《Caelorum - Online?》 Chapter 0 - Prologue "Now for the latest news, global tensions are still on the rise as the latest reports come out about resource scarcity. The latest reports indicated a 60-80% decrease in mineral amounts below a depth of 5km. Geologist and other scientists are at a loss to explain why there seems to be such a difference between previously predicted mineral deposits. What do you think Coire?" "I don''t know about you Cortney but it certainly seems straightforward to me. All these scientists have been saying for centuries how our planet was structured; now that we are actually there, they come up short. This isn''t the first time in recent years they''ve been proven wrong, remember Global Warming?" "Come now Coire I''m sure the scientific community doesn''t want to keep rehashing that old thing, I''ve certainly gotten tired of it, and I''m sure our viewers have as well. Also in today''s news, there has been another increase in the withdrawal of foreign military from other nations. We''ve reached out to our military contacts, and are only being told that this is part of a global decision to reduce tensions across all nations." "Since when have all of the nations agreed on anything Cortney? I think this may be our nation finally taking steps to protecting our own resources, as well as reducing the outrageous military spending; other nations are simply following our lead" "Well whatever the reason may be, I''m sure we will be reporting on it as it happens, when it happens. Next up is Bob with next week¡¯s forecast." "Thanks Cortney, we can look forward to a nice local 8-month high of -5 C..." << >> Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Now for the latest news, the Aurauns have finally begun their takeover of the planet designated N-041-R; the most recent world their scouts have discovered." "I''m not surprised So''Ran, they''ve been dealing with population pressures for several centuries. It''s not that common for a habitable world with a Neon atmosphere to be found." "That''s certainly true Kir''na; however, they won''t be able to Seek Dominion for the planet as easy as you may think. We''ve just received word that a Vorian fleet arrived and has also begun preparations for takeover of the planet." "Well that confrontation should be interesting. Those races have been in constant conflict for the better part of a millennium; ever since the Vorians KSed a boss and got the blueprints for their new plasma conduit." "Ouch, I don''t want to be reminded of that battle; the Aurauns should have gotten that drop. Next up is Bob with next week¡¯s spatial forecast" "Well it''s certainly a good forecast, the dimensional disruptions in Quadrant XY9-009 have settled down; which means we can look forward to easier login access to the area..." << >> "Nurse, can you turn off the news please." Beep... Beep... Beep... "Looks like he''s starting to wake up doctor." Chapter 1 - Waking up Mars 9 50,031 BPS Sigh... another one left barren by their actions, when will the cycle end? - J << >> March 3, 2035 << >> Beep... Beep... Beep... Mmmm nothing like the feeling of floating on air, this is a really good bed... Wait my bed is one of those crappy firm mattresses, why do I feel comfy... Ah there''s the usual crappy mattress... Why do I only feel it on my shoulders? "Nurse can you raise his bed up." ... ... ... I don''t like the sound of that... "Chris, I know you''re awake; can you try opening your eyes for me?" *Blink Blink* After getting accustomed to the stupid bright light, which obviously isn''t my bedroom''s light, I finally take a look around the room. First verify surroundings; beeping sound is not my annoying alarm clock, bed is not my usual evil firm-queen sized bed. Second verify voices; let''s see four people, I recognize two of them, but not the two I heard talking. "Welcome back to the world of the conscious, let''s get the check up over with, then we can talk." Several people came in to read my machine entourage, then do some annoying medical poking and prodding... "Can we have the room, while I talk with your son..." "No." "Okay." "I assure you Mr. Raphael, I''m just going to go over the same stuff we already talked about." *Blink Blink* "Okay then... So Chris, what is the last thing you remember?" "The last thing? I remember heading to the soccer field, I was going through the parking lot and then falling. Next thing I know I''m dreaming of a better mattress." "Well short term memory loss is understandable; unfortunately, your fall was caused by a car accident. It seems that the driver attempted to run you down, and when that failed he got out and started beating on you." "Why would someone want to run me down; we haven''t even been in this country for more than a few months." "We can talk about that later Chris, once the doctor has finished." "Putting aside the why of the event, there are some things you should know about your current status. The initial damage from the vehicle was relatively minor; the usual bruises, cuts, and scrapes from a hard impact on asphalt. The problem was the beating you took, was severe enough to cause both head and spinal trauma, as well as some internal bleeding. Once the local hospital got you stabilized and in a condition to be moved, you were transferred here for your continued care. We had to put you into a medical coma, to help with the spine and head injuries. You''ve