@MissCapnCrunch Ugh yeah, I feel like this is kind of the sword that most of my weirder ideas fall on, unfortunately. I don't wanna use an image strongly associated with like, a well known person (or people in this case). It feels ick. Maybe something illustrated would be okay in this case? @CaptainSully Would that be alright just this one time?
Pretty cool that they live near you, though, and that they're alright people. It's pretty rare you get to meet conjoined twins in person.
@CaptainSully Do people lose everything their avatar had if their avatar dies like in Ready Player One, and if that's the case, would there be people who you could hire to help regain said stuff?
Because I need a job lol, but on a serious note also because that was a large factor from what I remember. Restarting from the beginning when your character dies seems unforgiving, but it also would force people to play smarter and adapt, and it also is a consequence for not being careful. If you just kept your items, then there'd be no real challenge you know, no real threat or risk. It gives you a reason to be orderly and care about your life there.
I WOULD assume that there may be limited storage in our homes, but anything we have in our inventory upon death would be lost and up for grabs.
True. Alright then, how about a compromise of some kind? Like having the players gear drop where they died, kind of like Fortnite or the Bloodstain mechanic from the Souls series, and if the player. or someone else, didn't retrieve the items after a few days, it just disappears?
EDIT: And it appears you had the exact same thought as me.
@ZAVAZggg No, I'd assume not since, if it's based off of Ready Player One, the only thing that happens is you restart from the very beginning with no items. Like you were new to the game.
@ZAVAZggg No, I'd assume not since, if it's based off of Ready Player One, the only thing that happens is you restart from the very beginning with no items. Like you were new to the game.
Still interested, I'll try and come up with a good CS when I can. So we don't have to be the same gender as our character skin, right? Oh wait, chest bursters and gundams in Ready, lol.
@ZAVAZggg there are no stats or levels in The Oasis, so dying and 'Zeroing out' was simply a loss of all items and money your character had. This does seem extremely harsh and honestly sounds like bad game design, but makes more sense when you think of it as less of a game and more of a second world; not everyone who enters it is a gamer.
Most players didn't want to take the risk of losing everything they'd gained, so they stuck to the safe areas where combat wasn't allowed and nothing could kill you. It was only the people who were willing to take the risk or were confident in their abilities that ventured further out.
I would like to see some kind of storage system implemented. A way to store items and money and save them from deletion should you die; obviously this storage would cost money to buy so the more money you managed to acquire the more of your stuff you could protect.
@King Cosmos Im sure I mentioned it a while back or I may have just discussed with someone in PM but the Avatar homes are living areas where you can store stuff.
So if you go into the PvP areas carrying every last thing you own, and you die, you’re going to be crying into your morning breakfast.
Also I’m thinking PvE will be a lot more chill so dying won’t result in any loss.
@CaptainSully I'm guessing larger living areas lead to being able to store more stuff, so that's in line with what I was thinking. Plus garages for vehicles.
PvP seems like a gamble, as it should be. You have the chance to kill and loot some powerful items from other players but could just as easily lose your best equipment in the process.
There should probably be some kind of loss attributed to PvE deaths. A loss of money at least, rather than a loss of items.
@Vocab looks like your right; there are levels for your avatar that caps at 99. It increases your attributes and lets you unlock new objects and weapons, so I guess some gear is level capped.
@CaptainSully So since there are a loss of items and the like, do you think there could be jobs in the Universe where someone is hired to regain lost items for a player? Or maybe some sort of item merchant where they collect various weapons, armor, etc and sell it? Maybe some sort of mechanic or engineer who build various vehicles to sell too lol.
@CaptainSully, here's the majority of my CS, although I have a bit of filling in to do for the avatar section. Also, I wasn't specific about which "Corporation" she worked for until that info is done on your end, otherwise, I can keep it general and just add details in IC posts, etc.
Oh, and @ZAVAZggg, I can imagine our characters would have a lot in common and may actually be able to work together in some capacity based on their Professions...
Appearance: At just over six feet, Blake’s long, lean frame stands taller than the average female, that’s if she could stand on her own. Bound to a wheelchair since a car accident rendered the lower half of her body paralyzed, she is forced to look up at most people. Scars left over from the accident line the right side of her face, but she does little to hide them. Her dark hair hangs about mid-back, but is kept fastened neatly in a bun or some intricate braid most of the time. Her choice in business attire accentuates her friendly and generally approachable personality, coupled with a tough-as-nails demeanor when working to further the Corporation’s business interests. The most striking features -or so she’d been told on many occasions- are her emerald eyes, which seem to give off an iridescence depending on the lighting, and hopefully detract attention from her scars.
Ring Location: City
Occupation: Executive Assistant to Corporation | Specializing in Cyber Security
Real Life Skills: ◇ Piano ◇ Painting ◇ Computer Diagnostics ◇ Hacking (Whitehat generally)
Likes: ◇ Listening to classical music, especially while working ◇ Solving puzzles ◇ Increasing her technical knowledge in and out of The Universe ◇ Coffee ◇ Quiet
Dislikes: ◇ Loud and obnoxious areas (or people) ◇ People who stare ◇ Having to do something twice ◇ Greed (which actually plays a part in her perception of corporations)
Personality: Blake is quiet, polite, courteous, and well spoken in her mannerisms, yet fairly reserved when not being spoken to directly. Overall, she exudes confidence in her work life, but never attempts to flaunt or boast, leaving the accolades for others to revel in. However, don’t ever mistaken her friendly disposition with weakness, as she will quickly remind you otherwise. Generally she has a good relationship (both business and casual) with many clientele all over the physical landscape as well as the virtual, and while she may not be able to assist with their every request, she has the knowledge, contacts, and assets to requisite whatever is needed.
