.
The power level meant to be classification on the current level of power, including our characters, or any characters on the round. Which mean, a power level exist as guideline to makes sure nothing went too OP for the game. Which also mean, how powerful your characters can be, that also depend on the maximum allowed power level.
Also, here’s our latest standard of power level based on damage measurement, explained in summarized, simple graph with explanation for each categories.
Explanation of each tier and deeper understanding of the system
Power level is usually measured through damage measurement, which mean, how much damage that they can cause, or how much damage that they can withstand.
VERY LOW are the lowest possible point in the system, represented by ordinary, average peoples with no superpowers, or compared to weak fantasy creatures. Using magic and such abilities are still possible here, but the threat that you can cause should be nothing more than merely common tools, which mean, the damage that you may cause, are no more spectacular than feats of household objects, such as stabbing someone with a kitchen knife, burning papers with a lighter, and alike. Attacks comparable to guns and explosives are too OP here and belong on a higher power level. This is why, the “Very Low” tier is usually too low for any characters ever, unless if we’re talking about powerless peoples.
LOW is a step higher, but can still be easily achieved by normal human beings, even in the real world. This feats often seen in action movies, typically done by martial artist that could break doors and deal some damage to your furniture. The threat level is comparable to someone with weapons and adept skills in combat, or an inexperienced person with dangerous armaments such as guns and grenades. Characters that befit this tier are usually common warriors, may they be swordsman or archer, among those who’s capable on taking down peoples and animals.
AVERAGE LOW is borderline superhuman, or at least, peoples with the right equipment to achieve this level of destruction. An example of real world figures would be a modern day soldier with a great deal of weaponries, such as the anti-tank rocket launcher, for example. The most obvious difference compared to the previous tier is the fact that peoples on this level can blow vehicles to pieces, cut down trees at ease, even breaking boulders or damaging such durable construct. Guns still belong here, because bullets travel in high velocity, and even for people on this level, moving past the speed of sound is still impressive. Characters on this tier are usually distinguishable from commoners, but still far from godlike, as such feats can be achieved even by the basic of supernatural powers.
AVERAGE might actually be higher than your expectation, because this is NOT the average for commoners, and more like the average of superheroes. We reached a point where car crash would barely felt like anything, because even tanks might be blown away! This power level is shortly known as “building busting” because this is great for those kind of scenes in movies where skyscrapers are collapsing amidst the battle, while missiles firing down here and there, and monsters roaming around the city. The highest possible damage on this power level is sinking battleships, because it would took more effort than demolishing buildings, but still realistically possible.
AVERAGE HIGH is when even superhumans might struggle to survive. At this point, we’re dealing with things that can wipe the whole city or even threatening an entire country. Such threats are easily comparable to nuclear blast, though it doesn’t meant that you really need to nuke the battlefield. This kind of round welcomes natural disasters, from tornado to tsunami, earthquake to volcanic eruption, among many more possible catastrophe. This round is best reserved for legendary mages, divine beings, demon lords, huge monsters, among many more powerful entities that can wipe out an entire civilization in a day or less. Characters of this level are most often appeared in anime, video game, comic books, or action genres in general.
HIGH is the point where godlike characters are starting to get acceptable. We reached such fearsome height where legendary figures from mythologies begin to show themselves and jump into the fray, where slaying giants become something feasible. From this level and onward, destroying the world become possibility, because at this point, even nukes doesn’t seems to scary anymore. The best of natural, real world event to measure this power level would be meteors, because we’re talking about something that can damage the landscape of the earth, and not just the buildings anymore. This power level is often referred as “blowing mountains” but always be careful when you say that, because size matter. A mountain might be just a large mount that can be ruined easily, and is totally different than something like the Everest of Himalaya, that is larger than most of cities. Another measurement is destroying islands, but only the small ones.
VERY HIGH is the peak of global warfare, because we’re talking about things that can wipe the whole continent, or threaten the other side of the globe. We reached a point that cannot be replicated by real world phenomena, because both of manmade technologies and natural disaster can hardly fit into this category. Behold, outstanding feats where the lands and oceans might be torn apart, sky opened and the moon might fell down! This round is reserved for godly characters, also a point where only the strongest of superheroes and supervillains would survive. However, this doesn’t meant that you can just blow the planet. Oh, that’s for another tier…
SUPER HIGH is something that most of characters cannot reach, and can only be reached by the most of powerful beings. Either that, or we’re talking about stories where planetary destruction is common, such as a certain type of shonen anime. This is the terminal point for earthly battles, and often used as the climax of an action story, where the world might literally get destroyed. Such feats is impossible to be done by mankind, unless in science fiction where antimatter weapons exist, or you can just use spaceships to blow the earth. Because the round requirement is so extremely high, we rarely do this power level, or anything beyond.