recovered from most of your injuries, you''ll see some remaining discolouration from bruising for a few more days." "Let me guess Doc, the spinal damage crippled me; it''s not that I feel a comfy mattress, but that I have no feeling below my arms..." "Partially correct, you are paralyzed; however, it shouldn''t be permanent. The reason you can''t move right now is because of us, we did so to make sure everything continues to heal properly. That''s the good news, the bad news is that the damage to your spine will likely mean that after we stop the drugs, you will have to work to regain use of your legs." "So how long until I''m off the drugs?" "A couple more days of observation, we''ve already started reducing the amount your I.V gives you." "Doctor is there anything else, or can we talk to our son?" "No that is all for now Mr. Raphael, I''ll see you at the end of shift Chris." << >> As I watch the doctor leave, I hoped that the damage isn''t as bad as he said it was; otherwise how am I supposed to play soccer, not to mention grow my Avatar... I look over to my parents to see them doing that silent communicating, telepathy, rock-paper-scissors thing they do some times; especially when it comes to who gets to tell me we are moving again. "Chris, there are some things we need to go over." Looks like Mom lost this time... "Okay, because I have a few questions I want to ask as well." "Why don''t you start Chris." Hmmm... She''s giving me control of the conversation, no good news ever comes when that happens. "Let''s start with the simple things; Why was I transferred to a different hospital, I thought the nearest hospital was the best in the country? How long was I in the coma? Why is dad being so silent? Oh yeah and why did the doctor say I was targeted?" "Sigh... All of those things are pretty much related. You were in a coma for the last 6 months, you were transferred to this hospital after the first month; when the doctors agreed you were stable enough for transport. You were moved to this hospital because we are back home, we aren''t overseas anymore; there are a few reasons for this, we can talk about them later. The doctor said you were targeted because that is what the investigation concluded; as to why, that is because we were foreigners as well as military. As to your dad being silent... he''s being all mopey and ''momma bearish'' because he picked that posting for us." "Let me get this straight, I''ve been in a coma for 6 months and may be paralysed, because someone didn''t like foreigners? That makes no sense, we weren''t even in the country for very long." "Unfortunately the amount of ''patriotism'' and ''anti-foreigner'' sentimentality has been increasing a lot lately, people aren''t happy about ''outsiders'' taking ''their'' resources. That doesn''t stop them from buying things they want, but they don''t want to be reminded about it." "Idiots... Anyway, what does that mean for you guys and the military? I thought that your terms were going to be up after the posting and you were going to renew?" "Considering recent global events, as well as your condition, we decided to retire from the service. They posted us to the local base for the first 4 months after we got back." "Wow" "Anyway we''re glad your awake and things seem to be getting better, we''ll let you relax and maybe get some more sleep." Jeez, I''ve read stories about people waking up to a changed world after being in a coma. I can''t believe how much my world just changed in what seems the span of a couple hours. Parents no longer in the military... No more being forced to move around every few years... and starting a new social circle. World going crazy, wait no, the world was like that before the coma. Now I just need to deal with potentially living in a world without the ability to move my legs, or at worst feeling anything below me arms... Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Wait how am I supposed to grow my Avatar if I can''t be active? I guess his arms may get super strong, would need to try and change classes then though... "Hi Chris, I''m Elyse, your nurse. You''ve been kind of zoned out since your parents left 3 hours ago. Dr. Markson stopped by to talk to you, he asked me to give you some medication to help you sleep." "Oh, Huh..." Mmmm... Comfy bed... << >> *Yawn* Sigh, this hospital must really like keeping their patients asleep, I guess it would cut down on people walking around. Well I guess yesterday really happened, I guess the good news is that I won''t be moving around anymore. I''m 18 so I should probably have been looking into university by now, I''ve certainly got the grades. Score one for online education. Nah I''ve got time, doesn''t everyone take a couple years off nowadays, to ''discover'' themselves. I was originally just planning to go to the Military College anyway, then again, my parents actually left the military so now might not be the best time for that option. *Knock Knock* "Come in, I''m awake." "Good morning Chris, how did you sleep, and how are you feeling?" "Sleep was okay, usual mattress hate; as to feeling, I''d say I''ve felt better but that would require less paralysis." "Well I can''t do much about the mattress, hospital standards I''m sorry, I can however say the food passed the monthly health inspections this year. As to the paralysis, the drugs will be out of your system within the next 36-48 