Prologue - The Latecomer and the Testers
Part 2 - Character Creation
Second Earth Online, it had come out two months ago now. It's no longer just another MMO, it's THE MMO to play. It boasted a translation software that made it so that language barriers were never an issue. It is because of this that over half the world's population currently played the game. It's slogan to attract players was "A second earth means a second chance to be the you you always wanted to be." Sounds pretentious and boring and it almost sounded like that old game that was basically just a regular old virtual world where the market was dominated by programmers and early gamers who had the capital to buy land and such. Then came the previews, "Second Earth Online, the Earth that land limited only by your imagination." There was actual footage of α test, it had every single class you could think of showing all the different skills, so everyone thought it was just another MMO boasting but not delivering. Then it went on to show the actual system, and it got everyone excited. Monsters with unique AI that actually leveled! An unparalleled customization system, unique leveling system, and a crafting system where only the imagination is the limit. It showed avatars with all sorts of unique weapons, clothing, and even some weird looking structures made by testers.
I sigh and look away from the old commercial running on the screen. The game looked fun, and the subscription fee wasn't that bad especially if you pay yearly, the problem was the hardware. It used a VR system that completely immersed you in the game, and the avatar was moved by your brain functions, it was like moving your own body. It wasn't something you could buy on a whim, especially not when that someone was in college. It had been a few years since the system came out, and now it's on its 5th version. I might have been able to afford it if I hadn't decided to live on my own instead of move in with relatives when my parents died. My brothers moved and they had been wanting me to play with them on the system too, especially this new game. So many could have's, I thought as I started to walk out my workplace.
"Hey Chef, wait up!"
I turn around to see John behind me trying to catch up to me with a rather large sack in hand.
"Yo John, what's with the bag?"
"I'm playing santa remember?" Oh right it's Christmas Eve I forgot so busy with work during the holidays that its easy to loose track of time. "I bet you forgot its Christmas again, don't worry I already grabbed the usual 'backup' envelops from your drawer and left you a note. That was yesterday, have you not gotten around to it yet? Anyways I know you're off for a little while, so how about we meet up on Second Earth later?"
"Ah yeah I saw the note, I just haven't gotten to read it yet what with all the business rolling in. I'd love to get on but you know I don't have the system yet, saving up for the next semester of college."
"I never really got why you stay in school when you're already a sous chef and up for a promotion as soon as Chef opens his new restaurant, but...." He pulls out the VR system from the bag after some shuffling around. "All of us deided to get you this so that we can all meet up online from time to time. Merry Christmas!"
"Oh man I don't know what to say, you guys are the best!"
"Hehe, well get it set-up and get started on learning the system. Your friends list in game should sync up with your contacts. Most of us were in the β and got started anew after the official launch so we're pretty far in already. Just do what you can, and we'll meet up sometime as there's no level restrictions on levels at the moment. S.E.O. is pre-installed so just boot it up and launch it and..."
"Enough chit-chat I can figure it out from here I think. Oh so excited! Thanks again guys!"
Before John could say anything I ran out the door and dashed into my car. A few minutes later I was in my apartment putting on the system and lying in bed while booting it up. I started to launch Second Earth Online, and I was in an empty space except for a mirror. I saw an exact replica of myself, black hair, brown eyes, medium height, plain face except for the flat nose and small eyes marking my Filipino heritage. It immediately prompted a character creation, but I just went with defaults and skipped it.
