duolingos | beta testing 0.1: tutorial & dungeon

beta testing 0.1

BETA NOTE: This log is being used for Duocaeli’s Tutorial & Dungeon Beta Testing. Please note that some game features are limited and will be noted in this format on pages, and an invitation is still required to play. Thank you and have fun!

"On" Tutorial

It’s pitch black. Is the darkness an old friend or a source of anxiety for you? Who’s to say what you were doing before, but right now there’s only one thing before your eyes: an ominous word over a slowly generating bar.

LOADING...
All at once - you’re plunged into color.

> A1. TUTORIAL START

If you’re lucky, the first sights that greet you are lush greenery, dancing street performers, and a grand statue of an elephant with assorted birds nesting nearby. Welcome to Avisle’s Town Square.

After a quick once-over, you’ll find that everything that you had on you before arriving is accounted for–so if you were barefoot and in your pajamas, you might not have much–with one notable addition: a glowing crystal in your pocket. The roughly cut gem fits in your palm and is already fastened on a chain for you. Convenient!

Soon after finding it, the crystal will begin to project information in front of you that is remarkably legible, even if you’ve never seen these particular runes before. It reads: New Worldwalker’s Checklist. Below, a series of tick boxes await you. You may need to start asking around or exploring. Seems like you’ve got things to do!

If you’re less fortunate, it seems you’ve landed just a bit outside the maintained grounds of the city itself. Somehow you’ve spawned in the middle of a pack of wolves. Huh! Well. You can see the city not too far from here, so maybe if you’re quick… Time to learn on your feet!

Whenever you do get to safety and complete the same inventory of your person, the crystal will respond to you just the same. Apparently you just decided to play on Hard Mode.

> A2. THE BUSTLING GUILD TOWN

☑️ Join a Guild

Avis Isle is a deeply uncharted place, welcoming explorers and curious adventurers. The Guilds do their best to provide structure for the city proper and for those getting a grasp of their magic; the Interguild Alliance (IGA) oversees the Guild Hub where quests are posted and dungeon crawls are organized. While there are all sorts of Guilds around, there are five main wings for each of the Grand 5.

Why not get to know them better? NPCs will call you over and try to encourage you to join them, some with challenging jeers and others with sincere, kind invitations–don’t you know that the very first guild that you join is free? Choose wisely! The guild’s mascot animal, some type of Avian, sits upon a very nice and color-coded throne in their respective wing awaiting your choice. Once you’ve made your selection, it will croon (or honk) at you, and your membership is complete. While you can’t actually hear the words, you have a feeling you’ve been told something like, “Now get to work, fresh meat!”

—Though if you're dallying, guilds aren't without mischief. A stray bird (though never The Throned Mascot Bird) may suddenly run by, webbed feet slapping on tile, and steal one of your items before ducking into the respective wing of their guild. The same goes for those that try to leave without joining a guild. Theft is a great marketing strategy, right?

> A3. BEGINNER’S QUEST: DUNGEON CRAWL

For all new worldwalkers, there is one quest that you must complete upon joining the server. Some call it fun-datory, some call it hazing. Don’t worry about it! Your crystal will blink at you before providing the details of the quest:

☑️ Dungeon Mission:
Retrieve the Hiccuping Hifloon

Though should there come a moment that you find yourself low on energy, whether it be from simple exhaustion or magic use, your communication crystal will flash. A new understanding will come to you: it is possible to transfer mana to one another via gestures of affection, borrowing from your traveling partner’s own energy. Why don’t you go and try it now? Holding a hand might just make you feel better, and not just emotionally!

> A4. TUTORIAL END

And with that, you’ve wrapped up the Duocaeli tutorial! Congratulations!! That said, while it's understandable to get off-track—if you outright ignore the prompts from your to-do list, you’ll find yourself respawning in front of the goal you need to accomplish! Come on, work with us a little here. Or don’t? You can be trapped in a loop if you really want.

Now you’re free to explore the rest of town. While there are some land masses in the distance, out past the wolves, it seems they're not quite open to you at the moment. Attempts to wander closer will lead to you getting turned right back around, and some glitchy text coming from your Communication Crystal that reads SERVER TRAFFIC.

