Simon sped the whole way home. He couldn't help it. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, his heart pounded frantically, and every other need took a backseat to getting back into Apex.
If the NeuroJak could regulate his thirst and hunger and everything else, then it only made sense to test it out. His plan was to log in, play for a few hours, and then log out to make sure his physical body was still okay and everything was working the way it should. The second he got home, he set up his desk with a bottled water in easy reach, along with a sleeve of crackers, a jar of peanut butter, and a plastic knife. A typical weeknight dinner for him when he was otherwise occupied.
Settling into his desk chair, Simon pulled the jack from its box and read over the instructions. Anthony had gone over the basics, but it helped to see everything written out in order. He went through the process of registering the device to his person, testing to make sure it was receiving a viable signal, and then syncing it to his brain. The last was... an interesting experience.
The jack was just a small disc, and when he held it up to his temple, it pulled toward him like a magnet. Stuck like one, too, getting enough of a grip that he'd have to intentionally pull it off, not just bump it. The second he turned the device on, though, he felt the most intense bout of vertigo he'd ever experienced in his life. It wasn't really unpleasant--more like a rush than anything else. But it staggered him, keeping him rooted in his chair as he tried to process the fact that his brain felt like it was... connecting to something. Actually, physically connecting, like someone had wired his nerve endings to this device.
It was a weird sensation, and Simon's whole body tingled for several moments before it all finally stopped. He felt normal again, though a bit hungover. Lifting his hand, he went to touch the device only to find a certain... weightiness to his movements. It was almost like they were happening twice, out of sync just enough for him to notice.
What the hell?
He waved his hand in front of him, seeing it trail in a trippy blur. His eyes strained and he could feel a headache coming on from the weird disassociation, but after a minute the blur was gone. His hand was normal, and his movement felt as natural as it always had.
"Sync complete," a feminine voice said in his mind, making Simon nearly jump out of his seat. "Hello, Simon Henderson, and welcome to the NeuroJak interface. My sensors are showing you are a first time user. Is that correct?"
Simon looked around, as if expecting this disembodied AI voice to suddenly take corporeal form. "Uh. Yeah."
"Excellent. Would you like to begin the tutorial?"
Anthony had mentioned the importance of doing so, but Simon had planned on it anyway. He confirmed verbally--before realizing he probably didn't have to--and a transparent grey window floated in front of his vision. The first thing to catch his eye was the pulsing icon of a heart, with two numbers registered inside of it and one below. It didn't take him long to realize they were his blood pressure and pulse.
There were two gauges at the bottom, the top about fifty percent full, the bottom seventy five. They were labeled Hunger and Thirst, and Simon began to understand just what this interface was.
"This is... what? A personal HUD?" he asked the voice, forgetting to just think the question.
"Exactly. This interface displays your vitals, which the NeuroJak constantly monitors. You will be given alerts if any reach a critical level, and you may retrieve this interface at any time by simply thinking of it."
Huh. That was handy.
"Would you like an explanation of how the NeuroJak system works?"
This time he remembered to confirm only in his mind. The disembodied AI responded, bringing up a tutorial screen that displayed icons of a person eating a meal and drinking water. The system explained much of the same things Anthony had, noting that his levels of hunger and thirst would appear on his HUD, and his body would register the appropriate cues. She vaguely mentioned what the game referred to as "elimination," and Simon was glad for that. The last thing he wanted to think about was having to unlace his trousers and take a piss in a game world full of massive beasts. But apparently the body's cues were sent along to his virtual self for that, too.
Mentally shifting through tutorial slides, Simon acquainted himself with the mental commands the NeuroJak responded to. While there was a pause feature, the game itself kept on going. He would be able to pull himself out of the virtual reality and back to the real world, but his character would still be in the same predicament. This, the system assured him, was to curb exploits players had used in earlier builds of the NeuroJak to do what amounted to save scumming: Pausing the game, collecting their faculties, and gaining a tactical advantage when they came back to the action.
"To compensate for the removal of this feature, all developers have integrated a skill in their games that allows players to slow or--at higher ranks--even stop time for a limited period. If that is of interest to you, please consult the in-game interface of the game you have chosen to play."
While controlling the ebb and flow of time sounded cool in theory, Simon would be sure to examine all the skills that were available to him. After all, he wouldn't need to grind time to a halt if he had skills that allowed him to avoid being in precarious situations in the first place.
