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Post by Kaibo on Jan 29, 2015 21:16:40 GMT -5
Floor 1: Fields outside of Town of Beginnings
There is sunlight, or at least. There appears to be. I know in my head it's not real. That this whole place is just an image being projected in my minds eye. More to the point there doesn't appear to be a proper sky. At least not directly above me. Simply a ceiling colored vaguely as if it were a sky. No actual sign of a sun anywhere. I raise my arm and look hard. My avatars skin is flawless. Without a single blemish or scar. It's actually rather unnerving. To look at what seems to be my body and not see any of those distinguishing marks that I've come to know.
I leave my self-absorbed thoughts behind with an effort of will and refocus on the game. Whenever I play a game, start a new character or what have you. I have this secret goal. To go as long as I can without dying. I've always considered it a personal test of my skill, in both the game I'm playing and games in general. So zoning out well away from the safe zone like that is probably counter-productive.
I twirl the spear in my hands, a weapon labeled simply in my equip slot as a glaive. The part of me that knows games and how they progress tells me it's a typical lowbie item. Nothing fancy and soon to be replaced, but I find myself twirling it in my hands. Admiring the way the fake sunlight glimmers on the leaf bladed tip. Of all the weapons I've wielded in all the games I've played. The one I can hold in my hand is surely the finest.
A loud hum followed by a pop. A sound I've heard a few times already. I grin to myself a little and look over the way just in time to see Ladimore smash a boar over the head. I twirl the spear in one hand, nearly lose my grip on it and recover just in time for Ladimore to shout. "You know, when you hit them between the eyes. They make a funny face!"
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Post by Ladimore on Jan 30, 2015 2:02:11 GMT -5
I always had a thing for hammers in the games I play, you know? Just something about them, I guess. The idea is really simple: Thing big. Hit thing with Hit-thing. Thing fall down. Why thing fall down? Because fuck you, BAM. Always loved it.
Which is why bringing my hammer down on that boars head was so incredibly satisfying; the fact they go cross-eyed if you really put some snap on it. . .I consider a bonus.
A cloud of light and the now familiar sound of crystal bells obscured my view of the meadow temporarily. I'd almost forgotten how real it seemed. I could feel the weight of the iron armor I was wearing. How the straps dug into my shoulders and my lower arms. The weight of the tassets on my belt. The chafing of the graves on my leg where the boar had clipped a plate rather hard. It was so real it was, well, surreal.
As the light and sound faded I looked across the sunny meadow to see Josh's avatar idly spinning a spear. As I lifted my hand to shade my eyes I noticed a large patch of grass was still slightly flat where he had been walking. I shook my head and rested my mace against my side. This place was incredible! The trees, the moss, the rocks. Even the scent of earth was spot on. Dusty from a hot day, but still smelled of growing things.
It was nice, I decided.
Then the boar gored me in the ass.
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Post by Kaibo on Jan 30, 2015 2:52:50 GMT -5
(Since everyone else went to bed. Ima post again.)
I was just starting to get over my own awe (which kept coming on at random intervals) that I was considering tackling another boar myself, when I heard Dallas shout and saw the boar toss him into the air. The fact this was a game, was suddenly driven from my mind as I spun my spear around and took a firm grip on it, meanwhile I began to dash towards the scene.
The fact the boar posed no real threat to my friend was a thought far from my mind as I prepared to attack. I felt a strange stillness descend over me for a moment followed by a hum that increased in pitch and a glow at the corner of my eye, presumably the point of my spear. Quite suddenly I found I'd lunged forward, crossing the last five feet to the boar in an instant and driving my glaive home in a perfectly executed slash. The glowing spear point gouged a groove clean through the animal, breaking it's texture and exposing the gridwork beneath that made up the animals frame. This is what passed for internals here in S.A.O.
The boar stuttered momentarily and than exploded into a cloud of light which faded away with the sound of bells. I briefly saw the screen indicating I'd been awarded money and exp before falling face first on to the ground. The unexpected activation of the sword skill, the lunge forward and the stiffness that followed had left me entirely flat footed and unable to remain on my feet. I lay face down in the grass and consoled myself with the fact that boar had been worth an unusually large number of Col. 50 coins in fact.
