Super Arena players engage in battle with other players vicariously, via the characters that they design. Characters are composed of the following fourteen traits:
Initiative
Aim
Dodge
Physical Attack
Physical Defense
Energy Attack
Energy Defense
Authority
Command
Defy
Psionic Attack
Psionic Defense
Magic Attack
Magic Defense
Each trait is rated on a logarithmic scale from zero on, with zero being a normal human and each step up representing a twofold increase in power or ability. The following table should make this clear:
| Level | Relative Strength |
| 0 | 1 |
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 | 16 |
| 5 | 32 |
| 6 | 64 |
| 7 | 128 |
| 8 | 256 |
| 9 | 512 |
| 10 | 1024 |
| 11 | 2048 |
| 12 | 4096 |
Note: having twice the power as another character is not nearly as impressive, in game terms, as it sounds on paper. To make the game accurate according to the laws of physics and probability would not be in keeping with the superhero genre.
Supers have 42 points to distribute amongst their traits. The traits are described below.
There are four types of attacks: physical, energy, psionic, magical.
Physical attacks are attacks based on force and matter, such as punches and swords. Energy attacks are lasers, fire, electricity, and the like. Psionic attacks are mental powers like telepathy, ego blast, or mind control. Magic attacks can look like any of the above, but with the special effect that they are magical.
This trait determines how likely the character is to act before his opponent with physical and energy attacks.
This is the trait used to determine how well the character can hit other characters with physical and energy attacks.
This trait determines how well the character can evade the physical and energy attacks of opponents.
This trait determines how much damage the character deals out with physical attacks.
This trait determines how well the character can endure physical attacks.
This trait determines how much damage the character deals out with energy attacks.
This trait determines how well the character can endure energy attacks.
This trait determines how likely the character is to act before his opponent with psionic and magical attacks.
This is the trait used to determine how well the character can hit other characters with psionic and magical attacks.
This trait determines how well the character can evade the psionic and magical attacks of opponents.
This trait determines how much damage the character deals out with psionic attacks.
This trait determines how well the character can endure psionic attacks.
This trait determines how much damage the character deals out with magical attacks.
This trait determines how well the character can endure magical attacks.
When a new super is entered into the game, the computer takes the character and pits it in 100 individual battles against every other character in the rankings. Wins are worth three points; ties are worth one.
The system then totals the points from each of the character's battles and uses this number to determine its rank. If the character scores higher than one of the supers currently ranked, it will replace one of them.
Individual battles are conducted in rounds. Rounds happen as follows:
I. Both characters roll their Initiative and Authority traits.
II. Attacks are made in order from highest to lowest. When a character's initiative roll is reached, the character makes its physical and energy attacks. When a character's authority roll is reached, the character makes its psionic and magical attacks. If a character is KO'd before his turn, he does not get to attack.
III. Attacks are made by rolling the Aim or Command traits of the attacker versus the Dodge or Defy traits of the defender. If the attacker's result is higher, the Attack trait in question is rolled against the corresponding Defense trait of the target to determine damage.
The above description speaks of "rolling" a trait. When opposing rolls are made, the distribution looks like this:
The formula is (Attacker's Trait + Random Number - Defender's Trait), with positive results indicating success.
If one character is knocked out, the other is declared the winner. If both characters are knocked out, the battle is declared a tie.
If the battle rages for one hundred rounds, the match is declared a tie.
It may take some time for your character's combat to complete, especially if other characters have been entered recently. If you enter an email address in the submission form, you will be notified whenever a challenger enters the arena for as long as one of your characters remains in the rankings.
I promise not to sell your email address unless I'm offered a lot of money.
Note: Because of mail queueing, the rankings on the website are updated long before the individualized emails are delivered.