After having installed Seven Seas on to his own laptop, Hal put on a VR headset and logged in. Adventurous music reached his ears as a character creation screen appeared before his eyes.
“Great music, isn’t it?” his dad asked. “Really gets you in the mood for swashbuckling.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty intense.”
“Go ahead and make a character. I’ll be waiting for you at the starting area.”
“OK, let me see.”
Hal looked at the options. He first had to enter a character name. He picked a name that he felt was pretty appropriate for a game with fishing in it.
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Enter a character name:
[Halcyon]
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“I picked Halcyon for my name,” he said to his dad who sat a few feet away.
“Oh, great choice. A bird name. I had the same idea. It’s pretty common for players to pick character names that have something to do with piracy, fishing, or animals that eat fish.”
Hal hummed, finding that to be an oddly interesting piece of information. With a name out of the way, it was time to…
* Create character
Hal began to give his character shape. All characters were humans and could be modified by parameters like height, skin, hair and so on. He created a character that reflected him as much as possible, though the resemblance was still lacking a bit. The game had a somewhat cel-shaded look to it and characters were slightly cartoonish, with enhanced proportions, chiseled edges and thick black outlines to their bodies.
When Hal was done, he had created a five-foot-ten slim male with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and pale skin. Not quite as pale as he was, but as much as the game would allow.
The next screen allowed him to select stat boosts.
“No class selection?”
“Nope, you don’t have to worry about classes. Progression is based on skills as well as character level, so you can practice the skills you want the most to suit your playstyle. You can add extra skill levels to give you a starting boost in your preferred stats, but you can concentrate on any skills you want at any time. I added levels to fishing skills so I could get a headstart on casting a rod.”
“Hmm, you know quite a bit about the game already.”
“I started playing last week. I made a couple of friends who have been really helpful.”
Hal chuckled. His dad, making friends? Hal hadn’t seen his dad do much of anything but work for years on end. His dad hadn’t even seemed to like games all that much before, and now he seemed to be enjoying himself. This was a strange sensation for Hal.
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Available Skills
Exploration
Fishing
Swimming
Cooking
Crafting
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Marksmanship
Swordsmanship
[You have 3/3 Skill Levels to allocate.]
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“Hmm,” Hal thought for a moment, “I’ll add two to fishing, but maybe Marksmanship or Swordsmanship would come in handy.”
“Definitely, we could use another party-member with good pistol skills.”
Hal added two levels to fishing and one to Marksmanship.
On the next screen, Hal’s final character was shown with his starting stats. His character, Halcyon, would start the game wearing a dull, tattered shirt and a matching pair of pantaloons, giving him the air of a poor 18th-century deckhand. No matter, he thought, he’d get better gear soon enough.
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Character Info
Name: Halcyon
Male
Stats:
Level: 1
HP: 30
Strength: 5
Defense: 5
Agility: 6
Dexterity: 8
Intelligence: 5
Starting Skills:
Exploration (Lvl. 1)
Fishing (Lvl. 3)
Swimming (Lvl. 1)
Cooking (Lvl. 1)
Crafting (Lvl. 1)
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Lvl. 1)
Marksmanship (Lvl. 2)
Swordsmanship (Lvl. 1)
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With character creation finally done, Hal selected the [Accept] button and with a flash of white light, he found himself standing on a wooden pier looking out at bright blue water of a cove. Looking to his right and left, he saw light yellow sands stretching out in a half-circle with rocky cliffs in the distance. Behind him was a small village with low-level players coming and going in every direction.
There were small dwellings made of wood or stone with straw roofs. Palm trees stood tall nearby, casting shade over the warm, sunny village. The village gently sloped up from sea-level to a small hill. As he followed the village’s outline as far back as he could, Halcyon saw what looked like item shops, a fish market, shops for clothing and weapons, and an inn.
“Lo!” boomed a voice from nearby. A tall, muscular man with a mustache and short gray hair approached him on the pier. It wasn’t an NPC.
“Dad?”
Hal used the gamepad to select the character before him and pressed the [Select] button to bring up character info.
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Character Info
Name: PelicanDaddy-O
Male
Stats:
Level: 10
HP: 60
Strength: 25
Defense: 28
Agility: 20
Dexterity: 30
Intelligence: 24
Starting Skills:
Exploration (Lvl. 1)
Fishing (Lvl.8)
Swimming (Lvl. 1)
Cooking (Lvl. 1)
Crafting (Lvl. 1)
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Lvl. 1)
Marksmanship (Lvl. 1)
Swordsmanship (Lvl. 1)
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
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“Hi, Hal! It’s me, your dad!”
“You called yourself Pelican… Daddy-O?” said Hal, second-hand embarrassment beginning to consume him.
“Clever, huh? I came up with it myself.”
“I can believe it.”