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Aeschere
S.A.O Project
*IGNORED*
Posts: 9
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Post by Aeschere on Jan 30, 2015 14:30:31 GMT -5
Aeschere wandered through the streets of the Town of Beginnings, in awe at the amount of life present in an artificial world. In similar games she had made the point to speak to every NPC to gather what information they could offer, but the sheer scale of Sword Art Online was enormous. And this was only the starting city in the first floor of the game! It was unfathomable to her that the creators of this game could not only put in so much detail, but to make it feel "real" as well. She rested a moment, leaning against the brick wall of a building on the outskirts of the market and watched players make trade with artificial shopkeepers and townspeople. A black cat stretched and crawled from a window just overhead, down the wall Aeschere stood. It stopped to yawn before running off down an alleyway. Aeschere made a short laugh. "Unbelievable," she thought. There were so many things to see, no sense in waiting around.
She had made her way back into the Central Plaza at this point, not sure entirely where she was going. Some feet away stood a large palace, towering above the walls of the plaza and glimmering a metallic black. Aeschere recalled seeing it in the distance of nearly every street she passed. It was obvious to her this was a structure of significance, and she made her way towards it, approaching the tall black gate that allowed passage within.
An elderly man in dark robes greeted Aeschere with a bow. "Welcome to the Black Iron Palace," he said before slowly wandering towards another person who had entered the great hall. She looked up and admired the tall columns and raised ceiling. Colored light shone in from stained glass windows. At the far end of the hall was a wide, rectangular monument, made of polished stone and charcoal-black. Quiet conversation echoed the halls from the other people stood around the monument, Aeschere moved in for a closer look. Etched upon the monument was a series of names, arranged alphabetically from left to right.
"Kaibo," Aeschere said quietly to herself, the name stood out to her. It was her friend Josh's alias he had used in other games the two played together. They were player names, some 10,000 of them for all the lucky players able to get ahold of the game. She took a step back to look at the monument and found her own name, Aeschere, near the top of the list and smiled. The world if Aincrad was alive and Aeschere felt privileged to be part of it. And, apparently, to be recorded as one of it's first players upon a monument for all to see. It was history in the making, she thought, but was interrupted by an echoing loud laugh. At the other end of the monument, a small group of players touched and pointed at the names. Friends, it had appeared to Aeschere, simply enjoying themselves playing a game together.
Caught up in all the scenery, Aeschere had forgotten that she, too, had friends to play with. Josh said he and Dallas would be training in the fields outside the town's gates, and to join them when she was finished exploring the town. Neither of them had any idea the scale in which the game would take place, as just exploring the Town of Beginnings would take weeks. Aeschere soon realized this herself, and turned to exit the palace.
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Post by Riah on Jan 31, 2015 4:36:21 GMT -5
This is my first time in this world, and as it comes into focus, I find myself standing in the middle of the Town of Beginnings. Noise and chaos is all around me, laughter and moving bodies. Someone bumps into me from behind as they walk by.
“Oh excuse me,” they say. I grit my teeth and smile as they walk on, paying me no other mind. My eyes dart all over the place- to the shops, the barterers, the food stands, and the ocean of other players all frantically training to build up their armors and weapons. ‘I’ve gotta’ get out of here,’ I think to myself. ‘There are way too many people here for my liking.’ With that thought I urge my body to move, meandering my way to the almost angelic gates that would free me from claustrophobic anxiety. All the faces of the other players blend together as I push through them.
Upon exiting the gates I release a breath of relief, and I am finally able to embrace the environment of this new world. Right away I notice the weather here is nicer than back at home. The sun shines and the air is warm, plants flourish and the grass is green. It is much quieter outside of the town. I stretch out my limbs, getting used to the feeling of them, and begin to rummage through my inventory, retrieving my sword and dagger. I breathe in the fresh air as I look around at my surroundings. I notice a familiar form out in the distant field practising his weaponry attacks upon a boar. I see another form lying on the ground. As I move I thrust and slash at the air with my weapons, to get a feeling for them- their weight, the balance, and the handle grips.
As I approach the scene I watch my other me take a hit to a boar and shatter it’s body, before then falling face first to the ground himself. A couple more boars surround them and I prepare to have my share of fun. I get close to the fallen forms and take my stance as I notice a boar prepare to attack. When it does I block it’s tusks with a parry skill and thrust my sword right into its abdomen. It squeals and steps back, but I proceed and thrust my blade into it’s body again, causing it to shatter into light, quickly disappearing. I can actually feel the other boar advance before I even hear it. I concentrate, envisioning my sword attack before I turn around to face the creature just as it nears enough to do me some damage. I turn into it’s advance and thrust my sword deep into it’s body, stopping the moving animal in it’s tracks. I pull my sword up and slice its upper torso in half. Dancing light disappears into the sky with it’s form as I exhale in relief and surprise for having pulled off such an attack with just a newbie arming sword.
