In 2067, gaming has reached new levels of awesome. VR gaming is basically the norm thanks to Interactive Immersive Interface (i³) technology, and the Nexus allows the world to be continually connected.
[ Grand Global Nexus ]
Most, if not all, computers in the world can access the Grand Global Nexus (G.G.N. or The Nexus). The Nexus is simply a vast computer network that connects several other smaller networks (what would be the ‘Internet’). The most predominant branch of the Nexus is the Transnational Databank (TDB). The TDB is a universally linked system of hypertext documents (what would be the ‘World Wide Web’) that is organized into 'datasites’ which each have a 'datacode’. The TDB is divided into five main sectors: government (001), business (002), education (003), media (004), and general/personal (005). A datacode will look like this:
People can also receive digital mail (d-mail) through the Nexus. A mail command will look like this:
::MAIL.Wolfman187@005.ChainMail::
Popular Datasites Blabbr - a social networking site where users post photos, short video and audio clips, and small blurbs of text Visage - a social networking site where users create extensive personal profiles to share with others Vivify - the top blogging site on the Nexus Optica - the world's largest video sharing and streaming site ChainMail - a popular d-mail provider with lots of personalization Privy - the world's most popular and trusted news site Reson8 - the top nexus radio site on the planet MetaSphere - a wildly popular gamer hub WildFyre - an underground news site hidden deep in the Nexus
Top Nexus Providers Compass - comes standard with the Solaris operating system (world's most-used OS) Vortex - has numerous customization options Nexpress - extremely fast and reliable
[ Interactive Immersive Interface ]
Virtual reality technology developed by Rhoella Technologies. Several levels of VR rigs are available. Each and every rig comes with a visor that contains a mic and speakers. Traditionalists can still use a mouse and keyboard, while those who prefer a more modern approach can don the patented tactile I/O gloves for gesture controls or use dual touchscreens which can change their input interface according to the current program. Shell out a bit more money and you can get your hands on a nice immersion chair that includes some limited haptic feedback and motion input. For the extremists of the world, there is the 'Kinetic I/O Suite' which includes motion capture cameras, a full-body haptic suit, and a treadpad for detecting walking, running, and jumping.
i³ can be used for a unique Nexus browsing experience, though most use it for online gaming.
Several years ago, a mysterious MMOVRPG appeared suddenly on Axis, the world's premiere video game digital distribution platform. The game was completely free and in the description, players were promised a chance at the 'greatest prize ever given in a video game contest'. The developer and origin remained undisclosed and most people believed it to be a virus or malware. A few brave souls (or complete morons) had downloaded the game to see what the big deal was, and had found that the game was legit. But that wasn't all. It turned out that the game, known simply as Paragon, was the most expansive, customizable, and engaging video game experience of all time. The contest, however, was not an immediate experience. Players gained entry into the contest by earning a glyph which was granted as a prize for reaching level 100 in the game. This turned out to be a nearly impossible task. Whoever these developers were, they had created the most challenging game ever, and only the most elite gamers in the world would manage to complete this extremely absurd feat. There are only 1 million glyphs available to earn...which would seem like a whole lot if you didn't consider the fact that Paragon currently has 1.3 billion active players. The game's contest is set to begin 24 hours after the last glyph is collected. With the global population cresting 10 billion in the last few years, the planet is getting a bit crowded. Pollution and poverty are at an all-time high and the Earth is becoming less pleasant to live on every day. Multiple space programs are being funded by both governments and the super-rich so we can all get the hell out...but even if that were to ever fully realize itself, we all know who would catch those first seats. There are a few rumors that claim there is a shuttle already prepped and the contest is about winning one of these precious spots...but let's be real. Whenever the Earth does bite the big one, we're all going down with her. So in the meantime, we have the glory that is Paragon to take our minds off this shithole.
While most games focus their characters and setting on a single genre, Paragon manages to encompass nearly every type of game in one massive amalgamation. Since the game is essentially a VRPG at its core, there is, of course, a class and leveling system, but the openness of the gameplay puts games like GTA and Skyrim to utter shame. Players travel to different worlds...yeah, not levels – entire worlds...to complete all kinds of tasks and challenges. Some worlds are simply for farming or recovery. Several spots are even built purely for fun and relaxation. And did I mention that players can purchase in-game real estate to build their own locales? And there's no limit to this stuff. Apparently, the servers for this game are the size of the Taj Mahal and powered by several nuclear plants because this game hasn't stopped growing and has never lagged or crashed.
