Part 1 - Developing Death
We join a room of developers of Asper Online speaking about the mechanics of their game. They are currently discussing the death system and what occurs when a player loses all HP.
“Well isn’t it simple?” one developer said. “When a player dies they just automatically respawn at the last respawn point?”
“No no no,” another developer entered. “How about there be several options…”
The other developers waited for the second developer to continue. “Maybe, three options. The first is to head back to the last checkpoint, like a survival game. The second to respawn at the last town you were in, similar to a CRPG or how about. He paused, rubbing his chin. “What if…”
For some reason, he didn't wish to say but the others were listening. “How about when a player dies they leave behind their body on the ground.
“Like in a survival game?” another developer questioned.
“Precisely.” the developer said. “And we can have it so that he enters a realm that only dead players can enter. You can even see other dead players. But all you’d be able to do is run around, maybe jump. The only interactable item is the respawner.”
There was a choir of rambling until finally, a developer slammed the desk. “I think that would make us too much like a battle royal. Don’t you think so?” It was the head developer chiming in.
“But that would set our game apart.” the second developer mentioned.
“Don’t you think players could exploit this,” one seasoned developer questioned.
“How?”
“They could die, and just run to a respawn in a place they have never been to and respawn and now be in a whole new area. Find a checkpoint and now unlock that area.” The developer looked around. “Is that what we want Asper Online to be? A game of niche glitches only a set of players know how to play?”
The room went silent.
“I think.” The lead developer said solemnly. “I don’t think that's the direction we want to go.” He swiped on a screen that was on one side of the room. “Look.”
On the screen were the on-death mechanics that were currently developed. “I think it’s up to us to develop a system where a player could be defeated and have the experience they expect. The greatest of games have clear mechanics. If you do this, this happens. X to Y. A plus B equals C. Gray areas like this, shouldn’t be introduced.”
“But sir!” the second developer said.
“Adrian Cescemi, I think this is something we sit on until another day. Maybe this could be introduced. Maybe run some tests first. For now, it's not implemented.” The lead developer finalizes.
The developer then flipped the screen. “Okay now let's talk about our Quest System progress.” The room would dim for Adrian as they continued the conversation, and he would think and ponder about the idea. “Wouldn’t it be something, if players could play after death!”
“What?” The lead developer questioned.
“The battle in life ends, and a war in death.”
“Adrian, we're going back to the agenda. We’ll come back to that another time.” The lead said.
Part 2 - The Reaper and Exorcist, Dark Maelstrom
Pulsing from Nero was a dark energy that wrapped around him ferociously. As Vice looked he could feel a chill take over his body. The players who were revived by the tecnecromancy felt it as well. “What is this feeling?”
The neuropath 2 which gave video games entrance to your senses could translate the stimuli. Players could feel, heat. Cold, slashes, but that didn't limit players from feeling recoil from a hit or rumbling from an earthquake. Even sand in a sandstorm could be experienced. The blindness was not just caused by the graphics, but actual particles grazed your face and you could feel the sensation. In this case, the feeling of death came from Nero, and the stimuli it gave were like a jump scare in a scary movie that never ended. The feeling was as if someone was watching them. The feeling was eminent. As Vice would regard, “This is the first time he’s felt fear in a game.” What had this Guildless player become?
“What have you done?” Vice yelled hesitantly. Vice inspected the player and Nero’s name was the same except he noticed what he would normally see on dead players. It was as if Nero could be looted but he wasn’t an item. Nero finally began his assault. A dark afterimage could be seen sprinting and before anyone could tell, Wildebeast had been struck with a shoulder check from Nero sending him tumbling into the distance. Each time Wildabeast tumbled, a shadow of darkness emitted from his character.
“Let’s surround him once again!” Vice yelled and the players moved into position.
Although the strategy was used before Nero didn’t act any different. He entered his fighting stance once again.