As I see Col(coin aka MONEY) added to my funds I remember my fallen friend. I feel a pull of gravity upon me weaken my legs, but I manage to stand my ground. I snicker as I stare down as him in his weakened state, sheathing my dagger and sword.
“Well-well,” I say, “Looks like I saved the day. You guys were about to be boar-food.” With that I reluctantly begin to walk my way back towards the Town of Beginnings.
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Post by Kaibo on Jan 31, 2015 23:26:14 GMT -5
After a moment or two, the fact I'd just over-reacted to a game settled in. I knew I should feel like an idiot, perhaps some part of me did. Mostly I just felt like a seven year old who'd gotten that thing for birthday he'd wanted all year. So excited I couldn't even contain it. I levered myself to my feet, glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw Dallas doing much the same, although with a great deal more cursing. I grinned as I recognized a few of the words he was shouting in languages only a handful of people would know and even fewer could recognize in it's spoken form.
“Well-well, Looks like I saved the day. You guys were about to be boar-food.”
I glanced up, though I didn't recognize the face, I knew this to be Riah based on information available via my friends list. "Yeah-yeah" I rested my spear across my shoulders. "After we'd already put down most of them!" A blatant lie of course, but she wouldn't know that. At least she'd never be sure it was a lie.
She didn't deign to respond, at least not beyond a small wave over her shoulder as she walked away. I grinned and shook my head. "Hey, how you gonna let your guard down like that?" I thumped Dallas heavily on the shoulder. The thought of him tumbling ass over elbows through the air, which had initially been a rather jolting experience. Now amused me to no end. "Too bad I wasn't drinking anything though. I'd have done a spit-take at the sight of your face. Then your decade long quest would be at it's end."
Of the group we'd been part of when Dallas and I first met. I was the only one he'd never managed to make laugh so hard as to spit whatever I'd been drinking all over the place. It had turned into something of a personal challenge. I often made a point of telling him when he'd missed golden opportunities.
After dusting himself off and shaking his muscles loose. (I laughed internally at this habitual but now useless gesture) he shot off at the nearest boar and began hammering away at it. I didn't bother to watch. Instead turning my head once more toward the the sky, which seemed to be fading into evening now. "I wonder if this game uses a real world clock too." muttering under my breath as I checked the time. 5:25 Blinked back at me, this wasn't really a concern. I had hours yet before I had to worry about...
The thought was derailed. There was something about the menu that was tickling at my brain, though I couldn't quite put my finger on what...
"Hey!"
Distracted, I turned to look. Dallas had clearly been venting his ire on the boars in the area and had appeared to have run right across another players intended kill. From the looks on their faces and the wild gestures, I ascertained they were agitated about it. Perhaps wishing to sink their weapons into something a little more fighty than a boar. I twirled the spear in hand and took my own time sauntering in the direction of what would doubtless be, the site of some of Sword Arts very first Player versus Player combat, and I intended to be part of it. I grinned at the thought. This is gonna be good.
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Post by Ladimore on Feb 1, 2015 4:40:34 GMT -5
The mangy thing hit me like a ghost truck.
One minute, scenic panorama. The next I'm focusing a rather withering gaze on a small fern that almost certainly did not deserve it. The transition was so jarring I almost seemed to float there. Alas, gravity is a harsh mistress, back home and on Aincrad. The fern, while beautiful, stood no chance as my face plowed a small crater in the soil.
I flailed around a bit as I hit, tearing up a few tufts of grass as I waited for the pain to arrive. It never did. A few more heartbeats confirmed it; I was no stranger to the ass-over-elbows maneuver I had just performed. No longer concerned that I might have just been paralyzed by an overgrown slab of bacon the cursing just sort of poured out as I levered myself up.
". . .backwards through the woods with a hedgehog. ", I paused. It was only game. Best not waste all the good stuff. I shrugged, trying to strech some imagined stiffness from my neck.
Across the meadow yet another boar trundled out from the trees as the server began to respawn the mobs in the area. Some rustling from the trees ahead suggested more of the same ilk close behind. I spared a quick glance backwards at Josh's toon, who was delivering what sounded like a parting shot at some woman walking across the way towards Noobville.