As for the playerbase, it's just as diverse as the game itself. With 1.3 billion users, you're, of course, going to have those who just play the game 'for fun', which is actually most people. Then you've got your major try-hards who take the shit way too seriously like it's life or death. Then somewhere in the middle are the true elite, those who face every challenge with such determination and finesse that people are forced to mash that spectate button or camp out their notifications for that player's next Optica vid. Okay, so remember how we mentioned life and death earlier? Well, it turns out some people had the right idea all along. Because our little 'contest' is absolutely critical on a whole other level.
After the last glyph was earned, the world went into a frenzy. It seemed like forever and a day had gone by before this mysterious contest was finally going to be revealed. The million elite players who bested the game had 24 hours to prepare before the challenge of their lives would begin. The mixture of nerves, confidence, and pure excitement throughout the world was palpable.
As the final moments counted down, the number of active players at one time absolutely crushed any previous record and players' livestreams were packed to the gills. Each player with a glyph had a timer displayed on their screen, ticking down to the reveal.
5...4...3...2...1…
That was when the world stood still.
Those million players with glyphs? They vanished into thin air. Gone. No trace. Leaving nothing but whatever clothes they were wearing in their wake. Not only had their physical bodies disappeared, but their avatars had as well. What. The. Fuck.
A few moments later, every device on the planet with Nexus access received an eerie simulcast. The screen was totally dark and an ominous voice spoke in…an alien language. The creature's words were translated into captions at the bottom of the screen.
Hello, creatures of Earth. We hope you've been enjoying our little game. It appears that quite a few of you have participated. But, unfortunately, only the best of the best are worthy of facing the real challenge and claiming the ultimate prize. How does the title of 'Earth's Savior' sound?
(The screen changes to a view of a massive alien satellite that appears to be for some type of military use.)
This is one of several of our devastator satellites that are orbiting the Earth at this very moment. Don't worry about trying to detect or disable them because you simply don't have the means. These satellites are equipped to completely obliterate planets much larger than yours, so we should have no problem reducing your Earth to cosmic dust.
I guess you're also wondering where your precious players are, right? Oh, well, they're right here…
(The screen switches to another view of a domed island floating in Earth's orbit…and gigantic doesn't even begin to describe it. At nearly 10,000 square miles, it's about the size of Massachusetts and is visible from the ground on clear days.)
This is where the defenders of your planet will reside during our game. Don't worry, they will have everything they need to live, but unfortunately, they won't be coming home anytime soon. You can keep an eye on them through one of the endless number of cameras present on the island.
So, now comes the time for all of this to fall into place. Each of your million players is being equipped with a device that attaches directly to their nervous systems. These will sync with their individual avatar identities in a very personal way. You see, once a player's avatar is destroyed in the game, the device in their neck plunges them into a deep, dark coma from which they won't ever awaken. And we are minus one player.
Once the player count reaches zero, the Earth and everything on it will cease to exist. Plain. Simple. But if just one player is able conquer Paragon, we will spare your planet. And before anyone decides to dismiss this as some sort of hoax...I believe you called this...Tokyo?
(The screen pans to an aerial view of Tokyo, Japan. Moments later, the city is hit dead center by a shot from one of the alien devastator satellites. The world watches helplessly as the entire city is leveled in a single crushing instant.)
And that isn't even close to a fraction of what our technology is capable of. So, enjoy these last moments of your existence, creatures of Earth...because no one ever wins.
Game on.
So, yeah...we're screwed. No, we're dead. Earth is pretty much done for. And how do we get to prevent our inevitable apocalypse? A fucking video game. Oh, and it's not just hard. It's nightmarish. Grueling. Impossible. In the beginning, our numbers plummeted fast as people failed challenge after challenge, task after task, boss after boss. Eventually, we got a little smarter and a lot more cautious. I mean, the fate of the world is literally in our hands and we have to win. We have to win. Period. Or we're all dead. All. Dead.