If you poke around the options on your Communication Crystal, or just spend long enough logged on confused, you will eventually find it prompting you through the steps of Logging Out. Seems like there’s more still that awaits you.

"OFF" Tutorial

> B1. HOME SWEET HOME

When you awaken in the OFF world, the pressure on the front of your face is a little more apparent. Taking off the digital visor is easy—and it can turn compact right in your hand! Getting it to snap back into your cell phone just right might be a pain, thank goodness it’s durable—oh right, did we mention you have a cell phone? Whether you’re familiar with the device or not, it’s right there in your palm, the same color as your Duocaeli crystal. A closer examination of your clothes will also reveal that while your threads are familiar, they’re not exactly what you had in Duocaeli. Ever heard of a department store? They’re a little more like what you’d find there! Finally, your phone will suddenly beep and provide you with a new checklist, starting with:

☑️ Locate Domus Hosus Room

Seems like the first one is to find your room… But as you take a closer look around you, you might finally notice it—the way that the tiles on the floor seem to be shuddering in excitement at your awakening, the opening and closing of windows and cabinets to get your attention and say hi. Not only is the house alive, it seems to be happy to see you! Make your request—maybe a passing soul tells you that the house likes to be called Dodo, rather than the formal Domus Hosus—and see if it can be answered! Dodo so wants you to be comfortable here.

…and perhaps be a little mischievous? As you try to find your room, designated by your name on a plaque, you might be in for a surprise. Maybe the stairs suddenly turn into a slide, prompting you to tumble into another person. Perhaps the doors flicker and switch at the last second, prompting you to find an unfamiliar neighbor instead of your own lodgings. Is this what they call… a meet cute?

> B2. SURVIVE THE INTERNET

☑️ Post on DUONET

You have some questions, right? Don’t worry, whether for the inquisitive mind or the petty complaint, there’s always the internet! Through your cell phone, you’ll be prompted and guided through the steps of posting on DUONET, which is available to your fellow Worldwalkers. Don’t forget there’s also an Anonymous function, though it’s not without its own hiccups!

> B3. HELLO, MY NAME IS

At some point in your exploration, you’ll be interrupted by a neat little beep beep! On the screen of your phone:

☑️ Go to Dodo's Welcome Mingle
Or It'll Be Sad It Worked Really Hard On It :(

O-Oh. No reason not to drop in for a little while at least, right? Heading down to the Lobby of the Dodo House will reveal that it's been spruced up for all the new arrivals—sweet little string lights and dinky party streamers probably look a little silly against the grand art nouveau architecture, but don't you see how the lights surge happily at your arrival? It's the thought that counts!

All arrivals to the party will also find themselves with a name tag that lists one fact about them, regardless of whether it's a closely guarded secret or an actual fun fact! Those are impossible to think of when you're put on the spot—isn't it nice to have one thought of for you?

> B4. THE GOOD FORTUNE CITY

Once you're done partying, you and your newfound friends are free to hit the town. There are an unusual amount of signs that read CLOSED FOR PRIDE PARADE PREP, but you'll at least find that the local convenience stores and basic modern amenities are open.

Perhaps you should focus on the way other people here treat you so familiarly, as though you’ve been here all your life. Maybe some of it is jogging your memory, maybe not. Regardless, it seems that, for now, you’re here to stay. The question is how, or whether, you’ll make the best of it.

OOC Notes

During Beta Testing, we'd like to remind players that we're accepting any and all feedback that could help us improve the game before official start!

duocaeli

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[felix is already there, two swords at his hip, standing in the center with his arms crossed. waiting. he's the only one here. maybe because nobody else was thinking "what should I do in a brand new place? I know, fight everyone."

when she appears, felix calls out.]

Are you the one who responded?

Edited 2023-01-17 10:09 (UTC)

Yes! [ she has no swords. She has... yoyos? It's fine. ]

Hello! My name is Sophia.

Felix. [he's polite enough to give his name at least? being a ye olde, he dismisses the yoyos. it's probably just a toy.

felix gestures to the training weapons.]

Take whatever you need.

These will be sufficient.