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The resurrected began their assault on Nero. In his stance, he evaded the punch of a player and then struck him, grabbed onto his collar, and hurled him into a player in the air trying to land a juggle attack. The two players went flying. Arrows would be shot by multiple players, including Breadguy, whose tether arrow sought to tether Nero, but instead, Nero dodged these arrows, spinning between them. When he did, the dark energy coming from him grabbed them and he spun around quickly, throwing them at nearby assailants who were now tethered. “Drats!” Breadguy yelled. Nero then heard something dragging from the ground raising in speed. He turned, and from another group of players, Wildabeast was charging a skill from his greatsword in the ground. It left a trail of red until finally, it sprung a large fire that kept growing as the distance he traveled increased. “Guys move out of the way!” Wildabeast yelled.
“Don’t worry about dying, I will rez' you!” Vice yelled. Suddenly players started jumping onto Nero. At first, he was able to wear away at the assailants but then they were able to grab him and he noticed that Wildabeast was nearing. Vice then lifted his staff and suddenly Nero’s leg was tangled into the ground. Wildabeast leapt into the air with his sword and with it, the head of a dragon emerged roaring. As he turned the sword to face Nero, the dragon's head would be sent towards him engulfing him in flames and everyone surrounding him.
Once again the bodies of the players were left, but Nero’s body wasn’t there. An afterimage of Nero taking damage subsided. Even the number of the damage was left in the afterimage. “Ahh!” a player yelled.
“Nightmare Incursion.” a voice ominously said.
The players would receive a status effect with a 20-second timer.
“What is this now?” Vice yelled. “Everyone be on your guards!”
“Ahhh!" a player yelled. The player began attacking another player. “Get away from me!”
“Another player would do the same until all of a sudden the players were attacking each other. As they defeated one another Nero would resurrect them, respawning with the Nightmare Inclusion. “Where is he?”
It was then that Vice noticed a puddle under him. “On m-” His voice shrunk as he was pulled into the graphics of the ground. And Nero jumped up back on the battlefield through the puddle. He entered his fighting stance once again. Vice yelled but couldn't come through as it seemed he was in a glitch but he seemed to be rooted. “Sunken,” he read from the status. “They will not be able to last without me!”
Nero then lunged towards the nearest combatant, punching him on his abdomen and uppercutting him. The player fizzled but instead of transforming into a soul, he became a spirit-like body like Nero. The player was surprised and saw the world differently. “What is-”
Nero then jumped to the player, doing many blows that caused the ghostlike player to fizzle. The players could not understand what they just witnessed, but the Nightmare status remained. Anytime a player attempted to read the status they would see a hallucination of something in their real life that they considered scary. Nero on the other hand knew when exactly they did as any character that saw a nightmare was highlighted by him, allowing him an opportunity to attack. He wouldn’t appear as Nero but as whatever that thing was. Because Vice was on the ground glitching, he could not be affected by any hallucination. He looked at the status and read it. “Any player who interacts with this status will experience a hallucination. That player then receives a 100% decrease in physical and magic defence.” He was shocked but continued to read on. “Any player with this status who enters the death menu will forego respawn and enter the Death Realm. This player must head to the nearest respawn to respawn and may interact only with other players in the death realm.”
“A crafty skill” Vice admitted, but as long as he was able to resurrect them before he struck he could prevent them from entering the death realm. Also if he was able to possibly dispel the skill maybe they’d have a chance. “But how.” Finally, Vice is unrooted, and he rises from the ground only to see Nero pummeling a ghost-like figure of Wildabeast. “Ugh, Ugh, Ahhhhh!” Wildebeast yelled. Then he fizzled.
Vice clenched his staff and began to chant. As Nero noticed he sprung towards him. Vice would send small attacks of metallic shards his way, like a gust of wind, each dealing a small amount of damage until finally, the barrage was enough to hold Nero from moving. Nero would step, closer and closer slowly forcing his way closer to Vice.
“You monster!” Vice yelled. “Nano Sanctuary!” From the sky gigantic robot ripped through the dark skies of Juwin, and sent a fist towards Nero. Vice would count the players he had left. Gonerz and Breadguy remained, but 60% of his forces remained. It was odd. How was he able to interact with the ghostlike players, Vice thought. He needed to end this curiosity. “Steelfereyen!” It seemed to be the name of the emerging monster. The monster then jumped through the ceiling, landing in front of him. The monster was a giant gargoyle, geared with technologically advanced skin. It shifted and reset as the monster walked and its animation made it seem alive.
