Post by XIII on Oct 26, 2018 23:56:14 GMT
DIGIVOLUTION
The concept of Digivolution is a broad one, and generally refers to a sudden acceleration of growth in the Digimon's core programming that enables it to assume a form which is typically larger, radically different from their previous appearance, and more powerful than the one it currently inhabits. More specifically, the term itself can be distinguished between two loosely-defined types: natural and artificial Digivolution.
Natural Digivolution occurs very slowly and over the course of several months or years, perhaps even decades, and a Digimon that grows in this fashion is never likely to evolve beyond adulthood, the Champion level, without significant training and conditioning; even rarer are those who have reached the Ultimate stage, and rarer still are the Digimon that have ascended to the ranks of Mega.
Artificial Digivolution, on the opposite side of the coin, is largely an umbrella term for several alternative options or methods which allow a Digimon to momentarily bypass their natural programming barriers in order to achieve the next stage in their coded development line, with uplink to a Tamer's Digivice being the most common and well-known method. Certain artifacts and relics are said to facilitate other, less formally recognized instances of Artificial Digivolution.
Regardless of the differences between these two distinctive branches of Digivolution, it is agreed with almost near-unanimous certitude that the expression of powerful emotions — love; anger; fear; sorrow; joy; determination; and so on — is quintessential for the awakening of a Digimon's true potential.
From a biological perspective, Digimon experience their lives in the form of "cycles", each one consistent of roughly between three and six stages of growth that are colloquially called "levels", which closely emulates the natural development process that human beings experience as they age and grow older. They are listed as follows, from youngest to oldest:
• Fresh (幼年期, Younen-ki, lit. "First Infancy Phase")
• In-Training (幼年期II, Younen-ki 2, lit. "Second Infancy Phase")
• Rookie (成長期, Seichou-ki, lit. "Growth Phase")
• Champion (成熟期, Seijuku-ki, lit. "Maturation Phase")
• Ultimate (完全体, Kanzen-tai, lit. "Perfect Body")
• Mega (究極体, Kyūkyoku-tai, lit. "Ultimate Body")
Every Digimon begins a life cycle at the Fresh level upon hatching from a colorful oblong construct known as a "Digi-Egg", which acts as a protective barrier for the undeveloped creature's binary data strings until it is fully formed and ready to emerge.
A newborn Digimon is utterly defenseless against the world it lives in and spends most of this time absorbing data particles from its immediate surroundings to facilitate Digivolution to the In-Training level while keeping itself hidden from stronger, more powerful Digimon looking for a quick bite to eat. An In-Training Digimon, while slightly more capable, is still left desperately wanting in its self-defense abilities and will continue to passively download data into itself until it can Digivolve to the Rookie level.
Rookie Digimon are by and far the most populous of the known growth levels, and it is this stage where their personalities as individuals begin to form and develop in proper; many are understandably naïve and prone to curiosity, which can prove either beneficial to the Digimon's growth or, in the worst case, serve as their current life cycle's final mistake.
When a Rookie obtains enough experience or data, or environmental conditions force them to adapt, they will Digivolve to the Champion level, which is considered the average point of adulthood in a typical Digimon life cycle and represents a maturation in their learning and development. Once this stage is reached, however, Digivolution beyond the Champion form becomes exceedingly difficult to achieve through natural conventions – as such, Champion Digimon are the second most populous level next to Rookies.
To reach the Ultimate level is a feat that very few Digimon have ever successfully accomplished due to the immense amount of training and energy it requires to reach this form, let alone sustain. But those who secure this kind of power have surpassed the toughest phase of their growth yet, resulting in the acquisition of a body that can truly be considered "perfect". Such creatures are spoken of with a great deal of respect – perhaps even fear – and rightfully so.
Then, there is the Mega level: a state of existence of such incalculable rarity that, in most contexts, is treated as though it simply does not exist. These Digimon have transcended every possibility, broken every limit, and secured a type of power that has only ever been described in terms of pure speculation. Several myths and legends within the Digital World often feature beings of this particular level as part of their intended narrative.
Regardless if their power is unlocked through natural means or facilitated through their link with a Tamer's Digivice, the Digivolution process is not a perfect one: it is exceptionally uncommon for a Digimon to achieve a more powerful form via organic means, let alone to sustain their existence in such a body, without amassing a truly incalculable amount of data to meet these processing requirements.
In mundane conditions, if a Tamed or an Untamed Digimon has unlocked a minimum of two separate Champion forms, they also receive the passive ability to remain at the Champion level, and can even begin combat in the form they currently inhabit. The Ultimate or Mega level can never be passively sustained outside of combat due to the outrageous processing rates necessary to sustain the sheer volume of data intake and output, no matter how well-developed the Digimon is or whether it is Tamed or Untamed.
In battle, however, the Digimon will be faced with the challenge of efficiently maintaining and spending their energy against their opponents. Tamed Digimon are burdened with certain programming restrictions due to their link with a Digivice, and they suffer a shorter lasting duration for Digivolution than their Untamed counterparts.
Listed below are the determined amount of turns each kind of Digimon are able to spend in each level of Digivolution during combat, regardless of the individual form the Digimon occupies; the first number represents the turn count for Tamed Digimon of that level, while the second number represents the turn count for Untamed Digimon.
Champion Forms: 4 turns / 5 turnsAdditionally, any Digimon, regardless of whether or not they are Tamed or Untamed, may increase the length of time they are able to spend in each level of Digivolution by an additional post for every Rank their character account gains, from +1 post at Beginner Rank, to +2 at Intermediate Rank, +3 at Advanced Rank, and finally +4 at Expert Rank. This is meant to represent the Digimon as being familiar with the finer mechanics of data reconfiguration.
Ultimate Forms: 3 turns / 4 turns
Mega Forms: 2 turns / 3 turns
But, also keep in mind that practicality is extremely important in the human world: what might be within the realm of normality in the Digital World will be invariably frowned upon, loathed, and unquestioningly resisted by the human populations.
As the Digivolution process continues to expand and redefine itself in both strange and interesting ways, we will continue to append further information to this page accordingly. Listed below are a series of shorthand explanations and guidelines regarding the various features and additions to this broad yet definitive part of Digimon biology.
• Warp Digivolution is a subroutine that only becomes available to a Digimon with the purchase of the Warp Install upgrade, and access to at least one (1) form of each respective Digivolution level. When both of these conditions are fulfilled, the Digimon achieves the ability to swiftly rewrite their data from one level to another in linear sequence; a Rookie Digimon, for example, with this power could instantly Warp Digivolve straight to the Mega level if they had access to a form of that level.
• Slide Digivolution is a subroutine that only becomes available to a Digimon with the purchase of the Slide Install upgrade, and access to at least two (2) or more forms of the same Digivolution level. When both of these conditions are met, the Digimon achieves the ability to reconfigure their data between any form the Digimon has available to them, provided they are all of the same Digivolution level.
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