The tutorial continued, and Simon learned that he could only fully stop the game in a designated safe zone. After stopping the game, his character would sleep for an appropriate amount of time and then perform whatever menial tasks the game allowed.
"You can queue these tasks as you wish, but if you allow the game to choose, it will avoid engagements with other players and NPCs and keep your character from wandering into dangerous situations. All effort will be taken to preserve your character's life, though these measures do depend on each particular game."
Sounded reasonable. The rest of the commands were mostly related to chat interfacing and other social functions. NeuroJak owners could apparently trade information to sync their games together. It was a nice feature for people who had a regular crew to game with, but Simon had never been one of those people. And in this game in particular, he planned to go it solo.
"How do I start the game?" he asked, cursing under his breath as he realized he said it aloud.
"You wish to start playing Apex: Untamed?" the voice asked.
He nodded his affirmation, and the sleek interface of the system's main hub disappeared, transitioning to a familiar logo. A smile crept across Simon's face and shivers ran down his spine as the Apex theme began to play. This was what he'd wanted. This was what he'd been waiting for. The chance to return to one of his favorite games and tune out the rest of the world.
Settling into his chair--which he could still feel, oddly enough--Simon awaited the New Game prompt. Since there was no controller interface to speak of, he thought the prompt aloud in his head and it took him immediately into character creation.
"Would you like to load your default avatar?" the same voice from earlier asked.
Sure. Why not. He'd see how goofy he looked in the Apex art style.
A progress bar appeared but quickly vanished as, within seconds, a likeness of Simon was displayed on the screen before him. For a moment he thought the game was playing tricks on him and just creating some kind of mirror effect, but he wasn't dressed in the Belsoft polo and slacks he'd been wearing. He was in the shabby leather armor of an Apex noob, with a few potion bottles strapped to his belt and a skinning knife slipped into a sheath.
He blinked at the image, and it blinked back. Every expression he made, it mimicked. And when he simply thought of moving a certain way, it did that, too, unsheathing the skinning knife and slashing it through the air.
"Whoa," Simon mouthed.
That was trippy. He hoped the whole game wasn't like that. He wasn't sure he could handle controlling a third person version of himself. Speaking of...
Simon appraised his avatar, taking in his messy dark hair, beardless face, and somewhat soft form. He'd started jogging regularly, but he knew he needed to go to the gym to make the effort pay actual dividends. Fortunately, Apex featured appearance sliders. Or at least, it always had. Simon imagined the menu and it appeared before him, with sliders allowing him to customize everything from the distance between his nose and his mouth to the exact style and color of his hair.
He scrolled down, but didn't see anything relating to his muscles--or lack thereof.
"How do I change my build?" he asked the AI, hoping it was still there to guide him.
"You can only make cosmetic changes to your avatar during the character creation process," it said. "If you wish to make changes to your physique, your intellect, or any other attribute that will assist you in the game, you must do so by distributing the appropriate stat points."
Huh. So if he pumped enough into strength, he could Hulk out without having to hit the gym. Was the inverse also true? If he neglected a stat, would it show on his character? The AI didn't answer his thought, so Simon pulled up the stats screen. A message popped up before he could see his stats.
Welcome to Apex: Untamed! Unlike previous entries in this series, stats will now have an appreciable effect on your character's appearance. As your stats are raised and lowered, your character will display different traits related to their current status.
Well, that answered that question.
When creating a character, you will have 10 stat points to distribute as you see fit. You can also lower the current number in any given stat--your default stats being based on your own strengths and weaknesses--and allot extra points to any other skill of your choosing. Be forewarned that once you commit to your skill points, you cannot change them, barring exceptional circumstances, rare items, or events.
Interesting. It made sense that a game drawing from his physical and mental form would pull stats from his real life. While he'd tried to avoid too many spoilers, he'd heard rumblings from the press that there was something divisive in character creation, and Simon guessed this was it. It didn't bother him in theory, but he decided to take a look at his default stat sheet, just in case.
Name: ???
Race: Human
Health: 80
Stamina: 100
Mana: 120
Morale: 100
Strength: 8
Agility: 9
Constitution: 8
Endurance: 10
Charisma: 8
Intelligence: 12
Fortitude: 10
???: ???