“You’re level eight in fishing, but still level one in all our other skills?”
“I’ve been doing a ton of fishing… exclusively. That’s where TunaMelt comes in. She helps protect me while fishing.”
“What? She? A tuna melt?”
“Oh, this is TunaMelt.”
“Huh?”
Hal looked around for the person his father was pointing out. From behind PelicanDaddy-O, a small-framed female player with blonde hair and green eyes popped into view. She had been completely hidden by Pelican’s muscularity.
“Hi, I’m TunaMelt, but everyone calls me TM. I’m Pelly’s pirate pal.”
The alliteration hit Hal the wrong way, but it was an accurate description. TunaMelt was decked out in flashy red clothes: a red tricorn hat, dark red petticoat, and frilly pantaloons. Long black boots with silver buckles completed the pirate captain look. She had a saber on one hip and a pistol on the other.
It seemed that TunaMelt had been helping Hal’s father get some decent equipment for his level. He wore a similar outfit except it was in navy blue without the tricorn hat. Rather than a pistol or saber, PelicanDaddy-O carried a wicker tackle box at his side and a wooden fishing rod was strapped across his back.
“Hi… TM. So, how long have you been playing?” asked Hal.
“Oh, probably six months. I finished the main campaign and now I like to help newbies like your dad get started on the right foot. I saw him looking pretty lost when he first logged, so I figured I’d help him get the hang of things.”
Hal was surprised. “Wow. That was very considerate of you.”
“Hal, bring up TM's stats. She’s incredible. Definitely a powerhouse.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” said TunaMelt, waving her hands and looking somewhat embarrassed.
“Hmm, okay,” said Hal. “Let’s see.”
Hal selected TunaMelt’s character and brought the stats screen as he had done for his dad’s character.
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Character Info
Name: TunaMelt
Female
Stats:
Level: 50
HP: 320
Strength: 225
Defense: 206
Agility: 120
Dexterity: 127
Intelligence: 154
Starting Skills:
Exploration (Lvl. 50)
Fishing (Lvl.39)
Swimming (Lvl. 50)
Cooking (Lvl. 10)
Crafting (Lvl. 50)
Hand-to-Hand Combat (Lvl. 40)
Marksmanship (Lvl. 42)
Swordsmanship (Lvl. 48)
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“Hmm, impressive. Looks like cooking suffered a bit though,” said Hal, a smirk on his face.
“Haha, yeah! I acquired so much treasure that I don’t need to cook anything. It’s just easier to buy all the food I need. There are some players who really dedicate themselves to maxing out cooking skills though. They make great dishes that really help with stamina and temporary stat boosts. I get my meals from Leon’s stall. If you think I’m rich, wait till you see Leon’s pad. He’s probably the richest guy in Bonny Bay. That’s the starting region we’re in, in case you didn’t know.”
“Oh, yeah, I didn’t know that. I haven’t read any of the story yet. Where’s this Leon guy?” Hal asked.
“Oh, you’ll meet him soon enough. You gain access to player shops and player dwellings at a higher level. First you have to complete the tutorial!”
“The tutorial? Oh, right. I completely forgot about that. No way to skip it, is there?”
“Well, I suppose you could, but then you’d miss out on the extra experience points and rewards!” TunaMelt said with a groan. Hal got the sense that she was really into playing a certain type of overly energetic character.
“Your quest tracker should have notified you on the top right corner of your view,” his father added.
“Yeah, I see it now. Didn’t even realize until now. Let’s see…”
Hal highlighted the quest tracker and brought up the one and only quest available in the list.
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Quest
[A Welcome Sight]
“You’ve just landed in Bonny Bay amid the hustle and bustle of a sunny seaside village. Pirates have been harassing the village for some time and Timothy, the mayor, could use help gathering supplies to repair a damaged shop.”
Go see Timothy.
Gather Stone [5]
Gather Wood [5]
Rewards
100 EXP
50 Gold
Apple x5
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“A fetch quest right off the bat,” said Hal, seemingly disappointed to be doing menial tasks.
“Never fear, your dad and I will help you knock out these tasks super quick,” said TunaMelt, her character buzzing with excitement.
“Let’s go!” they yelled in unison before dashing off the pier and up towards the shops.
Looking at his location on the HUD map, Hal could see that Timothy was marked as being a few hundred feet away.
“Come on, slowpoke!” TunaMelt called out, waving her arms at Hal. Hal snapped to attention and followed after them.
They soon reached their destination and Hal was about to talk to Timothy, a haggard-looking middle-aged man standing before a dwelling strewn with rubble, when TunaMelt stopped him.
“Oh, before you talk to Timothy, why don’t we form a party. It’ll be easier to help you out that way. We’ll add you to our Friends List.”
“Oh, okay, sure.”
Suddenly a notification popped up on his screen with a ping.
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You have a friend request!