On the other hand however, she does have trust issues at times, especially with those she feels are not quite up front with her, and in the business world, that could be a very long list.
Background: No one ever said that just because technology was evolving, life would be that much simpler. And even in the virtual world of The Universe, while a girl with physical handicaps could be anything she wanted, there was always that morbid thought of having to return to her real life. To the aches, pains and rollercoaster of emotions...
London had been a place of dreams for the little girl who was born and raised for many years of her childhood in the bright lights and big sprawling city that never seemed to sleep. A girl who took after her more liberal-minded mother, and sought the artistic world. She imagined herself as perhaps a beautiful dancer like the many she witnessed in the virtual world and in person at performances her parents treated her to. If not a dancer, than a professional artist, painting wonderful portraits and landscapes for all to enjoy. Or music, yes! Music was the very soul of the city and its people, so why wouldn't a girl of ten years want to contribute to such joy? To truly enjoy and be passionate enough to delve into the arts, bringing fresh ideas, inspiration, and a slower pace to a place that seemed to always be in a hurry was something of wonderment.
But, “dreams” were just that, and as a mental illness struck her mother, closing her love and affection off from the rest of the family, Blake felt alone and lost. It was then that her father -a high powered Corporate Executive-, stepped in to fill that void, knowing that his daughter needed guidance. He deemed that her mind needed to steer away from fantasy and fairy tales, and take root in what really mattered: innovation and growth. Or, better read as: “Work for a large and successful technological corporation and you'll make something of your life”.
And so it was, that year after year, while private school and extracurricular activities were becoming increasingly more challenging and time consuming, the life of the “artist” was left slowly subsiding until the idea became a kind of fiction to the young mind. And it was less about creative pursuits and more about business acumen.
By late adolescence and now living with her father in the upper echelons of the City Ring, Blake was already interning with the Company, working alongside and shadowing not only her father but several other leaders within the organization, listening, learning, and studying. Embedding herself in the business world helped as well, allowing her to really experience first-hand the fruits of one's labors, and that once resistant nature began to conform and love the corporate arena. Her specialization eventually focused on Corporate Security, specifically, Cyber Security in and out of The Universe. She could really make a difference in a city that was still going through so many changes.
A turning point in her life changed not only her physiological makeup, but her whole outlook on the future, as a stroll along the city streets resulted in a hit and run accident that left the girl in a coma. She awoke in the hospital, cut, scrapped, bruised, and without any feeling from the waist down. Unfortunately, the damage was too serious for surgery to be of help, or any cure possible, that would allow her to walk again without mechanical assistance.
Eventually bound to a wheelchair, Blake sought refuge in The Universe more frequently, spending hours in a world that had no bounds, and would allow her to walk amongst the stars if need be. After perusing avatars from decades of retro video games, she landed on one character she could pretty much relate to on many levels: “Kasumi Goto” from the Mass Effect series. A strong female archetype that stood for independence, and a skilled hacker and infiltrator, who let her abilities do the talking, since she herself said very little.
Still retaining her position as Executive Assistant and a “Whitehat” hacker within the Corporation, she was essentially tasked with testing security in the real world as well as in The Universe, exposing any loopholes, and closing them as quickly as possible. Wheelchair or not, Blake felt more empowered and at home living her life within the virtual world, and behind the guise of her avatar. However, she also had to be careful not to delve so far into the virtual that her mind may not want to return to reality...
Relationship:
◇ Father: Glenn Helios - current Executive Vice President of Operations and long-standing chairman within the Corporation. ◇ Mother: Anamarie Helios - due to a mental breakdown from unknown reasons, she is currently staying at a psychiatric hospital in the City. ◇ Generally speaking, Blake has an extensive list of business contacts and associates in and out of The Universe than actual friends, which she is happy with.
Avatar Profile:
Username: Kasumi
Home: An old grounded pirate ship from one of the “High Seas” RTS games still active in The Universe, well hidden and off the beaten path that she is left in relative solitude. The interior is retrofit with the latest technological add-ons and a few minor tweaks of her own, masking any form of “life” within.
Fame: Just like her alter ego in the Mass Effect games, Blake has spent a lot of time masking her footprints within The Universe, and as a result, little is actually known about the “infiltrator”, Kasumi, which is exactly what she hoped to achieve.
Armour: Full body, Light, synthetic, tightly-woven material that is form-fitting, and can mitigate small amounts of slashing and blunt damage. The armor is insulated and grounded, protecting her from electrical currents to a certain degree.
Utility: ◇ Tactical Cloak - Allows Kasumi to go invisible for short period / increase damage mitigation as well as assist in translocation.
◇ Decoy - When this power is activated a hologram copy appears approximately 3-5 meters away. This hologram mimics the activator's appearance and movements but does not actually move, nor does it actually attack.
Mount:
Artifacts: (rare item) Gauntlet with EMP pulse that has fifty meter radius, disabling any opposing electronic devices, debuffing opposition including shields for ten seconds time.
