When considering an weapon for a VR MMO a user can't just pick up anything. They need to be proficient enough to handle the weapon. By proficient, I mean they need the right stats. In Altera Online I played as a Ranger a focused on Assassination skills. This meant that I focused almost every level on Dexterity and Agility to increase my HIT and CRIT chances. Every piece of equipment I purchased also had Level and Stat restrictions. Some even had Skill restrictions based on how I leveled up secondary skills unique to my class.

DomeNET Online threw all that out the window.

Without any specialization in ranged weapons, I was able to take down three Dire Wolves, which if they were anything like the one in Altera, they were tough. Based on Quentin's price quote on their pelt I'm pretty sure I was just plain lucky to take down one, let alone three, down.

Now as I looked through the glass displays in Quentin's shop I have absolutely no idea which weapon to pick up. To make matters worse, the ones that Quentin pulls out and sets on the glass are nothing more than projectile weapons which require an ammo pouch and added more weight to my already overloaded frame. Without a virtual inventory, I have to be mindful of what I buy or else I won't be able to walk.

I pick the first bow he pulled out and examine it. Its a collapsible compound bow with a site attachment and hip holster. I like it for its size and weight, but given nothing else in DNO works like it did in Altera, I'm cautious about it's durability.

Another options on the table is a small laser pistol that looks like a flare gun. Quentin tells me that it's actually a scatter pistol and mostly meant for close quarter combat. Not something I plan on doing much of, unless I'm going down the Assassin route again. At this point I'm not sure that's where I want to be though.

The last option I pick up after going through a few more is a disc. I looks a like a frisbee, but not hollowed out. I ask Quentin about it.

"Found that one recently when a ship crashed nearby. The pilot was lost and given Frontier law, the wreckage was fair game. No one has figured out how to use it for anything, but it was on his hip holster so I figured it's got to be a weapon."

I pick it up and look over it. If it's a strange device from an off world race, it might be useful for me as a Player.

"I'll give to you for 150 Dims."

"That's a lot for something that might not even work anymore!"

"Hey, it's a gamble either way. If you buy it and it's amazing, you got it cheap. But if you buy it and it's garbage, then you still got it cheap."

"I'll give you 150 for it if you give me the collapsible bow and some energy based arrows."

"170 and You get half charge arrows."

"160 and I'll take your half charge arrows."

"Deal."

I get the arrows and disc along with their hip attachments. I'm starting to look like a winged super hero from the old vids with my utility belt.

Thanking Quentin I head out with Beatrice toward the Frontier building.

"Pretty good haggling in there."

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"I figure since it's an option I should do it. Plus I need to get some food supplies. Those pieces of Jerky were good, but barely lasted me the trip here."

"Did you just get into town? It's been almost 6 hour since you left my place."

"I took a detour, hunting for these." I gesture to the rabbits hanging from string now on my left hip.

"Rabbit took you that long to hunt? Did you chase the around in stead of using traps again?"

I chuckle nervously.

"Ha! You really need these Frontier courses."

"Yea, I guess so."

"The office is just on the other side of the Town Hall, you can register with the as a Frontiersman and then present your papers next down at the Town Hall to get a plot of land in the area."

"Really? How much does it cost for a plot?"

"It's free at first, since you still need to clear it, build your house, gather supplies, and survive with all those wild rabbit everywhere."

"Ha. Ha."

"Hey, you're the one that took 6 hours to get two rabbits. I thought since you took down those wolves yesterday you would be some insane hunter and arrive in down with a few deer and maybe a whole dens worth of rabbits."

"Right. Like that would happen."

"You never know."

"Anyway, what's up with this whole Frontierland theme, you all have going on here?"

Beatrice laugh out loud this time, "Frontierland theme?"

"Yea, you're living in a cabin in the middle of the forest, Quentin buys pelt from people, and we're headed to the 'Frontier' office."

"I guess we are pretty Frontier'y, that's because we are the frontier. This planet is actually a 'Frontier' world because it's been colonized by a forerunner team that basically left everything behind and traveled hundreds of years in cryogenic stasis to get here."

"Whoa, you're hundreds of years old?"

"No, I'm first generation, my parents were the popsicles."

"So you were born here?"

"Yup. Born and raise in the frontier. In fact, I was born in Telstra when it was still a town like this. There was a major boom after the locals of this system finally decided to start trading with Telstra."

"The locals? So there is other races here?"

She gives me a quizzical look, "I figured you'd know about this since you were dropped off."

"I, uh..."

"Don't worry, we all have our stories and things we'd rather keep under a rock for the rest of our lives. I won't pry."

"Thanks."

A group of people come riding in on what looks like a massive panther met up with a lizard and ate nothing but steroids.

The people wore leather armor with straps and buckles, but there was also metal attachments. One of the men, with a shaved head on one side and long hair on the other, had a glowing stone attach to his left shoulder just above his heart. I could see a faint glimmer around his body. It must be a personal force field.

"Hold up a second." Beatrice says catching my elbow.

"What's up?"

"We don't want to get caught up with those people. They're from offworld."

"How did they get here if you're hundreds of years away from other planets?"

"They aren't from our planet. They are from a different race. Look at his face closely."

That's when I notice it, he guy with a shield has a flat and wide nose that with no top lip, it's puffed out, like a lions face. "Whoa."

"Don't stare either."

I look away and ask, "What are they?"

"Those are the Hologians. They are war with the Anh'Qatar, so sometimes the draft runners escape and come here instead since Frontier worlds are't formally part of the commonwealth yet."

"Why don't the Holo.. whatever's or the Ann's just take over this planet?"

"See those personal generates on their chest? They provide an environmental bubble around their bodies that let them live this planet. Otherwise the atmosphere would be toxic to them. The Anh'Qatar are the same, but they wear full body suits instead of walking around like the Hologians."

"Interesting."

"Yea, let's head into the Frontier office, they will be heading further down to trade in Telstra. They probably just finished a hunt."

"Hunt for what?"

"We don't really know. They don't speak the same language as us and generally keep to themselves. We just know to avoid them since their weapons are more advance than our own."

"Why?"

"Energy is expensive on frontier planets. We don't have the same infrastructure as others. That's why Quentin gave you half charged arrows and I use an archaic rifle. All the energy we produce is mainly focused on the major cities like Telstra."

"How many cities are their?"

"So many questions! The Frontier office will have a all the information you want in neatly organized pamphlets and everything. Plus, if they can interface with your Neural Link, they an download all the data directly to you for access later."

"Ah, ok. I really hope they can interface with my Neural Link then."

"Guess we're about to find out."

"I guess so."