"Or was it newb beginnings? I give up. You there!", I leveled my mace in what I hoped was an accusing fashion at the nearest boar. It paused, its snout halfway pressed into the dirt. A single blade of grass stuck to its ear blew in the wind. It grunted once, almost inquisitively.
With two leaping strides and a bellow of, "Split your lungs with blood and thunder!", I brought my mace down on its head right on the sweetspot. I was starting to wonder if I'd already outleveled the things. They werent much of a challenge anymore. One whack and, ding, flash - you got pennies! My retarded internal musings were momentarily interrupted as someone shouted at me from the field beyond the trees.
"Yo that was our pig, man! I'm sick of this, everywhere we go people are just jacking all the monsters!", the nasally voice whined loudly. "Better not do that again man."
My head swiveled sharply, bringing three figures into sharp relief as they walked out of the underbrush.
I smiled. I couldn't help it really. Its not meant to be disarming, I just always enjoy the next part of this game so much.
"Or what? You talk a lot of shit for someone who's character looks like a retarded vampire. It's not anybodies boar until its tagged and not even bringing two rejected muppets with slackjaw to back you up can change that.", as I spoke I took the opportunity to take a few steps closer to the three. Ever so slowly, as I walked, I brought my shield arm up and across my chest. You know, casual-like. But a shield.
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Post by Koeing Turion on Feb 1, 2015 16:34:58 GMT -5
It had been so very long since a game had truly excited me in the way that the launch of Sword Art Online has, yet all of my gaming experience hadn't fully prepared me for this. The magnificent visuals, how distinguishing between reality and fiction became harder and harder the longer i stayed within this virtual world and i enjoyed every last moment of it. I had taken some time to explore the Town Of Beginnings but like many veteran MMO players i made my way outside of the city to begin killing and get a jump on experience, i have been an elite player of many a MMO, this one would be no different.
It seemed the starter mobs were simple boars, generic like most MMO's it almost made me sigh, the long grind was about to start. After about the tenth time of punching a boar in the jaw and watching it shatter and float away on the light breeze he stood straight to look at his gauntlets, funny how he inspected them after every fight expecting to see them covered in scarlet but they remain pristine. Some game mechanics never seem to change i think before turning when i hear some other players getting uppity about their mobs being stolen. Only noobs complain about such things, i shake my head and begin to make my way over, shifting every so often still getting used to the feel of this avatar and wearing light armor.
"Oy! They said to leave their boars alone, didn't you hear them?" I shouted out as i walk up to stand next to the group complaining about the lack of mobs. "If you're so worried about the lack of mobs, why not take it out on other players? Screw boars, i'm sure they'll fight harder too." I can't help but shake my head while staring at the two opposite us, the spear wielding Kaibo and Sir Bash a lot, Ladimore.
Jumping up and down, shaking out my muscles, or atleast this is what i would do were i fighting in real life, habits are hard to break, especially in a game so realistic. I shadow box a little before my lips curl in to a sly smile, swinging my right leg around i take a fighters stance now facing the three noobs who complained about boars. "Or perhaps i should just rid this game of your whining, the learning curve isn't that high, therefore you're either idiots, or way too young to play this game. Either way, you're just more exp for me."
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Aeschere
S.A.O Project
*IGNORED*
Posts: 9
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Post by Aeschere on Feb 1, 2015 20:09:55 GMT -5
The Town of Beginnings was truly enormous. It had taken Aeschere nearly thirty minutes to travel from it's center plaza to the border walls at a walking pace. She had the mind to stop briefly at the market to stock up on basic supplies: healing potions, bandages and medical supplies, and some food to share with the group. The game was still new and there were many players who rushed as far away from the starting town as possible to eat up all the content and get ahead in EXP. It was evident to Aeschere that Sword Art Online was designed to be a very long-lived experience, not meant to be rushed but to be faced as thoroughly as possible and to enjoy it--and she had intended to do just that.
From the gates of the town she could see a vast green field, it's grass gently billowing in the wind. Some yards away, Aeschere spotted a boar chase a butterfly through a patch of flowers. She could only guess it to be some low-level farming mob, but it was just so life like. That would have proven to be correct as a moment later, a young warrior darted by and cleaved the beast in two with a curved blade. Aeschere blinked. This was a game, after all. Moments like these helped remind her of that, even when she wanted to enjoy the illusion. Further away, near where the field met a forest, a small gathering of players had formed. Josh and Dallas were around somewhere. It was possible they were finished grinding boars and moved on towards the forest for larger prey, Aeschere figured that would be a good place to look for them. And perhaps to see what that group was standing around and watching.
