Well, my goal is to create a One Piece RP that is capable of functioning properly, but there's certain issues I've noticed that tend to hold back most other RPs in the field. One of the primary ones is how I'm to Encourage people to use lower leveled characters. They're essential, but most people are going to want to have Devil Fruit powers (For those unfamiliar with One Piece, anyone who eats a Devil Fruit basically gains Super Powers). While, the people with such powers are one of the things that help to make the One Piece Universe unique enough for people to want to Role Play in it... Not Everyone can have them.

I just can't figure out how I'm going to encourage people NOT to use them. I had one idea, where each classification of character would have a point value based on how powerful they are, and as long as the total point value of all their characters stays beneath a certain total, they can have as many characters as they're capable of fitting. (If that makes any sense.)

How does everyone else choose to moderate power in combat-heavy RPs?

Although I'm not familiar with One Piece, do what I did on AMOS. Make every class just as strong as the next. So, in your case, somehow make regular humans just as combat capable as the ones with Devil Fruit.

This has alot to do with your players' development as role players. Most beginner role players will make super powerful characters because they want to play someone bad ass and strong that everyone can admire. As a role player matures, they begin to notice the value of playing the weaker characters.

Take me for example. My first character for my oldest rp was the Queen of Magistia with incredible ability to heal, amazing combat skills, and incredibly witty in all of the right places. My latest character is a human bar maid with no magical abilities to speak of, no ability at combat, and street smart at best. That came with my personal development as a role player.

Some never grow out of the 'I wanna be so bad ass!' phase though...

That would sort of.. defeat the purpose wouldn't it?

I'd say put limitations on it, or make them earn certain levels of power.

Perhaps to create a character who has devil fruit powers they must play a regular human or lesser character as well?

Not if Maruna is simply trying to improve quality via lessening the desire for powers glamorized in the series.

Are all the powers granted through items, or are some inborn?

Make the lower-level items more abundant. Or make a rule that you can't apply for more attractive powers until you've been on the board for a certain amount of time.

Thanks for all the input everyone, it's really helping!

Alright, I think I've found a solution. Prior to creating the actual character, they'll be made to create the fruit that would grant the power, along with an explanation of what you can do with said powers, and what not. Once the power is approved, it'll be given a rank. Only the bottom of the barrel abilities (Level 1) will be free to create characters with. From there up, there will be a need to earn the privilege to create characters using them. And some of the low level abilities might not be worth the side effects that come with them. And on the flip side, I'll also make some really desirable upgrades available to those without.

A rather simple solution. I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, considering my board will have a 'Shop' option. I think that's how I'll handle it for now.

Since your board hasn't really gotten started, I would recommend IPBFree over Proboards for using a shop and buying such powers. It comes with a mod installer, and that's one of the available mods, and it's a pretty extensive mod. It's going to be a lot easier than using a hack (which don't always work right).

Here's guides to setting up the forum:
http://ipbfree.com/home/forums/showthread....&highlight=mods
http://ipbfree.com/home/forums/showthread....&highlight=mods

IPBF Tutorial Forum:
http://ipbfree.com/home/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9

Well, I'll play around with InvisionFree a bit, but I have significantly more experience with Proboards. I have a money hack already in effect, and from there, I'd prefer to have the shop entirely staff-controlled, as opposed to being automated (If that's what the mod does). Appreciate the idea, but I don't know if I'll switch hosts.

Something like that isn't automated, but it will keep track of transactions. You create an unusable item, then have them redeem it in a forum. The transactions show in the store. You can also use custom profile fields to record what they have bought or what their stats are and have it show up in the post profile.

No point in changing from what you're comfortable with for a shop system. @.@

Ah, well that actually does sound pretty helpful, but I think I'll still stick with Proboards for the time being, primarilly because the one who's going to handle the graphics also has no experience with InvisionFree.