“How much time do we have left on the Nightmare Status?” Vice yelled, but none of the players wished to look.
“Come on, someone tell me!” he yelled again but none of the players would try. They knew if they did they were goners. “Fine, I'll do it!” When Vice looked he saw that only 5 seconds were left, but when he raised his eyes he could see the image of pure darkness and lightning coming to attack him. “Steefereyen!” He yelled. The monster came in between, taking the blow and Vice jumped back. “Steelfereyen! Assault Mode!”
Nero, noticing the change in the monster, changed targets to Breadguy who was firing another shot. He grabbed the arrow and threw it at the Steelfereyen. More players would attack him but he instead neutralized all the players in an instant.
“Why was he holding back?” Vice thought. But his question would be answered as the timer for Nightmare Incursion would end. The whole area went dark. “It was the same colour as if you were defeated and needed to respawn. All of the players looked in fear as if the sky was Nero rising. In the distance, they would see a marker for respawner. He then landed. They were no longer affected by Nightmare but by something else.
Nero began walking towards Vice. “Was that your final trump card?” Behind him, the Steelfereyen would fizzle into dust. And then they appeared back into the real realm. “For a second I showed you the Death Realm. I will show you once again.” Nero then began swaying his arms again entering a trance. Afterimages of him would move in between the characters and then return to him.
“Because this isn’t even a fair fight...”
The voice was beside Vice who shivered and felt a blow from his stomach lift him into the air. Nero then continued to barrage Vice into the air, lifting him with each attack following the strikes one after another. “Ugh! Ura!” Vice would grunt but he was defenseless. He would try to use a skill but then Nero charged an attack that parried the staff and continued lifting him into the sky with his attacks. “Ugh, Ah,” Vice tried again. “Network Esca-!” Before he could finish his skill Nero physically silenced Vice by striking his throat and continued attacking him into the air. At that moment Vice inspected Nero, who was showing up as a Death Reaper, Exorcist. Soon “I’ve never seen the” Vice was struck again. Vice would be near defeat but he felt helpless. His character was completely crowd controlled receiving hundreds of attacks that seemed to microstun his character. He began reading the timing of the attacks and found an opening. He raised his staff, but then Vice, parried once again, sending the staff flying into the distance. “My sta--” Blow after blow Nero connected punches into Vice’s body face, lifting him until finally Vice’s HP hit 0. “
It was only a moment but Vice saw his Hud appear with respawn options.
“Okay let me click respawn and I will simply respawn Juwin!” Vice thought. As he moved his mental cursor towards the respawn button, Nero grabbed the cursor and threw it.
“What!” Vice yelled. “How could you-”
Another punch hit his face and Vice noticed all of the respawns in the world light up in the distance. He noticed his body felt different, almost lighter, and it was then he noticed he had become a soul, similar to what Nero was. “In that case, I will revive my Steelfere-!”
Once again he was interrupted by an attack from Nero who stayed focused on Vice. Finally, they seemed to reach the edge of the game, similar to where Madder had broken through. Nero continued his assault with Vice’s body recoiling from hits off the edge of the map like a tennis ball. Vice’s HP bars and Veils receded each time he was defeated in the spirit form. Vice checked how many Veils he had left. “Two…” And each time he went to click respawn, Nero grabbed the cursor, moving it away and Vice couldn't click the respawn. “How are you interacting with my cursor? That’s impossi-”
“Dark Maelstrom” Nero roared fiercely. He pulled his fist back, with his fist becoming a glowing white contrasting with his dark appearance. “Exorcism!” His punch let out a burst of energy through Vice, receding the last health point he had that his final Veil provided. From a distance, the attack could be seen. And Where Madder was, a burst of energy ran through outer space.
The player Vice was defeated.
Players below could see a patch on the edge of the game covered in black as if a graphical glitch displayed an unfinished portion of the sky.
Nero descended to the players and looked daringly. He entered his fighting stance.
The players didn't think twice, taking the cue.
Each of the players logged off.
Each of the Leaders of the Great Cities would receive the notification of Vice's Total Defeat with one laughing. "weakling."
That concludes the fight with Juwin.