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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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galesofreverie: (pic#16192748)

[personal profile] galesofreverie 2023-01-15 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[. . . nm he's going to let her die]

[as soon as the realization hits, he jerks back from her as though burned, his expression twisting into one of obvious displeasure. I'm sorry?? displays of affection?? WHO DOES THIS. . . WEIRD PUSHY CRYSTAL THINK HE IS??]


What?!

[the word comes out sharp and shocked, and in the interim, Rin is still bleeding out. despite all joking, he really won't let her die, but like. give him a moment to come to terms with what just happened and to also wonder if he can just carry her via wind all the way to the (distant) city before she becomes deceased instead]
magesque: (ღ let me see the light)

[personal profile] magesque 2023-01-15 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Rin doesn't want to do this either. it's funny, because it's absolutely not as bad as the way she's normally familiar with sharing mana. (shoots fate/) but does that make it less annoying when she obviously doesn't want to do it with this weirdo? no.

but his reaction is so strong, and her pride bruises easier than a peach, so she'll just get snide.]


Shy, huh?
galesofreverie: (pic#16192757)

[personal profile] galesofreverie 2023-01-15 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[GOOD NEWS: his pride bruises easier than a banana. they're both like this!!]

[as soon as she smirks at him with that expression, Wanderer feels his face turn red]


Shut up. Give me your hand.

[but before she can actually do so, he snatches it-- blood-soaked and all-- and holds it tightly in his own]

But I'm only doing this until we make it to the city.
magesque: (ღ i'm a bitch.)

[personal profile] magesque 2023-01-15 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[rin, who was fucking around, is now finding out

and it's so embarrassing?]


Wh-hey! [NOT THE BLOODY HAND, NOOOO. she's protesting for so many reasons, and it's kinda gross, but also the mana exchange is doing its thing. slow, gradual, but flowing.]

Why would I want to hold your hand for any longer than that?! Don't flatter yourself.
galesofreverie: (pic#16191904)

[personal profile] galesofreverie 2023-01-15 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I was just making sure you weren't flatting yourself first.

[despite his sharp words, when he does tug on Rin's hand to start guiding her towards the city, he does so remarkably gently. almost as though he doesn't want to aggravate her injury]

If you find yourself unable to walk, say something before you collapse.
magesque: (ღ don't need a report)

[personal profile] magesque 2023-01-15 09:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ugh..... Rin continues to pout miserably for a moment, but it at least gets her to wonder if this guy's bark is worse than his bite. she'll follow the tug easily enough, and rather than have any risk of slowing them down, tries to keep pace.

then, stubbornly:]
I won't die from this.

[... well, if she doesn't seek treatment soon, she doesn't know how true that'll be. she feels that her magic is weaker, but she does know how to heal. her unoccupied hand settles over her injury and she focuses, trying to slowly close it with the same mana he's giving her.

it's annoying, to be in someone's debt.]


So? What do you want in exchange?
galesofreverie: (pic#16191901)

[personal profile] galesofreverie 2023-01-16 11:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[aha. now she's speaking his language. Wanderer settles a bit as they walk, keeping a sharp eye on her gait even though his mouth curves upwards into a sharp little smile]

Something more than an "IOU," but considering we just met, I don't know what you have to offer.

[. . . unless. . .]

What about one of those stones you used?
magesque: (ღ in the salon chair)

[personal profile] magesque 2023-01-17 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
[rin internally: first off, that's so fucking expensive. the mana equivalent doesn't match up at all.

second of all:]


You wouldn't know how to use it.

[DON'T SASS THE PERSON YOU OWE A DEBT TO, RIN TOHSAKA!!!]
galesofreverie: (pic#16191904)

[personal profile] galesofreverie 2023-01-17 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
[WOW!!! he feels like she's calling him stupid? he gives her hand a tight squeeze as punishment]

[but he also acknowledges she has a point-- after all, she spoke an incantation in a language he didn't understand before using hers. so he lets out a soft "hmph" but otherwise lets it go]


Then what else do you have to offer?
magesque: (ღ a beating heart of stone.)

[personal profile] magesque 2023-01-17 12:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ow, bitch!]

Ugh - You like holding my hand that much?

[stop her and her sass. but she frowns thoughtfully because honestly? it's not that rin ever doubts her ability to repay a debt.]

There's not much I can't do. [ok girl dang] Even if I can't give you a stone, I can use my magecraft to accomplish most other things. If it's something I can't do now, I can learn it.

So what do you want?
galesofreverie: (pic#16191801)

[personal profile] galesofreverie 2023-01-17 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[shoots her a flat look and doesn't dignify that sass with a response!!]

. . . give me the rest of the journey to think.

[aka he has no idea what he wants right now. he's only been here like a full ten minutes]

I'm sure something will come to me before we part.
magesque: (ღ will somebody)

[personal profile] magesque 2023-01-24 05:45 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm... Fine.

[she can agree with that - she's not in any particular rush. but what she's more interested in - ]

Do me a favor and at least make it interesting.

[she has her own intentions and things she needs to get to, but a puzzle to divide some of her attention on might be... well, nice. all things considered.]
galesofreverie: (pic#16191908)

[personal profile] galesofreverie 2023-02-03 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Hah.

[so even while she's like, bleeding to death, she has some spark to her, huh? he can respect that, in a way]

Not for your sake, I won't. But I'll do it for my own.