"Welcome to Second Earth Online! In Second Earth there are 6 main attributes. [Strength]/[STR] which affects [Attack]/[ATK], [Defense]/[DEF]] and how much you can lift and carry without penalties. [Endurance]/[END] affects your [Satiety]/[SAT], [Hit Points]/[HP], ailment resistance and pain feedback. [Intelligence]/[INT] affecting [Magic Attack]/[M.ATK], [Magic Defense]/[M.DEF], and learning skills. [Mind]/[MND] this affects [Mana Points]/[MP], [Mana Regen]/[MR], comprehension skills and status resist. [Dexterity]/[DEX] affects fine loco-motor skills and attack and aim correction. [Agility]/[AGI] affects [Speed]/[SPD] and acrobatic movement. All players start with 5 points to each stat. These 6 are the keys to learning your first basic skills. They are also unlocked by repetitive actions or understanding concepts behind them. More advanced skills have other requirements that you'll need to discover yourself to unlock. However, any skill can be learned as long as you meet the prerequisites, and there is no limit to the number of skills one can learn. Skills determine your level, skills are exponentially improved in various directions for example if a level 1 skill was crawling a level 2 skill would be running then level 3 would be something like running silently and acrobatically or running at almost inhuman speeds. This is just an example though and not actual skills. Furthermore every 5 levels you will be awarded a talent, a talent by grows your character exponentially in a given direction. At level 1 you are given three talents, the first is {Language Comprehension} which lets you understand any spoken language. The other two is up customized by you, would you like to do so now?"
"Yes"
"Level one talents available are as follows: {Literacy},{Attribute Enhancement},{Specific Attribute Enhancement},{Mana Manipulation},{Crafting Knowledge},{Market Knowledge},{Born Rich},{Specific Tool/Weapon Knowledge},{Healing Knowledge}, and {Specific Basic Elemental Knowledge}. Which would you like learn more about?"
It looks like this is how you direct which way your life goes. I can see how some of the talents would fit together so that you can become a classic class in MMOs. There has to be more to it that that though, otherwise you just get stuck doing the same thing as other MMOs. It said understanding things unlocks skills I wonder...
"What does {Literacy} do?"
"{Literacy} grants the passive skills -Reading- and -Writing- granting the player the ability to write in and read the written language of Second Earth by auto-translating this form of media to their native language."
Interesting so it grants skills. It said you can learn any skill so that means you can learn to read in game. Which means you have to understand the letters of the MMO. So you can actually cheat and get this so called "talent" just by learning the letters? But it might be hard if it's an actual talent it must have to do with [INT] and [MND]. It said they affect learning and comprehension.
"What's the difference between {Attribute Enhancement} and {Specific Attribute Enhancement}?"
"{Attribute Enhancement} enhances one of the 6 main attributes by three points while {Specific Attribute Enhancement} enhances one of the sub attributes by 50 which would usually take 10 points of a given main attribute."
"Can I get two {Specific Attribute Enhancement}s one for learning skills and comprehension skills?"
"Yes"
"I'll take those two then please."
"Understood this has given you the skill passive -Fast Learner-. You are now being transported to the first town, Alpha. We hope you enjoy Second Earth!"
I sigh and look away from the old commercial running on the screen. The game looked fun, and the subscription fee wasn't that bad especially if you pay yearly, the problem was the hardware. It used a VR system that completely immersed you in the game, and the avatar was moved by your brain functions, it was like moving your own body. It wasn't something you could buy on a whim, especially not when that someone was in college. It had been a few years since the system came out, and now it's on its 5th version. I might have been able to afford it if I hadn't decided to live on my own instead of move in with relatives when my parents died. My brothers moved and they had been wanting me to play with them on the system too, especially this new game. So many could have's, I thought as I started to walk out my workplace.
"Hey Chef, wait up!"
I turn around to see John behind me trying to catch up to me with a rather large sack in hand.
"Yo John, what's with the bag?"
"I'm playing santa remember?" Oh right it's Christmas Eve I forgot so busy with work during the holidays that its easy to loose track of time. "I bet you forgot its Christmas again, don't worry I already grabbed the usual 'backup' envelops from your drawer and left you a note. That was yesterday, have you not gotten around to it yet? Anyways I know you're off for a little while, so how about we meet up on Second Earth later?"
"Ah yeah I saw the note, I just haven't gotten to read it yet what with all the business rolling in. I'd love to get on but you know I don't have the system yet, saving up for the next semester of college."
"I never really got why you stay in school when you're already a sous chef and up for a promotion as soon as Chef opens his new restaurant, but...." He pulls out the VR system from the bag after some shuffling around. "All of us deided to get you this so that we can all meet up online from time to time. Merry Christmas!"