TunaMelt would like to be your friend.
Accept the request?
[Yes] [No]
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Hal accepted the request as instructed and a new notification popped up to replace the previous one.
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You are now friends with TunaMelt!
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He did the same for PelicanDaddy-O.
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You are now friends with PelicanDaddy-O!
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“Okay, talk to Timothy! Talk, talk, talk!” TunaMelt was practically charged.
“Okay, hold your horses,” said Hal.
He selected Timothy and pressed the confirm button on the gamepad which started the quest. Timothy began animatedly gesturing. Hal listened intently as he spoke.
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Mayor Timothy
“Thank goodness, a new face. I wish I could welcome you to Bonny Bay under better circumstances, but the village has been dealing with marauding pirates for some time. Hopefully we’ll learn where they’re coming from and how we can stop them, but for now, if you could join the effort to repair the damaged shops, that would be so greatly appreciated. I can’t give you much, but I’ll make sure you’re compensated. We need some stone and wood. Please gather some and bring them back here. Here is an ax and pickaxe to help you along.”
[You received an Ax and Pickaxe!]
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“Isn’t this exciting, Halcyon?!” asked TunaMelt. “It’s been so long since I completed the tutorial quests. I’m feeling so nostalgic.”
TunaMelt’s eyes became watery and she seemed to suddenly drift off in thought.
“Let’s go to the nearby woods and get the stone and wood you need. It won’t take long,” said Pelican. “After me!”
The two of them ran off again, leaving Hal in the dust. It seemed that they were getting way more out of this than he was, but he couldn’t blame them. The game wasn’t all that bad so far. He hadn’t expected to like it, but the music, the scenery and his new group’s enthusiasm made for a surprisingly pleasant experience.
Running a little more up the hill, they came to a wooded area just at the edge of the village, a fence separating the dwellings from the trees. They passed through an opening in the fence and the music suddenly faded from whimsical to adventurous, strings and trumpets having replaced soft guitars and flutes.
“Alright, take a good swing at the trees!”
Taking the ax in hand, Halcyon swung with all his might, that is to say, he smashed the action button furiously and after several chops, the tree came tumbling down. In a puff of smoke, it disappeared. The corner of his screen noted that the wood entered his inventory.
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Got Wood x1
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Hal did this four more times in rapid succession.
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Got Wood x1
Got Wood x1
Got Wood x1
Got Wood x1
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The quest tracker in the top-right corner of his view updated to let him know another step was completed.
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Quest [A Welcome Sight]
Go see Timothy.
Gather Stone [5]
Gather Wood [5]
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Hal repeated this process for the stone. He found large rocks sticking out of the ground and frantically smashed them, button mashing his way to victory.
TunaMelt watched in awe. “No finesse whatsoever,” she whispered to Pelican.
With the stone gathered, the quest tracker showed a new step.
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Quest [A Welcome Sight]
Go see Timothy.
Gather Stone [5]
Gather Wood [5]
Return to Timothy
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They quickly made their way back to the mayor who was still standing before the shop under repair. They gave him the stone and wood, and his demeanor instantly changed.
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Mayor Timothy
“Thank the heavens for you! With this we’ll be able to fix this shop in no time. As a token of my gratitude, here are 50 gold pieces and this bushel of apples. May they refresh you on your travels.”
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The quest tracker flashed and the notifications told Halcyon of his spoils.
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Quest [A Welcome Sight] completed!
You got 50 gold!
You got [a bushel of apples]!
You got 100 EXP!
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“Congrats! You just finished the first quest! It was an easy one, but don’t worry, the really cool stuff is yet to come,” said TM. “Oh geez, look at the time. I should be going to bed. How about we pick this up tomorrow?”
“I look forward to it, as always.”
TunaMelt was about to log out when she suddenly remembered something.
“Oh, by the way, a really cool contest was posted on the Seven Seas website a little while ago. Did you see it? I think we should definitely participate.”
“Oh, let’s check,” said Pelican.
Hal and his father both minimized the game and brought up their web browsers. They navigated to the main page and saw a news bulletin posted only an hour before. They skimmed through the post and their eyes widened as they reached the end.
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Join the Kingfisher Event Contest!
Do you love fishing? Want to go on an epic adventure in search of the elusive, legendary creature, the Sea King?
We’ve got an event for you! For the remainder of the year, from July 1 till December 31, you could win $250,000USD!
The first player to catch the Sea King will win $250,000USD and an exclusive set of legendary gear! Talk about bragging rights! So hop on to Seven Seas today and start your search for the Sea King!
*Note: Only players who have finished the main campaign and acquired the title of Kingfisher can catch the Sea King.
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“$250,000?!” they shouted in unison.
TunaMelt giggled. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow!”
She logged out, leaving Hal and his father sitting in the room, dumbstruck.