Since the "average" was considered a 10--the default for all stats in previous games--Simon considered his stats fairly balanced. A quick scan of everything showed familiar names for core combat and magic stats, as well as stats that applied to social situations and interactions with merchants. His health was determined by his Constitution, the game confirmed, and his Endurance contributed to his Stamina number. Strength was related to melee damage and the ability to exert physical might. Agility related to how many attacks he could dodge, how fast he could run, and a number of skills related to his dexterity. Charisma was mostly a social skill, allowing him to persuade or intimidate NPCs and sometimes charm lesser beasts if it was high enough. Intelligence was tied to his total mana pool as well as his ability to successfully learn and cast spells.
Fortitude was a little harder to explain. In the game, it basically measured how resilient his character was, determining how often and how long they succumbed to abnormal status effects. In the latest versions of the game, though, it also related to a "stress wound" gauge--a red meter that appeared beside the health bar when a character had suffered a particularly difficult setback.
Simon examined this skill to see exactly what it did in Untamed.
Fortitude measures your ability to cope with the world around you. A high Fortitude allows you to negate and outright resist special attacks and debuffs other players would otherwise succumb to. It also lowers the amount of Morale you lose after each death, and increases the regeneration of Morale when performing Redemptive Actions.
Right. He'd almost forgotten about that. Morale was essentially this game's death penalty. Upon dying, a character lost a certain percentage of Morale, slowing their ability to regenerate health, learn new skills, gain experience, and adding an element of failure to ability use. It was a nasty debuff, and the only way to clear it was to literally correct one's mistake from the moment they'd been slain.
It was one of Simon's favorite aspects of the game, and the mechanic he found most rewarding. Getting his ass kicked by beasts, adapting to their attacks, learning their patterns, and eventually overcoming insurmountable challenges was the thrill of it for him.
Just thinking of the mechanic got him excited, but there was still a bit more to read about Fortitude. Specifically, a warning in bolded red font.
Warning: Fortitude can temporarily raise or lower as Morale is affected. An exceptionally low Fortitude will make you unable to cope with the stresses of the world.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Simon snorted. That was really vague, and yet it sounded a little like real life. Apparently he needed to put extra points into that skill to make sure he didn't ever fall below whatever the game's threshold was.
Dismissing the information box, he considered his stats for a long while. The Striker was an agile class, and in the past he'd piled most of his points into Agility, then Endurance and Strength in equal amounts. When he could spare it, he raised his Constitution to avoid getting one-shot by higher level beasts and maybe added a couple of points to Intelligence for the identification and use of magical items.
It sounded solid enough, and Simon began to distribute his points. He removed 2 points from Intelligence, lowering it to the average of 10 and giving him 12 total to spend, then added 4 of those to Agility, 2 to Endurance, 4 to Fortitude, and 2 to Constitution, just to round out his HP to the default. He reviewed his character sheet again, with the new numbers temporarily in place:
Health: 100
Stamina: 120
Mana: 100
Morale: 100
Strength: 8
Agility: 13
Constitution: 10
Endurance: 12
Charisma: 8
Intelligence: 10
Fortitude: 14
???: ???
Everything looked good, but... wait. There was one last skill. He'd skimmed right over it last time, but he focused on it now. Some unknown skill at an unknown level was tacked on to the bottom of his stat sheet. He tried to call up more information on it, but it was greyed out and didn't retrieve a window when prompted.
"What's the deal with this mystery stat?" he asked the AI, only to receive no response.
Ooookay. Well, he'd worry about that when it came up. It was probably some kind of end game stat that wouldn't unlock until he reached the level cap. No need to think about it now. Instead, he locked in his stat allotments, confirmed it with a dialogue box, and saw the changes to his avatar happen in real time.
He still looked like his not exactly toned self, but there was a leanness about him that hadn't been there before. He got the impression that his body could move fast if he willed it, which was exactly what he'd wanted. The increase in Constitution had an interesting effect, too, making him look healthier overall. There was a livelier color in his cheeks, his eyes had more vitality in them, and he'd gotten rid of the slightly tired look his character had before, though he imagined that was due to the increase in Endurance more than anything else.
The changes in Intelligence and Fortitude were impossible for him to see, but he imagined he'd feel them in game. Overall, he was left looking fitter than he did in real life, but there were still a few changes Simon wanted to make. Digging into the menu, he adjusted the height sliders to make himself a little taller--mostly to balance out his new frame. He replaced his dull, sand-brown, short-cropped hair with jet black strands with highlights that almost shone a bit purple in the game's lighting effects. He made his cut medium-length, styled in a way his wavy hair would never allow. Then he added a well-trimmed beard to his face, darkening his eyebrows to match it. Ever since puberty, Simon had only been able to manage a fine dusting of peach fuzz. This actually made him look his age, instead of someone who was carded every time he bought a beer.