HYPER HIGH might sounds similar to the previous level, but realistically, this is a whole different category. Taking example of real world scientific events, meteors that can blow the earth, cannot even deal a significant damage to Jupiter because how big it is. We reached a point where getting hit by asteroids are only ouchies, and get showered by solar storm is not the worst day ever. This power level is where we accept planet busting while watching on a supernova, because even such celestial destruction is welcomed. Best example of something OP here would be a black hole.
ULTIMATE is the zenith of the game, and is the highest maximum power level of EBG! This is not longer about saving the earth, but already about fighting for the universe. We reached a point where intergalactic war can be wage by just two individuals. This is where godly beings become ordinary peoples. We’re no longer talking about natural disaster such as meteors, but already about the impossible phenomena in physics, where time and space might be broken, reality might be collapsing, and all that exist might be gone. We never ever reached such round before, but if we ever, EVER tried playing this one, then it’s likely gonna happen only once in many years.
UNLIMITED is where power level doesn’t matter anymore. This should not be mistaken as the highest power level of the game, neither should be considered as something higher than the ultimate round. “Unlimited” is a special round without power level, and this is only possible when there’s no story to be told. Which mean, it’s basically just a simulation where we can throw whatever characters that we wanted, without caring about the gameplay. The only round where we do this is the “Screw Round” which is where we just have fun, not writing any story, not having any setting, just tossing whoever we wanted. There’s no power level, and there’s no story of the round, or any other requirements of the game. This kind of round is done just for messing around, a stress-free opportunity to do whatever that we wanna do.
We usually carefully measure the power level of the round, so it’s time for us to talk more about measuring the power level, because even small things might be problematic.
Remember, what considered as “OP” (overpowered) for the game depend on the round and the setting. In a realistic story, such as medieval society with no modern technology, where people cannot use magic, where there’s no legendary beings such as dragons and titans, then godlike characters that can nuke the cities would be ridiculously overkill for the game. However, in a whole different story where there are characters that can summon meteors or such disaster while deities are fighting here and there, then nuking the place is acceptable.
This means, just because your characters are too weak to be in “Average” does not mean they sucks. Meanwhile, just because your characters are deemed to be godlike, almost unbeatable on the canon story, and considered as the most terrifying entity in the world, does not mean that they cannot enter the game, because it’s entirely depend on what kind of round that we’re having here.
There’s many more ways to measure the power level, and not just through damage measurement, because not every abilities need to be damaging. For example, speed is also an important stats beside strength and durability. Supersonic characters in anything below “Average” would be way too OP, but they would be pretty norm in “High” or beyond. People usually measure their speed based on Mach, and the speed of sound is 1 Mach. On Average to High, you can go between supersonic or hypersonic, maybe even faster, depend on whether your character focused on speed or other stats. The speed of lightning is way too fast for even High, so you can try going one step below, such as meteoric speed. If that’s still too fast, try ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) that said to be around Mach 20. Just try to avoid lightspeed until you reached the point between High to Very High, at least. Also, any of these speed are only OP if they’re used badly. When used realistically, even supersonic on low power level is acceptable, because bullets travel faster than sounds.
The most problematic are those that cannot be measured by damage measurement or stats, such as for example, manipulating mind or devouring souls. In order to make it fair, use the defense of your opponents as the damage measurement. For example, if this is an “Average” round, then you can easily control the powerless, average peoples, but would struggle against superhuman characters, meanwhile godly beings would be too strong for you to influence. The higher the power level, the more loose it is. On lower power level, abilities that can instantly kill others regardless of their durability would be banned, but on a higher power level, we might see a deity of death reaping the lives of the whole country at ease.
The same rule applies to any other magical effects that can bypass through stats. They’re typically known as “hax” which mean they’re cheating, such as that, a holy sword that can kill any undead doesn’t matter how powerful they are. A similar term would be “absolutes” that often get mistaken as a hax, but is actually not a cheat. For example, if you got an unbreakable shield, perhaps it would not be hax if it makes sense, such as that they’re made from physically unbreakable material, but they’re susceptible to certain magic, certain elements, or other measures. In summary, a hax means that you’re just plain out cheating, but might be legally allowed depend on what limitations that you give them, such as able to stop time for only once in a battle. The absolutes are more about something that cannot be bargained, but are not cheat, such as that your character is made from flame, so they’re immune to flame, which makes sense. Though of course, whether the said hax or absolutes are accepted to the game, it depend on the round, because they might still get nerfed anyway.
Measuring power level is not easy, but remember that the mods would always be ready to help you, because we will review your characters, then we’ll see what to do to make them acceptable to the game. In one more tip that I can give, is to always be ready to compromise, to modify your characters, because not everything need to be accurate to the canon story.
Anyway, I think that’s all for our quick lesson about the power level! 