First Shot

[tank_sniper]

[There is yet another new and confused face wandering around Mac Anu today. This time, it is a petite Steam Gunner. Currently her attention is split multiple ways; sometimes she is checking her Relic with a look of frustration, others she is looking intently at her surroundings as if it may clue her in on some big secret. And on some occasions, she will stare directly at your character, almost expectantly. At any rate, it is clear she will not be the first to approach, so that will be up to the other to initiate.

However… once approached, she is quick to fire off a question before any pleasantries can so much as begin.]

Where is this place? It isn’t GGO… But it can’t be SAO, either.

…Is it?

[Her voice is calm with only a slight tinge of suppressed fear. Whatever it is she’s saying, it must be some cause for concern. Why else would someone work so hard to control the tremors in their voice?]

Comments

[tank_sniper]

[At the mention of the levels and class, she nods.]

...I did notice that, too. All of my levels are gone, and I'm listed as a "Steam Gunner" - even though the game I was in originally didn't even have classes.

[She then shakes her head again.]

But that's not what I was talking about. Right now, we're in a VRMMO - a virtual reality massively multiplayer online game, right? I never transferred my character out of Gun Gale Online, and even if I had I'm sure at least a few of my stats should have made it. And besides that...

There should be a log out option. But I can't find it anywhere.

[greatcleavage]

Oh, I see where the confusion is. Don't worry, Fourth Edition just seems like an MMO. In reality, the basic concepts of 'tank' and 'healer' and so forth existed in the metagame for years prior to their near-official adoption in the latest rules set!

Which doesn't make the rules better, but let's not go there.

[As usual, Roy is certain he knows what he's talking about.]

[tank_sniper]

We classified people by those types in my previous game too, but...

[She shakes her head. She's getting distracted from the main point.]

That's not important right now. How do you exit the game?

[greatcleavage]

Well, I suppose if you manage to beat the story arc, the campaign might get retired...

[tank_sniper]

What's the story arc, then?

[greatcleavage]

Speaking generally, a great evil or challenge appears, and after countless trials and obstacles that coincidentally provide us with enough levels and tools to have a chance at accomplishing the task, we overcome it and a great victory is achieved.

[tank_sniper]

Is there anything like that built into this game?

[greatcleavage]

It wouldn't be much of a campaign otherwise.

[tank_sniper]

So what's this great evil?

[She may be jumping the gun a bit here, but she needs to get out of here as soon as she can.]

[greatcleavage]

Haven't seen one yet. Most of the quests so far are the really trivial, "you're low-level, here is an excuse to give you some experiences" variety.

[tank_sniper]

Then... there's no way to complete the game and leave yet-?

[greatcleavage]

Not at all. And it's not like there's technically anywhere to 'leave' to anyway.

[tank_sniper]

What do you mean, nowhere to leave to? Wouldn't we just get back to the real world once we were able to exit the program?

[greatcleavage]

"...real world"?

[tank_sniper]

...Where our actual selves are, outside of the game?

[Please... don't let her have run into one of those hardcore gamers who doesn't acknowledge the real world...]

[greatcleavage]

I'm not sure what you're getting at -- unless you're thinking this is an Astral plane projection of some sort? But these really are our bodies. The pain associated with hit point loss is a pretty big indication.

[tank_sniper]

...But it's not. This isn't my real body at all. I look completely different.

Isn't this all just an online game we're all experiencing through the Amusphere?

[greatcleavage]

Completely different?

[He's not sure what to imagine when she says that, so he carefully doesn't.]

'Online game'? I'm not sure how much I should lean on the fourth wall here, but... This isn't my original campaign, but I'm definitely still the same Roy Greenhilt I've been all my life.

[tank_sniper]

This is just my avatar for the game.

[She says it like it should be obvious, but after having talked with this guy a little, she wonders...]

You mean... Your name and appearance - that's all what you're really like?

[greatcleavage]

Yes. And actually I'm fond of my family name, so I'm not sure why having it is a bad thing.

[tank_sniper]

--Sorry, it just seemed so unlikely, I-

[Wait, why is she on the defensive here?]

...Either way, it's not possible for us to physically be here. If it's a game, there's nowhere for our bodies to physically be - it's all just data!

[greatcleavage]

Sure, the character sheet. But that doesn't make us any less real.

[tank_sniper]

[Wow, talk about old school.]

Not even character sheets. Try coding instead. This body - [she waves a hand at herself,] - it's all just coding the game randomly generated for my appearance when I joined my original game, to mask my real appearance. It isn't real at all!

[greatcleavage]

I'm not sure what you're getting at by 'coding', but you're saying that this body shouldn't be 'yours', it's just an extrapolation?

Out of curiosity, what makes you sure that this is the same as your old situation?

[tank_sniper]

Yeah, that's right. It's just... a virtual body made to represent me on the 'Net.

Why wouldn't it be?