beta testing 0.1: tutorial & dungeon

[gamedevs]

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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Comments

there is only one prompt in this top level

[galesofreverie]

b2. survive the internet

[dear god why will this mysterious contraption not stop BEEPING IN HIS POCKET, how does he get it to SHUT UP, he does not WISH TO FILL OUT THE CHECKLIST, this is all so INCREDIBLY STUPID--]

[but unfortunately, in a battle of grit and determination, an emotionless inanimate object with no sentience can easily outlast a proclaimed "heartless" puppet who likes to pretend he doesn't have feelings. . . such as, you know. profound annoyance]

[and so, in order to fulfill the dumb forum checkmark and get his device to stop yelling at him, Wanderer does, in fact, write something down!]

post

['kay he's done. also this is not at all anonymous]

[hexensabbat]

More like a single word than a post, don't you think?

[galesofreverie]

[why is his device still beeping at him. what is a. . . "notification?" . . . why are there more words written in response to his. . . "post?" is this reply the reason his phone is beeping at him again??]

[better take care of that!!]

Do you mind?

[does she mind what, Wanderer!!]

[hasteful]

REPLY
😃👍🎆🎈🚀

[galesofreverie]

[STOP YOU'RE MAKING HIS PHONE BEEP AT HIM AGAIN WITH "NOTIFICATIONS." HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO TURN THEM OFF]

Stop.

[heroicpolonaise]

[ oh my chopin that startled her.






that's so smart. unfortunately, she starts off with just the same, or even a snarky "reply" like someone before her, but backspaces to make an actual reply. ]

Hi there! Did that really fulfill the quest?

[galesofreverie]

[dear god he thought making a "post" would get this mechanical thing to SHUT UP but people's replies keep making it go off in his pocket again]

And why wouldn't it? I'm not interested in conversation.

Speaking of which, stop interacting with my "post."

[or. . . whatever it is]

[humainity]

Post what?

[ There's like three layers of mystery to this? Is it post as in wood? Is it post as in an online post, but don't those usually consist of multiple words? Is it post as in after something?

MYSTERIOUS. ]

[galesofreverie]

[HE IS A MYSTERY!!]

[but anyway, just like all of the other replies he's gotten. . . this one makes his cell phone bing again]

Nothing. Post nothing.

HELP

[lackluster]

[ Archons. Perhaps it's a stroke of luck that Tartaglia isn't on a voice call with this guy, because he's laughing. ]

this reminds me of you.

1/? i apologize so much for this incoming spam

[galesofreverie]

[GET THE CELL PHONE OR WHATEVER IT IS TO STOP BEEPING AT HIM CHALLENGE]

[with an annoyed growl, Wanderer once again whips his device upwards to see which fool has replied to his post now--]

[galesofreverie]

[wait]

[galesofreverie]

[man that name looks familiar, and why does seeing it send an instinctive wave of irritation coursing through him]

[galesofreverie]

[what a coincidence! there's no way it can be, anyway. i mean, what are the odds?? besides, after [CENSORED FOR SPOILERS!!!!], there's no way THAT GUY!! would even be talking to him]

[galesofreverie]

[. . . . . . . . . . .]








[wait. now he's actually taking a look at the contents of the post, and. . .]

[galesofreverie]

[HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT ANYTHING IN THAT LINK MEANS]

[THIS IS TARTAGLIA, ISN'T IT???]

[ONLY THAT IDIOT WOULD REPLY TO HIM WITH SOMETHING SO INCOMPREHENDINGLY STUPID]

weeps i'm done

[galesofreverie]

[well obviously he can't NOT say something back]

Congratulations, you've gotten me to ignore you.

[ha! that'll teach him!!!! (no)]

[equillibriums]

[ rutile really is typing this at the most painfully boomer speed. but he's determined. he gets there.



to the poster's misfortune. ]

Is this one of those games where you think of the first word that pops to mind?
The mission made you think "post"... So I say: fence!

[ he knows it's not

but he figures wanderer is shy. games are easy icebreakers. ]

[galesofreverie]

[WHY]

This isn't a game. Don't treat it like one.

[appeale]

[ reading these threads is giving her deja vu... this person would probably get along well with Felix. but maybe that means she can win some miniscule amount of points with them in the same way she did with Felix?? ]

It's tricky to figure out technology like this for the first time, isn't it? I had to learn everything myself just recently, so I know what it's like. 😥

Is there anything I can help you with? 😊 I saw you said to someone else that the notifications are annoying you!

[galesofreverie]

[get along well with felix indeed]

[anyway, her notification is as obnoxious as the rest, but. . . she's offering to do what RUDE RINGO wouldn't]

Tell me how to turn them off.

[flattery]

[ this is the best time as any to figure out how these mobile devices work! figaro recalls their sage having something like this back in their world, and how they wanted murr to invent one... ]

This sure is a post. First time using this thing too?

[galesofreverie]

[no!! he didn't make this post to commiserate with fellow technologically illiterate folks!!]

Yes, but that hardly matters. Stop replying to me.

[prozaic]

Such an interesting greeting.

Post! Is that common in your world?

[shalem can't help but tease a bit, ok thanks.]

[galesofreverie]

[NOOOOO STOP BLOWING UP HIS PHOOOOONE]

I didn't make this "post" to answer stupid questions. Stop replying.