hours. After that we hope you should have almost no paralysis left; unfortunately, your motor control will likely be an issue." Sigh... Great, that means my likely hood of playing soccer this summer is gone. Guess I''ll look into classes that rely on standing around swinging my arms... maybe Paladin? "I guess, if that is the best I can get then so be it." "Just don''t try and move around and cause problems, and you should be fine. Also, there is a gentleman here that wishes to talk to you, do you have a few minutes?" "Who is he?" "He says he represents ''The Game'', and just want a few minutes of your time. He apparently got permission from your parents to talk to you." Sigh... "That doesn''t sound troublesome or anything... Sure, send him in." I wonder why "The Game" wants to talk to me, as far as I know they aren''t connected to my injuries. << >> *Knock Knock* "You can come in." Seriously, why does everyone have to knock every time. It''s not like I can get up and open the door for them. Well, safe to say this guy is definitely a ''representative of the company''; black suit, black suitcase, and a nondescript haircut. I don''t think you could get any closer to ''miscellaneous minion #2'', without using clones. "For the record, you are Chris Raphael, correct?" "Yes..." "Good, the reason I''m here is to offer you access to our latest control system for ''The Game''. If you accept, then you will need to sign several documents; which basically say you won''t disclose anything about the device to the public, we have access to your device for testing and information gathering purposes, we aren''t at fault for any damage caused by the device, etc..." *Blink Blink* "Just a few questions before I sign my soul over to a bunch of legal deforestation. Why am I being given this offer and what exactly is this new device" "Don''t be silly, all the documents are digital and are frequently reviewed and updated with generally no impact on the people that previously agreed to them. As to why your being given this offer, there are a couple reasons. First, your medical condition places you into the candidate group, primarily the fact that you were not born with your physical disability; Second, your family has a military history; and most importantly your name was randomly selected." That means the gods of RNG were actually on my side? Past experiences with treasure chests says that is doubtful... After all, how many different chests only give you a Broken Iron Sword, especially after beating that Frost Giant... "So I''m not the only one getting this offer? And what do you mean the documents are frequently changed?" "Correct, can you agree now, so we can get on with things? I have an Avatar match scheduled in an hour." "Whatever, you still haven''t told me what this device is, I''m not signing until I know what your plotting." "Oh... I forgot you haven''t had access to the Internet for the past couple months. It''s a new piece of headgear for your Avatar, which allows for neural interaction and control of your Avatar. No more clunky annoying wrist gear or dinky glasses." Neural interaction and control? Doesn''t that mean I can control him with my mind, no more stupid button mashing? Yes! Finally, I can''t believe how long it''s taken them, we''ve been hearing "Coming soon" for years. Everyone basically assumed it was never going to come and they were going to go the route of stupid pods or something. "That sounds fun, and I can guess how my ''condition'' makes for a good device tester. I can''t wait to start using my Avatar again, I was busy farming for the tier 4 armour set before my accident." *Blink Blink* "Yeah... about that... I''ve got some good news and bad news, which do you want to ignore the most?" *Blank look* "Spill" "Okay, bad news is that you''ll need to start from scratch with the neural device, Avatar migration is still in development; the new device isn''t currently compatible with the wrist devices." "Which currently store all Avatar information... Great, so what''s the good news?" "Also your current Avatar will be wiped, due to the fact your Universal Identity Number can only be connected to one at a time. The good news is your new Avatar will get a reward based on your current one, after you finish the tutorial." "WHAT! That is so not acceptable, why couldn''t they wait for the migration to work?" "No clue, I asked the developers and got a headache once they started talking." Ugh... next generation device I''ve been waiting years for, in exchange for my current Avatar; is it worth it? Sigh, whatever, as if I''d pass on the chance. Plus, not everyone gets a chance to start fresh, in fact no one does, that''s the down side to playing so young and not having a restart option; lots of silly mistakes picking what is ''cool'' and ''popular'' for your avatar. "Fine I''ll sign" *Takes the data pad and blindly plays whac-a-mole with the agree button for a few minutes, then signs on last screen* "Did you guys have to make the agree button jump around the screen?" "The legal department made us add that, something about adding an extra layer to prove people didn''t blindly agree to the terms. Expect delivery in two days in the morning. Bye" Huh, I guess he didn''t want to hang around. << >> Well, that is the first chapter of the story, hopefully it flows well. I''ll probably have to tweak things much further down the line, once there''s