Simon was content with the rest of his appearance. His bright, clear blue eyes were his best feature, in his opinion, and he could live with everything else. He'd never been one to make some idealized version of himself in a game, and aside from a few small tweaks, he wasn't about to start now.
Locking in his appearance, he was prompted by the voice once more: "What shall I call you, hunter?"
"Arheis," he responded automatically.
The name came as easily to Simon as his own. Arheis was the name he'd used in every game he'd played from the age of thirteen, when he'd first read the book in which that character appeared. A noble but flawed paladin, Arheis was the kind of man Simon had once aspired to be. Defender of the weak. Seeker of truth. Badass of unquestionable strength.
Perhaps his real life had deviated from those goals, but in game, he could fill Arheis' golden boots quite nicely. His persona would take on a different form in Apex--it always had--but that didn't change his devotion to the name and everything it meant to him.
A scroll stretched across the screen, his new name penned at its center. The text asked him to confirm, and Simon did so. As soon as the scroll disappeared, he felt an odd sense of awareness pass over him, heralded by a new concept of his very identity. He wasn't Simon the "between jobs" programmer any longer. He was Arheis, the mighty hunter recruited to put an end to the deadly beasts that were encroaching on human lands. His actual self was still in there, and Simon felt fully in control of his own mind, but a drive and purpose filled him that hadn't been there before.
He wanted to spawn into the world and start honing his skills, testing his mettle against creatures of all shapes and sizes, but there was still a bit more left to do. He hadn't picked a class yet, for starters.
Apex had an interesting way of dealing with classes. They were really just a collection of stats and skill packages, with a couple bonus feats on the side. But rather than lock you into one definite path, the game let players build their characters as they chose. Upon allocating stats, it would suggest an appropriate class package for the player's desired build, but it could be rejected as easily as hitting a button. For those players who didn't really care about stats, it was also possible to just choose a class and have stats auto-assigned every level to meet the ideal build. And for those truly adventurous souls--or, in Simon's opinion, those people who had no idea what they wanted to do--it was possible to abstain from choosing a class entirely, building stats and selecting skills at the player's whim.
Simon had never been that ambitious. He was comfortable with the Striker package, and with his boost to Agility he assumed the game would suggest that class for him just as it had in every other installment. But as he continued to class selection, the recognizable icon of two twin daggers crossed over one another was not what he saw. Instead it was a shield with a spear centered over top.
Weird. He couldn't remember any classes that used spears.
Your stat choices suggest the following class would be the perfect fit for your playstlye: Guardian. Would you like to learn more about this class?
Intrigued, Simon agreed to see more. The window that opened next did include more text but also, more interestingly, a video of his avatar in what looked like flashy end game armor wielding a spear and shield combo that seemed like it could pierce through the toughest hides and knock any enemy senseless. He watched as the representation of himself thrust, blocked, countered, leapt through the air, and threw his spear like a javelin with an insane amount of swiftness, coordination, and flourish.
Holy shit, he thought. Sign me up for that.
Not wanting to go off of looks alone, however, he read the description beside the video.
Guardians are widely considered to be the Iron Wall of Estalia. They are swift and deadly fighters, stalwart in their defenses and relentless in battle. While extremely capable of defending their allies, Guardians can deal potent and precise damage to beasts of all sizes.
Favored Stats: Fortitude, Endurance, Constitution, Agility
So that was why it suggested Guardian--he'd put a hefty amount of his points into Fortitude, and spent points across all four of those stats. It was definitely perfect for his build, but maybe not his playstyle. Simon had never been much of a tank. Since he rarely grouped, the extra defense only came in handy for very specific encounters. He much preferred to rush down beasts with a fast, glass cannon type class like the Striker.
But there was something appealing about the Guardian, and it was only a handful of starting skills and some suggestions on where to spend his points in the future. If he decided he hated it, he could just go with something else later. It would set him back from the optimal min-max build, but he'd never been too interested in the Apex's meta-game, anyway.
Still, Simon decided to look through the rest of the choices, just in case. A video accompanied each, all showing his avatar in end game armor performing insane feats of athleticism and casting spells like nobody's business. After watching those, he carefully read the descriptions:
Troubadours are the scribes and songmasters of Estalia. They weave (slightly) exaggerated tales of adventure into their hunting style, bolstering themselves and their allies. While most Troubadours prefer to be in the back lines playing an instrument, some have been known to go toe-to-toe with the most vicious of foes.