IRL
[ Elysium ] The island in the sky. The absolutely enormous island. It's like they picked a state on the map, detached it from the Earth, and placed it neatly into orbit along with our other satellites. But, of course, we know that's not the case since there aren't any state-sized craters that have suddenly appeared. So, how these aliens just casually and secretly placed all of these massive things next to our planet without us noticing is just mind blowing. Their level of tech is obviously so much more advanced that it's scary. Nice way to find out there's intelligent life, right? But, back to the island. This little slice of paradise is actually designed with cities and roads, places to live, eat, and 'shop'...oh, and let me tell you about this shopping. Well, the in-game currency that our avatars earn is also the money that we have to use to buy things on this island. Yeah, nothing is free. You want a meal? Need to replace a part on your rig? How about some new threads because you've been wearing the same outfit for six months? Welp...you gotta play the game and earn it. And don't even think about trying to steal anything. A handful of people tried that in the beginning and were instantly blacked out. So, we are pretty much forced to play this game, even if it's just to afford our next meal. It's not all bad, though...at least we aren't trapped in the game with machines keeping us alive or some shit like that.
[ Reaper's Row ] So, where do all the players that black out end up? Do we just leave them where they lie? Maybe they get ejected into space? Or maybe they simply get transferred back home? Nah. They got that covered. With a million-plot necropolis that stretches on for miles. The players aren't buried underground or anything. They're placed in some techie-looking glass coffin and put on display...like some museum of the dead.
In-Game
[ Clans ] A number of prominent clans formed during the first stage of the game. When our little surprise contest emerged, almost all of those clans disbanded. A few, however, believed that strength in numbers was important and stayed active.
Demigods These guys are pretty much the shit. Top clan in Paragon. Nothing but the best players are allowed.
Hellcats Girl power, no boys allowed, all that jazz. The most badass female players in the game all gathered into one group.
Children of Merlin A culmination of some of the best magical players Paragon has to offer. Fantasy geeks living out their dreams as witches and wizards.
Echelon 7 Less of a clan and more of a loose Co-op of indie players that share resources and information. Members come and go...but once a player leaves, they can't come back.
The Syndicate A few of the clans were created by actual corporations who were looking to bully their way into the contest with extreme financial clout. This one stuck around after the 'big reveal' and continues to be the general assholes of the game. Many believe they have plans to win the contest and basically try to own the world. No one misses them when they black out.
[ Legendaries ] Even though the fate of the world is hanging in the balance, it actually doesn't hinder how absolutely amazing Paragon actually is. One of the coolest things in the game are the legendary items that can be acquired. These are one-of-a-kind weapons, armor, and accessories that are literal game changers in the right hands. Pretty much the most valuable and coveted items in the game. A lot of these legendaries are based on things from popular games and movies.
Player:
(insert photo here, realistic preferred)
Name | Age | Gender | Nationality | Appearance | Attire | Personality/Habits | Likes/Dislikes | (3-5 of each)
Alias | Affinity | (choose one - see notes) Aptitude | (top 3 traits - see notes) Appearance | Attire | Alignment | (choose one - see notes) Armament | (up to 3 main weapons; dual-wield weapons count as 1) Gear | (1 armor, up to 3 accessories) Base of Operations | Familiar | Mount |
[ Elements ] There are several elemental effects that can be attached to spells, weapons, armor, and accessories. Some are limited to certain affinities.
Fire (magic)/Pyro (science/tech) - deals damage + burn damage over time Ice (magic)/Cryo (science/tech) - deals damage + freezes target for a period of time Lightning (magic)/Electro (science/tech) - deals damage + shocks and paralyzes target for a period of time
Earth (magic) Air (magic) Water (magic)
Dark (magic) - deals damage + resists a percentage of armor Light (magic) - deals damage + resists a percentage of aegis
[ Alignment ]
Lifestyle Lawful (lives by rules) Social (builds connections) Neutral (unbiased) Rebel (opposes rules) Chaotic (disrupts order)
Principles Good (benefits self and others) Moral (upholds what is right) Neutral (indifferent) Impure (ignores interest of others) Evil (intentionally seeks to harm others)
I'm gonna have a premade list of legendaries. I'm debating on whether they will be available from the start. If anyone has suggestions for legendaries, I'll gladly take them. Some legendaries will pop up during the course of the RP as well. I'll put the list up when it's more complete.
Also, everyone is allowed to own only one legendary item.
All right this is a work in progress so.... here we go. Skeletons will probably be light on details until I get home and expand on them. Also if my faceclaim is too basic let me know, I usually RP anime things.