more chapters. Feel free to PM me comments about flow, grammar, etc... I''ve long since been told I abuse commas; I''d stop, but they deserve it. Chapter 2 - Anticipation Quintilis 20 50,011 BPS No brother, I will not help you in your latest war... - J << >> March 5, 2035 << >> *Groan* Man, they really need to change this bed. I thought I was supposed to be convalescing, not being tormented by firm bumpy evil... Wait... There was no comfy feeling of clouds, why didn''t I get any clouds... That''s right the doctor said the drugs should wear off about now... "YES!! NO MORE CLOUDS" *Door slams open* "Chris are you alright, why are you screaming?" "Oh hi Dr. Markson, I was just enjoying the feeling of your horrible hospital beds." *smirks* "I''ll be sure to bring up the bed issue during our next meeting. Well I guess that means we can start your tests early then?" ... "What sort of tests?" "The usual medical touchy-feely kind, mainly involves; a lot of poking, ice packs, and some warmed up towels. Just imagine its a day at a spa." Why does that sound like a very low class spa, with questionable practices? "I''ll be back with the nurse in a few minutes, so we can start." << >> "Okay, first I want you to try moving various parts of your body, we will start from the top down. Can you wiggle your ears for me"? *Stare* ... "How about your arms then; straight out, roll your shoulders, test your full range of motion." *Starts going through previous arm exercises* "Good, no change in your arms now that the drugs are out of your system. Next I''m going to lay the bed flat, and I want you to try and sit up, as if your doing crunches with your legs pinned down." *Tries to bend up and fails* "Hmmm, how about I support you and you just try and bend up" *Tries to bend up again...* "Okay, so you can bend fairly well, but your muscles seem to have atrophied more then we thought. Did you have any abnormal muscle feelings, or missing sense of contact?" "No, I just felt really weak and my muscles now feel tired." "That''s to be expected, we tried to prevent any issues with your muscles, but there''s only so much we can do in a hospital bed. Let''s try your legs now, try and wiggle any of your toes." Okay, time to send these piggies to market! ... I guess they don''t need groceries today "That''s okay, we were expecting some issues with controlling your legs. How about you try simply flexing your leg or moving them around." *Attempts to move legs around* "Hmmm... Nothing? You''re not getting any response regardless of what you try and do?" *Glares at betraying appendages* "No doctor, I guess my legs are gone no aren''t they..." "Not necessarily, remember what I told you, the damage your spine and brain took had an impact on the control over your lower extremities. Tell me, can you feel your when I do this?" "Ouch!" "See, you have feeling in your legs, we''ll verify that shortly, but that means you have a high chance of getting their use back." "So how long until I can use them again" "No idea, all depends on your body and how well you heal." *Knock Knock* "Hi Dr. Markson, I see you started early." "Good morning Mr. And Mrs. Raphael, I apologize for starting early; however, a certain someone decided to announce to the floor how unsuitable his bed felt." "That''s fine doctor, what''s the prognosis? Will he recover?" "Well, he doesn''t seem to have any motor control issues other than with his legs, and that appears to be complete loss of function. As to sense of feeling, we were just getting ready to test that; he does seem to have full sense of touch, including his legs though." "We''ll let you continue then." "This is the part your probably not going to like Chris, it involves testing your senses of: touch, cold, and heat." ... ... ... "No more, I hate the cold, give me back my blanket!" "Well the good news is he doesn''t appear to have any issue with his senses." "When can we take him home." "Mr. Raphael, now that we know the extent of the paralysis, we would like to keep him for observation for at least a month. I hope that after a few more weeks of healing, he will be able to start limited physiotherapy; to help with his lost muscle mass, as well as regain control of his legs." *Grunt* "Thank you doctor, I''m sure you know best, please let us know if we can help in any way." "Well, these tests are done, I''ll schedule you for some scans later in the week; hopefully your body will have healed a little bit more, and we took some just before waking you up." << >> This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Chris, did the man from "The Game" stop by a couple days ago?" "Yes dad, he said he got permission from you both to come by. There was a bunch of legal stuff to go through after I accepted the offer." "Good, from the way it was described to your father and I we thought it would help with your recover, and your doctor agreed. When does it arrive?" "Its supposed to be later today! sometime before noon likely" *Grins* "Sounds like your looking forward to it." "Yes, I need to do some research, since apparently the device has been talked about for a few months; not to mention I need to catch up on the latest information that''s been released for ''The Game''." "We''ll leave you to it then, we only came by this morning for the tests and to hear the results. We are looking at a few places today and over the next few days." "Oh... okay, well let