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Post by Agent Stanson on Feb 1, 2015 23:56:43 GMT -5
I was incredibly torn of what I wanted to do, female or male. I have thousands of males and female characters I could pick from. I did finally choose. I wanted to be a burly man, a happy carefree man that would crack skulls and break faces. I was going to be the Grog of Thor, Grogthor! I entered the world with a hammer in hand and a rugged looking face, I scanned the area and... Immediately became too overwhelmed to register what I wanted to do first. The first thing I wanted to do was maybe learn some blacksmithing, then grinding levels would also probably be beneficial... eventually... Yeah actually lets just go do some blacksmithing things-
Actually are those wild animals? I took an about face from the town of whatever and started heading out of the town and to the animals that I would go to and find out if there was a pet emoticon! Yes Grogthor will have a mighty... whatever animal I will find to befriend (if that was a thing) If it was not I would just pretend! "THE MIGHTY GROGTHOR CHARGES FORWARD!" I yelled for no reason other then to be loud and obnoxious.
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Post by Kaibo on Feb 2, 2015 17:42:32 GMT -5
Now I have to say, I've always like the idea of an honorable fight, but for that to work. All participants in a fight must first be honorable. What I'd witnessed thus far, three people preparing to fight one guy, apparently, by himself, was the furthest thing from honorable in my book. This doesn't really serve as a good justification for behaving dishonorably yourself but hey if you apply logic to honor, it'll spit the word stupid back out at you.
Like I said, I always liked the idea of an honorable fight. That being said, in most of my time spent playing games. I've played Rogues, Thieves, Spies and Brigands. I'm not really the honorable sort. I've found being an opportunistic fuck tends to serve my purposes better. So it was with very little regret that I took advantage of the fact, that while they were all shit talking to one another, no one had really noticed me approaching.
I locked my eyes on the central figure. Standing back and away from his companions. The ideal sort of target to hamstring. I raised my spear as if I meant to attack a target that was still some meters distant, though I was actually just performing the pre-motion to activate my slash skill. This time intentionally.
The rising hum and sharp blue glow from the tip of my spear happened quickly, though not enough so as to go completely unnoticed. The raised voices had attracted the attention of others, leveling in the area and many had approached to watch the spectacle. A certain tension hung in the air. I knew it well. This was all the time I had for introspection though.
In a blur I of light I flashed forward and struck. As I had expected, my opponent was entirely unready for me. My spear buried itself in his side and set him stumbling. The sheer shock of being struck with a, for all intents and purposes, real weapon likely slowed him more than it would have otherwise. He stood frozen as I yanked the spear clear of his side. All eyes in the immediate vicinity on me. I grinned wide. "Fools!". All according to plan of course. Now that I had their attention. Dallas and Cory were free to... make their own attacks of opportunity.
I lashed out again, raking a cut across his cheek. Although he managed to jerk his head back enough to avoid taking another serious shot. He leaped back and swung his sword out to the side like some sort of imbecile. Likely imitating a pose he'd seen at one point or another. Though it did appear to be a pre-motion as he weapon began to glow.
Leave it to noobs to use their cooldowns out of order. I leveled my spear with his torso and activated my second, and at present last, sword skill. The exchange took place in an instant. I wasn't entirely sure what had happened. Only that I had apparently come out on top. I had apparently deflected his hyper-quick lunge flawlessly, dislodging his weapon from his hand. which had set him stumbling. Leaving him in the predicament in which he now found himself.
Off balance, facing the wrong way, with no weapon in hand. I was tapped out of skills at the moment, two little blinking icons on the corner of my vision informed. I twirled the weapon with an ease that bespoke practice and struck out. Happy to not be relying entirely on the games mechanics to win this fight, but to have some experience of my own.
I watched his health bar fall from yellow into the red. As he stumbled back I managed to hook the haft of weapon up against the back of his leg, causing him to fall. With barley any health left on his gauge I advanced. Leveling the tip of my spear with his face as I did. "Better luck next time." I say with a smirk as I levered my spear back and prepared to stab.
"Wait!"