[ The yoyos. Here they are. ]

Those? [he catches himself staring, and shakes his head.] Aren't they toys?

I can see why you might believe that, but they have destroyed enemies, so I believe they're very effective.

Are you just going to... throw them around?

[confused felix sounds.]

No, never mind. If you're that confident, you must have something to back it up. Come at me when you're ready.

[to his credit, he's at least taking this seriously? or he will, until she sucks?]

[ Well. She won't suck, at least. Thanks for not underestimating yoyos, Felix. ]

Initiating combat. [ parameters set to SPAR.

Which is to say she's suddenly whipping the yoyos forward at bruising speed, keeping the control directly aimed for Felix. ]

[he barely has time to blink before he's on the defense, parrying incoming YOYOS???

his arms reverberate with the hits, and he takes the opportunity to weave in, levelling a strike at his opponent. i am not typing a fight scene out in detail, though, so you'll have to trust me that felix is quick and strong, giving as good as he's getting, and probably manages to fend off most yoyo attacks, despite his unfamiliarity with them.

well

until he doesn't? one hits him squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and nearly putting him on the ground until he jumps back to regroup, sucking in air.]

[ I did a Blue Lions run I remember how brutal this man is--

And Sophia will learn this too. Thankfully, it's not like they're trying to kill each other, so she can properly admire just how swift and strong he is when she's not trying to break past his guard or going into a quick tumble to avoid a slash.

She leaps back as quickly as he does, withdrawing the yoyos to her palms. ]

Do we need a moment?

[somehow, this question makes him pretend he never faltered in the first place, and he drops back into a fighting stance.]

No.

[and launches at sophia again. he's adapting quickly to the yoyos, at least? this time, though, he's getting more creative, more unexpected in how he's attacking, seeking out openings when the yoyos are out, weaving into the space between.]

[ Oh. She wonders if that made him angry, actually. Human emotions are still so difficult to understand--really, the only thing she gets is that it's impossible to predict what kind of reaction someone will have to any one thing.

But that's a thought for later, because Felix is lunging again, and unlike someone with a sword, Sophia is kind of limited in how she can manipulate the yoyos in time to his bobbing and weaving. The only thing that keeps her from being decimated here is her own footwork, staying light on her feet to dodge what she can.

But all the same, he'll still land quite a few hits until she's sent skidding backwards, wobbling before she plunks down. ]

[felix isn't mad, per say—more embarrassed than anything, like a cat that fell off the counter and was seen doing it. the result is that he redoubles his efforts in combat—although when sophia goes backwards, he doesn't pursue, using the break to take a few breaths from the effort of the spar.

finally, he shifts back into a neutral stance, free hand on his hip]

I've never seen anyone fight like that before.

Then I think it's good experience. One of my friends uses a blade, but it's a little different from the way you fight. You're also very fast.

[ Fascinating. As she pushes herself back up to her feet. ]

I've never fought another person before, though. Just monsters. Was I a satisfactory opponent?

We agree on that. Any new style is a chance to learn.

[the admission seems to surprise him, though.]

You've never sparred before? I wouldn't have guessed. You kept up well.

Thank you very much! [ With a little dip of her head. ]

I guess I never had a reason to, before?

[he ignores the bob of her head and the thanks. he never complimented her? hmph..........]

How did you get any practice in at fighting without ever going against another person? Natural talent? Killing monsters?

Both? I did end up fighting a lot of monsters.

[ More than expected. ]

Hmph. You should have experience fighting people, too, then. Sometimes they're the real monsters.

[wow how deep..........]

... Aren't you a person too?

[the question clearly catches him off-guard, and he grapples for a moment for an answer, shifting his weight.]

...I never said I wasn't.

[it doesn't answer anything.]

What makes a person a monster, exactly?

[ She's here to ask the startling questions. Whoops. ]

[help the way she's just casually questioning his beliefs]

A thirst for violence. For blood. And revelling in it.

[ Sophia questions Everything. ]

You've fought someone like that before?

...I have. Although these days, he hides it well.

[he shakes his head.]

It doesn't matter. But if you're going to keep coming here, you might as well keep sparring with me.

(no subject)

humainity - 2023-03-05 02:28 (UTC) - Expand