me know if you find any good places; and be sure to send pictures this time, I hate not knowing where I''m moving" "Remember to listen to the doctors, the sooner they release you, the sooner you can come home." << >> I''m surprised they didn''t stay longer, it seemed like they wanted too. Oh well, having a place to live is kind of important for when I get out of here; apartments only keep me sane for so long. Now to begin my research, which should I look up first? New info or stuff about the new device... *Looks around* Wait, how am I supposed to look anything up? *Buzzzzzz* "Yes Chris, how can I help?" "Is there a laptop or other computer I can use, since my parent''s didn''t bring me mine." "Isn''t your laptop in your closet? It was brought in with your clothes by your parents when you were woken up." "Oh, no one told me, can you bring it over and plug it in for me." "Sure" ... ... ... "Thanks Elyse." "Your welcome, don''t forget the doctor has cleared you to try taking a bath on your own now. So I''ll give you a couple hours to mess around, then its bath time." ... ... ... "Ahhh, good old lappy" So I guess I should research what''s being said about the device. ... Wow, there are a lot of articles and comments out there; sadly, they basically all say the same thing. -------------------------------- Finally, they are actually planning to release the new interface, it''s only taken them about 9 years of saying "Coming Soon". -------------------------------- Did you see the footage they showed about how lifelike the Avatar was, the fight scene looked so much cooler than tournament battles! -That had to totally be pre-programmed actions, there''s no way they could make them move like that. If they can move like that, then I''ll give my Tier 5 set to the first noob I find! -------------------------------- An inside source has confirmed that the initial release of the next generation of controllers will be to an already selected group of individuals, for the purpose of pre-release testing. No one will confirm or deny who the potential testers are... -------------------------------- Thanks to the latest press release, we now have confirmation on the newest generation of controller. We can confirm that; there are no more wrist devices, the previous head gear has been replaced with a streamlined and minimalistic design, and lastly the device will enable the user to view through their Avatar''s eyes and ears. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Wow... basically a whole lot the usual advertising... I wonder how the new device will work with the current Holo-board system? What about any new information about ''The Game''? -------------------------------- I can''t believe they nerfed Paladins! This has been the first nerf in years, how can the company do this. I demand answers! - Paladin''s had to be nerfed, it was possible to attack and heal at the same time; all you had to do was press both action buttons at the EXACT same time. Everyone knows that! -- To the All Knowing Troll above, Paladins have been out for years; the first time anyone managed to pull off the double action (for any class) was during the latest world tournament. -------------------------------- Rumours have been circulating the last couple months about an upcoming massive patch for ''The Game''; insider sources are refusing to comment about "Those crazy people". If the rumours are to be believed, the patch will be the largest since the VR 2.0 upgrade; maybe we will finally see some new race options. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Hmmm, the rumours sound interesting, but ''The Game'' has stated that one of its core aspects is that only Humans are playable. I doubt we''ll see gnomes appearing as Avatars anytime soon. As to the balance logs, Paladins were for lazy people anyway. I''m glad I don''t have to worry about the new Tier 4 armour material requirements; why did they increase them by a whole 2%, outrageous! *Knock Knock* "Okay Chris, I''ve got good news and bad news. The good news is I have a package for you; the bad news is its bath time." *Stares at package* "Earth to Chris..." *Stares at package* *Sigh... puts package in closet* Chapter 3 - Rejoining the world Martius 3 48,965 BPS Seven more drained and three more rendered barren, this has to end... - J << >> March 5, 2035 << >> "Fine, can you bring the wheel chair over here." "Here, do you need help getting in?" *Stares at the chair* "Yes." ... "Thanks, is everything setup in the bathroom? I don''t know what my parents brought as far as supplies and clothes." "They put everything in the closet, until you needed it. I''ll grab everything while you head to the bathroom, do you think you''ll need help?" "No I''ll be fine." Well, I''ve never had a chance to mess around with a wheel chair before, lets see how this go''s. *Knock Knock* "Chris are you ready, I grabbed a change of clothes, as well as supplies for your bath and brushing your teeth." "Yeah, you can come in as well, I''m not naked or anything. Just testing out my new elevation and perspective." ... "Well let me know if you have trouble in the bath, I''ll be outside until you tell me you got in and are good to go." *Sigh* *Turns faucet on* ... "Thanks Elyse, I''m alright now." "I''ll be back in about 30 minutes to check on you." ... *Leans back in tub, and slides down* Dammit, is this how things are going to be from