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Post by Lyra on Feb 3, 2015 15:50:51 GMT -5
I laid down in bed. Slipped the Nerve Gear over my head and stared at the inside of my own eyelids briefly. Since the first time I'd ever heard of the concept of VR. I'd been excited. The idea of truly living a fantasy appealed to me in ways I can't even accurately describe.
I've always been something of a nervous person. Anxious about things that make no sense. Worried about things no one my age should be worried about. I opened my eyes and the Nerve Gears screen sat there, waiting patiently for me to act. I took a deep breath. Ran through a mental checklist on my body. Nothing urgent needed doing but it would be awhile before I wasn't logging out every hour or so to make sure I wasn't starving to death or peeing myself probably.
"Link... start" I said a little hesitantly. I saw some images flash across my screen and then... colors, brilliant colors rushed passed me. I looked around in awe as I left the feeling of my physical self behind and traveled further into my own mind.
It was the most curious character selection screen I'd ever encountered. I appeared to be mostly naked, though much of my body was without form so there was little need for modesty. I scrolled through a seemingly endless series of options. In the end, I decided I like my own appearance best. Simply removing a few scars, making myself a little taller. Lengthening my hair, changing it's color and giving it some shine.
Okay... so I ended up looking nothing like myself. I stared at myself, did a little spin and found I was satisfied. Next came weapons. This was easy. I'd done a lot of larping up to this point. Sword and shield had served me well then, and I suspect it would work well here.
Clothing options were pretty generic in comparison. I skipped over the slightly frilly armor set and picked out the simple metal plate gear. No doubt intended for male players. I looked myself over for a minute and then it struck me, really sunk in for the first time. I wasn't looking at me. Not at all. I was laying in bed with some silly looking helmet on.
This cause me some mild discomfort but I didn't appear to have access to a menu during this stage of the game. I'd have to finish creating my character in order to log out. I sort of blundered through my skill selection. In my haste to advance.
After an "are you sure?" message I was back on my way, this time no colors. Just white light and then... it resolved into being right before my eyes. A town, an actual life sized, fully detailed town. I turned slowly on the spot, wishing I had about ten more eyes too take it all in. The thought of logging out completely driven from my mind.
People, buildings, little animals. Children playing a game in the square. All of them bedecked in the idolized fantasy gear we'd come to expect from the setting. I was filled with thousands of emotions I had no name for. I would have wept if I hadn't been equally intent on running around screaming which was only stopped by the fact I wanted to run in seven different directions at once and couldn't pick one.
It was then I became aware of at least a few other people standing near by. Gazing about slack-jawed as I must have been. The look on their faces brought me back. At the very least I couldn't afford to be looking like a noob here. I'd played my own share of games and it wasn't a name you wanted to pick up.
This brought me back to myself to remember that I needed to log out and make sure my real body was going okay. As much as I hated to leave, having only just arrived. I popped open the menu and scrolled for a second, then I scrolled three or four more times. In a rush I begin to swipe sideways, checking through different aspects of the interface. I could feel some mild panic rising to the surface as I found nothing. "Um..." Excuse me I said to a person wandering by. They looked at me, and though they stopped they were clearly annoyed at being interrupted.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but how do you log out?" The guy scoffed. "noob" So much for that a part of my brain lamented. "It's right..." He flicked through a menu I couldn't see. At first he frowned, and then his frown deepened. "Well that's odd... Must be a bug." He continued to flip through his menu as he walked away. A bug? I thought incredulous. What kind of bug traps players in a game?
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Post by Ladimore on Feb 4, 2015 0:37:04 GMT -5
Flash. Bang. "Fools!" Fuck yeah; now this was my kind of fight. My shield slammed home with a heavy retort that echoed across the field. Honestly, I almost felt bad for the dude as he went tumbling. I mean, not bad enough to not laugh. "You know how..." I march slowly towards the fellow as he struggles to his feet. "you've got that feeling you're special."
He stumbled back away from me, raising his sword as if merely holding it between us would make an effective barrier. "well today..." He makes a half-hearted lunge at me that I bat to the side with me shield. My sword arm already leveled, I activate the pre-motion for my offensive sword skill. "Is your lucky day!" The tip of my blade leaps forward at an angle and tears line across his chest.
Once more off-balance the guy is saved for only a second by the momentary stiffness that follows the completion of a sword skill. This only holds me for a second. I force my "muscles" forward, pushing against the games limiters. All at once control of my body returns and nearly off-balance myself attempting to shield check him again. Luckily my body found a counterweight for all my forward momentum... his face.
