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⬣//GROWING WILDLY OUT OF CONTROL.
September 23rd—conference day. In the hours preceding the meeting, beta testers are supplied with information on how to access the virtual conference room and offered a set of conduct guidelines. Testers are urged to read them thoroughly and instructed to sign their name on the bottom of the page to confirm that they’ve read and understand the following guidelines:
1. All questions will be addressed. Do not interrupt speakers or other beta testers when they are asking questions or having their questions answered.Players are generously allowed one hour to filter in and find their seats, review the guidelines, and discuss the questions they’ve prepared with their fellow beta testers.
2. Conduct yourself professionally and appropriately. Do not curse, shout, or otherwise engage in disruptive behavior. Violators will be muted and their speaking privileges revoked.
3. No eating or drinking. Keep your virtual space clean and free of debris.
4. Remain seated. Excessive movement or inappropriate behavior will result in restriction of your avatar’s movements.
5. PvP is disabled in the conference room. Weapons cannot be drawn and your Fragment inventory is unavailable during the duration of the conference.
One hour comes and goes. The room remains occupied only by the beta participants, CyberConnect Corporation’s flashy logo spinning idly on the conference room’s 80 inch display. Restlessness begins to settle in, idle chatter turning to frustration as one hour becomes two. Still, no one from the Corporation shows.
The conference room remains devoid of purpose, some forty-odd people sitting alone in a sterile conference room, a locked room, should anyone grow so restless they try to leave. Any attempts made to break doors and windows will fail.
The door is locked, as are the windows, the world beyond their stark white blinds a slurry of purple and black. Thunder crackles in that dark, endless void. Even if you could leave, where would you go?
It’s painfully evident after three hours of silence that no one from CyberConnect is showing up to the conference, but you knew that already, didn’t you? This mandatory meeting was fishy from the start, some would argue, while others may yet hold out hope.
That ends the instant anyone tries to log out and leave. Everyone who attempts to leave will be met with the same error Shoka was some weeks ago, but this time, the error is permanent. This time, there is no connection between mind and body anymore, and any attempt to “reach” your real self will fail.
You feel no one on the other end. You no longer feel the weight of your headset on your head or the keyboard beneath your fingertips. All your worldly aches and pains have drifted away only to find you here in your new reality, every sensation so real that Fragment no longer feels like just a game. Fragment is reality.
Three hours pass from the start of the conference. The boring white walls and rickety office chairs shudder and shake and give way to the Mac Anu everyone knows. You’re back where you started, more or less. What you do from here is up to you.
Some menus remain online. Players retain the ability to send and receive friend and party requests, access their inventories, spells, and weapons, and so on, but a few notable items are missing.
Players can no longer toggle their pain sensors on and off. Every blow you take is one you’re forced to suffer through, and what’s more, your health no longer automatically regenerates when idle. You’d better keep a stash of potions or a pocket healer handy.
While you’re at it, try not to die. The sharp-eyed among the group may notice that the respawn information nestled in the menus is no longer accessible to them. The respawn counter now reads as a series of zeros instead of the typical 20 minutes. Now is probably not the best time to continue testing Fragment’s death mechanics, but nothing’s stopping you from trying. No one’s going to save you, either.
Good luck, players. The real test has begun.
Sept 30 - Mac Anu;
Are you attempting to access more variance in your results?
[ He reaches out for the potion regardless. Does Albedo hold much fear or apprehension in the game at all? Nope. ]
no subject
[ Oria thinks this is pretty harmless, so this sort of testing should be fine. ]
I was wondering if it also depends on the player too, so here.
[ He hands Albedo three potions. ]
no subject
[ Three...how generous. Well, Albedo is going to try the first.
The first nets him a set of fox ears popping right atop his head. Yet, he can't see those himself, so he turns to Oria. ]
... I can already feel it working, though I'm uncertain as to which animal I was assigned. I'd need to look in some sort of mirror.