Name | Rhys Young Age | 32 Gender | Male Nationality | British Appearance | Tall, thin, brown hair, brown eyes. Looks tired and a touch scruffy. Attire | Anything comfortable and easy to wear. Baggy jeans, button downs, T-shirts, hoodies, etc. Personality/Habits | Though Rhys suffers from severe depression, he attempts to mask it through cheerful playfulness as well as sarcasm. He's easy to get along with, but difficult to get close to. Likes/Dislikes |
+ Reading + Fantasy Genre + MMORPGs × Heat & Sun × Crippling Loneliness × Being Bored
Skills/Talents | Rhys Young, before the game, was an English Professor. He is a talented writer in his own right. He has an obsession with old computers and technology, and used to repair such items in his spare time. His knowledge and skill with technology extends to current-generation tech as well. Since he is a quick study, he has an easy time picking up subjects, or game mechanics and adapting to them on the fly. Hometown | Newcastle upon Tyne Family | Parents Deceased. Wife Deceased. Daughter Deceased. Background | Rhys grew up in an upper-middle class home that pushed him hard on his educational career. Though school was his focus, he enjoyed reading fiction on the side as he could explain it away as being for school. Though he was always fascinated by video games, he found it difficult to find time to play in his youth.
During university, he flourished both intellectually and socially. It was during this time he first truly found himself immersed in video games, to which he met his future wife at their university's Gaming Club. After receiving his PhD in English, he moved on to become a Professor for the college he graduated at. He had a wonderful wife, and soon after their marriage, a lovely daughter.
However, an accident took all he held dear from him only a few years into bliss. He spiraled into depression. Though he still taught, it became increasingly obvious the passion for life that he once had was sucked out of him. At home, he immersed himself in any fantasy he could get ahold of, VR games becoming an obsession.
Alias | Emet-Selch Affinity | Magic Aptitude | Mysticism, Intelligence, Aegis Appearance | Tired eyes, always standing slouched, tall. Attire | Typically found wearing over-the-top regalia, but occasionally may be seen in a dark hooded robe with a red mask that obscures his features. Alignment | Narcissist Armament | Ascian Glyph, Staff, Long-barreled Gun Gear | Whatever clothing he wears is enchanted to protect against magic with mild melee/piercing protection. His other accessories boost magic attack. Base of Operations | The Void (?) Familiar | Shoebill Mount | ???
Name | Matthew Campbell Age | 26 Gender | Male Nationality | American Appearance | Tall, toned, dark hair, blue eyes, short stubble Attire | T-shirts and jeans with the occasional jacket Personality/Habits | Outgoing, extroverted, witty, has a bit of an anger issue Likes/Dislikes |
+ Gaming + Partying + Pizza × Party poopers × Pretentious people × Aliens
Skills/Talents | Matt has a vast knowledge of games and gaming history, having played many different games since the age of seven. His favorite games in particular are first-person shooters, especially in VR; his experience in these types of games have made him quite the marksman. Hometown | Chicago, IL Family | Father deceased Background | Matt’s father died before he was born, so he was primarily raised by his mother and step-father, Saul. Saul had an interest in games, and he passed this interest down to Matt, who quickly developed a love of all things gaming.
When he wasn’t gaming, he was getting decent grades all throughout his schooling years, earning him an acceptance letter to a local community college. A few years later, he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Electronics Engineering.
Despite having this degree, Matt preferred to take a simple job as assistant manager in a local electronics store. The pay wasn’t great, but it was enough to afford a decent apartment and food, with the help of a few roommates. Mostly content with his life, Matt continued to work and play the newest games he could get his hands on, with VR piquing is interest in particular.
Alias | Corporal Slayer Affinity | Artillery Aptitude | Savvy, Armor, Accuracy Appearance | Tall, muscular, scattered scars, buzzcut Attire | Undershirt, camouflage pants, and combat boots Alignment | Revolutionary Armament | Double-barrel shotgun, dual pistols, chainsaw Gear | Heavily-armored suit with helmet Base of Operations | Military base world I guess? Familiar | None Mount | None
Hope this is alright! I wish I could've found a better avatar reference other than just ripping Doomguy, but it'll do.
So far pretty happy with my character info but I might add stuff as more people post and give me ideas. Some of the categories are so foreign to me I kinda made something up >_>! Either way, I’m super excited to get started.
Appearance | 5’11” and lanky. The picture is a perfect depiction of his face, including the nervous smile.