Now laying on the ground, I worry for a second his health bar will fall below the mark before I have a chance to finish my quipping, but my luck holds out. Laying there quite stunned, just staring at me. I kneel down, careful to position my shield between us, ready to deflect anything he might throw at me.
"As I was saying, before you so rudely interrupted me. Today is your lucky day. You are in fact special. You get to be the first person to die in a VRMMO. Now hold still." and I raise my sword over the top of my shield. Preparing to stab him in the squishy bits.
"Wait!"
"Ughh..."
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Aeschere
S.A.O Project
*IGNORED*
Posts: 9
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Post by Aeschere on Feb 4, 2015 13:26:38 GMT -5
"Wait!" Aeschere called out, pushing her way through the gathering crowd of onlookers of the fight that had broken out. "Don't kill them!" Her shouting had silenced most of the voices and Josh and Dallas halted their attacks momentarily, turning away from their would be victims to regard Aeschere.
"If you kill another player, your Color Cursor will become permanently orange--you won't be able to enter towns any more, cutting you off from a huge amount of items and quests!" Aeschere folder her arms and frowned. "It's a pretty big consequence, especially for this early in the game. Play wisely and stop your fight now, think about what you'd be missing out on."
At that, some of the onlookers began to disperse, their fun 'ruined' by Aeschere's outburst. Some others stayed, hoping the two would ignore her warning and kill the players, curious on what might happen. Aeschere stood unmoved and awaited Dallas and Josh's decisions.
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Post by Kaibo on Feb 4, 2015 14:29:27 GMT -5
I recognized Chris... sorta, I figured he'd opt to play a female. Usually I do as well... but something about being inside a girls body disconcerted me. This wasn't a desktop game after all. Orange Cursor? I turned my eyes to the side and looked at my little HUD. I did in fact, have an orange cursor now. I pondered that. I wasn't sure what the policy would be or if I was able to re-roll... and being locked out of towns for the rest of the game seemed pretty crappy. I was still mid contemplation when the bells began to sound. Everyone glanced around. The Town of Beginnings was not distant, and the bells were quite loud. I briefly wondered if they were counting time, but this was the first time I'd heard them toll. On the Sixth resounding note there was a bright flash of blue light. Once more I found myself standing in the main square of The Town of Beginnings. "Hey, what the hell?" I heard someone next to me say. I turned and looked. I saw people, from wall to wall and every space in between. "This must be nearly every player in the game..." I muttered to myself. Drawing a conclusion. "We must have been force teleported here." louder, so that others can hear. Somewhat put out, at having the end of my fight cut short. I hooked my spear into place on my back. It didn't take me long to locate Chris, Dallas and Cory. Apparently having been near me when we teleported initially had left them close by when we arrived. "Some sort of event ya'think?" I asked as I approached. A shout, and everyone began pointing. Shading my eyes I looked skyward. A small red light had appeared in the sky. Blinked back at every player in the game. Well that's not good. Not an event then, must be some sort of bug they've gotta fix. Then the blinking stopped, and little red lights began to populate outward from the first until they covered the sky and everything below was tinged with red. Something resembling blood began to leak from between the warning lights, which formed an almost dome-like ceiling above the us. The players across the square began to chatter excitedly. I remained silent, my sense of unease continuously growing as the blood like goo began to merge with itself mid air. I glanced away, my mind reflexively making itself aware of exits and other points of escape. I almost made a grab for my spear when I saw the blob in the sky suddenly rear up and take form. Like clay masterfully sculpted in an instant, suddenly a giant took shape in the sky. Wearing robes of dark red and gold. No apparent legs or face. "It's a GM" someone near me shouted. I should have been able to relax a bit now, but I couldn't. I'd attended launch events before. Several in fact, this was nothing like those. Granted Sword Art was like no game I'd ever played before but this... The faceless floating giant stared down at all of us and I knew then that I'd regret ever logging into this game. "Attention Players" The apparent GM addressed us. "I welcome you... to my world. My name is Akihiko Kayaba and as of this moment. I am in control of this world. I am sure most of you have already noticed an item missing from your main menus; the logout button." I tabbed open my menu and stared, I knew there was something off... before I could think on it too much however... Let me assure you this is not a defect in the game. I repeat, this is not a defect. This is how Sword Art Online was designed to be. You cannot log yourselves out of S.A.O. and no one from the outside will be able to shut down or remove the Nerve Gear from your head. If anyone attempts to do so. A transmitter inside the Nerve