now on? ... Why the hell did this happen to me? ... I''ve never done anything to anyone; hell I haven''t even had a chance, been too busy moving and being a good son. -------- Eight Months ago -------- "I''m sorry we are moving again Chris, but keep up with your online courses, and you''ll be able to get into whatever university you want." "I know dad, I''m just tired of jumping around everywhere, especially when we keep moving to these small houses with no yards." "Well this is the last deployment before our terms are up and we can talk about what we will do then, when the time comes." "Yeah right, you both love the military; plus, I''ll be going to university soon after, so what will it really matter." -------- Now -------- What was supposed to be a two-year deployment, turns into six months. During which I was only awake for the first two of them; I guess that is the shortest deployment they''ve been on. Most of my life I''ve been active, and outside, now I''m stuck with no legs, no sports, and basically forced to start my Avatar over; there is no way I can continue to grow him properly with my disability. ... What exactly is there left over? I guess my online courses/marks are still there... Wait I was supposed to write the final exam for three of them by the end of February. ... *Sigh* *Looks around* Great, I literally can''t look myself in the mirror, it''s too high up. ... *Deep Breath* ... "Okay, I''m still alive and still me. So what if I can''t use my legs? The doctor said that it should just be a case of regaining motor-control; its not like the nerves were severed or my legs were permanently disabled. Time to figure out what I''m going to do now." *Deep Breath* ... "First, I need to start accepting this shitty situation; I''m sure my parents aren''t any happier then I am, knowing them. Second, I need to setup my new Avatar, try and recover some of my previous lifestyle; hopefully this ''Neural Interface'' will work properly. As to the rest I''ll deal with them as they come." *Blush* I can''t believe I just gave myself a pep-talk... "Chris are you done in there? Let me know if you''re having any trouble." "Umm, Elyse, how long were you there?" "Long enough to say that the doctor believes that you''ll regain some motor-control, the only question is how much." ... "Any other critiques or addendum for my pep talk?" "Nope, and for the record I''ve heard better and worse, at least you didn''t use the words ''Man up''. I mean since when is that a useful or legitimate way to get over an injury like this?" "Thanks Elyse, I''ll be out in a few minutes" << >> Finally, I can open this thing... "Elyse, are you sure there''s nothing else planned for me today?" "No Chris, your next round of testing is scheduled in 3 days. The doctor has stated that you are to get at least eight-ten hours of sleep a day; any less and you get a lecture and a visit from the pharmacy." *Gulp* "Okay, can you help me with the packaging then, please." *Box demolition begins* *Styrofoam peanut battle begins* "Victory!" "I let you win!" "Well let''s take a look at the next generation of greatness." "Ooh" "Ooh" "That looks fancy, do you know when they become publicly available?" "Nope, all I know is there''s a very limited number of testers; and I''m not supposed to say anything about nothing." *Flips the box upside down* Ah setup manual... Looks like it just needs to be put on, no plugs or charging... I wonder how they did that, the old gear required a full charge every 6 hours. "Huh, Chris, you may want to read the warnings in the manual; it even mentions using the gear while driving... and is 30 pages long" "A) I thought all cars were self driving and most transportation was mass transit now; B) isn''t taking care of my immediate health a nurse''s duty?" *Sigh* "Ill make sure Dr. Markson reads over this, he may stop by afterwards." "Sounds fine, I don''t get seizures or motion sickness, I''m sure that covers 90% of the medical stuff they talk about anyway." "Well I''ll leave it to you then, any feeling of discomfort and you take a break." So this is the future of ''The Game'' huh, definitely an improvement over the old gear. Time to create my new Avatar... *Puts on device* << >> Booting, please wait... Accessing link system... Accessing... Adjusting link protocols... Connection established New user detected... Analysing... Initiating account creation... "Welcome new being, we will now begin the creation of your account; after which you will go through the system tutorial. WARNING Some creation options may be disabled and or hidden due to your current connection." I guess that makes sense, they wouldn''t want everything to be leaked before the device launches. "Please provide the following information"
UIN
Avatar Name
Hmmm, what should my new name be? My last one was made when I was five years old, and well there''s a reason I like the idea of a new Avatar... How about...
UIN 29FK054M4A-WzpoQbjAPA-8uyE6ttGEp-4549232325
Avatar Name Methenor
Analysing... UIN validated... Avatar name invalid... "Apologies being, your Avatar name must be the same as your current name. Custom names and or titles will be made available as you progress in the world." That''s stupid, don''t tell me I found my first bug? They removed the naming rule soon after ''The Game'' was released; to many people complained about privacy and being tracked down for their idiocy. Oh well...