Attire | Roy likes to dress pretty dapper-like.
Personality/Habits | Roy can’t handle social pressure or being around people. He has a few friends but almost never goes to anything he is invited to. His general rule of thumb is that if he doesn’t know more than fifty percent of those in attendance, he will make up some excuse. He’s driven by a sense of purpose that most would find unsettling. He earned his PhD in pure mathematics the previous year and his friends hold him in high regard for it but he refuses to brag or otherwise go out of his way to talk about it with non-mathematicians.
Likes/Dislikes |
+ Math + Audiobooks + Sleep × People × Nonrealistic fiction × Spiders
Skills/Talents |
Math and Programing in several languages
He's a mathematician.
Pop culture
While Roy is a social recluse, he watches many movies and TV shows and listens to any non-country music.
Hometown | Bozeman, MT
Family | His only family, his grandparents, have cut ties with him after learning that he is a homosexual atheist. They are fundementalist christians and couldn’t deal with his existence.
Background |
Roy grew up in Miami until he was seven when his parents were killed in a mugging gone wrong outside of their miami beach home. After that he was taken care of by a butler and eventually became a vigilante dressed up as a bat. Or rather, that’s what he wished had happened. He really had to go and live with his aunt on the other side of Miami. She was a medical doctor who had always been critical of Roy’s parents.
Roy started attending a private christian elementary school and stayed there until the end of middle school. His only relief from the bullshit force fed to him at school was his gaming system at home and his movie collection. But even then he was restricted to only two hours of video entertainment per day. He got by until highschool when he was enrolled at Miami Beach Senior High. He made the argument that he had to use his computer more in order to complete homework assignments. The ploy worked!
Throughout highschool Roy struggled heavily but managed to never fail a class - he always was able to set his mind to it at the last minute and prevail with the all important D or C grade which allowed him to graduate. When he graduated highschool his aunt bought him a lottery ticket, at his request. His only graduation gift request. Many of his classmates asked for a vacation or what have you. Roy was surprised to find that his ploy worked, yet again. His numbers were called and he won ten million dollars. He never mentioned it to his aunt and when he received his winnings, he wore a bag over his head.
He moved to Bozeman, MT and enrolled at MSU in the psychology program. He wasn't sure what he wanted to study but figured he should study something as a fallback and knew he wanted to do it as far from Miami as he could. In his first semester, he stayed in the dorms and paid a little extra to get a dorm without a roommate. In that same semester he was required to take a calculus one class as a general requirement. He got an A and everything just made sense. His professor, Dr. Ramsay, had explained math in a way that he had never heard before. The next semester he switched his major to the math program and managed to graduate with a BS in pure mathematics in two years. He took summer classes every semester to fill the core class requirements and he did independent study classes every semester. The only other thing he had ever devoted himself so fully to was mastering video games. He just couldn’t get enough. It was like an addiction. Special consideration was taken with him by the department head of mathematics and he was allowed to enter the PhD program with just a BS, at the age of 19.
In the next two years he continued to master video games, spending stupid amounts of money on video games. He always bought the newest system and and upgraded his gaming PC whenever new components came out. He also managed to be awarded his PhD in those two years, having proved that Pi was a transcendental number using a clever trick that no one had thought of before.
He started teaching at MSU in the math department; in one of his most terrifying endeavors to date.
Alias | arecubed
Affinity | Melee
Aptitude | Swiftness, Dexterity, Power
Appearance | His face his completely black with pure white eyes and long white hair.
Attire | Faithful recreation of Ser Arthur Dayne’s kingsguard armor or Gondor armor or any other fantasy outfit he thinks is cool
Alignment | Vigilante
Armament | The Greatsword Dawn, two broadswords, his fists
Gear |
His boots give boosts to swiftness. His gauntlets give boosts to his power His breastplate gives boosts to his armor His cloak gives boosts to his aegis His sword give boosts to his power His helmet gives boosts to his dexterity He also has another pair of non armored boots that have an increased speed effect over his armor boots.
Base of Operations | His own asteroid called “Are World” in which he has built a citadel and stores all of his stuff.
Familiar | None
Mount | None
Note: arecubed is more "Fragile Speedster" than "Lightning Bruiser" he can take a really good hit maybe once but then just one more of most any kind of attack before he's down. That's only because of his armor. If he loses the armor and puts on his other boots then he enters a much more proper FS territory.