Favored Stats: Charisma, Fortitude, Endurance, Intelligence
Empaths are psychically connected to the world around them. Able to anticipate the movements of beasts and allies alike, they provide timely support and are extremely adept at crippling the enemy. There is a price to pay for such power, however, and Empaths are typically frail hunters who must be protected by others to reach their true potential.
Favored Stats: Intelligence, Charisma, Fortitude
Rangers are almost always the first to arrive at a hunt. They are excellent trackers and are always prepared to take on even the most menacing of foes. Swift and strong, they have no trouble using bows, guns, and blades to get the job done. Some Rangers even enlist the aid of small beasts to help them and their allies.
Favored Stats: Agility, Strength, Endurance
Herbalists are the lynchpin of any successful hunt. Using herbal medicines and a specially-designed crossbow, they can heal and cure allies while weakening foes--all from a safe distance. Though Herbalists typically play a support role, they’re not averse to swapping out their blunted bolts for something more lethal.
Favored Stats: Fortitude, Intelligence, Charisma
Strikers are the bane of every beast in Estalia. They are swift and relentless in their attacks, striking weak points and evading away before the enemy even realizes what’s happened. Armed with twin daggers, they are proficient in whittling their foes down as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Favored Stats: Agility, Endurance
Juggernauts excel at one thing above all else: Hitting beasts as hard as possible, repeatedly, until they’re dead. The amount of raw power they can harness through their weapons is unmatched. And while not the most intellectual of hunters, Juggernauts are well-respected in the community--or perhaps just feared.
Favored Stats: Strength, Endurance
Striker was still tempting, if only because of how comfortable he was with the skills and the weapons involved. But he'd just walked off his job. Right now wasn't the time for comfort. Now was the time to try new things. It was the whole reason he'd caved and bought the NeuroJak in the first place. Simon wanted something different from his daily life.
And so when he was prompted again to choose a class, he chose Guardian.
"As a Guardian, you have access to the following bonus trait," the voice began, bringing up another screen. It showed an icon of a sturdy shield, with the word "Stalwart" below it. "Stalwart reduces the Morale penalty after dying. Advanced levels of Stalwart allow the Guardian to boost the Morale of allies to offer them the same protections."
Sounded useful, but again had better perks for grouping. He'd probably max it out to the rank below whichever one granted those bonuses, then focus on something else.
"Please choose two more traits from the list below:"
Simon scanned the long list of traits, his eyes widening a bit in surprise. They'd added more since the last time he played this series. A lot more. The sheer number of traits was almost overwhelming, and he found himself skipping to the ones from older titles that he already knew were useful.
Attentive: You spot tracks and other markings more quickly than other hunters, and can record them with higher accuracy.
Hardy: You are highly resistant to extreme temperatures, and you will recover more quickly from poison, blight, and other ailments.
Resourceful: You make the most of every kill, carving more--and rarer--materials than other hunters.
Shrewd: You are an expert haggler and can command a lower price at most shops. Exotic items are also more likely to be in stock.
Scholarly: It takes you far less time to research a beast’s strengths and weaknesses than it does other hunters.
Adept: You can learn Abilities from other classes and races far more easily and with less time invested.
Relentless: You can sometimes defy death itself, and are unable to be felled by bleeding, poison, or other ailments.
Well, Adept and Relentless had never failed him in the past. With the former he could shore up his weaknesses with abilities from other classes, and the latter was self-explanatory.
He locked those in, and once he did, the feminine voice addressed him again. "Are you happy with your choices? Please be advised that the road to change is arduous, and you must stay the course for at least twenty levels before choosing another."
"Twenty levels? Jesus, that's new."
"Your class defines your role within the ecosystem of Estalia. It is as important to your survival as your skills and experience. For that reason, players must commit to truly learning a class and contributing to their spawn area before choosing another."
Huh. Simon hadn't expected an answer to his complaint. That seemed fair enough, though a lot different from what he was used to. It made him consider changing back to Striker just because he knew he'd enjoy it. But without a job, twenty levels would go by in a flash. Simon could re-spec without any trouble, and who knew. Maybe Guardian really was the class for him.
"I'm good with what I've got," he confirmed verbally.
"Then welcome to the world of Estalia, Guardian Arheis. Prepare yourself for an experience like none you've ever felt before. Loading tutorial in 3... 2... 1..."