UIN 29FK054M4A-WzpoQbjAPA-8uyE6ttGEp-4549232325
Avatar Name Chris Raphael
Analysing... UIN validated... Avatar name valid... Initiating Avatar creation process... << >> Wow... I can actually see the avatar in front of my bed, it looks just like a person is standing there; the detail is better then the current Avatar pads render. I wonder how the head gear managed to duplicate my body from before the attack... Now let''s see what I get to pick for my new Avatar. Loading customization options... "Please select from the following options; Character appearance, Character class" Hmmm... No race option? I guess the rumours were false after all. "Racial options currently disabled due to ongoing Database analysis" Interesting... I guess that rumour monger actually may have gotten one right this time. Display Character Class Options Loading available character classes... Currently available character classes: 3 ... I think they are taking this testing thing a bit to serious, from over 20 classes down to 3? I better be able to re-class after the testing is over. Displaying class options...
Soldier Direct combat focused class, tends to be first in the fight, and last on the battlefield. Can usually be found causing trouble when not on missions or in the field, never to be underestimated. Advantages: - Bonus to physical stat gains - Able to use all weapons - Able to use all forms of Armour Disadvantages: - Reduced skill gains in non-combat fields - Reduced skill gains in intelligence based professions - Reduced gains to intelligence stat group
Healer Usually found far from the forward battlefields, in tents, behind lots of guards and other fighters. Primarily responsible for undoing the damage caused by other people. Given a reputation for being squishy, those that brave the battlefield to help their comrades tend to get free drinks during the engagement (after work of course). Advantages: - Bonus to Intelligence stat group gains - Better able to use objects based on ¡®alloys and compositions and things with... molecular structures¡¯ - Easier time learning all skills that don¡¯t involve direct combat Disadvantages: - Reduced stat gain for both physical stat groups - Unable to wear armour heavier than ¡®Light¡¯ class - Restricted to weapons with a range below ¡®Medium¡¯ class
Scout Only found on the battlefield when they mess up. Usually found on the fringes of battles performing various activities; scouting, assassinating, sniping, causing trouble. They have a reputation of both problem solver and problem causer. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Advantages: - Bonus to Agility stat group gains - Able to use all ranged weapons - Starting access to the Stealth tree - Likely to be hired to fix problems you caused, in multi-faction engagements Disadvantages: - Reduced stat gains for physical stat group - Unable to wear armour heavier than ¡®Medium¡¯ class - Decreased chance of being invited into factions permanently - Restricted to single handed close range weapons - Unable to use ¡®Heavy¡¯ class weapons
So not only are they limiting my options, they are even giving me brand new classes to pick from? These classes are even the most annoying types; might as well just label them ''Archetypal RPG representation 1-3''. I wonder if they made the classes this broad, so that users aren''t as limited in what they can do. I remember I got very frustrated not being able to hit anything with a bow; made my usual soloing even more difficult. Select Class Scout. Loading Class data... Applying Class data to Avatar... Appearance updated... Stats updated... Displaying stat growth rate for class: Scout...
Strength 2 Vitality 2 Endurance 5
Agility 5 Dexterity 3 Speed 4
Intelligence 3 Wisdom 3 Logic 3
Looks good, but I wonder what the growth rate indicates? "Growth rate is defined as; stats gained per class level, stats gained through actions, and stats gained through attribute point usage at a rate of 1 to 1" So that means most of my gains must come from my class level then, otherwise it''s all through actions. Okay, I''ll admit it, the new graphics engine looks amazing; even from across my bed, the materials on the Avatar look 100% realistic. What''s next? "Next step is to finalize Avatar stats, then appearance; after which you will begin the tutorial." *Sigh* I can see some people getting annoyed with the neural interface; I doubt people will enjoy having their random question-thoughts considered commands. Display Avatar Stats Analysing User... Physical degradation detected; accessing previous physical form data... "What?" Previous physical abilities loaded... Calculating Avatar stats... Well I guess that guy did mention bonuses from my previous Avatar...