However, since you're conveniently here, you can relay me your observations.
no subject
[ Oria looks up at Albedo's fox ears. He's already seen Sinclair with fox ears so there's no competition, but he's starting to understand now. Hm. Hmmm. ]
Can you turn around? I think it's hiding in your hair and I can probably see it better from the back.
no subject
Anyway, turning around is easy enough to do, so Albedo sees no problem in heeding the request. There is in fact a fox-like tail present. ]
Will this suffice?
no subject
Yup!
[ And he gently grabs Albedo's fox tail. ]
Gotcha~ you're a fox! Wow, the bushiness is really something.
no subject
Yes, well...it appears that the game does well in keeping line with incorporation of realistic animalistic features.
Including what it would mean to possess such characteristics.
no subject
[ He guides the tail over so that Albedo can hold onto it. ]
no subject
You're correct, naturally. Though, I can't be surprised, considering how well the game has implemented certain elements so far.
no subject
[ His cat tail sways a little behind him. ]
Oh, you can also see, hear, and smell a little better too. Try it out!
[ It won't make a drastic change, but the change is subtly noticeable. ]
no subject
[ Having only one constant result narrows down the possibilities by far.
Though, there's a slight smile on his face as his ears twitch. ]
It might be easier for me to tell if you, say...step back quite a bit farther and try to speak to me at a normal volume?
[ A change that will be more noticeable then, from what he believes. ]
no subject
Do you want me to recite the lorem ipsum, or...
[ He's joking. Please don't-- ]
no subject
Yes, why not?
[ Is that a spot of gremlin leaking in from the wild? No, perish the thought. ]
1/2
2/3
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer egestas sapien sed lectus vehicula, nec scelerisque urna semper. Phasellus consectetur lacus eu rhoncus lobortis. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
[ Then Oria stands a little further away. ]
Aenean facilisis diam ac ante volutpat sagittis. Mauris a mauris ac nisl rutrum tempor ut at risus. Ut maximus tempor justo. Aliquam eget odio tortor. Donec facilisis luctus libero sed auctor. Phasellus ullamcorper porttitor lacus, id bibendum lacus efficitur et. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.
[ Then even further. ]
Etiam lobortis mauris urna, vitae lacinia nisl dapibus quis. Donec imperdiet, sem at molestie tristique, arcu diam ultricies justo, pellentesque sollicitudin lacus ex non sapien. Duis pretium suscipit nisi, non finibus libero iaculis ac.
3/3
[ Does he have to say more of the same shit?? ]
no subject
Fascinating indeed... ]
...Oh, I believe I certainly do.
Your performance was quite remarkable.
[ Sincerely spoken. ]
I hadn't known you'd be able to repeat every single line back. Though, it does prove that my hearing capability has increased.
no subject
It's just memorization... but good! It doesn't increase the capability by too much though, right?
no subject
I believe I could hear you moderately better, but nothing so extreme as to convince myself that I would potentially hear you all the way from another Root Town.
no subject
[ Oria goes a little further away and then whips out thr game recipe tea. It's creamy, herbal tea. ]
Can you smell it all the way over there?
no subject
...I can, yes.
I imagine I may be able to normally at this distance, but the scent is as if it were a bit more closer than I am.
Another slight difference and confirmation as well. Now, the final test would be to verify improvement in sight, yes?
no subject
How was it?
no subject
I am very much in the mood for tea now.
[ Albedo says plainly and straight-forwardly. He's serious about that.
But, he does also add: ]
That aside, I believe the other results were also to my satisfaction and even enlightening. Even if the differences in improvements are truly slight, it could potentially prove to be useful in other possibly future endeavors...
no subject
[ But at this rate, it would definitely be useful everywhere else... like maybe eavesdropping? Anyway, Oria gets out the usual in-game recipe creamy and herbal tea and hands it over to Albedo. ]
no subject
[ Albedo supposes he might see value in potential eavesdropping as long as it meant to get game related information and not whether or not somebody liked wearing pink underwear as a secret.
Either way, he accepts the in-game recipe. ]
I appreciate the opportunity to have conducted another experiment with you, Oria.
(no subject)