"Oh man I don't know what to say, you guys are the best!"
"Hehe, well get it set-up and get started on learning the system. Your friends list in game should sync up with your contacts. Most of us were in the β and got started anew after the official launch so we're pretty far in already. Just do what you can, and we'll meet up sometime as there's no level restrictions on levels at the moment. S.E.O. is pre-installed so just boot it up and launch it and..."
"Enough chit-chat I can figure it out from here I think. Oh so excited! Thanks again guys!"
Before John could say anything I ran out the door and dashed into my car. A few minutes later I was in my apartment putting on the system and lying in bed while booting it up. I started to launch Second Earth Online, and I was in an empty space except for a mirror. I saw an exact replica of myself, black hair, brown eyes, medium height, plain face except for the flat nose and small eyes marking my Filipino heritage. It immediately prompted a character creation, but I just went with defaults and skipped it.
"Welcome to Second Earth Online! In Second Earth there are 6 main attributes. [Strength]/[STR] which affects [Attack]/[ATK], [Defense]/[DEF]] and how much you can lift and carry without penalties. [Endurance]/[END] affects your [Satiety]/[SAT], [Hit Points]/[HP], ailment resistance and pain feedback. [Intelligence]/[INT] affecting [Magic Attack]/[M.ATK], [Magic Defense]/[M.DEF], and learning skills. [Mind]/[MND] this affects [Mana Points]/[MP], [Mana Regen]/[MR], comprehension skills and status resist. [Dexterity]/[DEX] affects fine loco-motor skills and attack and aim correction. [Agility]/[AGI] affects [Speed]/[SPD] and acrobatic movement. All players start with 5 points to each stat. These 6 are the keys to learning your first basic skills. They are also unlocked by repetitive actions or understanding concepts behind them. More advanced skills have other requirements that you'll need to discover yourself to unlock. However, any skill can be learned as long as you meet the prerequisites, and there is no limit to the number of skills one can learn. Skills determine your level, skills are exponentially improved in various directions for example if a level 1 skill was crawling a level 2 skill would be running then level 3 would be something like running silently and acrobatically or running at almost inhuman speeds. This is just an example though and not actual skills. Furthermore every 5 levels you will be awarded a talent, a talent by grows your character exponentially in a given direction. At level 1 you are given three talents, the first is {Language Comprehension} which lets you understand any spoken language. The other two is up customized by you, would you like to do so now?"
"Yes"
"Level one talents available are as follows: {Literacy},{Attribute Enhancement},{Specific Attribute Enhancement},{Mana Manipulation},{Crafting Knowledge},{Market Knowledge},{Born Rich},{Specific Tool/Weapon Knowledge},{Healing Knowledge}, and {Specific Basic Elemental Knowledge}. Which would you like learn more about?"
It looks like this is how you direct which way your life goes. I can see how some of the talents would fit together so that you can become a classic class in MMOs. There has to be more to it that that though, otherwise you just get stuck doing the same thing as other MMOs. It said understanding things unlocks skills I wonder...
"What does {Literacy} do?"
"{Literacy} grants the passive skills -Reading- and -Writing- granting the player the ability to write in and read the written language of Second Earth by auto-translating this form of media to their native language."
Interesting so it grants skills. It said you can learn any skill so that means you can learn to read in game. Which means you have to understand the letters of the MMO. So you can actually cheat and get this so called "talent" just by learning the letters? But it might be hard if it's an actual talent it must have to do with [INT] and [MND]. It said they affect learning and comprehension.
"What's the difference between {Attribute Enhancement} and {Specific Attribute Enhancement}?"
"{Attribute Enhancement} enhances one of the 6 main attributes by three points while {Specific Attribute Enhancement} enhances one of the sub attributes by 50 which would usually take 10 points of a given main attribute."
"Can I get two {Specific Attribute Enhancement}s one for learning skills and comprehension skills?"
"Yes"
"I'll take those two then please."
"Understood this has given you the skill passive -Fast Learner-. You are now being transported to the first town, Alpha. We hope you enjoy Second Earth!"
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