Name Chris Raphael
Age 18 Race Human Class Scout
Basic Info
Level 0 EXP 0
Health 1524/1524 Stamina 2116/2116
Energy 97/97 Attribute points 10
Basic Stats
Strength 168 Vitality 120 Endurance 166
Agility 183 Dexterity 219 Speed 135
Intelligence 194 Wisdom 86 Logic 123
*Blink Blink* Soooo... how exactly are those my newAvatar''s stats? Given the class level of 0, and my amazing age of 18 whole years, there''s no way those stats are right. They out class my old Avatar that was fully equipped with Tier 3 gear! I would have needed to be physically active and training like an Olympic athlete since I was born to have stats that high, and be fully equipped. Hmmm, I wonder if this will work. Review Avatar Stat Gain Sources Accessing... Displaying list by overall impact... How could my race have possibly provided the main source of my stat growth? *Checks race* Yep ''Human''... I wonder if this is the company''s way of giving a basic boost to all Avatars. The forums have always been filled with people complaining about why they can''t have crazy stats like in other games. Looking at those stats, I think I''ll keep the free attribute points for after the tutorial. Display Avatar Customization Accessing customization options... Loading racial traits... Loading Avatar clothing options... Accessing additional options... WARNING current connection state does not allow for additional options... Sweet, there are a ton more customization options now. Where should I start? No sliders? "Avatar appearance will be adjusted based on desired options; if mechanical control is required please specify." That should make things easier, sliders always frustrated me. So let''s see... Change hair colour to: black Change eye colour to: pale blue Adjust muscle mass to be more: Athletic "Please specify dominate athletic activity" Soccer "Changes applied, please review Avatar" That looks about right, I''ve never been very creative when it comes to character customization. I''m usually happy when I don''t make an Elf look like a Troll; hence the slider hatred. Accept Avatar Customization Saving changes... Updating Avatar core matrix... "Would you like to begin the tutorial now?" << >> *Beep Beep* Hmmm, what''s this? Abnormal connection detected... Analysing connection... WARNING Connection protocols should be updated soon... WARNING Connection stability below 1%... Isolating unstable connection to single location... Analysis complete, connection using Pre-Caelorum protocols... WARNING Pre-Caelorum connection detected, initiating Class 2 scan... Estimated completion time: two planar months... "Sul-mar, what''s going on? We were talking about where to go for lunch." "Yeah, you should see your expression; I didn''t know your mouth could open that much, without food being involved." *Points at screen* "... Must be a glitch, or maybe one of the Elder races found an old interface and wanted to see if it still worked?" *Beeeeeep* Abnormal character detected... Analysing character... New character race detected, analysing for racial compatibility... ERROR Racial database corrupted: data appears to be missing... Initiating database reconstruction... Estimated completion time: two planar months... "So... I guess we''ll be going to lunch without you Sul-mar." "Yeah, congrats Sul, you found the first system error in Eons." *Everyone runs* Why me... it''s even pizza day... "SUL''MAR, why am I getting complaints about your station accessing other departments? You''re not binge watching system competitions again are you?" *Sigh* System Initiate Connection Trace Initiating connection trace... Estimated trace time: nine planar weeks... << >> *Door slams* "Finally, we found a house that is suitable. How long do you think it will take to finish the changes for the new place?" *Grunt* "Don''t give me that crap! You''re both the same, I swear if it wasn''t for the fact I gave birth to him, you''d be clones. He acts all happy and perky, as if nothing happened or it was no big deal; you grunt and try and act all stoic. IF you don''t cut it out now, I swear, I will erase all of your Play-Box saves." "Now now, no need to go that far; we are both exhausted. The constant worry over Chris, as well as everything else, lets not say or more importantly DO anything we may regret..." *Glare* "Look... Once we sign off on the house, I''ll feel better. The construction shouldn''t take longer then a month or two; most of the time will be spent on the upgrades, mainly waiting for things to arrive... like your new appliances..." *Sigh* "Do you think he will like the new place?" "Rhea, of course. He will have his own basement apartment, complete will everything he could need for his recovery. The first thing being done on the house is adding wheelchair access to the basement." *Sigh* "I just wish he was back with us, and could actually start opening up to us; every time I see that stupid smile on his face I just want to smack him." "The doctor said that if everything goes well, he should be released by the end of the month. So I''ll work on the house, and make sure everything is ready for him by then; and you make sure you visit him and try and get him to open up." "Fine... You know we still need to explain to him what really happened over the last few months right? What are we going to tell him?" ... "Where do you think your going Ian Raphael? Don''t even think about leaving this room." ... "I was just going out to start looking for contractors..." "Oh really then... Why don''t we go borrow two laptops from the hotel and we can do some research, WHILE we discuss what we are going to tell him..." *Sigh...* << >> Now we arefinally getting into the game parts. I haven''t set a firm release schedule yet. I worked on the current releases with the goal ofat least getting to some of the game parts/data. Also, thank the Excel Gods for granting me access. I have several spread sheets setup, to handle the various aspects of an Avatar''s growth. It took me a better part of a day just to get the formulae and components to link together; that doesn''t include the balance testing I did by pseudo-random data entry. As usual, PM me your comments and thoughts. I plan on writing up a few of ''The Game'' chapters, at a time, then releasing them individually.