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duocaeli mods ([personal profile] gamedevs) wrote in [community profile] duolingos2023-01-13 11:40 am

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!



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humblepie: (pic#16200874)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-18 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[Carefully, he pulls her to her feet. Unless she weighs a million tons, then I guess he doesn't and struggles instead.]

Something like that. I just meant, we're used to people who don't have hearts.

[NOT THE HEART ARC.]
humainity: (Keeping the peace in outer space)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-18 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ She does not weigh a million tons! She weighs about as much as what you would expect from a very petite girl, so Riku shouldn't have any trouble unless his biceps are just for the people who write fanfic about him. ]

"Something like that"... hmm. There's a lot I wish to know already, but it's good to know you're experienced with heartless people, even if it seems to have been temporary. I'm pleased to know I didn't make you uncomfortable!
humblepie: (iceboundary)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-18 07:15 pm (UTC)(link)
[STOP, NOT HIS MUSCLES. He's a bit of a dorito, I guess, so yeah, he pulls her up pretty easily then.]

You didn't. [Well, unless she happened to turn into a Heartless, then maybe he'd have a bit of a problem.] The robot my friend met. He's a medical combat robot.

Don't worry, I'm not afraid of you.
humainity: (And against my basic instincts)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-18 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Thanks Doriku. ]

Medical combat robot... wooow.

[ She is intrigued! ]

I'm more data and not mechanical, but I do know both combat and healing methods. I'm sure this robot is also a very good companion!

... But I won't lose to him!

[ Sophia. ]
humblepie: (7gcktlx)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-18 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[SOPHIA???]

Uh. [She really accepted that as a challenge, HELP HIM.] It's alright. You both... can be... good companions?

[He isn't sure how she'll take this, BUT it isn't untrue!!]

I haven't seen him here anyway.
humainity: (Calculus was tough!)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-18 09:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, I guess there's more of humanity than there are AIs...

[ YES, SOMEHOW. ]

So I should be okay having help. But will you tell me if you see him? I don't really have very many friends here... maybe...

[ MAYBE SHE CAN BE FRIENDS WITH A ROBOT IF HE EXISTS ]
humblepie: (pic#16202324)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-19 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[Not that Baymax wouldn't be a good friend, but he feels sort of bad she immediately latches on to only that as an option. Is this the Sora in him talking...?]

Well... I get it. My friends aren't here either as far as I can tell. But there are plenty of people here who'd be your friend, I'm sure. It doesn't have to only be Baymax.
humainity: (I think I just heard a spooky noise)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-19 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)
[ oh no Riku your Inner Sora-- ]

Oh... can we be friends, then?

[ Look, she will take opportunities when presented. ]
humblepie: (Ircrfnt)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-19 09:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[..........fuck.]

I... Sure.

[He has grown and has no reason to say no now, especially not with the idea Sora would be frowning at him if he were here.]

I'm Riku.
humainity: (It is love!)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-19 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Like you had to have known this would happen. You had to.

Regardless, Sophia lights up immediately, bouncing lightly on the soles of her feet. ]


Thank you, Riku! I'll do my best to be a great friend!

[ Sophia will now DIE FOR YOU. ]
humblepie: (pic#16202324)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-19 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[He should have expected this, yeah. But he still does not understand why anyone would immediately want to be his friend. Of all people.

ALSO, STOP. NO DYING.]


If you're willing to be a friend already, I don't think that's something I'll have to worry about.
humainity: (They may be far away)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-19 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
You say "willing" like I wouldn't want to be your friend in the first place...

[ She tilts her head, slowly. ]

But you were already trying to help me, even when you didn't know me. Even when you were falling.

[ Gracelessly. Down the slide. Amazing. ]
humblepie: (iceboundary)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-20 06:40 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not that, just... Well, some people don't exactly want to be friends when they meet you sometimes.

[Especially if they're assholes. But he does not say this to her.]

I didn't want to accidentally hit you or anyone else when the stairs suddenly changed into a slide.

[Because... he's not an asshole.

Anymore.]
humainity: (Your first name's what you do)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-20 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Does "asshole" even exist in a Kingdom Hearts dictionary-- ]

Mmm... well, I do understand there are people like that. [ WANDERER. ]

And I've learned that I should ask first. But I already think you're very nice and helpful, Riku.
humblepie: (pic#16200869)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-21 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
[No… but it’s fine. He was very rude when he was, like, 14.]

Thanks, I guess. You aren’t so bad yourself, heart or not. As long as you help others, that’s what matters.
humainity: (Gotta get back get back up)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-21 05:07 am (UTC)(link)
I think there are a lot of different ways to help others, from what I've been learning... I'll have to make sure I'm good at all of them.

[ Starting with being a super awesome friend to this stair slider-- ]
humblepie: (AA4WNrp)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-21 02:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[Well. She’d fit right in with Sora and the rest, talking like that.]

That’s a start. Have you explored the, uh… Dodo house? I was trying… before the stair incident.

[😒 at the house.]
humainity: (Say something nice)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-21 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh! Not yet, I was just thinking about trying. Do you want to go together?
humblepie: (pic#16200873)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-23 05:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[He truly walked right into this "friendship" exactly like he walked right into Buzen's accidentally.]

Sure. I don't mind.

[He's learned more about teamwork. Not being afraid to accept it, or help. So why not.]
humainity: (Your first name's what you do)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-23 06:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay, then! We can try to make it up the stairs together.

[ technically, he slid and crashed into this friendship. ]
humblepie: (pic#16200794)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-23 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[He turns and looks in the direction of the stairs which dumped him unceremoniously on top of her previously.]

We can try. You should go first.

[In case the slide happens again, he'll be on the bottom.]
humainity: (Thank dead god)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-23 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay! I'll do my best not to land on you.

[ But she takes the steps at a bounce, and she seems to be okay going five steps up, so. Promising?? ]
humblepie: (pic#16200797)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-25 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
[Me thinking she was taking the stairs five steps at a time instead of just getting up five steps without the stairs giving out and being like WOW.]

If you do, it won't be the worst thing to happen to me. So I don't mind.

[Can't be any more of a headache than Sora tackling him with that big head of his (no). Carefully at first, Riku tentatively steps onto the first couple of steps of the stairs after her.

Seems fine. For now.]
humainity: (On my planet)

[personal profile] humainity 2023-01-25 02:24 pm (UTC)(link)
What is the worst thing to happen to you, then?

[ Now she sounds both curious and concerned, turning on her next step to blink at him, and heedless of the fact that she should probably not just ask him that?? Someone she just met? Sophia????? ]
humblepie: (pic#16200797)

[personal profile] humblepie 2023-01-25 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[.......................

UM. The fact he has to pause for a REALLY long time here to think about how to answer this question. He continues up the stairs, keeping his head down for a moment.]


It's kind of a long story.

[He isn't implying he won't tell it necessarily. Just that she's gonna have a lot to listen to.]

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