Gear will discharge a microwave signal into your skull. Destroying your brain and ending your life." My blood ran cold, this wasn't a game. He was talking about dying. No, he was talking about killing. The Nerve Gear he'd created would kill us if it was removed... "Despite my warning, the families and friends of some of the players have attempted removing the Nerve Gear. An unfortunate decision to say the least. As a result, the game now has 213 less players than when it began. They have been deleted from both Aincrad and the Real World. As you can see. International media outlets have around the clock coverage of everything. Including the deaths." Small screens swirled around the giant robed form, like flying T.V.s Displaying for all of us to see, an apparently ongoing crisis that we were only just now becoming aware of. "At this point, it's safe to assume the likelihood of a Nerve Gear being removed is minimal at best. I hope this brings you a little comfort as you try to clear the game. It is important that you remember the following. There is no longer any way to revive someone within the game. If you HP drops to zero. Your avatar will be deleted from the system, forever and the nerve gear will simultaneously destroy your brain." My gut clenched and the image of the player I had so recently been about to kill flashed through my mind. I saw his health gauge with perfect clarity. Blinking at me, just above zero. The sweet sense of victory... I looked down at my hands, they were shaking. I was a hairsbreadth away from becoming a murderer... The fact I hadn't know, couldn't have know. Did nothing to abate the sudden combination of rage of disgust that welled up inside me. "There's only way for a player to escape now. You must clear the game. Right now you're gathered on floor one. The lowest level of Aincrad. If you can get through the dungeon and defeat the boss, you may advance to the next floor. Defeat the boss on floor 100 and you will clear the game. Last but not least I've place a little present in the item storage of every player. Please, have a look." I didn't open my inventory, not that I had intended defiance. I was, at that point, still grappling with the realization that I'd almost killed someone with a smile on my face. If I could have vomited I would have. My shaking intensified and then, I was absorbed in blue light. For a second I froze, sure I was about to die. Sure the Nerve Gear was about to cook my brain inside my skull... and then it was over. I looked around, despite myself. My brain registered a sort of numb shock. Where Aeschere's avatar had stood a mere moment before. Now stood Chris himself. I raised my hand and pointed at him. "You're... you." I said dumbly. I looked passed him to find Dallas was also himself. I raised my arms and found... my scars. My little imperfections. I opened my inventory to pull out the mirror Akihiko had left there but before I could get it out... "Right now, you're probably wondering why. Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of Sword Art Online and Nerve Gear, do this. Ultimately my goal was a simple one. The reason I created Sword Art Online, was to control the fate of a world of my design. As you can see, I have achieved my goal. This marks the end of the tutorial and the official launch of Sword Art Online. Players; I wish you the best of luck." And then it was over, he was gone. The awful red tinge, gone and now the fading sunlight shone down on everyone in the square, Which seemed frozen. Such perfect silence and stillness, that when a mirror fell to the ground on the far side of the square and broke. Everyone heard the tinkling sound of shattered glass and then the tearing sound that followed after an object had fallen below it's durability threshold and was deleted. Then someone screamed. Then everyone screamed. Shouting, crying and a mad rush to go anywhere that wasn't here. For a second, for the barest instant, I almost did too. Then it clicked on. I was used to the chaotic mess of people moving quickly about me, high on emotion and stress. I put on my work face and moved through them with a purpose. "Dallas, Chris, Cory!" I shouted as I pushed my way forward. "We need to get out of here!" I pointed at mostly empty alley way the lead of the square. Indicating we should move that way. I opened my friends list, which was a surreal experience. My brain ground gears trying to process the idea that something that could KILL you still had the functionalities of a game... like a friends list, but as I moved I began hailing my friends who weren't present. Telling them where to meet us. Grogthor and Riah. I didn't wait for them to respond. Finally I pushed passed the last of a scattering crowd and find myself some sanity and stillness in the dark alley way. "I've got a few more on there way." I say to whoever's arrived. "We need to get a move on though. Pretty soon there won't be anything left to level off of outside the Town of Beginnings. I say we cut and run. Head for the next zone over. See if we can get ahead of the curve." I'm was still not entirely sure what my plan here was, I hadn't discussed it with myself yet. Though apparently I've decided to clear the game. Never was one to sit and wait for rescue anyway. ((Just so everyone knows, the item he placed in your inventory is a simple mirror))
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