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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.
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
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 :(
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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duocaeli duologs duolingosTaken / Applications / Hiatus & Drops
FULL NAVIGATION
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Well, they certainly look like they know weapons, at least. Doesn't hurt to give them a try.
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--Hello - we are looking for anything you may have to clean or polish a blade properly. Scouring stones or polishing cloths, anything that you may have.
[In response, a very enthusiastic NPC demands that one of these two fools arm wrestle them for it.]
...I'm afraid I don't know what that is.
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Ah, it's... [hm. how to explain this.] ... Perhaps I should give it a shot first to demonstrate? If I lose, you can take up the torch.
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Oh? [The NPC looks DELIGHTED... Probably because very few people take them up on this offer.] Alright. I'll observe, then.
[He'll politely find a place to sit while the NPC clears off a spot on a table to set up their ARM WRESTLING ARENA. Some of the other members are already starting to flock over, hooting and hollering.]
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but sion sits down... you can practically see the cogs turning in his head as he still tries to figure out how he can make this a match of strategy... as jan googles "how to win an arm wrestle" HOLY SHIT THERE ARE SO MANY TIPS
anyway, sion gets into position, making sure his posture and limb placement allows him to stabilize himself. when the match starts, he goes for every trick he can think of—moving quickly and immediately to try and catch his opponent by surprise, focusing on weakening his opponent rather than brute forcing it when that fails, dragging the match out to exhaust them, etc. alas, his foe is............ an arm wrestling expert who also knows all the tricks, and while sion puts up a good fight, he is defeated. :pensive:
after giving the npc a handshake of swordsmanship, he gets out of the chair and turns to matsui.]
Your turn, it seems.
[this is an embarrassingly long tag for arm wrestling wow]
no subject
Well.
Matsui is just watching this with some fascination because he's never seen it before??? WILD. Sion puts up a pretty good fight despite being a tiny little twink, too... Hm. Clearly the guy's a strategist who has at least one braincell. That's a valuable resource around these parts.
Though he loses, many of the crowd are whooping and giving Sion rowdy pats on the shoulder, telling him he did a good job. The vibes of this group are frankly very welcoming despite them being a little too overbearingly energetic for Matsui's taste.]
I will do my best, then.
[AND SO HE WILL TRY...
Hilariously he does get really close to just brute force strength-ing his way through because he's a cheating-ass tsukumogami who's much stronger than his human frame has any right to be, but he's still gonna get out-beared by this bear.]
no subject
anyway sion gives a polite smile at the. very forward and loud crowd, even if he's not 100% chill with strangers touching him like this. with that said, there are soon more important things to worry about, like the fact THAT NEITHER OF THEM CAN BEAT THIS NPC!!]
... Hm. You did well, Matsui, but it seems that we've been defeated.
[he turns to this npc who keeps beating them...]
I don't suppose we could strike a different deal?
[clearly this one didn't... work out for them...]
no subject
Anyway this NPC has taken a liking to them, and declares as much, being like YEAH I LIKE YOUR SPUNK and then starting to rattle off a list of other challenges they could all engage in. 99% of them are things Matsui has never heard of before.]
Perhaps we could simply duel? Surely there is at least one person here with blade proficiency.
[There are several, judging by the chorus of people who are chomping at the bit to fight.]
Shall I leave this to you, Sion? [WHY.]
no subject
anyway, he blinks.]
Me? Sure... but is there a reason you don't want to?
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--I would like to see your form, when you are not busy plowing the dirt with your sword.
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So I'm to demonstrate my swordsmanship? Haha, that's quite a bit of pressure. [but he sounds rather easygoing about it, despite his words.] Very well, then.
[he requests practice weapons from these npcs before i forget and have them fight with real weapons, before getting into position without a trace of nervousness.]
no subject
You do not seem very bothered.
[Said with just a little smile and some Amused Vibes... But!! He'll step to the side and away as they get their fake weapons so they don't accidentally murder each other for real, standing back with the rowdy-ass crowd.
i aki hate action threads and i won't make you write one out but the npc is a bruiser who is definitely strength over strategy, have at them lad.]
no subject
anyway obligatory description because canon goes into so much detail about this, but his style runs opposite to the npc: sion's moves revolve around reading his opponent and countering. no wasted movement, dodging exactly as much as he needs to in order to avoid the enemy's range, and using their own strikes and momentum against them to disrupt their stance and create openings that he can exploit to go in for the kill. rather than overwhelm his foe through brute force, his style is the hallmark of someone confident that he can adapt to any foe.
unlike arm wrestling, this is where he shines. the match ultimately ends when the npc, in his bruiser glory, goes for a swing that leaves him just a bit too open, as sion evades to the side and swings at the right angle to knock the npc's weapon out of his hand.]
no subject
With their victory hard-won (Matsui didn't fuckin do anything), the first NPC will gladly hand over some equipment to use for buffing and cleaning up a sword. They'll also try to pitch the warrior's guild very hard to Sion. Life's hard when you're popular, damn...
Once the fuss has died down, Matsui will make his way back over!]
I see that you had reason to not seem very bothered.
no subject
but he gives matsui a smile.]
Haha, I wouldn't say that. It's never wise to underestimate an opponent, after all—but there's little reason to carry around a sword if I don't know how to use it.
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That is true. [Very few people do and the ones who do... are fuckin weird. Anyway.] Does it have a name? Your blade.
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A name? None that I know of, I'm afraid.
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It is your sword, correct? Have you considered giving it a name before?
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[sion can't say he has much of a Deep Personal Attachment to the sword—he can always appreciate a good blade that holds up in battle, but it's not exactly a personal one that he's possessed for years or anything. still, he can tell it means Something to this guy, so he can make an attempt.]
no subject
Do you recall its smith? Or perhaps something that it is proficient in cutting...? If nothing else, you could always choose a name by what sort of mood or feeling it invokes.
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[...Well. Like. It's probably actually not any worse than things like stone-cutter or mosquito-cutter now that he's thinking about it.]
--Perhaps something else? What comes to your mind?
no subject
[naming things isn't exactly his usual area of expertise...]
Where I'm from, we like to use sun motifs in our names, so perhaps something to do with that.
no subject
Something like that would be pleasant, I think. Do you believe that your sword would enjoy it?
[Normal questions to ask.]
no subject
how does he answer that]
Well... as a sword forged in that country, I would hope so.
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